Community Psychology Commons^™

Evaluation Of Food Journal Application Validity In Comparison With Dhq Iii, Michael Roa

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

As chronic conditions associated with the high prevalence of obesity/overweight in the United States continue to rise, research focusing on nutrition has grown in recent years. The gold standard for collecting detailed nutritional information on individuals is food journals, mostly via pen and paper. Alternatively, smartphone food journal applications have become more popular and widely accessible in recent years. These applications allow the user to quickly make meal entries, often taking advantage of the application’s food and servings database.

This study compared the results of the third iteration of the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ III) with a dietary journal data …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

Communication Infrastructure Theory: A Rural Application, Callie S. Embry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The health of a community’s communication infrastructure influences their efficacy and efficiency in dealing with societal problems. The majority of previous communication infrastructure research has focused on multicultural urban centers. This study looks at the communication infrastructure of one rural Arkansas town, specifically looking for the places residents report as communication assets and the subjects discussed within the storytelling network. I used a combination of communication asset mapping and semi-structured interviews to identify the physical locations within the community where residents regularly converse with one another. The interviews along with observations also provided insight into the subject matter that residents …

Factors In Refugee Resilience Building During Humanitarian Response, Rachel Starner

Capstone Collection

If countries hosting refugees want to build resiliency and reduce dependency on foreign relief, humanitarian response and local development need to be addressed simultaneously, and collaboration at all levels of stakeholders needs to take place in planning and decision making. Additionally, innovation and strong leadership are strong factors in creating and leading new ideas as funding and world leadership dynamics change, especially with traditional leaders such as the US and the UN losing influence. Observations made at the Mahama Refugee Camp in Rwanda as well as existing document analysis reflect these traits by active efforts of camp administrators and humanitarian …

Identifying Depression In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey Data Using A Deep Learning Algorithm, Jihoon Oh, Kyongsik Yun, Uri Maoz, Tae-Suk Kim, Jeong-Ho Chae

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

As depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, large-scale surveys have been conducted to establish the occurrence and risk factors of depression. However, accurately estimating epidemiological factors leading up to depression has remained challenging. Deep-learning algorithms can be applied to assess the factors leading up to prevalence and clinical manifestations of depression.

Methods

Customized deep-neural-network and machine-learning classifiers were assessed using survey data from 19,725 participants from the NHANES database (from 1999 through 2014) and 4949 from the South Korea NHANES (K-NHANES) database in 2014.

Results

A deep-learning algorithm showed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) …

Exploring Construct Validity And Measurement Invariance Of The Cyberbullying Experiences Survey, Kendall Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Given recent calls for advancing valid instrumentation in the field of cyberaggression, the present study evaluated construct validity and measurement invariance for the Cyberbullying Experiences Survey (CES) in a high school and college student sample. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), reliability analyses, and a nomological net evaluation were conducted to address these aims. The data did not provide support for the hypothesized four-factor model for cyberaggression or cybervictimization (i.e., unwanted contact, malice, deception, and public humiliation). Upon implementing suggested and theoretically supported modification indices, support for a four-factor solution for both cyberaggression and cybervictimization was provided.

To subsequently …

Internalized Homonegativity And Alcohol Use As Predictors Of Intimate Partner Violence Among Cisgender Sexual Minority Men, Andrew Thomas Schramm

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has found that sexual minorities (i.e., individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or who are attracted to or have had sexual experiences with members of the same sex) are at heightened risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) as compared to heterosexuals. Although understanding risk factors that place sexual minorities at risk is a crucial step in the prevention of IPV in this population, little is known about such factors. Some have proposed that internalized homonegativity, a component of minority stress, may place individuals at heightened risk for IPV perpetration. Internalized homonegativity is also associated with greater alcohol …

Why And How Public Trust Matters, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

To build high trust cities, governments need to better understand the relationships linking people, leaders and the cities they inhabit. Behavioural scientist Professor David Chan explains the psychology of public trust.

Longitudinal Prediction Of Delinquent Behavior In Early Adolescence, Kathleen Watson Macdonell

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood behavioral problems have consistently been reported as an antecedent for later problem behavior, including delinquency in adolescence and into adulthood. Parenting behaviors are an important influence on the potentially negative behavioral trajectory from childhood behavior problems to delinquency in early adolescence. The current study sought to provide further understanding of the relationship between teacher-reported third grade childhood behavior problems and two outcomes: ninth grade teacher-reported and ninth grade self-reported delinquency. Additionally, the moderating impact of parental monitoring and parental school involvement, assessed in fifth grade, was explored. Using a longitudinal sample of 556 participants, hypotheses were assessed separately for …

The Survey Of Attitudes Toward Homeless People: The Validation Of A New Instrument Assessing Negative Attitudes Toward Homeless People, Nyssa L. Snow-Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Homeless individuals are often the targets of negative stereotypes and significant stigmatization, which can contribute to restrictive and punitive approaches to ending homelessness. Many researchers and policymakers have sought to understand and change attitudes toward the homeless to allow for consideration of a broader range of responses to addressing homelessness. Despite attention paid to understanding attitudes, a lack of reliable and valid measurement creates methodological barriers to assessing people’s attitudes and comparing those attitudes across studies and populations.

Attitudes toward homeless persons have been demonstrated to be quite complex, which has likely impeded the development of valid and reliable measurement …

Co-Occurrence And Non-Overlap Among Behavioral And Health-Related Problems In Preschool Children, Chandni Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Integrating mental health and healthcare services increases the reach of healthcare while reducing costs and stigma associated with seeking mental health services. To provide such services for preschool aged children we must first understand how behaviors related to healthy lifestyle and mental/behavioral health overlap. This study examined the relationship between behavior problems, sleep duration, screen time, and eating patterns and assessed the frequency of co-occurring problems in these areas. Because of the importance of parenting across these domains, the association between parent disciplinary strategies and the co-occurrence of behaviors in the different problem areas was assessed. MANOVAs revealed that there …

A Mixed Methods Psychometric Validation Of The Microaggression Experiences Among University Women Of Color Scale, Kinjal Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to develop a measure of gender and racial microaggressions among university women of color (WOC). Microaggressions are conceptualized as verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights that can be intentional or unintentional, but communicate derogatory messages towards a group of marginalized people. Despite many qualitative, legal, and narrative reports of microaggressions against university WOC, there are no validated measures specific to the experiences of WOC in academic settings. This study attempts to fill that gap by creating and testing the factor structure of a measure of microaggressions experienced by university WOC. Phase I of …

Risk And Resistance Factors For Depression And Anxiety Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Laura Reinman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Depression and anxiety are common problems for adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is important to understand both risk and resiliency factors contributing to psychological outcomes among youth with SCD in order to prevent and effectively treat such problems. To better elucidate contributing factors to depression and anxiety among youth with SCD selected risk and resiliency factors from the risk-and-resistance model adapted for SCD were examined (Barakat, Lash, Lutz, & Nicolaou, 2006). The risk factor of fatigue and resistance/resiliency factors of cognitive appraisal of stress and self-concept are of focus because they have been understudied, and their temporal …

What Black College Students Say About Race: An Exploration Of Peer Racial Socialization, Alexandrea R. Golden

Theses and Dissertations

In addition to the normative tasks of emerging adulthood and stressors of transitioning into the college environment, Black undergraduate students must also contend with race-related stressors (i.e., racial discrimination, racial stereotypes). Studies suggest that parent-child communications preparing youth for encounters of racism and instilling pride about their race (i.e., parent racial socialization) protect youth from the ramifications of racial discrimination (Harris-Britt, Valrie, Kurtz-Costes, & Rowley, 2007). Although peers have been identified as another important resource in the racial socialization process (Lesane-Brown, Brown, Caldwell, & Sellers, 2005) as well as youth’s ability to cope with discrimination (Datnow & Cooper, 1997; Butler-Barnes, …

The Influence Of Adhd Symptoms And Social Functioning On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In College Students, Danielle Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired social functioning in children and adolescents. ADHD and poor social functioning have been shown to be separately associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms as well. However, little research has examined these associations among college students. College is a transitional period of increased stress and exposure to new social situations for all students, but may be even more challenging for those with ADHD, who are already at risk for increased internalizing problems and impairment in social functioning. The current study aimed to examine the influence of ADHD symptoms …

Longitudinal Effects Of Social Norms, Social Support For Physical Activity, Neighborhood Satisfaction, And Self-Efficacy On Light And Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity In African American Adults, Lauren Huffman Law

Theses and Dissertations

Few adults meet physical activity (PA) guidelines, and low rates of PA have been linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes including overweight status, chronic disease, cancer risk, depression, and decreased cognitive functioning. Both light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) have been linked to health outcomes, yet few studies have examined LPA associations in underserved and overweight populations. The neighborhood social environment, which includes social norms for PA, social support for PA, and neighborhood satisfaction, has been cited as an important factor of influence on PA behaviors. The current study aimed to integrate social cognitive theory and bioecological …

Hope And Focus On Future As Protective Health Factors? A Moderation Analysis With Race And Income, Rebecca Mcgarity-Palmer

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Health promotion and prevention are important goals in public health (Dubois, 2017). Hope and consideration of future consequences are two suggested protective factors that promote healthy behaviors, such as healthy eating and physical activity (Joireman et al., 2012; Joireman & King, 2016; Kwon et al., 2015; Scioli et al., 2011; Valle et al., 2006). These behaviors are important preventive measures and promote optimum physical and mental health (Aboderin et al., 2001; Elisaf, 2001; Hu et al., 2001; Key, Allen, Spencer, & Travis, 2002; WHO, 2018). However, physical and mental health disorders disproportionally impact oppressed and marginalized communities (Adler & Rehkopf, …

Small-World Network Analysis Of Cortical Connectivity In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Eeg, Mark Alan Zinn

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this thesis was to explore the relationship between electroencephalography (qEEG) and brain system dysregulation in people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). EEG recordings were taken from an archival dataset of 30 subjects, 15 people with CFS and 15 healthy controls (HCs), evaluated during an eye-closed resting state condition. Exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) was applied to the qEEG data to estimate cortical sources and perform functional connectivity analysis assessing the strength of time-varying signals between all pairwise cortical regions of interest. To obtain a comprehensive view of local and global processing, eLORETA lagged coherence was …

Natural Mentoring Relationships Among Latinx Youth: The Role Of Trust And Stressors, Lidia Yanelli Monjaras-Gaytan

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is one avenue to support Latinx adolescents in their positive development. The current study aimed to (a) identify profiles of Latinx adolescents based on their interpersonal trust of adults, and (b) examine the roles of adult trust and stressors in the development and quality of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs). Participants were 347 Latinx adolescents who were surveyed in their 9th and 10th grades. Using cluster analysis, two adult trust profiles were identified: (a) Higher Trusting and (b) Less Trusting. Analyses demonstrated that there was a significant association between Higher Trust profiles in 9th grade and developing a new NMR …

Social Networks As Mediators Of Proximal Recovery Outcomes For Veterans Living In Recovery Homes, Mayra Guerrero

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Although the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among veterans has been long documented (Kulka et al., 1988; Tanielian et al., 2008), insufficient work has been done on veterans living within recovery homes such as Oxford House (OH). Approximately 18% of OH residents in the United States are veterans (Oxford House, 2015); however, only one study has looked at veteran status within OH (Majer, Jason, Ferrari, Venable, & Olson, 2002). In addition, no study has examined the social networks of veterans within recovery homes. Furthermore, although the relationship between length of stay (LOS) in an OH and various positive outcomes …