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Postpartum Depression and Racism: A Systematic Review [paper]
No full textIntroduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of women in the United States, with significantly higher rates among those in racial and ethnic minorities. Emerging evidence suggests that racial discrimination may contribute to this disparity by increasing psychosocial stress during the perinatal period. This systematic review examines the association between perceived racial discrimination and the incidence and severity of postpartum depressive symptoms. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across CINAHL, PubMed, MedlinePlus, Science Direct, Oxford Academic, Trip database, and Clinicaltrials.gov for peer-reviewed United States. studies published between 2020 and 2025. Inclusion criteria required postpartum participants, assessment of racial discrimination, and depression symptom severity as outcomes. Studies were appraised using the Rapid Critical Appraisal (RCA) tool, and synthesis followed PRISMA and Whittemore & Knafl’s integrative review framework. Results: Seven studies met inclusion criteria; the majority utilized a cross-sectional or secondary data analysis with validated measures such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Everyday Discrimination Scale. Across the studies, racial discrimination was significantly associated with increased postpartum depressive symptoms. Additional themes identified included racism in healthcare as a barrier to diagnosis and care, and social support and resilience as protective factors mitigating depressive outcomes. Discussion: Findings demonstrated that racial discrimination functions as a social determinant of postpartum mental health. Integrating culturally sensitive screening, bias reduction training, and community-based support interventions is essential to reduce disparities. Future longitudinal research should explore causal pathways and resilience mechanisms.Nursin
Exploring Determinants of Mediterranean Lifestyle Adherence: Findings from the Multinational MEDIET4ALL e-Survey Across Ten Mediterranean and Neighboring Countries
No full textBackground/Objectives: Despite its well-established health benefits, adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife) has declined globally, including in its region of origin, alongside a significant shift toward ultra-processed food consumption. Understanding the factors associated with MedLife adherence is essential for developing targeted interventions and tailored policy recommendations. As part of the MEDIET4ALL PRIMA project, this cross-sectional study aimed to comprehensively examine geo-demographic, socio-economic, psychological, behavioral, and barrier-related factors associated with and potentially contributing to MedLife adherence. Methods: Data were collected from 4010 participants aged 18 years and above across ten Mediterranean and neighboring countries using the multinational MEDIET4ALL e-survey, which included the validated MedLife index, along with various other questionnaires. Results: Results indicate that only 22% of respondents demonstrated high adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife), with significant variability observed across countries, age groups, education levels, and health statuses. Spain had the highest proportion of participants with high adherence (38%). Factors associated with significantly higher adherence rates include older age, living in the Mediterranean region, higher education levels, a greater awareness of MedLife principles, lower perceived barriers, normal BMI, better health status, and stable economic and marital conditions (p-values ranging from 0.04 to <0.001). Additionally, individuals with high MedLife adherence exhibited more socially and physically active lifestyles and experienced less psychological strain (p < 0.001). Regression analyses identified MedLife awareness as the strongest positive predictor of adherence (β = 0.206), followed by social participation (β = 0.194) and physical activity (β = 0.096). Additional positive contributors include life satisfaction, sleep quality, living in the Mediterranean region, age, and education (β ranging from 0.049 to 0.093). Conversely, factors that are negatively associated with adherence include sedentary behavior, living environment, and barriers such as low motivation, taste dislike, price unaffordability, limited availability, and the time-consuming nature of preparing Mediterranean food (MedFood; β ranging from −0.036 to −0.067). Conclusions: These findings indicate that fewer than one in four adults across Mediterranean and neighboring countries demonstrate high adherence to MedLife, supporting prior evidence of suboptimal adherence even within Mediterranean regions. This study identified a range of behavioral, socio-demographic, and environmental factors—both positive and negative predictors—that can help guide the design of targeted, culturally adapted interventions to promote MedLife behavior. Future research should incorporate objective measurements and longitudinal monitoring to better understand underlying mechanisms, establish causality, and develop sustainable strategies for enhancing MedLife adherence in diverse populations.Division of Researc
MAG NRES Directed Research Portfolio
No full textUniversities are seeing more students struggle with mental health challenges linked to climate change. Yet little empirical data exists on climate anxiety among U.S. college students. To address this gap, we developed and pilot-tested an online survey at Texas State University to measure climate anxiety among students, incorporating the Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS) alongside demographic questions and open-ended prompts. We conducted a systematic review of international research on climate anxiety to inform the survey design. This review revealed that young people worldwide report high levels of climate worry, with differences in impact by gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Full deployment of the survey was delayed by IRB constraints, but the pilot results show that students are highly concerned about climate change, skeptical of government action, and use a wide range of coping strategies. These strategies ranged from personal lifestyle adjustments to withdrawal and feelings of emotional fatigue. Many students used strong emotional language in their open-ended responses, expressing a sense of impending threat about the future. This reaction aligns with emerging research on eco-anxiety. Our pilot study illustrates that a mixed-methods approach can effectively capture the complexity of climate-related distress and lays the groundwork for future large-scale studies. These preliminary findings highlight the need for stronger campus mental health support and clearer communication about climate risks. They also suggest that interventions should address the psychological toll of climate anxiety while recognizing its potential to motivate positive action.Geography and Environmental Studie
Changes in Aggressive Behaviors over Time in Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences: Focusing on the Role of School Connectedness
No full textPrevious research has found the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and externalizing behaviors later in adolescence and adulthood. However, limited studies have explored longitudinal trajectories of aggressive behaviors affected by ACEs. This study aimed to investigate how aggressive behaviors change over time and compare the trajectories of aggressive behaviors between children with three or fewer (low-risk ACEs) and those with four or more ACEs (high-risk ACEs) with the role of school connectedness on the trajectories of aggressive behaviors over time. The study sample consisted of 4231 children collected by the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study focusing on children in high-risk families across 20 U.S. cities. The mean age of the sample was 15.59 years, with 81.9% of the participants being minorities and 51.9% being boys. The results indicated that children with high-risk ACEs showed twice as high levels of aggressive behaviors as those with low-risk ACEs. School connectedness decreased the starting level and change rate of aggressive behavior for children with high-risk ACEs, while it decreased the starting level of aggressive behavior for those with low-risk ACEs. These findings underscore the protective role of school connectedness on aggressive behavior. Practitioners and policymakers need to make an effort to build safe and supportive social environments for all children, especially for children with high-risk ACEs.Social Wor
Immediate Cervical Muscle Response to Optimal Occlusal Positioning: A Crucial Part of Concussion Risk Management
No full textObjectives: Strong cervical musculature is recognized as a protective factor against sports-related concussions. Evidence suggests that jaw clenching may activate cervical muscles, potentially reducing head acceleration during impact. Methods: This observational cohort study examined the immediate effects of a customized interocclusal orthotic (CIO) on cervical muscle performance. Forty-two healthy adults (≥18 years) underwent strength and endurance testing with and without a CIO using a digital pressure gauge and six directional isometric contractions. Descriptive statistics and two-way repeated-measures MANOVA models were applied to evaluate condition effects. Results: CIO use produced significant improvements in cervical muscle strength and endurance across all directions compared to non-use. Forward flexion strength increased by 12.96% (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.185), backward extension by 10.34% (p = 0.017, ηp2 = 0.091), right rotation by 19.03% (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.333) and left rotation by 19.86% (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.353). Endurance gains demonstrated large effect sizes, with flexor endurance improving by 44.57% (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.447). Conclusions: Optimized jaw alignment using a customized orthotic can elicit immediate, clinically meaningful enhancements in cervical strength and endurance, suggesting a promising adjunct for concussion risk mitigation in contact sports.Physical Therap
Beachfront "Archeo"-Property: Geographical Examination of Texas Coastal Archeological Sites in an Everchanging Environment
No full textThe Texas shoreline is vanishing. Eighty percent of the Texas coast is eroding at an average estimated rate of 1.27 m/yr. (from 1930s–2019) with individual sample-site net-endpoint rates as high as 16.5 m/yr. Coastal erosion in Texas is attributed to global warming, and littoral factors such as hurricanes and subsidence that can be regionally amplified by anthropogenic sea level rise (SLR). Texas and Louisiana have among the highest rates of shoreline regression due to SLR in the United States with Texas more than double the global average. Approximately 549 archeological sites are estimated in this study to be inundated by SLR by 2100 CE—22 percent of the sites within the Texas Coastal Zone that are not already submerged. The inundation of Texas coastal archeology has been recognized for decades, especially in part due to archeological monitoring of specific foreshore shipwrecks sites near the southern Texas border. This study examines the geographies of Brazos Island and Pass Cavallo, at the southern and mid-Texas coast, as a means to assess and quantify the causes and impacts of shoreline regression on Texas coastal historical archeology. In these areas, hurricanes and anthropogenic modification of the shoreline through hard armoring and channel dredging projects were discovered to have greatly accelerated shoreline loss, at a rate that outpaced SLR predictions.Geography and Environmental Studie
An Analysis of Global Perspectives within Advanced Placement Human Geography
No full textIn today’s global society, all aspects of human life are interconnected, from the food that people eat and the clothes that people wear to business transactions and education. These global connections are hallmarks of the Anthropocene, a time of major human -induced impacts on the planet including climate change, natural resource depletion, and extinction of species. Understanding the Anthropocene is an imperative that elevates the need for global education and competency in geography. Although geography is not a required course for high school graduation in most states, students in every state may have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG). This mixed methods study researched the extent that APHG, relative to other introductory human geography courses and instructional materials, contributes to the development of a global perspective among learners. The study began with a content analysis of the APHG course to identify subject matter that hypothetically relates to different components of a global perspective. This was followed by a systematic review of introductory courses in human geography syllabi and textbooks to determine the extent APHG subject matter is aligned with the standard college-level course. The effectiveness of APHG for cultivating a global perspective was ascertained through interviews involving teachers. Interviews with APHG teachers gauged the perceived relevance and usefulness of APHG as a learning experience that fosters global awareness, understanding, and other characteristics of people who have attained a global perspective. This study found that all elements of a global perspective were present in the APHG curriculum, syllabi, and textbooks. Some elements were emphasized more than others, and not all data sources emphasized the same elements. Interviews revealed APHG teachers valued global perspectives and awareness and expressed confidence that the course would assist students in achieving them. Teachers varied in their understanding and definitions of global perspectives and expressed frustration at curricular restraints. Based on these results further studies are recommended to explore the extent of global perspectives across all instructional materials and to assess students global understanding.Geography and Environmental Studie
Oral history interview: Armando Johnson
No full textEdited and unedited transcript files (.pdf) and edited and unedited video files available with closed captioning.Oral history interview with Robert Espinosa about his uncle, Armando Johnson
Between Class and Career: Applying the Job Demands–Resources Model to Working College Students
No full textThe current study assessed organizational and psychosocial factors related to intentions to quit in American working college undergraduates (N = 382; mean age = 19 years; ~80% female). Students were surveyed on organizational scales (e.g., organizational identification, perceived support, work–life conflict, and intentions to quit) and psychosocial scales (e.g., perceived stress, social support, burnout, and mental health conditions). Variables significantly correlated with intent to quit at the bivariate level were included in an exploratory multiple regression model. The results indicated that burnout, engagement, organizational identification, perceived social support, and life–work conflict were uniquely predictive of intention to quit. A subsequent path analysis based on the Job Demands–Resources model revealed a good fit to the student data: demands (i.e., work–life conflict, perceived stress) and resources (organizational support and identification) predicted burnout and engagement, which in turn predicted intent to quit (along with a direct path from organizational support). This model can therefore explain behavior in both traditional and college undergraduate employees. In order to retain these employees, organizations should invest in practices that increase organizational identification and perceived support, as well as initiatives that help students mitigate the increased risks of stress and burnout associated with working while in college.PsychologyCommunication StudiesPhilosoph
Reverse Gentrification through Direct Real Estate Investment and Quantitative Analysis of Homeownership
No full textThis applied research project is a professional report, exploring gentrification and the Community Land Trust model in San Antonio’s Near West Side.
This paper addresses the significant methodological challenges of housing research in a nondisclosure state like Texas by utilizing tax assessed values from the Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) as a proxy for market data. A stratified sample of 17 properties within 78207 was analyzed over a ten-year period (2015-2025), revealing an acute affordability crisis. The data shows a staggering 268% increase in the value of speculatively “flipped” properties, while the homes of long-term residents appreciated by 149%, creating an unsustainable property tax burden. In stark contrast, properties held within a CLT-like model appreciated by only 23%, demonstrating the model’s power to insulate housing from speculative market pressures.
The quantitative results conclusively support the core hypothesis: the CLT model achieves affordability and provides a stable, low-risk pathway for wealth accumulation for low-to-moderate income (LMI) households. The comparative analysis of Austin’s delayed policy response and Houston’s proactive, city-supported CLT further validates the urgency and efficacy of this intervention. This study provides the empirical evidence necessary to reposition the Community Land Trust as a foundational policy blueprint for permanently stabilizing vulnerable communities, ensuring the long-term control of housing stock by existing residents, and offering a replicable roadmap for other cities facing similar crises.Geography and Environmental Studie