Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Student Perception Of Covid-19 Mitigation Strategies And Correlation To Demographics At The University Of Mississippi, Anna Couhig

Honors Theses

COVID-19 caused an unprecedented dilemma for universities, the best method of continuing education during a pandemic. Different mitigation strategies were developed as higher education institutions transitioned back to in-person learning, and the effectiveness of these strategies depended largely on adherence by college students. COVID-19 remains a vastly unexplored research topic, and college students’ approval of mitigation strategies is largely untouched. This research answers the question: “Are University of Mississippi student perceptions of COVID-19 mitigation strategies correlated to demographics?” Through a mixed-methods survey that was sent to a random sample of full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Mississippi, …

Barriers To Breastfeeding For Mothers In The Mississippi Women, Infants, And Children Program: Insights Of Peer Counselors, Grace Louise Dragna

Honors Theses

Breastfeeding has been recognized by numerous public health organizations as the optimal feeding practice for infant growth and development, yet the state of Mississippi has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the nation. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in Mississippi offers breastfeeding resources to low-income women throughout the state. Mothers enrolled in WIC can receive peer counseling services from women in their community who have personal experience with breastfeeding. This study serves to identify WIC peer counselors’ perceptions of factors influencing Mississippi WIC participants’ decisions to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. I interviewed …

Civil Commitment: An Assessment Of The Alcohol And Drug Statute In Mississippi, Elizabeth Foley

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the alcohol and drug commitment statute in Mississippi. Substance use disorder has impacted millions of people around the world, including within the U.S. Civil commitment is one of the many policies aimed at helping those with substance use disorder; however, it is highly debated and under researched. This thesis looks specifically at the alcohol and drug commitment statute in Mississippi, interviewing legal and medical professionals who are responsible for implementation of this statute. The findings of this thesis include a lack of uniformity in the implementation of the statute and several areas where procedures can and ought …

The Effect Of Rhetoric On Progressive Health Care Reform Policies’ Public Perception, Megan Geher

Honors Theses

Health care is one of the most contentious issues in United States politics today, and there are a variety of reform plans on the table. In order for these reform plans to be politically feasible, it is fundamental that the rhetorical framing strategies utilized are done so with caution. In this paper, I seek to understand to what extent rhetorical framing plays a role in how Americans perceive progressive health care reform plans. While there are many factors that go into public support of policies, rhetoric is one factor that cannot be ignored, as it has shown to have significant …

Community Interventions To The Food Insecurity Crisis Inuit Currently Face In Nunangat, Alyssia R. Getschow

Honors Theses

Inuit living in Nunangat, a northern territory in Canada, are facing unprecedented rates of food insecurity. The increasing impacts of anthropogenic climate change are rapidly changing the Arctic landscape in Nunangat, posing challenges to Inuit hunters who hunt and live completely self-sufficient off of the land. This lack of access to country foods and the impacts these conditions are having on Inuit communities are forcing Inuit to consider aid propositions from the Canadian government. Due to a long history of conflict with white settlers during the colonization of Canada, there is a feeling of distrust and cultural distaste between Canada …

Female Infertility In The United States And India: An Analysis Of Treatment Barriers And Coping Strategies, Devneet Singh

Honors Theses

This research studies barriers to accessing fertility treatment in the United States (U.S.) and India, as well as the coping strategies infertile women use. Barriers include reproductive health knowledge, cost, and politics, while coping is affected by cultural stigma, family, and religion. These two countries were chosen for their different cultural contexts, healthcare systems, and political infrastructure. Ten fertility specialists across both countries were interviewed as expert informants. Reproductive health knowledge was the most important barrier to accessing care in both countries, with similar gaps in understanding when and what type of care to utilize, though social media can educate …

Small-Family Mindset: An Analysis Of The Impact Of China's Family Planning Policies On Family Culture, Sarah Ansley Croft

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of China’s family planning policies on women’s attitudes towards family culture and the implications on China today. The family planning policies began in the 1970s as an emergency measure intended to create a short-term voluntary small-family culture by decreasing fertility rates. My research, comprised primarily of primary and secondary qualitative sources, discusses the development and implementation of the policies, the economic reforms beginning in the 1980s, and their joint effects on fertility rates, sex ratio at birth, women’s liberation, and changes in family culture, particularly in rural areas. This study found that the family planning …

Increasing Mississippi’S Hpv Vaccination Rate: A Proposal Based On Providers’ Insights, Madison N. Thornton

Honors Theses

Despite high childhood vaccination rates for required vaccinations for kindergarten, including the MMR vaccine, Mississippi has the lowest HPV vaccination rate in the nation. This is so even though the HPV vaccine can prevent multiple cancers, including cervical cancer, of which Mississippi has the nation’s highest mortality rate. This study seeks to understand the factors surrounding Mississippi’s low HPV vaccination rate as well as potential policy solutions to increase this rate. To accomplish this, the author conducted interviews with 13 Mississippi physicians in various specialties to gather qualitative data. As a result of these interviews, the author found that the …

Marketing To Food Insecure College Students: An Investigation Into The University Of Mississippi’S Food Pantry, Dandridge Parks

Honors Theses

College students are documented to suffer food insecurity at a high rate, and student-run food pantries have aimed to alleviate some of this burden. However, these pantries operate inefficiently and struggle to adequately meet student needs. In particular, many students are unaware of the pantry or have barriers to use. Research has found that only 14% of food insecure college students use their campus food pantries. The objective of the following work is to improve future marketing for campus run food pantries, with a specific focus on the University of Mississippi’s pantry.

In the last year, the University of Mississippi’s …

Measuring Food Consumption Within A Foodrx Program, Katie Howell

Honors Theses

This pilot study set out to assess food consumption measures within the Charleston FoodRx program. Assessments made through this investigation aim to improve the Charleston program as well as provide suggestions for future programs. Charleston FoodRx provides enrolled households with fruits and vegetables in a supply intended to last for two weeks. These goals combine social and pharmaceutical science, by addressing barriers in food environment and insecurity, nutritional health, and preventative treatment. Though the idea behind FoodRx has existed prior to recent pilot programs, research behind FoodRx and its possible integration within the healthcare system lack published and replicable research …

There Must Be Something In The Water: A Comparative Study Of Ground Water Contamination In The U.S.A. And Canada, Kathleen Spooner

Honors Theses

The regions of Nova Scotia and New Hampshire are naturally susceptible to arsenic water contamination due to their geological makeup. These locations are relatively rural, with many of their citizens reporting low incomes and lacking education, the majority of which are unaware of the risk of arsenic poisoning. There is also a high dependency on private wells which are not regulated in terms of water quality under federal law in both countries. Arsenic water pollution is undetectable as it is both odorless and tasteless and potentially very dangerous, and therefore water testing must be performed on wells, which is currently …

Universal Healthcare: Solution Or Delusion? Comparing Medicare For All, Public Option, And Business-As-Usual Models Among U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidates, Elizabeth Pinchman

Honors Theses

How much longer can the United States remain the only developed country without universal health insurance? While the U.S. leads the world in healthcare costs per capita, it trails behind in access and quality measures. Many Americans live in fear of medical bankruptcy, especially the twenty-six million people who remain uninsured. The Democratic presidential candidates vying for the nomination in 2020 have released plans to resolve these problems and bring the nation closer to universal coverage.

Through the analysis of proposed actions, plan feasibility, and expected impact, the candidates’ suggestions have been evaluated within the context of the United States. …

Examining The Institution Of Public Health: The Case Of The James C. Kennedy Wellness Center, Hannah Hoang

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to function as an analysis of the James C. Kennedy Center and the impact capacity the Center has on community health and wellness in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. Poor health is a global problem that is especially prominent in Tallahatchie County which ranked 81st out of 82 Mississippi counties in 2012. This thesis used institutional theory to explain the relationship between the Center and public health. Through interviews and data analysis, a broad evaluation was performed on the Center’s programs and community impact. Results showed that the Kennedy Center has made a large impact in improving the health …

Mental Disorders As Brain Disorders: The Impact On Stigma Of Neuroscience-Based Mental Health Education, Katherine Tighe

Honors Theses

Stigmatization of mental illness is undoubtedly detrimental to those with mental health concerns as it limits employment, self-esteem and social support (Markowitz, 1998). In effort to combat the issue of stigma, previous research has evaluated the effectiveness of education as a method to reduce stigma in a college sample; finding that peer-led presentations are effective in reducing stigma (Kosyluk et al., 2016). The current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of neuroscience-oriented presentation for reducing the stigma of mental illness among college students. Researchers asked 53 Union College students to complete seven-item Social Distance Scale (SDS; Penn et al., 1994) …

The Birth Of Development: The Social, Economic And Environmental Advantages To Contraceptive Use On A Global Scale, Linda Hanes

Honors Theses

For many women around the world, pregnancy is a miraculous, exciting stage in life. But for others pregnancy means financial burden, having to stay in an abusive relationship, or giving up a career. What many people forget is that motherhood is not the default position for women. As a result of the traditional views of acceptable roles regarding women, in most, if not all cultures, there is a stigma placed on family planning and abortion. To talk about contraceptive use is to admit that sex is a natural part of life for all genders. Many cultures are not prepared to …

Aiding Or Abetting? An Analysis Of Medical Humanitarian Aid In Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, Claire Dunn

Honors Theses

Medical humanitarianism is generally viewed very positively by society. Selfless humanitarians are going to war-torn, disaster-affected, or otherwise undesirable locations to provide medical care to those who are in need. However, when considered more carefully, it becomes clear that there are many problematic aspects of humanitarian aid. That is not to say that humanitarian aid is unnecessary, but rather that humanitarian actions are likely to have some unintended consequences or fail to live up to their potential no matter how well-meaning the intentions. Acknowledging that medical humanitarianism is but a single component of the response to complex humanitarian emergencies and …