Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Enhancing Community Engagement: Perspectives From Researchers, Community Members, And Service Providers, Anne-Marie O'Brien, Elyssa Wood

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Compare and contrast perspectives from Research Team Members (RT), Community Members (CM) and Service Providers/Others (SP/O) about barriers and facilitators to community engagement and participation in health research.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey study with a convenience sample of adults who lived and/or worked in the Commonwealth of Virginia was conducted between May and July 2022. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to identify similarities and differences across the three stakeholder groups.

Results: A total of 303 participants were involved in this study. In general RTs, CMs and SP/Os were similar in their responses to perceived barriers and …

Describing Trends In Virginia's Dentist And Dental Hygienist Workforce: Challenges And Opportunities, Shillpa Naavaal, Yetty Shobo, Barbara Hodgdon

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Regular assessment of the dental workforce is essential to improve the population's oral health. This analysis aimed to understand the trends in the distribution of dentists and dental hygienists (DHs) in Virginia.

Methods: Annual survey data (2013-2022) of dentists and DHs from the Virginia Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center was used to examine the trends in provider distribution by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geography across Virginia.

Results: In 2022, there were 5,720 dentists and 5,290 DH licensees in Virginia. In the dentist workforce, there was a high representation of those aged ≥60 years (23%), males (58%), …

Learning Modalities And Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Abubakarr Jalloh, Annie D. Morgan

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: The study’s purpose was to explore how students were learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential mental health outcome(s) that different classroom learning modalities may have on kindergarten-12^th grade school (i.e., K-12) students given that some of them were learning remotely or in-person, while others were doing some form of hybrid.

Methods: This study performed an extensive review of the literature, including health and educational sources from two government agencies, and three school districts in southwest Virginia. The target population for the literature review was K-12 students in the United States, with a focus on the Commonwealth …

Social Determinants Of Diabetes In Hampton Roads, Virginia, Priyadarshini Pattath

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Background: Recent research demonstrates the need to consider social and economic factors that are the determinants of diabetes along with individual factors. Although the average crude rate of diabetes in Virginia is 10.9%, some of the census tracts report a much higher rate. Neighborhoods in places like Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth in Virginia have a diabetes prevalence rate of around 25%. Using a multilevel approach for diabetes interventions will have a much better outcome as social determinants play a significant role in diabetes-related health disparities.

Method: Diabetes prevalence data in seven cities of Hampton Roads, Virginia was linked to …

Predictors Of Refugees’ Ability To Pass The United States Citizenship Exam, Molly Grover, Fern Hauck, Sarah Blackstone, Emily Cloyd

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Background: Passing the United States citizenship exam can be challenging for refugee populations for several reasons, including affordability of English classes, time restraints, medical stressors, and limited formal education. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may influence a refugees’ ability to pass the citizenship exam, including English proficiency, education, employment, and completion of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Methods: Refugee patients at the International Family Medicine Clinic (IFMC) in Central Virginia participated in a survey that assessed their levels of English proficiency and whether or not they had passed the citizenship exam. The survey …