Athena Commons - Digital Repository of Mississippi University for Women
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Video Submission - Mollie Conn
No full textMollie Conn, MUW Student, reads from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosk
Improvement of Weight Management Counseling in Primary Care
Full text linkThere are cultural, genetic, fiscal, historical, and geographic factors that have contributed to Mississippi having the highest level of obesity in the United States. As the only available source of treatment for obesity for many patients, primary care providers need to feel prepared and effective in treating obesity, and need ways to address obesity that are respectful and person-centered. Motivational interviewing is a counseling process for behavior change that empowers the patient to determine their own goals, motivations, and strategies to establish weight reducing habits. A quality improvement project was developed for primary care providers to educate them on the concepts of motivational interviewing, and to equip them with information in the electronic medical record to act as a framework for the process of weight reduction counseling during a primary care office visit. Participants were provided with a link to an electronic inventory of their perceptions of the process of weight reduction counseling and knowledge of concepts related to person-centered weight management topics and person-first language. An educational video was created by the researcher that introduced the concepts of motivational interviewing, and a template was created for the electronic medical record that guided the provider through documentation and patient instructions. After implementation of the 60-days pilot program, providers were asked to complete another inventory to see if their perceptions changed and an evaluation of the electronic template and resources. Results indicated that participants did not perceive an improvement in comfort level with weight reduction counseling but did perceive an improvement in effectiveness. When asked questions related to consent and person-first language, participants showed an improvement in grasp of person-centered care concepts. 5 Participants stated that they found the educational video and electronic templates to be beneficial to their practice. It is concluded that education for primary care providers regarding motivational interviewing for weight management counseling should continue across the state to improve the quality of care provided to patients with obesity
Opening Remarks
No full textOpening remarks by Hillary Richardson, Coordinator of Undergraduate Research, followed by a brief keynote by MUW Alum, class of 2021, Victoria Choate
Reproductive Health in America: A History of Patriarchal Control
No full textThe United States is often referred to as the land of opportunity and the home of the free, yet today, those who challenge the patriarchal system are not treated fairly or equitably. Historically, from owning land to voting women have fought for the same rights enjoyed by men. The effort of early feminist movements paved the way for the Supreme Court to protect women’s reproductive rights through Roe v. Wade. For decades, women were able to make a choice regarding their reproductive health. However, in just the past year (2022), the Supreme Court ruled to strike down Roe v. Wade, thus undoing years of work and the liberty of women to decide on their own health care. While some people associate Roe v. Wade with abortion and pro-life and pro-choice, this view discounts the fundamental right to access contraceptives and resources all women need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. In a country where women are so desired, their rights mean so little to the men who seek to promote gender roles that ignore the fundamental values Americans have enjoyed for centuries: the freedom to pursue happiness. The consequences of the overturning of Roe v. Wade can restrict access to birth control for minority women and teenagers, restrict resources for domestic violence victims, and create additional burdens on society when individuals are not ready or equipped to form families
How Covid-19 has Affected the Hand Hygiene Habits of Healthcare Majors and Non-Healthcare Majors
Full text linkThe research hypothesis states there is a statistically significant difference in how Covid-19 affected the hand hygiene habits of healthcare majors and non-healthcare majors. The research study utilized survey which students completed at the cafeteria of a small liberal arts college in the southeastern United States. The population assessed were students who entered the cafeteria while the survey was being administered and agreed to complete the survey. The results of the survey determined there is no statistically significant difference in how Covid-19 affected the hand hygiene habits of healthcare majors and non-healthcare majors. An important implication for the healthcare majors is improving hand hygiene knowledge and practices. Recommendations for further research includes lengthening the data collection time to increase the sample size, increasing the number of locations where the survey is administered, and attempt to create a more equal number of responses from the two subgroups
Implementation of a Preconception Health Counseling Program
Full text linkApproximately 75 million women in the United States are of reproductive age, 15-44 years old. Among this group of childbearing-aged women, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health conditions are contributing to maternal morbidity, mortality, and poor infant outcomes (Raghuraman & Tuuli, 2021). The current unintended pregnancy rate in the United States is 48%, higher than the global rate of 41% (Ramos, 2019). To improve women’s health and perinatal outcomes, a shift in the paradigm of healthcare should focus on preventative care rather than reactive care. Preconception health counseling (PCHC) with the patient is a primary prevention strategy that allows a provider to discuss the patient’s pregnancy intention, reduce any potential harm, and identify any modifiable risk factors. For this project, a comprehensive review of literature reiterated the need for PCHC to enhance overall health of women, including reduced complications of pregnancy and delivery and reduced maternal and neonatal mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a 15-step guide of PCHC that was used in this project to direct a pilot PCHC program to women of childbearing age in a rural women’s health clinic in Mississippi. After obtaining informed consent, patients 18-40 years of age completed a demographic questionnaire and survey regarding knowledge of preconception health and then received personal, individualized PCHC during their clinic visit utilizing the CDC’s guide, which was also given to the 5 patients as a resource. One month after the clinic visit, the participants completed a posttest survey to reassess their retainment of knowledge on preconception health. Analysis of the survey results indicate that there was a statistically significant increase in childbearing-aged women’s knowledge of preconception health after completing the PCHC (p\u3c.001). As a result of this study, it is recommended that all primary care providers and women’s health providers incorporate PCHC into wellness visits of childbearing-aged women to promote health and subsequently improve maternal and neonatal outcomes
Video Submission- Reagan Watson
No full textReagan Watson, MUW student, reads aloud from The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Banned Books Week Panel
No full textWednesday, October 4th at 4:00 pm, we will host a panel that features librarians, educators, and legal professionals who have been affected by book bans and challenges. Join us in person at Fant Library\u27s GPG room to hear from Sarah Ballard, Teacher, Murrah High School Sarah Schnaithman, Attorney McKenna Raney-Gray, LGBTQ Justice Project Staff Attorney, ACLU of Mississippi Dr. Ebony Lumumba, Associate Professor of English, Jackson State University Dawn Zimmerer, Hinds Community College (Formerly Youth Services Director at Madison Public Library)
The event was live-streamed via zoom, and the recording is posted within the event page
A critical analysis of the effects of structural-heteropatriarchy, religion, and coloniality in espousing homophobia in the Southern Development Community (SADC): A case of Zimbabwe
Full text linkThis thesis answers Stella Nyanzi’s (2015) call for an urgent need for a purely African-curated queer rebuttal on the un-Africanness of homosexuality in the motherland in her paper “Knowledge is requisite power.” As an African lesbian agender, in this thesis, I not only add to the historico-political fact that homophobia is a remnant of colonial rule. I also tease apart the forces that sustain this repression–structural-heteropatriarchy, Middle Eastern religions, and coloniality: to elucidate how un-African and historico-philosophically incorrect it is for African leaders to weaponize the myth that homosexuality is un-African in their anti-SOGIESC rights standpoints. I borrow mainly from Foucauldian philosophies to evince how homophobia–a distinctly Western phenomenon at the time of colonization was conjured onto the African continent and is bulwarked by the very powers that breathed life into it. I employ an African queer feminist-womanist qualitative and quantitative comparative analysis of literature from queer and decolonial scholars along with data from the United Nations, Open Democracy, Freedom House, and Statista.com in my argument that structural-heteropatriarchy, Middle Eastern religions, and coloniality co-constitute and co-bulwark homophobia in the Southern African Development Community