Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Medicine Men: Medicine Match A Program To Increase Male Participation In Targeted Areas Of The Healthcare Field, Anthony Paul Huffman

Honors Projects

The Medicine Men program addresses the imbalance in gender representation in low and middle-level healthcare careers. The program uses a website named Medicine Match to achieve this goal, which offers shadowing, talking, and additional resources with verified medical professionals. Medicine Match provides an engaging platform for individuals interested in exploring healthcare careers. The program's methodology involves creating connections between aspiring professionals, following the path of role models, fostering a sense of community, and educating and empowering target populations. Through a theoretical test and analysis, Medicine Men seeks to demonstrate its efficacy in increasing interest, knowledge, and comfort among male students …

Utilizing Special Interests: Developing A Storybook For A Minimally Speaking Autistic Child To Support Communication, Olivia Fordyce

Honors Projects

The purpose of my Honors Project is to develop a framework for designing a storybook that can be used as a communication tool with minimally speaking autistic children. The project answers two clinically relevant questions within the field of Speech-Language Pathology.

1. What do we know from prior literature about the use of storybooks to support communication in minimally speaking autistic children?
2. What factors are important to consider in designing a storybook for minimally speaking autistic children?

I conducted a literature review exploring adapted storybooks and autistic children’s special interests to answer the project questions. Informed by this knowledge, I have …

Loneliness As A Predictor For Problematic Social Media Use Associated With Sleep Disruption, Kaylee Mercer

Honors Projects

Social media is growing in popularity and with this new phenomenon could come impacts on a cognitive level. Loneliness is a robust predictor of mental and physical health issues. Loneliness is widely defined as discrepancy between actual and desired levels of social connection. Previous research has found that one impact lonely individuals face may be disruptions to sleep. Loneliness increases the likeliness of problematic social media use, both of which occur in college age and adolescent individuals at a disproportionately high rate. Problematic social media use has been previously found to be associated with less sleep. The current study seeks …

Sexual Health Education Scope And Sequence, Sara Wadsworth

Honors Projects

Based on a significant amount of prior research, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) has been identified to be the most effective method of teaching sexual health education (SHAPE America, 2021; World Health Organization, 2023). Comprehensive sexual health education improves healthy behaviors and outcomes, provides useful information, and is positively perceived by students (Gardner, 2015; Kirby, 2002; Robinson et al., 2022). However, the United States’ current sexual health education has not implemented this ideal method, which is shown through state laws, students’ experiences, underdeveloped skills and flawed understanding of concepts, and – most importantly – a lack of resources for teachers (Foley, …

The King Hygiene Project: Addressing Hygiene Poverty In College Students, Krislynn King

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project, I seek to shine a light on the topic of hygiene insecurity and investigate how it impacts the modern-day college student. In addition, I have taken physical action through a hygiene drive, marketing, and volunteering to better the lives of those who struggle with this issue regardless of whether they are a student at Bowling Green State University.

Examining The Factor Structure Of A Subjective Well-Being Measure In A Medical Student Sample, Hoan Do, Mary Wurm-Schaar, Gordon Brooks

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Accreditation standards for U.S. medical education programming require that training programs promote trainee wellness and well-being, although constructs such as psychological distress and depression commonly serve as proxies for well-being. A direct measure of subjective well-being would be invaluable to inform programming efforts to promote medical trainees’ well-being and advance the study of the well-being construct itself. This study investigated the structural validity of subjective well-being as measured by the Well-Being Scale in a sample of 548 osteopathic medical students. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that subjective well-being is best represented by a bifactor model with a general …

In This Issue 14:3, Stephen J. Langendorfer Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

In This Issue 14:3

Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Swimming Coaches Towards The Inclusion Of Swimmers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Eleftheria Kasagianni, Dimitrios Kokaridas, Panagiotis Varsamis, Vasilis Tsimaras

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and self-efficacy of swimming coaches regarding the inclusion of swimmers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The sample consisted of 150 Greek swimming coaches with an average age of 29.58 years. Each participant completed the Swimming Coaches Attitudes towards Inclusion Questionnaire for perceptions assessment and the Biddle and Goudas (1997) self-efficacy questionnaire. The statistical analysis used SPSS 27 to calculate Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson product-moment correlations, independent t-tests, and ANOVA. The findings of the study showed that the swimming coaches expressed positive attitudes and a high percentage of perceived self-efficacy towards the …

‘You Have To Respect The Water’: Participant Experiences Of Appreciating And Managing The Risks Associated With Open Water Swimming – A Rapid Ethnographic Study, Mark A. Christie, David Elliott

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Open water swimming (OWS) has rapidly grown in popularity, driven by the purported health benefits of cold-water immersion. A paucity of research remains specifically considering the notable risks inherent in OWS participation, and a lack of qualitative research on freshwater swimming experiences, and safety-related issues therein. This rapid ethnographic study, based at a dedicated OWS lake in the UK, conducted semi-structured interviews with OWS participants (n=17; female=11, male=6). Two core themes emerged: environmental issues impacting OWS experiences and behaviours; and knowledge and education of OWS which highlighted safe/unsafe practices, levels of education for managing risks, personal preparedness, swimming solo/with others, …

Barriers: Location, Functionality, And Method Of Access In Childhood Pool/Spa Submersion Incidents, United States, 2000-2017, Alison Miller, Kristina R. Anderson, William D. Ramos

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is a leading cause of fatality among children in the United States, and residential pools/spas currently account for as much as 80% of these submersion incidents. This study reviewed narrative case reports obtained from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to understand barrier location, type, and functionality as methods of pool/spa access for childhood submersion incidents. Retroactive analysis of 1,523 fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents among children aged 13 years old and younger was conducted using the CPSC in depth investigation dataset from 2000-2017. Narrative descriptions were coded according to the attributes of barrier location, functionality, and …

Lay Rescuer Equipment Preferences And Efficacy During A Simulated Drowning Event, Alison M. Miller, William D. Ramos, Kristina R. Anderson, Jill Cuvala

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

During a drowning incident where a lifeguard is not present, a bystander – referred to as a lay rescuer - may put themselves in danger by attempting a rescue. When lay rescuers can avoid entering the water by using rescue equipment to help a drowning victim, it serves to not only help the person actively drowning, but also provides a layer of protection to a lay rescuer. This study sought to examine the following questions: (a) which pieces of rescue equipment were preferred by lay rescuers at pre-determined short and long distances, (b) do lay rescuers select appropriate rescue equipment …

A Research Framework To Improve Evidence-Based Practice Surrounding The Resuscitation Response To Drowning In Surf Lifesaving, Elissa Hooper, Aaron T. Scanlan, Shayne D. Baker, Samantha Fien

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Surf lifesaving members are essential first responders who patrol public waterways, performing rescues and resuscitation to individuals in the community when needed. In this way, surf lifesaving members experience arduous physical requirements alongside extensive psychological stress during resuscitation. Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) represents the predominant, frontline lifesaving service in Queensland, Australia; however, little research has explored key aspects of drowning resuscitations involving this organisation, as well as in the broader lifesaving industry, limiting our current understanding on this vital topic. We sought to explore key aspects of drowning resuscitations within SLSQ and create a framework to generate evidence-based practice. …

Perceived And Real Water Competency And Drowning Risk Among Adults, Teresa Stanley, Kevin Moran, Dawn Garbett, Alan Ovens

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Traditionally, public understanding of drowning survival has focused on swimming capacity, often measured by how far a person can swim. With respect to the high incidence of adult drowning in high-income countries, using the more inclusive concept of water competency may yield a more comprehensive explanatory framework for understanding the reasons behind these drownings. Any competency base required to survive a drowning situation is dynamic, complex, and multi-faceted. Furthermore, perceptions of risk and capacity to cope with that risk are likely to be pivotal to the avoidance of drowning. Adults’ perceived water competence was measured against their actual water competence …

A Job Satisfaction Evaluation Of Nursing In The United States And Greece Utilizing The American Nurses Association's Scope And Standards Of Practice, Audrey Narhi

Honors Projects

Nursing is a multifaceted profession that is constantly evolving with the health needs of the populations it serves. Professional organizations within the field utilize evidence-based practice to provide guidelines of what best-practice nursing is. This study aims to evaluate if the American Nurse's Association (ANA), a professional nursing organization in the United States, supports the realities of nursing in a rural US hospital. An international perspective is also considered by evaluating the same principles to a urban hospital in Athens, Greece. Categories that align with ANA Scope and Standards, including workplace environment, career development, supervisor relationships, and personal work practice, …

Integrating Cannabis Education Into The Athletic Training Curriculum, Jeff G. Konin, Jimmy Onate

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Context. Cannabis has become more prevalent in society and requires greater knowledge on the part of the athletic trainer. Objective. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for recognizing how cannabis education can be integrated into the athletic training curriculum utilizing the existing accreditation standards. Background. For decades the use of cannabis has been illegal. Athletes who were caught with cannabis in their system were penalized by their respective e sport organization body. During the past decade in the United States the federal government has moved toward decriminalization and expungement for those found with and …

Breaking Barriers And Building Confidence: Interprofessional Education's Impact On Allied Health Students' Competence And Self-Efficacy In Addressing Exercise Accessibility For People With Disabilities, Elizabeth A. Starns, Rebecca Wehler, Lindsay A. Church, Stephanie Kubiak

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: The researchers’ objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interprofessional educational (IPE) program on student learning while addressing exercise accessibility barriers experienced by people living with disabilities (PLWD), including allied health professionals’ lack of practical experience, knowledge, and perceived competence and comfort working with PLWD in a fitness setting. Method: A qualitative explanatory single case study approach utilizing individual interviews was used. The individual interviews that explored how a collaboration between allied health students influenced learning, perceived comfort, and perceived competence working with PLWD were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results: Four major themes emerged: collaboration, comfort, …

Effects Of Three Different Recovery Methods In Decreasing Blood Lactate In Collegiate Baseball Pitchers Post Pitching., Joseph Volpi, Harrison Ndetan, S. Andrew Cage, Brandon Warner, Alan Cook, Lynzi Warner, Carly Wadle

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of active recovery, electrical stimulation, cupping therapy, and sequential compression for decreasing blood lactate in collegiate pitchers after pitching. Methods: 20 healthy collegiate baseball pitchers consented to participate in this study as a convenience sample (age 21.6 ± 1.90 years; height 175.61 ± 21.41 cm; mass 80.33 ± 8.07 kg). A total of 17 participants completed the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four interventions and rotated between interventions in one-week increments. The interventions used were active recovery, electrical stimulation, cupping therapy, and sequential compression. The …

Athletic Trainers’ Stress, Support, And External Pressures When Making Clinical Decisions, Stephanie Carr, Meredith Madden, Meredith Kneavel, Tom Bowman

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) work in various settings with very different work environments and patient populations. How stress, social and organizational support, and external pressures alter athletic training decision-making remains unknown. Objective: Determine the relationship between workplace stress, social support, and organizational support for ATs who are providing healthcare. Design: Concurrent mixed methods. Setting: Online survey. Patients or Other Participants: 275 (7% response rate; 76 females, 44 males, 1 third gender/self-identify, 154 wished not to disclose; age=36.80±11.9 years, experience =13.65±12.55 years) athletic trainers. Interventions: The size (SSQ-N) and quality (SSQ-Q) components of the social support scale (SSQ) and the …

Overcoming Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety: Practical Approaches In The Classroom, Sarah Day

Honors Projects

Foreign language speaking anxiety is a prevalent issue impacting language learners' confidence, participation, and overall language acquisition. With personal experiences as a language learner, a Spanish teacher in the United States, and an English teacher in Spain, I have observed how foreign language speaking anxiety affects learners from various demographics. Using a combined approach of personal observations, experiences as a language learner and teacher, and secondary research this project aims to address the primary sources of foreign language speaking anxiety among high school students and how both students and teachers can work to lessen the negative effects of foreign language …

Community Health Workers, Stress Reduction, And Racial Equity In Infant Vitality, Justin Rex

ICS Fellow Lectures

How can communities help mothers reduce stress during pregnancy and provide the social supports that contribute to infant vitality? This talk presented findings from an evaluation of the Northwest Ohio Pathways HUB program, a nationally recognized best practice program model that pairs at-risk mothers with community health workers (CHWs) who connect mothers to services that reduce pregnancy risks. The talk included stories from mothers and CHWs about the challenges and stresses they face as well as data from interviews and surveys that quantify the impact CHWs have for reducing mothers' stress and providing supports that help mothers and their children …

Non-Native English Speaking Patients: Emergent Themes To Patient Care In Athletic Training, Lacey Bracken, Matthew Kutz

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: When seeking services from healthcare providers language barrier challenges are experienced by patients and clinicians. To purpose of this study was to investigate AT’s experience with Non-native English Speaking (NNES) patient care. Method: Level of agreement to question in four themed areas was measured using The Athletic Trainers Non-Native English Speaking Survey (ATNNESS). Data of agreement were organized by other languages spoken, setting of practice, years of experience, and interaction frequency with NNES patients. Results: The ATNESS yielded satisfactory internal consistency and validity (α = 0.79). Paired sample t-test indicated significant difference in bilingual and monolingual presence of …

Effect Of Depression And Anxiety On Rehabilitation Adherence And Injury Recovery In Collegiate Athletes, Luis Torres, Shala E. Davis, Colleen A. Shotwell, Frederick A. Gardin

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Introduction: The noted prevalence of depressive and anxious symptomology both pre-injury and post-injury in collegiate athletes raises concern regarding their ability to maintain appropriate rehabilitation adherence in their recovery from sports injury. The purpose of this study was to further explore the effect of depressive and anxious collegiate athlete symptoms on athletic trainers’ perceptions of rehabilitation adherence and return-to-play. Methods: NCAA Division II and Division III injured collegiate athletes (N = 19, M age = 20.58 ± 1.31) were observed throughout their rehabilitation programs by 5 separate collegiate athletic trainers. Collegiate athlete depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed during preseason …

Successful Closed Reduction And Tooth-To-Tooth Wire-Fixation Of A Mandibular Singular Parasymphysis Fracture In A Male Collegiate Lacrosse Player, Steven Ross Murray, Coryann L. Leadford, Nathaniel Snyder, Robert W. Pettitt, Jeremy R. Hawkins

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

A 19-year-old male collegiate lacrosse player suffered an acute singular parasymphysis fracture of the mandible when he was struck in the facemask of his helmet by a lacrosse ball during practice. The fracture was confirmed via panoramic radiography and treated with a closed reduction under local anesthetic by looping a 26-gauge wire around the two right incisors and the right cuspid. This approach to managing the fracture was taken instead of an open reduction and plate application to be less invasive with the hope of a faster recovery and fewer complications. The fracture healed and aligned properly, and after six …

Reliability And Construct Validity Of The Single-Leg Landing Error Scoring System (Sl-Less) In Physically Active Females, Jennifer E. Earl-Boehm, Madison Mach, Erin Lally, Maegan O'Connor, Hayley Ericksen

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

PURPOSE Single-leg landings are common in sport and often result in injury, however a rubric to evaluate biomechanics during single-leg jump landing (SLL) does not exist. The Single-Leg Landing Error Scoring System (SL-LESS) is a rubric developed to evaluate movement during SLL. The purpose of this study was to 1) determine inter- and intra-rater reliability of the SL-LESS, 2) and determine the content and construct validity of the SL-LESS when evaluating SLL

METHOD 28 healthy females completed SLL on two days while 2D and 3D data were recorded. 3D angles were trunk flexion/lateral-flexion, pelvic tilt/contralateral drop, hip flexion/adduction, and knee …

Leadership And Management Curricula Trends In Athletic Training Education, Stephanie Wise, Matthew R. Kutz

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: Leadership and management skills both are needed by athletic trainers. However, most professional education emphasizes management-related behaviors. The purpose of this study was to differentiate between leadership and management behaviors taught in athletic training programs and explore the pedagogical strategies used in teaching those behaviors. Method: A cross-sectional exploratory design was used to survey Athletic Training Program Directors (PDs). The Leadership and Management Education Assessment Instrument (LMEAI) was developed for this investigation. The LMEAI collected standard demographic characteristics of respondents and used a 5-point Likert scale (1 = extremely important to 5 = not at all important) to assess …

Quality Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performed Over Hockey Shoulder Pads: A Simulation Study, Jennifer Longo, Katie J. Lyman, Thomas A. Hanson, Adam G. Estabrooks

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: Athletic trainers (ATs) must be prepared to manage cardiac arrest events in all athletes, including those participating in equipment-intensive sports. The goal of this study was to determine if first responders, specifically ATs, were able to perform high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) over hockey shoulder pads. Methods: A sample of 50 ATs completed a one-minute, compression-only CPR proficiency test on a medium-fidelity manikin (Resusci Anne QCPR). Once deemed proficient, each participant completed CPR according to 2020 AHA guidelines on the manikin fitted with hockey shoulder pads for 8 minutes and 59 seconds. The primary measures of interest were the percentage …

Similarity Of Prosody Between Speech And Singing: A Methodological Study, Jessica Stewart, Ronald Scherer, Geoffrey Stephenson

Honors Projects

Background: People with neurogenic communication disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease and Aphasia have language and speech abilities that are characterized by disturbances in speech prosody: abnormal variations of the intonation, stress, and duration of speech. Singing has been used as a therapeutic approach to help regulate and normalize prosody; however, little is known about how to best use the prosody of singing to meet the speech needs of different neuro pathologies. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify how the spoken and musical prosody of simple songs compare on measures of intensity, intonation, and duration as well as …

Closing Racial Disparity By Dismantling Constructs Of Fear - A Practical Methodology For Learning To Swim, Dane W. Wolfrom, Christine L. Snellgrove, Marisol A. Rivera, Keisha Laguer Vandessppooll, Emily D. Feliciano

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

African American, Black, Hispanic, Latino, and low-socioeconomic communities have lower swimming ability and higher relative drowning rates than White and high-socioeconomic communities, distinguishing the former as high-priority populations to engage with effective learn-to-swim programming. This article demonstrates how prioritizing the reduction of fear-producing brain processes while learning to swim can result in 79.5% of high-priority population non-swimmers being able to jump into deep water, roll onto their backs and either float or tread for 60 seconds, and swim 25 yards after an average of 14 practice sessions. Practical explanations of four key components— water exploration, structured games, emulating coaches, and …

Racist Or Radical? The Strange Case Of Robert Moses And The Building Of New York City's Aquatics Infrastructure, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., James H. Bemiller J.D., Jason L. Scott Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Who was Robert Moses? In this article, we want to cast a bright light on Robert Moses as a visionary urban planner, which included the comprehensive planning of the outdoor and indoor aquatic infrastructure for New York City. Second, we want to highlight some of his administration's significant accomplishments and challenges in providing aquatics opportunities for diverse populations, including people of color. Finally, we aspire to illustrate what happens when officials with power and authority in local government are permitted to operate without scrutiny and are unbeholden to a meaningful series of checks and balances. Robert Moses’ tenure as a …

Blue-Mindfulness Training: A Story Of Restorative Justice Decolonizing And Re-Indigenizing Communal Relationships With Water, Thaddeus Gamory, Miriam Lynch Ph.D., A. Udaya Thomas, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq Ph.D., Mph

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This article aims to introduce and describe the development of the concept of Blue-Mindfulness Training^TM, which was created and designed by Thaddeus Gamory and supported by research and the experience of other experts in the field. Drawing from the author’s and others' practical experience, the authors present a "Voice from the Field" perspective on creating and developing the Blue-Mindfulness^TM . This Instructional Framework, coined by Mr. Thaddeus Gamory Blue-Mindfulness^TM, addresses the impacts of historical racial discrimination and trauma in BIPOC communities, specifically on marginalized African American communities while promoting a communal and safe relationship with …