Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Factors Causing High Food Insecurity Rates In U.S. Undergraduate Students, Natalie S. Byrd

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

The cliché of a college student surviving off ramen noodles sheds light on a deeper issue — high rates of food insecurity among undergraduate college/university students in the United States. There have been countless studies in recent years exploring the hidden causes of why an estimated 40% of students experience food insecurity as of 2022. These studies conclude three main reoccurring factors causing these high rates: costs, accessibility, and demographic characteristics. Food insecurity rates are important for higher education officials to address due to the countless physical and mental health, academic, and equity implications for the students.

Exploring The Usefulness Of Pre-Visit Materials For Children With Autism At A Public Museum, Jennifer K. Fortuna, Elaine Chamberlain, Libby Filice, Madeline Kurt, Taylor Porter, Shannon Twichell, Stephanie Ogren

Translational Science in Occupation

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participate in community-based settings at lower rates than typically developing children. Museums provide a structured, predictable, and supportive place for children with ASD to learn. Visiting a museum may create unique challenges for children with ASD and their families. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a common barrier to participation that makes it difficult to process information coming in through the senses. For children who are easily overstimulated, crowds, noise, and long lines can be a source of anxiety and stress. Providing pre-visit materials such as social stories, accessibility maps, and communication books can …

The Impact Of Medical Device Usability And Accessibility Information On Purchasing Decisions Of People Without Disabilities, Maysam M. Ardehali

Theses and Dissertations

The disparity between people with and without disabilities in timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment is exacerbated by inaccessible medical devices. The industry appears reluctant to address the shortcomings or provide usability and accessibility information to enhance the purchasing decisions of people with disabilities. This reluctance is mainly caused by the lack of market motivation based on perceptions of market size and the profitability of investments in accessibility evaluation and improvement. This study aims to challenge this notion by demonstrating that usability and accessibility information do not solely benefit what may be considered a “niche market,” and the purchasing decisions of …

Falling Into Action, Kent Hoffman

The Goose

Kent Hoffman explores human movement, his own mobility, and how it influences the way he moves on land. This personal essay, told through the lens of disability and accessibility, outlines his experience of living with Becker muscular dystrophy. Hoffman's approach to walking and mobility is heavily influenced by a fear of falling. As his mobility is changing, he's adapting and seeking out new ways to move on land. Different modes of mobility determine the way we experience personal movement, but accessibility determines who is welcome in spaces in the first place. Accessibility in the form of providing equal access is …

Overcoming The Inner Critic: The Therapeutic Use Of Self-Portraits With Older Adults, Brenda Echeverry

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Older adults are a growing and vulnerable population who experience discriminatory practices that impact their access to equitable housing, employment, and healthcare which was made even more obvious during the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States. A community engagement project was developed and facilitated by the writer to support older adults with the psychological effects of surviving the pandemic. This project also helped to increase accessibility to expressive arts therapy in the writer’s local community. Expressive arts therapy is an effective and accessible method to support mental health and wellness for people of all ages. Engagement with the arts helps …

Overcoming The Inner Critic: The Therapeutic Use Of Self-Portraits With Older Adults, Brenda Echeverry

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Older adults are a growing and vulnerable population who experience discriminatory practices that impact their access to equitable housing, employment, and healthcare which was made even more obvious during the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States. A community engagement project was developed and facilitated by the writer to support older adults with the psychological effects of surviving the pandemic. This project also helped to increase accessibility to expressive arts therapy in the writer’s local community. Expressive arts therapy is an effective and accessible method to support mental health and wellness for people of all ages. Engagement with the arts helps …

Accessibility Of The Kelapa-Seribu Islands Community To Health Service Facilities, Jehan Fakhirah, Eurika Putri Andita

Cities and Urban Development Journal

Background: Disparity in access to rural-urban health services is a global health priority problem. The health extension program is a basic preventive, promotive, and curative service targeting households to improve family health status with effective implementation, especially on remote islands. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the utilization of health education programs and related factors in Kelapa Island, Pulau Seribu.

Aims: This study aims to assess the utilization of health education programs and their factors in Kelapa-Seribu Islands.

Methods: A mixed cross-sectional study at the household level in Kelapa-Seribu Islands. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select the …

Advocacy For Accessible Air Travel, Alexandra Bruce, Lydia Kite, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Problem: Passengers with disabilities decreased participation in air travel due to anxiety fear of injury, and damage to their assistive technology devices limits their ability to participate in occupations where air travel is used.

Purpose To highlight a need for occupational therapy (OT) collaboration with airlines and related stakeholders; and to advocate for more accessible air travel within the airline industry that can lead to a more safe experience for air travelers with disabilities.

Accessibility, Acceptance, And Equity: Examining Disability-Linked Health Disparities As Nursing And Communication Scholars, Sarah Parsloe, Stacey M. Carroll

Nursing Communication

People with disabilities (PWD) experience health disparities, often related to contextual factors beyond the physical differences in body structure and function. The purpose of this article was to develop a research agenda for nursing and communication scholars that explores how developing accessible and empowering communication environments in healthcare contexts might mitigate disability-linked health disparities. We focused on two broad research objectives: developing both accessible communication environments and empowering communication environments in healthcare settings. Elements proposed as comprising accessible communication environments were: making health literacy accessible, addressing complex communication needs, and communicating the embodied experience of disability. Empowering communication environments were …

Accessibility And Inclusion As An Approach To Enhancing Local Extension Programs, S. Dee Jepsen, Laura Akgerman, Karen Funkenbusch, Jessie Calero, Heather Kelejian

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Providing accessible learning opportunities and inclusive programs are critical to Extension’s mission. Creating inclusive environments is more than consideration for individuals’ personal identity. Using principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) is an approach to intentionally build community and create new opportunities for education and growth. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law requiring businesses and events to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, “no qualified individual with a disability may be discriminated against in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The legislation applies to Extension buildings, programs, and …

Accessibility Of Mental Health Resources In Schools, Zitlaly Lizeth Cruz-Roman, Vianney Consepcion Sandoval

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine parents’ and staff’s perception of the accessibility and awareness of mental health resources in school. Mental health resources are made available in school settings; however, not all families and students are aware of the resources being provided. To address the accessibility of mental health resources, research needs to take place to understand why these resources are not being utilized. Individuals’ mental health will improve by creating awareness of the resources since they will be aware of the resources and use them based on their needs. The research project utilized quantitative research methods and descriptive research …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

Recovering From Substance Abuse In Arkansas: The Accessibility And Affordability Of Drug Treatment Programs, Whitney King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is going to examine how people recover from drug addiction and see if there are any similarities due to their socioeconomic statuses at the time of recovery. This research addresses the following questions: How accessible and affordable are drug addiction recovery programs and rehabilitation facilities in Arkansas for mid- to low-income individuals? What are the social costs for people who can’t obtain drug rehabilitation services? The goal of this research is to explore whether there is a lack of affordable recovery programs in the state of Arkansas. This project utilizes survey responses as well as in-depth interviews with …

Evaluating Urban Parks Accessibility And Equity: A Case Study Of Hartford, Ct And New Haven, Ct, Natalie Roach, Mara Tu

Honors Scholar Theses

Public parks provide cities with environmental benefits, positive health effects, recreational opportunities, community building, educational spaces, and public amenities. However, certain populations have been systematically denied their fair share of these benefits because of unjust practices in the creation and maintenance of urban parks. With a lens of environmental justice, the goal of this research was to assess park quality and accessibility of two Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven, by gathering publicly available information as well as using GIS tools.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has an existing ParkScore rating system that evaluates the quality of a city’s …

Job Seeking And Daily Workforce Experiences Of Autistic Librarians, Amelia Anderson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Anecdotal accounts suggest that librarianship is a rewarding career for some autistic adults, though no empirical evidence exists to support such claims. Additionally, barriers may exist for autistic librarians, both in job seeking and in on-the-job experiences. As autistic adults are un- and underemployed more than their neurotypical peers, it is important to understand the role that libraries can play in supporting their employment. In this qualitative study, ten librarians with graduate degrees, who self-identify as autistic, describe their experiences in job seeking and daily working experiences in the library field through interviews in multiple formats. Results indicate issues around …

A Novel Spatio-Temporal Examination Of Children's Accessibility, Exposure, And Engagement To Parks And Recreation Spaces In Middlesex-London, Ontario, Malcolm K. Little

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children are spending more free time engaged in activities indoors, rather than in outdoor environments such as parks and recreation spaces. Parks and recreation spaces provide amenities that promote physical, cognitive, and social health among children. As it relates to the complexities of children’s living situations, properly measuring children’s levels of interactions with these spaces is poorly understood in geography research.

By examining various attributes of children, this thesis improves on the measurement of children’s levels of interactions with parks and recreation spaces. Research herein utilized household survey data, a high-resolution GIS dataset of environmental factors, and GPS logs from …

Investigating Children's Experiences And Participation In A Free Community-Based Physical Activity Program: The Grade 5 Act-I-Pass, Emma E. Ostermeier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Physical activity is an important component of children’s health and development; however, a majority of Canadian children are not meeting the physical activity recommendations. This thesis aimed to identify the factors that influenced children’s enrollment and participation in a free community-based physical activity program, the Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass (G5AP). This thesis consisted of two individual, but interrelated studies. First, focus groups with G5AP participants were used to explore the factors that influenced children’s perceived physical activity levels and participation in the program. Second, a spatially-targeted promotional campaign was developed and implemented to help evaluate the impact of promotions on program …

Accessibility Of Hiv Testing In Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, Alina Prigozhina

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines HIV testing accessibility in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area (BR MSA) using the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to calculate accessibility scores for free, low-cost and all other HIV testing facilities. The two goals of this research are to apply accessibility estimation methods to HIV testing facilities, and to examine the accessibility of HIV testing facilities in the BR MSA. To achieve these goals, this study uses several research methods. The data about HIV testing providers and their locations were collected through Internet searches. By means of a fieldwork, the data were checked, revealing that …

Rotate-And-Press: A Non-Visual Alternative To Point-And-Click, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok, I. V. Ramakrishnan

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Most computer applications manifest visually rich and dense graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that are primarily tailored for an easy-and-efficient sighted interaction using a combination of two default input modalities, namely the keyboard and the mouse/touchpad. However, blind screen-reader users predominantly rely only on keyboard, and therefore struggle to interact with these applications, since it is both arduous and tedious to perform the visual 'point-and-click' tasks such as accessing the various application commands/features using just keyboard shortcuts supported by screen readers.

In this paper, we investigate the suitability of a 'rotate-and-press' input modality as an effective non-visual substitute for the visual …

Accessible Design In Rural Health Care: Usability Profile Of Outpatient Health Care Facilities In Rural West Virginia., Jordan E. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. Since then, research has shown that people with disabilities continue to experience environmental, systematic, and structural barriers to health care. The purpose of this research is to explore the prevalence of barriers in rural West Virginia health facilities and the relationship between building characteristics (like age and purpose) and accessibility. The researcher evaluated ten rural outpatient member-sites of the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network using a survey to understand building characteristics and a tool to measure essential features for a facility to be considered ‘usable’. Findings included a negative correlation …

Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study Of Blind Adults Successfully Employed In American Corporations, Kirk Adams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Blind and visually impaired people in the United States face a dire employment situation within professional careers and corporate employment. The purpose of this research study was to gain insights into the phenomenon of employment of blind people through analyzing the lived experience of successfully employed blind adults through ethnographic interviews. Previous research has shown that seven out of ten blind adults are not in the workforce, that a large percentage of those who are employed consider themselves underemployed, and that these numbers have not improved over time. Missing from previous research were insights into the conditions leading to successful …

State Of Practice In Accessible Instructional Material Policy In Public Post-Secondary Settings, Veronica Mcgowan

Administrative Issues Journal

For many students, easy access to instructional materials is an expectation of course enrollment. However, for students with disabilities, obtaining instructional materials may involve hurdles such as transcription, captioning, and requesting a braille or large-print version. In order to explore themes related to accessibility and services for students with disabilities, the goal of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between publicly communicated policies related to accessible instructional materials in public post-secondary educational settings. To that end, this study consists of website-provided accessible instructional materials policy of 60 higher educational institutions, representing five American geographic areas and four …

Accessibility And Types Of Online Sources Cited In Scholarly Biomedical Journal In Iran, Shahram Sedghi, Masoud Roudbari Prof, Maryam Haseli, Iman Tahamtan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

One type of frequently used references in scientific papers is online references. The aim of this study is to study the prevalence, accessibility and types of online sources in biomedical journals in Iran from 2010 to 2012. We analyzed online references cited in 401 articles from 21 scientific journals indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Findings revealed that only 73 papers (18.2%) had cited online sources in their references. of 186 online citations, 72 (38.7%) citations were accessible, and the URLs to 114 citations did not work (61.3%). The majority of unreachable citations were unstable citations (32.3%). Most …

Evaluating Variables Of Patient Experience And The Correlation With Design, Dyutima Jha, Amy Keller Frye, Jennifer Schlimgen

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this paper was to understand the variables of patient experience by analyzing recent and relevant evidence and to identify design solutions within the hospital environment that positively impact those variables. A systematic review of literature published from 2008-present was conducted to identify variables that contribute to patient experience benefits. Identified variables were documented and categorized into a design, organizational, and outcome variable matrix. Interviews were conducted with professionals from healthcare institutions, architecture firms and organizations committed to improving the patient experience. Data from healthcare facilities, with high patient experience scores, was also examined to derive effective design …

Video Modeling To Increase Interaction For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In A Museum Setting Using An Application On A Tablet, Bethany Miota Miota

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to perform an exploratory study to determine if the ScanDo! app intervention is an assistive technology that increases interaction for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a museum setting. The ScanDo! app intervention presented a video demonstration that modeled the interaction for each learning station by scanning the QR code attached to the station. Using a naturally occurring baseline single-subject design with ABA and reversed ABA phases, two children with ASD and their parents visited the grocery store exhibit at a children’s museum. Observers of the trials and questionnaires completed by parents before …

Research Brief: "The Potential For Health-Related Uses Of Mobile Phones And Internet With Homeless Veterans: Results From A Multisite Survey", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the use of mobile phones among homeless veterans for medical appointment reminders, and other health services provided by healthcare practitioners. In policy and practice, social workers and counselors should determine whether mobile communication would benefit homeless veterans with whom they work and should identify certain barriers to mobile communication that could exist; the VA should expand its mobile notification efforts and look for programs that reduce barriers to regular access to mobile communication. Suggestions for future research include expanding the sample of homeless veterans to include those who are living on the streets or in a …

Transmedial Documentation For Non-Visual Image Access, Melody J. Mccotter

Proceedings from the Document Academy

In my doctoral studies on information accessibility for the individual who is blind or visually impaired, I’ve been exploring the ways we can make image documents more accessible. This requires using an alternative sensory modality, and translating the document into a different format. The questions that arise when we consider this process are many, but among them are:

• Is it the same document once we’ve converted it to an audio narrative about the work, or a 3D topographic map of an artwork, or a musical interpretation?
• If it is not the same document, how truthful can the “trans-medial” translation be …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of Maine Veterans And Their Access To Veterans Administration Health Care Services, Kristin Brawn

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

On a state level, only a few assessments have been conducted, which indicate that Maine veterans are also experiencing similar mental and physical health issues; however, it does not appear that the adequacy of Maine’s VHA services to meet the needs of Maine’s veterans has been comprehensively evaluated. It is unknown whether the physical and mental health needs of Maine’s veterans are currently being met. Therefore, this project proposes to determine if there is a similar problem among Maine’s veterans in regard to health issues and lack of access to VHA health services, as has been reported at the national …