Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From Vapor To Vice: Unraveling The Links Between Vaping And Traditional Substance Abuse Among Youth, Ayana Powell

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

ABSTRACT:

Objective: To evaluate whether vaping or using e-cigarettes is associated with the use of traditional substances, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana.

Methods: Using data from the Monitoring the Future surveys, a multivariable logistic regression model was performed, and prevalent odds ratio were calculated to evaluate the association between vaping and traditional substances.

Results: Vaping use among U.S. adolescents and teenagers was found to be an associated with use of traditional substances (cigarette use [OR]= 6.36 [CI]= 4.84, 8.38; alcohol use [OR]=5.80 [CI]= 5.28, 6.38; and marijuana use [OR]= 7.77 [CI]= 6.95, 8.70).

Conclusion: This study will assist …

Exploring The Mental Health Experience Of Perinatal Military Spouses Based In Sigonella, Italy, Lyndsey Dannenberg

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The perinatal period can have a profound impact on the mental health of women, their infants, and their families, especially when it comes to depression and anxiety disorders. This study aims to delve into the experiences of perinatal mental health among military spouses stationed overseas, on Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, and contribute to the limited research on active-duty military spouses and their perinatal mental health while stationed overseas. The research uses a qualitative phenomenological approach, seeking to provide valuable insights into the lived experiences of military spouses and their perinatal mental health. Risk factors associated with perinatal mental illness …

A Policy Evaluation For California’S Care Act And The Application Of The Social Determinants Of Health, Adelina Mercedes Lang

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

In 2022, California passed a legislative bill, SB 1338: the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which created a new statewide procedure for treating mentally ill homeless adults diagnosed with psychotic disorders through a court-ordered CARE plan. SB 1338 intends to alleviate the mental health and homeless crisis. This capstone project provides an early assessment of SB 1338 using a modified formative policy evaluation methodology, including a scoping literature review and applying a policy assessment using the CDC's Policy Evaluation Framework. A stakeholder survey was also applied to gather stakeholders' perspectives on SB 1338. The literature review supported the …

Beyond ‘Bisexual’: Toward A New Conceptualization Of Bi+ Experience, Brook Hutchinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Scholars have begun to explore sexual identity development and the impact of sexuality binaries on well-being for bi+ individuals. However, extant research has not yet fully analyzed the experiences of bi+ individuals in heterosexual relationships, particularly those who have never experienced a non-heterosexual relationship. This community remains relatively invisible in research and theory on sexuality and within LGBTQIA+ communities. The unique experiences of these individuals can provide valuable insights to the field of bi+ research by furthering our understanding of sexual identity development and queer inclusion and by underscoring the need for more inclusive research, policy, and practice. The current …

Mattering And Attachment: A Bilateral Association That Underlies Relationship Outcomes In Couples, Jacob Ybarra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this master's thesis, I conducted a quantitative study using data from 100 heterosexual couples in a committed, romantic relationship to better understand the relationship between perceived mattering (PM) and attachment and to explore how mattering relates to various mental health and relationship outcomes. All 200 partners independently completed an online anonymous questionnaire consisting of various quantitative assessments measuring my study variables (e.g., attachment, PM, and relationship and mental health outcomes).

I used dyadic data analysis to examine how study variables related to an individual's outcomes as well as their partner's. Overall, findings from the first analysis highlighted that men …

The Caboose By A Longshot: Impact Of Large Age Gaps On Youngest Siblings, Kelly Clark Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Siblings play a large role in developmental experiences and views of oneself. However, most research addressing siblings looks at individuals who grow up close in age with their siblings. What is currently known about sibling relationships does not seem to fit for those who have siblings but are not close in age to them, referred to in this study as a sibling age gap.

To learn more about what it was like to grow up with siblings who are much older, I interviewed 11 individuals who were the youngest siblings in their family and five or more years younger than …

Processes Of Couple Co-Regulation In Bereavement: A Longitudinal Study, Jessica Barboza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Five couples reported on their experience of coping with and supporting their partner through the loss of a child. In-depth interviews with these bereaved parents revealed that couples engage in processes of regulating self, regulating other and forming a grief rhythm after child-loss. These processes have important implications for future research and therapeutic practice with bereaved parents, couples, and families.

Examining Discourses In A College Readiness Program: A Qualitative Study, Kendra Marie Farr

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the past ten years, there has been an increase in the Hispanic student population incollege across the United States (Krogstad et al. 2022). However, U.S. Census Bureau statistics (2021; 2022) have shown that they are still less likely to attain a four-year degree compared to their White counterparts. To begin understanding why this occurs, researchers look to curriculum at the high school level to see how students are becoming college ready. High schools utilize college readiness programs to help students prepare for the rigor of college courses. One program is an elective course offered at primary and secondary levels …

"You Kind Of Have To Act Like A Robot": Latina College Students, Emotional Labor, And The Demands Of Service Work, Julia Holguin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis project, my aim was to discern whether a discernible pattern exists in the way Latina college students at UTEP navigate the challenges of work, education, and family responsibilities. Given the evolving nature of the contemporary economy, the selling of emotions in the workplace has become increasingly prevalent. Latinas, often overrepresented in low-wage occupations, find themselves tasked with balancing work demands alongside familial responsibilities and academic pursuits. Existing research has predominantly leaned on Arlie Russell Hochschild's theory of emotional labor, notably showcased in her study on flight attendants, to illustrate the gendered nature of this phenomenon. This qualitative …

An Examination Of Lgbtqia+ College Students And Their Past Experiences With Homelessness, Michaela Dakota Castor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, there are more than 20 million people who identify as LGBTQIA+ which equates to roughly 8% of the population (Powell 2021). Although LGBT youth only make up 5% to 10% of the youth population, 28% will experience housing insecurity (The Trevor Project 2022). For many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, â??coming outâ?? is a sentimental and often scary experience. LGBTQIA+ youth, in particular, are afraid of being rejected and kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality and gender expression. 1 in 4 LGBTQIA+ individuals will be homeless and 68% will face some sort of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program "Enforcers" On The U.S-Mexico Border: Administrators, Teachers, Coaches, Substitutes, And Campus Patrols, Jair Alejandro Munoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Stemmed from zero-tolerance policies, Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs/Classrooms (DAEPs) in Texas are disciplinary spaces designed to house students deemed at risk, while schools continue to serve students’ educational needs of (Aron 2006, Tajalli & Garba, 2014). Once there, students are stereotyped with analogous carceral-framed personas that taint who they are, how they are perceived, and/or how they are treated in alternative classrooms (Dunning-Lozano, 2015; 2018). As a result, the programs/classrooms are fundamental bastions of the school-to-prison-nexus involving a culmination of practices, and policies, along with institutional enforcements that push youths from school to the legal system (Fernandez, Kirshner & Lewis, …

Environmental Justice And Low-Income Residents Of Houston Texas: The Inequities Of Catastrophic Weather Event Recovery Left Out And Expendable - Again, Carmen Danielle Reed

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coastal Management, from 2017-2021, the United States has averaged 17.2 annual climate/weather disasters. In 2021 alone, the U.S. experienced 20 billion-dollar disasters and since 1980, the U.S. has experienced 341 climate/weather disasters which in toto, resulted in $2.155 trillion in losses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is authorized under The Stafford Act, to be the lead federal agency tasked to help people after disasters specifically floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and forest fires. In anticipation of increased climate driven disaster, for FY 2021, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee allocated to FEMA $25.89 …

Stopping The Revolving Door: Mdp-Based Decision Support For Community Corrections Placement, Xiaoquan Gao, Pengyi Shi, Nan Kong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Community corrections (CC) programs offer an alternative to incarceration that can reduce jail overcrowding and recidivism rates. The aim is to address the root causes behind criminal behavior, ultimately breaking the cycle of reincarceration. However, placing all eligible individuals in CC may strain case managers, resulting in reduced supervision, increased violations, and higher recidivism rates, which undermines the intended benefits for all participants in the programs. We take the first step in building a comprehensive analytical framework based on a queueing system to support the placement decisions and related decisions such as capacity planning. We develop a Markov Decision Process …

High School Flash Sexual Health Education Curriculum: Lgbtq Inclusivity Strategies Reduce Homophobia And Transphobia, Kari Kesler, Andrea Gerber, B A Laris, Pamela Anderson, Elizabeth Baumler, Karin Coyle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Homophobic and transphobic beliefs that lead to bias-based harassment remain a critical concern for young people in the USA. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of an inclusive comprehensive sex education program (High School FLASH) on homophobic and transphobic beliefs. Data from this study come from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the impact of High School FLASH on students' sexual behaviors and related outcomes with 20 schools in two U.S. regions (Midwest and South). Following the baseline survey, the 20 schools were randomly assigned to receive FLASH or a comparison curriculum. Ninth and 10th …

The Use Of Deception In Dementia-Care Robots: Should Robots Tell "White Lies" To Limit Emotional Distress?, Samuel R. Cox, Grace Cheong, Wei Tsang Ooi

ROSA Journal Articles and Publications

With projections of ageing populations and increasing rates of dementia, there is need for professional caregivers. Assistive robots have been proposed as a solution to this, as they can assist people both physically and socially. However, caregivers often need to use acts of deception (such as misdirection or white lies) in order to ensure necessary care is provided while limiting negative impacts on the cared-for such as emotional distress or loss of dignity. We discuss such use of deception, and contextualise their use within robotics.

How Does Parents’ Social Support Impact Children’S Health Practice? Examining A Mediating Role Of Health Knowledge, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Family environmental factors play a vital role in shaping children’s health practices (e.g., obesity prevention). It is still unclear how parents’ social support affects children’s obesity-related health practices. The present study argues that whether parents’ social support positively associates with children’s obesity-related health practice depends on if it could promote parents’ obesity-related health knowledge. Thus, we hypothesize that health knowledge mediates the relationship between parents’ social support and children’s health practice regarding weight management. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we conducted a questionnaire survey and collected a nationally representative sample of 1488 household responses in Singapore. The survey included …

Relationship Status And Psychological Well-Being: Initial Evidence For The Moderating Effects Of Commitment Readiness, Kenneth Tan, Daniel Ho, Christopher R. Agnew

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has suggested that the association between romantic relationship status (i.e., single vs. coupled) and well-being can be dependent on different aspects of an individual's personal life. In the current research, we examined whether commitment readiness (i.e., the subjective sense that the current time is "right" to be in a committed romantic relationship) moderates the link between current relationship status and psychological well-being. With correlational data obtained from three independent samples (two from Singapore, one cross-cultural comparison between Singapore and USA), we found a significant moderating effect of commitment readiness. Coupled individuals higher in readiness reported greater levels of …

When Social Status Gets In The Way Of Mating: The Incompatibility Between Social Status And Reproductive Goals In Modern Contexts, Jose C. Yong, Amy J. Y. Lim, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Low fertility is a growing concern in modern societies. While economic and structural explanations of reproductive hindrances have been informative to some extent, they do not address the fundamental motives that underlie reproductive decisions and are inadequate to explain why East Asian countries, in particular, have such low fertility rates. The current paper advances a novel account of low fertility in modern contexts by describing how modern environments produce a mismatch between our evolved mechanisms and the inputs they were designed to process, leading to preoccupations with social status that get in the way of mating and reproductive outcomes. We …

Becoming A Father, Staying A Father: An Examination Of The Cumulative Fatherhood Wage Premium To U.S. Residential Fathers, Ohjae Gowen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The instability of fathers’ co-residence with children has become an increasingly prevalent experience for U.S. families. Despite long-standing scholarship examining the relationship between fatherhood and wage advantages, few studies have investigated how variation in fathers’ stable co-residence with a child may produce temporal changes in the wage premium over the life course. Building on prior explanations of the fatherhood wage premium, I test if the wage premium grows with time since the birth of a resident child and if the premium depends on fathers’ co-residence with a child. I use marginal structural models with repeated outcome measures and data from …

The Rage, Fall 2023, Brittany Davis, Luciano Castro

The Rage Zine

The Rage zine is published in collaboration with Students Advocating Gender Equality and CCU Women's and Gender Studies. Volume 2, Issue 1.

Examining The Conditions Affecting The Success Of Income-Generating Activities By Refugees: A Focus On Programs Provided By Ingos In Egypt., Wesal Elkorashy

Theses and Dissertations

With the global decline in resettlement opportunities for refugees in the so-called Global North, many displaced populations are hosted in the Global South. The shift towards first asylum and transit countries often places them in environments where economic stability is often elusive, coupled with legal, social, and cultural barriers. In this challenging situation, addressing refugees' economic lives resilience, and their contribution in the overall economy of host countries becomes increasingly urgent. This is intrinsically linked to the support provided by humanitarian organizations, particularly INGOs, which play a pivotal role in implementing economic programs aimed at increasing refugees’ engagement in the …

Youth Storytelling For Social Change: Guiding Questions For Effective And Ethical Delivery, Maru Gonzalez, Michael Kokozos, Nyawira Nyota, Christy Byrd

Journal of Extension

Storytelling is a powerful medium through which to nurture and amplify youths' voices. When employed effectively and ethically, storytelling has been shown to foster connection, improve intergroup relations, promote socioemotional well-being, and motivate social action. Drawing on foundational research, Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, and our experience pilot testing the #PassTheMicYouth curriculum, we developed ten guiding questions for effective and ethical youth storytelling for social change. 4-H professionals can use these questions with youths to guide them through social impact storytelling creation and delivery.

Gender Divergence In Premarket Skill Acquisition And Wage Inequality, Sunha Myong

Research Collection School Of Economics

I study the changes in premarket skills and the evolution of the wage distribution across two cohorts using the NLSY79 and NLSY97. To estimate the relative importance of changes in premarket skills and changes in skill prices in explaining the evolution of the wage distribution, I apply the DiNardo, Fortin, and Lemieux decomposition method (DiNardo et al. 1996). I find a substantial gender divergence in premarket skill acquisition and wage gain across the two cohorts. Women's wage gain associated with changes in premarket skills is greater than that of men's at all levels of the wage distribution. Changes in premarket …

“Safe People And Safe Spaces:” Filipino American Identity Formation In Response To Local Social Contexts, Cilka Mayumi Hijara

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The identity formation of Filipino Americans has captured scholarly interest due to their unique characteristics and identity attachments. Studies of children of Filipino immigrants are largely focused on individuals from diverse areas and do not explore whether different social environments influence a diversity of identity perspectives. Using data from interviews with 40 children of Filipino immigrants from across the U.S., I examine whether and how their understandings of their identities are shaped by setting. I find that participants’ local contexts, particularly local racial/ethnic demographics during childhood, shape their perceptions of their identities relative to other groups and prevailing categorization schemes. …

Gender & Sexuality Services Newsletter, December 2023, University Of Northern Iowa. Gender & Sexuality Services

Gender & Sexuality Services Newsletter

In This Issue:

--- Community & Care
--- De-Stress Days
--- Message from Kalyani
--- Upcoming Events

Critical Consciousness & The Rural-Urban Divide, Kendall O'Rorke

University Honors Theses

This study investigated the relationship between conceptions of Critical Consciousness (CC) and urban vs. rural geographic location type. Participants (N = 31) completed the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (CCS-S), and 25 additional questions regarding potential location-based idealogical differences. No measurable differences were found regarding differences in conceptions of critical consciousness (using CCS-S scores) based on rural-urban location, however, other responses supported some current research regarding political typology. Additional research is needed to fully understand this topic.

Critical Care Delivery Across Health Care Systems In Low-Income And Low-Middle-Income Country Settings: A Systematic Review, Emily S Bartlett, Andrew Lim, Sean Kivlehan, Lia I Losonczy, Srinivas Murthy, Richard Lowsby, Alfred Papali, Madiha Raees, Bhavna Seth, Natalie Cobb, Jason Brotherton, Enrico Dippenaar, Gaurav Nepal, Gentle S Shrestha, Shih-Chiang E Kuo, J Ryan Skrabal, Margaret Davis, Cappi Lay, Sojung Yi, Michael Jaung, Brandon Chaffay, Nana Sefa, Marc Lc Yang, P Andrew Stephens, Amir Rashed, Nicole Benzoni, Bernadett Velasco, Neill Kj Adhikari, Teri Reynolds

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated that low- and low-middle-income countries (LLMICs) bear a higher burden of critical illness and have a higher rate of mortality from critical illness than high-income countries (HICs). There is a pressing need for improved critical care delivery in LLMICs to reduce this inequity. This systematic review aimed to characterise the range of critical care interventions and services delivered within LLMIC health care systems as reported in the literature.

METHODS: A search strategy using terms related to critical care in LLMICs was implemented in multiple databases. We included English language articles with human subjects describing at …

Low-Dose Aspirin For Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Events Comparing East Asians With Westerners: A Meta-Analysis, Rock Bum Kim, Ang Li, Ki-Soo Park, Yune-Sik Kang, Jang-Rak Kim, Eliano P Navarese, Diana A Gorog, Udaya S Tantry, Paul A Gurbel, Jin Yong Hwang, Oh-Young Kwon, Young-Hoon Jeong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: East Asians have shown different risk profiles for both thrombophilia and bleeding than Western counterparts.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to evaluate the effect of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention between these populations.

METHODS: We searched randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for intervention with low-dose aspirin (≤100 mg once daily) in participants without symptomatic cardiovascular disease until December 31, 2021. The number of events between the arms was extracted for analysis. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences (RDs) were analyzed in each population. Outcomes included a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and major bleeding (intracranial …

What Discrimination? Christian Microaggression Rhetoric Against Nontheists, Nicole Dolfi Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theories of microaggressions have been used in the last decade as a framework for studying subtle forms of discrimination against racial minorities and other marginalized groups. However, there is a dearth of research on the scope and types of microaggressions nontheists face. This qualitative study examines microaggressions against nontheists by interviewing 16 religious Christians on their experiences and opinions of the discrimination Christians and nontheists face. The narratives were analyzed for thematic patterns between the rhetoric used and the type of microaggressions employed. The study revealed nine categories of microaggressions. The findings also showed how experiences of discrimination, political viewpoint, …

Associations Between Avocado Intake And Measures Of Glucose And Insulin Homeostasis In Hispanic Individuals With And Without Type 2 Diabetes: Results From The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol), Mackenzie K Senn, Mark O Goodarzi, Gautam Ramesh, Matthew A Allison, Mariaelisa Graff, Kristin L Young, Gregory A Talavera, Amanda C Mcclain, Tanya P Garcia, Jerome I Rotter, Alexis C Wood

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate associations between avocado intake and glycemia in adults with Hispanic/Latino ancestry.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The associations of avocado intake with measures of insulin and glucose homeostasis were evaluated in a cross-sectional analysis of up to 14,591 Hispanic/Latino adults, using measures of: average glucose levels (hemoglobin A1c; HbA1c), fasting glucose and insulin, glucose and insulin levels after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and calculated measures of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, and HOMA-%β), and insulinogenic index. Associations were assessed using multivariable linear regression models, which controlled for sociodemographic factors and health behaviors, and which were stratified by …