Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bridging The Gap: Strategies For Enhancing Wic Participation Rates In South Dakota, Melissa K. Wyum

Honors Thesis

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a national program administered by the USDA to State agencies for low-income women and nutritionally at-risk infants and children. South Dakota WIC provides services related to breastfeeding, healthcare referrals, and accessibility/knowledge of nutritious foods. Successes of WIC include improved birth outcomes, decreased healthcare costs, regular immunization rates, establishment of a primary care provider, and improved nutrition status. Although WIC has shown positive health outcomes for mothers and children, the relationship between the barriers of WIC access and resulting health outcomes in South Dakota is unknown. According to the …

Understanding The Role Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Resilience In Police Officers, Wayne F. Handley

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Police officers are subject to a variety of stressors not only from job-related events resulting from direct or vicarious trauma exposure (Andersen & Papazoglou, 2014; Brown et al., 1999; Iversen et al., 2008) but also from family and personal concerns (Burke, 1998; Page & Jacobs, 2011), and administrative pressures originating from within their own agencies (Violanti et al., 2018; White et al., 2016). Prior to their careers as police officers, individuals may also be exposed to traumatic events early in life. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are described as negative events related to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse or neglect, exposure …

Examining The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Covid-19 Vaccine Status Using 2022 Brfss Data: A Cross-Sectional Study, Cristhian A. Chau-Valdivia

Capstone Experience

Abstract:

Objective.To determine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) scores with COVID-19 vaccination outcomes before and after adjusting for demographic variables.

Methods. Data were from 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys regarding 13 categories of ACEs, COVID-19 vaccination, and demographic variables. Data was weight adjusted for survey respondent data. This complex design combined the core and optional modules. Participants who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine were categorized as vaccinated. The sample size is 12,514.

Results. Participants who were female (OR=1.35, 95% CI: [1.19,1.52]), greater than or equal to 65 years old (OR=4.76, 95% …

Chronic Stressors, Obesity Pathogenesis, And The Moderating Effect Of Internalized Weight Stigma; A Quantitative, Illinois Study, Karyn Byrne

Dissertations

The obesity epidemic is a ‘wicked’ problem with a complex web of determinants and outcomes. While generally higher for minoritized populations, prevalence rates manifest in surprising, nonlinear patterns. There is no consensus regarding treatment protocols or mitigation efforts, except that current efforts remain largely ineffective. Much research evidence that a profusion of determinants of health support obesity pathogenesis through various physiological processes and mechanisms, including the allostatic load, mitochondria functioning, the gut microbiome, and epigenetics. Intervening to support markers of the allostatic load (immunity, inflammation, and metabolic health) may provide a more effective treatment outcomes than traditional approaches, which tend …

The Relationship Between Parental Trauma History And Perceptions Regarding Their Child’S Healthcare And Utilization Of Healthcare Services, Krishna Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

TITLE: The Relationship Between Parental Trauma History and Perceptions Regarding Their Child’s Healthcare and Utilization of Healthcare Services

Adverse child events (ACEs) have been associated with a number of physical and mental health problems and have also been linked to increased health care utilization. While parents who have an ACE history may tend to seek healthcare services for themselves, limited studies have examined the impact of their trauma history on seeking healthcare services for their child. Healthcare utilization may also depend on the parents’ level of health anxiety, as well as their anxiety about their child’s health status. This …

Play Your Aces: Clinical Practice Change For Adverse Childhood Experiences, Jordan Lefevers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The study included an educational module provided to healthcare providers in order to evaluate whether an increase in knowledge occurred based on responses to questions specific to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The study assessed the providers’ baseline knowledge on ACEs based on pretest data. This study aims to evaluate if there was increased knowledge after review of educational materials. Following the educational module, a follow-up posttest survey was provided via web link to assess the providers’ knowledge specific to this topic after receiving additional education. The study measured if providers lacked general awareness on ACEs, and if there was an …

Building Resiliency In Children Through Mindfulness, Karissa Buck

Theses and Graduate Projects

This scholarly work recognizes the profound impact of toxic stress on children as a result of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). According to the MDH (2011), ACEs are the main contributor to toxic stress within children. ACEs include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness of a household member, drug or drinking problems of a household member, divorce or separation of parents, domestic violence between adults in the household, and incarceration of a household member (MDH, 2011). Fifty-five percent of Minnesotans experience at least one adverse childhood experience during childhood. Results of toxic stress can include impaired brain development, behavioral …

Childhood Obesity And Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Role Of Medicaid Expansion, Sonya Dunlap

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Obesity was defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over the 95th percentile as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Childhood obesity has been a worldwide concern, but has disproportionately affected the socioeconomically disadvantaged, racial/ethical minorities, and rural children. The presence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) contributed to social and health problems. ACEs included the areas of domestic violence, mental illness, neighborhood violence, parent or guardian death, divorce or separation, parent or guardian incarceration, and substance misuse.

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this research was to compare the ACEs scores with childhood …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Ecological Systems: An Examination Of Child Perception On School Climate And Connectedness, Siddhant Modi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences permeate the environment of a child, impacting development in various ways. Research has shown that over 30% of the adult U.S population report some type of adverse childhood experience impacting development into adulthood. Research has shown that investigating areas of a child’s environment, other than the home, could assist in understanding the impact ACEs have on a child’s perception. Although previous research suggests a link between adverse childhood experiences and physical and emotional health problems, there is limited research addressing the impact ACEs have on a child’s perception of the reliability and safety in environments other than …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Hiv Risk Behaviors Among Transgender Populations, Linda Baggio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a negative impact on health and have created a social challenge in managing HIV risk behavior in the transgender population. The aim of this study was to determine the association between ACEs and HIV risk behavior among the transgender population and identify the association between ACE score (1, 2, 3, 4, or more) and HIV risk behavior among the transgender population. This involved a quantitative methodology using a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) questionnaire to obtain data from 323 transgender participants. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between ACEs and HIV …

Implementation Of Pediatric Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening In Primary Care, Alexzandra Hillyer

Dissertations

Implementation of Pediatric Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening in Primary Care

Problem: Over half of children worldwide have experienced abuse in the past year. In 2012, The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement emphasizing the importance of primary care providers implementing Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screening into all well-child examinations.

Methods: This quality improvement project was a descriptive, observational pilot study in which Center for Youth-Well ACE Questionnaire (CYW-ACE-Q) was implemented into a large, metropolitan pediatric primary care clinic. A convenience sample was utilized composed of pediatric patients between the ages of 5 and 18 being seen for a …

Identifying Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) In A Federally Qualified Health Center Using The Pediatric Aces And Related Life Events Screener, Melody Albarran-Slovin, Bsn, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Evidence links adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to health issues later in life. Most research has been conducted in adults but there is a lack of recent research on the impact of ACEs in the pediatric population particularly in relation to mental health conditions. Utilizing the Pediatric ACEs Screener (PEARLS) health care providers can screen for ACEs at earlier ages.

Purpose: The aim of this evidence-based project is to determine if there is an increase of newly diagnosed mental health related disorders when using PEARLS compared to not using PEARLS in the previous months before implementation.

Methods: ACEs were identified …

From Pipeline To Health Equity: A Case Study Of Health Profession Pipeline Students, Sonja F. Tutsch

Theses & Dissertations

Health equity arises from the social determinants of health. Access to culturally and linguistically competent health services is a major determinant of health. Despite health profession pipeline intervention efforts spanning more than 50 years, diversity in the health professions has not been achieved, and disparities in health among members of minority groups remain prevalent. Health profession pipeline programs came into existence to help grow minority representation among health professionals serving in underserved, disadvantaged, communities, where disparities in health are most prevalent. One underlying assumption was that minority students from underserved communities understand the needs of these communities best and are …

Screening For Adverse Childhood Experiences And Other Determinants Of Health In School Based Health Centers: A Program Evaluation, Olivia A. Domini

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Introduction: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and various household stressors, are common, connected, and contribute to multiple adverse health and wellbeing outcomes throughout life. Consequently, there has been a push to screen for adversity and toxic stress in primary care to facilitate prevention and early intervention. The purpose of this project was to evaluate and optimize the use of the Broad Level Integrated Screener (BLIS) in Neighborcare Health (NCH) School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) in Seattle, WA.

Methods: An online survey including nineteen Likert-scale questions and five open-ended free response questions was administered to all middle school …

Improvement In Primary Care Identification Of Trauma Symptoms Of Foster Care Children, Crystal Lucas

Dissertations

Introduction: Exposure to adverse childhood events (ACEs) is common in foster children. Primary care providers are ideally positioned to advocate for foster care children through early identification and treatment of trauma-related symptoms and diagnoses during routine well-child assessments.

Purpose: This quality improvement project sought to institute a standardized trauma assessment instrument, the Childhood Behavioral Checklist (CBCL), to determine if there was an increase in the identification of trauma-related symptoms and diagnoses along with an increase in the rate of referral to mental health care (MHC).

Method: This quality improvement project used a descriptive, observational design to complete retrospective and prospective …

The Interaction Of Adversity, Hope, Social Support, And Academic Resilience In Emerging Appalachian Adults, Daniel Joseph Gottron Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The negative impact of adverse childhood experiences on both short-term and long-term wellbeing has been repeatedly validated across multiple populations. While adverse childhood experiences have been thoroughly researched in many contexts, this is not the case for Appalachia, which has often been relegated to the fringe of scholarly research, resulting in an overall lack of research on Appalachia. Further lacking is research into how protective factors might be utilized to help overcome adversity. While some recent research on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, hope, and resilience has been conducted, it too has been limited to select populations. It is …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Homeless Chronicity, And Age At Onset Of Homelessness, Joseph T. Tucciarone Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood adversity is associated with numerous negative outcomes across multiple domains, including mental and physical health, interrelationships, and social functioning. Notably, research suggests that childhood adversity has a dose-response relationship with these outcomes; that is, greater numbers of adverse experiences in childhood are associated with worse outcomes. These outcomes overlap with many risk factors of homelessness. This study sought to address two questions: 1) Does a dose-response relationship exist between childhood adversity and chronic homelessness? 2) Does childhood adversity negatively predict the age at which homelessness first occurs? Adults experiencing homeless who are accessing homeless services in the Tri-Cities area …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Social Communication: A Survey Study, Chey Maree Robertson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Speech-language pathologists work with individuals who have experienced various levels of adversity. The title of this thesis is The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Social Communication: A Survey study. The researcher, Chey Robertson, from the communication sciences and disorders program from a university in the Midwest investigated the relationship between ACEs and social communication such as social cognition, social interaction, and pragmatics. ACEs includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and physical and emotional neglect. ACEs also includes household dysfunction such as a household member with mental illness, witnessing domestic violence, incarceration of a household member, household member who …

The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity And Adult Relationship Health For Economically Marginalized, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Individuals, Sandy-Ann M. Griffith

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Childhood adversity is prevalent and significantly influences an individual’s life. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to chronic physical and mental health issues, as well as maladaptive and abusive patterns of behavior in adult relationships such as unhealthy problem-solving strategies, poor ability at conflict resolution, and intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study explored the relationship between ACEs and adult relationship health outcomes. Controlling for the effect of average individual yearly income on adult relationship health, the extent to which demographic factors (i.e., gender, race and ethnicity, and children status) moderate the relationship between ACEs and adult relationship health and …

The Health Consequences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Building Resilient Communities, Elizabeth S. Najmabadi

Master's Projects and Capstones

Studies have identified that trauma experienced as a child directly affects your health later in life. In Sonoma County, one in four children have experienced two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) before the age of 18. Twenty-two percent of Sonoma County adults reported experiencing four or more ACEs before the age of 18. With the high rates of ACEs in our community this fieldwork placement aimed to bring awareness and build community capacity to understand and address ACEs and foster resiliency. To raise awareness in our community we developed the ACES and Resiliency Fellowship Series, which trained 60 fellows …

The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Subsequent Injury In Young Adulthood: Findings From The National Longitudinal Study Of Adolescent And Adult Health, Michelle M. Sotero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The objective of this study is to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the context of family and community and the likelihood of subsequent unintentional and intentional, nonfatal injury in young adulthood (ages 24-32 years). Using a cross sectional study design, data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health, a nationally representative sample (n = 14,800) was used to examine the relationship between 16 types of ACEs and a cumulative ACE score and the odds of seven injury outcomes in young adulthood. Over a third (37.6%) of young adults …