Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Predicting E-Cigarette Use Among Emerging Adults Using Perceived Social Norms And Outcome Expectancies, Stephen N. Hanson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Despite low rates of combustible tobacco use rates among adolescents and young adults, e-cigarettes continue to gain popularity. A few factors have been shown to be related to e-cigarette use based on prior research. One such example is social enhancement expectancies. Additionally, greater perceptions of harm have been found to be inversely related to e-cigarette use such that those that expect increased risk to their health are less likely to report using e-cigarettes. I hypothesized that social enhancement expectancies would mediate the relationship between perceptions of social norms and e-cigarette dependence. I also hypothesized that perceived harm, such as greater …

Salivary Microrna As A Concussion Biomarker And The Implications For Athletic Trainers' Practices, Thomas Richard Campbell

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Many concussions are sustained globally each year; however, research suggests that a large number may go undiagnosed due to a reliance on subjective information from patients and limitations of current objective measures. Recently, efforts have been focused on identifying clinical biomarkers of concussions, including salivary microRNA (miRNA), to improve healthcare professionals’ concussion management practices. Even if salivary miRNA were shown to be a valid and reliable measure for managing concussions, healthcare professionals, such as athletic trainers (ATs), must be familiar with the tool and have positive attitudes toward the implementation into clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was …

Impact Of Culturally Tailored Shared Medical Appointments On Diabetes Self-Care Ability And Knowledge In African Americans, Adrienne L. Reddick, Deborah C. Gray

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to disproportionately affect African Americans, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality. Research suggests that addressing barriers that stem from socioeconomic circumstances, systemic inequalities, biological factors, and cultural factors may positively influence biometric indicators of health and diabetes control. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate a diabetes shared medical appointment (SMA) model program that has been culturally tailored to address the unique social determinants of health barriers faced by an inner city African American population in Norfolk, Virginia. Methods: A pilot study using a within-group pretest–posttest design was conducted. Information was collected …

Enhancement Of Deep Learning Protein Structure Prediction, Ruoming Shen

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Protein modeling is a rapidly expanding field with valuable applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Accurate protein structure prediction facilitates drug design, as extensive knowledge about the atomic structure of a given protein enables scientists to target that protein in the human body. However, protein structure identification in certain types of protein images remains challenging, with medium resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) protein density maps particularly difficult to analyze. Recent advancements in computational methods, namely deep learning, have improved protein modeling. To maximize its accuracy, a deep learning model requires copious amounts of up-to-date training data.

This project explores DeepSSETracer, a …

Review Of Nighttime Temperature Effects On Long-Term Health Condition Through Sleep Studies, Sydnie Matkins

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Over the past 40 years, there has been increasing interest in human sleep quality and duration. This nonsystematic review looked at over 80 peer-reviewed papers on the association among sleep, temperature, and long-term health conditions. Generally, warmer temperatures lend to poorer sleep quality, and poor sleep quality lend to mental illness and a higher risk of coronary heart disease and mortality. Future research should be to conduct a study that relies more on health records rather than questionnaires to accurately map current and future health quality.

A Comparison Of Nonverbal And Paraverbal Behaviors In Simulated And Virtual Patient Encounters, Sarah Powers, Mark W. Scerbo, Matthew Pacailler, Macy Kisiel, Baillie Hirst, Ginger S. Watson, Lauren Hamel, Fred Kron

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

The present study assessed whether trainees display similar nonverbal and paraverbal behaviors when interacting with a simulated (SP) and virtual patient (VP). Sixty second slices of time following four interactions were rated for the presence and frequency of three nonverbal and paraverbal behaviors. Results revealed that students exhibited fewer behaviors in the VP interaction, possibly due to differences social inhibition or fidelity between the two formats.

College Of Health Sciences Newsletter, College Of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University

Ellmer College of Health Sciences Newsletters

March 2023 issue of Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences Newsletter.

The Use Of Artificial Intelligence To Detect Students Sentiments And Emotions In Gross Anatomy Reflections, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz, Carrie A. Elzie

VMASC Publications

Students' reflective writings in gross anatomy provide a rich source of complex emotions experienced by learners. However, qualitative approaches to evaluating student writings are resource heavy and timely. To overcome this, natural language processing, a nascent field of artificial intelligence that uses computational techniques for the analysis and synthesis of text, was used to compare health professional students' reflections on the importance of various regions of the body to their own lives and those of the anatomical donor dissected. A total of 1365 anonymous writings (677 about a donor, 688 about self) were collected from 132 students. Binary and trinary …

Potential Chemical Risks From Tattoos And Their Relevance To Military Health Policy In The United States, James D. Blando, Blas A. Guigni

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

We summarize and consolidate disparate sources of information about the practice of tattooing and its potential implications for military population health and policy. Each branch of the United States military has policies about tattoos for service members, but these have varied over time and do not cover health protection. The number of veterans receiving disability payments and the cost of those payments has been rising over time; the broad category of skin conditions accounts for 11% of disability claims. Any additional factor, such as tattoos that may increase the occurrence of adverse skin reactions, can substantially impact veteran benefit expenses …

A Single Bout Of Breast Milk Expression Does Not Increase Resting Metabolic Rate, Leryn J. Reynolds, Kayla R. Powell, Taskina Akhter, Hannah M. Twiddy, Patrick B. Wilson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Introduction: Breastfeeding women have elevated resting metabolic rate (RMR); however, whether a single bout of lactation increases RMR is unknown. This study aimed to determine if a single bout of lactation acutely increased RMR.

Methods: Twenty-two lactating women (age: 31 ± 0.9 year, body mass index: 27.3 ± 1.2 kg/m²) were recruited. RMR was assessed at baseline and at 1- and 2-h following breast milk expression.

Results: RMR was unchanged in lactating women following a single bout of lactation (baseline: 1437 ± 39; 1 h: 1425 ± 37 2 h: 1440 ± 31 kcal/day) (p > .05). RMR was …

Wound Care Training Using Simulation: Impacts On Clinical Knowledge, Skill Performance, And Satisfaction Among Skilled Nursing Facility Staff, Anna Sue Moody, Vorachai Sribanditmongkol

College of Health Sciences Posters

Impaired skin integrity, wound formation, and infections are significant health concerns. Therefore, competent wound care is essential for skilled nursing facility residents in long-term care. To recoup losses sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic, one skilled, nursing facility in North Carolina increased admissions from other facilities from 59% to 68%, which resulted in a surge of residents with pre-existing and complex wounds. High staff turnover and inconsistent wound care practices were also observed. Research suggests that healthcare institutions with high attrition may experience degradations of clinical knowledge, skill proficiency, and safe, quality nursing care delivery. Evidence supports the use of simulation-based …

Community Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives On Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Use Among Black Women, Kayla Pitchford, Sylvia Shangani, Charlotte Dawson, Kristin Heron

College of Sciences Posters

The most at-risk population among women for HIV diagnosis in the U.S. are Black women, who account for 61% of all new HIV cases. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and effective HIV prevention method for people at risk of HIV acquisition. Despite being disproportionately affected by HIV, Black women’s knowledge, perceived benefits, and uptake of PrEP remain low. The socio-ecological model may be useful for understanding why there is a low uptake of PrEP among Black women by examining the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. The current study used the socio-ecological framework to explore provider …

Examining The Impact Of De-Escalation Training Among Emergency Department Nurses, Jonathan Recchi, Jeffrey N. Doucette, Janice E. Hawkins

College of Health Sciences Posters

Workplace violence is a growing concern for US nurses, especially in the context of COVID-19 and patient incivility. De-escalation training can help mitigate high-risk incidents, but its psychological benefits are not well understood. This study aimed to determine if de-escalation training for emergency department nurses provided psychological benefit. This pre-experimental pre-test, post-test study evaluated nurse confidence in coping with patient aggression, caregiver resiliency, professional quality of life, and intention to stay with the organization. Participants completed a pretest survey, attended a two-hour verbal de-escalation training via zoom, and then completed the posttest survey. The study showed that attending the two-hour …

The Relationship Between Increased Wages And Nurse Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Jean Andres

College of Health Sciences Posters

The recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a negative climate in healthcare and increased the workforce demands of nurses leading to decreased satisfaction and an unprecedented staffing crisis. Further compounding the problem, staffing agencies have offered fiscally lucrative contracts that enticed experienced nurses to leave permanent staff positions for external contract agency nursing.

Research Questions for this study are as follows:

• RQ1: What is the relationship between increased wages and nurse satisfaction?
• RQ2: What is the relationship between increased wages and intent to stay?
• RQ3: What is the relationship between demographic variables and nurse satisfaction?
• RQ4: What is the relationship demographic …

A Retrospective Review Of A Local Healthcare Process Designed To Improve Understandability, Actionability, And Readability Of Written Documents For Veterans, Erica Wilson

College of Health Sciences Posters

Preventable chronic diseases are plaguing our veterans. Health literacy is an important component of prevention and chronic disease self-management. People need health literacy skills to read and understand information. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) calls the Veterans Health Education and Information (VHEI) Committee for a review process to improve the understandability, actionability, and readability of VHEI resources.

This retrospective review of a local evidence-based process improvement is being implemented at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DCVAMC) to satisfy a VHA directive to improve the understandability, actionability, and readability of written materials. The local process improvement involves a robust …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (Eap) In The Treatment Of Military Service Members With Ptsd And/Or Tbi: A Pilot Study, Kimberly Freisenbruch, Carolyn Rutledge

College of Health Sciences Posters

Military members, whether active duty, retired, or separated from service, are at increased risk for developing physical and mental disabilities due to their military service, especially if combat was involved. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is a therapeutic intervention that uses horses, trained equine therapists, and mental health professionals in a non-riding environment. Horses respond to very slight changes in their environment, and these responses may help to provide insight into how EAP patients communicate, set boundaries, and confront issues created by TBI and PTSD-related injuries.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the efficacy of equine therapy on military members’ …

Using Nspefs To Sensitize Mrsa To Vancomycin Treatment, Areej Malik, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Claudia Muratori, Erin B. Purcell

The Graduate School Posters

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a biofilm-forming pathogen. S. aureus treatment is marked by the development of antibiotic resistance. The public health impact has increased since the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which has started to show intermediate resistance to vancomycin in MRSA. Nano-second pulse electric fields (nsPEFs) are low-energy and high-power electric pulses, which have been suggested to sensitize pathogens to antibiotics by creating transient pores in the cell membrane. Our combinatorial treatment includes nsPEF pre-treatment and vancomycin post-treatment of MRSA cells. Our results show that MRSA log phase cells had the highest susceptibility to vancomycin. …

Role Of Nativity In Mental Health Service Utilization Among Asian Americans: A Weighted Analysis Of Complex Survey Data, Anne Dumadag, Hadiza Galadima

College of Health Sciences Posters

Asian Americans represent both the fastest-growing population and the smallest group of consumers of mental health services (MHS) in the United States. The current study aimed to identify factors associated with MHS use and explore differences in MHS use by nativity among Asian Americans. Data from the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to examine past-year MHS use among Asian Americans ages 18 and older. Weighted analyses were used to determine the distribution of the population by nativity and other covariates, and Rao-Scott Chi-Square tests were used to explore the association between past-year MHS use and …

The Use Of Non-Icu Confusion Assessment Method (Cam) For Delirium Management, Stephanie Barendt, John Sharon Hudson

College of Health Sciences Posters

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect the use of the non-intensive care unit confusion assessment method (non-ICU CAM) as an early screening tool for delirium would have on the nursing practice of medical surgical nurses. This quasi-experimental study focused on early screening and prevention training of inpatient nurses caring for adult inpatients to proactively reduce episodes of delirium. The training included an educational video on how to perform the non-ICU CAM assessment, 4 scenarios to test knowledge on scoring patient, and techniques for reducing delirium if patient is positive. After one month of multimodal training for …

Resource Needs And Disparities Among University Members During Covid-19, Raksha Kandlur Ma, Nathan Hager Ms, Catherine Glenn Phd

College of Sciences Posters

Prior studies suggest that campus closures due to COVID-19 adversely impacted the well-being of college and university members. However, no research has examined the resources needed to assist university members as they return to pre-pandemic activities. The current study examined: (1) the resources university members wanted to assist their transition back to in-person activities, (2) their access to these resources, and (3) differences in access among various demographic groups, including those from minoritized backgrounds.

Participants completed a novel Wants and Access Questionnaire to gauge their desires for and access to various campus and community resources. The study included 471 university …

Examining The Experience Of Teen-To-Teen Crisis Line Work For Adolescent Volunteers: A Pilot Study, Taylor Kalgren Bs, Catherine R. Glenn Phd, Raksha Kandlur Ms, Kelsie Allison Ms, Annie Duan Bs, Cheryl Karp, Morgan Leets, Sandipan Dutta Phd, Madelyn Gould Phd, Mph

College of Sciences Posters

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are high and increasing among youth. Crisis lines are one of the oldest downstream approaches for suicide prevention, which have demonstrated effectiveness for adults and preliminary effectiveness for youth. Teen-to-teen (t2t) crisis lines are a unique resource where adolescent volunteers help their similarly aged peers (through texts, chats, calls, and emails). However, no research to date has examined the impacts of t2t crisis line volunteering on the youth. The goal of this pilot study is to begin to evaluate the experience of t2t crisis lines for the youth volunteers. Adolescent (n=20, ages 15-20) volunteers were recruited …

Impact Of Treating Maternal Periodontal Disease On The Risk Of Preterm Birth And Low Birth Weight: An Umbrella Review Of Systematic Reviews, May Salama, Abdullah Al-Taiar

College of Health Sciences Posters

Pregnancy involves complex physical and hormonal changes that significantly impact almost every organ system, including the oral cavity. The presence of oral disease in women has consequences for both their child and their health. The two main oral conditions linked to pregnancy are gingivitis and periodontal disease. Several studies have demonstrated that there is a positive association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW). PTB and LBW are among the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity. It has been hypothesized that periodontal disease may cause PTB and/or LBW either …

Analysis Of Continuous Gait Data Requires Temporal Alignment Of Gait Phases, Elham Alijanpour, Kathryn Riis, Daniel M. Russell

College of Health Sciences Posters

A statistical method for comparing time-continuous curves, such as the kinematics of gait cycles, is statistical parametric mapping analysis (SPM) (Pataky, 2010). According to a recent study, SPM results were sensitive to how each stride's beginning was defined (Honert & Pataky, 2021). Nonetheless, for meaningful comparisons between gait cycles, temporal alignment of phases within a stride may be required (Helwig et al., 2011). With both temporally aligned and unaligned gait data, the goal was to evaluate SPM results for different walking speeds using various gait cycle definitions. Participants in this study were 10 young, healthy adults. To figure out the …

Heightened Technology In The Care Of Type 1 Diabetes: An Ethical Symbiosis?, Susanna Larsen

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper explores the common negative consequences and ethical issues associated with the evolving medical technology used in the care of Type 1 diabetes. In this paper, I will discuss the ethical impacts of technology on diabetic youth: their view of self, their mechanical requirements, and their health priorities. In order to define the scope of the issues, I will use the following intellectual tools: feminist theory, care ethics, and philosophical discussions of control. This paper will also outline some possible solutions to these ethical issues.

Vaccination Inequities Among Children 12-23 Months In India: An Analysis Of Inter-State Differences, Octavia K. Goodman, Abram L. Wagner, Dakota Riopelle, Joseph L. Mathew, Matthew L. Boulton

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Previous research has shown that socioeconomic and demographic risk factors in children are additive and lead to increasingly negative impacts on vaccination coverage. The goal of this study is to examine if different combinations of four risk factors (infant sex, birth order, maternal education level, and family wealth status) vary by state among children 12-23 months in India and to determine the impact of ≥ 1 risk factor on differences in state vaccination rates.

Methods

Using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in India between 2005 and 2006 (NFHS-3) and 2015-2016 (NFHS-4), full vaccination of children …

Forming The Perception Of Wic Infant Feeding Recommendations: A Qualitative Study, Emily Fisher, Kathryn Wouk, Priyanka Patel, Chuanyi Tang, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Nearly half of newborns in the United States are enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Promoting breastfeeding is a programmatic priority, although formula vouchers are provided for those who do not exclusively breastfeed. Previous literature suggests that participant perception of WIC’s breastfeeding recommendations is a significant factor predicting breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity outcomes. However, little is known about how participants’ perceptions of WIC’s breastfeeding recommendations are formed. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a qualitative pilot study in Nevada, interviewing 10 postpartum WIC mothers and 12 WIC staff who had interacted …

Unraveling Controversies Over Civic Honesty Measurement: An Extended Field Replication In China, Qian Yang, Weiwei Zhang, Shiyong Liu, Wenjin Gong, Youli Han, Jun Lu, Donghong Jiang, Jingchun Nie, Xiaokang Lyu, Rugang Liu, Mingli Jiao, Chen Qu, Mingji Zhang, Yacheng Sun, Xinyue Zhou, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Cohn et al. (2019) conducted a wallet drop experiment in 40 countries to measure "civic honesty around the globe," which has received worldwide attention but also sparked controversies over using the email response rate as the sole metric of civic honesty. Relying on the lone measurement may overlook cultural differences in behaviors that demonstrate civic honesty. To investigate this issue, we conducted an extended replication study in China, utilizing email response and wallet recovery to assess civic honesty. We found a significantly higher level of civic honesty in China, as measured by the wallet recovery rate, than reported in the …

The Effectiveness Of An Ehealth Family-Based Intervention Program In Patients With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2dm) In The Community Via Wechat: Randomized Controlled Trial, Yuheng Feng, Yuxi Zhao, Linqi Mao, Minmin Gu, Hong Yuan, Jun Lu, Qi Zhang, Qian Zhao, Xiaohong Li

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Intervention based on family support and risk perception can enhance type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients’ self-care activities. In addition, eHealth education is considered to improve family members’ support for patients with T2DM. However, there is little evidence from rigorously designed studies on the effectiveness of an intervention combining these approaches.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to assess the effectiveness of an eHealth family-based health education intervention for patients with T2DM to improve their glucose control, risk perception, and self-care behaviors.

Methods: This single-center, 2-parallel-group RCT was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Overall, 228 patients were recruited …

The Impacts Of Role Overload And Role Conflict On Physicians' Technology Adoption, Eun Hee Park, Ghiyoung P. Im, Jing Zhang, Young Hwan Lee, Kyung Hee Chun, Young Soon Park

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Technology adoption is an important solution for physicians to increase work efficiency, and thus deal with role conflict among their multiple job roles. Prior studies have not investigated how multiple job roles and role conflict influence physicians’ technology adoption intentions. Based on role strain theory and role identity theory, we present a model of physicians’ technology adoption intentions to support their primary (clinical care) versus secondary (teaching or research) job roles. We test the model using surveys with 156 physicians at nine medical schools in Korea. The results of our data analysis largely support our hypotheses. Role overload in each …

Colour-Blind Racial Attitudes In Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Students In Virginia, Emily Ludwig, Jessica Suedbeck

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Objective: Subscribing to colour-blind racial attitudes may contribute to inequities in the delivery of oral care and affect treatment of diverse patients. The purpose of this study was to survey all entry-level dental hygiene students in one state to determine colour-blind racial attitudes.

Methods: After IRB approval, a convenience sample of 219 dental hygiene students in all entry-level programmes in Virginia were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. The Colour-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), an effective, validated measuring instrument, was used to quantify unawareness of contemporary racist ideals. Three subscales (Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination and Blatant Racial Issues) were …