A Qualitative Understanding of Philadelphia’s Healthy Start Behavioral Health Initiative: A Program Evaluation from the Voices of Program Recipients

Objectives This study used a qualitative approach to explore program recipients\u27 views on mental health needs and behavioral health services within the Philadelphia Healthy Start Program, managed by the non-profit Intercultural Family Services, Inc. It assessed the effectiveness of these services, identified areas for improvement, examined mental health challenges specific to caregiver clients, and evaluated the program\u27s overall impact on these clients. Methods Participants were 13 Healthy Start clients who completed semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted virtually by a trained researcher. The interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis to identify and report themes. Results Analyses of the caregiver interviews revealed several themes. Participants felt that the Healthy Start program offered support for pregnant and postpartum individuals through its comprehensive and flexible services, and specifically through its accessible mental health care. Recipients reported that the program\u27s holistic approach and responsive and compassionate team effectively met various needs. In terms of areas for improvement, program recipients suggested enhancements to outreach efforts, demographic alignment of providers, more connection opportunities for recipients, increased inclusivity for men and partners, and concern about stigma. Conclusions The program recipients felt that Philadelphia’s Healthy Start Program was effective in meeting their needs and supportive to the wellbeing of recipients and their children. Future research can build on the participants’ insights from this study to enhance program effectiveness and address emerging participant needs

Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotics for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in women and are often a reason for prescribing antibiotics. Appropriately treating these infections is vital to prevent significant health concerns such as pyelonephritis or sepsis. Providers commonly prescribe antibiotics as a preventive measure, but incorrect usage can lead to unnecessary use of antibiotics. This is a large concern for the medical community, given the increased rates of antibiotic resistance. This quality improvement project aimed to answer the following research question: In women with recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), does presumptive treatment compared to standard treatment upon confirmed infection increase the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed? It identifies two common themes that emerged from the literature: the use of diagnostic urine testing to reduce the number of inappropriate antibiotics used and the importance of antibiotic stewardship within the inpatient and outpatient setting

Literacy Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Instructional Choice within a Structured Literacy Approach

In the United States over the past two centuries, differing views on reading instruction have fueled public and scientific debate. In the mid-2020s, Structured Literacy has become a central focus in education policy, pre-service teacher preparation, professional development, and curricular design. While Structured Literacy offers a strong foundation for early literacy, it does not fully capture a holistic view of literacy. This mixed-method explanatory sequential design examined teachers’ stance on Structured Literacy, their instructional practices, and self-efficacy in literacy instruction. Participants included 30 survey respondents and 5 interviewees. Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (1978, 1997) informed the analysis. Phase I involved a 24-question survey exploring participants’ understanding of Structured Literacy from both individual and district perspectives. Phase II consisted of interviews and the collection of a Structured Literacy artifact for deeper insight. Data were transcribed and coded using in vivo coding (Saldaña, 2013) and constant comparative analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to identify key themes. Findings revealed that teachers: (a) were eager for more Structured Literacy professional development and resources, (b) implemented explicit, systematic instruction across a broad set of literacy skills, and (c) used a holistic, student-centered approach to guide instructional decision-making. This study amplifies the voices of teachers currently using Structured Literacy-based approaches, recognizing them as instructional experts who understand classroom realities and student needs. Their insights point toward a path for student success grounded in comprehensive literacy instruction that merges Structured Literacy methods with a more holistic literacy approach

Perceptions of School Garden Programming and Their Communities: A Mixed-Methods Research Study

School gardening has been connected to improving student nutritional knowledge (Landry et al., 2021; Leuven et al., 2018), academics (Eugenio-Gozalbo et al., 2020), and pro-environmental attitudes (Zelenika et al., 2018; Chang, 2015). Caring for plants in the garden fosters a positive and caring relationship with plants, allowing students to see themselves as a part of the natural world and promoting environmentally active stances in adulthood (Kalvaitis & Monhardt, 2012; Chawla, 2007). This exploratory sequential mixed methods study explored the scope of how school gardening programs are being utilized across a county in Pennsylvania to promote student community involvement, how food bank partnerships impact student engagement in the garden, and to gain an understanding of the experiences of school garden coordinators who partner with the county food bank. The first phase of this study examined the perspectives of school garden coordinators who partner with the county food bank through interviews and observations at their garden sites. The findings of these interviews and observations were then utilized to develop a qualitative and quantitative survey that was administered to a larger sample. The goal of the survey was to analyze whether school gardens can promote student involvement with food bank programs. The study findings indicate that school garden coordinators held mostly positive experiences with the food bank partnership and perceived the food bank partnership to positively impact student engagement in the garden, sharing a positive relationship between garden involvement and student involvement in their local communities

Pursuing Sustainability in Campus Dining Services

Nick Ventrola, WCU Dining Services Resident District Manager, and Emily Zito, WCU Dining Services Registered Dietitian, present Pursuing Sustainability in Campus Dining Services

Adverse parent-child relationships and relations to psychopathology in emerging adults: a multi-method examination

Throughout the lifespan, parent and child dyads have been well researched. Parenting behaviors can influence a child’s attachment towards the parent, and both elements have been linked to adult psychopathology (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978; Baumrind, 1987; Bowlby, 1969). Various forms of assessments can quantify the constructs within the parent-child dyad, with the most common being self-report and behavioral coding. One assessment that has been underutilized is the vignette-based assessment. This method allows for greater uniformity and can provide additional information about the parent-child dynamics (Baudat, Zimmermann, Antonietti, & Van Petegem, 2017). It has been noted that few studies have measured attachment style and parenting style using both self-report and vignette-based methods. Additionally, fewer studies have segregated the parental roles into mother and father. Accordingly, this dissertation examines parent-child relationships and their link to adult psychopathology. Specifically, maladaptive attachment styles (fearful and distant) and positive parenting behaviors (autonomy-granting and responsiveness) were related to psychopathology. Furthermore, ratings of vignettes were additionally related to psychopathology and evidenced incremental validity over and above self-report information. When evaluating these results more closely, there was also a significant difference between mother and father parenting behaviors in relation to young adult psychopathology and attachment. The findings of this study suggest that additional studies are needed using a multi-mixed method when studying psychopathology

Dicranella heteromalla (Fine Hair Moss)

Dicranella heteromalla (Fine Hair Moss) 1/21/2020 Group: Bryophytes Type: Mosses Family: Dicranaceae Notes Common Names: Fine Hair Moss; Silky Forklet Moss Years Noted: 2007; 2020 Identified and First Noted By: Spencer Rustonhttps://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/gna_bps_bry/1045/thumbnail.jp

Brachytheciaceae Indet. #1. (No Common Name)

Brachytheciaceae Indet. #1. (No Common Name) 5/29/2019 Group: Bryophytes Type: Mosses Family: Brachytheciaceae Notes Common Name: No Common Name Year Noted: 2019 Identified By: Carlos J. Pasiche Lisboa (iNaturalist) First Noted By: Nur Ritterhttps://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/gna_bps_bry/1034/thumbnail.jp

Plagiomnium ciliare (Saber Tooth Moss)

Plagiomnium ciliare (Saber Tooth Moss) 4/26/2019 Group: Bryophytes Type: Mosses Family: Mniaceae Notes Common Names: Saber Tooth Moss; Wavy-leaf Moss Years Noted: 2007; 2009; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2023 Identified and First Noted By: Spencer Ruston Also Noted By: Cindy Law; Nur Ritter; Noah Longhttps://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/gna_bps_bry/1098/thumbnail.jp

The Impact of Health Promotion Home Visits on Loneliness in an Older Adult Population

Loneliness among older adults is a significant public health concern associated with adverse physical, emotional, and cognitive outcomes. Despite widespread recognition of the issue, effective interventions remain limited in clinical practice. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project implemented and evaluated a Health Promotion Home Visit (HPHV) intervention designed to reduce loneliness in community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older. A quality improvement initiative using a pre-post design was conducted at a community outreach division of a home health agency. Patients received HPHV every other week over an eight-week period. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) was used to assess loneliness before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. Post-intervention findings showed a statistically significant reduction in loneliness scores (p \u3c .05), indicating a positive impact of the HPHV intervention. Qualitative feedback further supported increased feelings of connection, emotional support, and well-being among participants. The HPHV intervention demonstrated effectiveness in reducing perceived loneliness in older adults and highlights the value of intentional human presence as a therapeutic tool in nursing care. This intervention offers a scalable, patient-centered strategy that can be integrated into community health models to address the growing issue of loneliness in aging populations