Research is a cornerstone of education at Dominican University of California. Posters in this collection showcase student research presented at conferences.
Browse our research posters by department
Barowsky School of Business | Education | Global Public Health | Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Nursing | Occupational Therapy | Psychology
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Reducing Emergency Department Visits Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Teri Nguyen
In the realm of pediatric healthcare, children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique challenges alongside their caregivers. Caregivers face challenges in accessing appropriate support and resources to effectively address the needs of children with ASD. Children with ASD struggle with sensory sensitivities, impaired safety awareness, and difficulties perceiving potential dangers which put them at greater risk for injuries. As a result, children with autism have higher rates of emergency department visits compared to their neurotypical peers. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led home injury prevention and education in reducing emergency department visits for children with ASD. This research proposal will use a true quantitative experimental design with a convenient sample of 100 children who have been diagnosed ASD and have had an emergency department visit within the previous year. The intervention and control groups' means will be compared using descriptive statistics. The anticipated outcome will be that nurse-led home injury prevention and education during follow-up visits will significantly reduce rates of emergency department visits in children with ASD by enhancing caregiver knowledge, promoting the implementation of tailored safety measures, and fostering a safer home environment.
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The Barriers to Adult Play in Graduate Students
Rosalind Nolde, Catherine Salomon, T. Monelli, and Sabrina Solis
The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge of barriers to play for graduate students. The research question asked, what are the barriers to play experienced by graduate students? Play is a complex term that is unique to the individual. Although subjective, existing literature gives suggestions as to what play can mean or feel like to the individual participating. Brown (2009), notes that the definition of play should be experienced rather than defined as it is distinctive to each individual. Van Vleet and Feeney (2015) describe play as being the purpose of amusement, fun or to have energetic, spontaneous and highly interactive qualities. The methodology used to answer the research question was a qualitative descriptive approach. This methodology generated a focused summary and understanding of the experiences that shaped participants' views (Stanley & Nayer, 2014). This study was open to any full time graduate students of all genders, ages, and ethnicities. The researchers recruited 9 participants from Dominican University of California Occupational Therapy Program. The sampling method we used was purposive sampling as participants were chosen to have characteristics that met our inclusion criteria. Data was collected through an initial survey, focus groups, self-reported play reflection, and one on one semi-structured interviews. Two major themes were found, the first being Experienced Play with sub themes of play is a spectrum, play context, spontaneity, and feeling of play. The second major theme is Barriers to Play with the sub themes of money, time, responsibilities, energy/mental capacity, societal norms/expectations. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on adult play, addresses a gap in literature from the research surrounding play for graduate students, and emphasizes the significance of play in the context of higher education and the broader spectrum of adult life.
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The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Weight and Emotional Stability in Adolescents
Lauren Parayno
Adverse childhood experiences (ACES)a r e traumatic events that can occur during an adolescent's life. Af e w example of ACES are: • parental divorce/ separation • having a parent or guardian that isaddicted to a substance. These events cause the adolescent tolive through a state of chronic stress. Furthermore, these experiences put adolescents at a greater risk for obesity and depression. With adequate screening, nurses would be able to identify adolescents going through these troubling times. Interventionssuch aseducation on a healthier lifestyle and providing counseling services, would be beneficial to the age group.
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How The Lockdown of Covid-19 Influenced The Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Development of Preschoolers
Kay Picson
The COVID-19 pandemic instilled a new normal across the world. Businesses turned to take out services and faced financial struggle. Hospitals enacted a visitor policy, limiting contact with patients, their families, and their friends. Schools closed their classrooms and moved to online learning from home, isolating children from their teachers, peers, and an optimal learning environment.
The literature review consists of six articles pertaining to the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on preschoolers neurocognitive and psychosocial development. Specifically, the influence of the lockdown on preschooler mental health, executive function, and social skills. According to the research, the results were differential, it was found that pandemic children demonstrated better problem solving and fine motor skills but lower social skills compared to pre-pandemic children. In a previous ASQ-3 study, it was concluded that positive/refer results were higher amongst pandemic children. However, in another study, there was no significant difference between pre and post pandemic scores. Children who transitioned to kindergarten resulted in the poorest EF skills. The COVID-19 lockdown also caused negative mental health issues.
To help nurture social skills, play is an effective intervention. It is helpful to discuss emotion, practice language skills, and play games that invoke the skill of self-regulation such as freeze-tag or Simon Says.
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OT Consultation to Support Participation and Inclusion at a Science Museum
Ariana Sales, Elizabeth Weintraub, Gabriele Alviz, Nicole Conyers, and Julia Karczewski
This poster is a culmination of a capstone project that centered around providing OT consultation to support participation and inclusion at the California Academy of Sciences. Specifically, we partnered with two departments- the Planetarium department and Volunteer Services Department.
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Assessing Lung Cancer Screening Protocols and Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis Between Indonesia and the United States
Priscilla Sitorus
After losing a loved one to lung cancer, it can be difficult to process, especially when the diagnosis could have been made earlier. However, some may struggle to trust a healthcare system when screening protocols and care vary significantly, to the extent that it may seem unclear. Amongst both men and women, lung cancer is the worldwide leading cause of cancer-related mortality (World Health Organization, 2023), thus further creating a considerable amount of challenges that not only takes part in communities, but the overall healthcare system. Despite the increasing rate of lung cancer, Indonesia has limited screening programs available for the general public showing disparities in the public being able to easily access healthcare service and resources which is exacerbated by the issue. In contrast, the United States has instilled screening protocols in hospitals across the nation in order to catch the disease when it is in its earlier stages. They also have extensive research being conducted in order to further development of comprehensive lung cancer screening programs, treatment, and techniques, such as low-dose computed tomography (also known as LDCT), to help higher-risk populations. By examining the two countries’ similarities and disparities in their approaches in lung cancer screening protocols, this will allow those to further look into and develop global healthcare policy changes towards effective screening strategies and protocols in order to reduce the escalating frequency that lung cancer plays in our global mortality.
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What is the form, function, and meaning of Adult Play in the U.S.?
Tillden Tecson, Camille Howell, Michelle Lee, Oscar Rubio, and Nerwel Zhao
Play is one of life’s most meaningful occupations that facilitates exploration and understanding of the world around us, but what does play look like for adults? Play is described as continuous throughout one’s lifetime (Bundy, 1993), however, current research regarding the occupation of play is predominately discussed in the context of children, not in that of adults. Many research studies have addressed play in relation to other occupations such as leisure, work, or rituals (Blanche, 1998), but no occupational science research has been conducted to exclusively explore play as a distinct occupation for adults. Thus, the dimensions of play and the experience of play are still not understood nor are they defined within current occupational science literature. This qualitative descriptive research study aims to contribute to the current understanding of play as an experiential occupation by analyzing its form, function, and meaning. By adding an occupational lens to this phenomenon, this research can deepen the understanding of the experience of play in adults, expand occupational science literature, and broaden the understanding of play as a meaningful occupation in adults. For the purposes of this study, researchers will conduct two semi-structured interviews consisting of questions around the form, function, and meaning of play. Data was analyzed utilizing reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2019). Codes and themes identified were the structure of play, play is in the doing, anytime, anywhere and anything, emotional experience, and intention and outcomes. Gaining an understanding of adult play as a meaningful occupation will add to foundational occupational science knowledge that play in adults exists.
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Transgender Asian Americans
Abraham James Tiro
Understanding how transgender Asian Americans feel and what they experience is crucial, not just for the sake of healthcare, but also societal balance, better legislation, and to aid communities that struggle with acceptance. The goal of this research is to uplift and share the stories of transgender Asian Americans. Doing so can make our society more equitable and free of discrimination and fear of harassment.
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Detection and Management of Post Intensive Care Syndrome
Ann Tomy
Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a collection of symptoms that more than half of patients who survive a critical illness experience after discharge.Those symptoms include weakness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health conditions, and a lack of effective coping strategies. PICS can significantly impact an individual's quality of life, complicating the recovery process and posing challenges for reintegration into daily activities and societal roles. The etiology of PICS is multifactorial, with the severity and duration of the illness, the nature of medical interventions in the ICU, and the pre-existing health condition of the patient all contributing to its development. The stress of an ICU stay, characterized by invasive treatments, sedation, and the disruption of normal sleep patterns, can also exacerbate or trigger symptoms. Early identification of at-risk individuals and targeted interventions are crucial steps in mitigating the impact of PICS and facilitating a smoother transition to normal life following critical illness.
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Exploring the Impact of Swimming on Asthma Management in Asian Americans
Trishtine Tran
Asthma is a respiratory disease that leads to narrowing of the airways in the lungs due to inflammation and mucus. Common symptoms include cough, wheezing, asthma attacks, excess mucus production, and decreased exercise tolerance. Pharmacological treatment methods for asthma include bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and allergy medications. Nonpharmaceutical treatments include monitoring of exposure to allergens and breathing exercises, however swimming is not as commonly suggested. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether implementation of a swimming education class will influence the effectiveness of swimming on asthma management in Asian Americans. This study aims to examine quality of life, changes in lung function, and severity of asthma symptoms and exacerbations. A quantitative quasi-experimental design will be used to determine whether a swimming education class for Asian Americans with asthma will result in improved lung function and decreased frequency of asthma exacerbations. The sample size involves 100 participants who will be recruited from pulmonologist offices and asthma clinics that predominantly serve the Asian American population. The class will include information about the benefits of swimming and statistical data about asthma in the Asian American population. There will be a pre-test and post-test utilizing the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), and lung function tests such as forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, and peak expiratory flow levels. A t-test will be used to determine the p-value of the data collected from the pre-test and post-test lung function tests. It is hypothesized that results will show an increase in quality of life, improvements in lung function tests, and decreased severity of asthma related symptoms.
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Impact of Nursing Education on Kangaroo Mother Care: Neurodevelopment Outcomes in Preterm Infants
Giana Usac
Preterm birth poses a significant risk to the normal trajectory of brain development, particularly in the cortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions, motor control, and socio-emotional processing. However, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has emerged as an important early intervention capable of improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm newborns. This quantitative research proposal aims to assess the influence of nurse education on KMC practices, identifying pivotal periods in infancy when KMC has the most significant impact on neurodevelopment outcomes in preterm infants. The literature critique focuses on the efficacy of nursing education, the optimization of KMC regarding duration and frequency, and its association with positive neurodevelopmental outcomes. This research proposal entails a true experimental study exploring the optimal frequency and duration of KMC sessions, intending to provide persuasive evidence of neurodevelopmental benefits for preterm infants. Fifty mother-preterm baby pairs will be randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group. Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales will be used to evaluate the outcomes of this study. Following the completion of the research proposal, it is anticipated that nursing professionals will gain valuable insights, enabling them to effectively educate parents on practices that enhance neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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Sensory Diets within Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practice: A Scoping Review
Kiyomi Wong, Lauren Carmichael, Aerial Predovich, Malia Mar, and Julia Wilbarger
Abstract: Occupational therapists use sensory diets to help clients address challenging behaviors, promote development, and optimize daily functions, performance and participation in daily activities. Sensory diets are specific routine-based schedules that are designed and applied by Occupational Therapists in order to meet the needs of the client (Peterson et al., 2018). A plethora of literature addresses how sensory diets are used to support those with sensory disorders (Mills and Chapparo, 2018). The purpose of this scoping review is to appraise and synthesize the literature supporting the use of sensory diets and to identify the gaps in the evidence and inform future research.
Methods: The research was collected using the following databases: CINAHL Complete, ERIC, PsychInfo, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Iceberg, and PubMed. The websites used are as follows: AOTA, AJOT, Australian OTA, Sensory Integration Global Network, and Gray literature sources such as occupational therapy dissertations and theses.
Results: 8 articles met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the evidence demonstrated a positive effect of sensory diets to support children with sensory processing disorders. Sensory diets led to positive behaviors and supported a child's optimal performance throughout their daily life. SD’s were used in multiple settings, creating a wide environmental scope of practice for occupational therapists.
Conclusion: Occupational Therapists can utilize sensory diets within their practice to promote engagement and participation in one’s day-to-day occupations.
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Empowering Choices: Patient Education for Contraceptive Confidence
Maria Anns Abraham
The complexity of birth control options significantly impacts women's lives, with hormonal contraceptives being commonly used but often misunderstood. These contraceptives, which contain estrogen and progestin or progestin only, come in various forms such as pills, implants, IUDs, injections, the vaginal ring, and skin patches, offering benefits such as reduced menstrual cramps and ectopic pregnancy risk. However, they can also lead to adverse effects including increased blood pressure, nausea, headaches, breakthrough bleeding, and heightened risk of blood clots, with research indicating a potential link between their use and a decline in mental health. Given the prevalence of depression, particularly in women, compounded by hormonal factors, it is crucial for healthcare providers, nurses, and educators to offer comprehensive education about the various birth control options and their potential effects on mental health. This research aims to investigate whether educating adolescent women about hormonal contraception could impact the knowledge of women using it and how it connects to addressing gaps contributing to poor mental health. An appointed nurse will provide a pre-education assessment, followed by education to adolescent women about hormonal birth control and its side effects, and will also administer a post-education assessment. The means of the two differing variables will be compared using a t-test to ascertain if the education has an effect on the population that was sampled.
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Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Postoperative Children with Developmental Disabilities
Isabel Arellano
Administration of opioids is the preferred practice to treat postoperative pain in a hospital setting. However, there are disadvantages to this method (Benyamin et al., 2008). Postoperative children with developmental disabilities are difficult to assess and manage pain. A patient analgesic pump (PCA) pump administers low dose opioid to the patient during pain episodes. However, many children with developmental disabilities are unable to adequately verbalize their pain and/or understand the purpose of a PCA. To help with this problem they are given a parent/nurse controlled analgesia (PNCA) pump (Czarnecki et al., 2018). However, due to the unknown safety range and efficacy of the PNCA it may cause potential adverse effects. The purpose of this research proposal is to explore if music therapy can be used as an additive pain management treatment for postoperative pain in children with developmental disabilities. This proposal will consist of a quasi-experimental design with two convenient sample groups (experimental and control). Both groups will be given a pre and post test to measure their Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scores. The experimental group will receive the therapy intervention. Descriptive statistics will be used to compare the means of the two samples from the pre- and post-tests. Inferential statistics will be used to determine the p-value and if the results are statistically significant. If p-value is less than 0.05 then I can reject the null hypothesis, proving music therapy decreases postoperative pain levels in children with disabilities.
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Promoting Parental Comfort to Facilitate Conversations on Adolescent Sexual Health and Behaviors
Angelina Jolie Banes and Lauren Liddell
This thesis proposal will investigate the impact of a comprehensive digital sexual health education program on the comfort levels of parents and teens when discussing sensitive topics such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The research is guided by Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, which emphasizes the need to assess and address individuals’ self-care deficits, including the ability to engage in safe and informed sexual behaviors. The research design is a quantitative, quasi-experimental study with a one-group pre and post-test design. The sample consists of 50 parents and 50 teens from Marin County, who will participate in an online intervention using the Media Aware Parent program. The outcomes will be measured by pre and post-intervention surveys and the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale. The expected results are that the intervention will increase the knowledge, confidence, and comfort levels of parents and teens regarding sexual health issues, and improve the quality of communication between them. The findings could potentially contribute to the development of more effective sexual health education programs and communication strategies for families.
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The Effect of Delivery Method on Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration
Mariana Carina Benitez
There is a plethora of research focusing on the physical effects of each delivery method on a mother’s ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding, however, there may be more psychosocial factors that influence a mothers decision to start and continue breastfeeding once they deliver. It is very common to be educated about breastfeeding after the baby has already been delivered, but it is often missed that education before may improve breastfeeding rates and increase mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy rates. The primary purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of breastfeeding support groups that provide information, guidance, and social support from other breastfeeding mothers prenatally and postpartum. The goal of this is study is to examine how support groups address psychosocial factors that influence a mothers decision to initiate and continue breastfeeding, such as self-efficacy. A single group, pretest/posttest design will be utilized for the study. Participants will include nulliparous pregnant women over the age of 18 from an outpatient obstetrics clinic in San Rafael. They will attend a support group led by other breastfeeding mothers twice, at 35 weeks and 37 weeks. The participants will complete a demographic survey before going into the support group as well as the Prenatal Breast-feeding Self-efficacy Scale. Two weeks after delivery, the mother will complete the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short-Form to evaluate their feelings toward breastfeeding postpartum. Statistical analysis will be completed on the tools utilized in the study. The results of this study will demonstrate that attending the support groups will have a positive effect on the self-efficacy of mothers while breastfeeding. Therefore, pregnant women will benefit from support groups led by other breastfeeding mothers as it will increase their individual self-efficacy.
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Video Game Therapy for ADHD Managment
Wilhelm Alec Sison Beroncal
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) stands out as the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, leading to functional challenges in various aspects of the daily lives of affected young individuals (Bul et al., 2016).
There is no current cure for ADHD, however effective treatments are available through medications. The FDA has authorized two types of medications for managing ADHD in children as young as 6 years old: stimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine (e.g. Adderall), and non-stimulant options including Strattera, Intuniv, Kapvay, and Qelbree (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2023).
The choice of treatment is highly individualized to meet the specific needs of each patient and their family (CDC, 2023). It is noteworthy that 69.3% of children with ADHD receive medication as part of their treatment, while 30.7% do not (NSCH, 2011).
While extensive research has established the efficacy of medication-based approaches for ADHD management, there is insufficient research on non-pharmacological alternatives.
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Chronic Atopic Dermatitis: Symptom Management Using Moisturizers Among Asian American Pediatrics
Ethan J. Brillantes
Background: Atopic Dermatitis (AD), also commonly known as eczema, affects 31.6 million (10%) of the United States Population, with 13% being Asian American or Pacific Islander. A cure is not present for AD; however, the best way to treat AD is with symptom management. While there are many pharmacological treatments that aid with symptom management such as topical or oral corticosteroids, there are also non pharmacological treatments such as moisturizers that can aid with symptom relief of AD as well. Objective: The literature review explores moisturizer use and other non pharmacological methods for symptom management of AD and provides understanding of topical corticosteroids perceptions among the public. This research proposal will investigate whether or not moisturizers provide symptom relief among Asian American pediatric children that have atopic dermatitis. Method: A quantitative, quasi-experimental study over an 8 week period will be used with a sample size of 150 participants. Once the 150 participants are selected, they will be randomly placed in either the control or experimental group. The moisturizer that will be used is Cetaphil Restoraderm Moisturizer (CRM). Both groups will receive education on non pharmacological methods to help manage AD; however, the control group will not receive the moisturizer intervention. The severity of atopic dermatitis will be measured by SCORAD, VAS itch scores, TEWL, and a questionnaire that asks about quality of life before and after the intervention. As a result of the study, there is an expectation that SCORAD, VAS, and TEWL scores will decrease.
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Garden-Based Nutrition Education for Low Income Hispanic School Children
Larry Bui
Background: Childhood obesity is a pressing public health concern in the United States, with rates continuing to increase in recent years. This problem disproportionately affects Latino children as well as those from low socioeconomic status. It's well established that nutrition knowledge deficiencies and resulting poor dietary habits are some of the most common contributing factors to childhood obesity. Garden-based nutrition education programs have been introduced as a way to remedy this knowledge deficit, however a gap remains as to whether or not this model can be viable for low-income, culturally diverse populations. Aim: The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the importance of diet in reducing childhood obesity while exploring the effects of gardening-based nutrition education on dietary choice improvements. This literature review presents gardening-based nutrition education models as an effective and sustainable method of obesity reduction by establishing a connection between improved dietary knowledge and dietary choices, thus leading to a lower incidence of obesity. Method: A quasi-experimental design with a convenience sample of 200 subjects split into an interventional and a control group. The interventional group will receive an 11-weeks long nutrition education program to accompany the children’s regular school hours. Participants will be between the ages of 7-10, consistent with the ages of third to fifth grade elementary school children. Both groups will take a pre and post test using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) Survey where results will be further plotted along a radar plot in order to examine each individual scoring component of the HEI. Result: The expectation is that the interventional group will see improvements to the HEI scores in each category compared to the control group, with the exception of decreased added sugars.
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Supportive Interventions for Adults with Needle Phobia
Camille Alyssa Bustos
The focus on addressing needle phobia has primarily been limited to psychology clinics, leaving a gap in support for those receiving injections from health care professionals in the hospital or clinic setting. It is important for health care providers and mental health professionals to work together to address this gap and ensure that individuals with needle phobia have access to the care and treatment they need (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022).
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Lived Experiences of People with Substance Use Disorder as Healthcare Education to Develop Empathy for this Population
Whitney Bynum
Stigmas that develop among healthcare workers regarding patients with substance use disorder include: "drug-seeking", "violent", and "unmotivated". These beliefs can decrease the quality of care provided and results in less people seeking out needed treatment. Healthy People's 2030 goals include reducing drug and alcohol addiction. In order to do this, healthcare workers need to show empathy and form trusting relationships with this patient population. Building a trusting relationship allows the patient to be more receptive to help and suggestions. Learning the life story of a patient can help healthcare workers develop empathy and reduce negative attitudes.
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Family-Based Interventions Impact on Pediatric Obesity
Renee Camins
Background: Obesity rates among children in the United States have been on the rise, with 19.7% of children aged 2-19 classified as obese (CDC, 2022). Low socioeconomic status is a risk factor for pediatric obesity,Children from low-income households are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers from higher economic backgrounds. Obesity can lead to serious and chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and breathing difficulties, and is also a risk factor for leading causes of death in adults including stroke, cardiovascular disease, and cancer (CDC, 2022). Educational interventions and access to exercise resources may offer promising solutions for addressing pediatric obesity and improving health outcomes. Objective: The object of the proposal is to conduct research on obesity trends and educational interventions to combat obesity. The research proposal will then investigate the effectiveness of a specific evidence-based educational intervention and resources provided to families in reducing obesity rates. The proposal intends to determine whether these interventions and resources can contribute to a decline in obesity rates. Method: The proposal will consist of a quasi experimental design. The convenience sample will consist of low-income families with children 4-11 years of age that have a BMI greater than 30. Sample size will include 150 children recruited through pediatric doctors offices in Marin County. The participants will be given a pre test questionnaire, and a post test after the intervention.
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The Role That Diet and Lifestyle Factor Plays in an Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in Asians and Pacific Islanders
Ethan Caragan
Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of mortality, often resulting in heart attacks and strokes due to obstructed blood flow to vital organs. The risk of these events is influenced by dietary choices, smoking, and physical activity. Despite preventative measures, the impact of diet and lifestyle on cardiovascular health varies across ethnic groups. This thesis aims to evaluate how variations in dietary traditions and lifestyle among Asians and Pacific Islanders contribute to increased or decreased cardiovascular disease risks compared to other racial groups. The study focuses on the dietary and lifestyle factors of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California, involving 5,000 individuals aged 28-50. Participants undergo a baseline assessment, complete initial food frequency and lifestyle surveys, and are observed over five years with follow-up questionnaires. Statistical and subgroup analyses will be employed to explore the relationship between diet, lifestyle, and cardiovascular disease risk. By examining habits, cultural influences, and genetic predispositions, the research seeks to identify factors contributing to cardiovascular disease incidence rates among these populations. The findings of the thesis aims to create interventions, promoting alternative dietary habits and lifestyle modifications to decrease cardiovascular disease rates among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.