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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Addiction Behind the American Dream: A Case for Harm Reduction among Upper and Middle Class
Sean Marc Sanga
The purpose of this study is to help bring awareness to the significant lack of information revolving around the idea of harm reduction interventions. This study will mainly focus on the upper and middle class, therefore, the end goal is to gain insight on what exactly deters or dissuades this specific population from gaining care. In addition, I hope it will provide some solutions to the growing drug problem among Middle America.
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Enhancing Athletic Participation: Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Athletes
Danielle Santiago
Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a lifelong autoimmune condition requiring exogenous insulin, daily insulin management, and blood glucose monitoring (Kahanovitz et al., 2018). Diagnosis, often in childhood, brings overwhelming challenges for children and parents. While no cure exists, advances in monitoring and insulin delivery enhance blood sugar control and quality of life (Mayo Clinic, 2023)
Problem Statement: It is suspected that children with T1DM develop a fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) that deters exercise. Cockroft et al. (2023) found that 70% of youth with T1DM do not meet the recommended amount of exercise (Cockcroft et al., 2023). Physical education teachers (PE teachers) and coaches are trained in RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for sprains, CPR and other basic life support, and preventing and treating heat exhaustion, so they may accept being trained to interpret CGM data as well.
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Sex Education in Chinese American Adolescents
Onsheng Seto
Comprehensive sex education has shown improvements in lowering STIs and unplanned pregnancies among adolescents. Implementing a sex education course provides youths the tools to develop a safe and positive view of sexuality which encourages them to approach sex and sexual health wisely and confidently. The findings of this study aims to promote comprehensive sex education as well as bring awareness to the disparity in teen pregnancy and STIs among ethnic groups. This research proposal seeks to evaluate the efficacy of comprehensive sex education in Chinese American adolescents while taking cultural considerations to better understand their practices, beliefs, and attitudes on sex.
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Emergency Department Safety with Psychiatric Unit
Mallorie Stiner and Sofia Splendore
Background: Safety in the emergency department is of the highest priority with patient care for ED staff and psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are unpredictable and can have violent outbursts, especially in a mental health episode or under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. Research on psychiatric units in the emergency department has primarily focused on minimizing patient wait times, however, there is a lack of research on patient and staff safety. Objective: This thesis investigates the impact of incorporating a psychiatric unit staffed by mental health professionals and patient safety within the emergency department. Methods: This thesis will include a literature review with peer-reviewed journals and primary evidence associated with the violence ED staff endure with psychiatric patients, how mental health patients get easily overstimulated in the ED, and the education level of ED staff about psychiatric conditions. The results of this study will be reviewed before and after a psychiatric unit is placed within the ED and analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics. This study will measure the number of violent events before and after a psychiatric unit is placed to determine the effectiveness of safety for ED staff and patients.
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Education in the Emergency Department for Cardiac Conditions
Shelby Thomason
In the United States 610,000 people die every year from coronary artery disease which equates to 1 in 4 deaths. Inequity in access to healthcare is a persistent issue that impact patient outcomes. Tracking adherence and patient outcomes can be challenging, especially for patients who may not have access to necessary resources or support. Nurses are often overworked and have limited time to provide in-depth education. Patients and their families often struggle to afford caregivers or other resources that can help manage these chronic cardiac conditions.
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Unveiling New Realities: An In-Depth Analysis of Virtual Reality's Impact on Postoperative Adolescents
Julia Tolentino
The traditional approach to postoperative pain management heavily relies on opioids, but there’s been a surge in their misuse and adverse effects, leading to a significant public health concern. This has led healthcare providers to incorporate a multimodal approach aimed at reducing opioid dependence. This proposal introduces an immersive component, virtual reality (VR), not as a replacement for opioids but as a complementary tool offering distinct advantages for enhancing postoperative pain management. By immersing patients in a virtual environment, VR effectively distracts them from pain and discomfort, allowing for reduced opioid dosages and mitigating the risk of opioid misuse. Additionally, virtual reality provides a non-invasive and drug-free alternative, making it a safer and more patient-centered option for improving the overall postoperative experience. Through a comprehensive literature review, research findings were analyzed to highlight the necessity and effectiveness of VR in the postoperative period and among pediatric patients. Given that adolescents constitute a unique and potentially more responsive demographic, particularly in the postoperative setting where limited studies exist, this proposal advocates for a quasi-experimental study design to investigate the significant reductions in pain intensity and opioid usage achievable through immersive virtual reality among postoperative adolescents.
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Prevalence of Hypoglycemia Induced by Overtreatment in Elderly Type Two Diabetics Using Continuous Blood Glucose Monitors
Alyssa Mae T. Tubera
Background: The most common way of reading blood glucose (BG) levels in type II diabetics is by manually pricking one’s finger with a needle and measuring the glucose through a monitoring device. There has been an increased use in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) that permits clients to wear a sensor on their arm that simultaneously records glucose levels throughout the day and reports the results to a smartphone or monitoring device. Depending on the result and whether the patient is using insulin, it will determine how much medication will be administered. There is little research on the impacts of using CGM devices in conjunction with antihyperglycemic drugs in type II diabetics who live independently and are over age 65.
Objective: To examine devices that monitor BG continuously compared to devices that monitor BG with periodic finger sticks. The question arises: Are elderly patients with type II Diabetes who live independently and use these devices, disproportionately affected by hypoglycemic episodes induced by over-treatment with anti-diabetic drugs?
Literature Review: Research highlighted benefits of using CGM devices versus self-monitoring BG such as recording glucose levels at night, increased self-care behavior, and decreased hemoglobin A1C. Other factors may contribute to hypoglycemia such as physical exercise, prolonged fasting, and use of ACE inhibitors. There remains a knowledge gap in the impact that CGM devices have on independent type II diabetics who live independently.
Proposal:
Purpose: To gather data on prevalence of hypoglycemia in independent, type II diabetics ≥65 years old while using CGM devices and antidiabetic medications
Population: type II diabetics ≥65 years who live independently, use CGM devices, and antihyperglycemic medications
Study Design: Prospective Longitudinal observational study
Study Method: Survey
Clinical Significance:
Study intends to bring awareness of possible complications of using CGM devices in type II diabetics ≥65 who live independently.
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The Effect of Nursing Education on the Utilization of Kangaroo Mother Care and Weight Gain of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants
Jhenalynn Valete
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), often referred to as skin-to-skin contact, is an intervention for preterm and low birth weight infants, involving the practice of the mother or caregiver holding the newborn against their bare chest (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). This is a cost-effective and natural way to enhance health outcomes such as temperature regulation, weight gain, respiratory function, pain mitigation, and facilitation of breastfeeding for the neonate (Jefferies et al., 2012).
Nursing staff may have limited knowledge regarding KMC which creates challenges in effectively educating parents. This information prompts the following question: “Can Nurse Education about the Importance of Kangaroo Mother Care Increase its Utilization and Promote Weight gain in Low Birthweight and Preterm Infants?”
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Caffeine Usage and Effects on Quality of Life, Clinical Performance, and Safety Among Nurses
Alexander Carl Yanga
Background: The purpose of this investigation is to examine the effects of caffeine consumption on the nurse’s quality of life. It also will explore the relationship between caffeine consumption, nurses' clinical performance, and patient safety. Nurses often endure long hours with demanding tasks to ensure client health and safety. Long work shifts and low margins for error can be taxing, which could result in fatigue, poorer sleep, and increased risk for mistakes. Caffeine is an accepted and effective option for combating fatigue and boosting alertness short term. Questions arise about whether caffeine is beneficial or if consumption causes a decrease in the nurse’s clinical performance and safety over time.
Literature Review: A literature review was conducted to explore relationships between caffeine consumption, sleep, alertness, and education about caffeine usage. Primary articles, related to caffeine, nursing, sleep, fatigue, and alertness, were found using university databases. Overall patterns were found, including: a need for further education on high-energy drink usage; higher perceived stress and sleep disturbances with caffeine usage; and lower alertness levels with changes in sleep quality.
Proposed Study: The proposed study is a quantitative, comparative approach that will use an online self-reported survey to collect data. The targeted population includes working registered nurses. The sample involves 100 critical care nurses within Northern California’s Bay Area hospitals. There will be questions, using a numeric scale, about their background, demographics, caffeine consumption habits, sleep habits, perception of clinical performance, perception of work fatigue and stress, and perception of clinical safety. Descriptive and comparative statistics will be used to examine connections between caffeine consumption and perceptions of sleep, stress, fatigue, clinical performance, and patient safety.
Clinical Significance: Results of this investigation may have potential for increasing knowledge about relationships between nurses' quality of life, caffeine use, clinical performance and patient safety.
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How Implicit Bias Leads to Racial Disparities in Maternal Care and Experiences
Mia Yee
Background: Maternal mortality rates have decreased all over the world. However, in the United States, the maternal mortality rate has been steadily increasing. Women of color reportedly are forced to accept the burden of an unequal association between race and morbidity & mortality due to implicit discriminatory attitudes of healthcare professionals. Objective: To better understand the relationship between implicit bias and maternal care in the San Francisco Bay Area between non-Hispanic White & Black women and to explore racial disparities in their maternal narratives. A literature review was performed and a study is proposed. Future Directions: To Identify the differences in maternal care among women of color so that possible interventions can be researched and implemented to improve patient-centered maternal care to all women and to reduce discriminatory practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Cultural Wounds Find Release: Art Therapy and First Generation Immigrants’ Mental Health
Crystal Soojung Yi and Dennis Chavez Calderon
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Improving the Psychosocial Effects of a Burn Injury
Leila Young
Burn injuries are an existing risk factor of social impairment. The main priority of care for a burn patient includes the focus on pain management and wound care. However, scarce research has been studied on how to improve the psychological adjustment of burn victims. There is limited availability of evidenced based practice that is related to promoting a healthy social life after a burn. Without interventions to help re-engage burn victims with society, they will turn to negative coping mechanisms such as avoidance, isolation and distancing. The goal of this study is to enhance the social interaction of burn survivors during their recovery. This mixed method study aims to improve social impairment of burn victims in the Bay Area with the use of journaling. A pre and post test will be given, using the tool PROMIS-29, to acknowledge the psychological state of the burn victims before and after the journaling intervention. The sample size will include 100 participants that have been recruited through burn centers, burn units, in-patient hospitals and support groups. Participants will write journal entries each day for six weeks. The journal entries will be examined for similar themes and the results of this study will demonstrate the psychological wellbeing of the participants. In evaluation, the post test and journal entries will show the impact of the intervention of psychosocial ramifications. The literature suggests that there is no reason to focus on the psychological dynamic of burn victims. This study will identify interventions that progress the development of psychological dynamics and ability to interact in society of burn victims in the Bay Area. This study will provide evidenced based practice that can be used to further the research of burn survivors.
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In-Person Vaccine Education and Parental Vaccine Acceptance
Sophia Zhao
Understanding the reasons behind parental vaccination hesitancy plays a critical role in community health, preventing vaccine preventable diseases, and increasing vaccination rates. It is crucial to determine how different vaccination promotion and education methods can be used to increase vaccine acceptance in parents as they play an integral role in their child's health and well-being. This research poster aims to determine the effects in-person vaccine education has in vaccine hesitant parents.
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Impact of Intergenerational Trauma Among Immigrant and Refugee Families: Effects on the Mental Health and Acquisition of Care
Loralee Chea
Intergenerational trauma is described as a discrete form of trauma that occurs when traumatic effects are passed across generations without the descendants of trauma survivors having exposure to the original event (Isobel et al., 2021). It is a silent suffering experienced among immigrant families from all across the world who have survived war, genocide, displacements, loss, and other psychological trauma. An exploration of literature has also shown that the healthcare crisis from this form of trauma can be identified and intervened with preventative or treatment measures in clinical practice. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the mental health impacts of intergenerational trauma and its effects on the acquisition of healthcare to better understand what clinical interventions can be implemented to help break the cycle of trauma for future generations.
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The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Work Performance Amongst Night Shift Nurses
Hannah Pham
The aim of this study is to identify sleep hygiene and coping mechanisms utilized by night shift nurses and to determine its association in relieving sleep deprivation.
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Nursing Student’s Expectancy-Value Regarding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Knowledge Retention
Raquel Suba
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a sudden and unexpected death within the first year of life, which is attributable to unexplained causes after autopsies and full case investigations are unable to resolve the reason for death. Annually in the United States, approximately 3,600 infants die unexpectedly and suddenly of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) and in 2018, there were 1,300 infant deaths due to SIDS (CDC, 2018). Despite American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations promoting the endorsement and modelling of SIDS risk-recommendations from birth, studies reveal that both nursing students and registered nurses have deficient knowledge in adequate SIDS prevention knowledge and training (Burgess et al., 2017; Bartlow, Cartwright, Shefferly, 2016; Graham & Peoples 2019).
The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study is to explore baccalaureate nursing students’ recall of SIDS risk factors and AAP guidelines for safe infant sleep, and their perceived value of retaining this information after completion of pediatrics and maternity coursework. 51 participants completed an online questionnaire to evaluate their expectancy-value of retaining SIDS knowledge via Likert scale and their actual knowledge of SIDS risk factors and AAP guidelines. Data collection and analysis took place throughout February and March of 2021. There is significant correlation between expectancy-value score and desired specialty area after graduation, but no significant correlation between retention of SIDS information related to the students’ prior experience with infant caregiving and their future area of nursing specialization.
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Effects of Latinx Parental English Proficiency on Stress
Maria Alvarez Pineda
In the United States, patients who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) report having more problems communicating with their children’s doctors (Eneriz-Wieme et al., 2014) and experiencing more discrimination (Zhang et al., 2012) which can lead to increased psychological distress (Torres et al., 2012). The goal of this study was to determine if level of English Proficiency is related to stress levels and discrimination among Latinx parents. Participants consisted of 22 Latinx parents (86.4% Mexican and 90.9% female) in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Acute Stress Appraisals scale (Mendes, et al., 2007) measured parents' stress levels before and after an interview about the parent’s experience taking their children to the doctor. Participants completed a survey that consisted of the Language Fluency Measure (Kim & Chao, 2009), the Adapted Everyday Discrimination Scale (Gonzalez et al., 2016), and demographic questions. Results demonstrated that regardless of Engligh proficency Latinx parents experience discrimination, a communication barrier, and negative feelings when taking their children to the doctor. Parents hope that in the future more interpreters will be available and that doctors will be more understanding. Public health practitioners should use Latinx parents’ aspirations to guide interventions to improve their overall experience taking their children to the doctor.
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Adults with ASD: Therapeutic Riding and Observed Social Behaviors and Stress Levels
Kayla Andersen
Therapeutic riding (TR) is a multisensory experience that increases mental and physical heath by emphasizing skills such as verbal and non-verbal communication, behavioral and emotional control, and attention; additionally, improvements in balance and muscle strength occur in the rider (Bass et al., 2009). However, the present literature is lacking in research on how adults with ASD are impacted by participation in TR. The goal of the present study is to determine the impact of TR on social responsiveness and stress levels on adults with ASD which included a sample of 8 therapeutic riding instructors from the United States. Instructors reported on the social responsiveness and stress levels of their adult riders with ASD at the start and end of six weeks of TR. The Adult Social Behavior Scale- Other Report (Horwitz et al., 2016) and an adapted version of the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen at al., 1983) were used as pre-and post-tests to compare the changes over time. Results of the paired sample t-tests showed no significant changes in observed social behaviors including contact, empathy, interpersonal insight, violations of social conventions, or in observed stress. These findings, though not signifincant, advocate for more research on adults and TR as this is an underserved population in the literature.
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The Effect of Positive Affirmations on Self-Esteem and Well-Being in College Students
Lynnelle Arquiza
Spontaneous affirmations have been associated with greater levels of happiness (Emmanuel et al., 2018), and self-esteem has found to be fostered through positive regard from others (Rogers, 1951 as cited by Maxwell & Bachkirova, 2010). Past research shows that delivering virtual messages through a mobile phone is a widely accessible method in facilitating behavior changes (Sharifi et al., 2013). The goal of this study is to examine how virtual positive affirmations via mobile app or text message can increase self-esteem and well-being. Twenty-three participants were recruited from psychology courses, mostly females aged 18-22 and of Asian descent. Participants were sent a pre-test survey consisting of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), the Flourishing Scale (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2009), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985). They were randomly assigned to either the mobile app or the text condition and received two virtual affirmations daily for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks they were asked to retake the survey as a post-test measure. Significant increases were found between pre-test and post-test scores for self-esteem, flourishing, and satisfaction with life, yet no significant differences were found between changes in scores of participants in the text versus mobile app conditions. Findings suggest that virtual positive affirmations have a significant beneficial impact on reported self-esteem and well-being.
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The Hard Facts: The Influence of Crime and Education on Public Perceptions of Criminals
Elicia Lastra
The societal view that criminals are inherently dangerous is a view exceedingly present in American culture. Prior research suggests that education significantly improves knowledge and positive attitudes towards stigmatized groups (Lam et al, 2019) which this present study hopes to expand on. The present study tested the impact of a brief educational intervention on stigma against criminals. Participants included 141 participants (81.8% females and 17.5% males), recruited from a private university in Northern California and through various social media platforms. Participants were randomly assigned into four different conditions created by manipulating two variables (educational video vs. no video; vignette about a violent vs. nonviolent criminal). Results demonstrated a significant difference in the social and task attraction of criminals such that participants viewed nonviolent criminals as more socially and task attractive than violent criminals. Secondly, results demonstrated no significant difference in social and task attraction of criminals between those that watched the educational video and those who did not. Finally, the results demonstrated no significant interaction between crime severity and its impact on the effectiveness of the educational video. However, the study did demonstrate a significant main effect for crime severity and education, with positive perceptions of nonviolent criminals enhanced particularly with the viewing of the educational video. Results suggest that through the use of education, negative perceptions towards criminals can be changed for the better.
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Peer Perceptions and Social Support for Young Adults on the Cancer Continuum
Emily Lehman
While on the cancer continuum, individuals report a sense of social isolation due to a lack of understanding among peers about their experiences and diagnoses (Iannarino et al., 2017). Increasingly, social support is given online rather than in person due to the positive language and communication that relies on the written word more than social cues (Warner et al., 2018). Participants in this study were 152 young adults recruited from a private university and via social media platforms. Participants were asked to complete a survey including The Measure of Interpersonal Attraction Social Attraction sub-scale (McCroskey & McCain, 1974) and a measure of virtual and in person support for a peer who is in cancer current treatment or in remission. Results demonstrated that a young adult in remission of cancer is perceived as significantly more socially attractive than a young adult in current treatment of cancer. Other noteworthy results were that females significantly gave higher amounts of social support, both virtually and in-person, to a peer on the cancer continuum than males. Findings advocate for the understanding of the cancer diagnosis by young adults in hopes that their peers on the cancer continuum can receive more social support and be perceived as socially attractive.
