Medicine and Health Commons^™

Men's Mental Health: A Call To Social Workers, Kevin Shafer, Douglas Wendt

Faculty Publications

Substantial attention is paid to the mental health needs of women and children by social work researchers, educators, and practitioners—and with good reason, as these are two vulnerable populations in U.S. society. However, the status of men's mental health; its resulting effect on individuals, families, and communities; and the various challenges associated with it are often overlooked by social workers. The authors document the prevalence of common mental health issues among men in the United States, the unique problems that men face, and help-seeking behaviors. They also discuss how social work is in an exceptional position to help men, and …

A Synthesis Of 20 Years Of Research On Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men In Western Countries, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men’s unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social–ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were …

Understanding Factors Influencing Adverse Sex Ratios At Birth In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Irfan Hossain, Forhana Rahman Noor

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Nationally, the sex ratio at birth has persisted at its natural level of 105 male per 100 female newborns for the past half century in Bangladesh. However, at the regional level, Bangladesh is characterized by an east-west divide in sex ratios at birth. While the western region shows normal sex ratios at birth, the eastern region displays distorted sex ratios. To understand the factors that contribute to regional variations, a household survey was conducted among married women aged 18–49 years who had at least two living children. Views of health-care providers on gender-biased sex selection and of program implementers on …

Addressing Gender-Biased Sex Selection In Haryana, India: Promising Approaches, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Rajib Acharya, Sharmistha Basu, A.J. Francis Zavier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Persistently adverse sex ratios remain a challenge in India despite the enforcement of the PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act in 1994. Nevertheless, over the decade 2001–2011, positive shifts from very adverse to less adverse levels have occurred in a few states. Two districts in Haryana state—Kurukshetra and Sonipat—whose sex ratios displayed some and no improvement, respectively, are compared in an attempt to find promising programme directions to counter gender-biased sex selection. Comparisons are drawn from the attitudes and experiences of surveyed women and interviews with service providers and programme implementers, about sex-selection technology. Also addressed are differences in …

Um Só Currículo: Directrizes Para Uma Educação Integrada Em Sexualidade, Género, Hiv E Direitos Humanos, International Sexuality And Hiv Curriculum Working Group, Nicole Haberland, Deborah Rogow

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. “It’s All One Curriculum” provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated …

Unequally Distributed Psychological Assets: Are There Social Disparities In Optimism, Life Satisfaction, And Positive Affect?, Julia K. Boehm, Ying Chen, David R. Williams, Carol Ryff, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Socioeconomic status is associated with health disparities, but underlying psychosocial mechanisms have not been fully identified. Dispositional optimism may be a psychosocial process linking socioeconomic status with health. We hypothesized that lower optimism would be associated with greater social disadvantage and poorer social mobility. We also investigated whether life satisfaction and positive affect showed similar patterns. Participants from the Midlife in the United States study self-reported their optimism, satisfaction, positive affect, and socioeconomic status (gender, race/ethnicity, education, occupational class and prestige, income). Social disparities in optimism were evident. Optimistic individuals tended to be white and highly educated, had an educated …

Documenting Mass Rape: Medical Evidence Collection Techniques As Humanitarian Technology, Jaimie Morse

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Aim: Emerging global networks of human rights activists, doctors, and nurses have advocated for increased collection of medical evidence in conflict-affected countries to corroborate allegations of sexual violence and facilitate prosecution in international and domestic courts. Such initiatives are part of broader shifts in human rights advocacy to document human rights violations using rigorous, standardized methodologies. In this paper, I consider three principal forms of medical evidence to document sexual violence and their use in these settings: the patient medical record, the medical certificate, and the sexual assault medical forensic exam (commonly known as the “rape kit”).

Methods: Combining archival …

Attitudes Toward Motherhood Among Sexual Minority Women In The United States, Emily Kazyak, Nicholas Park, Julia Mcquillan, Arthur L. Greil

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In this article, we use data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers—a national, population-based telephone survey—to examine how sexual minority women construct and value motherhood. We analyze the small (N = 43) random sample of self-identified sexual minority women using “survey-driven narrative construction,” which entails converting the structured answers and open-ended responses for each respondent into narratives and identifying themes. We focused on both sexual minority women’s desires and intentions to parent and on the importance they place on motherhood. We found that there is considerable variation in this population. Many sexual minority women distinguish between having and raising …

“Work What You Got”: Political Participation And Hiv-Positive Black Women’S Work To Restore Themselves And Their Communities, Monica L. Melton

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

Black women’s rates of HIV/AIDS infection have skyrocketed in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups over the past thirty years. Despite these rates, HIV-positive Black women’s perspectives are rarely sought regarding best practices to eradicate and interrupt HIV/AIDS among African American women, even though historically Black women have often proved phenomenal agents of social change. HIV-positive Black women’s activism has been understudied and input from the community in crisis has rarely been deemed as valuable to public health officials in HIV/AIDS prevention and interventions. Through the narratives of thirty HIV-positive Floridian Black women, I present HIV-positive Black women’s political …

Dynamic Social Support Networks Of Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With New Hiv Infection, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Rising rates of HIV infection among younger black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in the USA have generated a public health emergency. Living with HIV requires deep and persistent social support often available only from close confidants. Enlisting endogenous support network members into the care of HIV-infected YBMSM may help shape sustainable supportive environments, leading to long-term improvements in mental and HIV-specific health outcomes. The present study examined trends in support network change over time after new HIV diagnoses among 14 YBMSM. Participants completed a social network survey that utilized sociograms to record support confidants (SCs) preceding HIV …

Is Gaining, Losing Or Keeping A Self-Identified Fertility Problem Associated With Changes In Self-Esteem?, Elizabeth A. Richardson

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Because motherhood is an expected and valued identity in the United States, becoming a mother should lead to an increase in self-esteem and perceiving a problem becoming a mother should lead to a decrease in self-esteem. Little research has examined the combined experience of both identifying with a fertility problem and becoming a mother or not over time. Guided by identity theory framework, this study uses two waves of data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB) to examine how change and stability in motherhood status and perceived fertility barrier status is associated with changes in self-esteem among women …

Research Brief: "Melanoma Incidence Rates Among Whites In The U.S. Military", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about a comparison of melanoma incidence rates between white active-duty military members and the general population in the U.S. In policy and practice, health practitioners should promote skin cancer screenings for active duty service members, older personnel, and veterans; the DoD should look to prevent exposure to melanoma risk factors, such as retiring equipment containing harmful PCBs and providing protective clothing and sunscreen for military personnel who are at risk for developing melanoma. Suggestions for future research include analyzing the increase in melanoma incidence rates among younger male military personnel, analyzing the varying risk factors among the …

A Five-Step Process For Interactive Parent–Adolescent Communication About Hiv Prevention: Advice From Parents Living With Hiv/Aids, Laura L. Edwards, Janet S. Reis

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2014

The authors investigated how parents living with HIV/AIDS communicate about HIV prevention with their 10- to 18-year-old children. Semistructured interviews with 76 mothers and fathers were analyzed for (a) their experiences discussing HIV prevention with adolescents and (b) advice for other parents about how to best broach HIV-related topics. Interactive conversations were regarded as particularly effective. A five-step process for interactive communication emerged as a result of these discussions. Parents emphasized that adolescents should have a “voice” and a “choice” in HIV-related talks. Health care professionals can facilitate adolescent sexual health by encouraging parents to actively involve their children in …

Assessing Transgender Attitudes Toward Health Care: Can These Attitudes Help Predict Health Outcomes?, Sara M. Shane

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research has identified the fact that race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, education level, geographic location, help seeking behaviors, and experiences of discrimination are associated with health outcomes. In addition, attitudes towards providers can also help determine health outcomes. The transgender community experiences barriers to health care services and therefore their overall health is affected. There is not a sufficient amount of literature that assesses, using standardized measure, the attitudes of the transgender community and their health. The present study will assess the attitudes of the transgender community toward health care (mental and medical health) and, using standardized measures, …

Testing Pathways Linking Exposure To Community Violence And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Exposure to community violence and HIV sexual risks are two major public health concerns among youth. This study tests various pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors among African American adolescents. Using a sample of 563 (61 % females) African American youth attending high school we examined whether problematic psychological symptoms, low school engagement, and/or negative perceptions of peer norms about safer sex functioned as pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors. Major findings indicated that, for boys, the relationship between exposure to community violence and sexual début and sexual risk behaviors were linked by aggression. …

Project Ngage: Network Supported Hiv Care Engagement For Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Persons, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Young Black men who have sex with men and transgender persons (YBMSMT) aged 13-29 carry the nation's highest burden of new HIV infections. Studies indicate that YBMSMT have poor retention in care, which is associated with reduced medication adherence and increased virologic failure. Objective: Project nGage is a randomized controlled (RCT) trial evaluating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief, dyadic intervention designed to promote adherence to HIV primary care in safety-net clinics. Network visualization is used to identify and engage a support confidant (SC) from participants' social networks. A social work interventionist then meets with the SC …

Bullying Among School-Aged Children, Alfreada Brown-Kelly

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between gender, race and strains. Using data collected from the 2005-2006 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children, the study examined children's outlooks and experiences relating to an extensive range of health related activities and lifestyles. Specifically, this study examined the ways in which males and females bully and if black students bully more than white students. Furthermore, the study examined race and gender differences in bullying, and the impact of strains on these relationships. It was found that both race and gender are significant predictors of bullying when controlling for measures of strains and other demographic …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Drug Use And Unsafe Sex Among Young African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study prospectively examined associations among multiple theoretically informed risk (e.g., depression, sexual sensation seeking, and risky peers norms) and protective factors (e.g., social support, STI knowledge, and refusal to have sex self efficacy) on unsafe sex among 715 African American adolescent females aged 15-21 who participated in an STI/HIV prevention intervention. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess associations between baseline characteristics and sexual risk over a 12-month follow-up period. Overall risk in this population was high: at baseline, nearly a third of women reported sex under the influence of alcohol or substances; ≥ 2 partners for vaginal …

Homeless Youths’ Hiv Risk Behaviors With Strangers: Investigating The Importance Of Social Networks, Kimberly A. Tyler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between homeless youths’ HIV risk behaviors with strangers and risk and protective characteristics of their social networks. Data were from the Social Network and Homeless Youth Project. A total of 249 youth aged 14 to 21 years were interviewed over 15 months in three Midwestern cities in the United States using a systematic sampling strategy. Multivariate results revealed that homeless youth with a greater average number of network members who engaged in more drug risk behaviors and who pressured them into precarious behaviors at least once were more likely to …

Commodified Risk: Masculinity And Male Sex Work In New Orleans, Eduardo Piqueiras

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this research I examine the complexity of male sexuality and masculinity among male sex workers in New Orleans. Despite danger to their health and social standing, men engage in risky sexual behavior with other men for both business and pleasure. These behaviors may stem from the thrill of risk itself, or from other causes such as unexplored sexual inhibitions on the part of the male sex workers or their clients. Focusing on male sex workers, this ethnographic study explores why male sex workers engage in work that is high risk and potentially very dangerous. It examines the world of …

Explaining Political Activeness And Attitudes Toward Unionization Among Nurses In The United States., Crystal L. Lesmeister

Political Science Theses and Capstones

There is no question; nurses play a key role in healthcare. Nurses provide direct care, coordinate health promotion activities, educate, and provide support and advocacy to patients. Today, there are over two million registered nurses in the United States. My research aims to determine the variables that influence some nurses to be more politically active and more engaged in unionization than their counterparts. I analyze The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2004 looking at a variety of potential explanations for union participation. Findings show a strong regional variation in the percentage of unionization, however, some of the conventional explanations …

The Characteristics Of Women Seeking Funding From The Dc Abortion Fund, Karin Elizabeth Bleeg

GW Research Days 2013

Objectives: To determine whether the population DCAF serves, based on current research, are those most in need of its financial services. Describe the population that DCAF is supports by age, race and ethnicity, poverty, educational attainment, union status, contraceptive method used, referral source, and number of prior pregnancies.

Methods: An adapted version of The Guttmacher Institute's National Patient Survey will be used to collect data from women who contact DCAF for financial assistance for their abortion (n=150). The data will be collected for one month and then analyzed in SPSS.

Results: Between January and March 2013 approximately 400 women contacted …

Exposure To Verbal Parental Aggression And Sexual Activity Among Low Income African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The study examined whether witnessing verbal parental aggression (VPA) was related to sexual activity among mostly low income African American youth, and whether psychological symptoms mediated this relationship. Five hundred and sixty-three African American high school adolescents (ages 13-19) completed self-administered questionnaires, which assessed demographics, psychological problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms), witnessing VPA, and sexual activity. Participants who witnessed high versus no VPA were 2 times more likely to report sexual activity. This relationship was mediated by aggression for males and females, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for females only. Youth service providers should be …

Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Evaluation Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The decision to engage in the development of girl-friendly savings accounts was made as part of the Population Council’s work with adolescent girls in Kenya. In June 2008 the Council and MicroSave Consulting started the Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls. Based on the market research and prior experience with developing programs for adolescent girls, a product concept for a group-based savings account was developed, in which the group model was used to address the legal constraints of minors not being able to hold individual accounts. In Kenya and Uganda, two financial institutions were identified, and the …

Policy Brief: Adolescent Girls And Migration In The Developing World, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

When a migrant girl is successful, she creates a ripple effect through generations: families and future children will be better off because of her ability to finish school, get a job, and stay healthy. Despite the positive potential of migration for adolescent girls, migrant girls are largely ignored in policy and programs designed to reach migrants and adolescents. Because of their age and gender, migrant girls are especially vulnerable to risks such as exploitative employment. If these girls arrive at their destination and settle in safely, their diligence can enable them to capitalize on new opportunities and become productive, contributing …

Designing, Implementing, And Evaluating A Targeted, Evidence-Based Intervention For A Vulnerable Subgroup Of Girls: A Case Study Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service In Urban Burkina Faso, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Investing in adolescent girls is crucial in the developing world where a large and growing proportion of the population is under the age of 24. Research has demonstrated that adolescent girls face serious challenges around the time of puberty including withdrawal from (and lack of safety in) public spaces, loss of peers, leaving school, pressure for marriage or liaisons as livelihood strategies, and internalization of harmful gender norms. Investments need to be made at critical moments in early adolescence. While policymakers and development professionals have acknowledged the need to make investments in the poorest girls in the poorest communities early …

Follow-Up Study Of Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service Who Participated In The First Cohort Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Program, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Circular migration (from rural to urban areas and back) among adolescents is common throughout West Africa, with the principle motivation being the search for economic opportunities, including domestic work. The evidence base on adolescent migration and domestic work is fairly thin. Evidence on programmatic effectiveness generally ends at program completion and does not follow adolescents over time. The current study follows a subsample of migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso who participated in the first cohort of the Filles Éveillées (Girls Awakened) pilot program. Filles Éveillées was designed to provide migrant girls in domestic service with …

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned From The Pilot Test Program, Karen Austrian, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in Zambia face a range of risks and vulnerabilities that compromise their healthy development into young women, and lack the social, health, and economic assets to mitigate these risks. The issues that girls are confronted with include high rates of gender-based violence, unsafe sex that puts them at risk for unwanted pregnancy and HIV infection, school dropout, lack of economic resources and income-generating options, and lack of agency and participation. The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) has three major components: safe spaces groups in which girls meet once a week over the course of two years for training …

Comprendre La Vie Des Adolescentes Avant Et Après La Migration: Enquête Réalisée Sur Les Sites D'Origine Auprès D'Anciennes Filles Migrantes Employées Comme Aide-Ménagères, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le Population Council met en œuvre un projet en direction des adolescentes migrantes travaillant comme employées de maison dans les zones urbaines au Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso). Ce programme, dénommé «Filles Éveillées», a pour objectif d’élargir les réseaux sociaux des filles et de développer leurs compétences en capacités financières, en santé et hygiène, santé de la reproduction et en compétences de la vie courante. Il offre également aux bénéficiaires l’opportunité d’accéder à l’alphabétisation. Dans un effort d’améliorer ce programme en ville, il s’est avéré opportun de mieux comprendre les circonstances de la vie des adolescentes dans le village avant …

Évaluation De Filles Éveillées : Programme Pilote Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le programme «Filles Éveillées» a été conçu dans le but d’accroître les réseaux sociaux et de développer les compétences des adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso urbain. Il a fait l’objet de deux cycles pilotes: en 2011-2012 à Bobo-Dioulasso, puis en 2012-2013 à Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso. Une évaluation de processus a été effectuée entre les deux cycles avant d’évaluer l’efficacité du programme et d’y proposer les améliorations de structure, mise en œuvre et contenu jugées utiles avant le lancement de la seconde cohorte. Cette évaluation a donné lieu aux changements suivants: simplification du contenu programmatique sur la santé …