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Internalized Weight Stigma as a Mediator Between Past Weight Stigma and Current Healthcare Avoidance/Comfort in Seeking Medical Care
No full textResearch has found that medical providers such as physicians, nurses, and medical support staff may contribute to externalized weight stigma directed toward youth (Garcia et al., 2016; Gorlick et al., 2021). Individuals who have encountered weight stigmatization may internalize those experiences, leading to psychological, physical, and behavioral changes that reduce their quality of life (Palad et al., 2019; Romano et al., 2023; Tanas et al., 2022; Zancu & Diaconu-Gherasim, 2023). However, little is known about how historical externalized weight stigma from medical providers relates to future healthcare access behaviors. This study examined whether internalized weight stigma mediated two relationships: First, childhood and adolescent weight stigma from healthcare providers and healthcare avoidance in adulthood, and second, childhood and adolescent weight stigma from healthcare providers and comfort in seeking medical care in adulthood. The initial sample consisted of 543 students, with a final sample size of 488 (Mage = 20.00 years, SD = 4.47) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas student subject pool. Participants completed measures assessing demographics, past and current experiences of weight stigma in healthcare settings, internalization of weight stigma, healthcare avoidance, and comfort in seeking medical care. Over half of the sample (56.26%) reported experienced weight stigma from their medical providers during childhood or adolescence, whereas approximately one-third (28.85%) reported experiencing it within the past year as an adult. Results showed that childhood and adolescent weight stigma was significantly associated with both greater healthcare avoidance (B = 0.29, SE = 0.10, p = .003, 95% CI [0.10, 0.49]) and lower comfort in seeking medical care (B = -1.45, SE = 0.49, p = .003, OR = 0.24, 95% CI for OR [0.09, 0.62]) in adulthood. These relationships were fully mediated by internalized weight stigma. These findings suggest that children and adolescents who internalized experienced weight stigma from medical providers were more likely to avoid medical care and felt less comfortable seeking it as adults. These results demonstrate the need for greater medical provider education, weight-neutral practices, and stigma-reducing policies aimed at decreasing internalized weight stigma and, in turn, reducing healthcare avoidance and improving comfort in seeking medical care. Additionally, early supportive interventions for individuals who have already experienced weight-related stigma in the healthcare settings may be critical in mitigating the internalization of weight stigma and its long-term effects on healthcare engagement
Identifying Appropriate Clinical Cutoffs for Traumatic Dissociation in Maltreated Youth
No full textMaltreated youth who experience traumatic dissociation are at an increased risk for various severe psychopathological outcomes. Much is still unknown about the risk factors for traumatic dissociation in maltreated youth. The present study aimed to identify dissociation (e.g., dissociative amnesia, absorption and imaginative involvement, passive influence, and depersonalization and derealization) risk factors, via parametric statistical methods, in association with the appropriate clinical cutoff for the total and subscale scores from the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). Investigatory variables included demographic (e.g., age, race, and gender), cognitive (e.g., resiliency and posttraumatic cognitions), and psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression symptom scores). Participants included 102 maltreated youths housed at an emergency shelter with the Department of Family Services. The first hypothesis was that variables identified in Mraz’s (2023) exploratory CART study (Table 3, p. 32) would differ significantly according to A-DES total and subscale score. Hypothesis 2 was that fewer demographic, psychological, and cognitive variables (Table 2, p. 31), as evaluated in Hypothesis 1, would emerge as significant differences for A-DES total and subscale scores for cutoffs 2, 6, and 8 compared to cutoff 4. Hypothesis 3 was exploratory in nature and involved the possibility that additional variables would be significantly different based on A-DES total and subscale cutoff scores. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square was utilized to evaluate the hypotheses. Hypotheses were partially supported. Total PTSD score, cluster D of PTSD (negative alterations in mood and cognitions), sense of mastery, and total anxiety score emerged as salient for across dissociative subtypes and total scores. Cutoff 4 was associated with the highest number of salient related factors for each subtype and total score except for depersonalization and derealization. Finally, additional factors including school involvement and mental health diagnosis, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression were salient across the dissociative subtype and total scores. These findings provide evidence that further elucidates the understanding of dissociation in maltreated youth. Additional research is necessary to develop appropriate assessment and clinical interventions to treat dissociation in maltreated youth populations
PYLRO: A Python Calculator for Analyzing Long-Range Structural Order
No full textWe present PyLRO, an open-source Python calculator designed to detect, quantify, and display long-range order in periodic structures. The program’s design methodology, workflow, and approach to order quantification are thoroughly described and demonstrated using a simple toy model. Great care is considered in the detailing of the calculation logic, as is standard in the development of computational methods. Additionally, we apply PyLRO to a series of metastable AlPO4 structural intermediates from a prior high-pressure study, demonstrating how to compute and visualize structural order in all directions on a Miller sphere. We further highlight the program’s capabilities through a high-throughput analysis of structural patterns in the pressure-induced amorphization of AlPO4, revealing atomistic insights within specific energy regions of massive amorphous structures. These results suggest that PyLRO can be a valuable tool for investigating crystal-amorphous transition in materials research. The relevant theoretical background and details regarding the state of the community consensus around the problems this novel method is attempting to solve are also provided within this dissertation. Finally, to streamline the ease of use of this program, various coding examples are provided throughout to demonstrate its use cases and functional syntax
Social Support and Its Associations With Mental Health and Parenting Among Mothers With Young Children in Western Kenya
No full textThis study examined associations between perceived social support, maternal mental health, and parenting practices among mothers with young children under aged 2 years in rural Western Kenya. Data were collected as part of the baseline evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating a parenting intervention. Maternal perceived social support was reported using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and community connectedness with two study-developed items. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the CES-D, parenting distress with Parenting Stress Index–Short Form, and caregiver stimulation practices with Family Care Indicators. Multilevel linear regression models examined associations between social support and maternal mental health and parenting outcomes. The analytic sample included 539 mothers, of whom 49.4 % were aged 25–34 years, 36.4 % were at risk of depression, and 19.9 % reported high parenting stress. Higher perceived support was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (β = −0.14, p \u3c .001), lower parenting stress (β = −0.24, p \u3c .001), and greater stimulation practices (β = 0.08, p = .04). Family support was more strongly associated with mental health outcomes, while friend support was associated with stimulation. Community connectedness was associated with lower parenting stress but not with depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the importance of family support for maternal well-being and peer support for fostering stimulation practices among mothers with young children
Breaking the Odds: A Gendered Analysis of Women and Gambling Behaviors
No full textGambling is increasingly recognized as a complex public health issue with wide-ranging implications for individuals, families, and communities. While traditionally male-dominated, recent shifts reveal a growing participation among women, facilitated by gender-specific gambling products, targeted marketing, and evolving societal norms. This paper critically examines the prevalence, motivations, and harms associated with gambling among women, drawing on theoretical perspectives such as social capital theory, cultural geography, and gender role theory. By synthesizing existing literature, this review highlights distinct gendered patterns in gambling behaviors, including the use of gambling as a coping mechanism for stress, isolation, and caregiving burdens, and the role of gendered spaces and marketing strategies in shaping women’s engagement. While much of the literature focuses on risks and harms, gaps remain in understanding protective factors, intersectional influences, and the implications of emerging gambling formats such as cryptocurrency betting and gamified platforms. The article provides a foundation for advancing public health strategies and fostering a more comprehensive understanding of women’s gambling behaviors and their broader societal implications
SNAP Benefits in a Recession: Mountain West State Projections
No full textThis fact sheet presents data on simulated recession impacts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the Mountain West. The Urban Institute’s “How Would a State Cost Share Affect SNAP in a Recession?” report provides recession projections based on the current SNAP policy – which allows SNAP to automatically expand in the event of a recession – as well as a 10% cost share scenario, for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This fact sheet focuses on recession projections for the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah
Perception of Emotions in Autism With Controlled Elicitation
No full textRecognizing emotions play a crucial role in effective communication.(1)
Previous research has rated autistic expression as awkward.(2)
These studies captured unnaturally elicited emotions by having participants imitate emotions from scripted prompts and pictureshttps://oasis.library.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1256/thumbnail.jp
Designing AI-Driven Dining: A UX Approach to Enhancing the Self-Service Experience
No full textArtificial intelligence has transformed many industries, yet its integration into self-dining experiences is still emerging. This research explores how AI can enhance self-dining by introducing technology like interactive kiosks and robot servers to improve efficiency, personalization, and customer convenience. By addressing current gaps, we aim to create a more seamless and engaging dining experience.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1260/thumbnail.jp
Sex Ratios by Nevada County, 2023
No full textThis fact sheet presents data on age-based sex ratios – or the number of men to women in a population – in 17 Nevada counties: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine. The data are derived from the 2025 American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) report, “Patterns and trends in county-level sex ratios,” which includes data on sex ratios in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia
Homelessness Increases in the Mountain West, 2015-2024
No full textThis fact sheet presents data on homelessness increases in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah from 2015 to 2024. The data are derived from “Male homelessness in the United States,” a report by the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM). The original report includes data on the overall increase in homelessness in the United States from 2015 to 2024, as well as data on the increase in homelessness by gender