Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Hypertension Prevalence Among Ill-Housed Individuals In Urban Environments, Lia Summer Goldberg, Sameer Shah, Nikhila Archakam, Murod Khikmatov, Kesha Choksi, Anddee White

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study explores the interrelations of hypertension, homelessness, and access to healthcare in urban ill-housed populations. It was found that conditions such as heart disease and diabetes significantly exacerbate hypertension, which remains highly prevalent due to the population's limited access to consistent medical care. Homelessness further complicates the management of hypertension due to unstable living conditions, making adherence to treatment and follow-up with healthcare providers challenging. Additionally, factors like higher rates of substance abuse and malnutrition among homeless populations contribute to worsening hypertension, which, if untreated, can lead to severe health crises including heart attacks and strokes.

The research underscores …

Pros, Cons, And The Barriers To Implementing A Universal Healthcare System In The United States, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Despite that, it also has worse health outcomes than that of several other countries. The United States is also the only wealthy/developed country without universal healthcare. Universal healthcare, also known as a single-payer healthcare system, refers to the concept that the government finances and governs healthcare for most, if not all residents of the country. The United States currently has a multi-payer system, which means that healthcare is financed through various sources such as the public and private sectors. Purpose: The purpose of this is …

Association Between Cultural Factors And Postpartum Depression, Usha Modukuru

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Postpartum depression (PPD) is present in 17.22% of the world population. The negative physical and psychological impacts of PPD impact not only the mother, but also those around her. This raises the importance of identifying factors contributing to its onset. Studies have shown that PPD prevalence rates vary between non-Western and Western regions of the world. Cultural postpartum practices differed significantly region to region. Search terms including postpartum depression and cultures were used to find peer-reviewed articles, primary surveys, and patient interviews between 2013-2023. Qualitative analyses were performed on the results. Ethnokinship cultures, commonly present in non-Western countries, prioritized social …

Is There An Association Between Living In A Rural Area And The Incidence Of Postoperative Complications Or Hospital Readmissions Following Left Ventricular Assist Device (Lvad) Implantation, Compared To Urban Lvad Recipients?, Samrat Gollapudi, Abhiram Gollapudi, Srinidhi Banala, Sheraj Singh, Bhaumik Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are utilized as a therapeutic option for patients with end-stage heart failure. While LVAD implantation can significantly improve survival rates and quality of life, the procedure is not without risks, and postoperative complications are common. This review aims to investigate whether there is an association between living in a rural area and the incidence of postoperative complications or hospital readmissions following LVAD implantation, compared to urban LVAD recipients.

Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted, examining studies that compared postoperative outcomes between rural and urban LVAD recipients. Data were extracted on adverse …

A Brief Overview Of Food Insecurity In Southern New Jersey, Lisa Ting Huang, Krisha Darji, Jariatou Diallo, Amin Abdul Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Atlantic County, located off the Jersey Shore, faces the highest level of food insecurity in New Jersey, with a rate of 11.2% as of 2021, surpassing the state's overall rate of 8.8%. This situation contributes to health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

The objective of this research is to understand and address the persistence of food insecurity in Atlantic County. Community stakeholders and local physicians were interviewed to identify barriers and disparities contributing to food insecurity.

Methods included a literature review using keywords like "food insecurity" and "southern New Jersey". Proposed interventions suggest collaboration with health centers …

Addressing The Black Maternal Mortality Rate, Kennedy Sanders, Venkateswar Venkataraman, Kate Whelihan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: As of 2021, the Black maternal mortality rate in the United States was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births as compared to the national average of 32.9 and the White American average of 26.61. It has been demonstrated that this discrepancy is not fully explained by socioeconomic status. Doulas are professionals who provide support and guidance throughout pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. Encouraging the use of doulas may be an effective approach to improve the birth experience for Black mothers. Methods: A literature review was performed using PubMed and the following search strings: maternal mortality rate (+race, +race +ethnicity, …

Sunscreen Cost And Its Effect On Skin Cancer In Low-Income Communities: A Systemic Review, John Sauer

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This research examines the pivotal connection between sunscreen affordability and its impact on skin cancer prevalence, especially in low-income communities. Despite universal dermatological recommendations for daily sunscreen use, stringent criteria contribute to elevated prices, averaging around $10 for a 6 oz unit. This financial strain is compounded for families adhering to recommended application rates, leading to significant economic burdens. Outdoor laborers, less likely to follow guidelines, face heightened risks. Government programs' excluding sunscreen costs further exacerbate challenges for low-income communities, contributing to increased skin cancer incidence. This review aims to establish a correlation between sunscreen cost and skin cancer rates, …

Barriers To Healthcare Access Between English And Spanish Speakers In An Underserved Population, Adeena Javed, Dale Johnson, Gerardo J. Rivera-Colón, Nathaniel J. Byrnes, Kristin Bertsch, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• According to the NJ State Department of Health, Atlantic County has higher rates of smoking, respiratory disease, hypercholesterolemia, as well as death rates due to coronary heart disease, HIV, and all cancers compared to the NJ state average1,2.

• With over 20% of Atlantic County's population identifying as Hispanic, Spanish speakers encounter greater obstacles compared to their English-speaking counterparts in accessing healthcare services and improving health outcomes1,2 .

• Existing research indicates that various factors, including health insurance coverage, proximity to healthcare facilities, transportation options, health literacy levels, and trust in the medical profession, significantly influence access to healthcare …

Cut The Pressure: Blood Pressure Screening In A Community Based Setting, Harold Kareem Knight Jr., Katharine Milani

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study addresses the pressing issue of cardiovascular health disparities in African American males through community-based interventions, specifically blood pressure screenings and surveys conducted in a local barbershop setting. Despite a preference among participants for clinical settings, an overwhelming 97.7% expressed high comfort levels in the community-based environment, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in healthcare delivery. With 92.5% indicating willingness to return for future screenings, the study underscores the efficacy of non-traditional settings in fostering healthcare engagement. Findings suggest the potential for broader impact through scalable, community-centric initiatives, offering promising avenues for improving health outcomes in underserved populations.

The Association Between Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, And Social Determinants Of Health Among Accelerated Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students: A Multi-State Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study, Kwanza Thomas

Dissertations

This study investigated the association between emotional intelligence (managing and understanding), empathy, and social determinants of health (SDOH) among accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students. Despite the exponential increase in ABSN programs in the United States, little is known about the association between these variables among this nursing student population. A cross-sectional, correlational descriptive design was used to survey 104 students completing ABSN programs in Georgia, Mississippi, Philadelphia, and Texas. Participants self-reported their socioeconomic and programmatic characteristics using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Emotional intelligence (managing and understanding) was measured using two instruments, including the Situational Test of Emotional Management …

The Relationship Between Social Cognition And Team Cohesion In Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Pegg

Master's Theses

Thesis Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social cognition and team cohesion in Division III collegiate athletes. Methods: A total of 103 athletes from SUNY Cortland participated. Two questionnaires were used: social cognition was assessed via the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS), and team cohesion was assessed via the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The two questionnaires, along with demographics, were completed online. Analysis: Pearson’s bivariate correlations were analyzed to assess the relationships among TSIS total score, GEQ total score, and GEQ social cohesion for the total sample and separately by sports season and sports type. Linear …

Nurturing Black Girls: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Girls' Mental Health And Their Lived Experiences With Racial Discrimination In Schools, Marline Francois

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This research explored the lived experiences of Black girls in schools with a focus on racial discrimination and the impact it has on their mental health. Grounded in Black feminist thought and phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST), this study used qualitative research to understand the lived experiences of Black girls. Twenty participants engaged in this study through semi-structured interviews to examine their lived experiences in school spaces. The findings of this study acknowledge the profound impact of racial discrimination on the mental health of Black girls. At the intersection of race and gender, this study contributes to the …

Trends And Barriers In Service Utilization In Underrepresented Ethnoracial Groupswith Autism Spectrum Disorder In The United States: A Mixed-Method Analysis, Sadaf Khawar

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Caregivers with autistic children, particularly from minoritized populations, experience significant barriers while navigating the complex healthcare system, including acquiring services. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what these barriers are in order to inform policymaking initiatives to support families. Notably, there is a significant gap in extant literature to explore trends in service use and unique experiences of caregivers of autistic youth from three historically underrepresented groups in research (and currently not in the parameters of the United States census): 1) South Asian, 2) Middle Eastern and North African (MENA), and 3) East African. This study employed a mixed-method design …

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman

Population Health Research Brief Series

Drug overdoses surged in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts raised concerns in the pandemic’s early months about how the pandemic and the policies enacted to stem it might increase overdose risk. This brief summarizes the findings of a paper that used national data to identify how states’ COVID-19 policies affected drug overdose rates among U.S. adults ages 25-64 during the first year of the pandemic. Results show that counties located in states that adopted more aggressive in-person activity restrictions experienced larger increases in 2020 than counties located in states with fewer limitations. State economic support policies …

Age At Lung Cancer Diagnosis In Females Versus Males Who Never Smoke By Race And Ethnicity, Batel Blechter, Jason Y Y Wong, Li-Hsin Chien, Kouya Shiraishi, Xiao-Ou Shu, Qiuyin Cai, Wei Zheng, Bu-Tian Ji, Wei Hu, Mohammad L Rahman, Hsin-Fang Jiang, Fang-Yu Tsai, Wen-Yi Huang, Yu-Tang Gao, Xijing Han, Mark D Steinwandel, Gong Yang, Yihe G Daida, Su-Ying Liang, Scarlett L Gomez, Mindy C Derouen, W Ryan Diver, Ananya G Reddy, Alpa V Patel, Loïc Le Marchand, Christopher Haiman, Takashi Kohno, Iona Cheng, I-Shou Chang, Chao Agnes Hsiung, Nathaniel Rothman, Qing Lan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We characterized age at diagnosis and estimated sex differences for lung cancer and its histological subtypes among individuals who never smoke.

METHODS: We analyzed the distribution of age at lung cancer diagnosis in 33,793 individuals across 8 cohort studies and two national registries from East Asia, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). Student's t-tests were used to assess the study population differences (Δ years) in age at diagnosis comparing females and males who never smoke across subgroups defined by race/ethnicity, geographic location, and histological subtypes.

RESULTS: We found that among Chinese individuals diagnosed with lung cancer …

Breaking The Rule Of Silence: Childbirth And Gendered Power In Efuru And The Joys Of Motherhood, Sunday Elliott Uguru

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the thematic preoccupation of childbirth in the formative period of feminist discourse in African literature through a critical study of selected novels of Igbo women of southeastern Nigeria. The novels studied represent the earliest published African texts in English by women. The period under focus falls within the emerging stage of Nigerian literary tradition in its written form with a dominant presence of men. This study investigates the women novelists' perspective toward the failure of male authored works to represent women's childbirth experience. Through a critical reading of Flora Nwapa's Efuru and Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of …

Lessons In Persistence, Syble Heffernan

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LESSONS IN PERSISTENCE is a thesis that operates within the tradition of writing about trauma and resilience, taking up themes of mental illness, class, colonialism, loss of a parent, navigating queerness in a conservative Christian context, and reckoning with gender-based violence and expectations directed toward people socialized as women. The use of ecopoetics highlights the relationship between traumas to the earth brought about by climate change, war, and worldwide suffering, and those brought upon the human body (specifically marginalized bodies) by grief, illness, abuse, and the loss of self. The collection ultimately aims to establish explicit connections between internal and …

The Sexual Trauma Of The Female Body: Violence Against Women In Contemporary Spanish And Latin American Cultures, Lara Armenteros Garrido

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation focuses on the idea that women’s bodies have a sexual stigma attached to them as a consequence of different forms of heteropatriarcal violence inflicted on them. From violence in public spaces, such as street harassment or the sexual exploitation of women, to the intimacy of the relationship, like intimate partner violence or the orgasm gap, it becomes increasingly difficult for women to escape violence. Through the analysis of films, documentaries, narratives, and the testimonies of women from Spain and Latin America, I argue there is still a lack of adequate sexual and emotional knowledge to help complete agency …

The Role Of Soft Infrastructure In Developing Sustainable Volunteer-Based Healthcare For Transient Migrants In The El Paso-Ciudad Juárez Border Region, Daniel Avitia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Greater Implications Of Self-Perceptions Of Aging Among Younger Adults: Results From The Socially Nutritious Volunteer Training Program, Ashlyn Cobble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapidly growing rate of the older adult population has created a need to better understand younger adults’ self-perceptions of aging and current trends of ageism. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research project was to determine changes, if any, in participants’ self-perception of aging after the Socially Nutritious facilitator or nutrition ambassador volunteer training, which aims to develop knowledge and skills related to aging trends, older adult nutrition, preventing ageism, and communication and educational considerations when working with older adults. Findings indicate that participants with more frequent interactions with older adults had a more positive perception of their …

Changes In Young Adults’ Perspective On Ageism After Participating In A Virtual Nutrition Education Program With Older Adults, Julianne Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing older adult population has led to increased ageist tendencies among younger generations. Previous research suggests that ageism is associated with cognitive and physical decline among older adults. This mixed-methods research project examined changes in ageist perceptions among graduate student facilitators and undergraduate nutrition ambassadors after participating in a training that included information about healthy aging, addressing ageism, and communicating with older adults. Results from a secondary data analysis of pre-test/post-test data and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with facilitators of Socially Nutritious, a virtual nutrition education program for older adults, indicate that ageist perceptions decreased after the …

Evaluating A Short Duration Relationship And Marriage Education (Rme) Event Across Time And Format: 8 Years Of Learning, Pamela B. Payne, Naomi Brower

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how short-term relationship and marriage education (RME) reached participants for events such as the Utah Marriage Celebration Conference. This article examines participant-perceived relationship knowledge from an annual marriage conference that began prior to the pandemic and has continued through the disruption (from 2015 through 2022). Results indicate this short-duration marriage conference does improve participant-perceived knowledge across years [t(2381) = 59.84, p = .001]. Further, results indicate that online participants rate their perceived relationship knowledge as higher than in-person participants at both pre [F(1, 2752) = 153.0, p = .001] and post [F(7, 2594) = 25.14, p …

Travel-Time Disparities In Access To Proton Beam Therapy For Cancer Treatment, Todd Burus, Alexander Vanhelene, Michael Rooney, Krystle Lang Kuhs, W. Jay Christian, Christopher Mcnair, Sanjay Mishra, Arnold Paulino, Grace Smith, Steven Frank, Jeremy Warner

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Proton beam therapy is an emerging radiotherapy treatment for patients with cancer that may produce similar outcomes as traditional photon-based therapy for many cancers while delivering lower amounts of toxic radiation to surrounding tissue. Geographic proximity to a proton facility is a critical component of ensuring equitable access both for indicated diagnoses and ongoing clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the distribution of proton facilities in the US, quantify drive-time access for the population, and investigate the likelihood of long commutes for certain population subgroups.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based cross-sectional study analyzed travel times to proton facilities in …

Expectations And Marriageability In African Americans: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Ashley Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to identify individual factors that work alongside structural factors limiting the marriage rate of educated African American men to educated African American women. Previous research identified structural factors related to systemic racism that contribute to the marriage gap between Black men and women in America. The researcher in this study conducted a focus group with three Black men and another focus group with three Black women in order to identify any individual expectations or characteristics that each group considers when evaluating a partner’s marriageability. Data was analyzed using conversation content analysis techniques on focus group responses. Findings …

Improving Occupational Therapy Student Utilization Through A Community Engagement Program For Individuals With Dementia, Andrew Stevenson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The contents of this doctoral project include an introduction to some of the difficulties people with dementia face in regard to engaging in the community, and how that may impact their health. It goes on to support how occupational therapists (OTs) have the skills to provide treatment addressing this issue but have faced difficulty entering settings such as memory care. A literature review demonstrates some of the positive benefits that can result from providing people with dementia opportunities for community engagement and reveals some of the difficulties associated with providing quality dementia care. This helps to explain the purpose of …

Practice Facilitation And Peer Coaching For Uncontrolled Hypertension Among Black Individuals: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Monika M Safford, Doyle M Cummings, Jacqueline R Halladay, James M Shikany, Joshua Richman, Suzanne Oparil, James Hollenberg, Alyssa Adams, Muna Anabtawi, Lynn Andreae, Elizabeth Baquero, Joanna Bryan, Debra Sanders-Clark, Ethel Johnson, Erica Richman, Orysya Soroka, Jimmy Tillman, Andrea L Cherrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Rural Black participants need effective intervention to achieve better blood pressure (BP) control.

OBJECTIVE: Among Black rural adults with persistently uncontrolled hypertension attending primary care clinics, to determine whether peer coaching (PC), practice facilitation (PF), or both (PCPF) are superior to enhanced usual care (EUC) in improving BP control.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted in 69 rural primary care practices across Alabama and North Carolina between September 23, 2016, and September 26, 2019. The participating practices were randomized to 4 groups: PC plus EUC, PF plus EUC, PCPF plus EUC, and EUC alone. …

Effect Of Asynchronous Virtual Interviews On Ethnic Minority Matriculation Into A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program, Conner Clark, Nanea Lagasca, Gladys Miller, Jasmine Puspos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Methods: This study examines the impact of the use of asynchronous virtual interviews (AVIs) in the admissions process of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This research aims to examine racial and ethnic subgroup differences in AVI scores, evaluate the influence of AVIs on applicant scores in the admissions process, and assess the AVI inter-rater reliability among faculty evaluators using data from the 2019-2022 admissions cycles.

Results: Significant differences were found in AVI scores among racial and ethnic groups, with Black applicants scoring highest and Asian applicants scoring lowest. Additionally, inclusion …

The Stigma Of Deaf: Managing A Stigmatized Identity And Well-Being, Renca Dunn

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Deaf identity encompasses cultural, linguistic, and social dimensions that significantly influence the lives of Deaf individuals. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide will be living with some degree of hearing loss (2021). While there may be a growing number of people who have some type of hearing loss, there is a distinct group who identify their hearing loss as part of a culture and community. The Deaf community has a rich history, culture, language, and linguistic heritage. The development of the Deaf identity is influenced by factors such as family, education, and …

The Importance Of Framing The Context Of Black/African Americans' Livelihood To Enhance Health Outcomes And Mitigate Health Inequalities, Elvis Gyan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigates the portrayal of Black/African Americans in Health Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs, which predominantly follow Eurocentric models while examining how social and structural determinants (e.g., community context) influence stress levels, general health, and relationship satisfaction through two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to scrutinize the acknowledgment of biases towards non-Eurocentric communities in published Administration of Children and Families HMRE programs, analyzing 39 research studies. Secondly, it examines the interplay between perceived community context, stress as a mediator, general health, and relationship satisfaction among Black/African Americans across three distinct articles by testing hypothesized process models. Results for …

Examining Theoretically Derived Mechanisms Underlying The Relationships Between Sexual Arousal, Alcohol Use History, And Sexual Aggression, Kailey Ann Richner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Various interventions have attempted to reduce the rates of sexual violence perpetrated by college men; however, meta-analyses suggest interventions need to further evaluate theoretically derived mechanisms to improve outcomes (Malamuth et al., 2018; DeGue et al., 2014; Vladutiu, et al., 2011). To address this concern, the present study utilized the Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending (ITSO; Ward et al., 2016; Ward & Beech, 2008; 2006) to explore mechanisms underlying the relationships between sexual arousal, alcohol use history (AUH), and sexual aggression. Working memory, impulsivity, and affective forecasting paradigms were selected to map onto the ITSO’s neuropsychological mechanisms. The interaction between …