Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2017, Higher Education

The majority of Hispanics select community colleges as their higher institution of choice, but studies on what contributes to their success, especially Hispanic males, has been limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence, if any, of environmental variables on the cumulative GPA of Hispanic males attending community college. Employing Astin's Theory of Student Involvement, data from the CCSSE's 2012 – 2014 survey were used to conduct a multiple regression analysis. The study's sample included 5,615 Hispanic males attending community college. The final model identified 15 variables that were significantly related to the cumulative GPA of Hispanic males attending community college, and explained 15.6% of the variance. Student effort and active and collaborative learning variables emerged as the strongest predictors of Hispanic male GPA. This study provides educators with additional resources to improve Hispanic male academic success in the community college, and informs future research, theory, policy, and practice.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation, Examining Programmatic Practices of First-Year Writing at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), focuses on the various ways writing programs at HSIs and emerging HSIs (eHSIs) serve and support their minoritized student populations. Because federal law (Higher Education Opportunity Act, 2008) defines HSIs based on enrollment percentages alone, writing program administrators (WPAs) can experience challenges when seeking to enact policies and practices with an explicit aim to serve and support their students. The scholarship of writing studies at HSIs has typically examined what it means to serve students at the classroom level (Baca, Hinojosa, and Wolff Murphy, 2019; Kirklighter, Cardenas, and Wolff Murphy, 2007); however, my research focuses on what servingness means at the programmatic level through various practices that WPAs employ across their programs. Using a mixed-methods approach such as an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design (Creswell & Creswell, 2018), I conducted an analysis of archival materials, recent surveys from 98 WPAs from HSIs and eHSIs across the country, and 42 one-on-one semi-structured interviews. I present research-driven narratives of writing program administrators (WPAs) who discuss existing program-level practices related to placement procedures, program goals, culturally relevant and sustaining curricula and instruction (Paris & Alim, 2017), instructor training activities, and program assessment structures in the context of their HSI or eHSI designation. Overall findings reveal that possessing an HSI or eHSI designation does not mean that a first-year writing program supports students equitably and inclusively. It is up to the individual choices and leadership decisions that administrators make to make meaning of their designation and take action through program-level practices. With the ongoing shifts of student demographics in higher education and with more students entering such institutions, I expand upon (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Sociology

Recent figures indicate that in the U.S. over 3 million people were deported and over 7 million were arrested in the past 11 years (TRAC, 2021). Latinx individuals, in particular, have been heavily targeted by immigration enforcement measures, leading to a high number of arrests, detentions, and removals for this population subgroup. While political and cultural framing has positioned Latinx immigrants as threats to the safety of the U.S., we know little about the level and impact of removals under what has been called the most notorious immigration enforcement program in the U.S., the Secure Communities Program, a federal program established in 2008. The adoption of Secure Communities permitted the close collaboration of state or local police and jails with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to track and apprehend undocumented immigrants Because previous studies indicate that Latinx individuals are more likely to be perceived as undocumented, it is likely that removals under Secure Communities have had detrimental consequences on the well-being of Latinx populations. In this dissertation, I provide a detailed background about the policies and programs that preceded and contributed to the establishment of ICE and development of the Secure Communities program. Further, I present descriptive statistics of removals under Secure Communities over time, across regions, and across counties in order to identify the years and areas of the U.S. that experienced historically high levels of removals from 2008 to 2017. I use longitudinal data from the U.S. Census data (American Community Survey 5-year estimates) and ICE removal data at the county level and conduct Poisson regressions to analyze the association between removals and a set of health and socio-economic outcomes, among the Latinx population: The overall findings of this study show that the number of ICE removals under Secure Communities increased rapidly after 2010 and reached their highest levels in (open full item for complete abstract)

BA, Oberlin College, 2018, History

This thesis reconstructs the lives of two elite Hispanic New Mexican men who grappled with upheavals on the North American continent during the nineteenth century. Union army officers and influential patrones Nicolas Pino (1820-1896) and Jose Francisco Chavez (1833-1904) serve as the center of this paper's narrative chronological historical analysis. Intensive primary source work in the New Mexico State Archives reveals their footprints in the military, political, and legal spheres before, during, and after the war. The biographies of Chavez and Pino serve as a microcosm of the changes and continuities in Nuevo Mexicano social, cultural, and military practices during these turbulent years, revealing historical moments as they were lived by individuals. Their responses to American Indian conflicts, shifting borders, fluid borderlands identities, two international wars, and the penetration of Anglo-Americans into the territory reveal how two members of the elite Hispanic New Mexican community worked to maintain their elite status in the face of massive change.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Economics

Previous studies found a health advantage of Mexican Americans over non-Hispanic whites after controlling for socioeconomic factors and other elements. This health advantage has been considered as a paradox because Mexican Americans live in more disadvantaged environments and present lower levels of income and human capital than non-Hispanic whites. In order to analyze this paradox I estimate a health production function using physical and mental morbidity as health outcomes to study how human capital, socioeconomic status, health risk behaviors, relative deprivation and social relations affect the health of Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. My results indicate that after controlling for individual health related behaviors, socioeconomic status, relative deprivation (regardless of the relevant reference group) and social relations; there is no difference in physical morbidity between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. However, I find an advantage on mental health outcomes for Mexican Americans over non-Hispanic whites after controlling for all these factors. After controlling for endogeneity of health endowments, none of the three health related behaviors (smoking, obesity and performing physical activities) affected mental morbidity. However obesity had a huge negative impact on physical morbidity. I found no evidence of a direct impact of education on physical and mental morbidity. However, I found strong evidence of education affecting health related behaviors. I also found evidence suggesting a protective effect of marriage on mental morbidity. The effects of log per capita income on health disappear when introducing relative deprivation. I also found that relative deprivation has a negative direct impact on mental morbidity for Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. My results also show that relative deprivation affects directly the physical morbidity of Mexican Americans but it does not affect the health related behaviors of this populatio (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2008, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Department of Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies

Universities across the nation continue to experience shortage of minority faculty to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Beyond recruiting for diversity, institutions face the challenge of retaining and ensuring that minority faculty members are successful members of the academic community. The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of Hispanic faculty experiences, their perceptions of support and barriers and how they negotiate their sense of place at two predominantly White universities. Ten Hispanic faculty who represented diverse ethnic groups, disciplines, gender, and faculty ranks were selected for the study. A mixed method approach was used to obtain and organize data to answer the overarching question: How do Hispanic faculty negotiate a sense of place in an environment where they are a minority? The Curriculum Vita Analysis focused on the records of productivity, tenure status, and their longevity. The Sociogram focused on participants' relationships with critical stakeholders, essential in establishing a sense of place within the academe. The open-ended interviews focused on participants' perceptions of factors that promote and limit their sense of place. The findings of this study revealed that the participants have contributed over 100 publications and 231 presentations to the academic communities they represent. On the average, tenured faculty were slightly higher than the untenured faculty. Participants rated the importance of their relationships with critical stakeholders higher than the current levels of their relationships with these stakeholders. It appears that participants used productivity to gain legitimacy and utilized relationships strategically to negotiate a sense of place. While all the participants were conscious of their heritage, they provided different reasons for their consciousness. Factors promoting a sense of place include positive relationships, effective mentoring, support and acceptance o (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Cross-Cultural, International Education

Community-based art practices connect the artist with the community, promoting an awakened society of people, capable of creating aesthetically pleasing artwork as well as positive social change (Congdon, 2004). The purpose of this case study was to explore how the environment and identity-themed visual art projects influence the ego-identity development of Hispanic American adolescents. Nine adolescents (between 12-14 years old) who were enrolled in a community-based art program participated in this study. The findings of this study indicates that this community-based art program and identity-themed projects provided the Hispanic American youth in this study with artistic competencies, which lead to the ability to express their uniqueness and to develop coping mechanisms through art. Along with this, the Hispanic American youth in this study articulated an increase in self-esteem, due in large part to the afforded recognition felt within the community. In addition, a sense of affiliation and support, coming mostly from their peers and the staff and volunteers at the program, enriched the creative growth and provided the necessary encouragement for positive youth development.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

In an ever-diversifying country, the landscape of the American classroom is shifting, requiring educational leaders and teachers to possess curriculum knowledge, cultural intelligence, and self-efficacy to understand students' cultural differeces. This study aims to offer specific insights into four schools in the suburban Midwest working to improve the historically low achievement of Hispanic students. Utilizing a non-experimental correlational quantitative approach grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) and Cultural Intelligence Theory (Earley & Ang, 2003), this study examined the relationship between Hispanic students' academic outcomes and individual cultural intelligence and collective teacher efficacy. The findings of this study have several practical implications for educational practice, especially in high-poverty schools serving diverse student populations. Fostering an environment that promotes continuous professional development in cultural intelligence is crucial. Although cultural intelligence was not found to have a statistically significant impact on student achievement in this study, the broader literature suggests its importance in culturally diverse settings. The weak yet positive correlation between collective teacher efficacy and student achievement highlights the need to build a strong, supportive school culture. This study contributes to the body of research on educational equity and provides practical insights for improving academic outcomes for Hispanic students.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

Parentification, or parent-child role reversal, occurs when children and adolescents take on parental responsibilities within the family (Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark, 1973). This can include caring for younger siblings, attending to their parents' emotional needs, and assisting with tasks such as translation. Parentification disrupts family dynamics as parents transfer significant responsibilities to the child (Martino & Coburn, 2022). Extensive research consistently demonstrates the negative impact of parentification on children, leading to depression, suicidal feelings, shame, guilt, worry, and social isolation (Jurkovic, 1997). It can also contribute to the development of conduct disorders. Unfortunately, these difficulties often go unnoticed. However, when it comes to language brokering, which can be viewed as a similar experience to parentification as indicated by research, it can yield some positive results, such as developing new skills, improving self-esteem, and contributing to family survival (Kam et al., 2017; Martino & Coburn, 2022). Limited research exists on factors that alleviate the impact of parentification in Latine and Hispanic households, and despite its potential harm, parentification is often rationalized by families for various reasons. Familismo, a cultural value emphasizing loyalty and community within the family (Ayon et al., 2010) may play a significant role in the experiences of Latine parentified individuals. Familismo promotes unity, support, and loyalty within the family, resulting in enhanced self-esteem, a strong sense of belonging, and deep respect for the cultural community and family members (Fuligni et al., 1999; Ayon et al., 2010, Montero & Ceballo, 2021; Walker et al., 2022). This quantitative study demonstrates that familismo acts as a moderator in the relationship between parentification and depression. Specifically, this study reveals that higher levels of familismo weaken the link between parentification and depression. This d (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

This dissertation connects the recent DEIB movement within organizations to larger social justice movements, specifically those that impact workers and the workplace. Critical human resource development (CHRD) professionals, who serve as “insider activists”, are highlighted due to their work to continue movement objectives within organizations. Through testimonios and critical platicas, this study explores how Black and Latino/x LGBTQ+ CHRD professionals, in particular, are experiencing the workplace, especially as it relates to their engagement with how DEIB is practiced within organizations. Through this study, these professionals provide insights into the ways that workplaces can be redesigned and reimagined to be more critically conscious and equitable spaces, especially for those from marginalized backgrounds. Their reflections can work to enhance the ways that DEIB is practiced within organizations. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Hispanic participation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research studies has been historically low. With low engagement, there are many nuances which are not understood related to AD care in the Hispanic Community. The primary purpose of this study is to analyze a Hispanic data set of risk factors of Alzheimer's Disease. Three predictors have been identified to be highly correlated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease in other populations and will be analyzed to indicate how predictive they are in a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in a Hispanic population. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

There is ambiguity on what kind of coverage of Hispanic populations in counseling journals is often used by couple/marriage and family therapists (C/MFTs) and researchers. The aims of this study are to identify how these journals consider Hispanic populations and what advice is provided when working with Hispanic populations. An explanatory sequential mixed method content analysis study was conducted. The first quantitative stage used descriptive statistics to analyze 17 journals' articles between 2011-2020 regarding the type of research designs used, the frequency of articles that fit the inclusion criteria for the study, and the use of psychosocial terms (i.e., acculturation, discrimination, immigration, mental health, substance use, and family cohesion) in the articles' components (i.e., title, abstract, and keywords). Statistics were used to determine the relationship strength between the psychosocial terms and journals and articles' components. A random sample from the quantitative data was used to select articles for the quota sampling for qualitative thematic analysis, followed by mixed-method integration and interpretation. This study's analysis of the included articles demonstrated that the most frequently used research design is quantitative. Almost five percent of all the articles published in 17 journals over ten years mentioned Hispanic or relative terms in the articles' components. The articles' components, on average, did not mention the psychosocial terms though the terms either had a moderate or strong relationship. The qualitative thematic analysis supported the majority of the psychosocial terms. Two psychosocial terms, substance use and family cohesion, had divergent findings. The qualitative thematic analysis and mixed-method results indicated the need for C/MFTs and researchers to increase knowledge of Hispanic cultural values and oppression and create more research on Hispanic populations. The results indicate a small number of articles on His (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Educational Studies

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) have largely been defined by outcomes rather than a university's organizational identity (OI) (Garcia, 2019a). The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a unique case as it is known for its HSI identity. Four broad research questions guided this multidisciplinary comparative case study. First, this study investigated how the historical racialization and narratives of Latinx people in Borderlands Texas influenced UTEP's OI and contemporary organizational decision-making. While there was no evidence that the UTEP's high-ranking organizational members considered UTEP's historical narrative of serving racially minoritized groups, it was evident that organizational members expected the U.T. Regents to honor that history. Secondly, this study explored how UTEP and its organizational members were racialized by the local community, the state of Texas, and the nation at large during the hiring of a new president. UTEP was racialized by both insiders and outsiders in all contexts. The further away from the organization (i.e., state and national context), the more likely UTEP's OI as an HSI was minimized to the Hispanic student enrollment. Yet, the closer to the organization (i.e., organizational members and local context), the more likely discourse emphasized the culture, history, and sociopolitical environment of UTEP that was all connected to its racialization. Thirdly, this study analyzed organizational members' reactions to the hiring of Dr. Heather Wilson as UTEP's new President. Organizational members saw a disconnect between UTEP's OI and the decision to hire Dr. Wilson as the next President of UTEP. UTEP's OI went far beyond simply enrolling Hispanic students. UTEP focused on improving the lives of the majority Mexican American population and working alongside Mexico to be a binational organization that serviced the region. Therefore, organizational members had expectations for high-ranking social actors when making organizat (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States. The number of Latino-owned firms has grown from 2.3 million in 2007 to 3.3 million in 2012, highlighting a 46.3% growth rate. Reports from 2017 estimate that Latino-owned firms create nearly 3.2 million American jobs and drive more than $2 trillion in GDP in the U.S. Despite their strong growth rates and growing contribution to the U.S. economy, only 3% of Latino-owned firms exceed $1 million in annual gross revenues—less than half the rate of White, non-Latino-owned firms. Much of the literature on Latino and ethnic entrepreneurs focuses on the barriers to growth the individual entrepreneurs and their firm's experience or their lack of resources such as economic or social capital. Our mixed-methods study—integrating qualitative and quantitative research findings—highlights differences in how Latino entrepreneurs of large, scaled firms differ in their approach when compared to Latino business owners of smaller firms. Moreover, we find differences in how Latino entrepreneurs approach sense of community, belongingness, and humility when operating their businesses, which differs from non-Latino, Anglo entrepreneurs in the U.S. While our qualitative findings highlight the salient traits—sense of community, belongingness, and humility—with Latino business owners of scaled firms, our quantitative findings show trends that highlight clear differences between Latinos and Anglo business owners. Also noted in our findings is that Anglos continue to financially outperform minority entrepreneurs, including Latinos.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2022, Theology

Mary's purity has been a subject of theological inquiry for over a millennium. This project's objective is to follow the development of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception historically to the ways it became manifest in the Spanish kingdoms of the Middle Ages, how it was brought and taught to the Nahua and Maya in the sixteenth century evangelization of Central Mexico by Spanish friars, and then how it remained a powerful force of evangelical and political fervor in New Spain through the analysis of three seventeenth century homilies about the Immaculate Conception. Whereas the conquest of the Americas is largely remembered for the brutalities and injustices committed, the Spanish friars who implemented a wide-scale evangelization of the Native Americans were interested in the sincere conversions of people like the Nahua and Maya. This dissertation studies the evangelization methods of the sixteenth century Franciscan friars in Central Mexico with particular attention to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and to Marian belief and devotion. The study also takes into account the cosmologies and ways of living of the Nahua and Maya, the two most prominent cultural groups in Mesoamerica at the time. The interaction between the friars and the natives is viewed in light of their respective cultural heritages. The spiritual concerns of the friars and their indoctrination of the Nahua and Maya are studied in light of the religious heritage of the Spanish kingdoms of the Middle Ages and the defense of the belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The Spanish friars make Mary central to their evangelization of Central Mexico, along with Christ and the Cross. The first three chapters deal with the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican world with respect to Nahua and Maya cosmologies, the Catholicism of the Iberian Peninsula up to the expansion to the Americas, and the development of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception respectively. Chapter four focuses on the ev (open full item for complete abstract)

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Allied Health Sciences: Nutrition

Breastmilk is the optimal source of nutrition for infant development and growth and can lead to long-term health benefits for both mother and child. However, Black infants have the lowest breastfeeding rates compared to infants of other races and ethnicities, and WIC participants have lower breastfeeding rates than nonparticipants despite WIC efforts to promote breastfeeding. Studies have shown that although breastfeeding outcomes have increased among all populations over the years, particularly after the WIC 2009 food package revision, breastfeeding outcomes remain lower among Black women and WIC participants and disparities still remain. Many studies have examined the effects of factors related to WIC participation on breastfeeding outcomes, however, few studies have examined these factors among Black women specifically. Additionally, breastfeeding disparities experienced by Black women can lead to health inequities across the life course. We conducted a systematic review and secondary analysis of public health data to examine the association between WIC participation and breastfeeding outcomes among Black mothers in Hamilton County, Ohio. Included articles showed mix results regarding the association between WIC participation and breastfeeding initiation among Black women, and WIC participation was negatively associated with breastfeeding duration. Noteworthy factors included regional differences, socioeconomic status, marital status, and educational level. Based on the epidemiological data from Hamilton County, while WIC participation is weakly associated with lower breastfeeding outcomes among Black women, other factors such as maternal education, marital status, and type of insurance used may contribute to the lower breastfeeding outcomes among WIC participants. Future research should evaluate differences in factors between WIC participants and nonparticipants as well as how these factors affect breastfeeding outcomes. By implementing breastfeeding promoti (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Educational Studies

Computer science remains one of the least diverse disciplines within STEM. As society becomes more dependent on technology, there should be more diverse representation in the people producing technology. Latinx are underrepresented in the technology sector. In order to understand the lack of diversity in the technology sector it is important to look at diversity efforts in computer science programs at higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of Latinx students in computer science programs at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Focusing on Hispanic-Serving institutions is important given that they educate a large percentage of Latinx college students. The research question guiding this study was: What barriers and supports do Latinx students in computer science experience at Hispanic-Serving Institutions? Data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve students from three higher education institutions. The analysis revealed four themes: Navigating College as a First-Generation College Student, Disconnections in Computer Science/Feelings of Inadequacy, On-Campus Relationships and Professional Development for Computer Science Students. This study illustrates how faculty, staff, and peers can best support Latinx students in computer science. The knowledge students shared in this study provides insights into how to create a more inclusive environment in STEM that will promote the success of Latinx computer science students.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Psychology

This study investigated the influence of socio-demographics on emerging adults': (a) conceptions toward transitioning to adulthood; (b) sense of ethnic identity; (c) social emotional competence; and (d) coping strategies. A sample of N = 494 emerging adult college students (ages 18-30) completed a battery of measures to assess their approaches and attitudes toward adulthood and life functioning. This information was used to compare differences in emerging adult experiences across ethnic groups. It was hypothesized that there would be response differences between ethnic minority (African American, Asian American, and Latinx) and White emerging adults due to differences in cultural framework and socio-demographics. Frequencies and analysis of covariance were run to explore differences based on ethnic group, gender, and ethnic group x gender, controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). A bivariate correlational analysis was also conducted to establish a relationship between social emotional competence, coping strategies, and ethnic identity. Results showed that these variables were positively correlated with each other. There were also significant response differences found between ethnic groups regarding their: views on adulthood, ethnic identity, intra- and interpersonal skills, and dispositional coping tendencies when dealing with stress. Specifically, ethnic minorities reported an overall higher sense of ethnic identity and were more social-emotionally competent than Whites. They were also less likely to feel they had reached adulthood and reported higher tendency to engage in problem-focused coping than Whites. This study provides a nuanced approach to understanding how culture impacts emerging adults' experiences transitioning to adulthood. In turn, it builds a foundation for future research to investigate how social emotional competence and coping approaches may manifest differently for specific subgroups of emerging adults. Such research is especially (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Nursing

In the United States (US)-Mexico border region there is a disparity in cesarean birth rates among Hispanic women. Hispanic women have higher rates of cesarean birth than their non-Hispanic counterparts despite overall lower US cesarean rates. Cesarean birth is associated with increased complications compared to vaginal birth, putting these women and infants at disproportionate risk. In accordance with the Hispanic Health Paradox, researchers have found that Hispanic women have worse birth outcomes (such as preterm birth) the longer they reside in the US. Very few studies have focused on odds of cesarean birth in relation to acculturation level among Hispanic women. Guided by J.W. Berry's Theoretical Framework of Acculturation, the aims of this study are to 1) examine the direct effects of cultural and biopsychosocial factors on birth mode in Mexican American women, 2) investigate the degree to which maternal biopsychosocial factors mediate relationships among cultural factors and birth mode, and 3) investigate the moderating effect of healthcare environment (delivery facility) and socioeconomic position (insurance type) on relationships among cultural and biopsychosocial factors and birth mode (cesarean or vaginal). A correlational design was used in this dissertation to complete a secondary analysis of data from a parent study entitled, Psychoneuroimmunology: Preterm birth in Hispanics (2R01NR007891; Principal Investigator [PI] R. Jeanne Ruiz, 2007). Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate relationships, multivariable logistic regression, mediation, and moderation analyses. The dissertation study sample included 244 women. After controlling for parity in logistic regression analysis, significant direct relationships remained between acculturative stress, pre-pregnancy BMI, discrimination, and insurance type in relation to birth mode. More Spanish language related acculturative stress, discrimination, and higher BMI increased the odds of cesarean birth. (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Health Education

Study One: E-cigarettes have been the most preferred form of tobacco for United States youth since 2014. Their high rates of usage have emerged as one of the most significant health issues the country faces. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in characteristics related to e-cigarette use that included curiosity about using, perceived harm from occasional use, intent to use soon, willingness to use if offered by a best friend, lifetime use, and current (past 30-day) use among youth. Methods: A secondary data analysis of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey years was performed. Students enrolled in middle school and high school (N = 58,736) participated over the three waves of data collection. Demographics and e-cigarette use characteristics were assessed via frequencies. Differences in characteristics were measured via multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Major findings were curiosity about use was greatest in 2018 (33.4%), along with intent to use soon (18.5%), willingness to use (23.7%), lifetime use (25.8%), and current use (13.7%). Participants from 2018 also had the highest odds of possessing curiosity about using, intent to use soon, willingness to use, lifetime use, and current use compared to those from 2016. Participants from 2017 perceived occasional use presented some harm/a lot of harm at the greatest rate (64.4%) and were less likely to perceive no harm/a little harm from occasional use. Conclusion: These findings assist with understanding changes in prevalence rates of e-cigarette use that are representative of United States youth. Study Two: In 2019, it was determined that among United States youth, those of Hispanic ethnicity had the second highest rate of lifetime and current (past 30-day) e-cigarette use behind non-Hispanic White youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for e-cigarette use and sources of acquisition for Hispanic youth who have used in their lifetime, in addition to like (open full item for complete abstract)