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Evaluating the Impact of the Learning Center on Elementary School Children: Collaboration Between Chicanos Por La Causa and the Community Action Research Experience Program

Description

The purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for a plan for evaluations of the impact of the Learning Center on elementary school children with respect to academic achievement and school-related behaviors. Exploratory pre- and posttest data were collected and analyzed and recommendations were provided for a broader…

The purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for a plan for evaluations of the impact of the Learning Center on elementary school children with respect to academic achievement and school-related behaviors. Exploratory pre- and posttest data were collected and analyzed and recommendations were provided for a broader evaluation plan to be used in the future. The experience from the exploratory evaluation, limitations and the recommendations in this study can be used by Chicanos Por La Causa to strengthen the Learning Center and thereby optimize the benefit to the children served within the San Marina residential community.

ContributorsLodhi, Osman Sultan (Author) / Roosa, Mark (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Perez, Norma (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)

Created2014-05

Do Physiological Stress and Internalizing Alone and in Combination Predict Child Chronic Pain One Year Later?

Description

Chronic or recurrent pain in childhood is a common and costly health problem, and increases the likelihood of experiencing chronic pain in adulthood. Existing evidence suggests that internalizing symptoms are a risk factor for the development of chronic pain in children and adults. Findings from a small body of…

Chronic or recurrent pain in childhood is a common and costly health problem, and increases the likelihood of experiencing chronic pain in adulthood. Existing evidence suggests that internalizing symptoms are a risk factor for the development of chronic pain in children and adults. Findings from a small body of research also points to a flattened diurnal cortisol profile, alone and in combination with internalizing symptoms, as a risk factor for future chronic pain among adults. The present study aimed to evaluate whether internalizing, a flattened diurnal cortisol profile, and their combination prospectively predict chronic pain in middle childhood. It was hypothesized that: 1) both internalizing and a flattened diurnal cortisol profile at age 8 would independently predict acquisition of chronic pain at age 9, controlling for age 8 pain; and 2) the combination of high internalizing and a flattened diurnal cortisol rhythm would predict greater risk of increased pain over time. Multilevel models of longitudinal data collected from a sample of 748 twin children revealed that internalizing symptoms and a flattened cortisol slope independently acted as prospective risk factors for increased chronic pain in childhood one year later. However, the interaction between internalizing and diurnal cortisol did not predict future increases in pain. Exploratory analyses evaluating symptoms of overanxiousness demonstrated that the interaction between overanxiousness and a flattened cortisol profile emerged as a marginally significant predictor of future pain. The current findings point to the role of psychological and physiological risk factors for the development of chronic pediatric pain, and may help to identify early targets for prevention efforts.

ContributorsEltze, Lara Malin (Author) / Davis, Mary (Thesis director) / Doane, Leah (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2020-12

An Examination of Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Among Veterans with and without Alcohol Use Disorder

Description

Chronic pain is devastating and highly prevalent among Veterans in the United States (Johnson, Levesque, Broderick, Bailey & Kerns, 2017). While there are various treatment options for chronic pain, opioids remain high in popularity. Although opioids are fast-acting and effective, potential consequences range from unpleasant side effects to dependence and…

Chronic pain is devastating and highly prevalent among Veterans in the United States (Johnson, Levesque, Broderick, Bailey & Kerns, 2017). While there are various treatment options for chronic pain, opioids remain high in popularity. Although opioids are fast-acting and effective, potential consequences range from unpleasant side effects to dependence and fatal overdose (Baldini, Korff & Lin, 2012; Park et al., 2015; Kaur, 2007). The effects of opioid treatment can be further complicated by a history of alcohol abuse. Past alcohol abuse is a risk factor for opioid misuse (McCabe et al., 2008). One alternative to opioid medication is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP). CBT-CP has shown small to moderate effects on chronic pain after the end of treatment (Naylor, Keefe, Brigidi, Naud & Helzer, 2008). The current study examined the effect of CBT-CP on opioid prescriptions, as well as the role of past alcohol abuse in CBT-CP efficacy, through an archival data analysis of Veterans Affairs patient charts. In order to determine the effect of CBT-CP on opioid prescriptions, an opioid change score was calculated from treatment start date to twelve months post-treatment. An analysis of 106 patient charts demonstrated no statistically significant difference in opioid prescriptions between Veterans who were referred and attended treatment (n = 24) and those who were referred but did not attend (n = 82). Veterans from both groups showed a reduction in prescribed opioids during a 12-month period. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference between Veterans with versus without a history of alcohol abuse in terms of the change in opioid prescriptions over a 12-month period (both groups showed reductions). This research suggests that opioid prescriptions may decrease over time among Veterans referred for CBT-CP, even among those who do not participate in the groups. More work is needed to understand the relationship between opioid prescriptions and actual opioid use over time among Veterans who do and do not choose to participate in CBT-CP. Continuing to address poly-substance use in chronic pain patients also is critical to ensure that Veterans suffering from chronic pain receive appropriate intervention.

ContributorsMiller, Stephanie C (Author) / Roberts, Nicole (Thesis director) / Gress-Smith, Jenna (Thesis director) / Burgess, Lisa (Committee member) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2019-05

Child Cortisol as a Mediator between Early Maternal Stress and Childhood Pain Response

Description

Early childhood environment is critical to subsequent physical health in children and is influenced by children's primary caregivers \u2014 typically mothers. Maternal stress, one aspect of a child's environment, may shape the functioning of the child's physiological stress response system, which has been linked to later health outcomes, including pain.…

Early childhood environment is critical to subsequent physical health in children and is influenced by children's primary caregivers \u2014 typically mothers. Maternal stress, one aspect of a child's environment, may shape the functioning of the child's physiological stress response system, which has been linked to later health outcomes, including pain. The current study evaluated whether: 1) early maternal stress, defined as maternal depressive symptoms and low socio-economic status, predicts later child pain; 2) early maternal stress relates to later child daily cortisol output; and 3) child's cortisol output across the day mediates the relation between early maternal stress and child pain. Maternal stress was assessed via questionnaires at twin age 12-months. At twin age seven years, twins' salivary cortisol was collected three times per day for three days. At twin age nine years, twins rated how often they experienced stomach, headache, and back pain weekly or more frequently. Results of multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses showed that early maternal stress did not predict later children's daily cortisol output or extent of child pain. Therefore, findings were inconsistent with the proposed mediation model. However, there was a marginally significant negative relation between child daily cortisol output and later extent of child pain. Current findings suggest that functioning of the stress response system, reflected in cortisol output, may have implications for the development of child pain. Future work evaluating intensely stressful early environments may provide clues about the links between a child's early environment and the development of his/her stress response system.

ContributorsRoth, Winter Rayne Nicole (Author) / Davis, Mary (Thesis director) / Miadich, Samantha (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2018-12

The Role of Parenting and Parental Pain in Children's Chronic Pain Experience

Description

Children's chronic pain has many contributing factors, including family environment, genetics, and parenting. Still, pediatric chronic pain remains understudied, and little research has been conducted on predictors of child pain onset. This study aims to elucidate some of these factors by examining the role of parenting style and parental pain…

Children's chronic pain has many contributing factors, including family environment, genetics, and parenting. Still, pediatric chronic pain remains understudied, and little research has been conducted on predictors of child pain onset. This study aims to elucidate some of these factors by examining the role of parenting style and parental pain in children's chronic pain experience. The study answered the following questions: 1) Is child chronic pain heritable?; 2) Do parenting styles and/or parental pain predict child pain?; and 3) Is parenting style the mediating variable in the relation between parent pain and child pain? A twin study design was employed to account for both genetic and environmental influences in pain. Primary and secondary caregivers completed pain questionnaires regarding their own and their children's pain. The caregivers also completed questionnaires regarding their own parenting styles. Observer ratings were used as additional measures of primary caregiver parenting. Results indicated that child pain is heritable and that parental pain was significantly related to child pain. However, parenting style did not predict child pain and was not a mediator in the relationship between parental pain and child pain. Further research on other parenting factors or predictors of pain may lead to prevention of pediatric chronic pain or more effective management of child pain symptoms.

ContributorsPatel, Maya (Author) / Davis, Mary (Thesis director) / Lemery, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2018-05

Formulation of Logic Model & Evaluation Plan for CPLC Insurance Program: A Collaboration Between Chicanos Por La Causa and the C.A.R.E. Program at the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University

Description

There is a widespread inequality in health care access and insured rates suffered by the Latino, Spanish-speaking population in Arizona, resulting in poor health measures and economic burden. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 provided mechanisms to alleviate this disparity, however, many Latino communities lack accessible information…

There is a widespread inequality in health care access and insured rates suffered by the Latino, Spanish-speaking population in Arizona, resulting in poor health measures and economic burden. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 provided mechanisms to alleviate this disparity, however, many Latino communities lack accessible information and means to gain access to health insurance enrollment. Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a community based organizing that provides many services to low-income communities across Arizona, one of which is the CPLC Insurance Program. In collaboration with the Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) at Arizona State University, the program was studied to help address the need of a LOGIC model and evaluation plan to determine its effectiveness. Interviews with three executives within CPLC were conducted in conjunction with a literature review to determine the inputs, strategies, outputs, and outcomes of the LOGIC model that drive CPLC Insurance's mission. Evaluation measures were then created to provide the necessary quantitative data that can best show to what degree the program is achieving its goals. Specifically, the results indicated the key outcomes that drive the LOGIC model, and an evaluation plan designed to provide indicators of these outcomes was produced. The implications of this study are that the suggested data collection can verify how effectively the program's actions are creating positive change, as well as show where further improvements may be necessary to maximize effectiveness.

ContributorsCunningham, Matthew Lee (Author) / Fey, Richard (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)

Created2016-05

The Relation Between Social and Physical Pain in Individuals with Fibromyalgia

Description

Accruing evidence suggests that the neural underpinnings of the social and physical pain systems overlap. The preponderance of the data are based on experimental manipulations of healthy individuals. Those data suggest that the experience of social pain, in the form of rejection, influences the experience of physical pain. The current…

Accruing evidence suggests that the neural underpinnings of the social and physical pain systems overlap. The preponderance of the data are based on experimental manipulations of healthy individuals. Those data suggest that the experience of social pain, in the form of rejection, influences the experience of physical pain. The current study sought to extend this literature in four ways: first it examined whether the relation between social pain and physical pain holds in individuals with chronic pain. Second, it evaluated the rejection-pain relation in everyday life though use of daily diary repots. Third, it evaluated whether aversive social events other than rejection (i.e., conflict) are also related to daily pain, to determine, if the relation to pain is specific to rejection. Finally, it tested whether the relational context (i.e., chronic level of rejection or conflict) predicted pain levels. The sample for the current study is comprised of 123 partnered individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) who completed 21 daily diaries that assessed their experience of spousal rejection, spousal conflict, and daily physical pain. Multilevel modeling was used to examine 1) the within person relations between daily increases in negative spousal events, and reports of chronic physical pain; and 2) The moderating effect of chronic spousal discord on the daily negative event pain relations. Results showed a marginally significant relation between daily rejection events and increased levels of pain, and a significant relation between daily conflict events and increased levels of pain. Keywords: chronic pain, social pain, rejection, conflict, Fibromyalgia

ContributorsBernal, Josi Ann (Author) / Davis, Mary (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Luecken, Linda (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2016-12

Do Caloric Intake, Adiposity, and Diurnal Cortisol Patterns Predict Chronic Pain in Middle Childhood?: Testing Direct and Mediated Effects

Description

Pediatric chronic pain is common and predicts risk for psychological and pain problems into adulthood. Biopsychosocial risk factors for the development of chronic pediatric pain have been examined, but the key health behavior of caloric consumption has not been explored. Adult and animal data suggest that caloric intake is positively…

Pediatric chronic pain is common and predicts risk for psychological and pain problems into adulthood. Biopsychosocial risk factors for the development of chronic pediatric pain have been examined, but the key health behavior of caloric consumption has not been explored. Adult and animal data suggest that caloric intake is positively related to chronic pain, and that adiposity and stress-related biological factors may serve as potential mediators. This study predicted that among children: 1) adiposity, flattened diurnal cortisol slopes, and caloric consumption are related to chronic pain, and 2) the caloric consumption—pain relation is mediated by elevated adiposity and/or flattened diurnal cortisol slopes. Methods: Twin children (N = 733) were drawn from the Arizona Twin Project sample. Measures included caregiver-reported caloric intake via five daily food diaries (Age-8); adiposity (composite of waist circumference, body mass index, body fat percentage) and diurnal cortisol slopes via three days of salivary cortisol sampling (Age-9); and caregiver-reported monthly chronic pain (Age-10). Results: Multilevel models (accounting for clustering within families) with sex, age, socioeconomic status, puberty, race/ethnicity as covariates, showed that caloric intake predicted greater waist circumference, which in turn predicted elevated chronic pain. However, adiposity, waist circumference, and diurnal cortisol slopes did not mediate the caloric intake-chronic pain relation. Discussion: Consistent with the literature, caloric intake predicted adiposity, and adiposity predicted pain in a diverse sample of children. More comprehensive assessment of behavioral (sleep, diet quality) and biopsychosocial factors (e.g. inflammation, cortisol; injury; catastrophizing) may aid efforts to prevent pediatric chronic pain.

ContributorsFishbach, Jaclyn (Author) / Davis, Mary (Thesis director) / Doane, Leah (Committee member) / Lemery, Kathryn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)

Created2022-12

Rest as Justice: Burnout, Community and Self-Care Among Arizona State University Student Activists and Organizers

Description

Activist burnout theory has produced minimal but meaningful literature and research that explores the dynamics of burnout culture, movement in-fighting, marginalized identities, and dimensions of burnout symptoms. Black feminist visionaries and writers such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks have developed theories of love, self-care and community as central to…

Activist burnout theory has produced minimal but meaningful literature and research that explores the dynamics of burnout culture, movement in-fighting, marginalized identities, and dimensions of burnout symptoms. Black feminist visionaries and writers such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks have developed theories of love, self-care and community as central to resistance that have informed my research approach. Thus, my study aims to investigate activist burnout from a perspective that marries popular activist burnout theory with these frameworks of self-care and community. I conducted a survey of Arizona State University student organizers and activists (N=34) to address the following research questions: What are the causes and symptoms of burnout for Arizona State University activists and organizers? How have self-care and community played a role in their work and countered burnout? Can working conceptions of self-care and community serve as resistance in ways that feel meaningful to activists? The survey was broken into three dimensions: “Demographics and Experience,” “Burnout,” and “Self-Care and Community.” The results reinforced prior findings on established toxic cultures and burnout symptoms but introduced complications to working theories, such as the connections between cycles of burnout and the cyclical nature of electoral politics along with the roles of chronic and mental illness. Respondents largely demonstrated conceptions of self-care and community as resistance but also demonstrated personal and professional barriers to putting these conceptions into practice.

ContributorsKittridge, Rebecca (Author) / Lee, Charles (Thesis director) / Boyles, David (Committee member) / Krysik, Judy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)

Created2023-05

Epigenetics and Chronic Pain in Children

Description

Chronic pain, or reoccurring pain lasting longer than three months, is frequently co- morbid with other chronic conditions. Physiological health problems such as overall general health, immune function, inflammation, stress, and sleep, as well as psychological problems like depression and anxiety are all associated with chronic pain. Previous studies have…

Chronic pain, or reoccurring pain lasting longer than three months, is frequently co- morbid with other chronic conditions. Physiological health problems such as overall general health, immune function, inflammation, stress, and sleep, as well as psychological problems like depression and anxiety are all associated with chronic pain. Previous studies have also shown evidence for the heritability of chronic pain, indicating a genetic factor for chronic pain in children. However, few studies have investigated potential epigenetic processes involved in childhood chronic pain. DNA methylation and other epigenetic processes are highly susceptible to changes during crucial developmental periods in children, and they are heavily influenced by psychosocial factors and environmental factors. During an immune response, various cytokines such as TNFα, IL-6, and CRP are released. Cytokines are involved in the production of pain through their pro-inflammatory properties. Additionally, there is evidence to believe they increase pain sensitivity acutely by acting directly on nociceptors. Previous studies have shown that higher levels of inflammatory cytokines are associated with more pain because the inflammatory response from our immune cells activates pain pathways. A constant or prolonged activation of the immune response may consequently result in chronic pain. In many cases of chronic pain, there is an increase in the circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood that also leads to hypersensitivity.

ContributorsBaca, Itzahiana (Author) / Lewis, Candace (Thesis director) / Gewirtz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)

Created2023-05