Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Community Art For Rebuilding College Communities Following The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Amber Haney

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper is an examination of arts-based community engagement projects as a way to creatively engage, support, and endorse healing in college communities. This paper was written with consideration for potential long-term impacts on college students, individually and collectively, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this paper, college student mental health trends in the United States are addressed and existing community engagement projects that center around community, healing, and resilience are examined. This paper argues that art therapy practices that are meant to advance societal healing can occur outside of the traditional, clinical individual or group therapy session …

"It's The Way You Sing It": Translating Music Therapy For Isolated Older Adults Affected By Covid-19 To The Television Screen, Eunice Wong

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The current Covid-19 pandemic has increased the likelihood of loneliness and social isolation among older adults due to the restrictions on movement and visitations in care facilities. Loneliness and social isolation have consistently been identified as risk factors for poor mental and physical health in older people. Meanwhile, a growing number of older adults are utilizing technological resources to enhance their interpersonal relationships and overall quality of life. In the winter of 2020/2021, an innovative music therapy-informed television program was designed and produced for isolated older adults in need of mental and emotional support. This project, produced jointly by a …

Exploring Social Determinants Of Covid-19 Related Sickness And Suffering In The Bronx, Hamida Chumpa

Student Theses and Dissertations

Through a positivistic and phenomenological approach, the study examines social determinants of COVID-19 related sickness and suffering in the Bronx, New York City, New York, ZIP codes 10462, 10472, 10467, 10458, 10474, and 10464. I utilize a violence paradigm (structural and everyday violence) to describe the social determinants of risk and sickness-related suffering and deploy an assemblage framework to shed light on how these determinants create negative synergies that undermine wellbeing and render certain communities vulnerable to extreme suffering. The mixed methods include 64 surveys and eight interviews. Analysis methods include a descriptive analysis of survey results and a thematic …

Reporting Of Eating Disorder Deaths, Katherine Mobley, Amy Hord

Symposium of Student Scholars

Those affected by eating disorders experience disturbances in eating behaviors which are often related to underlying psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (Parekh, 2017, Drieberg et al., 1998 p.53). The duplicitous nature of the disorder makes it difficult to diagnose, and the tole it takes on an individual’s physical health makes its mortality rate the second highest among psychiatric disorders (Guinhut et al., 2021 p.130). Even if the correct education and resources are accessible to certain individuals, negative stigmatization about the disorder can make sufferers unlikely to seek help (Becker et al., 2010). Findings from analysis of …

Understanding Older Adults Living In Medically Underserved Areas Perspectives Regarding Type 2 Diabetes Care Received, Christopher Rogers

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Older adults with type 2 diabetes living in medically underserved areas (MUAs) have unique health and social needs that must be taken into consideration when supporting their type 2 diabetes treatment and management care. Effective treatment and management of type 2 diabetes for older adults living in MUAs requires incorporating the preferences, desires, needs, values, and goals of the person at the center of the care into his/her care plan. Shifting care to be conducive to the treatment and management goals and plans co-created with older adults living in MUAs based on their individual physical, psychological, social, and spiritual preferences, …

Trend Of Research Visualization Of Covid-19 Complications In Pubmed Database Using Scientometric Analysis From 2020 To March 20, 2021, Dr. Abeel Naseer, Dr. Muhammad Shoaib, Mr. Nusrat Ali, Dr. Muhammad Bilal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focused to evaluate the published articles on PubMed whose focus was to study the different relations between COVID 19, and different complications caused due to it. The main complications that were used to formulate this study are Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), Stroke, Pulmonary Embolism, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), Myocardial Infarction (MI), anosmia, and pneumonia. The data was extracted from the PubMed database on March 20, 2021at 03:20 PM, PST with the period of 2020 to March 20, 2021. We used Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and MS Excel software to analyze data and found 2375 published documents. The results revealed that …

Rates Of Anxiety And Depression Are High Among Young Adults During Covid-19, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

This data slice uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey to compare the percentage of U.S. young adults (ages 18-29) who reported experiencing anxiety or depression during a two-week period in late March 2021 by race/ethnicity. The brief shows much lower rates of self-reported anxiety among Non-Hispanic Blacks than among other racial/ethnic groups but no significant racial/ethnic differences in self-reported depression.

Art And Empathy: Self Discovery In A Dark Forest, Younser Lee

Graduate School of Art Theses

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million people report feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress as the world moves at an increasingly rapid pace and faces unprecedented challenges. However, many ignore these negative thoughts and fail to acknowledge them as a serious issue. My art, which shares my own experiences, creates safe, cathartic places for viewers to think about their own emotional experiences. Crucial to this process is my use of daily objects and the creation of individualized, participatory, and multisensory experiences.

My art relates to daily life and the negative emotions that we experience daily. I …

Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Benefit To Climate-Displaced And Host Communities, Gül Aktürk, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Climate change is borderless, and its impacts are not shared equally by all communities. It causes an imbalance between people by creating a more desirable living environment for some societies while erasing settlements and shelters of some others. Due to floods, sea level rise, destructive storms, drought, and slow-onset factors such as salinization of water and soil, people lose their lands, homes, and natural resources. Catastrophic events force people to move voluntarily or involuntarily. The relocation of communities is a debatable climate adaptation measure which requires utmost care with human rights, ethics, and psychological well-being of individuals upon the issues …

Seeking Sustainable Solutions To Period Poverty Amongst Homeless Women In Camden County, Nj, Bilal Khan, Alana Smith, Melisa Ibarra-Zavala

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) – National Ambassadors is an effort for underserved high school, undergraduate, and medical students to collaborate on a research-based community service project to equip future health professionals with tools to heal their communities.

The average woman spends up to 3500 days of their life menstruating. Menstrual health is therefore not just a fundamental human right, but a robust indicator of community well-being. Despite the biological inevitably of menstruation, barriers to practicing adequate menstrual hygiene, or “Period Poverty,” are far common and often ignored in public forums. Period products face a luxury goods sales tax in …

Association Between Childhood Obesity And Lack Of Healthy Food Access In Urban Food Deserts, Nicholas Averell, Rushali Desai, Archana Menon, Ayushi Naik, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Childhood Obesity: growing epidemic affecting almost 20% of children and adolescents in the United States

● Characterized by BMI greater than 95^th percentile of their age and gender

● Often leads to chronic medical conditions: high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes and heart diseases

● Low socioeconomic status(SES), lack of healthy food access and urban neighborhood

Ethnic Differences In Maternal Cytokines And Adipokines And Their Association With Spontaneous Preterm Delivery, Yelizavet D. Lomakova, Xinhua Chen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD, birth at <37 weeks’ gestation) is a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States [1]. Infants born prematurely are more likely to suffer from both short and long-term complications including neurodevelopmental delay, visual and hearing impairment, and chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes in later life [2-4]. African American women have a 2-fold increased risk of preterm delivery compared to Caucasian women [5].The reasons for this disparity are poorly understood. This limits the ability to predict and prevent preterm delivery in the most high-risk populations.

How College Men Describe Their Understanding Of Sexual Assault, Sarah Anolik

Dissertations, 2020-current

Despite the proliferation of many vital bystander intervention programs across the country, approximately one in four college women will experience sexual violence. Though it was once believed that a small minority of men were responsible for the vast majority of sexual violence, an estimated 12%-25% of college men report having used sexual violence as an undergraduate student. Research across disciplines suggests several factors associated with the perpetration of sexual violence. While numerous studies have explored these constructs quantitatively on and off college campuses, there have been far fewer qualitative studies that provide insight into how men who have perpetrated violence …

County-Level Factors That Influenced The Trajectory Of Covid-19 Incidence In The New York City Area, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

More than a century of research has shown that sociodemographic conditions affect infectious disease transmission. In the late spring and early summer of 2020, reports of the effects of sociodemographic variables on the spread of COVID- 19 were used in the media with minimal scientific proof attached. With new cases of COVID-19 surging in the United States at that time, it became essential to better understand how the spread of COVID-19 was varying across all segments of the population. We used hierarchical exponential growth curve modeling techniques to examine whether community socioeconomic characteristics uniquely influence the incidence of reported COVID-19 …

Review Of: The Cancer Crisis In Appalachia: Kentucky Students Take Action, Stephenie Kennedy-Rea

Journal of Appalachian Health

The Journal of Appalachian Health is committed to reviewing published media that relates to contemporary concepts affecting the health of Appalachia. With cancer mortality rates higher in rural and Appalachian communities, a focus on how cancer impacts our families and communities is more important than ever. Dr. Stephenie Kennedy-Rea reviews the book The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia: Kentucky Students Take Action.

Tracking The Impact Of Diseases Of Despair In Appalachia—2015 To 2018, Megan Heffernan, Michael Meit, Margaret Cherney, Victoria A. Hallman

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: This study provides an update on mortality due to diseases of despair within the Appalachian Region, comparing 2015 to 2018.

Methods: Diseases of despair include: alcohol, prescription drug and illegal drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Analyses are based on National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data for individuals aged 15-64.

Results: Between 2015 and 2017, the diseases of despair mortality rate increased in both Appalachia and the non-Appalachian U.S., and the disparity grew between Appalachia and the rest of the county. In 2018, the disease of despair mortality rate declined by …

Effects Of Sleep Duration On Falls In A West Virginia Population-Based Study, Brfss, 2018, R. Constance Wiener, Christopher Waters

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: West Virginia is a state in which most counties are rural, as well as a state with multiple health disparities among its population. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of sleep duration and falls for non-institutionalized West Virginia adults, aged 40 years and above, using the National Sleep Foundation’s definition of “may be appropriate” and “not recommended” sleep durations for specific ages.

Methods: Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2018 data concerning West Virginia residents were extracted for sleep duration and number of falls within the previous year. Data were analyzed with Chi square and …

Diseases Of Despair: A Commentary, Andrew Howard

Journal of Appalachian Health

Across the nation, and within Appalachia, communities that struggle economically experience greater health challenges, with disparities observed across leading causes of death. Within our region, these disparities are particularly notable across diseases of despair.

Pandemic And Õen Consumption In Japan: Deliberate Buying To Aid The Seller, Kosuke Mizukoshi, Yuichiro Hidaka

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This dialogue contribution discusses whether it is possible to create favorable new social assistance under the market principles, based on the Ouen or Õen (aid) consumption in Japan. The meaning of consumption has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, aid consumption is increasing. This means helping local restaurants and producers by willfully and proactively buying and consuming their services and products. This is a favorable form of new social assistance and the result of strong marketing and market functions. The penetration of market forces may surpass pure altruistic behavior such as donations and gifts, by creating new market-linked …

Rethink Everything 2: Markets, Globalization, Development, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Deniz Atik

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Chronic Exercise And Memory Interference, Lisa Vogelgesang

Honors Theses

This online study examined whether chronic exercise is associated with attenuated memory interference. Sixty-three healthy, young adults completed an interference task (AB/AC-paradigm) and self-reported the number of days and minutes a day they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. We found that proactive interference (PI), but not retroactive interference (RI), occurred but none of the exercise modalities significantly impacted PI. Future studies should evaluate whether different interference tasks display diverse sensitivities to exercise-induced changes in memory interference. Moreover, other potential modulating factors, such as the duration and intensity of the exercise should be controlled for.

Eastern European Orthodox Christian Immigrant Women: A Pilot Study And Needs Assessment, Kimberly A. Babich-Speck

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The healthcare perceptions of the Eastern European Orthodox Christian immigrant women (EEOCIW) to the United States (U.S.) are under-represented in the literature. Although they appear similar to Americans, their cultural and religious traditions are outside the mainstream American culture. This pilot study and health needs assessment examines the women’s healthcare perceptions of 14 EEOCIW and identifies similarities and differences with 25 U.S. born Orthodox Christian women (USOCW). Between September and November 2020, interviews were conducted with Orthodox Christian immigrant women from Eastern Europe and Orthodox Christian women born in the U.S. Questions covered the perceptions of women’s healthcare, factors influencing …

Moving From Shelter To A Housing First Reponse, Robyn Kennedy

School of Professional Studies

Massachusetts is a right to shelter state for families who experience homelessness. Based on decisions made several decades ago, the state assigned the response to families who experience homelessness to the Department of Welfare (now the Department of Transitional Assistance) and a shelter, rather than a housing response was adopted. Following national best practice, the state has decided to transition the system to a Housing First response. Through this research, I will be evaluating the trends in the industry and assessing what Massachusetts needs to do to achieve a Housing First approach to serving families who are experiencing homelessness. Unless …

Women In The Outdoors: Navigating Fear And Creating Space For Spiritual Inspiration 2021, Morgan Costello

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fear and spiritual inspiration for women in the outdoors. Specifically, this study looked at participants from SUNY Cortland’s Outdoor Education Practicum, a core course in the Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Studies Department that culminates with a two-week outdoor experience, with the goals of teaching outdoor skills and building community. This was a mixed-method study, with quantitative data collected according to pre(mid)post design and qualitative data coming from journal entries over a 5-day period. Testing was conducted using the Outdoor Situational Fear Inventory to measure fear, and the Nature Relatedness …

Group Living Environment Responses To Pandemic: A Case Study Of Advocates, And The Covid-19 Crises, Nicole K. Atchue

School of Professional Studies

The literature will take a deeper look in the personal lives of developmentally disabled members and their staff who experienced COVID-19 pandemic in a group living environments. The holistic approach of understanding will navigate the history of care and the level care needed as well as external factors that played a larger role in explanation for the support provided.

The Global Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Women’S Careers, Allison Bach

School of Professional Studies

This paper explores the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women’s careers on a global scale in the past year. It begins by focusing on the many pre-existing barriers that existed in realizing gender equality in the workplace prior to the pandemic, such as inadequate access to proper childcare, uneven participation in household labor between the genders, and pay inequality. The paper then continues to examine the impact that the pandemic has had on women’s careers across a variety of industries, countries, and specific groups. It was hypothesized that the COVID-19 crisis had created worse effects for women’s …

The Effects Of Social Media On Young People Through The Lens Of Covid-19, Molly Gammon

School of Professional Studies

This study looks at the relationship between social media and its effect on young people’s wellbeing by examining the available literature and research on the topic. Because Millennials and Generation Z do not remember a time before the internet and social media, it has become an influential and crucial part of their lives. Many suggest that social media is harmful to young people, while others argue that the benefits of the internet and social media outweigh the costs and risks. By analyzing the current research, it seems like there is still a lack of consensus on this debate. The goal …

Title Ix: Perceptions And Utilization On U.S. College Campuses, Emma Narkewicz

School of Professional Studies

The research study investigated student perceptions and utilization of Title IX services on U.S. university and college campuses, testing the hypothesis that if students hold negative perceptions of Title IX offices, then they will not report campus sexual violence they experience to Title IX offices. There are currently high rates of sexual violence on college campuses but very low rates of reporting. Current or former U.S. college students aged 18-30 (N = 47) completed a mixed methods anonymous survey composed of Likert scale and open response questions. Participants were asked about prior interactions with Title IX offices and their perceptions …

Bail Discrimination: Racial Disparities In The United States Bail Determination Process, Collin Porter

School of Professional Studies

Nationwide, there is a systemic problem with bail determination: the process that a citizen goes through after they are arrested and before they go to trial to determine guilt or innocence for the crime they have been accused of committing. The United States leads all other countries with approximately half a million individuals detained before trial each year, a number nearly double the next highest country (China) (Nejdl, 2017). The high rate of pre-trial detention in the United States is due to both widespread use of monetary bail and the limited financial resources of most defendants; specifically, African American men. …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Food Insecurity And Solutions In Worcester, Massachusetts, David Sullivan

School of Professional Studies

Worcester, Massachusetts is a postindustrial city with high levels of potential that faces the persistent obstacle of food insecurity for its low-income and ethnic minority communities. This research thesis examines food insecurity in general and explores data and trends in Worcester, then combines this with conceptual frameworks which explain how socioeconomic factors play into food security. It also explains the systemic inequalities present as a result of food insecurity and critiques academic assumptions surrounding food insecurity. One of these assumptions is that food deserts on their own can explain food insecurity in Worcester and elsewhere, though it has been found …