Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining Young Adult E-Cigarette Users By Device Type: A Latent Class Analysis, Mufazzela Tabassum

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Examining Young Adult E-Cigarette Users by Device Type: A Latent Class Analysis

Purpose. This study examined which factors influence the type(s) of e-cigarette devices someone uses and if there are heterogeneous groups of young adult e-cigarette users.

Methods. This study first quantitatively explored if there are heterogeneous groups of e-cigarette users by utilizing data from an online cross-sectional survey. E-cigarette users (n = 595) were able to participate in the survey if they were 18-29 years of age, used an e-cigarette for 1-5 days in the past 30 days, own their own e-cigarette, and live in the United States. Participants …

A Dual-Angle Exploration Towards Understanding Lapses In Covid-19 Social Responsibility, Sean T. H. Lee, Jerome J. X. Mah, Angela K. Y. Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Breaking infection chains requires not just behaviours that allow individuals to stay healthy and uninfected (i.e. health protective behaviours) but also for those who are possibly infected to protect others from their harboured infection risk (i.e. socially responsible behaviours). However, socially responsible behaviours entail costs without clear, immediate benefits to the individual, such that public health-risking lapses occur from time to time. In this important yet understudied area, the current exploratory study sought to identify possible psychological factors that may affect people's likelihood of engaging in socially responsible behaviours. Assuming that self-perceived infection should provide an impetus to engage in …

Nicotine Addiction: A Hidden Health Crisis, Macy J. Mcgrath, Andrea Walker, Anahita Mohammadkhah

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In the United States, nicotine addiction is an ongoing health crisis (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 2023). Pivotal to this crisis is the prevalence and ease of access to devices that deliver nicotine. Covering a broad spectrum, devices range from traditional forms of tobacco such as cigarettes, pipes, etc. to new nicotine devices such as e-cigarettes and vapes. Yet, even with the health crisis looming, more and more individuals are becoming addicted to nicotine (Ayers et al., 2011; Lyu et al., 2022; Pokhrel et al., 2021). In particular, research indicates that the 18-24 age demographic is significantly more likely to …

Greater Traditionalism Predicts Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors Across 27 Societies, Theodore Samore, D. M. T. Fessler, A. M. Sparks, C. Holbrook, L. Aaroe, Norman P. Li, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People vary both in their embrace of their society’s traditions, and in their perception of hazards as salient and necessitating a response. Over evolutionary time, traditions have offered avenues for addressing hazards, plausibly resulting in linkages between orientations toward tradition and orientations toward danger. Emerging research documents connections between traditionalism and threat responsivity, including pathogen-avoidance motivations. Additionally, because hazard-mitigating behaviors can conflict with competing priorities, associations between traditionalism and pathogen avoidance may hinge on contextually contingent tradeoffs. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a real-world test of the posited relationship between traditionalism and hazard avoidance. Across 27 societies (N = 7844), we …

The Social Determinants Of Health And Genocide: Towards A Public Health Integrated Framework Of Genocide And Mass Violence, Sian Persad, Cheng Xu

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper makes a normative argument about transformations of public health as a necessary condition required in any transitional justice process. We seek to bridge the gap between the fields of genocide and public health to understand the recursive relationship between genocide and the social determinants of health. We show that structures and institutions established during genocide create enduring impacts on the public health outcomes of victim and survivor groups even after the ousting of the original perpetrators. Our comparative analysis of the Rwandan Genocide and the colonial genocide of Indigenous communities in Canada surveys the available public health literature …

Psychoactive Substances Consumers Among High School Students: Detection And Intervention, Rebeca Thelma Martínez Villarreal, Alan Fernando García Martínez, Irma Cecilia Rico Ramírez, Brenda Elizabeth Salas Herrera, Claudia Cecilia Salazar Garza

Research Symposium

Purpose: Identify and treat psychoactive substances consumers (PSC) among high school students at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL); México.

Description: A two-phase program (detection and intervention) was designed. Phase one included urine drug testing (UDT) either from direct aleatory sampling or referrals from within university departments under informed consent.

Phase two for positive PSC, included an interview for psychological needs identification and cognitive behavioral intervention planning.

Between 2017 and 2019, 490 UDT were performed. Results showed 235 PSC (47.9%), 86.4% were males (203) and 13.6% females (32).

Most detected substance was cannabis: 218 students (92.7%); less frequent substances detected …

After The Disaster Guidebook: Designing A Post-Disaster Communication Intervention For Rural Landowners, Channing Bice, Susan Carter

The Journal of Extension

Extension is well-positioned to facilitate communication strategies that foster community resilience and disaster recovery, particularly for rural residents. This paper proposes a new approach to post-disaster communication that strengthens rural community capacities in locally and culturally relevant ways. The findings revealed specific post-disaster information needs, preferences for local resources, and communication that encourages resilience through a document analysis and interviews with informants recovering from the 2020 Colorado wildfires. The practical recommendations discussed serve as a starting point for Extension professionals in other areas to consider ways to engage with their communities before, during, and after a disaster.

Adaptability In Community-Based Participatory Research: Comparisons Of Coalitions In The Deep South, Candace Forbes Bright Phd

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Health inequities in the Gulf states are complex issues to resolve, and no single solution or strategy can improve the health rankings in each state. Yet, using grassroots approaches and building community partnerships are promising strategies to identify important health issues and opportunities for policy change. Purpose: This paper illustrates how the Gulf States Health Policy Center coalitions in four different locations used the same community-based participatory research model, but with distinct differences in processes, across nine projects to address issues that negatively affected population health. Methods: Recognizing that communities have unique needs, resources, and complementary health efforts, we …

Public Sentiments And The Influence Of Information-Seeking Preferences On Knowledge, Attitudes, Death Conversation And Receptiveness Towards Palliative Care: Results From A Nationwide Survey In Singapore, Su Lin Yeo, Raymond Han Lip Ng, Tan Ying Peh, May O. Lwin, Poh Heng Chong, Patricia Soek Hui Neo, Jamie Xuelian Zhou, Angel Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Background: Low awareness about palliative care among the global public and healthcare communities has been frequently cited as a persistent barrier to palliative care acceptance. Given that knowledge shapes attitudes and encourages receptiveness, it is critical to examine factors that influence the motivation to increase knowledge. Health information-seeking from individuals and media has been identified as a key factor, as the process of accessing and interpreting information to enhance knowledge has been shown to positively impact health behaviours. Objective: Our study aimed to uncover public sentiments toward palliative care in Singapore. A conceptual framework was additionally developed to investigate the …

Daunting Encounters: La Hague’S Infrastructures Of Secrecy, Agnes Villette

Secrecy and Society

The article explores secrecy, more particularly, nuclear secrecy in relation to two nuclear facilities situated at the tip of the Norman peninsula of La Hague, in France. Both sites - the CSM nuclear waste repository and the close-by refueling plant - were developed at the end of the 1960s in connection with France’s extensive civil and military nuclear program. While institutional archives and access to the sites remain tedious, the article contends that the nuclear secrecy shielding the facilities can be approached by unpacking the numerous accidents that took place at the site. Silenced and subjected to amnesia, spills and …

The Context And The Commissioner: The Effect Of Milwaukee’S Health Commissioners’ Social, Cultural, And Historical Understanding Of Milwaukee’S People During The Last Five Pandemics, Madeline O'Dea Fruehe

Theses and Dissertations

Resistance to pandemic response policies was observed globally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This resistance has been linked by researchers to the prolonged duration and higher mortality rate of COVID-19 compared to previous pandemics, despite advancements in modern medicine, extensive surveillance networks and record vaccine production. However, the strategies implemented by public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic closely mirrored those successful in mitigating past pandemics. To elucidate this disparity, a historical analysis encompassing the 1918, 1957, 1968, 2009, and Covid-19 pandemics was conducted within the city of Milwaukee. By examining archival documents and over 800 newspaper articles, this research found …

A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Obesity, Body Image, And Mental Health Of British-Born Afro-Caribbean Male Students At A West Yorkshire University In England, Johnson Mbabazi, Dorothy Irene Nalweyiso, Fiona Macgregor, Jeff Breckon, Edward Kunonga, Barry Tolchard, Rosemary Dawson, Jennifer Teke, Josette Bettany Saltikov, George William Kagugube, Lawrence Achilles Nnyanzi

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Obesity, body image, and depression are all biopsychosocial phenomena that are frequently misunderstood across cultures. Body dissatisfaction is a psychological aspect of obesity that has been associated with disordered eating, low self-esteem, and depression. Nevertheless, body image dissatisfaction may affect non-obese individuals too. Those with a positive body image are more likely to participate in physical activity than those with a negative body image. Individuals who are satisfied with their body image are more likely to possess high self-esteem, confidence, and healthy eating habits. Obesity prevention among the black population is increasingly important. This study sought to examine the perceptions …

A Descriptive, Multi-Site Case Study To Discover The Inclusion Of Disability Competencies In Undergraduate Public Health Program Curricula In California-Based Public Universities, Jacqueline Suzanne Siukola Tompkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nearly one in four adults and one in six children in the United States (U.S.) have a disability. Despite the evidence documenting health differences, public health professionals receive inconsistent or little-to-no disability education in graduate public health curricula. Undergraduate public health (UGPH) programs have an expanding role in building the future public health workforce, including the U.S. governmental public health workforce. However, the inclusion of disability-related content within UGPH program curricula is currently unknown. The purpose of this multi-site case study was to conduct preliminary research to describe how disability-related curricula are or can be included in UGPH program curricula …

Understanding The Consumption Of Antimicrobial Resistance–Related Content On Social Media: Twitter Analysis, Hyunuk Kim, Chris R. Proctor, Dylan Walker, Ronan R. Mccarthy

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in our society. Today, social media can function as an important channel to disseminate information about AMR. The way in which this information is engaged with depends on a number of factors, including the target audience and the content of the social media post.

Objective: The aim of this study is to better understand how AMR-related content is consumed on the social media platform Twitter and to understand some of the drivers of engagement. This is essential to designing effective public health strategies, raising awareness about antimicrobial …

Participation Of Academic Libraries And Provision Of Covid-19 Information Services During The Pandemic In Nigeria, Flora Orewa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information was sought on the level of collaboration between academic libraries and known key players championing the prevention and control of COVID-19, the activities carried out in compliance with set protocols, information services offered, and the challenges faced. Results showed moderate level of collaboration and very limited direct synergistic interaction with public health groups, while they provided patrons with an avenue to source updates from library websites. There was high compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines; however, there was no specialized COVID-19 information service desk for patrons' inquiries. Libraries participated in the dissemination of COVID-19 information during the pandemic, especially to …

Adverse Effects Of Early Exposure To Pornography And The Utilization Of Art Therapy, Meghan Potts

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

Pornography is not a new phenomenon in our culture or world. With the expansion of the affordability, accessibility, and anonymity of pornography, demand and consumption rates have also escalated, along with the adverse impact associated with this growth (Coopersmith, 2006 as cited by Dines, 2017). This two-year grant proposal seeks to focus its efforts on serving children, the population being exposed to this widespread phenomenon (Wright, Paul, et al., 2021). The full-time art therapist will carry out trauma-informed prevention and intervention methods to advocate for the mental and physical health of children in individual, relational, and community contexts. This will …

“Not What I Expected”: A Narrative Inquiry On The Leadership Experiences Of Women Campus Recreation Directors In The Power Five Conferences, Emily J. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

While there is an increase of women working in campus recreation, there remains an underrepresentation of women in leadership roles within campus recreation and related industries. Not only can it be challenging for women to navigate male-dominated fields to achieve their desired position, but women experience difficulties once they finally obtain leadership roles. This study built upon the limited research conducted about the experiences of women leaders within campus recreation. The purpose of the study was to gain further understanding of the experiences of women who are directors of campus recreation. Specifically examining their career development, resilience, and health in …

Mind The Gap! Advancing Data Equity To Improve Population Health Equity For People With Disabilities, Michelle Fong

Poster Presentations

The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disability (UCEDD), carries out a variety of education and research activities designed to improve the social and health equity of people with disabilities (PWD). CCIDS sought to examine the health equity of Maine’s population with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (IDD/NDD) regarding Covid-19. However, we encountered a data gap. Therefore, we examined the drivers of data gaps for people with disabilities to make recommendations for improving their health equity by ensuring their representation in public health data, the evidence base for policymaking.

The Development Of Health System Resiliency: How Kenya's Experience With Malaria Impacted Its Reaction To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Zoe A. Ward

Baker Scholar Projects

Public health scholars have recently focused on health system resiliency to explain how previous experiences dealing with public health crises impact the healthcare sector, public behavior, and policy response to novel crises. However, it is unclear how resiliency develops. This study contributes by testing whether a health system’s experience with a health emergency and significant interventions impacts the response to a novel crisis. This research asks, “How has Kenya’s experience with malaria impacted its response to COVID-19?” Using the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS), I develop a malaria adherence score to measure county-level compliance …

Early Childhood Support Specialist Evaluation Report, Emilie Swenson Msw, Rachel Gallo Mph

Children, Youth, & Families

The Early Childhood Support Specialist (ECSS) at MaineHealth builds relationships with families who have children aged birth to three, a timeframe when infants and toddlers are rapidly developing, learning, and benefiting from family and community connections. The ECSS assesses a family’s strengths and needs to understand how that family can be supported and connected. The ECSS connects families to resources, provides referrals, coaches families on children’s social and emotional development, and generally serves as a point of contact to assist families with social, emotional, and medical needs. Ultimately, the intended outcome of this model is to increase family connections, decrease …

The Use And Influence Of Health Indicators In Municipal Transportation Plans, Kelly Christine Rodgers

Dissertations and Theses

Transportation is an important social determinant of health that shapes the places where people "live, learn, work, and play" to the extent that an individual's zip code better predicts their health than their genetic code. Researchers and practitioners have called for the use of health indicators in transportation as one way to integrate public health concerns into transportation. The underlying hope is that new organizational routines, such as measuring and tracking indicators, can translate policy goals into policy practice. However, it is unclear how indicators are used and what impact they have on policy--the creation or modification of policies and …

Feminist Public Health As Abortion Pedagogy: Building Space For Reluctant Students, Chris Barcelos

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Costumbre Y Carnavales; El Rol De Alcohol En La Comunidad Aymara De Putre, Billy White

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar el impacto del alcohol en la comunidad aymara de Putre, localidad rural del norte de Chile. Se realizaron 17 entrevistas semiformales en Putre y sus alrededores con profesionales de la salud de la comunidad, pacientes adultos del CESFAM local, curanderos tradicionales aymaras y líderes comunitarios. El estudio encontró que el consumo de alcohol en Putre está intrínsecamente relacionado con las costumbres y la cultura aymara, ya que su perspectiva sobre el alcohol informa su consumo. El alcohol tiene un papel importante en la religión aymara, la medicina y las fiestas locales. Los hábitos de …

Epidemiology And Criminology: Managing Youth Firearm Homicide Violence In Urban Areas, Joseph A. Mcmillan

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Violence is considered a public health problem in the United States, yet little is known about the benefit of using a combined epidemiology and criminology (EpiCrim) approach to focus on urban youth gun violence. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to determine in what ways Akers and Lanier’s EpiCrim approach, in tandem with Benet’s polarities of democracy approach, is explanatory of gun homicides by youth in U.S. urban areas and if the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System adequately addresses gun abatement measures. I collected data through semi-structured interviews with 16 criminal justice practitioners and medical professionals with experience …

The Investigation Of Health-Related Topics On Tiktok: A Descriptive Study Protocol, Joelie Mandzufas, Jeremiah Ayalde, Daniel Ta, Emily Munro, Rigel Paciente, Emmanuel P. Pranoto, Kaelyn King, Kelly How, Alanna Sincovich, Mary Brushe, Nicole Wickens, Gabriella Wells, Alix Woolard, Melinda Edmunds, Hannah Thomas, Gina S. A. Trapp, Karen Lombardi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The social media application TikTok allows users to view and upload short-form videos. Recent evidence suggests it has significant potential for both industry and health promoters to influence public health behaviours. This protocol describes a standardised, replicable process for investigations that can be tailored to various areas of research interest, allowing comparison of content and features across public health topics. The first 50 appearing videos in each of five relevant hashtags are sampled for analysis. Utilising a codebook with detailed definitions, engagement metadata and content variables applicable to any content area is captured, including an assessment of the video’s overall …

Shared Responsibility: Conceptualising How A Public Health Approach May Enhance Police Response To Missing Persons, Katie Gambier-Ross, Joe Apps Dr, Sarah Wayland Dr

International Journal of Missing Persons

When a person is reported missing there are substantial costs for the individual, their family and society. This paper conceptualises the experience of missing persons episodes, through a public health approach. This then allows police, stakeholders and the community to engage in discussions about who is vulnerable to going missing by intervening in a way that addresses risk. Historically, a missing persons episode involves an absence, typically followed by police involvement in consultation with next of kin with establishing the whereabouts of the missing person being the primary focus. Yet, the risk factors of going missing relate more to the …

Ms 248 Guide To The Robert J. Emery, Drph Papers (1995-2011), Robert J. Emory

Manuscript Finding Aids

This collection contains materials related to Dr. Robert Emery's career on the faculty of the UT School of Public Health. There is a mix of materials specific to UT, along with external training materials, resources, and publications relevant to this work. The UT materials include reports related to areas of the School of Public Health, such as Industrial Hygiene & Air Environment and the Southwest Center for Occupational & Environmental Health. See more at MS 248.

The Shortfalls Of Vulnerability Indexes For Public Health Decision-Making In The Face Of Emergent Crises: The Case Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake In Virginia, Lydia Cleveland Sa, Erika Frydenlund

VMASC Publications

Equitable and effective vaccine uptake is a key issue in addressing COVID-19. To achieve this, we must comprehensively characterize the context-specific socio-behavioral and structural determinants of vaccine uptake. However, to quickly focus public health interventions, state agencies and planners often rely on already existing indexes of "vulnerability." Many such "vulnerability indexes" exist and become benchmarks for targeting interventions in wide ranging scenarios, but they vary considerably in the factors and themes that they cover. Some are even uncritical of the use of the word "vulnerable," which should take on different meanings in different contexts. The objective of this study is …

The Psychology Of Science Denialism And Lessons For Public Health Authorities, Brenna Moreno, Molly J. Walker Wilson

All Faculty Scholarship

As it wreaked tragedy on the world, the outbreak of COVID-19 helped expose a pandemic of a different kind, one steeped in distrust and contrarianism. This movement, termed science denialism, has been lurking and undermining public health efforts for decades. Specifically, it is “the employment of rhetorical arguments to give the appearance of legitimate debate where there is none, an approach that has the ultimate goal of rejecting a proposition on which a scientific consensus exists.” Unlike skepticism, which is “doubt as to the truth of something” and works to progress both science and society, denialism is characterized by individuals’ …

Understanding And Assessing Demographic (In)Equity Resulting From Extreme Heat Exposure Due To Lack Of Tree Canopies In Norfolk, Va Using Agent-Based Modeling, Virginia Zamponi, Kevin O'Brien, Erik Jensen, Brandon Feldhaus, Russell Moore, Christopher J. Lynch, Ross Gore

VMASC Publications

Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can result in illness and death. In urban areas of dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat, extreme heat conditions can arise regularly and create harmful environmental exposures for residents daily during certain parts of the year. Tree canopies provide shade and help to cool the environment, making mature trees with large canopies a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat. We develop a demographically representative 1 (agent): 1 (person) agent-based model to understand the extent to which different demographics of residents in Norfolk, VA are equitably shaded …