Utahns See Air Quality as a Problem, But Don\u27t Feel They Can Do Much About It

Air pollution is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide each year. Air pollution shortens Utahns’ life expectancy by two years, costs Utah’s economy $1.8 billion annually, and can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions. Several factors play a role in people’s decisions or ability to act to reduce the harms of air pollution. This study investigated Utahns’ perception of risk around air pollution, confidence to enact behaviors to protect themselves against the effects of air pollution, and the actual protective behaviors in which they are engaging. Understanding how Utahn’s think about these factors is key for developing strategic messaging that will effectively encourage Utahns to act in response to air pollution

The 2022 Intertribal Opioid Wellness Summit: Promoting the Integration of Harm Reduction and Holistic Whole-Person Wellness Efforts

Substance Use Disorder, including Opioid Use Disorder, is a persistent problem within tribal and rural communities across Utah. In response, the Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative Resource Center delivered an annual summit that brought together community members and local service providers impacted by substance misuse to improve awareness and use of harm reduction resources and reduce social stigma. This article describes the results of the 2022 Intertribal Opioid Wellness Summit

The 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Qualitative Report

Purpose: The purpose of the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey project was to use retrospective sexual behavior and education measures to gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors and perceptions of sex education of Utah youth by asking students aged 18-21 years old about their sexual behaviors as youth. This supplement provides additional qualitative research that aids in understanding our quantitative findings. Measures: The qualitative survey questions represented three topical areas. These areas included questions about consent, sex education satisfaction, and student’s parental preference when discussing topics about sex and health. Method: A one-time survey was disseminated to students aged 18-21 at three universities in Utah. We relied on a convenience sampling strategy to answer the research questions guiding this study. Analysis: Inductive coding was used. One member of the team created codebooks for each question and then received feedback from two other team members who examined interrater reliability to establish final codes and themes. Results: This report outlines the qualitative results from the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey. Results showed that students generally felt that a more comprehensive sex education was needed in Utah, that consent is easy to give and obtain, and that young adults thought their mothers were easier to discuss sex and health topics with

Assessing Parent and Guardian Outcomes for the Be Epic, Escape the Vape Program in Rural Southeast Utah

Be Epic is a multi-component youth vape prevention program for rural youth, teachers, and parents. Annual parent/guardian events provide vape prevention education during a single session. Evaluation results showed that the program led to an increase in parents\u27 knowledge and intention to talk with their youth about e-cigarettes

E-Cigarette and Vape Prevention in Rural Southeast Utah: Outcomes of Teacher Education

“Be Epic” is a multi-component health and wellness program on vape prevention in rural Southeast Utah that targets youth grades 5–12, teachers, and parents. The teacher component included a one-time education session that taught teachers the basics of the “CATCH my Breath” curriculum. Results of a short-term outcome evaluation showed an increase in teachers’ knowledge and confidence related to e-cigarette education

Addressing the Opioid Crises: An Evaluation of the Community Opioid Education Pilot Program

Utah\u27s opioid crisis presents unique challenges as progress was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a brief webinar-based professional development program aimed at improving knowledge and confidence among health and behavioral healthcare professionals. Results indicated positive changes in participants\u27 confidence and knowledge regarding opioid treatment options, misuse, and connecting individuals to resources

Health Care Professionals’ Stigma Toward People with An Opioid Use Disorder: Preliminary Findings on The Effect of Amount of Contact Has on Stigma

Opioid-related deaths are the leading cause of injury deaths in Utah. Individuals who seek treatment for opioid misuse report stigma from healthcare professionals as the leading barrier to accessing treatment. Health professionals provide a variety of treatment options in efforts of combating high rates of opioid misuse. However, these professionals may not be properly trained in stigma reduction strategies, thus leading to poor client care and outcomes. The current study examined the association between contact with individuals who misuse opioids and stigma perceptions among healthcare professionals. A one-time survey was administered to healthcare professionals who practice in Utah using convenience sampling. The results of an Ordinary Least Square regression analysis showed that increased contact with individuals who misuse opioids significantly predicted decreased opioid-related stigma among healthcare professionals. Our findings suggest that increased contact with persons who misuse opioids can lead to decreased stigma, which may lead to improved quality of care and treatment outcomes among patients. Findings also suggest that behavioral healthcare professionals may have decreased stigma overall. These results support the notion that healthcare providers need additional opioid and substance use education and training to complement traditional treatment strategies they may typically utilize

The 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Initial Findings Report

Purpose: The purpose of the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey project was to use retrospective sexual behavior and education measures to gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors and perceptions of sex education of Utah youth by asking students aged 18-21 years old about their sexual behaviors as youth. Measures: The survey questions represented ten topical areas. These areas included questions about: basic demographics; non-penetrative sex; penetrative sex; contraceptive use and pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention; communication and consent; sexting; sex education; attitudes about sex; current sex behavior; and university programming. Method: A one-time survey was disseminated to students at three Universities in Utah between the ages of 18-21. We relied on a convenience sampling strategy to answer the research questions guiding this study. Analysis: Univariate statistics were conducted to summarize characteristics of the data derived. Results: This report outlines the descriptive results from the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey. Results showed that youth in Utah engage in non-penetrative and penetrative sex. Participants also reported wanting additional sex education, and rated friends and family among their most trusted sources of information related to sex education

Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Initial Findings Report

The purpose of the Utah College Sexual Behavior project was to establish the reliability and validity of the retrospective measures used in the survey and gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors of Utah youth by asking Utah State University (USU) students about their sexual behaviors as youth

Western Region Health & Wellness Programming Efforts: Qualitative Results from a Three-Part Listening Session

The purpose of this project was to understand the programming efforts and experiences of Extension professionals in the Western Region of the United States. The Health and Wellness Working Group team held a series of listening sessions with a closed cohort of Extension professionals, hoping to learn from each other while also building the foundation for future collaborations and conversations about health and wellness programing in the western region. The objectives were to understand: (1) the state of health and wellness work in the western region, including the gaps and challenges, (2) the programs that currently exist and ways that collaborations happen across Extension, (3) strategies for moving health and wellness programming forward across the western region