Public Health Commons^™

Assessing The Types Of Juvenile Detention Medical Issues: A Focus On Florida, De’Angelo Dean

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The justice system for young people in the United States has been a source of worry as more people acknowledge the possible adverse outcomes of involvement in the justice system during adolescence. Involvement with law enforcement can lead to various difficulties for young people, such as heightened susceptibility to psychological problems, interruptions in their education, and reduced prospects for achievement in the future. Hence, it is crucial to understand the interplays between the health care for juveniles referred by courts or law enforcement for hospital care to identify opportunities for process and outcome improvements. The interaction between juveniles and the …

Substance Use Patterns Among High School Students - A Replication Study Of The 2020 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Haley Irons

Capstone Experience

The study selected for replication is “Prescription Opioid Misuse and Use of Alcohol and Other Substances Among High School Students” by Christopher Jones and colleagues published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement in August 2020. The original report used data from the Centers for Disease Control’s 2009-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which is a cross-sectional survey administered every two years to a sample of public- and private-school students in 9th–12th grade in the United States. Researchers from the original report aimed to use the 2009-2019 YRBS data to examine substance use among high school students, characterize the …

Examining The Experience And Impact Of Teen-To-Teen Crisis Line Work For Youth Volunteers: A Pilot Study, Taylor Kalgren

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For young people, suicide is a leading cause of death. In addition, suicidal thoughts and behaviors begin during adolescence, and rates are high during this developmental period. Crisis lines are one of the oldest suicide prevention strategies used today. Crisis line work is challenging, and therefore, examining the health and safety of these operators is critical. Teen-to-teen (t2t) crisis lines are a unique resource where adolescent volunteers help their similarity aged peers. The goal of this pilot study was to begin to evaluate the impact of t2t crisis lines for youth volunteers. Twenty youth crisis line volunteers (ages 15-20) were …

Improving Health Outcomes For Lgbtq+ Youth Through Provider Education, Marissa Simko

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background and Problem: LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults (ages 12-25 years) are known to have higher rates of physical and mental health concerns compared to heterosexual and cisgender youth. Within the LGBTQ+ youth community, rates of suicidality, substance misuse, homelessness, and STIs are higher than in the general population. LGBTQ+ youth have greater challenges accessing healthcare and higher rates of healthcare discrimination. This paper presents a quality improvement project focused on improving evidence-based practices in LGBTQ+ healthcare through the development and implementation of a LGBTQ+ youth centered educational workshop for healthcare providers.

Methods: This project was organized in …

Building Sustainable Environmental Activism Programs For Youth, Aminah Habib

Master's Projects and Capstones

As the negative impacts of climate change become more and more common across the United States, many youth are experiencing eco-anxiety or other negative mental health impacts due to the state of the environment. Engaging with activism has been named as a potential mitigator of the negative impacts of climate change among youth, but the relationship between activism and youth well-being is an emerging area of research. To explore this relationship, this scoping review explored and synthesized available literature to inform the next steps. In addition to the community-level and society-level contributions that come from youth activism, there are also …

Educational Environments And Children's Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors, Nathan R. Tokarek

Theses and Dissertations

Children and adolescents spend the majority of their day engaged in sedentary behaviors (SB), while also not meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations. The failure to develop and maintain health enhancing behaviors from a young age may impact an individual throughout their life. With children and adolescents spending a large proportion of their waking hours in a school setting, the educational environment presents an opportunity in which children and adolescents’ PA and SB can be positively influenced. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore how children and adolescent’s school time PA and SB are associated with the educational setting, …

An Association Of The Transgenerational Implications Of Redlining And Obesity On Pediatric Type Ii Diabetes, Carlin Dexter Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

s the prevalence and incidence of childhood obesity has increased, so has the number of cases of pediatric Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although made unconstitutional in 1968, the transgenerational implications of redlining can be observed in disinvestments resulting in neighborhood detraction. Utilizing the 2019–2020 National Children’s Health Survey, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between obesity, T2DM, and neighborhood detraction elements as well as assessed indicators of T2DM in non-institutionalized children 6 through17 years of age (N = 34,725). The social determinants of health perspective served as the conceptual framework for the study. Results indicated …

An Association Of The Transgenerational Implications Of Redlining And Obesity On Pediatric Type Ii Diabetes, Carlin Dexter Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

s the prevalence and incidence of childhood obesity has increased, so has the number of cases of pediatric Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although made unconstitutional in 1968, the transgenerational implications of redlining can be observed in disinvestments resulting in neighborhood detraction. Utilizing the 2019–2020 National Children’s Health Survey, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between obesity, T2DM, and neighborhood detraction elements as well as assessed indicators of T2DM in non-institutionalized children 6 through17 years of age (N = 34,725). The social determinants of health perspective served as the conceptual framework for the study. Results indicated …

School-Based E-Cigarette Education Curriculum, “Team No Vaping”: Impact On Knowledge Of E-Cigarettes, Harm Perception, And Media Literacy Among Middle/High School Students, Niran Tamrakar

Capstone Experience

E-cigarettes are the most used tobacco products among middle/high school students. Youth e-cigarette use is at an epidemic level. While school-based vaping prevention programs exist, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of such programs. To address vaping prevention among this vulnerable population, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in collaboration with the Tobacco Education & Advocacy of the Midlands (TEAM) developed and implemented a school-based e-cigarette education curriculum, “TEAM No Vaping.” This study evaluated the impact of the “TEAM No Vaping” program on increasing the knowledge, harm perception, and susceptibility to e-cigarettes, and vaping media literacy for vaping prevention …

Youth Climate Change Activism: How Activism In Youth Can Be Encouraged To Help Combat Climate Change And Reduce Youth Health Impacts, Lorely M. Ruiz

Master's Projects and Capstones

While the effects of climate change are already affecting populations throughout the world, youth will have to deal with the full array of consequences due to the inaction of people in power and environmental regulation failures. Climate change is an issue that needs to be dealt with urgently due to the disproportionate burden it has on youth and future generations. A scoping literature review was conducted to analyze existing literature on climate change activism among youth throughout the globe. Research, practice, and policy recommendations were made to help address gaps in existing literature such as limited research on youth climate …

Ask Your Doctor About: Prescribing Activism For Eco-Anxiety In Adolescents, Lexi Nutkiewicz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Climate change is an ongoing public health crisis. Efforts to protect future generations' physical and mental health are more urgent than ever. Youth, in particular, are experiencing eco-anxiety, a specific form of anxiety relating to stress or distress caused by environmental changes and one’s knowledge of them due to the climate crisis. This scoping review provides a better understanding of the value of youth climate change activism as a strategy to mitigate eco-anxiety. This review evaluates the current definitions of eco-anxiety, the risk factors for eco-anxiety among adolescents, and considers the benefits and drawbacks of youth activism. To identify relevant …

Public Health Contagion Of White Supremacy: Examining The Pipeline Of Attitudes About Racism And Racial History Education Among High School Students., Trinidad Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are living in compounded states of upheaval. Violence and exemption from it across socioecological levels have shaped how humans survive, thrive, and die. While different violence typologies exist, the U.S., prioritizes interpersonal violence as its primary target of intervention, often through structural means that foster and reinforce interpersonal violence. The omission of structural and cultural agents and outcomes of violence allows perpetrators to infiltrate and reproduce savage, dehumanizing ideologies in perpetuity. Instead of sustaining societal pillars that oppress and destroy, we must fertilize public health research, practice, and sociopolitical activism with pillars that both inform and activate liberatory consciousness …

Pre-Migration To Post-Migration – Mental Health Problems In Unaccompanied Migrant Children From The Northern Triangle Of Central America, Paola Zuniga

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background - The number of unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S. southern border has significantly increased. Each year, children are forced to flee from their native countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. These countries form the Northern Triangle region of Central America, which is recognized as “one of the most dangerous places on earth” according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Children from this region, experience significant trauma during their pre-migration, in-transit, and post-migration journey. This raises significant concerns about potential mental health problems. For this reason, access to mental health services for UMCs is …

Notice: Youth, Poc & Lgbtq+ Big Tobacco Wants You, Tucosha Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Breathe California of the Bay Area, Golden Gate, and Central Coast is a 501(c)3 non-profit that works with local communities to fight lung disease. This capstone project was developed for the Tobacco Control Program and addressed how Big Tobacco disproportionately targets youth, people of color, and LGBTQ+. Less awareness of tobacco-related issues, targeted marketing schemes, and individual susceptibility to negative health behaviors result in addiction, decreased physical/mental health, and increased negative behaviors. The project was a 45-minute educational resource video to be published on the Breathe California YouTube channel. It consists of topics about the warning signs of nicotine addiction …

Peer-Led Building Resilience And Enhancing Social-Emotional Skills Program, Danielle K. Enrico

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of the Capstone experience was to develop and implement a five-week peer-led building resilience and social-emotional skills training program at a public high school. This program addressed high school students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding resources, social-emotional skills, and resilience. A questionnaire was administered pre and post-program to measure effectiveness. The results indicated an increase in scores, demonstrating a clearer understanding in all three areas.

Health Concerns Of Adolescents And Adults With Spina Bifida, Jessica A. Starowicz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Transitional and Lifelong Care (TLC) program is a multidisciplinary clinical service providing comprehensive, coordinated care to adolescents and adults with spina bifida (SB). This study sought to identify the most common health concerns among this population at initial consultation and identify patient factors related to these concerns to ultimately improve health care delivery. A retrospective chart review was performed. Descriptive analyses were completed and associations between concerns and patient factors were determined using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients. A multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the relationship between patient factors and total number of concerns reported. Ninety-four patient charts …

Household Food Security, Lifestyle Factors, And Glycemic Control Among Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes, Lauren A. Reid

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between household food insecurity (HFI) and glycemic control, physical activity, and diet quality in youth and young adults (YYA) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Among older adults, HFI has been shown to complicate diabetes management due to the essential role of diet in diabetes management and the financial stress associated with HFI. Although HFI is more prevalent among YYA with diabetes than the general population, there are only a handful of studies that have focused on this population and, studies that include YYA with T2D …

Feasibility Of A Virtual Group Nutrition Intervention For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Acadia W. Buro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased likelihood of being overweight or developing obesity. As children and adolescents with ASD exhibit problematic eating behaviors and may consume more energy-dense foods and fewer fruits and vegetables than typically developing youth, nutrition represents a modifiable obesity risk factor for adolescents with ASD, yet there is a lack of interventions to improve healthy eating and reduce the risk of obesity in this population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a virtual implementation of BALANCE (Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition …

The Impact Of Social Media On Teenage Females Self-Esteem, Amanda C. Perkovich

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social media has become the way we connect with the world. Social networking sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and TikTok, allow users to share intimate details of their lives, upload photographs, initiate and maintain relationships, plan social gatherings, observe the lives of others and express beliefs, values and emotions. In the last ten years, numerous articles have focused on the relationship between social media use and mental health however, very few studies have concentrated on self-esteem, especially in teenage females. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the associations between increased social media activity (greater than 2 …

Sexual Identity, Gender Identity, And Risk Behaviors In The 2019 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Alexandrea Eckenrod, Alexandra Ivanciu, Emily Fleming, Avery Rasumussen, Kelsey Gleason

Master of Public Health Culminating Projects

Abstract

Title: Sexual Identity, Gender Identity, and Risk Behaviors in the 2019 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Objective

To examine the association between self-reported sexual identity, gender identity, and sexual risk behaviors in the 2019 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).

Methods

We built a multivariate binomial logistic regression models to assess the relationship among sexual identity, gender identity, and Sexual Risk Index (SRI), a novel binary summary score (low vs. high risk) of endorsed YRBS items related to sexual risk behaviors. The regression models included potential confounders and demographic variables of interest found to be statistically significant through univariate …

The Primary Care Provider’S Role In Screening And Intervening In The Human Trafficking Of Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review, Brittany Schmid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Human trafficking (HT) is a growing concern within the United States (U.S.) and internationally. With the alarming number of HT victims presenting for medical care, primary care providers (PCPs) are in a unique and privileged position to encounter HT victims within the healthcare system. Adolescents, in particular, are vulnerable to HT because of minimal life experiences, inadequate social support, and limited coping mechanisms (Ertl et al., 2020). Failure to recognize and intervene in cases involving HT victims who are minors is detrimental to the individual’s health, wellbeing, and safety. With the assistance of education and training, community resources, guideline adoption, …

Validity Parameters For Step Counting Wearable Technologies During Treadmill Walking In Young People 6-20 Years Of Age, Zachary Gould

Masters Theses

Introduction: Wearable technologies play an important contemporary role in the measurement of physical activity (PA) and promotion of human health across the lifespan, including for young people (i.e., children, adolescents, and young adults). As new objective wearable technologies continue to develop, standardized approaches to documenting validation parameters (i.e., measures of accuracy, precision, and bias) are needed to ensure confidence and comparability in step-defined PA. Purpose: To produce validity parameters for step counting wearable technologies during treadmill walking in young people 6-20 years of age Methods: 120 participants completed 5-minute treadmill bouts from13.4 to 134.1 m·min^-1. Participants wore eight …

The Youthful Pandemic, Brook Sahlemariam

Nursing | Senior Theses

This paper attempts to examine the neurological, physical, and societal effects of e-cigarette use among youth and young-adults in North America. Furthermore, the paper investigates the parallels between e-cigarette users, tobacco users, and dual users in regard to behavioral patterns, reasons for use, and age of initiation.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In The Pediatric Population, Lorna Santiago

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

The incidence and prevalence of diabetes in youth in the United States is increasing. In particular, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming more common in individuals younger than 20 years. Nurse practitioners and other primary care providers that see children should be knowledgeable about the condition and confident in participating in multidisciplinary management. Screening should begin at age 10 or at puberty, whichever comes first. Providers should screen all children who are overweight or obese or of Native American, African American, Latino, Asian American, or Pacific Islander race or ethnicity. Children of these ethnicities have a greater risk for …

The Impact Of School Nutrition Policy On Diet Quality Of Children And Youth In Canada, Victoria Gaudin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Improving diet quality is an important public policy initiative targeted to enhance population health worldwide. In this regard, school nutrition policy is an important means to promote healthy diet among children and youth. In Canada, six provinces implemented mandatory school nutrition policies at different times between 2005 and 2011. We investigated the impact of mandatory school nutrition policy on diet quality of Canadian children and youth using a quasi- experimental study design. Using 24-hour dietary recall data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 2.2 and 2015 CCHS-Nutrition, we constructed the Diet Quality Index (DQI). We used multivariable …

Identification And Management Of Adolescent Alcohol Use: Screening And Motivational Interviewing, Kelsie L. Berger

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Adolescent alcohol consumption is a serious health problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most widely used substance, and it continues to be the drug of choice for adolescents (CDC, 2018). Over 7 million adolescents and approximately 30 percent of high school students in the U.S. that admit to drinking more than a few sips of alcohol in the past 30 days (NIAAA, n.d.). Underage alcohol use can lead to many complications such as social, school, and legal problems, and when initiated early in life is associated with the development of alcohol use disorder (NIAAA, n.d.). The purpose of …

Hiv Knowledge And Behaviors Among Young People In Kenya And Lesotho, Beatrice Ochieng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has a great burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and high new HIV infection rates among youths age 15-24 years. Suboptimal practice of HIV risk-reducing sexual behaviors among youths threatens to reverse the gains made in preventing the spread of HIV in SSA. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the effects of comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, on individuals’ attitude toward people living with HIV, and ability to obtain condoms (if needed) on practice of HIV risk-reducing sexual behaviors, in adolescents age 15-19 years and young adults age 20-24 years in …

Association Between Mentoring Interventions And Drug Abuse Among African Americans Aged 10-24 Years, Anthonia Ifeyinwa Dunkwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug abuse represents a significant public health problem worldwide, with socioeconomic consequences shaped by a cluster of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomena and serious social, physical, emotional problems. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between mentoring interventions and drug abuse among African American young people. The health belief model was the theoretical framework. The secondary data analysis was done using the data set from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The dependent variable was drug abuse, while the independent variable was mentoring interventions. The Chi-square analysis revealed an association between participation in school-based …

God, I Hope This Part Of My Life Is Over: A Focused Ethnography Of A Correctional Youth Facility’S Therapeutic Climate, Eric Meyer

Theses & Dissertations

Although all prisons have the same goal of isolating offenders from society, the precise strategies used vary from one jurisdiction to the next. Some prisons use means of punishment to gain inmate compliance. Other prisons concentrate their limited resources on rehabilitation. Contained within the following pages are details of a focused ethnography that was completed in a state correctional youth facility that housed males between the ages of 15 and 21 years, all of whom were convicted of violent crimes. This study had the objective of exploring the climate of therapy in this correctional youth facility where rehabilitative programs were …

Community Programming At Worthington Parks And Recreations, Sophia Cooper

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.