Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Examining Factors Associated With The Use Of Face Coverings During Covid-19: A Survey Of Shoppers In Greater Grand Forks, Minnesota And North Dakota, Isaac Karikari, Tanis J. Walch, Ashley Evenson, Carenlee Bardull, Bret Weber, Stephanie Scallon, Delton Gabe, Mikale Kuntz, Gabriel Wavra, Emily Possis, Courtney Leben, Hailer Boushee, Madeline Comeau

Social Work Faculty Publications

Despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic’s persistence and recent spikes in cases have heightened the need for the promotion of protective behaviors notably, the continued use of face coverings (or ‘masks’ in the common parlance for COVID-related face coverings). Effective messaging on mask use is essential to more fully resonate with individuals and their shared communities. Studies covering rural or mostly-urban regions in the U.S. are sparse. Accordingly, an interdisciplinary team of social work and public health researchers explored mask wearing behaviors in a small, urban metro community consisting of two cities spanning North Dakota and ...

The Calculating For An Adequate Systems Tool (Cast): A Low-Cost And Effective Tool To Improve A Community’S Substance Use Disorder Care Preparedness, Margarita Consing, Quinci Paine, Gabriela Balf

School of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Publications

Objective

In the context of an ongoing opioid crisis, the authors used The Calculating for an Adequate Systems Tool (CAST) to help quantify the rural community preparedness to care of people with substance use disorders (SUDs.)

Methods

CAST was developed by Green and associates in 2017. CAST uses demographics, social, and community indicators to produce a global risk score for hospitalization due to SUDs and highlights which SUD care system resource areas in the studied community are lacking or redundant. There are no human subjects involved; the majority of the required data for CAST is freely available on official national ...

Environmental Impacts Of Contact Lens Waste, Abigail Wilhelmi

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Contact lenses have been used for decades to correct vision, and over 150 million people use contact lenses today. The materials used to make contact lenses have evolved drastically, but ultimately resulted in a specific plastic, silicone-derived hydrogel, which provides maximal comfort and clear vision, while also maintaining the eye health of the user. Contact lenses have enhanced the lives of many people, but a topic that is often left out of contact lens discussions is that of plastic waste. Single-use plastic and increased plastic pollution have recently been areas of concern and expanded research. Contact lenses are often forgotten ...

The Nutrition Care Process Related To Hypertension, Brooke L. Johnson

Nutrition & Dietetics Student Publications

This paper describes the nutrition care process related to hypertension using a case study patient to provide specific examples. Included is an introduction to hypertension, a brief description of the pathophysiology, etiology, epidemiology, signs and symptoms as well as a description and examples of the nutrition care process.

To view the presentation on this topic, please download the PowerPoint from the additional files.

Creating Sense Of It: An In-Service To Address Military Students Experiencing Sensory Deficits, Danielle Cox, Katelyn Jennings

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Life for military children is challenging as they are exposed to various experiences that may have adverse effects. There is an unprecedented need for additional resources regarding sensory deficits in military children to provide more insight into the challenges faced by this population as well as to increase awareness and support for the demands placed upon children in military families. The purpose of this project is to provide information to educators regarding added sensory challenges faced by military students as well as to increase awareness and support for the demands placed upon these children.

Occupational Therapy For Pregnant Women: An Ergonomics Program For First-Time Mothers, Kaitlyn Berglund, Brianna Peterman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

This scholarly project, Occupational Therapy for Pregnant Women: An Ergonomics Program for First-Time Mothers, provides occupational therapy practitioners with a 3-session group protocol to address ergonomic concerns of pregnancy and new motherhood with pregnant women who are becoming mothers for the first time. These ergonomic concerns are addressed as they specifically relate to the occupations of the clients. Through an extensive literature review, it was found that there is limited research and programming specific to occupational therapy’s role in providing services to pregnant women and new mothers. Ergonomic programming for pregnant women that was previously available did not address ...

Improving School Readiness In Home-Based Care Settings, Malea Peters, Shelby Wittenberg

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this project was to create a resource guide for home-based daycare providers to promote school readiness skills in preschool-age children. Several national and local policies promote children’s school readiness in early childhood years (NEGP, 1995). Children in home-based daycares may be at-risk for lower school readiness skills upon school entry compared to similar-age children in other childcare arrangements (Bassok, Greenberg, Fitzpatrick, & Loeb, 2016). Occupational therapists can play a role in supporting home-based daycare providers to implement school readiness activities for preschool-age children into their daily routines.

Ot Is The Missing Link In Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, Hope Schuster, Michaela Mayhood

Occupational Therapy Capstones

PURPOSE: The purpose of this scholarly project was to examine research regarding postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). As there is no current literature regarding POCD and occupational therapy, this project serves to be the first of its kind to address the role. Within this scholarly project, the literature reviewed served to generate an article for OT Practice, highlighting the role of occupational therapy and education about POCD.

Occupational Therapy Joining Bariatric Care Teams: A Web-Based Resource, Annabelle Tarnowski, Rylee Skyberg

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose

Despite the overall positive physical and mental health results patients obtain following bariatric surgery, some individuals still experience significant negative health challenges postoperatively. Researchers have asserted that the psychosocial concerns of patients that undergo bariatric surgery are not being properly addressed prior to surgery; therefore, patients are not appropriately equipped with strategies or follow-up care to promote continued weight loss and increase quality of life post-operatively (Kalarchian & Marcus, 2019). Patients who undergo bariatric surgery have experienced maladaptive eating, substance abuse, suicide and self-harm at an increased rate (Kalarchian & Marcus, 2019; Sarwer & Heinberg, 2020). Additionally, occupational therapy has been underutilized in current interprofessional bariatric care teams despite the profession’s ability to address physical and psychosocial concerns prior to and following major life ...

Evidence For The Use Of Health Promotion Programs In Schools, Anna Burggraf, Kathryn College, Taylor White

Critically Appraised Topics

Health promotion is defined as “a process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health” (Scaffa, 2019, p. 442). Promotion of health is a common goal that is shared by numerous disciplines (Reitz & Graham, 2019). Health promotion directed towards occupational therapy is the “client-centered use of occupations, adaptations to context, or alteration of context to maximize individuals’, families’, communities’, and groups’ pursuit of health and quality of life” (Reitz & Graham, 2019). Health promotion is essential for all age groups, especially for young children who are completing their beginning years of school. Children’s thoughts, behaviors, and ...

Effectiveness Of Kind Behavior Promotion In Bullying Prevention Among School-Aged Adolescents, Isabell Fetsch, Megan Fuka, Lexi Zahn

Critically Appraised Topics

Bullying is an important and prevalent issue among school-aged adolescents and adolescents. The highest rates of bullying were reported in middle schools, followed by high schools, combined schools, and primary schools, respectively. Approximately 1 in 5 high school students experience bullying at school and about 1 in 6 experience cyberbullying. The rates of bullying also differ between groups of individuals. LGBTQ+ students are more likely to be bullied than their heterosexual counterparts, females are more likely to be bullied than males, and White students reported higher rates of bullying than Hispanic and Black students (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...

Evidence For Planning As An Intervention Approach For Adults Transitioning Into Retirement, Emily Knust, Olivia Myers, Bridget Reuss

Critically Appraised Topics

The retirement age in America is continuing to become older. Seven in ten working adults in the Baby Boomer generation said that they expect to work past age 65 or are already past that age and are still working. Of this generation, 42% would prefer to transition into their retirement by lessening their hours at their current career (Edlerson, 2019). Those who are choosing to retire later in their life are prolonging this transition to delay the loss of a meaningful occupation that they have held for several decades. For this critically appraised topic, the authors have operationally defined retirement ...

Integrating Assistive Technology Into Outpatient Rehabilitation Programs To Increase Independent Living In Older Adults: A Critically Appraised Topic (Cat), Josie Anhorn, Kenadee Eyre, Tiana Griffith

Critically Appraised Topics

In the United States, older adults account for about “16% of the population” (Administration on Aging, 2020, p.5). Older adults are defined as anyone aged 60 and older. There has been a steady increase in the number of older adults living in the United States, and that number is expected to continue growing at a rapid rate as it is predicted that by 2040, older adults will make up approximately “21.6% of the population” (Administration on Aging, 2020, p. 5-6). The majority of this population does not reside in assisted living facilities or nursing homes but instead lives ...

Increasing Quality Of Life And Occupational Performance: A Treatment Protocol For Military Burn Patients And Their Families, Emma Chafin, Jessica Lambert

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a treatment protocol to address the challenges that can affect quality of life and occupational performance of military burn patients and their families. Occupational therapy can offer skilled treatment to help facilitate a successful transition back into civilian life after sustaining a lifealtering combat wound.

Addressing Sexual Intimacy Post-Spinal Cord Injury With Clients And Their Significant Other, Michelle Arnhalt, Taylor Beatty

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Discussing sexual participation with a client who has experienced a spinal cord injury (SCI) can be a critical component to addressing their overall occupational needs during the rehabilitation process. Literature has shown that education on sexual intimacy following their injury is often neglected during therapy due to the sensitive nature of the topic (Federici, Artegianai, Pigliautile, Antonelli, Diotallevi, Ritacco, & Maschke, 2019; Hess & Hough, 2012; Walker, Otte, LeMond, Hess, Kaizer, Faulkner, & Christy, 2020). Overlooking the topic of sexual intimacy during the client’s rehabilitation process can impact the client psychologically by decreasing their self-esteem and confidence, their desire to participate in sexual intimacy, as well ...

Prevention, Positioning, Participation: Wheelchair Education And Promotion Of Occupational Engagement For Caregivers In Snfs, Sarah Lovelace, Brandon Steffen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Certified nursing assistants are considered the principal caregivers within long-term care / skilled nursing facilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2019), and spend the most time interacting and caring for residents. Although CNAs provide approximately 60-90% of the care to elderly residents in nursing homes, they are provided with the least amount of education of the direct-care employees (Lerner, Resnick, Galik, Russ, 2010). The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide caregivers in skilled nursing facilities with adequate education and resources to increase certified nursing assistants’ knowledge of pressure injury prevention, correct positioning for increased ...

A Group-Protocol: Returning To Life Post Breast Cancer Treatment, Janice Finley, Ashley Timm

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this project was to design a group protocol to assist breast cancer survivors living in the community to address unmet physical, cognitive, and psychosocial needs. There are more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors within the United States today (American Cancer Society, n.d.). A cancer survivor's performance in meaningful occupations and roles need to be addressed as they learn to live with the long-term physical and psychosocial effects of treatments such as self-confidence and pain management (Burg et al., 2015; Kim, Kim, & Han, 2020). There is a lack of occupational therapy services for individuals ...

Critically Appraised Topic Paper: What Is Motor Learning Theory? How Can It Be Implemented Into Occupational Therapy Interventions For Individuals With Cerebrovascular Accidents?, Allyson Bourque, Alison O'Sadnick, Alexis Skogen, Callie Vold

Critically Appraised Topics

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) paper was to determine if motor learning theory guides interventions that are considered to be best practice for individuals with CVAs. We want to determine what is best practice for this population to provide practitioners with synthesized research allowing practitioners to implement the most effective, client-centered, evidence-based interventions possible.

Post-Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Interventions And Their Relationship To Social Involvement And Quality Of Life For Middle-Aged Women, Abby Bauman, Jenna Holm, Sarah Zuelzke

Critically Appraised Topics

In the United States, statistics have shown that there is a one in eight percent chance that a woman will develop breast cancer sometime throughout their life, and it is estimated that there will be 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in women in the year 2021 (American Cancer Society, 2021). One in five of the women who survive breast cancer will develop lymphedema within the initial three years following their breast cancer treatment (American College of Surgeons, 2013; DiSipio et al., 2013). Lymphedema is a chronic and progressive condition that is defined by the abnormal swelling ...

Utilizing A Community-Based Core Approach To Foster Occupational Engagement In Individuals With Mental Health Conditions Within Rural Communities, Anne Domanus, Melanie Martinez, Sheena Miller

Critically Appraised Topics

“Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness,” which was approximately 51.1 million people in 2019 (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021, para. 1). This is an important issue within the country; however, it is not widely talked about, especially in rural areas. Research has shown that the prevalence of mental health conditions is consistent across urban and rural areas, but the stigma that surrounds mental health conditions is worse within rural communities (Thorne & Ebener, 2020). This has been attributed to the lack of access to resources, lack of knowledge about resources and mental health conditions in general, and lack of specialization of health professionals in these rural communities (Hoeft et al., 2018; Robinson, 2012; Thorne & Ebener, 2020). The definition and classification system for rural settings is difficult, as there is not one common ...

Interventions That Reduce Anxiety And Depression To Support Mediation Of Lifestyle Balance In Middle School Students, Briana M. Kent, Aleksander R. Kohn, Cammy C. Robertson

Critically Appraised Topics

Mental health disorders are internationally known as a leading cause of disability throughout almost 20% of the adolescent population experiencing devastating mental health problems. Current statistics note that the prevalence of impaired mental health within this population has increased by 21% from 2001 to 2011, indicating a continuation of severe effects from poor mental health on this vulnerable population (Danielson et al., 2020). Allison et al. (2014) estimated that at the time the article was written, 14 million children in the United States had a mental health disorder that interfered with their daily life. Research from the Centers for Disease ...

Best Interventions For Working Adults Experiencing Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Hailey Koep, Samantha Larson, Michelle Mcnamee

Critically Appraised Topics

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is defined as ongoing pain felt in the bones, joints, and tissue of the body that persists for longer than three months (Booth et al., 2017; Joelsson et al., 2017). Worldwide, 30% of the population has experienced some form of chronic pain in their lifetime (Guy et al., 2020). When living with chronic pain, it can become difficult for working adults to engage in their everyday occupations such as activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), health management, social participation, and leisure (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020). These troubles can affect an ...

The Use Of Sensory Processing Interventions To Improve Academics And Social Participation For Adolescents With Trauma, Michayla Burckhard, Austin Ellis, Michael Helgeson

Critically Appraised Topics

Childhood and adolescent trauma are defined as psychological, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as household dysfunctions that include substance abuse, criminal history, mental illness, and witnessing violence or abuse against a parent (Felitti et al., 1998; Noel-London et al., 2021). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a form of trauma for those under the age of 18 involving neglect and abuse (Elmore & Crouch, 2020). ACEs have been shown to have a lasting impact on an individual’s life, including violence, behavioral disorders, and mental health disorders (Noel-London et al., 2021; Sigurvinsdottir et al., 2021). ACEs and trauma can impact all areas of one’s life, especially engagement in social participation (Harazneh et al., 2020). Stress and trauma can have an immediate impact on an individual and influence his ...

Increasing Participation In Meaningful Occupations For Disabled Veterans Through The Promotion Of Spirituality: An Intervention Resource Manual For Occupational Therapists., Tristen Smith, Audrya Tarango

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Veterans with psychological disorders may experience a combination of deficits that decrease their ability to engage in meaningful activities (Speicher, Walter, & Chard, 2014). Increasing the well-being and quality of life for veterans is an optimal opportunity for the OT profession to assert its distinct value in addressing the mental health needs of veterans through the enhancement of spirituality. The inclusion of spirituality in interventions are beneficial when alleviating symptoms of a physical and mental capacity, reestablishing beliefs, values, moral code, and relationships with self and the transcendent (Brémault-Phillips et al., 2019).

Empowering Grand-Families Through Occupation: An Occupational Therapy Intervention Program For Grandchildren And Custodial Grandparents, Macie Romsdal, Gabrielle Wavra

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a program for occupational therapists to use with custodial grandparents and their grandchildren. The number of grandparents becoming primary caregivers to grandchildren continues to increase, and more than 5.7 million grandchildren in the United States were living with and being provided for by grandparents in 2014 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Although there are benefits to being placed in grandparent care, there are also challenges. Some of the challenges custodial grandparents face are health concerns, financial resources, and changes in social supports and occupational roles (Marken & Howard, 2014). Grandchildren may ...

Recovering From The Loss Of A Loved One: A Group Protocol For Remaining Active In Valued Occupations While Coping With The Loss Of A Loved One, Hailey Axtell, Ty Berg

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project is to develop a manualized intervention program utilizing the CMOP-E to better understand grief and coping while promoting occupational engagement for older adults who have recently lost a partner. A group protocol was created to address spirituality, the survivor, participation in desired occupations, and the environment to help with the process of grieving and promote occupational performance.

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing Mental Health Needs In Middle Schoolers, Taylor Anderson, Emily Annen, Seira Dick

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Adolescence is a period of time filled with many transitions. The transition from elementary to middle school comes with new academic, social, and environmental demands. Currently, adolescents often lack the skills and the support necessary to cope with these demands, leading to an increase in mental health challenges (Moksnes, Lohre, Lillefiell, Byrne, & Haugen, 2016). While there are many school-based interventions designed to support students throughout this difficult transition, many environmental barriers exist which prevent the effective implementation of these interventions. One category of barriers is the lack of school resources. Although there is significant positive research on social emotional learning ...

Coffee With Farmers, Ivy Steiger, Kelsey Sherry

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The farming community is an underserved population in health care and historically there has been a lack of recognition of the psychosocial stress farmers endure. There is a lack of programming for addressing farmers’ psychosocial stress and mental health, specifically within the field of occupational therapy. The overall purpose of this independent study was to explore the role occupational therapy has within the farming community and develop a program that can be implemented to address psychosocial health with this population.

Identifying Occupational Therapy’S Role In The Interprofessional Team For Combating Barriers To Correct Medication Adherence For Older Adults, Megan Berginski, Bryce Graves, Christopher Hernandez

Critically Appraised Topics

Occupational therapy is crucial to the interprofessional team, with a focus on client-centered interventions, a holistic approach to health promotion and prevention and a comprehensive overlook on quality of life. The focus of occupational therapy is to collaborate with clients to find meaningful engagement in occupations to promote participation. The occupational therapist’s perspective on the person holistically marks their contribution to the interprofessional team in order to meet the needs to provide for the client, their families, and their community (Doll & Earland, 2020). Other than occupational therapists, the interdisciplinary team may consist of nurses, pharmacists and caregivers. Nurses are ...

The Effectiveness Of Intervention Facilitating Return To Work Through Improving Cognition For Those With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Madison Ertelt, Abbey Marinucci, Jaden Pikarski

Critically Appraised Topics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2019), about 2.87 million traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths occurred in the United States in 2019. It is estimated that around 1.5 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury every year. Approximately 2.5 to 6.3 million people currently live with a TBI-related disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019; Faul & Coronado, 2015, as cited in Powell et al., 2016). Specific populations are at a higher risk for sustaining a TBI. High-risk age groups include children aged four years ...