Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“Putting On Our People Lens”: Lived Experience As Pedagogy, Tessa Zoe Milman, Sarah Bream, Celso Delgado, Erin Mcintyre, Tristan Scremin, Leslie Moreno, Maggie Yeo, Deborah Pitts

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the professional education of mental health practitioners, including occupational therapists, there has been a lack of meaningful inclusion of people labeled with mental illness into curricula, beyond guest speaker panels and presentations. This study explored the experiences of students, faculty, and ‘Experts by Experience’ within a mental health occupational therapy course that incorporated Experts with lived experience as co-facilitators of weekly fieldwork debriefs. The study utilized focus groups and interviews to understand the experiences of students, mental health faculty, and ‘Experts by Experience’. Key themes that emerged from the qualitative data analysis were organized under three broad categories: 1) …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Service Learning: Rehabilitation Archeology With Military Veterans, Lola Halperin, Jaimee Mb Hegge, Sharon Mccloskey, Stephen Humphreys

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Existing research evidence pertaining to the occupational therapy (OT) role with adventure-based outdoor activities for military veterans and the authors’ positive experience serving members of a non-profit veteran-run organization that promotes rehabilitation archeology suggest that outdoor rehabilitation for this client population is a promising avenue for the profession. Moreover, students’ exposure to outdoor experiences designed for military veterans as well as other populations presenting with physical and mental health conditions has the potential to significantly augment OT curriculum by impacting both the learning trajectory and personal transformation of the students. This paper describes a unique service-learning experience involving graduate OT …

Veteran Access To Mental Health Services And How It Contributes To The Rates Of Suicide, Kameron R. Grigsby

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This essay is an exploration of the access Veterans have to mental health services and how such access or lack thereof contributes to the rates of suicide among the Veteran population. The purpose of this essay is to examine various factors that influence Veteran access to mental health care and how these factors can be improved or eliminated. By analyzing such factors, healthcare professionals may begin to further implement provisions and practices to decrease the rising rate of suicides among Veterans.

Exploring Environmental Racism, Quality Of Life, And Inequalities In Kentucky Counties, Bailey Harder, James Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Environmental racism explores how pollution-producing industries are systematically constructed in and around poor, minority communities. Exposure to pollutants over time negatively impacts resident well being and quality of life while economic trends limit opportunities to relocated. Kentucky provides a valuable opportunity for exploring environmental racism. The state’s long dependency on coal extraction has created environmental opportunities for studying this phenomenon amid deindustrialization throughout the region. This study examines how changes in air pollution (a proxy measure of environmental toxins) correlates to poverty, quality of life, and resident racial demographics. Results indicate that Kentucky counties with higher air pollution had lower …

Libraries As Community: Investigating Social Infrastructure And Community Cohesion, Mora N. Rehm

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Libraries are a form of public infrastructure that guide, protect, and preserve the spirit of community. Established as the guarantor of a peaceful, well-informed society, this research evaluates the library's methods and degree of influence over citizens' feelings of community alongside other social phenomena; looking both within and without existing systems, the researcher posits a model of critical librarianship, acknowledging that current practices reinforce existing structures of inequity and privilege. A methodological investigation is then made into the link between library and community through use of secondary data analysis, concluding that strong library systems positively associate with community cohesion on …

Comparing Substance Use Social Issues In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Regions In Kentucky, Erica C. Bellamy, James N. Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Substance use and abuse is not a uniquely Appalachian problem, but it remains a prevalent social problem for the geographical region. Kentucky has been one of the central states experiencing generations of substance abuse, ranging from methamphetamines to OxyContin to heroin. Eastern Kentucky, which includes a portion of Central Appalachia, has been a focal point for the proposed war against substance use. What remains undemonstrated in studies is exactly how substance abuse differs between the Central Appalachian counties of Eastern Kentucky and the remainder of the state, if any difference exists at all. In this study, the researchers examine how …

Sociological Explanations Of Coronavirus Incidence Rates In Kentucky Counties, Sarah Cooper, James N. Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This study explores sociological explanations for Covid-19 incidence rates among Kentucky Counties. The authors examine how incidence rates varied pre/post-Omicron variant based on a county’s educational attainment, poverty rates, political perspective, health status, and place status (Appalachian status, metropolitan status). The authors discovered that none of these variables effectively explained differences in county level Covid-19 rates before Omicron. However, once Omicron became the prevalent variant in Kentucky, metropolitan status, Appalachian status, two measures of poverty rates, political perspective, and three measure of educational attainment all predicted differences in mean Covid-19 incidence rates.

An Intentional Wholeness Focus And The Association With Burnout In Graduate Students, Stacey B. Cunningham, Susanne B. Montgomery, Brian J. Distelberg, Qais Alemi

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout for university students are concerning. As in other competitive professional fields, graduate students in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology face many performance pressures. Creating supportive learning and wholeness climates along with individual grit, resilience, and healthy spirituality have the potential to positively impact these pressures. The study’s purpose was to examine factors related to burnout within an institution committed to creating supportive learning and wholeness environments. Three hundred and fifty-three graduate students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology graduate programs were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional …

Gender Career Stereotypes, Implicit Bias, And Occupational Therapy, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Implicit (unconscious) gender bias and stereotypes can affect clinical decisions and interactions between healthcare professionals, as well as impact careers. However, there is no research exploring the implicit gender bias or stereotypes of occupational therapy students or practitioners. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender-career bias of occupational therapy students. To do so, occupational therapy students (n = 54) from three Midwestern United States graduate occupational therapy programs completed the gender-career attitudes implicit association test (IAT) – biases associating women with family, and men with career – as well as a survey polling demographic information. …

Cultural Competence With Humility Using Interprofessional Multicultural Learning Activities: Student Perceptions, Michele L. Tilstra, Cara A. Berg-Carramusa, Tiffany J. Peets, Karen M. Keptner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study examined students’ perceptions of interprofessional multicultural learning activities used to develop cultural competence with humility (CCH). Limited research exists on student perceptions of learning activities for CCH in entry-level occupational therapy educational programs. This exploratory, mixed methods study used an anonymous online survey, the Learning Activities Survey (LAS), to collect student quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback about CCH learning activities and their experience within the Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged in the Community (COPE) program. A deductive thematic approach was used by two investigators for qualitative analyses of COPE learning activities by alignment …

Finding A Voice: Overcoming Shame Through A Classroom Collective Exploration Of Vulnerability, Mary Catherine Lockmiller, Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In keeping with the call for greater justice and diversity within the occupational therapy profession, many educational programs are taking steps to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across their curriculum. In this paper, we will introduce the theoretical concepts underpinning the first assignment in a DEI curriculum thread in one entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program, grounding it in critical pedagogy and exploring how it provides a first step to critical aptitude by providing space for an open-ended, reflexive dialogue about subjective experiences of internalized shame and marginalization. Students learn how to practice self awareness, understand shame culture, and …

Not Just Women’S Work: Recruiting Men To Occupational Therapy, Alexandra I. Zelin, Erin Melhorn, Kristen J. Black, Nicole Harty

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Compared to women, men are less likely to become occupational therapists (OT). To have a more diverse workforce, and to relate to various patient groups, reasons men do not enter the field of OT must be better understood. Our study compares men and women in their familiarity with OT and desire to work in the field. Data were gathered using an online, self-report survey administered to students at a public university in the southeast. The sample included 334 undergraduate students who were in majors that often serve as feeder programs to OT graduate programs. The average age was 19.8 years …

Cohort Analysis Of Four Graduating Classes Of Occupational Therapy Students' Knowledge Of Aging, Lavona Traywick, Brittany N. Saviers, Terry Wayne Griffin, Teressa Brown

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

At the same time that the number of senior adults in the United States is steadily rising, there is also a rising shortage of allied health care professionals, including occupational therapists, to meet the current and expected needs of the senior adult population. There are national standards that all occupational therapy programs must meet; however, there is not a set national curriculum. It is assumed that students will enter their respective occupational therapy programs with a base knowledge of aging due to prerequisite requirements. To test that assumption, with Institutional Review Board approval, over four consecutive years 192 first-year, first-semester …

The Importance Of Culture-Fit For Remembering Church Sermons, Emily N. Adkins, Madelyn Mcknight, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This experiment tested the degree to which culture-fit influences memory for the content of a sermon. We hypothesized that people who read a sermon emphasizing the infallibility of Christian scriptures will remember it more accurately if they have collectivistic rather than individualistic values. In contrast, we hypothesized that people who read a sermon emphasizing the subjectivity of Christian scriptures will remember it more accurately if they have individualistic rather than collectivistic values. Participants (n = 270) were randomly assigned to read either an orthodox- or quest-oriented sermon regarding Peter 1:20-21. They then completed a true-false memory test as to …

Decisions Are More Than Skin Deep: Exploring Correlations Between Self-Esteem And The Decision To Have Bariatric Surgery, Penny Fox, James Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Bariatric surgery is now a commonplace approach to addressing obesity. One insightful area of research is examining how bariatric decision relates to self-esteem. Of particular interest is correlations between self-esteem levels and the reason the surgery was selected, the source of the decision to get the surgery, and if the surgery recipient experienced a major life change following the event. In this study, the researchers examine a convenience sample of persons receiving bariatric surgery (n=31) and their motivations for having the surgery along with a pre-post measure of having the surgery. Results show respondents who indicated having the surgery was …

The Economic Impact Of Paradise Cove Aquatic Center In Richmond, Kentucky, Lauren Kilburn, Michael Bradley, James Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

One of the most effective ways for rural communities to improve the local economy is by exploring opportunities related to tourism. When communities focus their resources on expanding and improving the tourism industry, it leads to additional opportunities for these communities to increase their revenue, provide jobs and revitalize the local economy. Like many other agencies, the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department has gradually expanded the tourism industry within the City of Richmond in Madison County, Kentucky. To help continue the expansion of this industry, Paradise Cove Aquatic Center opened in 2008. This decision was made because waterparks were becoming …

Social Or Special Interests: How Unions Influence Spending, Devon Moffett

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Unions are in a decades long decline, heading for the point of non-relevance. To better understand what this change will entail, this paper asks: how does union strength affect state spending? Previous research on unions has exhausted the answers to national and congressional effects, so looking at spending on the state and local level will add more clarity to our understanding of union influence. Independent data will be used to test several areas of spending with multivariate regressions. Additionally, pairwise comparisons will test whether union influence differs across areas. It is found that unions have a positive influence on spending …

Different Hollers, Different Outcomes: Differences In Health Outcomes Among Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Counties In Kentucky, Allexys Krasnopolsky, James N. Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

This study examines difference in health outcomes, health insurance, and doctor access between Kentucky’s Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties. Using 2018 data curated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this study analyzes differences in means in overall health outcomes, health insurance, and the number of primary care physicians at the county level for Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties in Kentucky .This study finds that persons living in Appalachian Kentucky counties have statistically-different and worse overall health outcomes, health insurance access, and physician access compared to those living in non-Appalachian Kentucky counties.

Student Perspectives And Standardized Patient Feedback On An Innovative Simulated Patient Encounter, Kimberly S. Mollo, Tina M. Deangelis, Maclain Capron, Sierra Wells

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This retrospective survey analysis sought to explore student perspectives and application of therapeutic use of self during a simulated standardized patient encounter (SSPE) with standardized patient actors portraying serious mental illness (SMI). Researchers collected retrospective data from post SSPE student surveys dating between 2009 and 2019 and standardized patient actor surveys dating between 2017 and 2019. Students’ level of expertise with therapeutic use of self and self-perceptions of the SSPE were analyzed for response categories. Descriptive analysis was conducted on all items. Student survey responses were organized into response categories. Standardized patient actor surveys were analyzed for frequencies of yes/no …

Occupation-Focused Learning And Personal Development Through Service-Learning, Sarah Quinn, Katie Cremin

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Experiential learning is not without its challenges. Following a pilot examination of student feedback on practical and learning difficulties they encountered, students’ experiences of their occupation-focused, service-learning module was systematically explored using a case study design. Concurrent mixed methods were employed to collect data with emphasis on qualitative data gathered through weekly, guided reflective journals and online forums. Students were also surveyed pre and post module to validate data on their experiences regarding their concerns, perceived learning, and evaluation of the module. Four themes were identified. These related to students’ increased understanding of the use and value of occupation; their …

Personality Factors That Influence Truthfulness And Deception, Khrista E. Neville, Jonathan S. Gore, Adam Lawson

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Identifying personality traits that coincide with everyday deception is crucial to understanding how individual differences relate to antisocial tendencies. The current study tested the hypothesis that sensation seeking and psychopathy can predict everyday deception. Seventy-nine undergraduate students participated in an online study to assess these personality traits. A linear regression analysis found disinhibition psychopathy to be a strong predictor of everyday deception, with impulsive sensation seeking as the only other significant predictor.

Connection Between Tutoring Format Type And Reading Scores Of Elementary Aged Children, Emma T. Moates, Theresa M. Nowak, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Extant research shows that response to intervention (RTI) individual and small group interventions increase children’s reading skills; however, little information is available that investigates whether the type of intervention format makes a difference in learning to read. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten class (ECLS-K) database was used to identify third-grade children who received individual, small group, or combined individual and small group tutoring, to increase their reading skills. The current study compared reading scores associated with each intervention type to determine which reading intervention format was most beneficial. The results from this study showed that children receiving small group …

Beer Tourism In Kentucky: An Interpretation Of Community Attachment And Locavore Behavior, Callie Mcmullin, Michael J. Bradley, James Maples

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Beer tourism in Kentucky is prevalent to the state’s economy and culture. This study focuses on community attachment as a means to predict locavore tendencies in the community regarding beer tourism in Kentucky. Using a Likert-scale survey, Bradley, Berend, & Maples analyzed the feeling of community attachment, locavore tendencies, and any existing barriers to locavore behavior. This paper uses their results to interpret Kentucky craft beer tourism and its importance to the community in which it exists. The data included the results from 761 resident responses, where there total complete surveys tallied 1071 responses, including those from non-residents; only responses …

The Influence Of Technological Reliability And Supervisor Supportiveness On Work Stress, Justin W. Morgan, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Despite the prevalence of workplace stress, little research has identified both the social and technological sources of it. In two studies, we examined the role of supervisor support and reliable technology in the alleviation of stress. In Study 1, working adults in Mechanical Turk (n = 225) completed an online survey asking them about their workplace attitudes and opportunities. Results of a regression analysis showed that supportive supervisors and reliable technology were the only predictors of lowered stress, even while accounting for coworkers, pay, promotion opportunities, and everyday workplace tasks. In Study 2, undergraduate students (n = 186) …

Deaf Culture: Bicultural Identity Integration's Effect On Self-Esteem, Jessica E. Ritzmann, Jonathan S. Gore

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) is the result of how much a bicultural individual may feel that their two cultures cohesively work together, such as Chinese and American cultures (Benet-Martínez & Haritatos, 2005). BII’s effect on self-esteem has previously been looked at with immigrant families but has not really been looked at in regard to that of Deaf individuals with Deaf culture and hearing culture. The current study’s goal was to investigate the relationship between BII and a Deaf individuals self-esteem. It was hypothesized that 1) a Deaf individual’s level of BII will be positively correlated with their self-esteem. 2) those …

Healthcare Access And Poverty Among Central Appalachian Residents, Kacey M. Lefevers

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Healthcare access is an important shaping force in the lives of Appalachian people. Appalachians often face both inadequate availability of medical facilities and poverty, which limits access to health insurance and therefore healthcare. This results in reduced life expectancy and health disparity. In this study, the author examines relationships between adequate healthcare and access to healthcare among Appalachian residents. Using a convenience sample of Appalachian residents, the author finds that income, education, and being an Appalachian resident have unique impacts on healthcare access or perceptions of healthcare in general.

Anti-Fat Bias Of Occupational Therapy Students, Carli Friedman, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Anti-fat biases in healthcare providers can result in substandard and decreased care, and also result in health disparities. There are very few studies that examine occupational therapists’ attitudes towards fat people and implications on practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the implicit fat prejudice of occupational therapy students. The authors also sought to understand how this prejudice related to the occupation-based models/frames of reference with which students professionally identified. To do so, 58 occupational therapy students from three Midwestern universities, all of whom recently completed their first year of professional occupational therapy education, completed the Weight …

Understanding Regenerative Medicine And Its Position In Healthcare, Tyler F. Ward

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Abstract: Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of the healthcare industry that has the potential to treat a myriad of health conditions. Induced pluripotent stem cells, human embryonic stem cells, and tissue engineering are a few of the treatment methods that may be delivered by healthcare professionals in personalized medicine. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is necessary within the United States before any of these treatment options are available. Specific cellular therapies are currently undergoing clinical trials and it may be years before approval is acquired. The National Institute of Health is proactively working to ensure that healthcare policies, …

Human Papillomavirus: The Influence Of Prevention And Vaccination, Lacey N. Russell

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Human Papillomavirus infections (HPV) are the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Of cancers in parts of the body where HPV is often discovered about 80% originated from an HPV infection. Despite this knowledge and the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine, vaccination by both genders in Kentucky and on a national scale remains highly underutilized. As a result, preventable incidence and mortality rates from HPV-related illness are elevated. Health care delivery factors such as increased vaccination and preventative care, insurance coverage, and accessible rural health care are necessary for HPV prevention and promotion of holistic health. The …

Evaluating Shame; A Comparative Look At Sexual And Physical Abuse, Kathryn Mckenzie, Theresa Botts

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Shame is a potential adverse effect which can occur following a traumatic experience, such as being a survivor of sexual and physical abuse. Demonstrating the prevalence and levels of shame resulting from sexual and physical abuse can be of interest to those professionals working with survivors of trauma. The purpose of this study was to separately evaluate the prevalence of shame within sexual and physical abuse. This study tested the following hypotheses: hypothesis 1, shame will be more prevalent and demonstrate higher levels in sexual abuse survivors than in physical abuse survivors and hypothesis 2, survivors of both sexual and …