Medicine and Health Commons^™

Development Of A Men’S Health Course For First-Year Undergraduates Using Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies, Ania A. Majewska, Johnasha D. Stuart, Kelsey M. Gray, Pearl V. Ryder, Ethell Vereen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

A novel first-year experience course was developed using culturally responsive teaching strategies at an undergraduate liberal arts college in the southeastern USA to promote health advocacy and to provide students with an overview of male health. The course focuses on the biological, sociocultural, economic and gender influences that shape men's health beliefs and practices. It also emphasizes health disparities in the USA among Black/African American men compared to other racial groups and intervention strategies to improve health outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The lecture and laboratory components of the course were designed as a blended learning environment with a modified flipped class …

Choosing To Thrive: An Autoethnographic Journey Of Cancer, Companionship, And Carrots, Bruce Lilyea

The Qualitative Report

In this autoethnography, I explore the companionship experience of someone supporting a cancer patient who is endeavoring to thrive in the face of this disease. A wide range of studies has been conducted on the emotional and social issues relating to cancer and specifically to breast cancer. Appropriately, most of the research relating to the personal narrative focuses on the stories of the person who has been diagnosed with cancer, and limited research has highlighted the perspective and experiences of their companions. My primary goals for this autoethnographic research are to: (1) Begin to answer the question: What role do …

Four Corners: A Values Clarification Exercise, Montsine Nshom

Open Educational Resources

Four Corners is a values clarification activity that asks participants to stand/show whether they strongly agree to strongly disagree with a specific statement, and reflect on their position during and after the activity. This four corners activity is designed to help students think about and discuss topics that are pertinent to urban community health and public health.

No prior reading or coursework is required; it is a good option for the first day of class to introduce key themes that will be covered during the course as well as practice ground rules and class discussion norms.

Protocol Versus Practice: Deviations From 2 Guidelines In Low-Risk Twin Deliveries In The United States, Julia M. Morris, Andrea Bertotti

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Research

Background

Medical guidelines recommend vaginal delivery for low-risk twin pregnancies because cesareans increase the probability of maternal morbidity and mortality. Yet, vaginal delivery rates for twins are considerably lower than for comparable singletons. One explanation for this disparity argues that greater risk associated with twins warrants increased surgical intervention. An alternative explanation is that twin deliveries are more likely to deviate from protocols that advise vaginal birth.

Methods

Using the 2017 Natality Detail File (N = 3,197,401), we measured alignment of vaginal birth and trial of labor (TOL) with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ guidelines for twin and …

Older Adult Preparedness For Living With An Endemic Covid-19, Micah Tan, Paulin T. Straughan, Grace Cheong, Wensi Lim, Mindy Eiko Tadai, Nadya Haifan, Dyan Jun Wei See Toh

ROSA Research Briefs

As Singapore holds steady against the current Omicron wave and begins to pave the next steps towards living with COVID-19, we hope that this report will provide our fellow colleagues and stakeholders with valuable insights into the perceptions and experiences of older adults in preparing to live with an endemic COVID-19. To this end, the current report examines several aspects of living with an endemic including whether older adults perceive themselves to be prepared, whether they are willing to adopt certain preventive behaviours, and the level of support they have for living with an endemic COVID-19. Specifically, we look at …

Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission Comment Tool On Changes To Trapping Regulations, Jacquelyn Reiss, Amy Donley Phd, Brian Hall

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

To collect public comments on the modernization of trapping rules and analyze the feedback provided, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the FCRC Consensus Center contracted with the Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences (ISBS). Together the FWC, FCRC Consensus Center, and ISBS constructed a comment tool that was comprised of 5 different sections.

Maternal Wellness: Self, Matrescence, Obstetric Violence, And Self-Care, Vanessa V. Vales-Lewis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I engage in a self-study through an examination of my experience of matrescence (i.e., the transition to motherhood). I discuss my praxis in the development of a self-study on maternal wellness as it applies to my well-being as both a researcher and the researched. In Chapter 1, I preface this study by highlighting critical scholars and the bricoleurs who have been foundational in my undertaking of this work on a narrative study on maternal wellness. Using bricolage as part of a research methodological framework that involved key scholarly methodologies of authentic inquiry, emergence and contingence, and narratology, …

"It Was Handed To Them": The Origins Of Targeted Delivery And The Spirit Of Nanomedicine, Marzena Woinska

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nanotechnology is widely recognized as an important field. Since the 2000s, nano-based targeting has been a cutting-edge approach in cancer research. To specify what nanomedicine means and describe its significance at the cultural level, this study harnesses data from peer-reviewed articles published in leading scientific journals.

Balancing precariously between sociological theory and science and technology studies, this project turns to nanomedicine’s origins to address broader questions regarding the relationship between science and society and the causes of scientific discovery and technological innovation. It tells the story of nanotechnology's discursive formations taking on a life of their own and congealing into …

“We Are Doing The Absolute Most That We Can, And No One Is Listening”: Barriers And Facilitators To Health Literacy Within Transgender And Nonbinary Communities, C. Riley Hostetter, Jarrod Call, Donald R. Gerke, Brendon T. Holloway, N. Eugene Walls, Jennifer C. Greenfield

Graduate School of Social Work: Faculty Scholarship

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals face disparities in nearly every aspect of health. One factor associated with poor health outcomes in other marginalized populations is health literacy, yet no identified studies examine health literacy in TNB samples. Moreover, most health literacy frameworks focus primarily on the capacities of individual patients to understand and use healthcare information, with little attention given to provider literacy and environmental factors. In partnership with a statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, we recruited 46 transgender and nonbinary individuals to participate in seven focus groups conducted in urban, suburban, and rural locations throughout Colorado. TNB participants consistently engaged …

Disability And Health In African Americans: Population Research And Implications For Occupational Therapy Community-Based Practice, Emily Schulz, Debarchana Ghosh, Eddie M. Clark, Beverly R. Williams, Randi Williams, Lijing Ma, Crystal L. Park, Cheryl L. Knott

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Population-based research and community-based interventions are integral to occupational therapy’s scope of practice, yet they are underdeveloped in actual implementation. Therefore, this paper focuses on some health challenges facing the African American population, guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model.

Method: Using data from an observational cross-sectional nationwide telephone survey of African American adults, we examined differences between African Americans who are receiving disability payments (RDP) and those who are employed full time (FTE) on several physical health behaviors and psychosocial health indicators. We further compared the differences between African Americans RDP versus those FTE on those physical health …

Healing Racial Injustice With Mindfulness Research, Training, & Practice, Danielle "Danae" Laura

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis offers a collection of authors and studies in support of improved research, training, and practice connecting mindfulness with racial justice through intergroup applications. The paper identifies barriers at work (e.g., colorblindness, spiritual bypass, white fragility, and implicit bias) in contemplative science, Western Buddhist communities, and secular mindfulness centers, which block the sizeable contributions possible in studying the intergroup application of mindfulness practice—specifically Lovingkindness Meditation, among others—when used as an intervention with anti-racist aims. Through secondary qualitative research, I reviewed six key works from Black authors on mindfulness and race, as well as six sample studies on the prosocial …

Diabetes Mellitus Among Black/African Americans: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Epigenetic Research, Eliana Jacobs

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During their lifetime, Black/African Americans have a higher likelihood of developing the diabetes mellitus metabolic disorder than other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. While research indicates that socioeconomic status, diet, and obesity factor into race disparities, the epigenetics field additionally identifies historical and contemporary racism as contributors to race disparities. This study is a qualitative analysis that examines a sample of health science research articles that use an epigenetics approach to understand diabetes among Black/African Americans. I analyzed the extent and mechanisms through which articles subtly reproduce dominant stereotypes of Black/African Americans and diabetes through representations of …

The Intersection Of Traumatic Brain Injury And Homelessness, Stephanie A. Chassman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rates of TBI are significantly higher among individuals experiencing homelessness compared to the general population. Up to half of individuals experiencing homelessness may have a TBI. Accurate prevalence rates of TBI among individuals experiencing homelessness are difficult to obtain due to different methods of sampling participants and differing definitions of TBI; therefore, estimates may be underrepresented. Despite past research that has examined the relationship between TBI and homelessness, there are specific gaps in knowledge such as correlates and risk factors of TBI among individuals experiencing homelessness. This three-manuscript dissertation attempts to address these gaps in knowledge.

The first manuscript …

Gosnell, Katherine - Covid-19 Journal, Katherine Gosnell

Personal Journals

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Youth Tobacco Survey 2022, Bureau Of Sociological Research

Nebraska Student Health and Risk Prevention Surveillance System (SHARP)

No abstract provided.

Success Among Incarcerated Mothers Seeking Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Brinna Desai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a type of substance use disorder characterized by repeated use of opioid drugs. These drugs are known to be rapidly addictive with severe withdrawal symptoms, making death due to overdose a rising concern. In this study, we took a closer look at a specific population of women, all of whom had children and were incarcerated for opioid use. Our goal was to better understand the factors that would impact success among this group seeking medication-assisted treatment for OUD. We developed a set of questions focused on a variety of factors including stigma surrounding the disorder, …

Critical Perspectives On Produce Prescription Programs & Us Federal Nutrition Policy, Alanna K. Higgins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Produce prescription programs, interventions operating at the intersection of food access and public health, are steadily increasing in number across the United States since 2010. I leverage key informant interviews, participant observations, and event ethnographies to form a four-year institutional ethnography of the implementation of produce prescriptions within West Virginia alongside a legal-policy archaeology methodology to understand how produce prescriptions have been institutionalized and funded within the US Farm Bill. While much of produce prescription program growth is attributed to an expansion of federal funding starting in 2014, this dissertation demonstrates that these programs and the federal legislation which has …

Associations Between Patient-Provider Trust And Hiv Care Continuum Outcomes, James Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The current research examines trust as a component of the Healthcare Relationship Scale (HCR) using data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), a program designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This dataset focuses on the experiences and needs of people living with HIV (PLWH). We examined how relationships between people living with HIV and their HIV providers may be associated with two distinct variable groups: (1) socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, race, education and poverty status; and (2) patient health as it relates to the continuum of care, such as patient-rated general health, adherence to …

Cesarean Skin-To-Skin Contact: Who Gets The Experience In The Operating Room?, Jessica S. Junk-Wilson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

For the past decade, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth has been the general recommendation for all births, as there is evidence that it provides many benefits for mothers and infants. Yet, research has shown that immediate skin-to-skin contact is not the standard practice after most Cesarean births. This study assessed access, incidence, and circumstances surrounding Cesarean skin-to-skin contact (CSSC) in the operating room and examined influencing maternal characteristics of age, education, race, and number of births via a survey of 2327 people. Women who experienced a Cesarean section birth in the past 10 years were recruited through Facebook groups for …

Sense Of Support: The Impact Of Healthcare Encounters On The Breastfeeding Experiences Of African American Mothers, Olivia M. Rauls

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although many studies have found a substantial racial disparity in infant feeding habits, the factors contributing to this unique disparity and potential solutions remain unknown. The general importance of social interactions and medical interventions in successful breastfeeding has been studied, but little research addresses the specific experiences of breastfeeding Black mothers interacting with their medical providers. This paper examines the perspectives of Black women with breastfed infants on their encounters with healthcare providers during prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Using qualitative data from 22 in-depth interviews addressing infant feeding decisions and experiences, this paper analyzes the link between healthcare interactions …

Dementia Care Among Somali Elders, Emmanuel Asante Opoku

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Caring for persons with dementia is demanding and complicated since there is “no one-size-fits all formula for dementia care. The care needs to be modified to fit the various stages of the condition and each family's unique situation. Racial and ethnic differences place unique demand on all the forms of dementia care; in-home care (IHC), long-term care (LTC), adult day centers(ADC), short term care (STC) and hospice care (HC).

This paper aimed to study how Somali elders think and interact with dementia care services, from in-home care to hospice care. Some recommendations to study this issue is to do a …

A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach To Examining The Psychosocial Determinants Of Maternal Health Disparities, Hannah M. Ming

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exposure to racism and discrimination in the U.S. increases Black women’s risk for experiencing maternal health disparities. Additionally, racism and discrimination affect maternal psychosocial well-being, creating evidence for a biopsychosocial relationship between racism and maternal health outcomes. However, current research does not define the psychosocial Black maternal self well. Given the dynamic relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes, research must comprehensively examine the Black maternal self. The operationalization of a comprehensive construct for Black maternal psychosocial well-being can improve understanding of the relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes.

Purpose: …

Morality-Based Messaging? An Examination Of State Health Departments’ Facebook Posts In Advertising Covid-19 Vaccines, Kylee R. Casner

Honors Theses and Capstones

COVID-19 vaccination is an important public health tool in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, but vaccination rates in the U.S. are inadequate for reaching herd immunity, leaving public health officials to develop strategies to increase vaccination rates. The field of public health has historically used stigmatizing messaging to encourage health behaviors. Through a content analysis COVID-19 Facebook posts made by the Alabama Public Health, Mississippi State Department of Health, Rhode Island Department of Health, and Vermont Department of Health, this study explores the types of messaging used to influence COVID-19 vaccination behavior and looks to determine if stigmatization of non-vaccination is …

Covid, Inequalities And Health: A Sociological Analysis About The Resilience Found In Unique Student Life Experiences, Sarah Da Silva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study demonstrates how adversity during the covid pandemic has impacted the lives of diverse college students. Specifically, this study analyzes students' perspectives on how they respond through resilience to daily academic, financial, and social stressors impacting their health during the pandemic. For this study, the research questions are: 1) what themes and forms of coping emerge among marginalized racially, ethnically diverse U.S. college students about their mental health and daily life experiences exacerbated by the covid pandemic? 2) And to what do experiences with stressors in combination with the covid pandemic reveal about the mental health of marginalized groups …

The Impact Of Emotional Support On Identity In Breast Cancer Survivors, Sakinah Dewji

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact that breast cancer has on identity and how emotional support affects identity formation in women after cancer diagnosis and treatment. While there is much research on the medical treatment of breast cancer and the impact it has on women, there is a gap in research on the identity construction of women who have gone through breast cancer and the impact of emotional support for them during and after treatment. This is an important aspect of research as demonstrated by the rising number of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year. …

‘Doing’ Hypertension: Experiential Knowledge And Practice In The Self-Management Of ‘High Blood’ In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Alicia Renedo, Jhaki A. Mendoza, Maureen L. Seguin, Benjamin Palafox, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Dina Balabanova, Martin Mckee

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Patients’ embodied experiences do not always correspond to the biomedical concepts of particular diseases. Drawing from year-long fieldwork in the Philippines that involved semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and digital diaries, we examine how individuals ‘do’ hypertension through their embodied experiences and the knowledge and practice that emerge from them. Drawing inspiration from Annemarie Mol’s work on the notion of ‘multiplicity’ of disease, our analysis was informed by a commitment to privileging patients’ embodied experiences and the multiple ontologies of hypertension. We find that for patients diagnosed with hypertension in the Philippines, symptoms enact illness; patients rely on their …

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Cost Of Care For Asylum Seekers And Refugees Entering The United States: The Case Of Volunteer Medical Providers In El Paso, Texas, Rigoberto I Delgado, Manuel De La Rosa, Marlon A Picado, Lisa Ayoub-Rodriguez, Celia E Gonzalez, Leopold Gemoets

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Between October 2018, and February 2020, the United States saw an unprecedented increase in the number of asylum seekers and refugees arriving unexpectedly at international crossings along the US-Mexico Border. Many of these migrants needed proper medical attention, and consequently created significant pressure on local health systems. In El Paso, Texas, volunteer clinicians, collaborating closely with religious organizations and non-governmental organizations, provided outpatient medical care for the new arrivals; the county hospital provided in-patient care at local tax payers' expense. The objective of this study was to estimate costs of healthcare services offered by these volunteers in order to …

Adult-Onset And Adolescent-Limited Suicidal Ideation: A Developmental Approach To Suicide, Brent Teasdale, Michelle N. Harris, Mindy Bradley, Suraiya H. Shammi, Jerreed D. Ivanich

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Suicidal thoughts and actions have typically been studied from an eventsbased perspective. Some emerging studies, however, have begun to examine suicide and related behaviors through a longitudinal perspective, specifically focusing on establishing trajectories of suicidal behavior. In general, this work produces three-class trajectories of suicide attempts among adolescents, including groups such as: (1) no or low suicidal behavior; (2) moderate suicidal behavior; and (3) high suicidal behavior. Less is known about potential trajectory patterns of suicidal ideation associated with later stages of the life course. Moreover, identifying a low-, moderate-, and high-risk group does not inform the developmental processes that …

A Proportionality-Based Framework For Government Regulation Of Digital Tracing Apps In Times Of Emergency, Sharon Bassan

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Times of emergency present an inherent conflict between the public interest and the preservation of individual rights. Such times require granting emergency powers to the government on behalf of the public interest and relaxing safeguards against government actions that infringe rights. The lack of theoretical framework to assess governmental decisions in times of emergency leads to a polarized and politicized discourse about potential policies, and often, to public distrust and lack of compliance.

Such a discourse was evident regarding Digital Tracing Apps (“DTAs”), which are apps installed on cellular phones to alert users that they were exposed to people who …