Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Are Binge Drinking Disparities By Sexual Identity Lower In U.S. States With Nondiscrimination Statutes That Include Sexual Orientation?, Naomi Greene, Renee M. Johnson, Joanne Rosen, Danielle German, Joanna E. Cohen

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose Studies examining binge drinking disparities by sexual identity focus on intra- and inter-personal minority stressors experienced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. State-level statutes are powerful tools that can reduce health disparities. We examined how state-level nondiscrimination statutes that include sexual orientation as a protected ground (i.e., inclusive statutes) are associated with binge drinking disparities between LGB and straight adults. Methods We combined data from the 2015-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), and administrative data sources for information on binge drinking, sexual identity, nondiscrimination statutes, and individual and state-level factors. We included …

Risk Factors Associated With Opioid Use Among African American Faith-Based Populations, Kelsey Christensen Ma, Jannette Berkley-Patton Phd, Alexandria Bauer Phd, Carole Bowe Thompson, Tacia Burgin

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans (AAs) in the Midwest are more likely to die from an opioid overdose compared to Whites, despite lower rates of use. Little is known about factors related to opioid use among AAs residing in the Midwest, particularly church-affiliated AAs. AAs have the highest rate of church attendance among all racial/ethnic groups, and the Black Church may be an appropriate setting for prevention efforts. The present study sought to better understand factors related to opioid use among Midwestern church-affiliated AAs to inform future faith-based interventions. This study examined predictors of opioid use (ever) using survey data from Taking It …

Explaining The Economic Impact Of Covid-19: Core Industries And The Hispanic Workforce, Aaron Klein, Ember Smith

Policy Briefs and Reports

As the United States prepares for a COVID-19 recovery, policymakers need to understand why some cities and communities were more vulnerable to the pandemic’s economic consequences than others. In this paper, we consider the association between a city’s core industry, its economic susceptibility to the pandemic, and the recession’s racially disparate impact across six select metropolitan areas. We find that areas with economies that rely on the movement of people—like Las Vegas with tourism—faced substantially higher unemployment at the end of 2020 than cities with core industries based on the movement of information. Further, we find the hardest-hit areas have …

Student Debt In The Mountain West, Class Of 2019, Kristian Thymianos, Eshaan Vakil, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

In 2020, Americans collectively owed $1.6 trillion in student debt, making it the second-largest consumer debt category nationwide. 1 However, this debt is not distributed evenly across the country. This fact sheet reports data on the amount and prevalence of student debt in Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah), as originally reported by the Institute for College Access and Success (ICAS) study, Student Debt and the Class of 2019.2 This fact sheet also reports figures relating to the amount and prevalence of student debt for graduates from Nevada’s two public research universities: the University of Nevada, …

Covid-19: Event Size Risk By Nevada County, January 2021, Olivia K. Cheche, Madison Frazee-Bench, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on Nevada counties, drawing from the Georgia Institute of Technology’s “COVID-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool,” as of January 14th, 2021. Various risk scenarios are displayed based on event size for the rate of COVID-19 transmission in Nevada’s 17 counties.

Covid-19: Hospital Bed Capacity In Nevada Counties, January 2021, Marie A. Falcone, Madison Frazee-Bench, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This Fact Sheet presents data on hospital bed use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada for the week of January 4 - 11, 2021. The data indicate the percentage of adult inpatient and intensive care unit (ICU) beds used in each hospital and clarify what percentage of those bed occupancies are COVID-19 patients. Information is available on 45 hospitals throughout Nevada located in the following counties: Clark, Nye, Douglas, Washoe, Churchill, Humboldt, Elko, and Carson. Other Nevada counties did not report relevant statistics, or the sample size was fewer than four.

The Use Of Dynamic Message Signs (Dmss) On The Freeways: An Empirical Analysis Of Dmss Logs And Survey Data, Boniphace Kutela, Hualiang Teng

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This study evaluates the Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) use to dissipate incident information on the freeways in Las Vegas, Nevada. It focuses on the DMSs message timing, extent, and content, from the operators’ and drivers’ perspectives, considering the variability in drivers’ freeway experience. Two-week incidents data with fifty-nine incidents, DMS log data, and responses from a survey questionnaire were used. The descriptive analysis of the incidents revealed that about 54% of the incidents had their information posted on the DMSs; however, information of only 18.6% of the incidents was posted on time. The posted information covered the incident type (54.2%), …

State Technology And Science Activity In The Mountain West, 2020, Katie M. Gilbertson, Peter Grema, Saha Salahi, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet summarizes the 2020 State Technology and Science Index (STSI) report by Kevin Klowden, Aaron Melaas, Charlotte Kesteven, and Sam Hanigan of the Milken Institute. STSI rankings are summarized for the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The index is a measure of how each state performs in several key metrics for supporting a knowledge-based economy.

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Its Implications For Nevada’S Future Workforce, Stefani R. Relles, Mark L. Spinrad

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Nevada’s capacity for economic recovery in the pandemic’s wake has been jeopardized by COVID-related educational impacts. The diversity of Nevada’s student population and inequitable rates of college participation and degree attainment infer imminent skilled labor shortages. Purpose. Based on the assumptions of prior research, the authors suggest a multi-tiered strategy of policy triage to address workforce pipeline erosion at its weakest juncture, when students transition from high school to college. Recommendations. The paper outlines short-term and long-term policy options that target students and institutions. During school closures, nudge interventions are a low-cost option that sends text messages to remind …

Violence And Masculinity In Small-Scale Societies, Debra L. Martin

Anthropology Faculty Research

© 2021 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved. Archaeological and ethnographic accounts of violence in small-scale societies represent a baseline for thinking about the ways that violence and masculinity originated and evolved, becoming entwined social processes. Male violence (lethal and nonlethal) is expressed in diverse and complex ways because it is associated with social spheres of power and influence, and it is embedded within ideologies, histories, and collective memories. Applying anthropological research on violence as a generative and transformational social process demonstrates how violence plays a key role in creating, maintaining, and transforming social structures in …

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Lvmpd) Activity Report, 2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet synthesizes data on the types of calls that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) responded to between January 1st, 2020 and December 26th, 2020. Data from the weekly statistical activity report published by the LVMPD are included. This fact sheet explores the types of calls that the LVMPD received throughout the jurisdiction, and call data for the five area commands that received the highest number of calls in 2020.

Retention Starts With Preparation: Preparing Black And Latinx Teachers Through Alternative Routes To Licensure, Iesha Jackson, Doris L. Watson

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Critical to the support and success of students of color is support for Black and Latinx teachers. Yet, teacher preparation programs often neglect the culturally relevant perspectives and experiences of teachers of color. This can contribute to retention issues given challenging school climates that Black and Latinx teachers must navigate. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of sound teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention practices nationally and draw alignment to the state of Ne- vada. We focus on alternative routes to licensure (ARL) because such programs are touted for increasing the number of teachers of …

Educational Equity Perspectives In Response To The Black Lives Matter Movement: A Road Map For Nevada, Patrice Leverett, Lawrence Jackson, Neffisatu Dambo, Jared Lau

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Communities across Nevada call for more equitable practices, especially to reduce contact between communities of color and law enforcement, particularly in the African American community. By increasing our cultural awareness and highlighting the commitment of the state to support an Antirac- ist Nevada, we foresee a reduction in unrest and an increase in educational outcomes across all student groups. Purpose. The purpose of this policy paper is to highlight the importance of addressing racism and racialized bias in education. Recommendations. To address the rising need for equity practices and poli- cies in Nevada, we propose six recommendations to acknowledge …

Prepping For Another Recession: Re-Assessing The Validity Of Teacher Evaluation Systems For Human Capital Decision-Making, Bradley D. Marianno, Adam Kho, Tiberio Garza, Jonathan Hilpert

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. The school budget cuts concomitant with the COVID-19 pandemic mean educator jobs may again be threatened by layoffs. During prior recessions, school district administration primarily deter- mined teacher layoffs by virtue of seniority. However, as new evidence emerges that seniority policies may not be the most equitable way to determine teacher layoffs, some have turned towards performance-based measures from evaluation systems. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity and reli- ability of the Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) for making human capital decisions like layoffs. Recommendations. We recommend that Nevada and other states improve the …

Challenges And Opportunities For Virtual Teaching In Nevada, Linda F. Quinn, Lois B. Paretti

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. School closures in Nevada due to the COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented chal- lenge to schools, districts, teachers, parents and students. The rapid switch to virtual teaching left many students unaccounted for and teachers unprepared for teaching virtually. Therefore, there exists a need for advanced planning to assure education in Nevada continues at a high level, whether through on-prem- ise learning in schools or through remote teaching. Purpose. This policy paper discusses ways virtual teaching requires adaptations to teacher professional development, access to technology, and teacher preparation. Ways to improve the viability of virtual teaching to enhance student achievement, …

Eliminating Exclusionary Practices In Early Childhood Education In Nevada, Melissa Beck Yarczower, Jenna Weglarz-Ward, Claire T. Tredwell

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Many young children under 5 years old spend a significant part of their days in early childhood settings which provide them access to environments and activities that foster their learning. Unfortunate- ly, in many of these early childhood settings, young children are expelled and suspended at a rate that is three times the rate of students in a K-12 setting leading to detrimental, long-term outcomes for young children, families, and the community. Purpose. This paper gives an overview of exclusionary practices in early childhood, discusses causes and consequences of these practices, and provides recommendations to eliminate exclusionary practices in …

Venture Capital In Nevada, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet provides an overview of venture capital in the State of Nevada. Venture capital is an essential part of economic diversification and business startup development. The Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are used for comparative purposes to add context to Nevada’s venture capital ecosystem. The differing nature of venture capital funds in Northern and Southern Nevada is delineated.

Determining Frailty In People With Intellectual Disabilities In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Dederieke A.M. Festen, Josje D. Schoufour, Thessa I.M. Hilgenkamp, Alyt Oppewal

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities published by International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Wiley Periodicals LLC Background: Across the world, frailty is part of the guidelines that are being developed in the COVID-19 pandemic for triaging in crisis situations. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) evaluates the ability to perform daily tasks to identify frail individuals, potentially excluding those from intensive care (IC) treatment. Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience varying degrees of dependence, distinct from age-related physical deterioration. Using the CFS for triage in crisis situations could …

Engaging Remote Students Through Planning And Play Using Shared Google Docs, Julian Kilker

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Like many faculty teaching remotely, I faced challenges with student engagement, participation, and feedback, as well as balancing planned and impromptu course activities. In response, I explored using Google Docs to create productive and playful collaborative spaces inspired by Marie Foulston’s informal “Party in a Shared Google Doc” social experiment.

Remote Teaching Of Research Methods, Manoj Sharma

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Research Methods (PBH 360-1002) offered by the School of Public Health was taught remotely by Manoj Sharma to undergraduate students (primarily from public health) in Fall 2020. The specific teaching techniques that were used in teaching this course were delivery as remote learning, organizing the entire course in Canvas and making it available from day 1, recording all lectures beforehand in Panopto, utilizing cases studies, employing WebEx and its breakout sessions, and having skill-building activities in each module that were sequential. In this course, the fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change was utilized from a pedagogical perspective to …

Equity Design Framework, Lindsay J. Russell

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The Equity Design Framework allows instructors to address student equity in their online classes by taking a critical look at their current teaching practices and find ways to enhance equitable opportunities for all students. The framework is set up so the instructor can look at their online course and determine specific aspects that they would like to assess in regards to equity. Instructors then measure their current practices and look for ways they can incorporate equity either through their own self-reflection or by building self-reflective practices into their own teaching.

Drug Treatment Providers In Nevada, Vanessa Booth, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown

Health

This fact sheet reports data from Behavioral Health Nevada’s drug treatment provider database for May 2020. The data focuses on the number of drug treatment providers in Nevada counties and municipalities, how the facilities are funded, and if the facilities accept Medicaid. A breakdown of the number of clinics, the facilities that provide adult services, and the clinics that attain above standard ratings in Clark County are also provided.

Nevada Ballot Question 1: Reforming Higher Education Governance, 2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr., Fatma Nasoz

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet explores voting data of 1,407,761 Nevadans who participated in the 2020 election through in-person early, mail-in, absentee, or election day voting. The Secretary of State publishes the outcomes of each race, and results are broken down by county. Voting data are displayed as raw vote totals and percent shares of the total vote. Also included are data on the number of voters who declined to vote on each of Nevada’s five ballot questions. These data are calculated by subtracting the “yes” and “no” votes for each ballot measure from the total number of ballots cast both statewide …

Nevada's Plan For Recovery And Resilience, Sri International, Rcg Economics, Brookings Mountain West

Policy Briefs and Reports

The report that follows contains the following components:

• An economic forecast from RCG Economics on the situation expected for Nevada—GDP and employment—in the fall of 2021 (subject to all the present uncertainties faced by Nevada and the country as a whole).
• A series of immediate actions, in which GOED plays a leadership role, to shelter and prepare for recovery key components of Nevada’s economy. The particular focus is on “Main Street” and small and medium sized businesses.
• A set of visionary strategies, firmly grounded in Nevada’s underlying assets, that will accelerate the diversification of the state’s economy and the transition …

Public Transportation Use By Commuters In The Mountain West, Francisco Reyes, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet synthesizes data on methods and accessibility of transportation for commuters in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). This fact sheet explores data from the most populous county in each state, using data originally provided by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This dataset includes the type of transportation available (personal automobile, air travel, and maritime travel), the number of resident workers, the percent of these workers that commute to work, and the number of workers commuting within each county.

Measuring Environmental (Dis)Amenity Value During A Pandemic: Early Evidence From Maryland, Nicholas B. Irwin, Mitchell R. Livy

Molasky Family Department of Economics and Real Estate Faculty Research

© 2021 The Authors With the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implementation of stay-at-home (SAH) orders aimed to mitigate its spread, households became less mobile and sheltered in place. This behavior has potential implications for how households’ value environmental (dis)amenities, especially those that are underutilized during the pandemic. In this paper, we explore changes in the valuation of two prominent environmental (dis)amenities – major roadway and open space proximity – by households within the Baltimore metropolitan region. We find evidence that the housing price capitalization of immediate major roadway proximity changes due to the SAH order and associated policies that …

Community College Funding In The Mountain West, Peter Grema, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This fact sheet summarizes data from the Center for American Progress report “Tapping Local Support to Strengthen Community Colleges,” by Marcella Bombardieri. The original report highlights the potential for local funding to compensate for the resource gap that community colleges face throughout the country. This fact sheet reports data on Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah).

Gendered Movement Ecology And Landscape Use In Hadza Hunter-Gatherers, Brian M. Wood, Jacob A. Harris, David A. Raichlen, Herman Pontzer, Katherine Sayre, Amelia Sancilio, Colette Berbesque, Alyssa N. Crittenden, Audax Mabulla, Richard Mcelreath, Elizabeth Cashdan, James Holland Jones

Anthropology Faculty Research

Understanding how gendered economic roles structure space use is critical to evolutionary models of foraging behaviour, social organization and cognition. Here, we examine hunter-gatherer spatial behaviour on a very large scale, using GPS devices worn by Hadza foragers to record 2,078 person-days of movement. Theory in movement ecology suggests that the density and mobility of targeted foods should predict spatial behaviour and that strong gender differences should arise in a hunter-gatherer context. As predicted, we find that men walked further per day, explored more land, followed more sinuous paths and were more likely to be alone. These data are consistent …

Covidistress Global Survey Dataset On Psychological And Behavioural Consequences Of The Covid-19 Outbreak, Austin Horng-En Wang, Over 50 Other International Authors

Political Science Faculty Research

This N=173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey – an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures …

Teachers’ Unions, Collective Bargaining, And The Response To Covid-19, Annie A. Hemphill, Bradley D. Marianno

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, school districts worked quickly to roll out distance learning plans in the spring. Sometimes these plans impinged upon or were directly in conflict with provisions found in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and district administration. In this brief, we unpack how urban school systems changed CBAs to make way for learning under COVID-19 conditions. We review COVID-19–related contract changes in 101 urban school districts around the country. We find that twenty-five urban school districts returned to the bargaining table with teachers’ unions to negotiate short-term fixes to CBAs that allowed for …