Matching Items (71)
168620-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Contact tracing was deployed widely during the COVID-19 pandemic to attempt to stop the spread of SARS Co-V-2. This dissertation investigates the research on contact tracing from a scientometric perspective and looks qualitatively at how case investigators and contact tracers conducted public health practice during the pandemic. Through

Contact tracing was deployed widely during the COVID-19 pandemic to attempt to stop the spread of SARS Co-V-2. This dissertation investigates the research on contact tracing from a scientometric perspective and looks qualitatively at how case investigators and contact tracers conducted public health practice during the pandemic. Through approaching the public health practice of contact tracing from both a broad, top-down angle, and an on the ground experiential approach, this dissertation provides insight into the issues facing contact tracing as a public health tool.
ContributorsWhite, Alexandra C. (Author) / Jehn, Megan (Thesis advisor) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Gaughan, Monica (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
165122-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The purpose of this report is to review the current literature concerning management of the COVID-19 pandemic in homeless populations, and to use it to analyze the specific interventions established in Maricopa County—such as those aimed at education, vaccination and testing, and maintaining continuity of care. In doing so, I

The purpose of this report is to review the current literature concerning management of the COVID-19 pandemic in homeless populations, and to use it to analyze the specific interventions established in Maricopa County—such as those aimed at education, vaccination and testing, and maintaining continuity of care. In doing so, I hope to illustrate the unique challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness, provide context for disparities in health outcome, and inform action for both the ongoing pandemic and future outbreaks
ContributorsNewell, James (Author) / Gaughan, Monica (Thesis director) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor)
Created2022-05
164984-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

In this manuscript, the topic of breastfeeding is explored as it relates to a mother's economic and education level. More specifically, family income, employment status, marital status, and level of education are observed in order to identify any trends or patterns that may influence a mother to prefer breastfeeding over

In this manuscript, the topic of breastfeeding is explored as it relates to a mother's economic and education level. More specifically, family income, employment status, marital status, and level of education are observed in order to identify any trends or patterns that may influence a mother to prefer breastfeeding over formula feeding. The data presented comes from a research study that utilized three prediction scales which aim to understand a mother's attitude towards infant feeding, self efficacy or confidence, and the chance of discontinuing breastfeeding prematurely. The purpose of this project is to call attention to disparities that may exist from a lack of education and resources for mothers to choose the form of infant feeding that is most beneficial to them.

ContributorsJackson, Amanda (Author) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Han, SeungYong (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Nursing (Contributor)
Created2022-05
164728-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Opioid use disorder (OUD) has been a growing problem in the United States since the start of the 20th century, but a new wave of the “Opioid Epidemic” began in the mid-1990s when the use of opioid analgesics became the premier method for treating acute pain. In response to the

Opioid use disorder (OUD) has been a growing problem in the United States since the start of the 20th century, but a new wave of the “Opioid Epidemic” began in the mid-1990s when the use of opioid analgesics became the premier method for treating acute pain. In response to the increasing rates of OUD, in 2002 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved a treatment course known as medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which is a combination therapy that uses buprenorphine, a partial opioid analgesic, and behavioral therapy to treat OUD. However, the use of buprenorphine to treat OUD is relatively controversial and as a result, is not widespread in primary care settings. New Mexico is an area that has seen some of the highest rates of OUD, with patient populations that suffer from the disorder prevalent in both rural and urban areas. This paper seeks to identify the barriers that urban and rural medical providers face when it comes to successfully establishing medication-assisted treatment options for opioid use disorder patients. To answer this question, 20 medical practitioners across the state of New Mexico shared their opinions on the subject in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative analysis of the information gathered from these interviews concluded that there are 3 main barriers (patient-related, provider-related, and medical system-related) that contribute to the inconsistent spread of MAT services in New Mexico. These barriers are relatively consistent across both rural and urban communities, however, in specific instances, they manifest differently. The preliminary findings from this study highlight multiple methods for reducing barriers to the implementation of MAT including starting provider education about OUD and MAT earlier (i.e. in residency) and improving the infrastructure and support systems available to vulnerable patient groups (including those in rural areas and homeless individuals).
ContributorsPentecost, Abigail (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Drake, Alexandria (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
HIV/AIDS remains a pressing global health challenge, not only because of its medical complexities but also due to associated stigma and the lack of knowledge of the illness in communities around the world. This thesis analyzed cross-cultural differences and long-term changes in women’s knowledge and stigma around HIV/AIDS in low-

HIV/AIDS remains a pressing global health challenge, not only because of its medical complexities but also due to associated stigma and the lack of knowledge of the illness in communities around the world. This thesis analyzed cross-cultural differences and long-term changes in women’s knowledge and stigma around HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries. Using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 24 countries for knowledge and stigma from 2000-2018, we examined changes in HIV/AIDS knowledge score and stigma score. The findings shed light on the perception of HIV/AIDS knowledge improving while stigma persisted indicative of remaining concerns about the illness amongst women.
ContributorsMurala, Divya Sruthi (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Loebenberg, Abby (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2023-12
187803-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Latest estimates show that roughly 188 individuals in the United States die everyday due to an opioid-related overdose. This dissertation explores three avenues for mitigating opioid use disorder (OUD) and the opioid epidemic in the United States (1.) How can researchers and public health professionals identify areas most in need of treatment for

Latest estimates show that roughly 188 individuals in the United States die everyday due to an opioid-related overdose. This dissertation explores three avenues for mitigating opioid use disorder (OUD) and the opioid epidemic in the United States (1.) How can researchers and public health professionals identify areas most in need of treatment for OUD in an easy-to-use and publicly accessible interface?; (2.) What do practitioners see as opportunities for reducing barriers to treatment?; and (3.) Why do differences in opioid mortality exist between demographic groups? To address question one, I developed an interactive web-based to assist in identifying those counties with the greatest unmet need of medically assisted treatment (MAT). To answer question two, I conducted a study of stakeholders (medical providers, peer support specialists, public health practitioners, etc.) in four New Mexico counties with high unmet need of MAT. to identify cultural and structural barriers to MAT provision in underserved areas as well as opportunities for improving access. To answer the third question. I conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature and government reports to identify how previous research accounts for race/ethnic and sex disparities in opioid-related mortality. While many opioid mortality studies show demographic differences, little is known about why they exist. According to the findings of this systematic review, research needs to go beyond identifying demographic differences in opioid-related mortality to understand the reasons for those differences to reduce these inequities.
ContributorsDrake, Alexandria (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis advisor) / Jehn, Megan (Committee member) / Scott, Mary Alice (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
187347-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Previous work suggests that lower-income individuals are more likely to engage in mutual aid as a means to manage risk, giving rise to a psychology that is other-oriented, including an empathetic disposition and a proclivity to help people in need. While no study has directly investigated whether helping in times

Previous work suggests that lower-income individuals are more likely to engage in mutual aid as a means to manage risk, giving rise to a psychology that is other-oriented, including an empathetic disposition and a proclivity to help people in need. While no study has directly investigated whether helping in times of need increases dispositional empathic concern over time, this assumption is deep-seated among social psychologists. Employing a two-year longitudinal survey of US adults (N = 915), I show that people who experience more needs report helping others when in need a greater number of times, in turn leading to a small but positive increase in their empathetic disposition. This study also identifies the types of needs that elicit empathic concern (i.e., those that arise from unpredictable sources of risk), and shows why cultivating an empathetic disposition is likely to pay off in the long run: those who provide help are more likely to receive help during future times of need. Moreover, this study identifies the types of targets for whom providing help might cultivate an empathetic disposition: those with whom people are likely to share lower interdependence. While previous theoretical frameworks posit that empathic concern selectively directs investment towards interdependent others, providing help to non-interdependent targets might allow people to build positive interdependence with prospective risk pooling partners. Cultivating an empathetic disposition and building interdependence with prospective risk pooling partners can allow people to manage needs that arise from unpredictable sources of risk.
ContributorsGuevara Beltran, Diego (Author) / Aktipis, Athena (Thesis advisor) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Kenrick, Douglas (Committee member) / Shiota, Michelle (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
165213-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of educational videos on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among young adults aged 18-26. A two-group randomized control trial (RCT) is conducted among 156 individuals (control group n = 79, intervention group n= 77). Inclusion criteria were English-speaking young adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of educational videos on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among young adults aged 18-26. A two-group randomized control trial (RCT) is conducted among 156 individuals (control group n = 79, intervention group n= 77). Inclusion criteria were English-speaking young adults aged 18-26 who have not been vaccinated against HPV. Participants who met the inclusion criteria based on an online screening form were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and invited to join the study. They first completed a pretest (T0) online via REDCap, randomly assigned to the intervention or control group, and completed a posttest (T1) after viewing their assigned intervention. Participants assigned to the intervention group watched two brief animated videos while participants assigned to the control group examined an HPV educational brochure created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, survey questions measured HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, vaccination intent (T0 and T1), sociodemographic characteristics, and health history (T0 only) of participants. The results showed the intervention group had an increase in vaccination intent while the control group had a decrease in vaccination intent. This shows that video education methods are more effective than traditional written education methods at increasing vaccination intention among young adults.

ContributorsShinherr, Sophia (Author) / Vasquez, Savannah (Co-author) / Chen, Angela (Thesis director) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Scott, Jason (Committee member) / Han, SeungYong (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-05
165216-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of educational videos on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among young adults aged 18-26. A two-group randomized control trial (RCT) is conducted among 156 individuals (control group n = 79, intervention group n= 77). Inclusion criteria were English-speaking young adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of educational videos on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among young adults aged 18-26. A two-group randomized control trial (RCT) is conducted among 156 individuals (control group n = 79, intervention group n= 77). Inclusion criteria were English-speaking young adults aged 18-26 who have not been vaccinated against HPV. Participants who met the inclusion criteria based on an online screening form were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and invited to join the study. They first completed a pretest (T0) online via REDCap, randomly assigned to the intervention or control group, and completed a posttest (T1) after viewing their assigned intervention. Participants assigned to the intervention group watched two brief animated videos while participants assigned to the control group examined an HPV educational brochure created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, survey questions measured HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, vaccination intent (T0 and T1), sociodemographic characteristics, and health history (T0 only) of participants. The results showed the intervention group had an increase in vaccination intent while the control group had a decrease in vaccination intent. This shows that video education methods are more effective than traditional written education methods at increasing vaccination intention among young adults.

ContributorsVasquez, Savannah (Author) / Shinherr, Sophia (Co-author) / Chia-Chen Chen, Angela (Thesis director) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Scott, Jason (Committee member) / Han, SeungYong (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-05
165078-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

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

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.

ContributorsClauss, Colleen (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2022-05