Global Public Health | Student Research Posters

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  Understanding COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy Amongst Those Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Instability

  Kelsey Bas

  The COVID-19 vaccine had an efficacy of 80-90% against symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 infections in those who have completed the primary series of the vaccine. The booster vaccine restored infection protection with an efficacy of 75-85%.

  California marks the highest rate of homelessness in the nation which was influenced by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic also caused 17 million Californians (44%) who live in rented homes to be at risk for eviction moratoriums and rental assistance. Those experiencing homelessness and housing instability are at higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 due to prior medical conditions, poor health status, and lack of accessible protection.

  Marin county faces issues in both homelessness/housing instability and booster vaccination rates as there was an 8.4% increase in homelessness since 2019, and a decrease in those with an updated booster (40%).

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  How Financial Status Affects Food Decisions in Households of Marin City

  Joe Blakely

  • Food insecurity is a multifaceted issue influenced by various factors, including socioeconomic status and access to nutritious foods. Research has shown that low-income households often face challenges in accessing healthy food options due to financial constraints.
  • Cultural and psychological factors also play significant roles in shaping food choices among low-income populations. Additionally, the availability and affordability of healthy foods within local food environments significantly impact dietary behaviors.
  • Economic factors such as income levels and household expenses further compound the challenges of food insecurity. Studies on food spending decisions among low-income demographics revealed that financial constraints often force families to prioritize cheaper, less nutritious food options over healthier alternative.

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  Root Causes of Homelessness in Marin County and Prevention Strategies

  Michaela George, Kelsey Bas, Joe Blakely, Naila Saghir, Garrett Siebels, Liliana Valle-Contreras, and Sehrish Khan

  Even with increased prevalence of homelessness in the US, there is limited research that investigates circumstances that can lead to homelessness. This lack of understanding perpetuates the inequities in health and wellbeing, access to basic necessities, effective prevention strategies and meaningful policy changes.

  More individuals are experiencing homelessness in California than ever before In Marin, the Ritter Center (RC) strives to prevent and resolve homelessness and improve the health and well-being of individuals living in poverty

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  Health and Lifestyle Behavioral Changes To Prevent Myocardial Infarction (MI): Mixed Methods Approach To Understand Secondary MI Prevention

  Naila Saghir

  • Annually in the United States, 605,000 individuals experience their first MI & 200,000 experience their second.
  • Lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, and hypertension are some of the causing behavioral factors of a primary myocardial infarction but can also put the individual at risk for a secondary.
  • The choice to adopt positive health and lifestyle behaviors lies on the individual.

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  Evaluation of the Family Therapy Program: In This Together (ITT) for Survivors of Domestic Violence

  Liliana Valle-Contreras

  Domestic violence is the number one violent crime in Marin county. Given this fact, efforts to reduce the number of cases using preventative measures as well as providing support to survivors has been important for the county. Center for Domestic Peace (C4DP) is an organization in Marin county providing a number of different services and programs to help people who are or have experienced domestic violence.

  In This Together (ITT) is a family therapy program offered through C4DP. The program was specifically developed to help parents and children heal and help their relationships as they navigate through the effect of traumatic experiences from domestic violence that they have faced or witnessed.

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  Soda Tax Effect on Health Outcomes

  Kira Kuwada

  • Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), also called sugary drinks, are drinks that have added sugar or other sweetener.
  • Consumption of SSBs is a risk factor for chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.
  • Food deserts are areas that lack the access to affordable healthy foods and drinks.
  • Americans living in food deserts lack essential nutrients in their diets.
  • Previous research has shown that SSBs increase the risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease for all people.
  • Previous research has also shown that food deserts is associated to high consumption of SSBs.
  • The paper will be a review of the soda tax laws and also attempt to measure soda consumption with certain health outcomes by using food deserts as a proxy variable, as maybe the soda consumption-food desert measure can be used in the future to evaluate the impact of the soda tax in jurisdictions that have enacted that legislation.

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  Quality of Life and the Prevalence of Depression in Cohabitants and Marrieds

  Stacey Kayondo

  Cohabitation has become part of romantic relationships in the United States; cohabitation has become a normal experience for both men and women. With the rapid increase in cohabitation this raises important concerns about its consequences for the institution of marriage and the lives of individuals involved in this family form, as research indicates that cohabiters hold lower levels of commitment, and cohabiters are more likely to be depressed than marrieds( Brown, S.L 2003). Some studies have been done to find out whether marriages are beneficial to one’s mental health, Pro marriage initiatives and policies like tax breaks for married people have taken a part in this (Perelli-Harris 2017). Although the prevalence and patterns of cohabitation have generally been well documented, we know very little about the outcomes of cohabitation and marriage. This is especially true for middle age adults; despite the increasing significance of cohabitation at younger ages, the cohabitation literature continues to focus on older adults who tend to settle or move in with a partner after a divorce from a previous marriage. The experiences of cohabitation and marriage are not the same at all ages. Some people may view marriage as a union of comfort, something that’s more solid than cohabitation though the meaning and significance of both these relationship is different for each individual (Haas, S. M., & Whitton, S. W. 2015). Cohabitation has become a big part of an everyday American life (Pollard and Harris 2013). There has been an increase in the number of cohabiting households.

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  Coffee Consumption, Perceptions, and Patterns

  Shannon Rodriguez

  Coffee is a substance people consume daily, but there are inconclusive and conflicting results from studies about the positive and negative effects of coffee and caffeine. For example, evidence from one study links lower levels of stress with coffee consumption while another study concluded drinking coffee results in sleep disruption. Given this information, there are numerous factors that contribute to why people drink coffee and the effects it has on each individual. The purpose of this study is to see if there are patterns between demographics, coffee consumption, and perceptions to understand how students, staff, and faculty at Dominican University of California perceive coffee and any factors that could contribute to their views.

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  Gender Differences in Drinking Habits Among College Students

  Margaret Anne DeMayo

  Binge drinking is a common problem found among college students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month, consuming about eight drinks per binge." Over time, binge drinking in college can cause negative factors for students such as, poor academics and health problems.

  The purpose of my study is to evaluate how stress factors such as environment and peer relationships affect drinking habits in male and female college students. Students experience stress factors such as environment (e.g. housing), peer relationships (e.g. peer pressure, relationships), school (e.g. grade level), and appearance (e.g. body image).

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  The Rise of Anxiety Among the College Age Population

  Kaleigh Landberg

  Anxiety among college students is a common occurrence today. This study has researched how students are dealing with this mental health issue as well as looked into many different variables that were incorporated such as gender differences, treatment options, potential triggers and coping mechanisms.

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  Environmental Influence on Hypertension in San Francisco, California

  Corinna Louise Venturina Villar

  Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when there is long-term force of force of blood against one’s artery walls. When uncontrolled, hypertension may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. More than 1 in 3 adults live with 1 or more types of cardiovascular disease in the United States alone- with stroke being the fifth leading cause of death. The purpose of my study is to evaluate the environmental influence on hypertension by comparing various factors in cities with high prevalence rates of heart disease to those with lower rates of heart disease. Conducting an environmental scan will serve as the basis of my research, as it will help me assess various neighborhoods based on a set criteria (e.g., accessibility to healthy food places, park access, and neighborhood walkability) that identify potential risk factors for hypertension within each neighborhood. The parks and neighborhoods to be assessed will be determined through a hot spot analysis, which will provide a visual on significant clusters of high and low values of hypertension.