Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Three Essays On Misinformation, Mistrust And Their Influence On Public Health Policy, Eli Kochersperger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the first chapter I identify the impact of fentanyl exposure misinformation- namely, the erroneous belief that momentary, passive contact with the potent opioid fentanyl can be seriously harmful- on first responder behavior during overdose events, and on overall opioid-related mortality. I examine changes in opioid-related mortality following one particularly well-covered episode involving an Ohio police officer in 2017, wherein the officer appeared to experience an acute opioid overdose after touching what was believed to be fentanyl. Employing a synthetic differences-in-differences identification strategy, I find areas with greater media exposure to this misinformation exhibit marked increases in opioid overdose deaths; …

Perceived Discrimination And Mental Health Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Preventive Health Behaviors And Social Support, Sarah C M Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Perceived discrimination has been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, increased risk-taking behaviors, and poor engagement in health promoting behaviors. College students may be especially susceptible to negative mental health outcomes associated with discrimination due to the unique stressors faced by young adults (e.g., prolonged transition to adulthood, onset of mental health disorders, changes in social support). The current study examined the mediating and moderating roles of health behaviors and social support on the association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality) in college students. A total of 709 college students (42.8% White; 72.2% female; 30.2% …

Factors That Influence The Health Seeking Behavior And Degree Of Health Service Utilization Of Ethiopian Immigrants Living In One Of The Midwest Cities Of The United States: A Mixed Methods, Sisay Bekele Mersha

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTFACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOR AND DEGREE OF HEALTH SERVICE UTILIZATION OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN ONE OF THE MIDWEST CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES: A MIXED METHODS

Immigrants have a significantly higher prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and worse health outcomes than native-born individuals in the United States. The disproportionate adverse outcomes have been associated with structural, systemic, and socioeconomic inequalities and individuals’ Health-Seeking Behavior (HSB) and patters of Health Service Utilization (HSU). The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the survey explored (a) factors influencing the HSB of Ethiopian immigrants …

Social Media And Physical Activity Among African American College Women, Carmen Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Among African American (AA) college women, physical activity (PA) is decreasing, with less than 20% participating in moderate-intensity cardio or aerobic exercise. Physical inactivity can lead to increased morbidity and mortality from chronic conditions. There is a need for more research on AA women’s health practices to develop interventions that can lead to sustainable behavior change among this population. More than 70% of AA college women reported using some form of social media (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat) daily. Social networking sites (SNS) in particular can provide health information, advice, and an open forum for individuals with health …

The Roles Of Social Support And Personal Mastery In The Health Behaviors Of Adults With Cancer: A Survey Study, Kristen Marie Pasko

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The majority of individuals struggle to adhere to recommended dietary and physical activity guidelines. Specifically, older adults with cancer struggle to meet health behavior recommendations, and tend to have additional risk factors, such as poor social support. Following the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, an individual's response to a stressful situation (cancer diagnosis) would be influenced by the interaction between their internal resources (personal mastery) and external resources (social support). Using archival data from the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, 725 older adults were surveyed …

Social Comparison Features In Physical Activity Promotion Apps: Scoping Meta-Review., Danielle Arigo, Megan M Brown, Kristen Pasko, Jerry Suls

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

BACKGROUND: Smartphone apps promoting physical activity (PA) are abundant, but few produce substantial and sustained behavior change. Although many PA apps purport to induce users to compare themselves with others (by invoking social comparison processes), improvements in PA and other health behaviors are inconsistent. Existing literature suggests that social comparison may motivate PA for some people under some circumstances. However, 2 aspects of work that apply social comparison theory to PA apps remain unclear: (1) how comparison processes have been operationalized or harnessed in existing PA apps and (2) whether incorporating sources of variability in response to comparison have been …

Social Networking Sites And Physical Activity: The Role Of Framed Health Messages, Cassie Gonzalez

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are the current leading causes of death in the United States, where most of these diseases are caused by a few specific risk behaviors including tobacco use, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity (Rutledge, Lane, Merlo, & Elmi, 2018). Healthcare professional are being encouraged to educate patients and the community about the risks associated with health behaviors and lifestyle choices. I explore aspect of these health messages in the context of gain- vs loss-framed messages presented through two social networking sites, Twitter and Instagram, on subsequent health behavior changes. Whereas existing literature have explored …

Patient Perspectives On Adherence To The New Hepatitis C Antiviral Medications: ‘A New Lease On Life’, Nicole M. Giordano, Anthony J. Brinn, Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, Steve Martino

The Qualitative Report

This study explored patients’ perspectives about taking the new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of Hepatitis C (i.e., sofosbuvir, simeprevir, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, ombitasvir/paritraprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir) to identify facilitators of medication adherence. The project was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 12 Veterans who successfully completed a treatment course on the new DAAs. The Veterans were recruited using purposive sampling. The data collected from the semi-structured interviews was analyzed using an adapted open coding method outlined by Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), with identification of relevant text sub-grouped into repeating ideas, and then creation of overarching themes and constructs. Results obtained provide insight …

Characterizing Health Behavior Information: Developing A Surveillance Text Mining Framework Using Twitter For Diet, Diabetes, Exercise, And Obesity, George Shaw Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have documented the relationship that exists among diabetes, diet, exercise, and obesity. Obesity increases people’s risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise and proper dieting are modifiable lifestyle behaviors that can help with reducing people’s overall weight and risk to various chronic conditions like diabetes. A national survey conducted by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) is the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Twitter provides researchers with a new opportunity and alternative data source to collect information regarding health behaviors using real-time data. Previous studies have demonstrated Twitter’s ability to monitor …

Message Effects And The Communication Theory Of Identity: Does Making Message Recipients Mindful Of Identity Gaps Influence Their Health Behavior Decisions?, Jacob J. Matig

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Situated within the context of college students’ excessive drinking behaviors, the current study drew from dissonance theory, self-consistency theory, and hypocrisy induction methodology to evaluate the utility of the Communication Theory of Identity within persuasive health message design. Specifically, it examined whether hypocrisy induction manipulations that focused participants on salient identity layers made them mindful of corresponding identity gaps, which in turn caused them to experience cognitive dissonance that they sought to resolve by reporting intentions to change their excessive drinking behavior.

Participants (N = 279) completed an online experiment in which they were randomly assigned either to one …

Do Injunctive And Descriptive Normative Beliefs Need A Value-Laden Multiplier In Value Expectancy Models? A Case Series Across Multiple Health Behaviors, Paul Branscum, Maria Collado Rivera, Grace Fairchild, Katie Qualls Fay

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit of transforming expectancy-based determinants of injunctive and descriptive norms with a value-laden construct across a case series of health behaviors. This case series draws upon three cases (sugar-sweetened beverages, physical activity, and sleep), each evaluating generalized injunctive (ΣIN) and descriptive norms (ΣDN), with corresponding value-expectancy based determinants: injunctive normative belief strength (inbi) and motivation to comply (mtci), and descriptive normative belief strength (dnbi) and identification with referents (iwri). Each belief-based measure (inbi/dnbi) and product between belief-based measure and value-laden measure (inbi x mtci/dnbi x iwri) was correlated to its corresponding …

Influence Of Media Messages On Obesity And Health Perceptions Among African American Women, Carolyn Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, thus increasing their risks for chronic diseases. Their understanding of their health status and response to it could be triggered by messages in the media, yet few researchers have examined this topic with African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how advertisement and editorial content in media contributed to perceptions African American women have about overweight and obesity. Following the theoretical foundation of the social cognitive theory, the research questions explored what messages study participants encountered and which messages prompted …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy, Optimism, And Sensation Seeking In Predicting Self-Reported Adherence To Health Behaviors, Kristine V. Spano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between health behaviors and three psychological variables that included optimism, self-efficacy, and sensation seeking was investigated in this study. A demographic form, the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) were administered to 258 participants. The data were analyzed for two separate and independent samples based on gender. Results indicated that self-efficacy predicted male health behaviors while optimism predicted female health behaviors. In addition, men scored higher than women on self-reported sensation-seeking behaviors, as predicted. Limitations of this research and directions for further …

Partner Influence In Diet And Exercise Behaviors: Testing Behavior Modeling, Social Control, And Normative Body Size, Brea Perry, Gabriele Ciciurkaite, Christy Freadreacea Brady, Justin Garcia

Sociology Faculty Publications

Previous research has documented social contagion in obesity and related health behaviors, but less is known about the social processes underlying these patterns. Focusing on married or cohabitating couples, we simultaneously explore three potential social mechanisms influencing obesity: normative body size, social control, and behavior modeling. We analyze the association between partner characteristics and the obesity-related health behaviors of focal respondents, comparing the effects of partners’ body type, partners’ attempts to manage respondents’ eating behaviors, and partners’ own health behaviors on respondents’ health behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and fast food consumption). Data on 215 partners are extracted …

Alcohol Use And Strenuous Physical Activity In College Students: A Longitudinal Test Of 2 Explanatory Models Of Health Behavior, Heather A. Davis, Elizabeth N. Riley, Gregory T. Smith, Richard S. Milich, Jessica L. Burris

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: To help clarify the effect of gender on the bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students. Participants: Five hundred twenty-four (52% female) college students recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up in April 2009 and April 2011, respectively. Methods: Participants reported their alcohol use and strenuous physical activity on 2 occasions (baseline and follow-up) spaced approximately 1 or 2 years apart. Results: For females, alcohol use quantity at baseline was associated with increased strenuous physical activity at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, and alcohol use frequency at baseline was …

The Carrot And The Stick? Strategies To Improve Compliance With College Campus Tobacco Policies, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Maria Roditis, Stanton A. Glantz

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: Tobacco-free policies are being rapidly adopted nationwide, yet compliance with these policies remains a challenge. This study explored college campus key informants' experiences with tobacco policies, and their perceived benefits, drawbacks, and outcomes. Participants: The sample for this study was 68 key informants representing 16 different California universities with varying tobacco policies (no smoking indoors and within 20 feet of entrances, designated smoking areas, 100% smoke-free, and 100% tobacco-free). Methods: Qualitative, descriptive study. Semistructured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Strategies to improve compliance ranged from a social approach to a …

Essays On Health And Labor Market Practices In The U.S., Mona Khadem Sameni

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the link between different aspects of labor market and individuals’ health. The first chapter analyzes the relationship between the use of four different substances and nonstandard work schedules. Using the NLSY97 and applying standard panel techniques as well as survival analyses, I find that contrary to most previous evidence, nonstandard work schedule is not necessarily associated with an increase in substance use, and in the case of drinking and binge drinking such correlation is actually negative. Evidence also suggests that drug prone individuals tend to work more at nonstandard schedules. Results are robust to the specification at …

Examination Of Adherence, The Quality Of The Physician/Patient Relationship, And Illness-Related Beliefs Among Adults With Long Qt Syndrome, Maggie Monk

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac arrhythmia disorder that affects 1 in 2,000 individuals and is a precursor to various cardiac events, including sudden cardiac arrest (Schwartz et al., 2016). As a precaution, individuals with all types of LQTS have been advised to modify their lifestyles to avoid triggers, including limiting physical activity (PA). Nonadherence to treatment recommendations could result in devastating outcomes. The purpose of the study was to explore characteristics pertaining to adherence and nonadherence to PA recommendations, including the quality of the physician/patient relationship and illness beliefs among adults with LQTS. An Internet survey was completed …

Cognitive Distortions: Predictors Of Medical Adherence And Health Behaviors Among Women At Risk For Breast Cancer, Amanda Viner

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between cognitive distortions and health behaviors among women at risk for breast cancer. Sixty-eight participants completed an online survey consisting of demographic information, the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), and the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT). Results of the study indicate that health behaviors decrease as thinking becomes more distorted. The data also suggest that various cognitive distortions predict worse adherence, including fortune telling, minimization, and magnification. These findings have implications for the role of clinical psychologists in healthcare settings, and for the utility and implementation of cognitive behavioral interventions to increase early detection and …

Self-Regulation And Physical Activity In Wku Employees, Scott Perkins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many Americans do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity, and thus do not receive the potential physical and mental health benefits from physical activity. Stage of change is a model that categorizes individuals into one of five stages based on behavior and intentions for future behavior. This model is useful for promoting physical activity because it allows for tailoring of interventions to individuals with different physical activity levels and readiness for change. The main purpose of this research was to test if more adaptive scores for Essential Self-Regulation Model (ESRM) constructs are found for persons in higher …

Primary Caregivers Of Children With Williams Syndrome: Posttraumatic Growth And Related Health Outcomes, Laura Slosky

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Current literature on caregivers of children with chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities primarily focuses on negative aspects of adjustment, with maternal stress and depression as common outcome variables (Duvdevany & Abboud, 2003; Shin and Crittenden, 2003). While these pediatric caregivers have been shown to struggle more than caregivers of typically developing children, the possibility of positive psychological outcomes from such an experience is only beginning to be explored (Kim, Greenberg, Seltzer & Krauss, 2003; Scallan, Senior & Reilly, 2010). One such positive outcome is the idea of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), a construct for which a widely accepted theoretical model …

Health Behaviors And Standardized Test Scores: The Impact Of School Health Climate On Performance, Whitney Decamp, Kevin Daly

Whitney DeCamp

Social Comparison Theory In The Context Of Chronic Illness: Predictors And Consequences Of Target Selection Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Danielle Arigo

Psychology - Dissertations

Individuals often compare themselves to others (i.e., social comparisons) in order to determine their status in a given domain. Social comparisons may be particularly important for patients with chronic illness; patients often experience uncertainty and anxiety about their health, which increase the likelihood and utility of social comparisons. Among patients, social comparisons can have both positive and negative health-related consequences (for affect, motivation to improve one's health care behaviors, etc.), depending upon several contextual features. Various steps in the social comparison process have been proposed, but not tested directly. The present study is an examination of the social comparison process …

Exploring The Impact Of Knowledge And Social Environment On Influenza Prevention And Transmission In Midwestern United States High School Students, William L. Romine, Tanvi Banerjee, William S. Barrow, William R. Folk

Kno.e.sis Publications

We used data from a convenience sample of 410 Midwestern United States students from six secondary schools to develop parsimonious models for explaining and predicting precautions and illness related to influenza. Scores for knowledge and perceptions were obtained using two-parameter Item Response Theory (IRT) models. Relationships between outcome variables and predictors were verified using Pearson and Spearman correlations, and nested [student within school] fixed effects multinomial logistic regression models were specified from these using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC). Neural network models were then formulated as classifiers using 10-fold cross validation to predict precautions and illness. Perceived barriers against taking precautions …

Citizen-Centered Health Promotion: Building Collaboration To Facilitate Healthy Living, Steven H. Woolf, Mercedes M. Dekker, Fraser Rothenberg Byrne, Wilhelmine Miller

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Unhealthy behaviors, notably tobacco use; unhealthy diets; and inadequate physical activity are major contributors to chronic disease in the U.S. and are more prevalent among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Differences in the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors among communities with different physical, social, and economic resources suggest that contextual environmental factors play an important causal role. Yet health promotion interventions often are undertaken in isolation and with inadequate attention to these holistic social and economic influences on lifestyle. For example, clinicians' advice to patients to stop smoking or lose weight can help motivate people to change behaviors, but their ability to take …

Examination Of Health Adherence Behaviors And Cognitive Distortions In Patients With Chronic Illness , Clint C. Stankiewicz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between health adherence behaviors and cognitive distortions among patients with chronic illness were investigated. One-hundred eleven participants from two outpatient medical clinics were administered the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT) and the Inventory for Cognitive Distortions (lCD), and the Health Adherence Behavior Survey was utilized to obtain demographic information. Results indicated participants who had a thinking style characterized by the use of cognitive distortions tended to engage in fewer health promoting behaviors. This finding was consistent with the predicted hypothesis. In fact, a significant correlation at the .05 level of -.173 was found between the ICD and the …

Barriers To Serving The Vulnerable: Thoughts Of A Former Public Official, Christine Ferguson

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

In an environment of limited resources, the question of who is deserving and undeserving of assistance becomes critical. Policymakers’ biases about whether a health condition is self-inflicted, as well as their perceptions about whether treatments are truly effective, play a major role—often unstated—in the allocation of resources.