Health Communication Commons^™

Evaluating The Quality Of Information Found In The Most Common Health Websites In Google Using Discern And Craap, Ivan A. Portillo, Scott Yosuke Johnson, Catherine V. Johnson

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

Objectives: Google search results can have an outsized impact on the health information that consumers find and trust. The researchers analyzed the health-related websites that show up most frequently on the first page of Google search results. After determining the websites that appear most frequently, the authors would evaluate the quality of the health information on these websites using the DISCERN instrument and the CRAAP test.

Methods: To replicate a common health information search, a list of search terms was gathered from the most frequently searched health-related topics on Google Trends. Each term would then be searched on Google and …

The Wakefield Phenomenon: A Rhetorical Examination Of The Resurgence Of The Anti-Vaccination Movement In The 20th & 21st Century, Karen Boger

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the phenomenon of the anti-vaccination movement and existing publications documenting significant points in its resurgence in the late 20^th and early 21^st century following the now redacted publication by the former Dr. Wakefield asserting a correlation between children receiving vaccinations and children exhibiting the onset of developmental disorders, with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) garnering the most public attention. With increasing numbers of parents delaying or forbidding their children from receiving vaccinations, along with the re-emergence of previously eradicated disease outbreaks and casualties, questions about the salience of Wakefield’s anti-vaccination statements arise. Investigation here is key …

Exploratory Study Of Communication As A Psychosocial Factor Influencing Safer Sex Experiences Among Individuals Who Identify As Polyamorous, Cecilia Brooke Cholka

Communication ETDs

Even with over three decades of research on and promotion of safer sex, the rates of sexually transmitted infections continue to rise in the United States (CDC, 2017). Although communication about risk and protective factors is key to the promotion of safer sex behaviors, the meaning and impact of such communication is contingent upon culturally grounded understandings of safer sex among individuals of diverse sexual subcultures. This dissertation focuses on individuals who self-identified as polyamorous, a style of non-monogamy, and their understandings and experiences with safer sex. Drawing on the application of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model and narrative inquiry …

Communicating Uncertainty During Public Health Emergency Events: A Systematic Review, Pradeep Sopory, Ashleigh M. Day, Julie M. Novak, Stine Eckert, Lillian Wilkins, Donyale R. Padgett, Jane P. Noyes, Fatima A. Barakji, Juan Liu, Beth N. Fowler, Javier B. Guzman-Barcenas, Anna Nagayko, Jacob J. Nickell, Damecia Donahue, Kimberly Daniels, Tomas Allen, Nyka Alexander, Marsha L. Vanderford, Gaya M. Gamhewage

Honors Scholarly Publications

To answer the question, What are the best ways to communicate uncertainties to public audiences, at-risk communities, and stakeholders during public health emergency events? we conducted a systematic review of published studies, grey literature, and media reports in English and other United Nations (UN) languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. Almost 11,500 titles and abstracts were scanned of which 46 data-based primary studies were selected, which were classified into four methodological streams: Quantitative-comparison groups; Quantitative-descriptive survey; Qualitative; and Mixed-method and case-study. Study characteristics (study method, country, emergency type, emergency phase, at-risk population) and study findings (in narrative form) were …

Trauma Informed Care (Tic): Caring For Victims Of Trauma, Deanna Smith

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This poster discusses the use of trauma-informed care (TIC) in care settings to address health needs of patients who have experienced traumatic events. Complex trauma, childhood trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can cause long term impacts on health of patients including physical, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations. This poster explores health implications of trauma, how they can present in healthcare settings, and how the use of trauma-informed care can alleviate the burden on healthcare settings and improve patient outcomes by preventing further re-traumatization. The use of the TIC approach is applicable to all care modalities and settings, including primary and …

Social Distancing: The New Professional Civility, Benjamin Hunt

Graduate Research

As a naturalistic paradigm dictated by dialectal practices, culture must be understood in relation to a time and place in order to make ethical sense of society. Similarly, culture cannot be appropriately measured and studied without a reference to prior historical and geographical contexts. Naturalism is a dialectic that manifests as a type of evolution within our society. This cultural phenomenon allows human beings to reflect on those constructs through empirical means in order to understand the world, and to best prepare a society for how to move forward. The actions of the United States Government in regard to social …

Breastfeeding: Insights For Improving Malaria, Family Planning, And Maternal And Child Health Outcomes In Northwestern Nigeria Through Social And Behavior Change Research, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This brief provides evidence for implementers and researchers of social and behavior change programs designed to improve community knowledge, attitudes, norms and behaviors for pregnant and postpartum women's health. The brief focuses on key behaviors including early breastfeeding initiation within one hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, while also discussing breastfeeding barriers and facilitators. This is one of a series of briefs that present findings from a Breakthrough RESEARCH study that captured data on a wide range of psychosocial factors of behavioral outcomes for family planning, malaria, and maternal, newborn and child health, …

Hpv Vaccination In Females: The Role Of Primary Health Care And Primary Health Care Providers, Brooke Bouza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two reasons for subpar coverage of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are missed clinical opportunities and nonacceptance of the vaccine upon recommendation from a medical provider. The purpose of study one was to examine factors associated with access and adherence to physician’s recommendations in association with HPV vaccine uptake. Data were obtained from National Health Interview Survey (2017). Variables theoretically related to clinical opportunities and adherence to physician’s recommendations were examined in association with HPV vaccine uptake. Univariate logistic regressions were run to determine the associations between the aforementioned variables and uptake of the HPV vaccine. Multinomial logistic regressions were …

Building Assets For Humanitarian Settings, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document is the Women’s Refugee Commission and the Population Council’s adaptation of the Building Assets Toolkit and its core activity, the Asset Exercise, for use in humanitarian contexts. An asset-building exercise is a thoughtful way to build intentional program content for girls to determine what assets they need in order to survive and thrive. This is particularly important for programs intended to reach the poorest girls in the poorest communities based on sound evidence on the reality of their lives. The Council’s Building Assets Toolkit is rooted in this exercise, helping practitioners, policymakers, and advocates build tailored, meaningful, …

An Evaluation Of A Web-Based Tool To Improve Feeding Practices And The Home Environment Among Parents Of Low-Income Minority Preadolescents At-Risk For Childhood Obesity, Katrina F. Mateo

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Web-based/mHealth interventions may be an engaging approach to promote positive dietary-related behaviors among parents of youth at-risk for childhood obesity. Importantly, childhood obesity research highlights the role of parents as a key support mechanism in improving child dietary outcomes. Intervention INC is a childhood obesity intervention that comprises a unique, interactive web-based child nutrition comic aimed at improving dietary behaviors among urban Black/African American (AA) and Latino preadolescents, and also weekly online parent newsletters (with feeding tips, healthy printable recipes, links to coupons to support healthy eating/feeding and health-promoting local/community events, and access to the child nutrition comic) to …

Gender Integration In Social And Behavior Change: What Does It Take?, University Research Co., Breakthrough Research

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document pulls from a recent review of social and behavior change (SBC)-focused literature and highlights eight promising practices regarding how to integrate gender considerations in health and non-health SBC interventions. The practices are operationalized at different levels of the Socio-Ecological Model for Change and are mutually reinforcing. The purpose of this document is to share these promising practices with SBC partners to strengthen gender integration and mainstreaming efforts in SBC programming.

Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance Survey In Nigeria: Baseline Technical Report, Emily White Johansson, Paul Hutchinson, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Akanni Akinyemi, Andrea Smith, J. Clint Welty, Udochisom Anaba, Dominique Meekers, Alejandra Leyton, Dele Abegunde, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This technical report presents results of the baseline Behavioral Sentinel Surveillance survey by Breakthrough RESEARCH in Nigeria in September and October 2019. From 2019 to 2021, baseline, midline, and endline surveys will assess the effectiveness of Breakthrough ACTION integrated social and behavior change activities for malaria, family planning, and maternal, newborn and child health plus nutrition in Kebbi and Sokoto in comparison to Breakthrough ACTION's exclusively malaria activities in Zamfara state. Malaria activities were initiated in Zamfara in October 2019. This technical report presents detailed baseline results, including comparisons of results for the Breakthrough ACTION integrated and malaria-exclusive program areas. …

Reporting On Suicide: A Thematic Discourse Analysis On Discourses Regarding Suicide In 2010s Hip-Hop Songs, Andy Allen Acosta Jr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Society's conventions of suicide make death by suicide become symbolic annihilation (Gerbner & Signorielli, 1979; Gerbner & Gross, 1976; Tuchman, 1979) by placing a taboo and stigmatization on the practice of suicide. That limits the discourses regarding suicide (DRS), which creates these differences that are normative, subordinate, and excluded discourses of suicide. Public health institutions seek to control DRS and restrict the experiences of suicide. For instance, the World Health Organization’s Reporting for Suicide guidelines contains recommendations on how to report suicide within media that restrict public discourses of suicide (Reporting on Suicide, n.d.-a). In the 2010s, suicide-themed songs also …

J Mich Dent Assoc June 2020

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month,The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story with an interview with the MDA’s 2020-21 president Dr. Stephen Meraw.
• “Implementing Teledentistry: The Why and How” discusses the background and guidance on this important – and growing – aspect of telehealth.
• “Key Tips in Communicating Evidence in the Clinical Setting”, another feature in our series of articles focusing on evidence-based dentistry. …

Developing An Online Health Community For Autoimmune Disease Patients Through Self-Managed Diet, Rachel Greene

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Part I, Autoimmune Disease Management and the Need for Intervention, discusses current and standard Autoimmune Disease- (AI/AID) management and the shortcomings within. Typical AID-management led by healthcare professionals lacks a holistic, symptom-based approach, thus further contributing to the daily chronic pain of the afflicted. This analysis indicates the need to connect those suffering with AID’s to scientific research that has determined strict dieting can significantly reduce symptoms associated with AID’s. Part II, Synthesizing A Model For Online Health Community Engagement, examines the website prototype of Greenebean, which is an online community developed via user-centric design, in a theoretical, physical, and …

Understanding Elements Involved In Active Racial And Ethnic Minority Recruitment Practices For Biopharmaceutical-Sponsored Clinical Trials: A Socio-Ecological Qualitative Inquiry, Rebecca Rae Johnson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Inequitable participation in clinical trials continues to be a problem, and trial populations do not always reflect the demographics of the population that the investigational product will ultimately be treating. Because genetic differences between racial and ethnic groups affect the safety and efficacy of new treatments, it is important that standard of care decisions are made based on a representative population. The purpose of this study is to understand the socio-ecological elements that are involved in the active implementation of racial and ethnic minority recruitment practices for biopharmaceutical-funded trials in the United States. This general qualitative study was both descriptive …

Student Research Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, Student Reseach Journal

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

What Are The Rhetorical Strategies And Consequences Of Food Labels Regarding Health, Lifestyle, And Ethics Of Consumers With Food-Related Diseases And Allergies?, Delaney Borchers

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

In this study, it is investigated on how health, lifestyle and ethical factors of a consumer with a gluten-related disease and allergy influence their understanding and awareness of gluten-free food labels. This study was implemented through an online survey on a Facebook support group with a total of 195 respondents. The results show that consumers do have a strong awareness and understanding of the differences between certified gluten-free and non-certified gluten-free food labels. This indicates that having this strong awareness and understanding is influenced based upon a consumer’s health, lifestyle and ethical factors of following a gluten-free diet.

Analyzing Perceptions Of University Of Mississippi Pre-Health Students Regarding The Effectiveness Of Medical Interpretation Options, Elizabeth Statham

Honors Theses

This study investigates the perceptions of pre-health students regarding which clinical interpretation options are most effective, while also assessing their personal proficiencies of the Spanish language. Information obtained from the research survey provides a basis of research that may aid in assessing trends of interpretation services, allowing for improvements to be made to these services prior to the influx of Hispanic/Latino residents into Mississippi. This investigation is entirely conducted at the University of Mississippi and includes the ideas of undergraduate pre-medical students, pre-pharmacy students, pre-PA (physician’s assistant) students, pre-PT (physical therapy) students, pre-speech therapy students, and pre-nursing students. After 61 …

Memorable Messages And Young Adults’ Sexual Beliefs And Behaviors, Caroline D. Ryan

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This study aimed to understand the relationship between college-aged young adults’ memorable messages from parents about sex and their sexual beliefs and behaviors. Previously studied memorable message themes from Holman and Koenig Kellas (2018) were adapted to collect quantitative data from respondents (N = 420) through an online, self-report questionnaire. Students’ recalled conversations with their parent(s) were widely consistent with Holman and Koenig Kellas’s (2018) six themes. Ultimately, the memorable message theme was found to have no significant relationship with participants’ attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy, or response efficacy for safer sexual behaviors. However, those who recalled messages consistent with the …

An Exploration Of Student Athletes Perception On The Athletic Trainer/Coach Relationship, Nikki Owens

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The goal of this study was to explore how the athletic trainer and coach relationship impacts the social support provided to Division I intercollegiate student—athletes. Through a qualitative-case study design, eleven participants were recruited and interviewed for the study. Criterion for inclusion included all NCAA sports at the university. This included males and females in various years of school and sport. After the completion of data analysis, four main themes were developed. These themes included social support, positive impact, negative impact, and unforeseen findings. Seven of the eleven student—athletes reported feeling that there was a direct relationship between the athletic …

The (In)Visible Woman: A Performative Autoethnographic Exploration Of Queer Femme-Ininity And Queer Isolation, Bri Ozalas

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis is a performative autoethnographic exploration of my experiences existing betwixt-and-between the intersection of queer femme-ininity and isolation. Through a creative, affective rendition of my experiences, I detail and connect the nuances of queerness, femme-ininity, and queer isolation to provide a closer look at understanding queer identity with an absence of connection to the queer community. First, I provide an overview of the main theoretical and methodological approaches, and main concepts I utilize throughout my project. I then provide the intricacies of queer theory, queer intersectionality, and affect theory to provide theoretical explanations of my approach to queer isolation. …

Health Care Access For Children In Latinx Immigrant Families In The Greater Philadelphia Area, Sophia King

Politics Honors Papers

This work examines the gap that exists in access to health care in the Greater Philadelphia Region for children of Latinx immigrant families in comparison to other children in the nation. It provides a critical analysis of the gap in access to coverage, noting that this exists despite wide support for a human right to health. This study draws on existing scholarly research as well as interviews with staff at two health clinics and one community outreach center that are located in Greater Philadelphia. It demonstrates that Latinx immigrant families are less likely to have health insurance and get primary …

A Needs Assessment For The Utilization Of Child Life Specialist Bereavement Support Services In An Emergency Veterinary Hospital Setting, Jared R. Negin-Fryers

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Studies indicate that there is an affective attachment bond, and related emotional involvement that exists between the companion animal and their human owners. Patient companion-animal death within the veterinary hospital, is a daily occurrence, with death rates per patient being significantly higher than in human health care. This comparatively higher death rate is due to the commonplace utilization of professionally sanctioned euthanasia to relieve animal pain and suffering. Companion animal death, may elicit grief reactions that are identical to what is experienced upon the death of a family member. A void currently exists in family centered veterinary care in terms …

A Feasibility Study On The Implementation Of A Web-Based Intuitive Eating Program In A University Setting, Jaime Gnau

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This research reports on the feasibility of implementing a web-based intuitive eating (IE) program to employees through a university employee wellness department at Missouri State University (MSU). Barriers and facilitators to program participation were also identified and discussed.

Background: Ten IE principles present an evidence-based strategy for reducing incidence of weight cycling and improving one’s relationship with food and self, and reducing health risks associated with chronic dieting and weight regain. Offering web-based programming reduces barriers to program enrollment but is also associated with high rates of attrition.

Methods: The program was developed utilizing the PRECEED-PROCEDE model with application of …

Mental Health And You, Sierra Salvatierra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Latinx community at the Epicenter in Salinas dealt with mental health illnesses, as well as were brought up with machismo attitudes. This population has a strong stigma against getting help with their mental health. Being faced with immigration, poverty, discrimination and inadequite conversations about health, drives a spike in anxiety levels. Consequences of not dealing with mental health illnesses include unresolved emotions are generational trauma, self harm, substance abuse, and unhealthy relationships. The project created to get in front of this problem was a dialogue series of conversation starters for people who want to open up. The purpose of …

Menstruation Regulation: A Feminist Critique Of Menstrual Product Brands On Instagram, Max Faust

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Much research about advertisements for menstrual products reveals the ways in which such advertising perpetuates shame and reinforces unrealistic ideals of femininity and womanhood. This study aims to examine the content of Instagram posts by four different menstrual product brands in hopes of understanding how these functions may or may not be carried out by social media posts by these brands as well. Building on the body of research about menstrual shame and advertising, I specifically ask: How do the Instagram pages for four menstrual product brands dissuade individuality; how do they prescribe femininity; and how do these functions differ …

Crna To Cvicu Rn: Implementation Of A Standardized Patient Handoff Checklist For Post-Surgical Heart Patients, Ashley Mcgrath

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Patient handoffs occur when the information and responsibility of the patient is transferred from one health professional to another. Ineffective communication during the critical postoperative phase of the transfer of care (TOC) has been associated with extended hospital stays, increased healthcare costs and patient dissatisfaction. In 2007, the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals proclaimed the importance of a standardized handoff process for effective handoffs. The purpose of this quality improvement doctoral project was to assess if the utilization of a standardized TOC checklist from the operating room to the cardiac intensive care unit (CVICU) for post-heart patients improved communication …

Online And Offline Identity Gaps: Cross-Contextual Predictors And Psychological Outcome, Ningyang Wang

Master's Theses

Using Communication Theory of Identity as a framework, this study compared an individual’s online and offline personal-enacted identity gap and examined the effect of each personal-enacted identity gap on individuals’ psychological well-being, as well as tested four cross-contextual predictors for online and offline personal-enacted identity gaps.

Survey data were collected from 214 participants on Amazon M-Turk. A sequence of hypotheses was tested. A questionnaire used for measuring individuals’ online personal-enacted identity gap was generated.

The result suggested individuals experience larger personal-enacted identity gap offline, which significantly negative predict individuals’ psychological well-being, whereas online personal-enacted identity gap positively predicts psychological well-being. …

Barriers To Health: Understanding The Barriers Faced By Community Intervention Projects, Vera Landrum

Master's Theses

Health disparities affect significant portions of the population and are most often experienced by marginalized communities (Wilkin, 2013). Health disparities are also impacted by geographical location, and hunger often affects rural areas (Dutta, Anaele, & Jones, 2013; Rural Health Information Hub, 2017). This study aims to understand how nonprofit organizations focused on addressing food insecurity disseminate information to members of the local community and how the input of community members impacted the overall food insecurity campaign. This study was conducted by interviewing five nonprofit directors and conducting three focus groups with clients of the. aforementioned organizations. The author found that …