Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Critical And Creative Thinking Practices And Principles To Improve Audiovisual Production, Paula Andrea Avila Jimenez

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The purpose of capstone is to address the application of Critical and Creative Thinking practices and principles to improve audiovisual production that intends to communicate complicated health information. This paper synthetized the application of the principles of the Habits of Mind (HOM) as Critical and Creative Thinking tool to improve audio-visual (AV) production. The project that spurred this specific question was my experience working as a Research Assistant (RA) at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DF) where I developed videos and booklets to help Latino patients to understand the purposes of chemotherapy in advanced cancer. Five principles of Habits of …

Food And Health: Promoting The Importance Of Maintaining A Healthy Diet To Minimize Disease In Individuals At Greatest Risk, Nadjia Edwards

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Diets high in calories, saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars can lead to adverse health events such as; heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Maintaining a healthy diet can help decrease this potential, but those experiencing food insecurity remain at risk as they may have challenges accessing and affording healthier items. Quality may be sacrificed for quantity leading to the purchasing of food that increases these health risks. Initiatives have been developed to address these obstacles, but aren’t widely utilized. This underuse can be due to a lack of emphasis on the importance of …

Por Ahí Dicen: Sexual Health Promotion Campaign In A Puerto Rican Community, Isabella M. Antenucci, Yessica Guzman, Phillip Granberry, Maria Idali Torres

Gastón Institute Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess Puerto Rican mother’s levels of exposure to the Spanish media campaign launched by Por Ahi Dicen, and to assess the identification mothers had with these stories. The methodology consisted of in-person survey interviews of 210 Puerto Rican mothers residing in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. The study used a sub-set of data taken from these interviews and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Stata15. The major finding of this study showed that the mothers who regularly watched television in the 90-day campaign time frame were more exposed to the campaign than they were …

Effects Of Video Enhancement In A Stated-Choice Experiment On Medical Decision Making, Susanne Hoffmann, Joachim Winter, Francis G. Caro, Alison Gottlieb

Gerontology Institute Publications

Background. The internet can be useful in administering stated-choice experiments to understand medical decision making and refine the content of patient decision aids. In internet-based stated-choice experiments, video and audio files can be used to provide information to respondents. Quality of data may or may not be affected.

Objectives. In a methodological experiment concerned with administration of a stated-choice experiment on the internet concerned with knee-replacement surgery, we compared the data quality obtained with video-enhanced and conventional text formats.

Methods. Members of the RAND Corporation’s American Life Panel and 50 years of age or older (n=1616) were randomly assigned to …

Social Actors Fight The Rising Tide Of Hiv In U.S. Southern Poor, Courtenay Sprague, Sara E. Simon

Center for Peace, Democracy and Development Publications

The greatest number of persons living with HIV in the United States are now living in the South, and they face poorer health outcomes and increased AIDS-related deaths as compared to the rest of the country. The southern United States has a disproportionate share of low-income individuals, with many lacking access to health care and health insurance. Health facilities are also comparatively fewer and more difficult to reach than in other areas of the United States. The impacts of this already poor health infrastructure on low-income people living with HIV in the South can be life-threatening.

This policy brief summarizes …

Understanding Hiv Care Delays In The Us South And The Role Of The Social-Level In Hiv Care Engagement/Retention: A Qualitative Study, Courtenay Sprague, Sara E. Simon

Center for Peace, Democracy and Development Publications

Introduction: In a significant geographical shift in the distribution of HIV infection, the US South - comprising 17 states - now has the greatest number of adults and adolescents with HIV (PLHIV) in the nation. More than 60% of PLHIV are not in HIV care in Alabama and Mississippi, contrasted with a national figure of 25%. Poorer HIV outcomes raise concerns about HIV-related inequities for southern PLHIV, which warrant further study. This qualitative study sought to understand experiences of low-income PLHIV on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program in engagement and retention in continuous HIV care in two sites in Alabama. …

Two Community Collaborations With Sexual Minority Women’S Ngos In Shanghai & Hong Kong, Connie Chan, Hsin-Ching Wu

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Based on research with sexual minority communities in the United States, Connie Chan, professor of public policy and public affairs, conducted comparative research with community groups in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. She provided capacity building training and resources directly to the organization which provides outreach and service to sexual minority women and girls in Shanghai, China. Professor Chan also supported Queer Sisters – an NGO that provides advocacy and community outreach to sexual minority girls and women in Hong Kong – by co-creating a needs assessment survey and helping them to interview their membership in Hong Kong.

Connie Chan …

Implementing A Community-Based Intervention For African American Mothers And Daughters, Teri Aronowitz, Nandini Sengupta

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Adolescents represent one of the fastest growing risk groups for HIV. Inner-city, minority youth are at highest risk because of concentration of HIV in inner-city areas, higher rates of STDs, and early sexual initiation. Mothers are the primary sex educator of daughters, and girls state their relationship with their mother was an important influence on their delaying sexual activity. With 70% of adolescent HIV seroconversions occurring among African American (AA) females, studies are urgently needed to enhance mother-daughter sexual communication. The purpose of this poster is to offer insights on the logistics of carrying out a manualized program.

Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report: Community Profiles, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Nina Silverstein, Ruth Palombo, Stacey Mann

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report: Community Profiles was created by researchers at the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston and commissioned by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

In this report, we have created a custom profile of nearly 100 healthy aging indicators for every city and town in Massachusetts including the 16 neighborhoods of Boston (367 Community Profiles). Each Community Profile is designed to help community residents, agencies, providers, and governments understand the older adults who live in their cities and towns – their ages, …

Gokids Boston Youth Fitness, Training, And Research Center, Gokids Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

GoKids Boston embodies innovation and leadership in youth health through life-changing programs, groundbreaking research, exceptional training opportunities, and dedication to the community with a focus on eliminating health disparities.

Cruza: The Alliance For Latino Health Through Faith And Action, A Umass Boston - Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Partnership For Community-Based Research, Gaston Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

CRUZA is a community-based participatory research partnership aimed at shifting the focus from intervention delivery on an individual level to a focus on enhancing the capacity of community organizations. CRUZA intends to activate collective resources to translate scientific evidence into strategies that increase cancer screening among Latinos in Massachusetts.

The Gastón Institute’S Partnership With The Puerto Rican Cultural Center In Springfield, Ma, Gaston Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

No abstract provided.

Community Research Advisory Board Incorporated: Where The Community And Researchers Meet, Horizon Center, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

CRAB is an incorporated Community Research Advisory Board that serves as a bridge to connect Roxbury residents and other inner Boston neighborhoods to research institutions in a mutually beneficial effort. These efforts increase knowledge and promote understanding about how community-based participatory research (CBPR) can help eliminate disparities in health and health care, thereby improving the health and well-being of people of color. CBPR is a collaborative approach to research, in which the research topic is a priority identified by the community. All partners and stakeholders contribute unique strengths and knowledge, and are involved equitably throughout the process.

Mobilizing Undergraduates To Address The Social Determinants Of Health In The Community: Year 1 Of Health Leads At Umass Boston, Luciano Ramos, Sherrod Williams, Adrienne Wald, Mark Marino

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Health Leads, a national non-profit organization, currently operates in six cities. Following successful partnerships with Harvard University and Boston University, Health Leads Boston initiated a partnership with UMass Boston in the Fall of 2012 to mobilize undergraduate students in addressing the social determinants of health for patients at Codman Square Health Center (CSHC). 16 undergraduates at UMass Boston were selected into the Health Leads program at CSHC, joining 17 students from Harvard and 4 students from BU. In 6 months, Health Leads at CSHC served 337 families, with students reporting positive experiences. Further expansion of Health Leads at UMB is …

Lift Up Your Voice! Health Care Advocacy Training Program: Empowering Older Adults, Nina M. Silverstein, Alison Gottlieb, Kelli Barton, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Lift Up Your Voice! (LUYV) is a health care advocacy training program developed by Community Catalyst and funded through Atlantic Philanthropies. LUYV directly engages older adults with chronic disease in state-based Campaign for Better Care initiatives to achieve changes in the health care delivery system.

Community Built Environment And Multilevel Social Determinants Of Obesity: Evidence From China Health And Nutrition Survey, Libin Zhang, Tim F. Liao, Laura L. Hayman

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is highest in wealthy countries like the United States, but is rapidly increasing in less developed countries. From 1992 to 2002, China had an increase from 14.6% to 21.8% in overweight and obesity. Social determinants of obesity in developing countries remain poorly understood. Further, these associations may vary by community built environment (BE) of developing countries.

Leadership Education In Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Lend) - Partnership With Community-Based Organizations (Cbos), Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Interdisciplinary Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND), a Maternal and Child Bureau (MCHB)-funded program providing long-term, graduate level training to health professionals and family members.

A Healthier Bottom Line: Distilling Best Practices In Corporate Wellness, Mark Auriemma, Cfa, Angela Cassidy, Kelly Dougherty, Despina Garalis, Pharmd, Rph, Judith Pelletier, Jennifer Springer

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR) collaborated with a team from the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) from the University of Massachusetts Boston to explore ways to control health care costs. One strategy being implemented by employers to control health care costs is through “wellness programs,” employer-sponsored efforts to improve the health of employees. Members of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR) and other large employers have had success in reducing their health care costs through the implementation of corporate wellness initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to define what is working in private sector wellness programs to determine whether there is …

Supporting Healthy Lives And Vibrant Places: Learning About And Living The Collaborative Leadership Model, Lisa Deangelis, Maureen A. Scully, Andrea Wight

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The 31 fellows in the 2012 UMass Boston Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) worked with community partners to investigate the theme, “Supporting Healthy Lives and Vibrant Places.” They worked in peer self-managed teams, in order to learn collaborative leadership skills first-hand, while engaging with stakeholders and issues where collaboration makes a difference. Their team projects addressed: best practices in corporate wellness initiatives, outreach to support health care access for homeless people, ways to grow awareness of the wide need for affordable housing, ideas for arts-based local economic development, broader funding sources to support innovative research on poverty, and ways to continue …

Evaluation Of Lift Up Your Voice! Advocacy Training For Older Adults And Their Caregivers: Executive Summary, Alison Gottlieb, Nina M. Silverstein, Kelli Barton

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Lift Up Your Voice! (LUYV) training, a component of Community Catalyst’s effort to support the Campaign for Better Care (CBC), is designed to mobilize grassroots advocacy structures of vulnerable older adults by directly engaging and empowering older adults and their caregivers. The goal of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness LUYV in recruiting potential advocates, educating them about the health care reform, empowering them via advocacy skills training, and engaging them in state-based CBC activities.

Give Us Your Poor: A National Public Education Campaign Addressing Homelessness, Barbara L. Graceffa, Center For Social Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The objective of this campaign to create awareness that the Government alone cannot solve homelessness. The campaign also creates awareness that corporations need to be involved to help bring to scale solutions as well as promote innovation. The aim of the project is to create an awareness that collaboration between government, non-profits, academia, corporations, faith communities, and individuals is key to solving the issue.

Health Careers Opportunity Program, Kunthary Thai-Johnson

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Located on the University of Massachusetts Boston campus, the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) is an educational program funded through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The mission of the program is to create a “pipeline” that starts at the middle and high schools in Boston, continues through the undergraduate programs at Tufts University and UMass Boston, and culminates in the graduate-level public health and/or medical programs at Tufts University School of Medicine or other medical schools.

Working Together: Recruiting African American Female Caregivers And Pre-Adolescent Girls For Longitudinal Study, Teri Aronowitz, Wendy Pavlovich

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The aim of this project is to implement an enhanced sexual communication intervention with mother-pre adolescent girls. It also aims to maintain the short term enhanced sexual communication intervention and evaluate the long term efficacy (9 months) of an enhanced sexual communication intervention with mothers and pre-adolescent girls. Finally the project aims to determine whether the constructs of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IBM) Model can account for variability in enhancing sexual communication intervention of mother and pre-adolescent girls.

Increasing Physical Activity In Inner City Youth Using Novel Interactive Gaming, Sd De Ferranti, Sk Steltz, Scott Crouter, A Kim, Sk Osganian, Jessica Whiteley, H Feldman, Laura L. Hayman, Gokids Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The aim of this project was to assess the feasibility of participation in an afterschool physical activity program incorporating novel exercise technologies on changing physical activity level and physical fitness, compared to a nutrition education intervention alone. A second objective was to assess whether this type of intervention could modify cardiovascular risk factors and anthropometrics.

Gokids Boston Youth Fitness, Training, And Research Center, Meghan Feeley, Sarah Camhi, Dana Commesso, Gokids Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

GoKids Boston embodies innovation and leadership in youth health through life-changing programs, groundbreaking research, exceptional training opportunities, and dedication to the community with a focus on eliminating health disparities.

Institute For Community Inclusion (Ici) Leadership Education In Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Lend) Partners With Community-Based Organizations (Cbos), David Helm, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

This Interdisciplinary Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded-program aims at providing long-term, graduate level interdisciplinary training to health professionals and family members. The purpose of this project is to develop leadership potential to improve the health status of infants, children, and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and to enhance the systems of care for these children and their families.

Community Violence As Psychosocial Stressor: The Case Of Childhood Asthma In Boston, Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Takeo Fujiwara, Sabrina Selk, Meghan Woo

Counseling and School Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Childhood asthma is a critical public health problem of urban centers in the United States and other industrialized nations. Population-based and laboratory research studies indicate that psychosocial stress differentially affects asthma expression. Witnessing or experiencing community violence is a psychosocial stressor that results in long-term biological changes that may in turn contribute to asthma morbidity. This is a review of the literature that examines the exposure to violence as a psychosocial stressor that is independently associated with asthma morbidity even after adjustment for income, housing, and other adverse life events. In addition to acting as a physiological trigger for the …

Educational Attainment, Non-English Language Usage, And Ability To Communicate In English In 30 Massachusetts Cities/Towns, Edward C. Besozzi, Carole C. Upshur

Gastón Institute Publications

Data regarding an individual's ability, or the ability of members of a household to speak English, primary language spoken at home, educational attainment, and the level of literacy proficiency should be taken into consideration when designing and implementing policies regarding health care initiatives and the publication of health care information. This report highlights data collected from three sources: 1) The National Adult Literacy Survey; 2) The 1990 Federal Census; and 3) The Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Attitudes Toward Sexuality And Sexual Behaviors Of Asian-American Adolescents: Implications For Risk Of Hiv Infection, Connie S. Chan

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Until 1990, Asian Americans represented an ethnic minority group that was perceived to be at lower risk than African Americans or Hispanics/Latinos for HIV infection, the presumed causal agent for AIDS. Reasons cited for this perception include behavioral differences in intravenous drug use, sexual behavioral habits, and underidentification of AIDS cases. However, in urban areas such as San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where Asians have immigrated and settled in large numbers, cases of HIV infection and AIDS have begun to increase dramatically, perhaps reflecting the rise in the number of AIDS cases in Asia. In …