Danielle Colayco, Sarah Baron, Jason C. Immekus, David Riess, Jose Caballero, Mataalofa Hubbard, Ann Hong, Erika McPhetridge, Lisa Villanueva, Janie Ashley
{"title":"Factors Associated with Condom Use among Community College Students","authors":"Danielle Colayco, Sarah Baron, Jason C. Immekus, David Riess, Jose Caballero, Mataalofa Hubbard, Ann Hong, Erika McPhetridge, Lisa Villanueva, Janie Ashley","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2023.754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2023.754","url":null,"abstract":"The incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased over the past decade, with half of all new diagnoses occurring in young people ages 15-24 years. Despite the risk, college students report low rates of condom use during sex. This study investigated factors associated with condom use in college students with the intent to inform health education strategies. In this cross-sectional study, a 40-item survey was administered to a random sample of classes at a community college in Central California. A total of 883 students participated. A multivariate logistic regression model identified factors associated with condom use, controlling for demographics, knowledge, and perceptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and condoms.Hispanic/Latino respondents had higher rates of condom use compared to non-Hispanic/Latinos, as did non-White respondents compared to White respondents, non-females, and individuals who were not in a relationship. Regression results revealed that assertive negotiation (i.e., directly requesting to use condoms) was the most significant influencer of condom use. STI knowledge was not associated with condom use, nor was perceived seriousness or susceptibility to STIs.While traditional health promotion programs focus on knowledge and access to condoms, these results suggest that additional factors influence condom use, including the ability to directly request condom use with partners. In addition to topics such as STIs, contraception, and pregnancy, comprehensive sexual health education should also include communication and negotiation strategies between partners, through a lens that includes all sexualities and gender identities.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"4 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139597704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Phoebe M. Massimino, I. Carillo, Anthony J. Santella
{"title":"Exploring Career Motivations and Concerns of Registered Nurses in New York State","authors":"Phoebe M. Massimino, I. Carillo, Anthony J. Santella","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2023.753","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2023.753","url":null,"abstract":"Given the central role of nurses in our healthcare system for quality medical care, patient safety and ensuring optimal patient outcomes, it is important to understand their career motivations and work-related concerns. While the profession has been in existence for centuries, exploring current career motivations and work-related concerns is a key aspect of keeping the profession staffed and satisfied. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 211 Registered Nurses (RNs) in New York State. This study sought to identify the motivation to pursue a career in nursing, including a career as an RN, as well as current work-related concerns in their primary nursing position. Personal motivators (predominantly the desire to help others) ranked as the principal reason for choosing the profession (63.8%) among respondents. Employment motivators (including job security, benefits and monetary reasons) ranked second (28.2%), and Lifestyle motivators (including hours and schedules) ranked third (8.0%). Statistical analysis examined the associations between variables of interest. Results revealed consistency across subgroups of RNs for both career motivations and current work concerns. Analyses were conducted to determine whether nurse career motivations and current work concerns differ by: demographics; education and training; licensure and employment. In consideration of the current and worsening nursing shortage, nurse attrition and retention strategies were explored within the context of nurse motivations and concerns. Understanding the career motivations and work concerns of RNs can advise both academia and healthcare employers regarding recruitment and retention strategies to ensure proper staffing for these essential healthcare workers.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"2 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clement kwang, A. Owusu, I. Sarfo, Emmanuel Yeboah
{"title":"Geographic Coterminous of COVID-19 Case and Vaccination Centers in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana","authors":"Clement kwang, A. Owusu, I. Sarfo, Emmanuel Yeboah","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2023.752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2023.752","url":null,"abstract":"Ghana was the first country globally to receive about 600,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the WHO-backed Covax program in February 2021. Ghana’s initial plan was to vaccinate about two-thirds of its adult population by the end of October 2021. This necessitated the selection of vaccination centers across the country. This study analyzed vaccination centers location against other factors, including COVID-19 cases, population density, and poverty level to assess the efficiency of each center's location in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). Our study applied spatial-analytical techniques to access the spatial coterminous distribution of COVID-19 cases with vaccination centers within GAMA. Hotspot analysis of cases was performed using kernel density tool and compared to hotspots of vaccination centers. Nearest neighbor analysis and error differential ellipse were performed to access the spatial pattern of the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination centers within the GAMA. This study revealed three local clusters of COVID-19 cases in Tema East municipality, Ayawaso Central, and Ablekuma West; three vaccination hotspots, found in Ashaiman, Madina, and AyawasoCentral localities. COVID-19 case clusters are not coterminous with vaccination centers. The top three vaccination clusters were found in Ashiaman, Madina-La Nkwantanan, and Kpone-Katamanso which are inhabited by indigenous populations and also recorded the lowest COVID-19 cases. Tema East and Ayawaso East, which have the highest number of COVID-19 cases, recorded the lowest number of vaccination centers. We conclude that need-based allocation is lacking in the distribution of vaccination centers, which partly affects the equitable access and spatial distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"20 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139597091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Symptom Screenings and Surveillance Testing for COVID-19 in University Athletes","authors":"Michelle D. Boyd, Joseph D. Visker, Carol Cox","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2023.736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2023.736","url":null,"abstract":"The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic presented prevention, screening, and mitigation challenges for public and primary healthcare, including university athletics. During 2020-21, student-athletes at a medium-sized university were required to undergo a COVID-19 screening program [symptom screening/surveillance testing] as a condition of athletic participation.To determine the effectiveness of the screening program in identifying athletes in this population with a COVID-19 diagnosi, prior to every athletic encounter, all 334 student-athlete participants reported any COVID-19 symptoms to the athletic training staff, body temperature was measured, and participants from three teams were randomly selected for an additional anosmia screening. All participants were subject to COVID-19 surveillance testing. For each participant, results of each element of the screening and testing processes were recorded in their electronic medical record and cross-referenced with any positive COVID-19 medical diagnosis. From 2025 surveillance tests conducted, only 32 participants tested positive. Of those, 25 (78%) experienced and reported COVID-19 symptoms to the athletic trainer immediately before testing. Onlyseven (.035%) were captured as pre-symptomatic positive tests. One hundred ten athletes who experienced symptoms, however, did not participate in an athletic encounter that day but instead self-admitted to the university health center for testing. All 110 tested positive at the health center. Experiencing and reporting COVID-19 symptoms appeared effective, and COVID-19 surveillance testing appeared ineffective, as detection measures in this study. Due to the extensive and costly resources needed, the decision to continue to implement these processes in the future will be difficult.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marion W Evans, Mary Nelson Robinson, Eki Wari, D. Buys
{"title":"Sensitive Issues in Agri-health: Training Agents in Academic Detailing to Engage Farm Families on Rural Health During the Opioid Crisis","authors":"Marion W Evans, Mary Nelson Robinson, Eki Wari, D. Buys","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2022.717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2022.717","url":null,"abstract":"Farm stress and opioid misuse is common in rural agricultural communities. This study assessed an education program to train Cooperative Extension agents to recognize and engage farm families on topics such as opioid misuse and mental health using academic detailing; a medical and health-based education tool. Although a majority (>75%) had not heard of this method prior, agents agreed they had used similar methods in the past and felt confident they could employ these methods related to academic detailing in the future. Academic detailing should be considered a useful tool in training agents on engaging clients on topics considered sensitive in nature.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41753013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Motivations of Nursing Students in New York State","authors":"I. Carillo, Phoebe M. Massimino, A. Santella","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2022.716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2022.716","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine if eating pathology was associated with attitudes towards obesity among undergraduate health professions students. Undergraduates (n = 222) completed the Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory and measures of attitudes toward appearance. Multiple linear regressions were used to examined effects of eating pathology dimensions on attitudes toward obesity. Significant predictors of negative obesity attitudes were purging, binge eating, muscle building behaviors, and cognitive restraint. Study implications include development of screenings for health professions students to identify those at risk of eating pathology, as unhealthy attitudes toward eating and appearance which may influence patient interactions.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41361719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Blackstone, Lynn Katherine Hermann, Diana García
{"title":"Attitudes toward Obesity and Eating Pathology among Health Professions Students","authors":"S. Blackstone, Lynn Katherine Hermann, Diana García","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2022.713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2022.713","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine if eating pathology was associated with attitudes towards obesity among undergraduate health professions students. Undergraduates (n = 222) completed the Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory and measures of attitudes toward appearance. Multiple linear regressions were used to examined effects of eating pathology dimensions on attitudes toward obesity. Significant predictors of negative obesity attitudes were purging, binge eating, muscle building behaviors, and cognitive restraint. Study implications include development of screenings for health professions students to identify those at risk of eating pathology, as unhealthy attitudes toward eating and appearance which may influence patient interactions.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44183334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Local Michigan Government Leaders’ Perceptions of K-12 Schools on the Opioid Crisis","authors":"Justin Kumbal, Michael K. Dzordzormenyoh","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2022.721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2022.721","url":null,"abstract":"As opioid misuse has become one of the leading causes of death among young people in the United States, research shows that state and local government leaders have increased efforts at combating the epidemic, largely focused on treatment and recovery services. Using data on local officials’ opinions and perspectives on the problems with opioid from the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the University of Michigan, this study examined the extent to which local K-12 schools were associated with the perceived state of the opioid crisis. Results of a proportional odds model showed little evidence that the odds of the opioid crisis being better in a jurisdiction were higher when K-12 schools are perceived to be actively addressing the opioid issue. The findings of the study demonstrate the need for collaboration from stakeholders for both prevention and treatment to combat the opioid epidemic.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70925064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing Life through Fitness for Aging Individuals: An Interview Study","authors":"C. E. Nikitopoulos, Ivy K. Ho","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2021.698","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2021.698","url":null,"abstract":"As individuals age from midlife, proactive health behaviors are essential for healthy aging. A fitness community can provide an experience which not only taps into physical and psychological health, but also into social well-being. Interviews took place with 30 members of fitness communities that adhere to a popular fitness regimen. Participants were over the age of 40, lived in New England, and were fitness community members for greater than one year. Twelve themes emerged from interviews, with the most prominent being a focus on physical and mental health as one ages. The strength developed through their fitness community membership provides the ability to participate in other physical activity and the mental strength is transferredto other aspects of life. The intensity of the workouts and the microcosm of the community provide a unique opportunity which might parallel other life aspects. Future research and programming should consider these findings in engaging aging individuals in fitness communities to provide a forum for physical activity increase","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44413175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Body Satisfaction among Overweight Mid-life Women: Pre- and Post- Intervention","authors":"J. Yoo, L. Funderburk","doi":"10.47779/ajhs.2021.699","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2021.699","url":null,"abstract":"The goal of the study was to identify the effect of a reduced-calorie diet combined with exercise on weight preoccupation, self-objectification, and body satisfaction among mid-life women who were either obese or overweight. Participants were women with an average age of 51.5 years, with 50% being overweight and 50% obese. A total of 34 usable data were obtained twice, before and after the 12-week intervention program. Body satisfaction was significantly improved, suggesting that the reduced calorie regime with exercise effectively improves body image. The results provide the utilization of a successful intervention program to help alleviate body image stress.","PeriodicalId":88360,"journal":{"name":"American journal of health studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45071558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}