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Young Adult Athletes’ Psychological Distress Differences by Level and Gender Identity
No full textThe young adult population has the highest percentage of new mental health diagnoses (Edwards & Froehle, 2023). Collegiate sports – Club and DI level – introduce additional demands and stressors, including heavy workloads, performance anxiety, and balancing time demands (Edwards et al., 2023; Peacock, 2022). Women student-athletes have shown a higher prevalence of psychological distress symptoms than men (Wolanin, et al., 2016). Researchers have primarily focused on psychological distress of NCAA athletes rather than Club athletes (Martin, et al., 2021). Therefore, this study explored the differences in psychological distress prevalence between athletes’ level and gender identity. Participants for this cross-sectional study included 459 student-athletes: 254 (54%) DI athletes (95 men; 159 women) and 207 Club athletes (83 men; 122 women). These student-athletes were asked to provide demographic information (e.g., gender identity, sport) while completing a mental health screening, including anxiety and depression symptomology levels measured, respectively, by the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-2 (GAD-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), which are, validated brief versions of the GAD-7 and PHQ-9. The total scores align with classifications for clinical (3-6), subclinical (2), and minimal (0-1) symptoms. The chi-square analyses were used to evaluate differences in the prevalence of clinical, subclinical, and minimal levels of depression and anxiety across athletic level and gender. There were no significant differences in prevalence by gender. By athlete level, there was a significantly higher prevalence of subclinical anxiety (26%) among DI athletes compared to Club athletes (7%). As well as a significantly higher prevalence of subclinical depression (18%) among DI athletes compared to Club athletes (6%). Though no other differences were significant, compared to Club athletes, nearly twice as many DI athletes had clinical level anxiety symptoms and three times as many had clinical level depression symptoms. Thus, it can be concluded there is a higher prevalence of psychological distress among DI athletes compared to their Club peers. This may illustrate the effect of having greater sports performance related stress and time constraints on students’ mental health symptoms. These findings support the increasing trend and requirements for NCAA DI Athletics Departments having embedded sport psychologists and mental health counselors
Managers' Trust in AI Expert Recommendations
No full textManagers today face increasing pressure to integrate AI-generated insights into their decision-making processes. This study examines how managers’ trust in expert recommendations varies depending on whether the advice is from a human or AI expert. This study also examines the extent to which heightened levels of accountability influence the relationship between managers trust in a human or AI recommendations. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experiment, upper-level accounting students acting as CFOs were randomly assigned to receive a recommendation from a human expert or an AI expert, with half of each group also receiving a heightened level of accountability. Results indicate a significant difference in trust between expert source, with human recommendations being trusted more than AI recommendations, supporting Hypothesis 1. Contrary to Hypothesis 2, accountability manipulations did not significantly influence trust in either recommendation source. These findings highlight persistent algorithm aversion among decision makers and suggest that simply increasing accountability does not mitigate lower trust in AI experts
MILITARY FAMILIES STRESS AND COPING WHILE HAVING A CHILD WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
No full textThis case study examined the lived experiences of a military spouse raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during periods of relocation, deployments, and reintegration. A semi-structured interview was analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) phenomenological method. Military related stressors, navigating autism-related services, and family resilience and adaptation emerged as the main themes. Transitions in the military cycles, relocation, deployments, and reintegration tended to disrupt care and required renewed advocacy, which was the responsibility of the military spouse. The Double ABC-X model (McCubbin & Patterson, 1983) was used to understand how stress, resources, and perceptions—specifically how families interpret or make sense of both the original stressor and the accumulation of demands over time—affect family adaptation. Informal support from other military families and personal resilience emerged as central elements to coping for this military spouse, who served as the primary parenting figure in the family. The study highlights the need for more consistent ASD services across military bases,
improved provider awareness, and stronger caregiver support. Findings can inform future research, clinical practice, and policies supporting military families with children on the autism spectrum
IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES IN LITERACY: SUPPORTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERVENTION TEACHERS
No full textThe goal of the participatory action research study was to examine how intervention teachers contribute to the improvement of literacy instructional practices in elementary schools.
A team of nine elementary intervention teachers volunteered to participate and engage in three cycles of inquiry throughout the 14-month study. Collaborating more frequently with a smaller group of intervention teachers as three co-practitioner researchers, we identified experiences and practices to support the growth and development of the team of intervention teachers in their work to increase literacy in schools. To develop relational trust and identify the supports they needed to be effective in their work, the team engaged in Community Learning Exchanges to share effective instructional practices and strategies as they collaboratively addressed literacy needs at their schools. The study describes how participants navigated fragmented centralized reform efforts and the impact made on literacy intervention instruction and outcomes. The findings of the study reveal the need for established systems of support for the team of intervention teachers. In addition, by clarifying their complex roles and providing relevant professional learning, the challenges the intervention teachers faced were minimized. These findings support and add to the research literature in the areas of supporting the development of the capacities and practices of teachers in specialized roles
MOVEMENT AND HABITAT USE OF A RESIDENT KING RAIL (Rallus elegans) POPULATION AMONG MANAGED IMPOUNDMENTS AND TIDAL MARSHES IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA
No full textFreshwater wetlands are important habitat for a variety of waterbirds. However, inland wetlands have sustained significant losses due to marsh drainage and land conversion for agriculture and human development. This loss of habitat has led to declining populations throughout the Eastern United States for an obligate freshwater marsh specialist, the king rail (Rallus elegans). Loss of inland habitat has pushed king rail populations toward the coastal margins of their range, where they are increasingly exposed to climate change related assaults such as hurricanes and associated storm surge, tidal inundation, and saltwater intrusion.
To support habitat restoration and management efforts for a coastal king rail population, I investigated king rail movements and habitat use across a series of natural and impounded wetlands, interspersed with riparian forest along a tidally influenced river in coastal South Carolina. Some impoundments were managed for wintering waterfowl by planting fields with Carolina Gold rice during the king rail breeding season. Using VHF radiotelemetry, 13 king rails were tracked over the course of this two-year study generating Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimated (AKDEc) home ranges. Breeding season 95% AKDEc was 5.1 ± 2.4 ha with a core 50% AKDEc of 1.1 ± 0.5 ha. Non-breeding season 95% AKDEc was 4.0 ± 2.3 ha with a core home range of 1.0 ± 0.5 ha. No significant difference was observed between the size of the breeding and non-breeding home ranges, and the size of home ranges observed here were smaller than other reported home ranges, suggesting the possibility of high prey and/or high king rail densities. Shifts to distinct non-breeding home ranges were observed between May and July and were preceded by either the successful molting of an instrumented individual’s chicks, nest failure, or habitat disturbance through management within the home range. Individuals that were heavier upon capture were more likely to occupy the same home range throughout the year, staying on the breeding home range for the non-breeding season.
During the 2024 breeding season, king rails used habitat closer to channels in areas with higher percentages of marsh vegetation. Dominant vegetation types included giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea), smartweeds (Polygonum ssp.), sedges (Carex ssp.), coffeeweed (Sesbania herbacea), and primrose willow (Ludwigia peploides). King rails continued to use areas within their established home range if it had been treated with herbicide, as the dead vegetation likely provided the same habitat characteristics as it did when it was alive, and the rails were already established in the area. A stem count measurement revealed that king rails avoided the densest marsh vegetation and selected areas with more moderate densities. My results suggest that when managing impoundments for king rails alongside wintering waterfowl, it is important to provide vegetation along channels and irrigation ditches within rice fields to provide cover while king rails forage along the edges of the channels. The removal of vegetation when planting rice and during dike construction reduced the likelihood for king rails to stay on their breeding territories and resulted in some individuals fleeing the area. Management techniques to control the density of emergent vegetation such as prescribed fire may be useful to keep a moderate density on the landscape
PEP Squad: Achievements and Personal Project
No full textWhen I first was figuring out what to do for my honors project, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I was interested in doing research or a creative endeavor in my field of study which is public health. While looking for a mentor I came across Ms. Richman who had work with topics on maternal health. I was interested in doing something with maternal health especially after being accepted into the ECU doula program. I had an interview Ms. Richman and Ms. Russell about a project they had in mind. The project was a club that needed help with growth and promotion. The premise of the club would be about preconception health
The Effectiveness of Humor in Social Media Campaigns in Increasing Awareness of the Combined Effects of Vaping and Alcohol Among College Students
No full textThe simultaneous use of vaping and alcohol among college students presents compounded health risks, yet awareness of these risks remains limited. Social media serves as a primary source of information for young adults, shaping their health perceptions and behaviors. This study examines how social media campaigns, particularly those on TikTok, influence college students’ awareness, attitudes, and harm perceptions regarding vaping, alcohol use, and their combined effects. Using Social Cognitive Theory as a framework, the research explores how humor-based health messaging affects engagement with and receptiveness to health information. We will survey college students (N = 155) to assess their awareness of the combined health risks of vaping and alcohol use, their engagement with social media health messaging, their need for humor, and the influence of humor-based content on their perceptions. Furthermore, the research will also explore whether humor-related TikTok posts are associated with greater awareness of this combined health issue among students who are more likely to possess a need for humor. Overall, this study contributes to the broader discussion of digital health communication by examining how social media influences young adults' health behaviors and awareness of vaping and alcohol risks
More than a phase: The impact of sexual orientation, age, and prescriptive stereotype violation on coworker perceptions
No full textAs LGBTQIA+ (people attracted to same-sex persons or possess diverse sexual orientations and gender identities) employees gain visible workplace representation, more research is needed to explore how workplace relationships change when employees are open about their sexual orientation (Alvarado et al., 2023). Based on expectancy violation theory (Burgoon, 1978), prejudice may be attached to those without traditional sexual orientations at work because of violated expectations from other employees that do not match the view of a “stereotypical worker”. Despite rising acceptance of LGBTQIA+ identities (Early et al., 2020), workers may still face backlash and understanding this backlash is imperative to fostering inclusive workplaces. Prescriptive stereotype theory suggests that workers engaging unexpected behaviors based on their social identities, may receive negative reactions towards their character (seeing them as less competence and less warm), which may subsequently lead their coworkers to ostracize them. Replicating and extending Hanrahan et al. (2023) and evaluating a new outcome of ostracism and avoidance behaviors (Liu, 2019) on 487 full-time employees, this study found that older, gay workers had more violation ratings compared to other groups, along with higher rates of ostracism and avoidance behaviors by participants. Violators of age identity prescriptive stereotypes were also seen as less warm regardless of age, but on its own older age groups were seen to be more violating than younger age groups. These results help address interventions and further understanding of how to address needs of older LGBTQIA+ workers
EVALUATING VELOPHARYNGEAL FUNCTION DURING PHONATION IN CHILDREN UTILIZING STATIC MRI
No full textMany children born with cleft palate go on to present with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) characterized by speech that is hypernasal and/or has nasal air emissions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the only imaging technique that allows for direct visualization of velopharyngeal musculature to plan for surgical correction of VPI. Normative data for MRI are available at rest and these data indicate age, race, and sex are important variables that may need to be considered when determining what is typical for velopharyngeal anatomy. A current limitation of these normative data are that they do not include speech production.
This study used structural MRI at rest, during sustained phonation of /i/, and sustained production of /s/ to investigate differences in velopharyngeal anatomy between speech production and rest in five and six-year-old children who were either Black or White. The study had two aims. Aim I determined if racial differences were present in velar and pharyngeal structures and resulting physiology. Aim II determined if racial differences were present in the LVP muscle (LVP), which is the most important muscle for velopharyngeal closure,
Aim I determined there are significant differences in velar structure size during speech production between Black and White Children, with Black children presenting with thicker velums and longer effective velums. These anatomical differences result in Black children needing less velar stretch than White children to achieve velopharyngeal closure. Aim II determined there are no differences in LVP length and LVP shortening between Black and White children
