Browsing by Subject "Health Psychology"
Now showing 1 - 18 of 18
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item A Faith Based Approached to Cervical Cancer Screening in Latina and Vietnamese Women: Outcome Analysis(2005-05-01) Perez, Robin Z.; Gonzalez, Adela; Lykens, Kristine; Galvan, RobertPerez, Robin Z., A Faith Based Approach to Cervical Cancer Screening in Latina and Vietnamese Women: Outcome Analysis. Master of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), May 2005, 34pp., 4 tables, 3 illustrations, bibliography, 6 titles. A secondary data analysis study of the cervical cancer screening collaboration hosted by the St. Joseph Health Care Trust through six area Catholic churches was conducted to describe a program that has been recognized as a best practice for serving minority communities in Texas. The objectives of the study were to list demographic characteristics associated with the screening participants; to review culturally sensitive programming and approaches to serving both Latina and Vietnamese women. The results of this study will assist in implementation of similar interventions. The conclusions demonstrate that interventions that are tailored to specific communities may influence program participants and increase screening turnout.Item A Path Analysis of Body Mass Index, Body Image, and Unhealthy Dietary Behavior as Contributors to Suicidal Behavior in Female Adolescents(2004-05-01) Rorie, Michele Taylor; Balcazar, Hector; Lurie, Sue; ReneRorie, Michele Taylor, A Path Analysis of Body Mass Index, Body Image and Unhealthy Dietary Behavior as Contributors to Suicidal Behavior in Female Adolescents. Doctor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), May 2004, 120 pp., 17 tables, 6 illustrations, references, 106 titles. Objectives- This study examined the pattern and magnitude of relationships between body mass index, body image, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and suicidal behavior among a sample of White, African American, and Hispanic adolescent females. Methods-This study employed secondary analysis of the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey public-use dataset to provide quantitative estimates of the causal connections between body mass index, body image, dietary behaviors, and suicidal behavior. A sample (n=5,218) of White, African American, and Hispanic adolescent females aged 14-17 were selected for analysis. This cross-sectional study involved public high school students in grades 9-12. The variables/constructs BMI, Body Image, and Dietary Behavior were examined using a path analysis to determine the magnitude of effects on Suicidal Behavior in adolescent females. Results- The path coefficients were obtained for the path model using multiple regression equations, which took direct and indirect effects into account. The Female Adolescent Model (n= 5,218) yielded an R2 = .27. This meant that 27% of the variance in Suicidal Behavior was explained by BMI, Body Image, and Dietary Behavior. When race/ethnicity was analyzed separately, different values were observed. The White Adolescent Female Model (n=2,768) had an R2=.32. The Black or African American Model (n=1,206) had an R2=.23, and the Hispanic or Latino Model (n=1,224) had an R2=.27. Conclusion- The basic state of what is an actual fact about a person (i.e. weight) does not cause an increase of harmful or destructive behavior. The person’s beliefs drive intention as it was demonstrated through the immergence of significant indirect pathways from BMI through Body Image and Dietary Behavior to Suicidal Behavior. The path analyses for the three racial groups suggest that there are varying degrees of influence among BMI, Body Image, Dietary Behaviors, and Suicidal Behaviors.Item An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Language and Ethnic Concordance on Hispanic Patients' Trust in their Healthcare Providers in Tarrant County(2007-08-01) Macias, Isela; Holly E. Jacobson; Francisco Soto-Mas; Daisha CipherMacias, Isela. An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Language and Ethnic Concordance on Hispanic Patients’ Trust in Their Healthcare Providers in Tarrant County. Master of Public Health (Health Interpreting & Health Applied Linguistics), August 2007, 76 pp., 8 tables, references, 57 titles. There is a scare number of Spanish-speaking, Hispanic physicians to serve a growing Spanish-speaking Hispanic population. A survey and interview were conducted in a primary health clinic with fifty-two Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients. The Introduction (Chapter 1), included the problem and purpose; Literature Review (Chapter 2), analyzed supporting literature; Methodology (Chapter 3), described data process; Results (Chapter 4), reported the findings; and Conclusions and Recommendations (Chapter 5), included the decision. Spanish-speaking Hispanics in the study had more trust in Spanish-speaking Hispanic physicians than in non-Hispanic physicians who did not speak Spanish. More studies should include Spanish-speaking Hispanics and focus on differences in acculturation and the patient-physician relationship.Item Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action to Female Adolescent Sexual Behavior(2000-05-01) Gilbert-Cronen, Vanessa S.; Rene, Antonio; Goldfarb, Ronald H.; Urrutia-Rojas, XimenaGilbert-Cronen, Vanessa S., Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action to Female Adolescent Sexual Behavior. Doctor of Philosophy (Biomedical Sciences), May, 2000, 143pp., 25 tables, 8 illustrations, references, 170 titles. Objectives. This study evaluated the Theory of Reasoned Actions for its effectiveness in the prediction of the sexual intercourse intentions of a group of female high school adolescents. An expanded model which included a self-esteem measure was also assessed for its contribution to the model. Additionally, six-month follow up data was used to determine whether sexual intercourse intention predicted reported sexual behavior at follow-up. Methods. Data from the National Urban Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (NUAPPP), a longitudinal study conducted in 1997 and 1998 was used for this study. Tenth grade adolescent high school females (n=235) from two sites in Texas were selected to conduct a partial test of the Theory of Reasoned Action. The TRA model constructs attitudes and subjective norm were operationalized so that beliefs about sexual intercourse, attitudes towards pregnancy, perceived sexual beliefs about friends and parental communication beliefs were evaluated for their individual and combined effectiveness in the prediction of sexual intercourse intention. Results. Logistic analysis of individual model components showed significant associations between sexual beliefs (OR=5.75; 95% CI = 2.75, 11.98), pregnancy attitudes (OR=3.14; 95% CI=1.53, 6.44) perceived friend’s beliefs (OR=3.97; 95% CI = 1.57, 10.04) and sexual intercourse intention. When combined as a model, only sexual beliefs remained a significant predictor of intention (OR=4.02; 95% CI=1.79, 9.04). Evaluation of external variables showed past behavior to be a significant predictor of sexual intercourse intention (OR=32.59; 95% CI=12.56, 84.53). Conclusions. This study found the Theory of Reasoned Action to be inadequate in the prediction of adolescent female sexual intercourse intentions. The facts that individual constructs were significant predictors indicates a need for further research to understand the relationships between attitudes, beliefs, intention and behavior.Item Behavioral Disturbances, Chronic Pain, and Cognitive Impairment in Long-Term Care Centers(2004-07-01) Ambavaram, Sukanya; Cipher, Daisha J.; Bayona, Manuel; Coggin, ClaudiaAmbavaram, Sukanya. Behavioral Disturbances, Chronic Pain, and Cognitive Impairment in Long-Term Care. Master of Public Health, July 2004, 45 pp., 8 tables, references. Background- There is increasing interest in finding the relationship between pain, depression, behavioral disturbances and cognitive impairment in patients living in long-term care centers and predicting behavioral disturbances using chronic pain, depression and cognitive impairment as predictors. To date this is the first study identifying the relationship between pain and behavioral problems. Methods- The study population consisted of 412 residents living in 16 long-term care centers in Dallas, TX. Pearson product-moment Correlation was done to find the association between behavioral disturbances and pain, depression and cognitive factors. Multiple regression analysis was performed to obtain best predictors of behavioral disturbances and forward selection procedure to find out best fit model. Conclusion- Statistically significant correlation was achieved between behavioral excess and overall pain. The correlation was statistically significant between behavioral deficit and overall pain, activity interference and depression. Overall pain, activity interference and depression are significantly inter-correlated with each other. Over all pain and activity interference were found to be statistically significant predictors of behavioral excess. Overall pain was found to be statistically significant predictor of behavioral deficit.Item Characteristics of Primary Care Physicians Serving in Texas Medically Underserved Areas(2006-08-01) Lancaster, Scott Bradley; Kristine Lykens; Russell Gamber; Jeffrey TalbertLancaster, Scott Bradley, Characteristics of Primary Care Physicians Serving in Texas Medically Underserved Areas, 2005. Master of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), May 2006, 63 pp., 13 tables, bibliography, 59 titles. Primary care physician demographics were examined to determine if subgroups differed in choice of practice location in urban and rural Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) in Texas. Compared with the overall proportion of physicians practicing in rural MUAs (8.8%), subgroups that significantly differed were Dos (13.5%), males (10.6%), general practitioners (19.4%), family physicians (12.4%), and graduates of medical school prior to or during 1960 (18.8%) and from 1961-1970 (11.2%). Compared with the overall proportion of physicians practicing in urban MUAs (23.2%), subgroups that significantly differed were females (25%), Blacks (29.7%), and Latinos (38.7). Binary logistic regression showed that Asian ethnicity, general practice specialty, and graduate year of 1961-1970 predicted MUA practice location. The statistically significant differences observed underscore the importance of further study to examine potential differences between rural and urban MUAs. Public policy that provides incentives for more equitable physician distribution should be based on sound research.Item Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Among Uninsured Hispanics(2005-05-01) Trevino, Elizabeth; Mains, Doug A.; Rene, Antonio; Gonzales, AdelaTrevino, Elizabeth., Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among Uninsured Hispanics. Doctor of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), May 2005, 83 pp., 10 tables, bibliography, 87 titles. Inequalities in access to health care persist in the US health care delivery system and as the number of uninsured patients in the United States continues to increase, emergency departments around the country are becoming inundated with people seeking non-acute, as well as acute medical care. This study explored whether there are differences of emergency department use and hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions among uninsured Hispanics as compared to other ethnicities using 2001-2002 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data. A weighted sample of 4,210,248 emergency department visits for years 2001-2002 was analyzed using frequencies, Pearson x2 tests, logistic regression and multiple logistic regression to determine whether Hispanics and uninsured Hispanic were visiting the emergency department more frequently than any other ethnic group; uninsured Hispanics were being hospitalized due to the severity of the disease; and determine the significant predictors for preventable hospitalizations. Significant differences among the ethnicities studied and emergency department visits during 2001-2002 were found. These differences resulted in favor of African-American. African-American had larger rates of ED visits as compared to Whites and Hispanics. Uninsured African-American were also found as the racial/ethnic group with greater visits for emergency departments. These findings changed when assessing preventable hospitalizations for ACS conditions. A similar direction was found for Whites. Uninsured Hispanics were hospitalized more frequently in triage category less than 15 minutes, indicating the severity of the disease. Age, gender, race/ethnicity and insurance status were found to be significant predictors for preventable hospitalizations. This study revealed a substantial national problem with hospitalizations among uninsured Hispanics that may be prevented with timely and appropriate ambulatory care. The significant finding in this study strongly suggests that although this group did not visit the emergency department as frequently when compared to other ethnicities between 2001-2002, they are doing so when their condition deteriorates to the point to which a visit to the emergency room and hospitalization has become inevitable.Item Factors that Motivate Hispanics to Attend Church-Based Health Interventions(2006-05-01) Sanchez, Mary-Katherine; Gonzalez, Adela; Lykens, Kristine; Lurie, SueSanchez, Mary-Katherine, Factors that Motivate Hispanics to Participate in Church-Based Health Interventions. Doctor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), May 2006, 80 p.p., 1 table, bibliography, 62 titles. One of the most important demographic trends taking place in the United States today is the rapid growth of the Hispanic/Latino population (Kostin, 2004). Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States (Documet Sharma, 2004; United States Census Bureau, 2003). This rapid growth will have a major impact on social, political and economic issues as well as on the health of the people in the United States (Kostin, 2004). Throughout the country, church-based health interventions are being offered to individuals of differing cultural and ethnic backgrounds, however, retention of participants is often low. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine the roles that social and behavioral factors play in motivating Hispanics to attend church-based health interventions. The study used qualitative methods. Focus groups were conducted at two church sites that were participants in the fall 2005 American Heart Association De Corazon a Corazon program with the highest retention rate of participating parishes. Both focus groups were audio-recorded, and recordings and field notes were then used to translate and transcribe the collected data. All data were entered into NVivo and coded to identify important themes and concepts. Results identified key identified motivating factors that included familiarity with setting, desire to improve health, need to gain information, knowing others in the group, social and motivational factors, monetary benefits such as free health screenings and workshops and questions being answered in Spanish. It was determined that social factors play a major role in motivating Hispanics to attend church-based health interventions. Through increasing our knowledge of motivational factors and influences on Hispanics to attend a church-based intervention, more effective health prevention and intervention programs can be designed and implemented in an effort to better reach this growing minority population and lessen the burden of minority health disparities. This is an area of research that needs to be further examined in order to prevent growing health disparities among the Hispanic population.Item Gender Differences: Making the Decision to Seek Treatment for Symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction(2000-05-01) Borski, Catherine A.; Shelia Reed; Joseph Doster; Claudia CogginBorski, Catherine A., Gender Differences: Making the decision to seek treatment for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Masters of Public Health (Health Behavior), May, 2000, 57 pp., reference list, 37 titles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the problem: Do differences in interpretation and response to symptoms of AMI account for additional delay in seeking treatment in women compared with men? The sample consisted of 50 (21 women, 29 men) post-myocardial infarction patients in a large, non-profit, teaching hospital in central Texas. Participants were interviewed within 72 hours of admission using the Revised Response to Symptoms questionnaire. In this study, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the cognitive and emotional processes that men and women use when making the decision to seek treatment for symptoms of AMI.Item HIPAA's Effect on Patient Enrollment in Clinical Trials(2002-08-01) Ommani, Sophia J.; Kaman, Robert; Arredondo, LaChelle; Bens, Annita V.Ommani, Sophia J., HIPAA’s Effect on Patient Enrollment in Clinical Trials. Master of Medical Science, August, 2002, pp. 88, 10 tables, 11 figures, references, 34 titles. The new regulation disseminated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act may impose serious restrictions as to how medical information can be used and disclosed. The law’s basic provisions began to take effect in 1997 with three principles: 1) to make it possible for people to get coverage even when they have past or present medical conditions/health factors, 2) to help people maintain the coverage needed when changing insurance or jobs, and 3) to make insurance more accessible for those who work in small businesses. A separate provision in the law imposes strict regulations on the privacy and security or patient health information. This provision has created the need to conduct research on the impact that this will have on a variety of health care issues. While some clinical practice research may be conducted without information linked to medical records, other research relies on personal identifiers to track treatment of an individual over time or link multiple sources of patient information. A randomized study was conducted to test the hypothesis that HIPAA would effect patient enrollment in clinical trials, and results supported the hypothesis. A lack of 1) willingness to authorize release of medical information and 2) a lack of understanding of the informed consent with the HIPAA language were the two predominant reasons given for refusing to sign.Item Interpreter Narratives: End-Of-Life Conversations in a Pediatric Hospital(2007-10-01) Warren, Corinne Neitzke; Sue LurieWarren, Corinne Neitzke., Interpreter Narratives: End-of-Life Conversations in a Pediatric Hospital. Master of Public Health (Health Interpreting and Health Applied Linguistics), October 2007, 162 pp., bibliography, 74 titles. Aspects of communication between caregivers and patients/families are noted consistently in the literature as important to perceptions of quality of care at the end of life (EOL). Healthcare interpreters, along with providers, can be “deliverers of bad news.” EOL encounters create challenging and unique role and performance demands for interpreters; as active participants in these conversations, interpreters intervene in various ways that impact the communication process. While they may view providers as having the central role in an encounter, aspects of their performance suggest the pivotal nature of their own participation. This exploratory, qualitative research aimed to understand and represent interpreters’ perceptions of the EOL communication they facilitate when providers and pediatric patients and families don’t share language or culture. Their perspectives were revealed in their stories of EOL encounters, as they recounted personal reactions to specific circumstances and conversation exchanges as well as how they handled interpretation in particular situations.Item Is an Enviormental Health Educational Intervention Sufficient to Change Behavior?: Perceptions from an Indigenous Lake Community in Guatemala(2006-12-01) Pezzia, Carla; Terrance Gratton; Sue Lurie; Norman TrieffPezzia, Carla. Is an environmental health educational intervention sufficient to change behavior?: Perceptions from an indigenous lake community in Guatemala. Master of Public Health (Environmental Health), December 2006, 46 pp., 6 tables, 1 illustration, references, 18 titles. Traditional environmental health practices focus on education and exposure prevention, but the division between the biophysico-chemical and social environment keeps them from always being sufficient; human ecology seeks to bridge this division. The second leading cause of mortality in Guatemala is gastrointestinal infections, and San Pedro, Guatemala, provides an opportunity to study these infections utilizing a human ecological approach. Morbidity data were collected from the local health center, observations noted systematically, and both residents and tourists were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the community’s environmental health. Results found that residents who had no contact with tourists stated that, for gastrointestinal infections due to refuse in the streets, education alone would not be sufficient to reduce this problem; most felt some type of government intervention would be necessary. It is recommended that public health specialists enjoy a human ecological approach and refer to the community when designing an appropriate intervention.Item Is There a Relationship Between Impulsiveness, Risk Perception, Alcohol Problems, Race/Ethnicity, and Alcohol-Related Injury Type?(2006-05-01) Hamann, Cara; Cardarelli, Kathryn; Field, Craig; Fischbach, LoriThis cross-sectional study examined the associations between impulsiveness, risk perception, alcohol problems, race/ethnicity and alcohol-related intentional injury of 1504 White, Black, and Hispanic trauma patients from the emergency department at a Level 1 Trauma center in Dallas, Texas. After controlling for race/ethnicity, age, gender, education, marital status, drug use, and annual frequency of heavy drinking, injury-related alcohol problems within the past 12 months (OR= 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18) had a moderate effect on intentional injury. Impulsiveness (total score, motor, and non-planning) and alcohol problems (total score, physical, interpersonal, social responsibility, and injury) had moderate effects on intentional injury in univariate analyses, but these effects became null in multivariate analyses. Race/ethnicity had a large effect on injury type in all models considered in the study, with Blacks (estimated ORs ranged from 3.06 to 3.54, 95% CIs ranged from 2.08 to 5.18) and Hispanics (estimated ORs ranged from 2.29 to 2.47, 95% CIs ranged from 1.61 to 3.52) having greater odds of intentional in jury in comparison to Whites in univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall, race/ethnicity and injury-related alcohol problems were the only variable of interest that showed effects on intentional injury. Lack of significant results may be partially explained the use of ICD-9 codes to categorize injury type. Future studies should address limitations and alternatives of using ICD-9 codes to evaluate psychological and behavioral factors.Item Latino Immigrants in Fort Worth: Contributing Factors to Lack of Health Insurance and Their Impacton Utilization of Health Services(2004-04-14) Moreno, Jose J.; Lykens, Kristine; Urrutia-Rojas, Ximena; Mains, Doug A.This quantitative research study consists of a secondary data analysis examining the factors contributing to the lack of health insurance in a group of Latino immigrants in Fort Worth, and the impact it has on their utilization for health care services. The data analyzed was previously collected to assess the needs for health insurance of Latino immigrants in Fort Worth. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis methods of the sampled population were determine some of the main factors for lack of health insurance resulting in underutilization of health care service. Results of the study lacked the strong statistical association expected from the predictor variables, however, results of the study reveal areas where health care policies affect and may improve conditions of the immigrant population in Fort Worth, Texas.Item Organizational Culture Change in a Texas Hospital(2004-06-01) Coustasse, Alberto; Sue Lurie; Doug A. MainsCoustasse-Hencke, Alberto, MD, MBA, MPH, Organizational Culture Change in a Texas Hospital. Doctor of Public Health (Health Behavior), June 2004, 329 pp., 11 tables, 8 illustrations, bibliography, 198 titles. The purpose of this research was to analyze a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach in a Texas hospital with a main focus in Patient Satisfaction (PS), and to measure organizational change and its impact on PS. This dissertation also applied a "Shared Vision" of the organization as the central process in bringing forth the knowledge shared by members of the community hospital who were both subjects and research participants. The development of the framework for analysis was influenced by theories of organizational change, epistemology and philosophy of science, and included approaches to social inquiry in cybernetics, organizational behavior, learning organization, complex systems and the BSC. While the framework has a vast theoretical foundation it has not been subject to an in situ test of on-going organizational change system. The research employed primary and secondary data sources, combined quantitative and qualitative methods for an embedded longitudinal single case study, and utilized a triangulation of methods for analysis. The quantitative study utilized survey analysis and 18 measurements from the organization and used PS as the basic measurement for the study. The qualitative study used two different sets of Interviews, one for the Board and Vice President's level, and other one for all employees. Participant observation was used and archival data were collected to provide a better understanding of the organizational culture and the context in which change was taking place. Conclusions from the first iteration cycle included: an increase in PS; one subculture within the hospital had shared vision and acted as a Learning Organization; management was conducted by "silos"; and there was lack of feedback between organizational levels of the hospital, especially in financial management, with organizational dysfunctionality in reacting and adapting to the environment.Item The Effects of Media Exposure on Alcohol Consumption Patters within the African American Population(2005-05-01) Miller, Vanessa G.; Lykens, Kristine; Quinn, James; Cipher, DaishaMiller, Vanessa G., The Effects of Media Exposure on Alcohol Consumption Patterns within the African American Population. Doctor of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), May 2005, 206 pp., 62 tables, 8 illustrations, references, 77 titles. Objectives- The study examined the role of media exposure on alcohol consumption patterns in the African American population. In studying the role of media exposure, the study also examined the role of ethnicity, mood/affect, socio-demographic factors and religion on alcohol consumption patterns in this population. Methods- Secondary analysis of the General Social Survey (GSS), 1972-2002 cumulative data file was used to provide quantitative estimates of the relationship between media exposure, ethnicity, mood/affect, socio-demographic factors, and religiosity as predictors of alcohol consumption. Path analysis was used to determine the direct and indirect effects of these concepts on alcohol consumption patterns. Results- Watching television and reading the newspaper were significant predictors of alcohol use. Watching television had a positive effect on alcohol use; but only in the absence of religiosity. When religiosity was present, as indicated by religious affiliation and attendance at religious services, watching television had a significant negative effect on alcohol use. Reading the newspaper had a negative effect on alcohol use; but this effect was not very significant. Watching TV also had a significant positive effect on alcohol abuse. Reading the newspaper had an effect on alcohol abuse but this effect was not significant. IN the presence of religiosity, neither watching TV nor reading the newspaper had a significant effect on alcohol abuse. The effects of religiosity could also be seen on the relationships between alcohol consumption and socializing patterns, age, sex, ethnicity, and income. The year of the GSS survey had a significant positive effect of television viewing and a significant negative effect on reading the newspaper. Race did not have a significant effect on alcohol use or abuse. Conclusion- This research has significant policy implications, as it indicates that exposure to media, thus exposure to advertising, had an effect on alcohol consumption. Religiosity appeared to act as a protective mechanism against the adverse effects of media exposure, as they relate to alcohol consumption. This research provides support for the implementation of more faith-based initiatives to combat substance abuse (especially alcohol abuse). It also sets the foundation for additional research on the effects of advertising on alcohol consumption, looking at the media revolution of the 21st century.Item The Impact of Graduation and Work on Health and Behavior(2006-08-01) Minzenmayer, Tracey; Watson, Warren; Townsend, Alicia; Franks, SusanMinzenmayer, Tracey. The Impact of Graduation and Work on Health and Behavior. Doctor of Philosophy (Biomedical Sciences), August, 2006, 131 pp., 1 table, references, 125 titles. The transition of young adults from the educational system to the workplace is affected by individual, cultural, economic, and institutional factors within the specific context of the time of transition. Since World War II, there have been a number of changes in both the order and timing of reaching the traditional markers of adulthood such as financial independence, work, marriage, and children. The lack of guidance in navigating the new path to adulthood has resulted in anecdotal evidence of increased stress in young adults. Little health research has been conducted on new graduates to evaluate the sources and effects of this stress. The current study surveyed psychological distress, health behaviors, and occupational variables in young adults between one and four years after they had received their undergraduate degrees. The majority of the sample believed they could potentially perform their job duties without the benefit of their degree, and over a third regretted their choice of major. A fourth of the sample had jobs that were unrelated to their undergraduate degrees. Underemployment, or not making use of their college education, was strongly associated with depression and worry in the respondents. Having adequate social support had positive relationships with job satisfaction and organizational commitment and was associated with low levels of stress, depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and worry. High levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were associated with less sleep. Unfortunately, this study was limited by a small number of respondents, but it is still clear that many graduates are not experiencing all of the benefits of having a college degree. There appears to be a discrepancy between their education and the demands of the workplace. It is recommended that institutions of higher education and employers find ways to address this discrepancy and to better guide graduates through the transition.Item The Impact of Race, Ethnicity, and Income on Dental Utilization(2004-05-01) Maresh, Kyeung Oak; Sejong Bae; Shande Chen; Karan SinghKyeung, Oak Maresh. The Impact of Race, Ethnicity, and Income on Dental Utilization Master of Public Health (Biostatics), May 2004, 29 pp., 5 tables, 43 references. Objective To determine if there is a difference in access to dental care services among the difference race/ethnic groups, to ascertain if dental care access differs according to income levels, and to look at the utilization patterns of dental care services. Methods The study data is public use data provided by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The data for this study consisted of the 1999 Full Year Consolidated (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey) household component and the 1999 dental visits (HC-033B). Chi-square tests were performed to determine if there was a significant association (p [less than] 0.05) between each variable and the probability of dental care visits. Multiple logistic stepwise regression was performed to identify each predictor associated with dental care service. Results This study confirmed that minority ethnic groups access fewer dental care services than do non-Hispanic Whites. It also confirmed the second hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between income levels and access to dental care services. Conclusion The result of this study furthers our understanding of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status in relation to dental care access. They may also help to raise consciousness of dental care utilization and provide basic information to set up efficient prevention strategies increasing dental care utilization among minority racial/ethnic groups and those of low socioeconomic status.