Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Improving Health Literacy In Underserved Youth, Paul Lee, Stephanie Parks, Sydney Wiredu, Dhaval Shah, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Health literacy is an individual’s capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions. There are disparities in health literacy across age, gender, ethnicity, location and socioeconomic status. Children aged 12-17 are an important target group regarding health literacy research because of the fundamental cognitive, physical and emotional development processes occurring that affect health related skills and behaviors.

The objectives of this project were to:

• Identify the disparities of health literacy in varying demographics with regards to age, gender, location and socioeconomic areas
• Determine barriers affecting health literacy comprehension and knowledge in the target …

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Mental Health, Vanessa Pizutelli, Yanil Morales, Christina Copeland, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Adolescence is a crucial period in which adverse childhood experiences, social relationships, and habits can influence mental wellbeing. According to the CDC, the onset of mental illness is 14.5 years old, which is why it is imperative that individuals with mental health conditions receive early intervention. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, research has shown a dramatic decline in adolescent mental health. Specifically in New Jersey, it has been reported that individuals ages 18-23 have the highest levels of stress and depressive symptoms since the start of the pandemic. In light of these findings, it is vital that more …

Family-Centered Training And Therapy As Substance Abuse Intervention In Adolescents, Ryan St. John, Cam'ron Klotz, Muskaan Bibi, Archana Salek, Health Careers Opportunity Program - Rowansom, Rowan University

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We hypothesized that providing mental health resources for adolescents and educating their parents and families would decrease the prevalence of substance abuse in the Camden, NJ community given that overdose death had risen 138% from 2014-2018. Educating parents and families on the importance of adolescents dealing with mental disorders may help evaluate the mental stability of their child and prevent them from turning to illicit substance to cope. Increasing the communication and the availability of resources for adolescents to turn to before resorting to illicit substances can have beneficial effects.

Examining The Relationship Between Adolescent Obesity Rates And School Health Programs In Grades 9-12 In The United States, Joseph Melillo, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

- In the United States, it was found that the prevalence of obese adolescents ages 12-19 was 21.2%.1

- According to a study by Ward et. al published in the New England Journal of Health (NEJH), the researchers estimated 88.2% of obese 19-year-olds would still be obese by the age of 35.2

- The purpose of this study was to evaluate school provided health programs and their impact on BMI values of students within these schools.

- This study aimed to compare health outcomes between different schools across the United States and identify aspects of school programming that can be …