Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Internet Based Interventions For Improving Mental Health On College Campuses: A Scoping Review Of Ibis, Caceti Dobrowolski

Honors Theses

BACKGROUND Over the past decade, Internet Based Interventions (IBI) have emerged as a possible mental health approach, reported to reduce cost and provide access to needed services. There is a dearth of literature that clearly defines the scope and components of IBIs and its efficacy. Moreover, little is known about the efficacy of IBI for college students, a population that reportedly underutilizes mental health services.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the efficacy of IBI as a mental health intervention for college students.

METHODS Three databases were used to initially identify 400 studies and through the …

The Effects Of Exercise On The Cognitive Function Of Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Amanda Savitski

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is America’s most common neurodegenerative disease affecting over 5.4 million Americans (Fernández et al., 2017). A literature review was completed to assess the possible relation between physical activity and the progression of AD. Articles were collected from various peer-reviewed, published journals using the available databases of Western Michigan University library which included PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the National Institute of Health (NIH). Keywords used for the database searches included “Alzheimer”, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, “neurodegeneration”, “aging brain”, “exercise”, and “physical activity”. Based upon the literature reviewed, aerobic exercise appears to slow the progression of AD and possibly reverses it slightly …

The Influence Of Predisposing, Enabling And Reinforcing Factors On The Solid Waste Management System. A Case Study On Kampala And Nairobi., Bethel Mwenze

Honors Theses

This study is a literature review on available research on the solid waste management issues that are overwhelming the cities of Kampala and Nairobi. The populations of these cities are growing as these cities attempt to fast track development in their cities. With this, means a multitude of issues that are too overwhelming for the current infrastructure. If these issues are not properly dealt with environmental and health problems are sure to ensue This study distributes these issues on the individuals, workers and policy makers in reference to their responsibilities. So, one can understand the predisposing factors such as knowledge …

The Use Of Neurologic Music Therapy And Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation As Treatment For Parkinson’S Disease, Shaima Shebrain

Honors Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a progressive, neurodegenerative disease, is common in people who are 50 years of age or older. It is characterized by the loss of function of the substantia nigra in producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows for smooth and coordinated movement. Due to the lack of dopamine, an individual with PD experiences involuntary and stiff movements such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability, and abnormal gait patterns along with other motor symptoms. Over the years, the motor symptoms that are associated with PD progressively worsen; thus, limiting the individual’s independency and ability to perform daily tasks. Those with …

Sexual Harassment Of Biology And Biomedical Sciences Undergraduates: A Study On The Effects Of Larry Nassar And William Strampel, Kathleen Ryan

Honors Theses

Sexual harassment amongst undergraduate women of science is a prominent issue, gaining much media attention. The goal of this study is to determine if, and how, major sexual harassment cases impact women pursuing science-related careers, and what the sexual harassment climate is like for these individuals. The study will examine prevalence of harassment, common types of sexual misconduct, perpetrators, and severity through an anonymous survey. Additionally, this study will look into the effects of the Nassar and Strampel cases regarding desire to report harassment, and students’ fear of experiencing harassment in their future educations and careers. It is hypothesized that …

Fighting Fatigue With Caffeine: Exploring Perceptions On Patient Safety, Camille Quitangon

Honors Theses

Objective: To examine the association between fatigue and caffeine consumption, and explore nurses’ perceptions of the impact of these factors on patient safety.

Background: Many people consume caffeine for its benefits, such as stimulating the central nervous system to feel more awake. Health professionals, such as nurses, commonly experience fatigue and often will drink coffee to get through their long shifts.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted. Studies were split into two categories – fatigue and patient safety or caffeine's effect on human performance.

Results: Fatigue causes nurses to be impaired; it affects their ability to be alert, vigilant, …

The Efficacy Of A Diet Low In Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols (Fodmaps) In The Treatment Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Raelyn Haubensak

Honors Theses

This paper reviews the efficacy of the low-FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diet in treating the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Since IBS has a wide range of etiologies and symptoms, it is often difficult to treat. A large majority of patients report their symptoms being associated with their diet. Researchers have shown that specific components of food, FODMAPs, may play a role in exacerbating symptoms. In this literary review, the physiological effects and the efficacy of the low-FODMAP diet was explored using current literature. In conclusion, the low-FODMAP diet may be an efficacious treatment option …

Improving The Interprofessional Relationship Between Nurses And Speech-Language Pathologists: A Pilot Study, Christina Hamling, Kristy Weissling

Honors Theses

The research presented in this thesis explores the impact of interprofessional education on undergraduate nursing and speech-language pathology students with an overall goal of improving the interprofessional relationship between the two fields. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods in the form of a pre-test, educational materials, live guided observation, and post-tests, the researchers found an increase in the nursing students ’ ability to identify the role of the speech-language pathologist in a medical setting (knowledge). There was also an increase in the speech-language pathology students’ ability to understand how and when to communicate with nurses in a medical setting (knowledge).

Culture, Food, And Racism: The Effects On African American Health, Kalah Elantra Vance

Honors Theses

Cultures can be influenced by a number of different factors, one of the most notable being food. Cultural food staples have often traveled from their country of origin of to be integrated into the cuisine of another. African slaves for example, used their knowledge of their West African heritage to forage soul food, a well know cuisine in the American South. The adaptations made to food practices during slavery decreased the nutritional value of the previously healthy West African dishes. After creating a relatively unhealthy food culture through slavery, African Americans continued to face persecution at the hands of the …

Tanapox: A Potential Oncolytic Virus For The Treatment Of Cancer, Joel Marty

Honors Theses

The National Cancer Institute defines cancer as a group of related diseases characterized by unimpeded cell division with metastatic abilities. Cells frequently mutate and potentially become cancerous, but generally these cells are cleared by the immune system. The disease state of cancer arises when the mutated cells evade the immune clearance, which indicates medical intervention is required. Current therapies most commonly utilize chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the two, however, alternative therapies are being developed such as immunotherapies and oncolytic viruses (OVs). OVs cause a viral infection, clearing cancerous cells through viral replication mechanisms, such as viral cytolysis, while …

Cognitive And Emotional Correlates Of Improved Gait Distance During The Course Of Physical Therapy Treatment For An Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury, Danielle Miller

Honors Theses

Objective

The focus of spinal cord injury rehabilitation over the past four decades has shifted from medical management to issuses that affect quality of life and community participation (Gómara- Toldrà, Sliwinski, & Dijkers, 2014). However, the care team for spinal cord injury patients still need to collaberate in order to design and implement interventions that result in maximum participation to provide an individual with a spinal cord injury an effective rehabilitation program. In order to create such a rehablitation program, the care team must know how certain psychological and cognitive aspects, such as depression and implict memory, are related to …

A Meta-Analysis: A Functional Neuroanatomical Comparison Of Self-Esteem-Related And Postpartum Depression-Related Processing, Meghana Damaraju

Honors Theses

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a psychiatric mood disorder that effects 1 in 10 women in the United States. There are relatively few behavioral studies looking at the association between PPD and self-esteem. There are even fewer studies looking at neuroimaging comparisons between PPD and self-esteem.. The goal of this study was to look at the neuroanatomical overlap of activated brain regions involved in both self-esteem and PPD processing. We hypothesized that the right amygdala, PCC, and insula would be involved in both processes.

Methods: Maps were created using the MKDA program in MATLAB. These images were extent-based cluster-wise …

Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Lipid Raft Residency Is Hormone And Caveolin Dependent, Hannah Madden

Honors Theses

Human follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH) is a gonadotropin responsible for the maturation of ovarian follicles in women and production of sperm in men. The receptor (hFSHR) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR); a class of receptors found embedded in the cell membrane to receive the hormone resulting in initiation of a complex downstream signaling cascade. Through previous research in the Cohen lab, hFSHR has been shown to be located within compartments of the cell membrane known as lipid rafts. Lipid rafts are microdomains of the membrane containing a higher concentration of cholesterol, glycosphingolipids, and a protein known as caveolin. Current …

Impact Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms On Hpa Axis Functionality In Depression, Claire Kelly

Honors Theses

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a primary role in stress response through the regulated secretion of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol. Diseases of cortisol dysregulation such as Cushing’s syndrome (hypercortisolemia) and Addison’s Disease (hypocortisolemia) are both associated with depression. Based on this we, and others, have hypothesized that mutations in the genes for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the closely related mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and regulatory proteins associated with cortisol or GR function may contribute to depression in the absence of hyper- or hypo-cortisolemia. Our study investigated the genotypic frequency in the clinical population of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect …

Assessing Glucocorticoid Receptor Polymorphisms In Obese Populations, Ayanah Dowdye

Honors Theses

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is part of a family of nuclear receptors that control gene expression. In the presence of the steroid hormone cortisol, certain genes are expressed; the products of which control certain features of the body, including but not limited to, blood pressure, serum triglycerides, and blood sugar. There is evidence that these features are major contributors to obesity. Specific polymorphisms of the GR and other regulators of either GR or the closely related mineralocorticoid receptor such as heat shock protein 90 and 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 have been found in our labs and others to be present …

Exploring Stable Isotope Analysis For The Identification Of Prior Tick Hosts, Kiprian Gernat

Honors Theses

Lyme disease is a pervasive illness caused by the transmission of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi from the bite of an infected black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Ticks initially obtain the spirochete by feeding on an infected animal host. Ticks feed on a broad range of hosts, but some of these hosts are more competent carriers of Lyme disease and more readily transmit B. burgdorferi to feeding ticks. Thus, knowing what host a tick has fed on could provide valuable information in studying the transmission of Lyme disease. However, studying the relationships between ticks and their hosts has proved to be …

Do People Who Are More Aggressive Sustain More Injuries Than Their Less Aggressive Counterparts: A Study Of Participants Of Medieval Combat Games In The United States?, Christopher Sanchez

Honors Theses

Today people are being encouraged to be more active for the sake of their health, but in becoming more active people are getting more sports related injuries. There are many risk factors that may increase the likelihood of a sports related injury. Aggression in particular may be contributing factor to a higher likelihood of injury. The goal of this study is to look at the relationship between aggressive personalities and injury occurrence.

Nurses’ Perception Of The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status, Incidence Rates And Complications Of A Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis In The Adult Population, Malia Mcdowell

Honors Theses

The objective of this paper was to review the literature that reflects studies conducted on lower socioeconomic patients at risk for diabetes. These studies targeted the prevalence, medication adherence, chronic complications, and socioeconomic levels and the risk of incidence. The concluding evidence supports the research studies regarding diabetes and socioeconomic levels in that an adults’ socioeconomic level has a direct negative relationship between level of finance and the overall life time risk of a new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and its complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy and poor clinical outcomes. Furthermore, economic status also has a direct negative correlation …

The Relationship Between Employment And Diabetes Self-Management, Josie Allison Lami

Honors Theses

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that is becoming more prevalent in the world each day, and it can be deadly if it is not properly controlled. There are multiple aspects that go into self-management of diabetes such as diet, glucose control, physical activity, and lifestyle choices. This study focused on the physical activity aspect of diabetes self-management. Fifty-four subjects completed a survey that questioned time spent sitting while at work, physical activity done outside of work each week, and the results of their most recent Hemoglobin A1C check. The study found that over 50% of the participants who spent more …

Assessing Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge And Use Of Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning, Mary Catherine Cazalas

Honors Theses

Many individuals who are nonverbal require augmentative and alternative communication devices to communicate. The purpose of this research was to assess speech-language pathologists’ knowledge of a particular method of implementing augmentative and alternative communication devices known as language acquisition through motor planning (LAMP). Further, this research was designed to determine the percentage of speech pathologists who have used LAMP during their careers as well as the perceived level of success speech pathologists have found with LAMP. Mississippi speech-language pathologists were used as the sample for this study. A survey was created electronically via the online survey development software, “Survey Monkey,” …

Breastfeeding In Public: Perceptions Of College Students In South Mississippi, Kaitlyn Sierra Kendall

Honors Theses

Breastfeeding rates have increased and declined throughout time. Perceptions of breastfeeding are mixed, with those finding it to be inappropriate and others finding it to be natural. The purpose in this study is to gain a better understanding of how college students in south Mississippi perceive breastfeeding. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IIFAS), a 17-item questionnaire aimed to explore an individual’s attitudes toward infant feeding. The Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire (BBQ) presented 12 scenarios of breastfeeding in public as a means to explore how participants would react to those encounters. Data was collected from 151 college students through an online …

The Knowledge Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among College Students, Annie Doster

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to address the perceived and actual knowledge levels of sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) among college students at a southern university. The sample consisted of 138 participants over the age of 18 enrolled as undergraduate students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). A questionnaire was distributed via email listserv to the undergraduate population at USM assessing the attitudes and knowledge surrounding sexually transmitted diseases. The survey included three sections for the assessment of each variable: 12 demographic questions, 20 statements assessing student attitudes regarding the quality of their previous sex education and perceived knowledge, …

Perceptions Of College Students Towards Healthcare Provisions On Campus, Sarah Houtz

Honors Theses

Healthcare on university campuses is not a new concept. There is little evidence surrounding the effectiveness and adaptability of services provided to students by providers or healthcare facilities located on campus. Literature describes individual concepts of healthcare resources provided on campus including convenience, holistic care, abilities to refer to off campus specialty clinics, and factors related directly to the patient’s beliefs and values. However, there is a considerable gap in tools used to measure opinions directly related to the services, quality, perception, initiatives, and overall satisfaction with the provisions provided by healthcare professionals located on university campuses. Of the 23 …

Treating Breast Cancer With Light: The Creation Of Two Photodynamic Therapy Agents, Victoria Lackey

Honors Theses

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment for a wide display of diseases, including cancer, that has become gradually widespread. The procedure requires the usage of photosynthesizing agents, which are activated in the presence of light. One quite successful photodynamic therapy agent is an aromatic structure made up of four pyrrole rings called a porphyrin. This research focused on producing the water-soluble porphyrins, H2TPP-3-PEG-OH and H2TPP-PiperMe-OH, through the attachment of the starting porphyrin, H2TPPC, with 3-polyethyleneglycol and 3-piperidinemethanol, respectively. The novel, water-soluble agent was purified and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and UV-vis spectroscopy. Purity was …

The Psychosocial Effects Of Compensated Turnout On Dancers: A Critical Look At The Leading Cause Of Non-Traumatic Dance Injuries, Rachel Smith

Honors Theses

Dancers suffer from extremely high injury rates compared to the general population (Noh, Morris, & Anderson, 2003). Most of the injuries are overuse injuries (60-75%), as opposed to traumatic injuries (Thomas & Tarr, 2009). One of the most common overuse injuries is compensated, or forced, turnout (Negus, Hopper, & Briffa, 2005). Continual misplacement of turnout wears and tears on the body, leading to pain and injury. However, dancers feel the risk is worth it to stay relevant in a physically demanding career that has little-to-no off-season to heal (McEwen & Young, 2011). Dance companies typically have the mindset of pushing …

Predicting And Preventing Common Volleyball Injuries With Functional Tests, Madison Marshall

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a compilation of screening tests best suited for predicting and preventing volleyball’s most common injuries. Research displays a gap in knowledge pertaining to volleyball-specific injury prevention tests. A literary analysis was completed for information regarding; correct volleyball techniques, incorrect techniques that are commonly observed, common injuries resulting from faulty technique, and tests best designed to prevent these injuries. It was found that knees and ankles were the two joints most often injured. These injuries mainly occurred during the landing phase of the jumping-landing sequence. Therefore, ankle and knee injury rates were higher …

Comparison Of Psychological States Of Runners Within Urban And Rural Environments, Christian Demastus

Honors Theses

With the research on persons health and well being increasing within the past years, new questions have emerged on if certain environments can also benefit along with exercise. This study looked at the different psychological states of endurance runners as they run in urban environments and transition into rural settings. The results of this study showed significant differences between urban and rural environments. Also showed increased focus going downhill in nature and greater inward attention while moving uphill in nature. With the findings from this study, it explains why runners choose to run or train where they do.

Facilitating Emotional Regulation In Adults With Developmental Disabilities Through Person-Centered Play Therapy, Otis Kemutambah

Honors Theses

Adults with developmental disabilities may employ maladaptive behaviors that stem from limited opportunities to interact with their community and non-nurturing interactions within their environment. This literature review explores the effects of play on maladaptive behaviors and provides a rationale that supports the use of PCPT to improve this population’s emotional regulation skills. More specifically, the sources indicate that activities containing exercise and games, improves the emotional regulation skills of this population. Based on the presented information, created cost effective activities will potentially improve these skills amongst adults with developmental disabilities. These activities that adhere to PCPT are basketball, water basketball, …

Examining Social Pragmatic Communication: Evidence From Parent And Professional Questionnaires, Katelyn Adams

Honors Theses

Hyter (2007) defined pragmatics as “daily interactions among groups of people with varying worldviews, each influenced by a history of social practices” (p.131). People use aspects of pragmatics in their everyday life depending on the context of their current social situation. For example, one’s pragmatic language could differ in a day from talking with a boss at work to having a conversation with a friend on the phone. These variations in conversational processes result in the assessment of pragmatics being a difficult task.

In this honors thesis, I examined results from Dr. Yvette Hyter’s assessment battery, the Assessment of Pragmatic …

Analysis Of Opioid Hospitalizations In Michigan Counties, Stephanie George

Honors Theses

The escalating opioid epidemic has affected the United States on both national and local levels. In the state of Michigan, the opioid overdose death rate increased by 13.3% between 2014 and 2015 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Due to a gap in the literature regarding opioid hospitalization rates, this study focused on the demographic correlates of unemployment, health insurance, and poverty level in relation to the Michigan counties that indicated the highest opioid hospitalization rates in the 2013-2015 time period. The five Michigan counties with the highest opioid hospitalization rates were Oscoda, Arenac, Roscommon, Clare, and Benzie County. …