Women's Health Commons^™

“You Do It Without Their Knowledge”: Is Nonconsensual Comdom Removal The New Public Health Emergency?, Marwa Awad Mohamed

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Sexual consent is often defined as the voluntary agreement to participate in a sexual act, though the differing definitions across and within countries make legal consensus difficult. In recent years, due to popularization through social media, nonconsensual condom removal, termed stealthing, is becoming common, especially among young adults. Yet, little to no empirical evidence exists on this sexual behavior.

Methods: In this exploratory sequential mixed methods approach, we aimed to address the current perception of stealthing among young adults. College students were recruited from general education courses at a medium-sized four- year public university. Focus groups were conducted to …

Determinants Of Severe Maternal Morbidity And Its Racial/Ethnic Disparities In New York City, 2008–2012, Renata E. Howland, Meghan Angley, Sang Hee Won, Wendy Wilcox, Hannah Searing, Sze Yan Liu, Emily White Johansson

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is an important indicator for identifying and monitoring efforts to improve maternal health. Studies have identified independent risk factors, including race/ethnicity; however, there has been limited investigation of the modifying effect of socioeconomic factors. The study aims were to quantify SMM risk factors and to determine if socioeconomic status modifies the effect of race/ethnicity on SMM risk. Methods We used 2008–2012 NYC birth certificates matched with hospital discharge records for maternal deliveries. SMM was defined using an algorithm developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mixed-effects logistic regression models estimated SMM risk by …

Syndemics Of Severity And Frequency Of Elder Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Study In Mexican Older Females, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Elder abuse is a common phenomenon with important effects on the health and well-being of older adults. There are important gaps in elder abuse measurement, as it is usually reported as the absence or presence of elder abuse, disregarding its severity and frequency.

Objectives: Identify different ways of measuring severity and frequency of elder abuse and assess whether different experiences of severity and frequency suggest syndemic relationships.

Methods: Through a sample of 534 non-institutionalized Mexican older women, we assessed how severity (i.e., number of abusive experiences and number of types of abuses) and frequency (i.e., if abusive experiences had …

Racial Disparity Among Women Diagnosed With Invasive Breast Cancer In A Large Integrated Health System, Maharaj Singh, Santhi D. Konduri, George C. Bobustuc, Amin B. Kassam, Richard A. Rovin

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Reasons for the well-described disparity in outcomes between African American (AA) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women with invasive breast cancer are unclear, making it difficult to identify solutions. This study examined the effects of demographics, biomarkers, tumor characteristics, cancer stage, morphology, and treatment variables on overall and cancer-free survival in these patient populations.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data for 6231 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer throughout an integrated health system from January 2006 through March 2015. Included for analysis were 5023 NHW and 413 AA women. All category and continuous variables in the study were described in the …

Hiv Mortality Difference Between Black And White Women, Carlos O. Nesbeth, Rajiv Kandala, Syed Najeeb, Ruksana Nazneen, Banglore Murthy

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

OBJECTIVE

In the United States, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be among the top 10 leading causes of mortality for black women between the ages of 20 and 54¹, but does not rank among the top 10 leading causes of death for white women amongst all age groups^². This study describes the HIV mortality difference between black and white women and formulate hypotheses that may reduce or eliminate disparities.

METHODS

Information was accessed through public data, the US Census, and the US Compressed Mortality File.

RESULTS

In these descriptive data from 1987 through 2015, including reliable HIV …

Sans-Papiers, Sans-Santé: A Study Of Undocumented Migrant Women’S Access To Reproductive And Obstetric Health Care In Switzerland, Sarah Kinch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, Switzerland has seen increasing numbers of foreign-born residents, making it one of the many countries affected by the European Migrant Crisis. Of these newly-settled migrants, many live in the country illegally, otherwise known as undocumented migrants or “Sans-Papiers.” While Switzerland grants its Sans-Papiers population a right to health, thus making medical insurance and care legal for the undocumented community, many still see increased adverse health outcomes among the population. As more than half of the Sans-Papiers living in Switzerland are female, women are therefore increasingly at risk for worse reproductive and obstetric health. This study sought to …

Infant Mortality And Maternal Health In Hartford, Ct, Chelsea Armistead

Senior Theses and Projects

Infant mortality is the death of an infant within the first year of life. These deaths are measured annually as a rate per every 1,000 live births and is a key indicator about maternal and infant health in a society (CDC, 2018). The United States infant mortality rate is very high when compared to other equally wealthy nations. Black infants die at a much higher rate than other racial groups, including in Connecticut. The city of Hartford's Department of Health and Human Services has plans to reduce infant mortality by providing quality prenatal and postpartum care programs and services. In …

Three Essays On Maternal And Child Health, Mandar V. Bodas

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of three separate essays on the health of women and children. In the first essay, I along with my co-authors, analyzed the impact of two large, national-level health policies (the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)) on maternal health outcomes (proportion of institutional deliveries) in India. We used data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) and found that the JSY and the NRHM had a greater impact on institutional deliveries in high-focus states. We also found that the conditions of the public health facilities, did not change after the …

Paying It Forward: Training Doulas As A Form Of Reintegration And Support For Communities Of Color, Sandra E. Luna-Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

As part of the birth justice movement in Alameda County, Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC) is committed to support, empower and care for birthing members of the community. RLBC works to empower people of color with education and tools to have healthy babies and positive birth experiences regardless of their: gender, size, sexuality, orientation, culture or family structure. Healthy families begin with healthy communities and with that in mind, RLBC decided to tackle two major public health issues at once: recidivism and poor birth outcomes in communities of color. Doula training is not just an intervention to improve birth …

Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Appalachian Spouses Of Combat Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Janice E. Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to identify gaps in existing knowledge regarding impacts of combat-related PTSD on the spouse and to gain an understanding of the lived experience of Appalachian Spouses of combat veterans with PTSD. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify research and findings on the impacts of combat-related PTSD on spouses of veterans and a qualitative study was conducted to gain an understanding of the lives of Appalachian spouses of combat veterans with PTSD.

The systematic review identified 16 qualitative studies conducted between 1988 and 2016 in five countries spanning five wars. Regardless of the country of …

Resilience Of Romanian Institutions During The Global Gag Rule: 20012007, Sara Hayet

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There is a wealth of literature about the negative effects of the executive order called the Global Gag Rule, officially known as the Mexico City Policy, and its various manifestations. Despite this, there is a gap in the research about how institutions in affected countries respond to the Global Gag Rule’s family planning restrictions. This qualitative study seeks to provide some insight into how Romanian institutions responded during President George W. Bush’s reinstatement of the policy by using a model of social resilience. Through a literature review of three subjects (social resilience, the Global Gag Rule, and Romania’s family planning …

Challenges And Successes Of Adolescent Reproductive Healthcare And Education In Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil, Elana Margosis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this project, I discuss the impact of social, medical, and political factors on the reproductive healthcare of adolescents in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. I collected qualitative data through formal interviews with public health professionals in the Sistema Única de Saúde (SUS), the Brazilian public health system, and through observations of clinic and home visits. Due to ethical concerns, I did not conduct formal interviews with the patients, were not of legal age. I focused on prevention of pregnancy and STI transmission of adolescents as metrics with which to measure sexual health. I gathered information with the intention to understand SUS’ …

Maternity Care: A Case Study At Centro De Parto Normal, Kemi Oladipo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

An overwhelming percentage of Brazil’s population has caesarean births (C-sections), and during pregnancies many women endure violations of their rights such as mental and physical abuse. The main objective of my community study project (CSP) is to learn more about normal childbirth through fieldwork at Centro de Parto Normal (CPN). The goal is to understand how CPN’s approach and principles create a better birthing experience with quality maternity care. My second objective is to learn how CPN mitigate issues with accessibility to health facilities, especially in Brown and Black locations. A general goal is to share my acquired knowledge and …

It Takes An Instigator, Vision And Passion, Promoting Health In Haiti: Developing A Partnership Between An Impoverished Nation And An Ngo To Develop Advanced Practice Nursing Education, A Case Study, Carol Roye Edd, Rn, Andrea Sonenberg Phd, Whnp, Cnm-Bc

Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Four nurse educators went to Haiti after the 2012 earthquake to help rebuild the School of Nursing in Port-au-Prince. They were alarmed by the low level of health care in Haiti. Most people have no care, and those that do are treated by nurses who are not trained to do so. This article details the steps the nurses went through to start a family nurse practitioner program in Haiti to address the need for primary care and discusses how they created the partnerships necessary to start such an innovative program at the University of Haiti.

Poison In Pink, Sydney V. Cook

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Humans slather, spray, mist, and cleanse their bodies with personal care products like lotion, hairspray, cologne, and shampoo every day. Our cupboards are stocked full of them, but few of us understand what is in those jars and bottles. We trust that if it’s on the shelf at the store, it’s safe. However, this is not always the case, and many personal care products contain chemicals that are harmful to human and environmental health.

My multi-disciplinary Environmental Studies thesis project combines evidenced-based research, interviews, nonfiction narrative, and science communication to create part of a book manuscript intended to educate general …

The Effects Of The Yes You Can! Curriculum On The Sexual Knowledge And Intent Of Middle School Students, Joseph Donnelly, Robert Horn, Michael Young, Andrada E. Ivanescu

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the “Yes You Can!” (YYC) curriculum on sexual knowledge and behavioral intent of program participants.

METHODS

Participants included students ages 10‐14 from schools in a northeast US urban area. Yes You Can! program lessons were designed to support healthy relationships. The curriculum was taught by trained instructors. The testing instrument was a 30‐item questionnaire, which included sexual knowledge and intent items. Students completed the questionnaire before program implementation, immediately following intervention, and a third time at follow‐up. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. …

Intersecting Positions Of Social Disadvantage And Self-Reported Health Status Disparities, Carla S. Alvarado, Chunhuei Chi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Health disparities along the gender, race and class are particularly important to monitor and study given the predicted differential distribution of health along these social identities. Intersectionality is a theoretical framework that allows public health and health disparities researchers to account for the simultaneous, mutually constitutive, reinforcing and multidimensional effects of gender, class, and race with the aim to better understand health disparities. Disparities along gender, race and class have been noted in self-reported health status (SRHS) which has been shown to be a strong predictive factor of mortality, morbidity and mental health independent of other physiologic, behavioral and psychosocial …

Creating A Community Of Practice To Prevent Suicide Through Multiple Channels: Describing The Theoretical Foundations And Structured Learning Of Pc Cares, Lisa Wexler, Diane Mceachern, Gloria Difulvio, Cristine Smith, Louis F. Graham, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is critical to develop practical, effective, ecological, and decolonizing approaches to indigenous suicide prevention and health promotion for the North American communities. The youth suicide rates in predominantly indigenous small, rural, and remote Northern communities are unacceptably high. This health disparity, however, is fairly recent, occurring over the last 50 to 100 years as communities experienced forced social, economic, and political change and intergenerational trauma. These conditions increase suicide risk and can reduce people’s access to shared protective factors and processes. In this context, it is imperative that suicide prevention includes—at its heart— decolonization, while also utilizing the “best …

Acute Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration On Lower Extremity Muscle Performance In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Kurt Jackson, Harold Merriman, Paul Vanderburgh, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler

Background and Purpose: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relatively new form of exercise training that may influence muscle performance. This study investigated the acute effects of high (26 Hz) and low (2 Hz) frequency WBV on isometric muscle torque of the quadriceps and hamstrings in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Participants and Method: Fifteen individuals (mean age = 54.6 years, SD = 9.6) with MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 0-6.5 (mean = 4.2, SD = 2.3) participated in this randomized cross-over study. Following baseline measures of isometric quadricep and hamstring torque, subjects were exposed to …

Gender Differences In Motivation To Resolve Eating And Body Image Concerns In College Students, Harold Merriman, C. Brahler, Laura Dinan, Lauren Finzer

C. Jayne Brahler

The objective of this study was to identify similarities and differences between college women and men with respect to their eating and body image concerns, weight fluctuation and level of motivation to resolve these concerns. 101 University of Dayton students participated in this study. Students completed an eating and body concern survey online.

Body image concerns were significantly greater for females compared to males (p=0.007) and significantly greater as motivation level to resolve the concerns increased (p=0.019). Eating concerns followed the same trends but did not reach statistical significance. Weight fluctuation in both genders increased significantly as motivation level increased …

Numerous Test Items In The Complete And Short Forms Of The Bot-2 Do Not Contribute Substantially To Motor Performance Assessments In Typically Developing Children Six To Ten Years Old, C. Brahler, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Sara Mrowzinski, Susan Aebker, Megan Kreill

C. Jayne Brahler

The purposes of the current study were (1) to determine the magnitude of association between individual subtest items and the respective total subtest scores on the four subtests in the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2) and (2) to review items on the BOT-2 Short Form. The correlation coefficients (r) between ranged from .865 to .071. Several items suffered from a ceiling effect, and four of the eight items on the Short Form for these four subtests had very low associations with their subtest total score. These results raise several issues with the BOT-2 that warrant further investigation.

In Search Of Safety, Negotiating Everyday Forms Of Risk: Sex Work, Criminalization, And Hiv/Aids In The Slums Of Kampala, Serena Cruz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers an in-depth descriptive account of how women manage daily risks associated with sex work, criminalization, and HIV/AIDS. Primary data collection took place within two slums in Kampala, Uganda over the course of fourteen months. The emphasis was on ethnographic methodologies involving participant observation and informal and unstructured interviewing. Insights then informed document analysis of international and national policies concerning HIV prevention and treatment strategies in the context of Uganda. The dissertation finds social networks and social capital provide the basis for community formation in the sex trade. It holds that these interpersonal processes are necessary components for …

Know Your Value: Negotiation Skill Development For Junior Investigators In The Academic Environment—A Report From The American Society Of Preventive Oncology's Junior Members Interest Group, Allison B. Burton-Chase, Maria C. Swartz, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Karen Basen-Engquist, Faith E. Fletcher, Peter G. Shields

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) is a professional society for multidisciplinary investigators in cancer prevention and control. One of the aims of ASPO is to enable investigators at all levels to create new opportunities and maximize their success. One strategy adopted by ASPO was to develop the Junior Members Interest Group in 1999. The Interest Group membership includes predoctoral fellows, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members who are provided career development and training opportunities (1). Responsibilities of the members of the Junior Members Interest Group include serving on the ASPO Executive Committee and the Program Planning …

Is Race A Factor In Disparate Health Problems Associated With Violence Against Women?, Gabriel M. Garcia, Marny Rivera

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Research studies examining the health correlates of violence against women have consistently demonstrated associations between violence and poor health outcomes, but have not examined a disparate impact on racial minorities. Alaska Victimization Survey data (2010) was used to examine whether a disparate relationship between victimization and health problems exists for minority women relative to White women. The Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) is a cross-sectional survey designed to provide baseline estimates of intimate partner and sexual violence for Alaskan women. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of experiencing various health problems given race and exposure to violence status while …

Family Preservation And Healthy Outcomes For Pregnant And Parenting Teens In Foster Care: The Inwood House Theory Of Change, Lisa D. Lieberman, Linda Lausell Bryant, Keneca Boyce

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Teens in foster care give birth at more than twice the rate of other teens in the United States. Significant challenges exist for these most vulnerable teens and their babies. To preserve teens’ families, programs and services need to be able to improve teens’ prospects for parenting success, delay subsequent pregnancies, and reduce intergenerational placement in care. The Inwood House theory of change for pregnant and parenting teens is a roadmap for providing the range and types of services that have the potential to improve outcomes for these most vulnerable families. The theory of change builds on insights and data …

Coronary Heart Disease Prevention With A Focus On Diet Modifications In Female College Students At A Local Community College, Traci N. Spitzmiller

Master of Science in Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Projects

In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women. The most common and deadly form of cardiovascular disease is coronary heart disease (CHD). Many coronary heart preventive education awareness programs focus on the adult women population (40 years old >). By that time, many previous lifestyle choices such as poor dietary choices have contributed to the development of risk factors for developing CHD. Young college women (18-24 years old) have the ability to implement healthy diet choices, which in turn will help to decrease their risk for CHD development. Sinclair Community College is located …

Human Papillomavirus And The Gardasil Vaccine: Medicalization And The Gendering Of Bodies And Bodily Risk, Lauren Camara

The Partisan

No abstract provided.

A Community Conversation On Adolescent Pregnancy And Parenting Services: Networks Of Support, Gatekeepers To Care, And Non-Compulsory Fathering In A Black Urban Community, Tamara Leech, Elizabeth A. Adams, Marci Littlefield

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study employed Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods to document needs and capacity around adolescent pregnancy and parenting in one predominately Black, low-income urban community. Using an iterative focus group method, we engaged 60 participants in a two-day community conversation. Quantitative data from an enrollment questionnaire and qualitative transcripts of the discussions are analyzed. Our results indicate that the community’s greatest capacity lies in a network of women. Men tend to participate in parenting more holistically once formal paternity is established. Neighborhood women typically introduce adolescents to prenatal care, so delays in revealing the pregnancy to them serve as a …

Diversity In Times Of Austerity: Documenting Resistance In The Academy, Tamara Leech, David Moscowitz, Terri Jett, Terri Carney, Ann Savage

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

What happens to feminism in the university is parallel to what happens to feminism in other venues under economic restructuring: while the impoverished nation is forced to cut social services and thereby send women back to the hierarchy of the family, the academy likewise reduces its footprint in interdisciplinary structures and contains academic feminists back to the hierarchy of departments and disciplines. When the family and the department become powerful arbiters of cultural values, women and feminist academics by and large suffer: they either accept a diminished role or are pushed to compete in a system they recognize as antithetical …

Sexuality Information Needs Of Latino And African American Ninth Graders: A Content Analysis Of Anonymous Questions, Francisca Angulo-Olaiz, Eva Goldfarb, Norman A. Constantine

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study used qualitative content analysis to examine anonymous questions about sex and sexuality submitted by Latino and African American adolescents in Los Angeles, California, classrooms. The majority of questions asked about sexuality and sexual behavior, or anatomy and physiology, with fewer questions about pregnancy and pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and condoms. Overall, a notable mix was found of questions implying exposure to or awareness of a wide range of sexual activities, together with questions demonstrating fundamental misunderstandings or confusion about some of the most basic aspects of sex and sexuality. Gender differences emerged across topics, subtopics, and question …