Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Differences In Mental Health Outcomes And Services By Gender Identity Among Sexual And Gender Minorities During The First Shelter-In-Place Order Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Texas, 2020, Mariah Victoria Alvarez Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Within the United States, sexual and gender minorities (SGM), face unique barriers when seeking health services, such as uninsurance, postponing care, and lack of competent services. Within SGM, transgender and gender-expansive (TGX) individuals are more vulnerable as they have higher rates of discrimination and face more barriers to accessing healthcare services. Purpose: Identify differences in mental health outcomes and services by gender identity among sexual and gender minorities residing in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of the SGM participants of the COVID-19 and You Survey study (n=1288). Descriptive statistics, bivariate associations …

Perceived Risks And Benefits Of Hpv Vaccination: The Role Of Cues To Action, Numeracy And, Literacy, Sierra Rae Galvan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for both genital warts and cervical cancer. HPV strains 16 and 18 are recognized as precursors of cervical cancer. While strains 6 and 11 are estimated to cause 90% of genital warts. Latinas have the highest rate of cervical cancer in the U.S, approximately 66 % higher than non-Latino whites. These cancers are preventable in many cases through the administration of the HPV vaccine. The advisory committee on immunization practices recommends that children as young as 9 receive at least two doses of the three-dose HPV vaccine series. Consequently, …

Exploring The Relationship Between Diabetes, Diabetes Risk, Depressive Symptoms, Chronic Stress, And Inflammatory Markers In Mexican-American Men, Aleli Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Individuals with depression and stress are 60% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those without (Mezuk et al., 2008). Moreover, biological pro-inflammatory markers associated with psychosocial stress are risk factors for diabetes. Examining the relationship between psychological disorders, inflammation, and diabetes risk among MAH is important as they have high rates of diabetes.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between 1) depressive symptoms, chronic stress, and inflammatory markers, 2) inflammation and diabetes risk factors and 3) depression, stress, inflammation, diabetes risk, and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 100 adult men from El Paso, Texas …

Associations Between Mental Health Outcomes And Childhood Trauma And Experiences Of Violence During The First Shelter-In-Place For Covid-19 Among Sexual Minority Men Living In Texas, 2020, Sonam Deki

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased mental health issues, disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men (MSM). The relationship between mental health and experiences of trauma and violence are understudied in this population. Purpose: To assess if rates of childhood trauma and COVID-19-related violence are higher for those with depression and anxiety than those without such experiences among cisgender sexual minority men in Texas. Methods: This secondary data analysis is among the cisgender sexual minority men in the COVID-19 and You Survey Study in Texas during the first shelter-in-place order. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations between trauma and experiences …

Covid-19 Prevention, Testing, And Treatment Seeking Among People Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) On The Us Mexico Border, Jorge Raul Puentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the negative social determinants of health that affect medically underserved people who inject drugs (PWID) inhibiting their access to services, promoting infectious disease acquisition such as HIV and HCV, and overdose rates. The effects of the pandemic were more pronounced among Latino PWID communities. Participants of this study are 194 PWID residing in El Paso, Texas, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua along the US-Mexico border. Cross-sectional surveys were administered assessing environmental risk factors that impact COVID-19 acquisition and engagement in preventive behaviors. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to describe the …

The Power Of Voice: The Role Of Target Voice Achievement In Enhancing Quality Of Life For Transgender Individuals In Gender-Affirming Voice Management Lab, El Paso, Texas, 2016-2022, Mehjabin Alam Hridi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Gender-affirming voice management is an essential aspect of transgender people and research shows that achieving a congruent voice can significantly improve the quality of life. The role of voice as a central aspect of gender identity and expression and achieving a desired target voice can improve mental health outcomes, social functioning, and overall well-being. Purpose: The project assesses the impact of quality of life and voice treatment completion on voice disorders among transgender people. Methods: This clinical study included records for transgender individuals attending the Gender-Affirming Voice Management Lab in El Paso, TX, from 2016 to 2022. Measures collected …

The Perpetuation Of Hiv Risk In Latinx Immigrations: A Cross-National Perspective, J. M. Aleman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Research indicates that migration is a social determinant of health that increases the risk of acquiring HIV. What is less understood, however, are the pathways through which immigration influences HIV risk. This study employed a cross-national perspective and utilized a social determinants of health framework to understand how structural factors, such as economic conditions and immigration policies and their enforcement, influence HIV risk among migrants. While mobility, migration and displacement are associated with increased HIV risk, they are not inherently the cause but rather a condition under which vulnerability is increased indicating that other distal, upstream, or structural forces are …

Traditional And Emerging Modifiable Lifestyle Risk Behaviors For Non-Communicable Diseases In A Sample Of Hispanic/Latino American Adolescents Living In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Silvia Salinas Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global health threat, with modifiable lifestyle risk behaviors (mLRBs) contributing substantially to their onset. This study examined traditional and emerging mLRBs and their distribution on cross-sectional health outcomes among Hispanic/Latino in-school adolescents living on the U.S.-Mexico border. Methods: This secondary data analysis used information from the cross-sectional 2019 El Paso YHBS obtained through online surveys. The secondary data analyzed the prevalence, clustering, and co-occurrence of mLRBs of 539 Hispanic/Latino high school students. Results were compared to mLRBs findings corresponding to Hispanic/Latino adolescents who participated in the national and state 2019 CDC YRBSS. An …

The Power Of A Story: How Emotions And Numeracy Affect Parental Decisions About The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Candice Fawn Coffman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (CDC, 2021). There are two strains of HPV known for causing cervical, penile, anal, vaginal, and oropharynx (throat) cancers (CDC, 2020). A vaccine is available to prevent these cancer-causing strains of HPV for individuals between the ages of 9-45. Unfortunately, vaccination uptake and completion rates are below the recommended rates to achieve herd immunity. A primary barrier to vaccination is concern about potential adverse events following vaccination. The purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of anecdotal versus statistical information on parents' intentions to vaccinate their …

Examining The Association Between Emotional Intelligence, Meaning In Life, Stress, And Burnout Among Preâ??Medical Students In The United States, Nayla Paulina Paulina Bejarano Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and significance: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has estimated that by 2034 there will be a physician shortage of around 124,000 physicians. With burnout being one of the main drivers, it is crucial to assess it. Burnout is characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism and low levels of academic efficacy.There has been substantial research on burnout among healthcare providers across different levels of training; however, few studies have examined burnout among undergraduate students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in healthcare. Given the shortage of healthcare providers in the United States, it is …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Obesity Management Tools, Hunter Wayne Turnipseed

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The demand for obesity treatment and management cannot be met because of the lack of obesity specialists. Therefore, integrating obesity management tools in primary care is an excellent option for obesity treatment. Also, the importance of DPP as a scalable community-based program and that Small Changes provides a structured dietary approach that we hypothesize will improve weight loss outcomes. These two studies evaluated the implementation of obesity management tools in primary care clinics in the Paso del Norte area and a DPP program in Brownsville, TX. The first study explored the key facilitators and barriers to adopting the CDSS and …

Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorder (Sud) Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women In A Women's Residential Treatment Center In El Paso, Texas, Adren Darius Warling

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) and opioid use disorders (OUDs) are a major public health concern in the United States. SUD/OUDs are often linked to co-occurring physical disorders and serious mental illness (SMI). Stress and trauma are often contributing factors to the development of SUD/OUD and/or co-occurring SMI, which impact pregnant and postpartum women (PPW), who concurrently, may face specific risk factors and barriers to care for these conditions. These risk factors and barriers to care may be exacerbated by Hispanic/Latino identities. Studying social determinants of health based on a social ecological model approach can help increase knowledge about this …