Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Predictors Of Future Physician Practice Location, Allegra Latimer

Honors Theses

Healthcare disparities exist throughout the United States. While Mississippi does not stand alone in the maldistribution of physicians and medical practices across the state, it does exist as a state that has been historically medically underserved. According to data collected by The County Health Rankings Model developed by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, in 2019, the ratio of population to primary care physicians in Mississippi was 1860:1. This is nearly 30% higher in disparity than the national average. It is also important to note that of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 79.3% are considered rural with the majority of physicians …

Pharmacists’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana In Mississippi, Faith Houston

Honors Theses

The legalization of medical cannabis in Mississippi was a debated topic among all citizens. This thesis specifically explored pharmacists’ perceptions and knowledge as medical professionals who will be involved with patients certified to use medical cannabis. Information was gathered using a voluntary online survey on the Qualtrics platform to produce a cross-sectional, descriptive study.

From the information gathered, it was apparent that pharmacists in Mississippi have varying opinions regarding medical marijuana. Some are in favor of using these products, and some are not. However, as cannabis has been officially accepted and put into patient's medical plans both current and future …

Ageism, Eldercare, And Healthcare: An Examination Of Growing Old In Costa Rica, Akshaya Vijayasankar

Honors Theses

The world’s aging population and the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed the high level of ageism against older adults around the globe, which has resulted in an overall decreased quality of life for elders. Societies are now faced with the challenge of creating a suitable and equitable model of care to support their aging population. Despite the recent publication of the World Health Organization's Global Report on Ageism, there is still a large gap in the literature regarding ageism. This paper addresses the issues of institutional ageism in the eldercare and healthcare sector. I argue that Costa Rica serves as a …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Physical Activity And Health Influences Among College Students, Rachael Larkin

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the associations between physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB), and social media influences before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 period among college-aged students. Participants: Male and female students from the University of Mississippi who were between the ages of 18-25 volunteered to participate in this study. Out of 10,000 invitation emails distributed, a total of 290 individuals responded and were used for the subsequent analysis. Results: Almost half of the respondents (46.1%) noted a decrease in physical activity from before March-May (M-M) 2020 to during M-M 2020. In addition, 41% of the respondents reported an increase in …

Evaluating The Impact Of Governmental Partners On School Nutrition And Physical Activity Policies: A Survey Of Florida School Principals, Michael J. Swain, Glenn D. Israel

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

For decades, U.S. schools have implemented policies aimed at improving student nutrition and physical activity. Governmental agencies have led these efforts with funding and regulation, and implementation supported by health and agriculture agencies and university extension services at state and local levels. To understand the roles of these agencies in school health, and other factors leading to the implementation of school health policies, we surveyed school principals in Florida in 2018 on topics related to school nutrition and physical activity policies. Depending on the wellness policy, prevalence varied from 6 percent (Safe Routes to School) to 66 percent (wellness coordinator). …

An Evaluation Of Community Based Food Intervention: Cooking Matters In Charleston, Ms, Lindsay Fournier

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Cooking Matters classes in producing improvement in individuals’ cooking skills and confidence, as well as their eating behaviors, shopping skills, and perceptions of cooking in rural Charleston, MS. These classes have reported great success in more urban areas such as Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, DC; however, different challenges may be faced in rural Mississippi. To study the effectiveness of the interventions in a new context, pre- and post-intervention self-report surveys were performed and evaluated using Wilcoxon statistical analysis as well as paired sample t tests, and bootstrap …

The Effects Of A Multi-Component Wellness Program On Employee Biometrics, Jennifer Erin Patrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corporate wellness initiatives are gaining momentum as a critical indicator of business performance. Metabolic Syndrome is commonly used within corporations to assess the health of their employees and estimate potential healthcare costs. Using five risk factors (blood pressure, high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose, and waist circumference) individuals with three or more risk factors are classified as having Metabolic Syndrome. Voluntary pre and post health screenings were conducted at a rural manufacturing plant. A multi-component wellness program was conducted over six months to determine if the program would have significant beneficial effects on employee biometrics and Metabolic …