Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Social Media Impact on the Well-being and Mental Health of African American Women

In this qualitative study, I investigated African American women\u27s lived experiences and perspectives regarding their use of social media and its impact on their mental health and well-being. While social media serves as a powerful tool for communication and connection, it is also known to have adverse effects on mental health. This research specifically addressed the potential negative impact of social media on the mental health of African American women, who represent a significant consumer group of social media in the United States. Grounded in Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory, this study focused on African American women aged 24–39 through open-ended interviews. A phenomenological approach was employed to gather in-depth information from participants, offering insights into their experiences navigating the intersection of social media and mental health. The primary aim was to explore and understand the lived experiences of African American women within the context of their social media use. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns. Key insights included the detrimental effects of social comparison and exposure to negative content, contrasted with the benefits of community support and empowerment through positive content and connections. By exploring these experiences, the study contributed valuable insights that can inform positive social change through interventions, support systems, and strategies tailored to promote the mental well-being of African American women in the context of social media use

Cultural Sensitivity in the Performance-Based Learning Environment

The Georgia Department of Education requires students to earn 4 course credits in the area of mathematics in order to graduate from high school. Academic success for mathematics students in a school district in southern Georgia has been encumbered because teachers lack cultural competency in mathematics instruction, which has hindered minority students from developing reasoning, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills needed to earn these required math credits. The purpose of this project study was to examine teachers\u27 perceptions of using culturally relevant teaching strategies to influence the academic performance of minority students in the mathematics classroom. The conceptual framework was Dewey\u27s progressive education theory. Six high school math teachers were purposefully selected for face-to-face interviews. Interview transcripts were coded using the Coding Analysis Toolkit and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that culturally competent mathematics instruction is important when teaching minority students; however, math teachers were not adequately prepared to teach minority students. Based on the findings, a professional development program was developed for secondary math teachers. Implications for positive social change include increasing math teachers\u27 cultural awareness during instruction to help minority students increase academic proficiency in mathematics

Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol County: Increasing Program Awareness for the Help at Home Program

We came up with the idea of using a cost analysis to clearly demonstrate the advantage of home care vs. hospitalization. John Hopkins Bay view Medical Center conducted a study within their geriatrics unit to test their Hospital At Home program against typical on-site care at the hospital. The study was held over the course of 30 days involving hundreds of patients across three cities and the results were staggering. Not only was at home care 32% cheaper ($5,081 versus$7,480) but also overall customer satisfaction was significantly higher

The impact of maternal gestational stress on motor development in late childhood and adolescence: a longitudinal study

The number and timing of stressors experienced during pregnancy were investigated using longitudinal data from the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine) Study cohort (N = 2,900). Motor development data were collected at 10 (n = 1,622), 14 (n = 1,584), and 17 (n = 1,222) years using the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development. Linear mixed models were used to examine the effect of stress on motor development, accounting for repeated measures. Number of stressful events and mean Neuromuscular Development Index were negatively related (β = −1.197, p = .001). Stressful events experienced in late pregnancy were negatively related with offspring motor development (β = −0.0541, p = .050), while earlier stressful events had no significant impact

A documentary analysis of Victorian Government health information assets’ websites to identify availability of documentation for data sharing and reuse in Australia

Background: Health data sharing is important for monitoring diseases, policy and practice, and planning health services. If health data are used for secondary purposes, information needs to be provided to assist in reuse. Objectives: To review government health information asset websites to ascertain the extent of readily available, explanatory documentation for researcher sharing and reuse of these data. Method: Documentary analysis was undertaken on selected Victorian Government health information assets’ websites in Australia. Data were obtained on nine information-categories: data custodian; data context; data dictionary; quality controls; data quality; limitations; access process; privacy/confidentiality/security and research requests/outputs. Information-categories were compared by dataset type (administrative or population-health) and by curating organisation (government or other agency). Descriptive statistics were used. Results: The majority of the 25 websites examined provided information on data custodian (96%) and data context (92%). Two-thirds reported access process (68%) and privacy/confidentiality/security information (64%). Compared with population-health websites, administrative dataset websites were more likely to provide access to a data dictionary (67% vs 50%) and information on quality controls (56% vs 44%), but less likely to provide information on the access process (56% vs 75%) and on research requests/outputs (0% vs 56%, p = 0.024). Compared with government-curated websites, other agency websites were more likely to provide information on research requests/outputs (80% vs 7%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: There is inconsistent explanatory documentation available for researchers for reuse of Victorian Government health datasets. Importantly, there is insufficient information on data quality or dataset limitations. Research-curated dataset websites are significantly more transparent in displaying research requests or outputs

Who Gives a “Like” About the HPV Vaccine? Kansan Parent/Guardian Perceptions and Social Media Representations

Among U.S. states, Kansas children’s HPV vaccination rates remain low. Parent/guardian HPV vaccine-beliefs likely influence vaccination rates. Additionally, Facebook’s popularity suggests that this forum’s representation may influence parent/guardian decisions to vaccinate children. This dissertation explores how Kansan parents/guardians of HPV vaccine-eligible children perceive the vaccine in the contexts of the health belief model (Rosenstock, 1974; Rosenstock, Strecher, & Becker, 1988) and the social amplification of risk framework (R. Kasperson et al., 1988), parent/guardian engagement with HPV vaccine-related information, and Facebook representations by general users and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the vaccine’s first decade on the market. Results indicate HPV vaccine risk perceptions among some Kansan parents/guardians, social media as an active and passive source of information, and the HPV vaccine’s representation on Facebook as increasingly negative. HPV vaccine promotion strategies should consider focusing on the vaccine’s representation and risk attenuating messages

Correlation between biomarkers of exposure, effect and potential harm in the urine of electronic cigarette users.

ObjectivesTo determine if urinary biomarkers of effect and potential harm are elevated in electronic cigarette users compared with non-smokers and if elevation correlates with increased concentrations of metals in urine.Study design and settingThis was a cross-sectional study of biomarkers of exposure, effect and potential harm in urine from non-smokers (n=20), electronic cigarette users (n=20) and cigarette smokers (n=13). Participant's screening and urine collection were performed at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and biomarker analysis and metal analysis were performed at the University of California, Riverside.ResultsMetallothionein was significantly elevated in the electronic cigarette group (3761±3932 pg/mg) compared with the non-smokers (1129±1294 pg/mg, p=0.05). 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) was significantly elevated in electronic cigarette users (442.8±300.7 ng/mg) versus non-smokers (221.6±157.8 ng/mg, p=0.01). 8-Isoprostane showed a significant increase in electronic cigarette users (750.8±433 pg/mg) versus non-smokers (411.2±287.4 pg/mg, p=0.03). Linear regression analysis in the electronic cigarette group showed a significant correlation between cotinine and total metal concentration; total metal concentration and metallothionein; cotinine and oxidative DNA damage; and total metal concentration and oxidative DNA damage. Zinc was significantly elevated in the electronic cigarette users (584.5±826.6 µg/g) compared with non-smokers (413.6±233.7 µg/g, p=0.03). Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between urinary zinc concentration and 8-OHdG in the electronic cigarette users.ConclusionsThis study is the first to investigate biomarkers of potential harm and effect in electronic cigarette users and to show a linkage to metal exposure. The biomarker levels in electronic cigarette users were similar to (and not lower than) cigarette smokers. In electronic cigarette users, there was a link to elevated total metal exposure and oxidative DNA damage. Specifically, our results demonstrate that zinc concentration was correlated to oxidative DNA damage