Identifying the Factors That Influence Changes in Aggregate Sentiment Among the Masses: An Analysis of the Measure of Consumer Sentiment Through a Conflict Analysis and Resolution Lens

The University of Michigan\u27s Survey Research Center developed a tool to quantify how people feel towards the state of the economy. Dr. George Katona, a psychologist and professor at the University of Michigan developed the Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) in the 1940s. As decades of data were collected on aggregate consumer sentiment through the 50s and 60s, a discovery was made. The ICS seemed to indirectly predict the direction of the economy by accurately anticipating aggregate purchasing versus saving decisions. The index is even used today by the U.S. Government to measure consumer confidence and has been noted to give investors an unfair advantage if they have this information before others. The literature shows many researchers attempting to measure the index\u27s predictive ability on consumer expenses, but little to none have conducted an in depth analysis on identifying which variables, experiences, and individual characteristics influence the ICS. This dissertation takes on a systems perspective to recognize that the economy is one large societal system; whereby, all members of society along all levels on the socioeconomic strata are interconnected and are in conflict with their needs and values. A 45-question survey was distributed to a national sample of 535 participants. Participants from all states in the U.S. (except North Dakota), and including Puerto Rico were captured in the sample population. The survey identifies each participant\u27s economic literacy, income levels, gender identities, political and religious affiliations, participant and parent\u27s level of education, marital status, household size, employment status, news network preference, trust in the government, willingness to commit a crime in bad financial times, and personal experiences with foreclosure, bankruptcy and layoffs, among other variables. This quantitative methods research utilizes Spearman\u27s rho correlation coefficient to identify the variables that are most statistically significant in influencing the ICS. The data show strong statistical significance among certain variables and the ICS (such as discretionary income, trust in the government, and news network preference), which further grounds the fact that consumers are easily conditioned and influenced by their environment

Resident Experiences With a Place-Based Collaboration to Address Health and Social Inequities: A Survey of Visitors to the East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center

In 2016 and 2017, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene established Neighborhood Health Action Centers (Action Centers) in disinvested communities of color as part of a place-based model to advance health equity. This model includes co-located partners, a referral and linkage system, and community space and programming. In 2018, we surveyed visitors to the East Harlem Action Center to provide a more comprehensive understanding of visitors' experiences. The survey was administered in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Respondents were racially diverse and predominantly residents of East Harlem. The majority had been to the East Harlem Action Center previously. Most agreed that the main service provider for their visit made them feel comfortable, treated them with respect, spoke in a way that was easy to understand, and that they received the highest quality of service. A little more than half of returning visitors reported engaging with more than one Action Center program in the last 6 months. Twenty-one percent of respondents reported receiving at least one referral at the Action Center. Two thirds were aware that the Action Center offered a number of programs and services and half were aware that referrals were available. Additional visits to the Action Center were associated with increased likelihood of engaging with more than one program and awareness of the availability of programs and referral services. Findings suggest that most visitors surveyed had positive experiences, and more can be done to promote the Action Center and the variety of services it offers

Building a Culture of Health at the Neighborhood Level Through Governance Councils

To explore facilitators and barriers to developing and sustaining collaboration among New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Neighborhood Health Action Centers and co-located partners, who share information and decision-making through a Governance Council structure of representative members. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2018 with 43 Governance Council members across the three Action Centers of East Harlem (13), Tremont (15), and Brownsville (15), New York City. Governance Council members identified collaboration through information- and resource-sharing, consistent meetings and continuous communication as valuable for fostering a culture of health in their communities. Immediate benefits included building relationships, increased access to resources, and increased reach and access to community members. Challenges included difficulty building community trust, insufficient advertisement of services, and navigation of government bureaucracy. The Governance Councils forged collaborative relationships among local government, community-based organizations and clinical providers to improve health and well-being in their neighborhoods. Sharing space, resources and information is feasible with a movement towards shared leadership and decision-making. This may result in community-driven and tailored solutions to historical inequities. In shared leadership models, some internal reform by Government partners may be required