Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Counselors’ Attitudes Towards Telegenetics: The Good, The Bad, The In-Between, Madison Badje

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Given that the global coronavirus pandemic has necessitated a quick and vast transition to telehealth, the purpose of this study is to explore these changes in the field of genetic counseling. To examine the perceived effectiveness of telegenetics from the perspective of genetic counselors, I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with two genetic counselors in which each participant was asked six questions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using standard thematic analysis techniques for qualitative data analysis. The analysis revealed two main themes: benefits and drawbacks of telegenetics, with two sub-themes under each. The major benefits are increased patient …

Examining Physical Activity Behaviors And Psychometric Beliefs Of College Students Before And After The Covid-19 Shutdown, James White Iii

Graduate Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine PA behaviors, social support and self-efficacy for PA, Rosenberg self-esteem, and perceptions of body weight before and after the COVID-19 shutdown (March 15, 2020) among the college demographic.

Participants: 311 college students from a four-year, comprehensive, southeastern university in the United States were included in the study from December 1, 2020 until March 5, 2021.

Methods: Surveys were conducted via Qualtrics, an online survey system, and consisted of approximately 40 items, including demographic information, PA behaviors, social support and exercise, self-esteem, self-efficacy to exercise, and perceptions of body weight and self-image. …

Exploring The Influence Of Self-Efficacy And Autonomy On Outdoor Recreation Behaviors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katheryn E. Carpenter

MSU Graduate Theses

Outdoor Recreation (OR) provides the benefits of physical activity and traditional leisure along with the addition of the benefits associated with an outdoor environment. Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) state that self-efficacy (SE) and autonomy can increase depending on the physical and social environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and autonomy on OR behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hypothesized there would be a correlation between individuals who participate in OR activities and self-efficacy as well as autonomy. The research also explored barriers and facilitators to OR via …

The Effect Of Companion Animals On The Mental Health Of College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah E. Cooper

Global Public Health | Senior Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden of mental illness in the United States, especially among young adults (Czeisler et. al., 2020).

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether pet ownership has an effect on the mental health, specifically depression and anxiety, of students at Dominican University of California during COVID-19.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional quantitative survey that included demographic questions as well as questions developed from modified questions from validated survey items. Data was collected on whether participants owned or lived with any pets. Participants who answered “yes” were asked whether the companion …

Social Environment Changes During Covid-19 Quarantine, Aileen Jimenez

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research project is to understand perceptions of the psychological, behavioral, and social impacts of COVID-19. Students at the University of Mississippi were invited to participate in an online questionnaire administered through Qualtrics. The questionnaire was composed of questions concerning health behaviors, including questions from the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale, Fear of Coronavirus-19 Scale, and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring study. 274 students participated in the study. Overall, the results of this study suggested moderate distress across the sample, differences in sleep, exercise, and alcohol consumption during quarantine conditions, …

Social Worker’S Adjustment And Perception When Dealing With Double-Exposure During A Natural Disaster, Magaly Santos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Limited research captures the perceptions and adjustments of social workers living and providing treatment in the same communities during a disaster. Few studies have captured the stressors and responsibilities put on social workers during an ongoing disaster. This paper reports the findings of the double-exposure captured using a qualitative approach in collecting interviews from nine mental health professionals who continued working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A constructivist paradigm was used to capture each participant’s reality. Participants described the sudden change to remote work as difficult when having to find the balance between work and life demands, providing …

Effectiveness Of An Online Intervention Combating Mental Health Stigma On Adolescent Help-Seeking Behaviors, Chelsea Krayecki

Counselor Education Capstones

Mental health stigma has been shown to be a barrier to seeking help for mental health concerns. This is especially true for adolescents due to important developmental characteristics. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2021), depression is one of the major causes of mental health concerns and disability among adolescents. In addition, the WHO (2021) also states that mental health conditions account for 16% of global burden of illness in people ages 10-19-years-old. The current pandemic has only increased these concerns, as social, emotional, and mental well-being has been impacted by the pandemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, …

The Effect Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health Of College Athletes, Molly Mcardle

Senior Theses

This research aimed to explore how the mental status of student athletes at the University of South Carolina has been affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 61 student athletes between the ages of 17 and 24 participated in the study and completed a series of questions including the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). Independent samples t-tests and descriptive analyses were used for comparisons between gender and age. The results showed that female athletes reported statistically significantly higher levels of anxiety and stress than male athletes (p = 0.049 and p = …

Modeling Cumulative Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial And Socioeconomic Factors For Older Minority Adults, James F. Osborne Iv

LSU Master's Theses

Continued response to the sum consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has disparately affected the physical and mental health of older minority adults in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 created an acute epidemiological crisis of public health coinciding with a chronic pandemic of accentuated psychosocial stress. Biological and socio-economic risk of morbidity and mortality follow a demographic gradient of subjectively constructed social status that disproportionally threatens older adults and minority racial/ethnic communities. Pathways to increased socio-economic and psychosocial vulnerability are multifactorial and complex. Factors of race, socio-economic status, gender, and age, each contribute to individualized profiles of vulnerability to risk exposure.

The …

Analyzing Student Experience On Group Work With The Application Of Different Group Allocation Approaches, An Yee Tan

Management and HR

Working as a group can be as challenging as working by oneself. Common issues like ineffective group work, unequal work contribution, and poor communication are believed to be the reasons why many students preferred to work individually. The purpose of this study is to understand if there is a disparity in student experience on group work by implementing different methods of group formation, which are, intentional group formation and random assignment. Topics around team well-being, team communication, and team effectiveness are the main focus of this study. The second emphasis of this study is students’ opinions on whether or not …

Understanding College Student Emotional Functioning During Covid-19, Dominique Marie Giroux

Theses and Dissertations

The novel coronavirus has resulted in mass infection and death. To prevent spread of the virus, colleges and universities shut down and transitioned to remote learning, which mandated all college students to leave residential housing and relocate to a permanent address. Previous literature suggests college students who experienced housing displacement due to a natural disaster reported heightened distress and poorer overall functioning (Davis, Grills-Taquechel, & Ollendick, 2010). Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, college student mental health was deemed a public health concern, however, it is expected to worsen following the outbreak (Galea, Merchant, & Lurie, 2020). Researchers suggest peer support …

Evaluating Employees’ Experiences In Implementing Covid-19 Safety Protocols In Ontario Parks, Jessica Kaatz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a wide range of public health challenges for park management and staff in Ontario. Green spaces have become a source of resilience during the spread of the virus, partly due to their proven positive impacts on social, mental and physical well-being. With the introduction of social distancing protocols, utilization of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and standardizing constant sanitation efforts, park employees are more responsible than ever for the daily implementation of rules governing park safety and security. At the same time, increased visitor numbers and continually changing government protocols that varied between regional jurisdictions have …

Neurodiversity And Workplace Social Capital Effects On Employee Attitudes And Intentions, Alice Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neurodivergent employees have higher turnover rates than their neurotypical peers, andmuch remains unknown about how to improve their workplace experience. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between neurodiversity and workplace social capital on job satisfaction and turnover intent. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) informed the study design. Working adults (N = 1,243) in the United States recruited using convenience sampling and MTurk participated through an anonymous online survey. Data analysis was conducted using three-way ANOVA and mediation. Significant three-way interactions were found between gender, job classification, and likelihood of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) …

Examining The Relationship Between Mental Health Conditions And Risk Perception In Determining Covid-19 Preventative Health Behaviors, Krupali Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Depression and anxiety are relatively common among college students and research suggests that risk perceptions may be modulated by these mental health conditions. In addition, studies have demonstrated that higher perception of risk predicts more frequent practice of preventative health behaviors, and this relationship may also be modulated by depression and anxiety. The present study examined the relationship between these factors in the context of COVID-19. Using survey data from undergraduate students, risk perceptions about COVID-19, self-reported practice of COVID-19 preventative behaviors, and their relationship were compared between those with and without the common mental health conditions of Major Depressive …

Why Do You Wear A Mask? Children’S Conceptualizations Of Covid-19 And Contagion Avoidance Behaviors, Emily Hillman

Scripps Senior Theses

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a need has emerged for psychological research on children’s understanding of infectious disease transmission. However, little existing research examines the link between children’s cognitive reasoning about illness and their subsequent behaviors regarding its transmissibility. This study will examine children’s conceptualizations of contagious illnesses such as COVID-19 and their subsequent contagion avoidance. A mixed methods approach will be used to establish the content of children’s conceptualizations of contagion and level of causal reasoning related to illness transmission. Dyads will be constructed comprising 4-12-year-old children and their parents. It is expected that parental contagion avoidance …

Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout: Examining Covid-19 Vaccination Perceptions And Intention Among Nurses, Emilee T. Austin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Nurses’ COVID-19 vaccination rates have been reportedly low for being among the first prioritized for vaccination. To understand and potentially explain uptake barriers, this thesis utilized the 5c Model, the Integrative Model, the Extended Parallel Process Model, Uncertainty Management Theory, and the Theory of Motivated Information Management. This project used an online survey with a convenience sample recruited through the WV Nurses Association. Specifically, there were 328 nurses recruited, then screened for fully vaccinated participants leaving an analytic sample of 174 West Virginia nurses who had not yet been vaccinated. Participants were asked about their nursing role, threat perceptions, susceptibility …

College Students' Mental Health And Drug Use Outcomes During The Stay-At-Home Order, Alexander T. Hain

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people of all ages causing increased drug usage and worsening mental health in addition to hospitalization and death. The current study investigated how the United States’ stay-at-home orders affected the mental health and drug use of young adult college students. This population is of particular interest because young adults are at most risk of drug use developing into addiction. Two hypotheses related to the self-medication hypothesis were investigated: (1) there will be a significant increase in drug use during the stay-at-home order when compared to drug use prior to the stay-at-home order and (2) feelings …

Burnout With Caregiving Of Autism And The Covid19 Pandemic, Erin Babcock, Leah Recker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I am working with Leah Recker and we are doing research on parent/caregiver burnout of those with children that have autism, especially during COVID. We are creating a survey on Qualtrics, using stem questions followed by Likert scale items, which we will then send to the Director of Programs, Lisa Thompson, at Autism Society of Greater Akron. She will then pass it along to the parents and caregivers within their community, via Facebook or their weekly newsletter. Parents/caregivers will have the opportunity to complete the survey and we will receive the results when done so. We will then analyze the …

Market Structure And Quality Of Service: Investigating Oligopolies And The Quality Of Nursing Home Care In California During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tessa Ireton

Senior Independent Study Theses

Quality-of-service outcomes in nursing homes are of great social and human importance. However, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, consistently maintaining markets with high quality care has been a pervading issue in the American nursing home industry. Furthermore, the industry is strongly characterized by oligopolies, a market structure that literature indicates may be less compatible with quality service than competitive markets. With this paper, I aim to investigate the possible intersection of oligopolist market structures and the quality of nursing home care during the COVID-19 pandemic. I start by describing quality of care in nursing homes, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, …

Covid-19 Infection In Hypertensive Patients In Correlation With Race, Elizabeth Durkin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Disparities in healthcare exist in the U.S., particularly between different racial categories. This study investigated the frequency of COVID-19 cases and hypertension cases among five different racial groups (White, Black, Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian). The study also examined the correlation between COVID-19 and hypertension. It was hypothesized that, because of genetic predisposition to certain diseases and existing socioeconomic barriers, Black populations would have the highest rates of both COVID-19 and hypertension. It was also proposed that a positive correlation exists between COVID-19 and hypertension frequency. To test this, the Kaiser Family Foundation's data for COVID-19 cases and race …

Exploring Health And Risk Information Seeking In The Context Of Covid-19: Testing The Comprehensive Model Of Information Seeking And Risk Information Seeking And Processing Model As Competing Explanatory Models, Xianlin Jin

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Facing a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the public feels uncertainty and fear. To cope with the pandemic and reduce uncertainty, the public needs accurate and prompt information. By theoretically and empirically comparing the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS) and the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP), this dissertation aims to unpack the core mechanism of health and risk information seeking. Built on the two models, the author proposed an Integrated Model and explored which variables are the significant predictors of health and risk information seeking.

The author recruited 729 adult participants and analyzed 394 completed …

Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined change in physicians’ use of telemedicine before, during, and expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the ability of personal and environmental variables to predict telemedicine adoption, and applied the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model to physicians’ adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. A total of 230 licensed physicians currently practicing in the United States were recruited. Telemedicine accounted for 3.72% of physicians’ clinical work prior to the pandemic, 46.03% during the pandemic, and predicted 25.44% after the pandemic ends. Physicians within hospitals reported less telemedicine use during the pandemic (M = …

Worst Time Being Poor? The Hunger Problem In U.S. During Covid-19 Pandemic, Yuanhang Hu

School of Professional Studies

Food insecurity is deeply rooted in American society during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Insecurity usually associates with economic indicators, such as unemployment rate, income level, etc. Currently, there are two main tools to fight the war of hunger. The first one is the government food assistance programs. And the second one is food pantries from the private sectors of the community. Both tools are facing numerous challenges due to COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to provide rational reasons to persuade the government to enhance the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and use administrative …

Cvs Covid-19 Screening Website: Test Automation, Savya Rawat

School of Professional Studies

CVS Pharmacy is an American retail corporation, also known as, and originally named, the Consumer Value Store owned by CVS Health, it is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. CVS Pharmacy is currently the largest pharmacy chain in the United States by number of locations over 9,600 and total prescription revenue. CVS sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter drugs.

Now, coming to the reason why I have selected CVS pharmacy’s website cvs.com as my case study topic is because of CVS’s response to the covid-19 pandemic’s no-cost testing strategy. Whole of the world is suffering …

Higher Education Responses To Crisis: A Case Study Of Clark University And The Pandemic Of 2020, Lisa Gillingham

School of Professional Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an existential challenge to universities and other academic institutions at a time when they are already grappling with other weighty issues that may alter the fabric of higher education. COVID-19 has forced these institutions to consider and employ new ways of conducting its work with a sense urgency that is unprecedented in the recent history of the academy. The rate of learning around these models is rapid, and Higher Education is ripe for change.

Clark University has addressed the pandemic with a plan to protect and pivot using strategies that support the continuation of its …

Needs Assessment: A Food Pharmacy During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Genesis Talavera

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction

The needs assessment report discusses the effects of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic on a low-income Hispanic/Latino population specifically for diabetic patients seeking food pharmacy services at a non-profit clinic in San Mateo County. Nutrition is an essential aspect of diabetes management, which can be challenging to obtain among low-income populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused additional challenges among the general population, making it more challenging for the diabetic low-income population. This project was undertaken to identify the effects COVID-19 has on the food pharmacy patients.

Methods

The needs assessment consisted of eleven in-depth interviews done in six week period. A …

Adoption Of The Health Information Exchange (Hie) System And The Role Of The Healthcare Leadership, Muhammad Faisal Ashfaque

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement in technology calls for improvement in service delivery in healthcare systems, especially in the present health pandemic of the COVID-19. At present, healthcare systems utilize several electronic health techniques. However, there is a need for the creation of interoperability that can assist healthcare organizations in exchanging data more effectively through the global adoption of healthcare information exchange (HIE). The current research examines the adoption of HIEs and healthcare leadership roles to realize a fully functional interoperable patient HIE. This study utilized the systematic document analysis method to review qualitative data on the different aspects of healthcare leadership, implementation …

Swipe Right For Condoms And Testing: Differences In High-Risk Sexual Behavior And Sexual Health Beliefs Among Dating App Users Compared To Non-App Users, Shelby A. Smout

Theses and Dissertations

Millions of Americans are currently using smartphone dating applications (apps) to socialize and meet with others. In some cases, app-based conversations lead to sexual interactions. Previous research examining the relationship between the use of dating apps and sexual behaviors has found that individuals who use dating apps and meet with partners from the app are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors such as having multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are the group most likely to be using dating apps compared to other age groups and are a high-risk group …