Research Objective Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in one’s living environment that affect health, functioning, and quality of life. Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a surgical procedure to replace a damaged joint with an artificial joint. TJA complications include acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, sepsis, surgical site bleeding, pulmonary embolism, or periprosthetic joint infection. Previous research demonstrates that Black race, Hispanic ethnicity and poverty were negatively associated with TJA outcomes in veterans. The goal of this mixed methods quality improvement study is to determine if SDOHs affect TJA complications at a health system in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Methodology For this study, records from patients who underwent hip or knee TJAs at any of the four system facilities between 2/2019-2/2020 were included. Demographics and clinical data were extracted from the electronic health record (EHR) via Midas+ Care Management with SDOH variables from case manager notes corresponding to food, utilities, housing and transportation insecurities, and interpersonal safety. Complications were identified using ICD-10 codes. SDOH for individuals with and without complications were compared. A multinomial logistic regression was performed in SPSS to identify significant variables. Semi-structured interviews with case managers (n=2), orthopedic surgeons(n=5), and primary care physicians (n=4) were performed to explore care team interactions with SDOH. Interview notes were coded and analyzed based on response frequency and themes. Results Of 2,520 patients who underwent TJA, 50 (1.98%) experienced a TJA complication. Of those, 38% screened positive for an SDOH. For those without a TJA complication, 27% screened positive for an SDOH (p=0.093). Most interview participants identified a correlation between socioeconomic status and surgical outcomes. They also recognized that language barriers for Spanish-speaking individuals and family involvement post-discharge are significant factors in TJA outcomes. Conclusions This single system mixed methods retrospective quality improvement study demonstrates that patients who screen positive for an SDOH are more likely to experience a TJA complication. We recommend that SDOH assessments be obtained for all patients undergoing TJA, be available to care teams, and be incorporated into care plans to improve outcomes.

U.S. border colonias, otherwise known as Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities, are rural settlements along the U.S. Mexico border with substandard housing conditions. Colonia residents often face inadequate access to necessities such as appropriate shelter, septic and sewer systems, and potable water. Water insecurity in colonias poses a particularly difficult challenge for residents who require clean water not only for consumption, but also household use in sanitation and hygienic practices. As of 2015, an estimated 30% of over five million US colonia residents lack access to clean drinking water, resulting in health complications and unsanitary living conditions. Preliminary health data collected indicates that due to water insecurity, colonia residents are more likely to contract gastrointestinal disease, be exposed to carcinogenic compounds from contaminated water, and experience psychosocial distress. Yet more comprehensive research needs to be conducted to understand the full breadth of the public health issue. A scoping review on water insecurity in colonias has not been completed before and could be beneficial in informing policymakers and other stakeholders on the severity of the situation while advising possible solutions.

It is a fact of modern food processing that the majority of products contain one or multiple food additives. Yet, while these additives see great abundance of use, the average consumer has relatively little knowledge about them and, more often than not, a negative opinion of their inclusion. This piece explores the discrepancy between these two realities by delving into the origins, histories of use, health effects, and misconceptions that surround a number of modern food additives, exploring along the way the social changes and regulatory history that brought about the legal landscape of food safety in the United States. Ten author-developed recipes are included at the end to encourage not only a conceptual, but also a practical familiarity with these same food additives.

A notable dilemma in the educational systems of current year is the lack of diversity in the faculty, administration, and curriculums. Diversity in education is colloquially understood to instill benefits in students that include development of sophisticated communication skills and heightened motivation, which may in turn have measurable benefits on health. In an effort to articulate the impact of introducing greater variegation into these systems and vocalize recommendations toward incorporating diversity into existing educational systems, the history of minority groups in schooling systems was analyzed, as were common health concerns for these communities. To this end, local students from Arizona State University were surveyed about their perceptions on diverse populations within their educational system. Moreover, these groups were also polled about how the messaging they receive about health and diversity may impact self-perceptions about their own health, as well as how applicable that messaging is with their own experiences.

“What the Health is This” is a creative project that aims to provide health education, improve health literacy, encourage young adults to do their own reputable health research, and empower them to make informed health decisions through that research. Centered on topics of interest for young adults, the podcast covers four main concepts: wellness, self-care, health care, and public health. Each episode is approximately 20 minutes.

“What the Health is This” is a creative project that aims to provide health education, improve health literacy, encourage young adults to do their own reputable health research, and empower them to make informed health decisions through that research. Centered on topics of interest for young adults, the podcast covers four main concepts: wellness, self-care, health care, and public health. Each episode is approximately 20 minutes.

The intent of this project was to design, build, and test a female-intended vibrator that incorporates elements of haptic feedback, biomimicry, and/or micro robotics. Device development was based on human-centered user design elements and the study of physiological arousal, as sexuality and sexual functioning are a part of a human’s overall assessment of health and well-being. The thesis sought to fill the gap that prevents data collection of a female entire sexual response from initial arousal to final orgasm.

Significant health inequalities exist between different castes and ethnic communities in India, and identifying the roots of these inequalities is of interest to public health research and policy. Research on caste-based health inequalities in India has historically focused on general, government-defined categories, such as “Scheduled Castes,” “Scheduled Tribes,” and “Other Backward Classes.” This method obscures the diversity of experiences, indicators of well-being, and health outcomes between castes, tribes, and other communities in the “scheduled” category. This study analyzes data on 699,686 women from 4,260 castes, tribes and communities in the 2015-2016 Demographic and Health Survey of India to: (1) examine the diversity within and overlap between general, government-defined community categories in both wealth, infant mortality, and education, and (2) analyze how infant mortality is related to community category membership and socioeconomic status (measured using highest level of education and household wealth). While there are significant differences between general, government-defined community categories (e.g., scheduled caste, backward class) in both wealth and infant mortality, the vast majority of variation between communities occurs within these categories. Moreover, when other socioeconomic factors like wealth and education are taken into account, the difference between general, government-defined categories reduces or disappears. These findings suggest that focusing on measures of education and wealth at the household level, rather than general caste categories, may more accurately target those individuals and households most at risk for poor health outcomes. Further research is needed to explain the mechanisms by which discrimination affects health in these populations, and to identify sources of resilience, which may inform more effective policies.

The purpose of this project was to garner a greater understanding of the form, function, and uses of school as well as community gardens. Worldwide, school and community gardens are used to promote health, nutrition, and some aspects of education. I wished to extend my knowledge of these gardens to greater lengths by building and incorporating a school garden in a community that was underderserving. Along the way I also sought to better my understanding of how to help communities through the knowledge and aid of experts and other community members. By doing this, I would hopefully both improve that community as well as understand the difficulties and problems that stand in the way of greater school garden incorporation.

Habitual Health is a holistic health firm meant to provide the Arizona State University students with awareness of healthy practices. Our Founders Ava Bobbs, Mario DiVenere, and Jack Hammond have found that students have a severe lack of knowledge involving healthy practices including diet, fitness, and cooking. The combination of our strengths and complements to weaknesses puts the firm in a strong position to garner market share and provide value to our company. Throughout on-campus research, the team found that the average Arizona State University student does not feel that they have the sufficient means to be healthy, which is a huge misalignment that prevents the average ASU student from living a healthy lifestyle. This is where Habitual Health comes in, we are going to bridge the gap between the lack of information about healthy initiatives and the implication that living a healthy lifestyle is too expensive, difficult, and time consuming. Habitual Health is a paid platform where ASU students can go to access fitness plans, recipes, topical discussions and analysis, and other health related resources. The product we have established is an interactive, user-friendly website that includes various healthy recipes, nutritional tips and habits, and physical exercise routines. Our data is based on running the website from 01/20/2023 - 03/01/2023. Our company's value proposition is that students’ health would benefit long-term from our platform's resources. We have targeted the ASU Greek Community, which includes roughly 6% of the ASU population.1 We tested our product within the Greek community because of the tight knit nature of the community, as well as the communal kitchen system in the Greek Leadership Village making it harder for those individuals to cook for themselves. We expect to see a revamped community within the GLV, causing a positive impact across the entire campus.