Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Serving Our Students: Evidence-Based Sex Education Policies And Practices Needed In Ohio, Lily Mckenzie Rosenberg

Honors Projects

Ohio has very minimal state-wide sex education laws, requiring only venereal disease education that has many similarities with abstinence-only education. Abstinence-only education has been shown to be ineffective in delaying first sex and lowering teen STDs, pregnancy, and birth rates. When students receive ineffective (or no) sex education it can impact them in many ways, leaving them unprepared for sexual lives as adults. To analyze the state of sex education in Ohio, this paper will look at sex education throughout Ohio both in law and in practice. I will then explore the impact of these minimal sex education laws on …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Frequent And Infrequent Bullying Victimization Among School Adolescents From Five Southeast Asian Countries, Karl Peltzer, Supa Pengpid

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Little is known about the frequency of bullying victimization (BV) among adolescents in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of frequent and infrequent BV among school-going adolescents in five ASEAN member states.

Methods: The cross-sectional sample of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of 2015 comprised 33,184 school adolescents (14.6 years mean age) from five ASEAN countries. Students completed a paper-based, self-administered questionnaire on BV in their own languages during classroom periods. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict frequent and infrequent BV, with no …

Translation And Validation Of The Spanish Version Of The Quality Of Life Inventory For Adolescents (Qolie-Ad-48), Perla Michelle Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: In 1999, an instrument was developed to assess quality of life (QoL) among adolescences with epilepsy. To our knowledge there is not a validated Spanish version of this questionnaire. There is a gap in the literature about QoL and epilepsy among speaking Spanish populations. Objectives: 1) To conduct an English-Spanish translation of the QOLIE-AD-48; 2) to evaluate the reliability of the Spanish version of the QoLIE-AD-48; and 3) to assess the validity of the Spanish version of the QoLIE-AD-48. Method: Phase 1 translation: Methods followed the published work of Sousa and Rojjanasrirat (2010). Phase 2 Pilot study: the sample …

Differences In ​The Proportion Of Children Meeting Behavior Guidelines ​Between Summer ​And School By Socioeconomic Status And Race, Ethan T. Hunt, Lauren Von Klinggraeff, Alexis Jones, Sarah Burkart, Roddrick Dugger, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Michael Beets Ph.D., Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Marco Geraci, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

Objective

Children who fail to meet activity, sleep, and screen-time guidelines are at increased risk for obesity. Further, children who are Black are more likely to have obesity when compared to children who are White, and children from low-income households are at increased risk for obesity when compared to children from higher-income households. The objective of this study was to evaluate the proportion of days meeting obesogenic behavior guidelines during the school year compared to summer vacation by race and free/reduced priced lunch (FRPL) eligibility.

Methods

Mixed-effects linear and logistic regressions estimated the proportion of days participants met activity, sleep, …

Knowledge And Beliefs Of Adolescents About Acne: Baseline And Post-Intervention Assessments Using An Interactive Educational Tool, Mohammed Mehanna, May Saab

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin condition affecting teenagers around the globe. Lack of knowledge and false beliefs about acne are factors contributing to non-adherence to acne treatment that would result in treatment failure. Since acne is a highly prevalent skin condition in Lebanon, educating Lebanese adolescents about acne is vital to achieve a better treatment outcome. The aim of the present study is to assess the baseline knowledge of a sample of Lebanese adolescents using a self-administered questionnaire, and increase the level through an educational intervention (interactive audio-visual presentation). The knowledge score was assessed before and after the …

Adherence To Mediterranean Diet Among Adolescents Attending Public Schools In North Lebanon, Rosy Mitri, Fouad Ziade

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a model of a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle. Adherence to the MD has been correlated with a reduction in many metabolic disorders including cancers. The factors associated with adolescents’ adherence to the MD in North Lebanon using the KIDMED index have never been explored. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with the Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence among a sample of Lebanese adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the city of Tripoli, North Lebanon. A total of 298 students, aged 11-18 years, were randomly selected from public schools in …

Primary Care Providers’ Perceptions Of Adolescent Friendly Health Services In Relationship To Adolescent Pregnancy, Jill Marie Ensminger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent research, adolescent health continues to be a public health concern. The purpose of this qualitative research was to identify the perceptions of primary care providers regarding adolescent friendly health services and the relationship to adolescent pregnancy. The theoretical and conceptual framework used for this research included the social ecological model and the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for providing adolescent friendly health services. Using a phenomenological qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted over the telephone. Data analysis included hand coding with emerging themes and subthemes in relationship to each research question. The results of the …

Factors Associated With Electronic Cigarette Use Among Adolescents In Texas, Christie Anuli Okonkwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of electronic cigarettes among adolescents has remained a major public health concern. Reports have shown that the adolescent brain is still growing and can be affected by nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals contained in e-cigarettes. The rising trend of e-cigarette use by adolescents has reportedly reached an epidemic, and there is a knowledge gap in the factors associated with this behavior and the provision of appropriate interventions for the at-risk population. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors and the tendency of Texas adolescents to use e-cigarettes. This study was a …

How Did We Learn About Sex? —— Sex Education And Sexual Health In Chinese Youth, Yujuan Liu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Attitudes toward sexuality among Chinese youth have become more liberal in recent generations, but sex education remains controversial and limited. Due to the lack of awareness of sexual risks, many Chinese youth engage in unprotected sexual activities resulting in unintended pregnancy, abortions, and STIs. Therefore, understanding successful pathways and unique challenges are crucial to develop adequate sex education for youth’s sexual health in China. The current study used semi-structured in-depth interviews and investigated 28 Chinese youths’ experiences of sex education and sexual health. The results mapped out youth’s sex education experiences by age and sources and demonstrated the impacts of …

The Effect Of Race, Provider-Location Type, And Region On Adolescent Hpv Vaccination, Erica Sade Hunter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have been conducted on various factors and their effect on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake amongst adolescents. However, these studies typically point to communication factors and provider recommendations as having a significant effect on HPV vaccination uptake, ultimately leading to the need for more information on other factors that may increase HPV vaccination amongst adolescents. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine if race, provider-location type, and region of the United States have a statistically significant effect on HPV uptake amongst adolescents. The 2018 National Immunization Survey (NIS) was used, and 34,980 participants were included in …

Age-Of-Consent Policies And Hiv Among Adolescents In Sub-Sahara Africa, Suzanne Marie King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Age of consent policies have recently been identified as a barrier to HIV testing among adolescents in HIV endemic Sub-Sahara Africa. Grounded in the modified social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to determine if these policies were related to HIV testing rates and prevalence. In this quantitative research secondary data sets from the Demographic Health Survey were used. This study included all sexually active respondents aged 18 years or below (N=37,015) and then was further limited by respondents that had HIV test results (N=25,107). Binary logistic regression showed that respondents with lower age of consent had higher …

Experiences Of Married, First-Time Pregnant Adolescents When Seeking Care In Kano State, Yashua Alkali Hamza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kano State in Northern Nigeria has very high maternal mortality rates. Early marriage and early pregnancies between 15 to 18 years of age are two of the most significant factors in the high maternal mortality rates in Kano State. This phenomenological qualitative research study focused on young first-time mothers’ experiences of seeking care between the ages of 15 and 18. The study’s theoretical framework was the feminist theory of intersectionality. Colaizzi’s seven-step method was the means used for data analysis. This study found that young adolescent first-time pregnant women in Kano City faced significant barriers at home and in health …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Adolescents Regarding Sexuality And Reproductive Issues In The Cordillera Administrative Region Of The Philippines, Eddieson Pasay-An, Judith Odanee G. Magwilang, Petelyne P. Pangket

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning reproductive health (RH) and sexuality among in- and out-of-school adolescents in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines.

Methods: Using a quantitative, cross-sectional approach, this study examined 739 in- and out-of-school adolescents who were recruited through snowball and simple random sampling.

Results: Statistically significant differences were noted in the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sexuality based on age. Age was associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning RH. Educational attainment toward sexuality also caused statistically significant changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The KAP regarding sexuality and …

Differences In Adolescent Activity And Dietary Behaviors Across Home, School, And Other Locations Warrant Location-Specific Intervention Approaches., Adrian Ortega, Carolina M. Bejarano, Christopher C. Cushing, Vincent S. Staggs, Amy Papa, Chelsea Steel, Robin P. Shook, Debra K. Sullivan, Sarah C. Couch, Terry L. Conway, Brian E. Saelens, Karen Glanz, Lawrence D. Frank, Kelli L. Cain, Jacqueline Kerr, Jasper Schipperijn, James F Sallis, Jordan A. Carlson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Investigation of physical activity and dietary behaviors across locations can inform "setting-specific" health behavior interventions and improve understanding of contextual vulnerabilities to poor health. This study examined how physical activity, sedentary time, and dietary behaviors differed across home, school, and other locations in young adolescents.

METHODS: Participants were adolescents aged 12-16 years from the Baltimore-Washington, DC and the Seattle areas from a larger cross-sectional study. Participants (n = 472) wore an accelerometer and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) tracker (Mean days = 5.12, SD = 1.62) to collect location-based physical activity and sedentary data. Participants (n = 789) completed 24-h …

Parental Impact On Child Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In Appalachian North Carolina, Allison V. Farrell, Richard W. Christiana, Rebecca A. Battista, J. Joy James

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Physical activity has positive health benefits across the lifespan including reduced rates of chronic disease. Despite having ample availability of outdoor space for physical activity in the Appalachian Mountain region, there are low rates of physical activity along with high rates of sedentary time and increased prevalence of overweight individuals across all age groups. Therefore, there is a need to understand the factors that influence family’s physical activity and sedentary time.

Purpose: To assess whether parental attitudes and behaviors influence children’s physical activity and sedentary time.

Methods: The current study was a secondary analysis of the baseline data from …

School Health Education Program In Pakistan (Shepp)-A Threefold Health Education Feasibility Trial In Schoolchildren From A Lower-Middle-Income Country, Aysha Almas, Romaina Iqbal, Sania Sabir, Abdul Ghani, Khawar Kazmi

Department of Medicine

Background: The school environment plays an essential role in promoting health education and physical activity for children and adolescence, and they are more likely to adapt it into their adulthood. School health education program has been endorsed and emphasized by the World Health Organization has not been implemented in true spirit in Pakistan yet. We aim to test feasibility of threefold health education program in children and its potential efficacy on physical activity and diet and cardiometabolic risk factors by including BP, BMI, and waist circumference.
Methods: It is a parallel-group feasibility intervention trial. It is being conducted in two …

Unplugging: An Evidence-Based Project To Reduce Screen Time And Improve Healthy Media Use In The Adolescent Population, Erica Persichetti

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background:Excessive media use is an emerging health concern amongst the pediatric population. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends less than 2 hours per day of recreational screen time, yet the national average is between 7 to 9 hours per day for adolescents. A media-saturated lifestyle has consequences on a child’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Despite guidelines stating media use should be assessed at annual well-visits, only 16% of providers are following this recommendation. This gap in care leaves many families with a limited understanding of the impact of media on their child's health and represents a …

Mental Health Screening For Low Income Adolescents: An Evidence-Based Project, Allison Bryden

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

TITLE: Mental Health Screening For Low-Income Adolescents

BACKGROUND: Nearly 80% of adolescents in the United States will suffer from a mental illness and not receive evaluation or services. Children from low socio-economic backgrounds have an increased risk of mental health disorders which permeate into adulthood, leading to additional negative sequel and lower quality of life. Among adolescent mental health conditions, depression and anxiety are the most common. Literature has suggested provider intuition alone has low sensitivity and specificity for detecting mental illness and that screening tools are indicated.

PURPOSE: The aim of this project is to implement standardized routine …

Student Wellbeing And Open Studio Process In The School Curriculum, Maria Kim

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study aimed to explore whether Open Studio Process (OSP) increased wellbeing of middle and high school students when facilitated by teachers as a part of the regular art curriculum. It was hypothesized that OSP might increase the sense of wellbeing among middle and high school students as well as facilitating teachers. The research was conducted as a mixed methods study in South Korea where students need preventative interventions for their wellbeing. The researcher trained eight teachers to facilitate OSP and five of them implemented it with their classes for seven sessions. Quantitative data (K-YSR; pre- and posttest) were collected …

Vitamin D Levels In Relation To Low Back Pain During Adolescence, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Abdur Rahman, Lemia Shaban, Anwar H. Albaloul, Sean Banaee, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study aimed to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and low back pain (LBP) among adolescents while adjusting for potential confounders pertinent to this age group including the weight of school bags, BMI and physical activity. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 randomly selected adolescents in middle schools. Data on LBP and the risk factors for LBP were collected from parents by a self-administered questionnaire and from adolescents by face-to-face interview. Blood samples were tested in an accredited laboratory; and 25(OH)D was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem MS. The lifetime prevalence and the 6-month prevalence of LBP …

Search For The Cause Of Vaping Associated Lung Injury In Adolescents, Alexandra E. Krueger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In August 2019 an unexplained, exponential rise in severe respiratory illnesses in previously healthy young adults, swept across America catching the attention of medical providers. Hospital admissions for lung injury increased 10-fold over two months’ time leaving practitioners scrambling for answers. All affected patients were found to have used e-cigarettes prior to symptoms and endorsed using nicotine and marijuana vape pens. The medical community quickly began to search for the cause of these vaping associated lung injuries. Understanding the mechanism of injury is important in order to assist in educating the public about the risks associated with e-cigarettes. The aim …

Social Determinants Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among Hiv+ Youth, Wanza Rochelle Bacon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young adults, especially African American men who have sex with men (MSM) have the lowest rates of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among all age groups; however, they experience greater than 50% of all new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections among individuals 13 to 24 years of age. Despite the availability of ART, young MSM continue to experience suboptimal rates of adherence and are one of the most vulnerable populations for contracting HIV. Grounded in the social cognitive theory, my aim for this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between diverse social determinants and ART adherence among young adult …

The Role Of Self-Mutilation Behaviors Among Adolescents Who Are Depressed, Patricia Wilkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents who are depressed may self-injure themselves. Common methods for non-suicidal self-injury are cutting and burning the skin of one’s own body. Multiple confounding factors of age, gender, race and socio-economic status could lead one to engage in intentional or unintentional self-mutilation acts. The current body of literature on adolescent mental health demonstrates limited understanding of how racial and ethnic identity factors contributes to depression, self-injurious behavior, and suicide. This quantitative study determined if there was a relationship between depression and prevalence of adolescent self-mutilation. The social ecological theory was used to study the intersection of social determinants of depression …

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 …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Family Structure And Type 2 Diabetes Among Adolescents, Danny Lee Self

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has increased among the adolescent population in the United States within the past 30 years. While the increase in T2D is linked to obesity and a lack of physical activity, it lacks contextual analysis within the structure of the non-traditional family unit. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine family structure and prevalence of T2D among adolescents. Krieger’s ecosocial theory guided the study. The research questions were designed to investigate whether family structure directly impacts T2D prevalence or indirectly through socioeconomic status. The research design was quantitative with cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. The …

Obesity And Overweightness Among African-American Adolescent Population And Health-Related Quality Of Life, Emmanuel Anene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity and overweightness are a significant public health problem and a risk factor for many chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to find the associations between gender, race, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among obese and overweight African American adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. An improved understanding of the health issues could help this population live a longer quality life and prevent serious health implications in adulthood. A quantitative approach with a sample size of 331 was used. The control variables were age and household income, the dependent variable was HRQOL, and the independent …

Sex Differences In Becoming A Current Electronic Cigarette User, Current Smoker And Current Dual User Of Both Products: A Longitudinal Study Among Mexican Adolescents, Rosibel Rodríguez-Bolaños, Edna Arillo-Santillán, Inti Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Luis Zavala-Arciniega, Charity A. Ntansah, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to assess sex differences in predictors for becoming a current exclusive electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) user, current exclusive smoker, or current dual user (concurrent smoking and e-cigarette use). This longitudinal study included 2399 females and 2177 males who had tried neither cigarettes nor e-cigarettes at baseline and attended 57 middle schools in the three largest cities in Mexico. We estimated multinomial logistic models stratified by sex. At follow-up, the prevalence of current exclusive e-cigarette use was 6.4% for males and 5.5% for females; current exclusive smoking was similar among males (3.6%) and females (3.5%); dual use was 2.4% …

The Effects Of Wearable Fitness Devices On Pediatric Obesity: An Integrative Literature Review, Kevin Sabina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Childhood obesity is a foremost concern throughout the health care community. Approximately 17.6% of the pediatric population meet the criteria for obesity, which can lead to health disparities later in life, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Emerging mobile and wearable lifestyle tracking devices can be a viable solution to the challenging problem of childhood obesity through behavior changes, feasibility, and adherence. The purpose of this literature review was to determine the effect that mobile and wearable activity tracking devices have on the obese pediatric population. A centralized review of the literature was conducted using various …

Investigating A Potential Relationship Between Sibling Gender Composition And Health Behavior Indicators In Young Adult And Adolescent Males, Taylor N. Goss

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The presence of siblings during childhood and adolescence has a significant impact on the behaviors and perceptions of adults later in life. Effects of mixed-gendered sibling dyads on delinquent behavior, gender typing, and romantic and sexual relationships are of interest. These behaviors can lead to notable health disparities, making it imperative to gain insight into factors associated with such behaviors in young adult and adolescent males. This project explored possible correlations between gender composition of siblings and health behavior indicators for violence, competition and risk, and sexual and romantic relationships. Analysis of these variables was performed using data from the …

Barriers To Oral Care Among African American Adolescents In Prince George's County, Maryland, Nkiruka Soribe Mcginnis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When adolescents forgo oral health treatment, factors that hinder them from obtaining these services put them at risk of detrimental consequences in their oral and overall health. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify the various barriers that adolescents encounter causing them to defer oral treatment. Through this study, public health officials, school health care providers, the state, and parents could be made aware of these factors and work together to implement programs and supplemental aid to help adolescents become more knowledgeable of the importance of oral care and encourage them to desire and seek treatment. The …