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HIV Prevention among Urban Teenage Students in Osun State, Nigeria: Exploring Gender Socialization and Health Literacy
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Early adolescence (ages 10–14 years) represents a critical developmental stage for shaping lifelong sexual and reproductive health behaviors, yet it remains understudied in HIV prevention research. In Nigeria, adolescent girls bear a disproportionate burden of new HIV infections, underscoring the role of gender norms in shaping HIV risk. This secondary analysis examined how gender socialization influenced HIV prevention health literacy among 715 in-school urban adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria between 2019 and 2021. Boys reported greater health literacy at baseline. However, sex-equitable outcomes and overall increases in health literacy scores at two-year endline highlight the potential of school-based interventions to reduce gender gaps in HIV knowledge and increase HIV prevention health literacy. Familial gender socialization was found to be significantly associated with health literacy. Adolescents with empowering gender socialization from their families reported greater health literacy than those with disempowering socialization. Peer and societal gender socialization showed no significant associations with health literacy. Findings highlight the importance of early, gender-responsive interventions that target family dynamics to improve HIV prevention among young adolescents
An Environmental-AI Integrated Recommender System for Parkinson’s Rehabilitation: A Prototype Study in Taiwan
No full textThis study presents a prototype Environmental-AI recommender system for Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation. Using Taiwan as a testbed, the system integrates real-time environmental data—including air quality, meteorological conditions, and satellite-derived indices —with individual health data such as symptom logs and wearable outputs. A rule-based engine interprets environmental conditions, while a generative AI model converts combined inputs into plain-language daily recommendations. The system supports both diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients and high-risk individuals, offering symptom-aware or preventive lifestyle guidance. Simulated user profiles demonstrate how recommendations adapt to varying environmental and personal contexts. Results show the suggestions align with Parkinson’s disease care guidelines and environmental health principles. While promising, the system requires further validation, particularly to address AI hallucination risks and real-world clinical effectiveness. This approach illustrates the potential of combining environmental informatics and generative AI to support personalized chronic disease management
Extreme Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico Vapor Pressure Deficit Events in CMIP6 Climate Model Projections
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025This study characterizes the most extreme events of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in CMIP6 SSP5-8.5 projections for nine different climate models in the greater Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico region. VPD is a strong predictor of wildfire area burned in Southwestern North America. Model base states are in spatial agreement for temperature and moisture to observational studies. Two areas of VPD are present with differing dominant terms in VPD formulation. Individual event extremities also have differing dominant terms. Precipitation hinders the evolution and magnitude of VPD extremities. Maximum yearly VPD takes place prior to maximum yearly solar insolation in all models, just prior to precipitation of the expected North American Monsoon. Among all extreme events, a minimal precipitation signal is present in the period prior
Assessing the Potential of Local Seaweed as an Agricultural Soil Amendment: Carbon, Nutrient, and Contaminant Profiling of Ulva spp. from Puget Sound
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Seaweed, often considered a nuisance in shellfish farming operations due to excessive growth and encroachment, holds untapped potential for improving agricultural soil quality as a possible valuable source of carbon and nutrients. Further research and analyses are necessary for the systematic quantification of carbon content, nutrient profiles, and presence of metals in seaweed biomass. This study developed and piloted a monitoring framework aimed at assessing the seaweed genus Ulva’s carbon and nutrient uptake capacity, with the assumption that this knowledge can provide valuable insights into its potential as a soil amendment. Ulva biomass from a commercial shellfish farms was harvested and processed for analysis of metals, carbon, and nutrients to evaluate its suitability for soil application and potential for carbon and nutrient removal from marine ecosystems. This analysis aims to deepen our understanding of the carbon and nutrient removal potential of Ulva species, with the ultimate goal of developing effective strategies for its incorporation into agricultural systems to improve soil health and crop productivity. Findings are intended to be useful to farming operations and provide valuable insights into the benefits of seaweed as a regional approach that can feasibly offer sustainable solutions using resources available within the local context
Participatory modeling to evaluate tribal pinniped harvest in Puget Sound as a tool for salmon recovery
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Pinnipeds and salmon have been actively managed by tribes in the Salish Sea since time immemorial. Tribal pinniped harvest impacted pinniped populations directly through removals, indirectly through disturbance, and spatially by excluding them from frequently utilized areas near village sites, which often included important salmon migration routes. Current management practices struggle to balance pinniped recovery success with the need to protect the threatened salmon populations they prey on. We employed a Participatory Modeling Process to collaboratively develop a modeling framework with treaty tribes in Western Washington that could explore the impacts of pinniped management scenarios on the survival of returning adult salmon in terminal areas. We developed a model that simulates the dynamics between pinnipeds and salmon using a combination of agent-based and dynamic components to represent aspects of pinniped behavior, foraging decisions, fear conditioning, individual learning, and social contagion. Using this model, we explored different management regimes for pinniped harvest and evaluated success by monitoring the number of salmon who survive predation by pinnipeds and are therefore available to fulfill other management objectives. We carried out these simulations in two case study locations: the Ballard Locks in collaboration with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and the Nisqually River in collaboration with the Nisqually Indian Tribe. We found that management scenarios where pinniped management was carried out in a way that allowed pinniped predators to develop fear of management activity were more effective at improving salmon survival. We also identified specific scenarios for each case study that benefitted the specific salmon runs that use those systems and described the general characteristics of successful management strategies. The results from this study will be used by our partners in tribal resource management agencies to structure pinniped management in their Usual & Accustomed areas and identify data gaps for future monitoring efforts. Providing pathways for tribes in Washington to exercise their treaty rights to harvest pinnipeds in a way that mitigates salmon predation hotspots could be an effective management strategy that balances complex conservation objectives while operating within existing legal and political frameworks
'Somali? Muslim? Hey, you already got me': Acceptability of Islamic Problem-Solving and Stress Management Techniques in Adapted Problem Management Plus (PM+) Intervention Among Somali Muslim Women
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Background: Somali Muslim women in King County face significant mental health challenges, with PTSD prevalence of 33-80% and high rates of depression and anxiety. Cultural gaps between Western therapeutic approaches and Islamic healing paradigms create barriers to accessing mental health services. This study examined the acceptability of Islamic adaptations integrated into Problem Management Plus (PM+) among Somali Muslim women.Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted with 10 Somali Muslim women who participated in culturally adapted PM+ sessions. Islamic adaptations included incorporating du'as with breathing exercises, using Prophet Muhammad's problem-solving approaches, framing stress management within Islamic concepts, and aligning activities with prayer times. Data collection included interviews and a 7-item acceptability survey. Qualitative data were analyzed using systematic coding based on detailed operational definitions for 3R strategies (Reframing, Reprioritizing, Reforming) and implementation outcomes (acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, sustainability).
Results: Participants demonstrated high acceptance: 9/10 strongly agreed with acceptability items, 8/10 with appropriateness items, and 7/10 with feasibility items. Three themes emerged: Religious Familiarity and Recognition, Integration of Religious Coping with PM+ Techniques, and Community Implementation considerations. Participants described Islamic adaptations as creating "powerful combinations" that enhanced rather than replaced evidence-based techniques.
Conclusions: Islamic integration significantly enhanced acceptability of evidence-based mental health interventions among Somali Muslim women. The enhancement model, where religious practices amplify rather than compromise therapeutic effectiveness, offers a promising approach for culturally responsive mental health care in refugee communities
Associations between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Chronic Hepatitis B in the Central Puget Sound Region of Washington, 2018 to 2023
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) disproportionately affects immigrant and socioeconomically marginalized populations in the United States. Neighborhood-level metrics such as the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) may provide insight into structural and geographic drivers of CHB risk. We conducted a cross-sectional study that used electronic health record data from the University of Washington Medicine healthcare system to assess the association between neighborhood-level social deprivation and history of a positive CHB diagnostic test among adults with clinical encounters between 2018 and 2023. CHB cases were identified via positive hepatitis B surface antigen or detectable HBV DNA, and the comparator group was frequency matched on care setting and time of encounter. Geocoded patient billing addresses were linked to census block groups to confer ADI scores, which were analyzed in 2-, 5-, and 10-level categories. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and insurance status were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for CHB cases across ADI categories. The final study population included 5,729 CHB cases and 6,143 comparators. CHB was more common among individuals identifying as Asian, Black, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and those with public or no insurance. Adjusted models showed higher odds of a CHB positive test among residents of more disadvantaged neighborhoods, with the highest ADI category associated with twice the odds of CHB compared to the least disadvantaged category (adjusted OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.51-2.82), with a dose-dependent trend across ADI levels. Neighborhood-level disadvantage was associated with higher odds of a CHB positive test when using granular stratification of ADI and after adjusting for individual-level factors. These findings support the integration of place-based metrics in public health strategies to reduce disparities in CHB burden to improve screening, prevention, and care
Building and utilizing protein-based nanoparticles to modulate immune pathways
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2025The goal of vaccines is to appropriately stimulate the immune system to elicit potent and long-term protection against each pathogen. Current vaccines boost immune activation with adjuvants, which most commonly consist of oil-in-water emulsions despite the fact that the mechanisms of action of these adjuvants are not fully understood. Recent research has turned to molecular adjuvants with the aim of tuning the immune system with greater precision. However, these approaches are currently limited by the lack of platforms that can systematically test an antigen alongside immune-activating proteins. Control over the spatial arrangement and combination of immune ligands is needed to better understand how to modulate the complex immune responses surrounding an antigen of interest. Protein design has enabled the creation of two-component, self-assembling protein nanocages that serve as scaffolds for displaying functional domains, including antigens, antibodies, and immune proteins. The goal of my research is to leverage these two-component protein nanoparticle platforms to identify immune-modulatory proteins that can enhance the potency of nanoparticle immunogens and to develop a new platform capable of driving immune cell colocalization to activate juxtacrine signaling
Beyond Rigid Standards: Exploring Flexibility in Collections Environments Through a Sustainability Lens
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025This study investigates the challenges and hesitation among West Coast museum professionals to implement expanded climate set points in collection spaces and through loan agreements, despite the decreased energy consumption benefits and financial gain. Through interviews conducted with eleven institutions, a better understanding of how museums set their climate standards and the hesitations or challenges they face when attempting to implement more sustainable practices was investigated. Overall, the findings concluded that limited upper-level support and financial resources pose difficulties for many institutions in considering implementing more eco-friendly practices in their everyday work
Impacts of Invasive Species on Tropical Seabird Populations on Tetiaroa Atoll, French Polynesia
No full textThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2025Seabird populations provide crucial ecological services to their environments, yet their populations are declining globally due to invasive species, climate change, habitat loss and degradation, over-fishing, and pollution. Although they are keystone species and bio-indicators of coral island health, tropical seabirds remain understudied. Their reproductive success is influenced by an array of biotic and abiotic factors, particularly in coral island (atoll) ecosystems where low-lying nesting habitats are vulnerable to anthropogenic and environmental disturbances. In Chapter 1, we modeled daily nest survival of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) on Tetiaroa Atoll, Society Islands, French Polynesia, using a Bayesian framework. We analyzed data from 903 nests monitored between 2021 and 2024 across three motus (islets) that differed in exposure to invasive rats before and during a rat-eradication effort. Our daily nest survival model included motu-specific intercepts, a before-after-control-impact design to assess effects of rat suppression, and covariates representing ocean swell height, El Niño-Southern Oscillation conditions, colonial nest density, and an avian disease outbreak event. We found no evidence that rat presence negatively affected daily nest survival, which may indicate that rats are less of a threat to Brown Booby reproduction when compared to other seabird species. Higher ocean swells were associated with lower daily nest survival probability, while positive Southern Oscillation Index values, indicative of La Niña conditions, were associated with higher daily nest survival probabilities. These findings suggest that oceanic variability, rather than rat presence, was the dominant driver of nest success during the study period, suggesting the importance of accounting for risks posed by a changing climate and rising sea levels when developing seabird conservation strategies on atolls. In Chapter 2, we investigated terrestrial habitat associations of four seabird species on Tetiaroa, the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus), Black Noddy (Anous minutus), and White Tern (Gygis alba). We conducted 824 avian point counts with multiple observers at 110 sites between 2022 and 2024. A variety of vegetation variables were measured at each site, including the abundance of mature native broadleaf trees and previously cultivated coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), which is considered invasive and may be harmful to atoll ecosystem functioning. We fit species-specific N-mixture models to the avian point count data, using a zero-inflation Poisson distribution to model abundance, and habitat variables in both the zero-inflated and abundance components. Estimated Red-footed Booby abundance was higher in areas closer to the shoreline, with greater amounts of the coastal shrub, Heliotropium arboretum, and native broadleaf trees including Pisonia grandis, and in areas with more open space in the herbaceous layer. Abundance was lower with greater amounts of invasive Cocos nucifera trees. We found Brown Noddy estimated abundance was lower in areas with greater amounts of Pandanus tectorius trees. Estimates of Black Noddy abundance and probability of White Tern presence were higher with greater amounts of native broadleaf trees. Our findings provide information on habitat associations of these seabird species, which can be used to inform terrestrial restoration projects on Tetiaroa and other atolls