Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Covid-19 On The Diversity Of The Construction Workforce, Anil Baral, Yunping Liang, Mingshu Li, Marilyn Gonzalez, Mohsen Shahandashti, Baabak Ashuri

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Construction industry employment has been severely impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US construction labor market. This study contributes to the state of knowledge by (1) revealing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted construction employment across different demographic groups and geographic regions in the US, and (2) identifying vulnerable demographic groups (e.g., minorities, women, older workers) in the construction workforce that are disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. Employment data from the Current Population Survey and Current Employment Statistics (CES) programs, which are administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are …

Healing Racial Trauma And Reframing The Miseducation Of U.S. America: Altering Exclusionary Textbooks As A Therapeutic Experiential, Kamaria Erin Wells

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This exploratory mixed-methods, arts-based research investigated the therapeutic impact of fusing art therapy, group therapy, altered book making and alternative therapeutic modalities on self-efficacy, self- awareness, community efficacy and awareness, and reduction of racial trauma symptomology. The intention of the study was to understand the experiences of mental health professional participants (n =5), consequent to four therapeutic group sessions. Participants disclosed experienced symptoms of race-based PTSD pre and post sessions via the University of Connecticut Racial/Ethnic Trauma Survey, in addition to qualitative data. Qualitative data consisted of artwork, written responses, and exit interviews confirming the hypothesis that this radical healing …

A Proportionality-Based Framework For Government Regulation Of Digital Tracing Apps In Times Of Emergency, Sharon Bassan

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Times of emergency present an inherent conflict between the public interest and the preservation of individual rights. Such times require granting emergency powers to the government on behalf of the public interest and relaxing safeguards against government actions that infringe rights. The lack of theoretical framework to assess governmental decisions in times of emergency leads to a polarized and politicized discourse about potential policies, and often, to public distrust and lack of compliance.

Such a discourse was evident regarding Digital Tracing Apps (“DTAs”), which are apps installed on cellular phones to alert users that they were exposed to people who …

Pain That Only She Must Bear: On The Invisibility Of Women In Judicial Abortion Rhetoric, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The graphic and bodily facts of a legal question of rights are relevant to the courts, particularly in questions that directly implicate physical bodies and pain, such as right to die cases, or what level of search may be allowable and when. However, in the case of abortion, or more specifically the bodily ramifications of pregnancy and childbirth, this detail is conspicuously absent. This article, relying on a content analysis of over 220 legal opinions on abortion rights, documents this absence of rhetoric. Particularly in the context of other discussions of pain and physical health risks in these very same …

Rising Cost Of Medicare And Its Effect On Recipients 65 And Older, Williesa Toomer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rising cost of Medicare is a growing concern for recipients. Beneficiaries are often forced to implement a host of strategies to meet rising out-of-pocket expenses. This qualitative study was conducted to address a research gap in methods used by senior citizens to manage rising Medicare coverage costs. Garmezy’s resilience theory was used to contextualize the rising costs of Medicare premiums and copays and strategies used to manage healthcare needs. The purposive sample of 12 socioeconomically diverse respondents included eight women and four men ranging in age between 65 and 77, for an average age of 70.2 years. Participants completed …

Diabetes Self-Management Education In The Urban Low Socioeconomic Status Senior Population, Heather Santa Barbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This exploratory quantitative study used a survey design to address a gap in the literature concerning primary care team perceptions about diabetes care for urban low socioeconomic status seniors with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic health problem that is often managed in primary care offices, and primary care teams are often the first source of education and support for patients. Standards of management for seniors with diabetes has changed to eliminate tight control of glucose levels, and primary care team members may have differing perceptions about diabetes care depending upon their role in the primary care team and years of …

Project Spraoi: The Implementation And Outcomes Of A Process Evaluation Of A School-Based Health Promotion Intervention, Yvonne Larrissa O’Byrne

Theses

Large multi-site school-based interventions are challenging to implement and difficult to evaluate due to the complex adaptive nature of schools as a research setting. This study focused on implementing a comprehensive process evaluation of a multicomponent primary school-based health promotion called Project Spraoi (PS), alongside intervention delivery, to aid the translation of outcomes and understand the moderating role of contextual factors on intervention delivery. PS is led by a physical activity (PA) specialist known as an Energizer and aims to improve children’s PA levels and reduce sedentary time by delivering 20 minutes extra daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during …

Reproductive Regrets Among A Population-Based Sample Of U.S. Women, Arthur L. Greil, Michele H. Lowry, Andrea R. Burch, Kathleen Slauson-Blevins, Nicholas Park, Julia Mcquillan

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Women have many reproductive options, but little is known about their regrets regarding prior reproductive choices and outcomes. Guided by the life-course and stratified reproduction perspectives, this study draws on an open-ended question about reproductive regrets from wave I of the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, a representative telephone survey of reproductive aged U.S. women conducted from 2004 to 2006. The authors classified regrets into five broad categories: (1) none, (2) problematic fertility, (3) unfulfilled fertility desires, (4) family, and (5) pregnancy experiences. The authors conducted the analyses separately by motherhood status. Logistic regression analysis revealed that regardless of parental …

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Beyond The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Importance Of Social Determinants Of Health In Educating Healthcare Leaders, Tashuna Albritton, Miguel Muñoz-Laboy, Umadevi Yokeeswaran, Marlene Camacho-Rivera

Publications and Research

As scholars of color and educators in the health professions, we are compelled to advocate for the inclusion of the study of health disparities and social determinants of health (SDOH) throughout higher education to understand, analyze, and effectively respond to healthcare access disparities, including COVID-19 disparities, in Black and Latinx communities across the United States. In addition to our identities and lived experiences, healthcare access disparities and their root causes are woven throughout the courses that we teach in the departments of social medicine, social work, and social and behavioral sciences.

Cost Of Care For Asylum Seekers And Refugees Entering The United States: The Case Of Volunteer Medical Providers In El Paso, Texas, Rigoberto I Delgado, Manuel De La Rosa, Marlon A Picado, Lisa Ayoub-Rodriguez, Celia E Gonzalez, Leopold Gemoets

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Between October 2018, and February 2020, the United States saw an unprecedented increase in the number of asylum seekers and refugees arriving unexpectedly at international crossings along the US-Mexico Border. Many of these migrants needed proper medical attention, and consequently created significant pressure on local health systems. In El Paso, Texas, volunteer clinicians, collaborating closely with religious organizations and non-governmental organizations, provided outpatient medical care for the new arrivals; the county hospital provided in-patient care at local tax payers' expense. The objective of this study was to estimate costs of healthcare services offered by these volunteers in order to …

The Association Between Maternal Attachment Quality And Symptoms Of Anxiety In Mexican American Adolescents, Kathryn Joy Steininger

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Hispanic youth have been recognized as a large population struggling with mental illness. There has been little investigation surrounding the relationship between Hispanic adolescents and anxious tendencies, despite being the second highest population experiencing symptoms. The current study aims to explain the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety in Mexican American adolescents by examining maternal attachment quality. Data from a sample of 432 Mexican American adolescents from the ages of 13 to 21 was analyzed to determine the relationship between maternal attachment quality and symptoms of anxiety. Adolescents demonstrated greater symptoms of anxiety when they had lower maternal attachment quality. After …

Social And Biological Determinants Of Pregnancy-Related Mortality And Morbidity In A Rural, Underserved Population, Anna Hansen

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and pregnancy-related mortality (PRM) are increasing in the US. Research concerning SMM and PRM has neglected women in Central Appalachia; a largely rural, health-disparate population. The aims of this study are two-fold: (1) Examine patient-level and place-based predictors of SMM/PRM via hierarchical logistic regression modeling, and (2) Elucidate Appalachian healthcare patients’ and providers’ experiences with SMM/PRM, perceptions of contributing factors, and insights on points of intervention.

This study uses a mixed methods approach guided by the WHO’s conceptual framework for action on social determinants of health to identify determinants of SMM and PRM among …

An Examination Of Three Transitional Events In The Substance Misuse Trajectories Of Women With Criminal Legal System Involvement, Martha Tillson

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Research has consistently demonstrated that criminal legal system (CLS)-involved women are distinct from men in initiation and course of drug use, with important differences on biological, environmental, and sociocultural levels. Thus, the unique pathways and transitions into and out of drug use for women with CLS involvement are critical to consider from a research perspective, but also from a need to develop and support evidence-based, women-centered services in correctional contexts. This dissertation project uses a three-paper format to investigate three aims: (1) to understand CLS-involved women’s initiations to injection drug use and their experiences providing injection initiation assistance (IIA) to …

Covid-19 Vaccination In Palestine/Israel: Citizenship, Capitalism, And The Logic Of Elimination, Nicolas Howard, Emily Schneider

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite Israel’s responsibility under international law to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics in its occupied territories, Israeli officials have refused to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Through a critical discourse analysis of Israeli officials’ statements regarding Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, this paper explores how Israel evades this responsibility while presenting itself as committed to public health and human rights. We find that Israeli officials strategically present Palestinians as an autonomous nation when discussing COVID-19 vaccinations, despite Israel’s ongoing attempts to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Relatedly, Israel justifies …

Unpacking The Influence Of Islamic Religious Culture And Individual Religious Affiliation On Testing Hiv-Positive, Brittany Hayes, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

The distribution of HIV cases varies cross-nationally. We separate the influences of Islam at the macro-and micro-levels to understand the role of religion in shaping the spread of HIV. Drawing on biomarker data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we construct a multilevel database (Individual N= 568,476; Country N= 30). We examine a series of national-and individual-level predictors that may mediate the relationship between Islam and testing HIV-positive. Individual religious affiliation and proportion Muslim retained their risk-reducing effects even when accounting for a range of mediators and suppressors. Islam has a sui generis effect on testing HIV-positive.

Rural Parent's Experiences Of Stress And Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic And School Closure, Emily Wilson, Jungwon Eum, Yuenjung Joo, Martinique A. Sealy, Jentry Stoneman Barrett, Gwen C. Nugent, Joan M. Carraher, Angela G. Hinrichs

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated social and economic disruptions, resulting in cascading effects on the health and well- being of global citizens. However, little research has focused on how COVID-19 has affected rural regions, despite rurality being a critical factor for understanding community impact and response to the pandemic. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of rural Nebraskan parents with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and school shutdown, and the strategies they used to support their families during that time. We conducted individual and group interviews with 22 white, non-Hispanic mothers living in rural …

Exploring Factors Associated With The Eating Behaviours And Influences On Food Choice In Irish Teens, Aisling Daly

Doctoral

Aim The aim of this research was to understand the eating behaviour traits and food choice motivations of Irish teens, and to investigate the social, psychological, and attitudinal determinants of these eating behaviour traits and influences on food choice.

Methods Mixed methods were used in this research, using quantitative analysis of data from the National Teens’ Food Survey II (NTFSII), a cross-sectional study of teens aged 13-18 years old (N=428). Data predominantly came from the TFEQ-r18 and VARSEEK tools for eating behaviour traits, and the FCQ tool for food choice motivations, as well as socio-demographics, anthropometrics, behaviour/attitudes and dietary intakes. …

Psychosocial Factors Of Covid-19 Impact Oral Health, Neeru Ramaswami Bds, Ms, Mph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The impact of psychosocial factors on oral health during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. This article, part of National Children’s Dental Health Month, focuses on adolescent oral health and eating disorders, authored by experts from the University of Michigan. With a dramatic increase in eating disorders among Michigan adolescents during the pandemic, especially affecting transgender and diverse youth, identifying such issues is crucial. General dentists, in an ideal position for interaction, can play a vital role in addressing these challenges, emphasizing the need for continued education and collaboration.

Maternal Feeding Styles And Child Appetitive Traits: Direction Of Effects In Hispanic Families With Low Incomes, Maria A Papaioannou, Nilda Micheli, Thomas G Power, Teresia M O'Connor, Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Sheryl O Hughes

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Feeding styles of parents have been associated with dietary quality/intake and weight outcomes; however, much of the research to date has been cross sectional and the direction of influence unclear. This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the direction of effects between feeding styles and child appetitive traits over time in a sample of 129 Hispanic parent/child dyads that participated in a larger study. Data analyzed for the current study were collected when the children were 4-5 years old and again at ages 7-9 years. Parents (all mothers) reported on their feeding styles and children's appetitive traits using well-established questionnaires. Cross-lagged panel …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Nursing Graduates Regarding Interest In Gerontological Nursing Practice, Sonia Millicent Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn ongoing increase in the number of older adults means an increased need for specialized health care, creating, in turn, a need for an increase in nurses in the United States to meet the demand. However, there is a problem in that nursing graduates, from the time they are students, do not choose geriatric-gerontological nursing (GN) as is practiced in long-term care and some specialty areas or units. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing graduates’ perceptions of GN as a field for professional practice and to determine how interest in GN may be encouraged. The …

The Risk Factors For Hiv In African American Transgender Women In Connecticut, Oliver Kunda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence rate is 70 times higher for African American transgender women than in the general population. Despite decades of outreach and intervention effort to reduce HIV incidence in the transgender community by the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transexual, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) community and public health organizations, the HIV prevalence rate for transgender women remains high at 38%. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to gain insights into how attitude, subjective social norms, and perceived behavioral control influence HIV risk behaviors of African American transgender women in Connecticut. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior provided …

Experiences Of African American Female Offenders On Parole And Under Community Supervision, Shirley Lawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American female offenders on parole under community supervision reenter communities as convicted felons and face the challenges of intersectionality and collateral consequences. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African American female offenders active on parole and under community supervision. General strain theory was used to explore the experiences of African American female offenders on parole and under community supervision. Data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with a purposive sample of 10 African American female offenders, ages 18 and above who were on parole and under community supervision. Colaizzi’s seven-step method …

Cesarean Skin-To-Skin Contact: Who Gets The Experience In The Operating Room?, Jessica S. Junk-Wilson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

For the past decade, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth has been the general recommendation for all births, as there is evidence that it provides many benefits for mothers and infants. Yet, research has shown that immediate skin-to-skin contact is not the standard practice after most Cesarean births. This study assessed access, incidence, and circumstances surrounding Cesarean skin-to-skin contact (CSSC) in the operating room and examined influencing maternal characteristics of age, education, race, and number of births via a survey of 2327 people. Women who experienced a Cesarean section birth in the past 10 years were recruited through Facebook groups for …

Stay At Work After A Period Of Disability Due To An Occupational Injury: A Complex Process Marked By Social Exchanges, Alexandra Lecours, Marie-José Durand, Marie-France Coutu, Charles Groleau, Roxanne Bédard-Mercier

Études primaires

Purpose Rooted in a social exchange lens, this study aimed to explore the interactions between the factors influencing stay at work after a period of disability due to an occupational injury. Methods Based on a descriptive interpretative research design, interviews with 15 participants (i.e., representatives of workers, workplaces, insurers, and the health care system) were conducted to gather their perspectives about stay at work. Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Results Ten different factors interacting together and influencing stay at work were identified. These factors prevail either during stay at work or previously. They are either related to the …

Desired Resources For Changing Diet Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Qualitative Inquiry Informing Future Dietary Interventions, Stephanie L Silveira, Emma V Richardson, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: There are approximately 1 million adults in the United States with multiple sclerosis (MS). Persons with MS are interested in diet as a second-line therapy for improving MS symptoms and disease progression. Examination of desired resources regarding diet among persons with MS is necessary for supporting behavior change.

METHODS: Twenty-five adults with MS completed 1-on-1, online semistructured interviews. An inductive, 6-phase, semantic thematic analysis was applied to identify themes associated with participant preferences for dietary behavior change.

RESULTS: The research team crafted 4 key themes from the data that encompassed participants' desired resources for dietary behavior change. Theme 1, …

The Neighborhood Environment And Hispanic/Latino Health, Natalia I Heredia, Tianlin Xu, Minjae Lee, Lorna H Mcneill, Belinda M Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Hispanic/Latino adults on the Texas-Mexico border have high rates of chronic disease. Neighborhoods can influence health, though there is a limited research on neighborhood environment and health in Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of neighborhood environment with health variables in Hispanic/Latino adults, including physical activity [PA], depression, anxiety, and lab-assessed conditions (type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation).

METHODS: Participants were randomly-selected from a Hispanic/Latino cohort on the Texas-Mexico border. Neighborhood environment, self-reported PA, anxiety, and depression were assessed through questionnaires. Laboratory values determined Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein …

"Don't Know Where To Go For Help": Safety And Economic Needs Among Violence Survivors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leila Wood, Elizabeth Baumler, Rachel Voth Schrag, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Dixie Hairston, Jeff Temple, Elizabeth Torres

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine has created additional problems for survivors of interpersonal violence. The purpose of this study is to gain a preliminary understanding of the health, safety, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people that are experiencing or have previously experienced violence, stalking, threats, and/or abuse. An online survey, open from April to June 2020, was taken by people with safety concerns from interpersonal violence. Participants were recruited from IPV and sexual assault-focused agencies, state coalitions, and social media. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive methods in SPSS and coding methods from thematic and content …

Incidence, Etiology, Sociodemographic And Clinical Characterization Of Acute Respiratory Failure In Pediatric Patients At A High-Altitude City: A Multicenter Cohort Study, Sarha M Vargas Muñoz, Sara De Vivero Haddad, Aldo M Beltran, Carolina Bonilla Gonzalez, Melisa Naranjo Vanegas, Sergio Moreno-Lopez, Paola Rueda-Guevara, Pedro Barrera, Juan Gabriel Piñeros, Luz Marina Mejía, María Lucia Mesa, Sonia Restrepo-Gualteros, Olga Lucía Baquero Castañeda, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory failure is a life-threatening medical condition, associated with a variety of conditions and risk factors, including acute respiratory diseases which are a frequent cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Colombia, the literature related to ARF is scarce.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, causes, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of ARF in three hospitals in Bogota, a high-altitude city located in Colombia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A multicenter prospective cohort study called the FARA cohort was developed between April 2020 - December 2021. Patients older than one month and younger than 18 years with respiratory …

Relationships Between Stress Self-Management, Social Support, And Health In Hispanic Informal Caregiver Burnout Prevention, Nicole Alexandra Mas Román

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout syndrome is a psychological disorder characterized by physical, emotional, and mental distress and exhaustion resulting in feelings of depression, anxiety, irritability, and negative attitudes. If left unattended, burnout syndrome can lead to new or worsening health outcomes. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the relationship between stress self-management, perceived social support, health status, and burden among Puerto Rican informal caregivers. The theoretical foundations for this research were the informal caregiving integrative model and the individual and family self-management theory. Survey data were collected from 415 participants. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship …