#OVARIANCANCER: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO FACILITATE HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2019Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women. Women with a personal or family history of breast and ovarian cancer are encouraged to seek genetic testing, but fewer than 15 to 30% of eligible patients are ever offered genetic testing. Social media may be well positioned to address this area of need. This research seeks to improve our understanding of social media as a platform for public health research and communication, in the context of familial ovarian cancer susceptibility. In Aim 1, I explored how ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer risk is discussed over Twitter, collecting and analyzing tweets to identify structural features of a tweet and describe how social media users publicly exchange and engage with ovarian cancer information over Twitter. In Aim 2, I conducted a series of contextual interviews to describe the online health information-seeking behaviors of internet users at risk for ovarian cancer. Finally, in Aim 3, I evaluated innovative methods for recruiting research participants for an ovarian cancer genetic testing study, using paid targeted advertisements and unpaid posts over Facebook. Findings from this research illustrate what structural components of a social media post may help improve message reach, describe how internet users with a risk of ovarian cancer assess online health information and demonstrate that Facebook is an effective tool for reaching women over the age of 30 with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. These findings offer insight into how public health professionals can leverage social media for the purposes of health communication, and demonstrate that with the help of patient advocates, online communication tools like social media may improve representation in research and health service provision, by widening messaging reach

Science Education in the Early Childhood & Special Education Setting: An Analysis of Science Education Across Lake Washington, Bellevue & Seattle School Districts

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2012This survey based research illustrates science education in the early childhood setting, specifically across Lake Washington, Seattle and Bellevue Public School Districts, with a lens on programs serving children with special needs. Taking current best practice into consideration, this research compares the amount of time that teachers currently spend teaching their students science across these settings, with recommendations urging educators to expose their students to the scientific inquiry process early and often. Additionally, the results of this survey align with findings regarding teacher self-efficacy in the area of science, demonstrating that educators who have a science background and/or have received professional development opportunities in the area of science, are likely to teach science more often and lead higher quality lessons. The survey results also demonstrate that the provision of curriculum and training opportunities are indicative of a community that supports science education, and therefore predictive of the amount and quality of science education that students in an early childhood setting receive