Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Under The Influence Of Parents: A Longitudinal Study Of Children’S Walking, Kyu Ri Kim, Jennifer Dill

Student Research Symposium

Researchers have studied children's active travel; however, they have mostly been cross-sectional studies dealing with commuting to school and parental attitudes. To find ways to promote children's active travel, this longitudinal study uses panel data (two time periods) to examine how parents' actual walking and safety perception correlated with children’s walking. Using data from 240 children aged 4-16 and their parents in Portland, Oregon, we estimated a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) to analyze the continuous relationships. We found that parents with more positive attitudes toward their walking walked more, and their children also walked more in both periods. In addition, …

Why People Pee In Public: Is A Lack Of Public Restrooms Keeping Portland Too Weird?, Cece Austin

Student Research Symposium

Why People Pee in Public: Is a Lack of Public Restrooms Keeping Portland Too Weird?

Cece Austin1, Shirley Jackson, PhD12

1University Honors Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA 2Department of Sociology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

Various factors, including gender, housing status, socioeconomic status, and disability, impact access to public restrooms in Portland, Oregon. A pilot program involving the implementation of public restrooms has caused a significant reduction in public defecation in San Francisco. This research demonstrates the efficacy of this existing working model, which could be similarly implemented in Portland with some adjustments. Portland has the Portland …

Power & Planning: A Critical Comparison Of Tribal And Non-Tribal Wildfire Protection Plans, Christian J. Heisler

Student Research Symposium

In 2003, the US government passed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which urged wildfire-prone communities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). These plans allow local groups to contextualize risk, practice social learning, and develop social capital while addressing wildfire risk. Within planning realms, however, decision-making power is usually concentrated unequally between social groups which can limit the influence of marginalized communities. Tribal nations, specifically, have been excluded from wildfire planning since European contact, signaling that CWPPs may not reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities. Given the recent push from the federal government to increase land management collaboration with tribes, it …

Inequities In Chronic Stress Exposure At The Intersection Of Race, Gender, And Sexual Identity In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Us Adults, Jordan M. Lancaster, Efrain H. Chavez Martinez

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background

Social inequity rooted in systemic oppression is robustly associated with mental and physical health; chronic stress is highlighted as a key mechanism. Limited research examining the association between sexual identity alone and C-reactive protein (CRP) – an upstream biological marker of chronic stress exposure – has yielded mixed results.

Purpose

To examine whether race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity interact to produce unequal levels of CRP.

Methods

Using cross-sectional data from the 2003-2010 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined intersectional (self-reported race*gender*sexual identity) patterns in log-transformed CRP levels using a multivariable linear model among 10,885 …

(Un)Weighted Assumptions: Anti-Fatness & Health, Kieran Chase, Nell Carpenter, Madysen Schreiber

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

This lecture/discussion session aims to expand and add nuance to public health students’, professors’, and practitioners’ understanding of the interplay between body size and health. We will begin by naming and challenging common assumptions about the relationship between bodyweight and health outcomes. We will then argue for the consideration of weight-related stigma as a Fundamental Cause of Disease as defined by Phelan and Link, and for institutionally embedded anti-fat bias at the policy level (e.g., insurance policy, medical equipment) as a cause of population health inequity as defined in Whitehead’s Health Equity Framework. We offer these frameworks in contrast to, …

Farmworker Voices: Contesting & Renegotiating Essential Status During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Martinez

Student Research Symposium

This study draws on a subset of thirty individuals that took part in the community-driven Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study to analyze how farmworkers interpreted the contradictory label essential worker. Using discourse analysis, this article examines how these peasant workers drew on their embodied experiences working throughout the pandemic to give meaning to their essential designation. The data suggest that farmworkers were tacitly aware of the contradictions between their labeling as indispensable and their disposable treatment on the ground. Farmworkers generally felt unrecognized, underpaid, and felt exposed to COVID-19 infection in addition to everyday workplace hazards. While the essential title was …

Evaluation Of Oregon’S Food Waste Recovery And Reintegration Policy Adoption Through Civic Capacity, Jenna N. Stathopoulos

Student Research Symposium

The US Food System is complex and multi-layered, containing many areas for improvement. My research focuses specifically on the issue area of food waste. On a global and national scale mitigating food waste can seem too large to manage. Containing complexity across multiple sectors and with extended timelines for improvements, it is indeed a wicked problem, a problem which in its complexity is almost impossible to fully distinguish or address with one (or even multiple) solutions. (Rittel, 1973). However, when we look to local, place-based solutions we can develop more realistic and actionable plans. The state of Oregon is equipped …

Sahrawi Self-Determination Within Existing Borders: Adapting The Right To Self Determination To Modern International Norms, Alma Ruedas

Student Research Symposium

This paper provides an overview of the attitudes towards the Sahrawi people and the POLISARIO Front in Algeria and Morocco, with a more specific focus on how these latter have impacted their endeavour to establish the former’s own sovereign state. The paper provides background on the political, social, and economic, atmospheres in both countries, to contextualise the modern state of democratic institutions and voter engagement. With this information in mind, several potential pathways forward are presented for Sahrawi self-determination, weighing the pros and cons of seeking political representation within existing states, or through secession.

Green Ring Wayfinding Map, Lorena Nascimento, Adam Brunelle, Arlene Amaya

Student Research Symposium

Lents is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Portland, with a higher percentage of Latinos and Asians than the average city demographics. The neighbors are either long-term homeowners, people displaced from North Portland due to the gentrification, and new residents seeking economic development areas with an affordable price. The Green Ring Wayfinding Map is a community place-making project that improves neighborhood safety, accessibility, and enjoyment through conversations and collaboration across Lents diversity and geography. After three years of focus groups and surveys with the Lents residents, a Green Ring Wayfinding Map is being created to praise the values, branding, …

Emergency Management Appropriations In Non-Event Municipalities, Andrew Russo

Student Research Symposium

This study was conducted to discern if emergency management department appropriations in non-event municipalities increase after a major natural disaster. The literature written and research performed over the last decade suggested that a new emphasis on mitigation had resulted in increased collaboration and public support for disaster mitigation programmatically and financially. Conducting this research project entailed investigating if these non-event communities react by increasing their emergency management department (EMD) appropriations to prepare for future disasters. In exploring this question, it is important to convey how research has evolved on the subject of disaster funding, the importance of collaboration in disaster …

Do Remittances Promote Or Deter Sound Fiscal Management Among Municipalities In Mexico?, Jennifer Martinez, Kent Robinson

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between remittance income (migrant-dollars sent back home) and its effects on municipal tax revenue generation among municipalities in Mexico. A sharp contrast exists between remittances and own-source municipal tax revenue; remittances constitute a healthy 2% of Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) whereas the largest own-source revenue contributes only .2% of GDP (World Bank 2015, OECD 2015). In some instances remittances have been so productive that they have been used to fund local public services among municipalities. The objective of my study becomes two fold: first, determine if there is a …

Public Access To Crime Maps From Police Agencies: Frequency, Agency Characteristics, And Maps Used, Jordan A. Grant, Kris R. Henning

Student Research Symposium

Advances in desktop computing, research and theory addressing the geography of crime, and evidence for the efficacy of hotspot policing have resulted in rapid adoption of GIS mapping technology by police agencies. Some of these agencies have gone a step further and now offer access to crime maps for public viewing through their website or linked services. This includes maps depicting all or some criminal offenses, calls for service, and the location of specific offenders. These maps have the potential to influence community perceptions, and yet we know very little about the prevalence of public crime mapping, the characteristics of …

Challenges For Lgbtq Nonprofits To Secure Funding, Leo Aoyagi

Student Research Symposium

From 2003 to 2011, foundation funding for LGBTQ issues grew from $32 million to $123 million in the U.S. But in 2013, LGBTQ issues only receive 0.26% of foundation dollars, which means only 26 cents of every 100 dollars. Further, approximately 43% of all foundation funding for LGBTQ issues were made by private foundations established by LGBTQ members themselves and public foundations that raise their funds primarily from LGBTQ donors, over the past 40 years until 2013.

The main causes of this inequality in funding for LGBTQ NPOs from the mainstream foundations are risk in funding LGBTQ NPOs, funder’s fear …

The Role Of Financial Literacy Among University Transfer Students And The Impact On Perceived Social Mobility, Melissa Pyle

Student Research Symposium

This study will examine financial literacy among university transfer students at Portland State University. The main objective is to assess the financial knowledge and behaviors of transfer students and how that impacts perceived social mobility. The goal is to provide conclusions and resource implications regarding the specific needs of university transfer students through a sociological lens. In partnership with The Financial Wellness Center (FCW) at Portland State University it is hypothesized the results of this study will better equip universities and transfer students to work together to ensure both educational success, upward mobility, and fiscal responsibility.

Comparing Mode Shares For Non-Residential Destinations In Urban And Suburban Environments, Tasnia Subrin

Student Research Symposium

To ensure facility for multimodal transportation is one of the most important concerns in today’s transportation sector, with initiatives being taken to make multimodal transportation popular. The built environment variables have a strong relationship with transportation mode choice, but whether that relationship holds true in urban and suburban neighborhoods in the same manner has not been considered. Using data for three non-residential land uses, this research explores whether the built environment variables in suburban areas influences mode share like it does in urban areas. We used survey data conducted at the establishments regarding respondents’ travel characteristics from a previous study, …

From Street To Home: Using Photovoice To Better Understand Homelessness In Portland, Maximilian West, Greg Townley Phd, Nicole Cerra Mph, Ted Amann Rn, Mph

Student Research Symposium

Homelessness remains a pressing concern in Portland. The homeless-to-housed transition requires more than access to shelter: some individuals have trouble adapting to the change in social contact that accompanies solitary living (indoors); others may face difficulty setting boundaries associated with property (e.g., endangering their lease by having too many guests) or other community-living norms. This study used photovoice, a community-based participatory research method, to explore the dynamics experienced by homelessness survivors.

A total of 13 participants were recruited through HEARTH, a research collaborative including researchers from OHSU, PSU, and NCNM along with staff, consumers, and volunteers at Central City Concern, …

Barriers To Transitional Housing Access Among Homeless Male Adults In The City Of Portland, Alexander T. Raines

Student Research Symposium

From 2011 to 2014, there were 191 confirmed deaths among homeless persons living in Multnomah County, approximately 88% of which were among adult men (over the age of 18). This alarming statistic in no way-shape-or-form represents the demographic makeup of Multnomah County’s homeless population, with a 2015 point-in-time count finding males over the age of 24 comprising just 52% of Multnomah’s homeless. Among these individuals the average age of death was just 43.3 years old; for comparison, the standard life expectancy for a man born in Multnomah County is 76.6 years old. This pattern of vulnerability among homeless men may …

After Houselessness: Queer Youth Of Color Severed From Cultural And Spiritual Community, Carrie Fuentes, Miriam Abelson

Student Research Symposium

Within the Portland Oregon Houseless Youth Continuum, to what extent are the particular needs of Queer Youth of Color being served by existing programs? There is a gap between the nature of houseless youth services and the need for Queer Youth of Color to rebuild the missing connections resulting from cultural or spiritual rupture that creates a disconnection from their ancestry and community estrangement. Programs exist that offer assistance to QYOC in crisis but these programs lack in a positive connection to spiritual and cultural legacy that will support long term self-efficacy.

The proposed research goal is to examine these …

To What Extent Did Blood Transfusion Systems And Technologies Modernize During World War Ii?, Hannah J. Leblanc

Young Historians Conference

This investigation will explore changes in blood transfusion during World War II (1939-1945). Medical technology and collection systems for whole blood and blood plasma in particular will be examined. The focus of this investigation will be the United States, but Great Britain will also be mentioned due to its close blood transfusion-related interactions with the United States during this period. Additionally, blood transfusion prior to World War II and in modern times will also be considered in this investigation to provide context and to allow assessment of modernization during the war. However, artificial blood substitutes will not be considered, nor …

The Art Of War: Battles Won And Wars Lost, Mark W. Dekay

Young Historians Conference

Sun Tzu is one of the most influential military figures of all time; his treatise The Art of War provides the framework for waging an effective war. War is much more than a game of numbers or pawns on a board, Sun Tzu identifies the underlying factors that determine the outcome of every war, past or present. Follow The Art of War and victory is ensured, but if you ignore Sun Tzu defeat is inevitable. Many wars throughout history are proof of this statement, but there is no greater example than America's defeat in Vietnam. Despite having a much more …

Container Houses, Tran Joseph, Anissa Rosbaugh, Sydne Scott, Hanan Yassin

PSU High School Innovation Challenge

We have noticed that there is an increasing number of homeless in our community. People who are homeless have a more difficult time getting jobs, making it harder to for them to get back on their feet.

Homeless is defined as a person without a stable place to live, in risk of being homeless. Homeless under Federal status, is defined as fleeing/attempting to escape domestic violence. Examples of homelessness include couch surfing, sleeping in shelters, and living in a car.

Our proposal was to build homeless shelters out of shipping containers.

Cleaning Up The Cities Of Tomorrow, Miguel Campos, Jack Chen, Alex Gaiovych, Fernando Lauer, Kaleb Swoverland, Anna Velikoretskikh, Jason Yu

PSU High School Innovation Challenge

A huge problem with current modernized and non modernized cities is the amount of trash being thrown away. There is a tremendous amount of recyclable material that is being thrown away with non recyclable waste into massive landfills. Even though we can not physically see the trash that we throw away on the street, it must still go somewhere. Some of that waste is toxic, other waste is made of non decomposable material. These massive waste disposal sites hurt animals, damage soil, and harm the health people living nearby.

In 2007, Americans threw out about 570 billion pounds of municipal …

Smarter Cycling, Cory Koehler, Richard Smith, Sarah St. Clair, Alex Taylor, Aubrey Masten, Konon Phillips

PSU High School Innovation Challenge

With the current trend of urbanization, the populations of major cities such as Portland are steadily increasing. This is causing a variety of problems, both within the city and in rural areas. In regards to the city, the major challenges facing city planners are the need for the expansion of residential neighborhoods and a rise in traffic throughout the city. One way to tackle the issue of an abundance of traffic, is to make alternate means of transportation more appealing to residents. We chose to focus on bicycling because of the bike‐friendly culture already in place in Portland. An increase …

Evaluation Of Smart Phone Weight-Mile Tax Truck Data For Supporting Freight Modeling, Performance Measures And Planning, Katherine E. Bell, Miguel Andres Figliozzi

Student Research Symposium

Oregon is one of the few states that currently charge a commercial truck weight-mile tax (WMT). This research serves to evaluate ancillary applications for a system developed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to simplify WMT collection. The data collection system developed by ODOT – Truck Road Use Electronics (TRUE) - includes a smart phone application with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device and microprocessor. The TRUE data has enormous advantages over commercial truck GPS data used in previous research due to its level of disaggregation and its potential to differentiate between vehicle and commodity types. This research evaluates …