The Relationship Between Reporting Occupational Injuries, Job Control, and Safety Citizenship Sub-dimensions of Action

More than five thousand workers lost their lives in 2018 due to occupational incidents. Research suggests that increased job control and safety citizenship can help mitigate occupational incidents. This study aims to answer the following research question: Does a relationship exist between the behavior of reporting occupational injuries and both job control and safety citizenship? This exploratory cross-sectional study used an employee perception questionnaire to examine the behavior of reporting occupational injuries, employee job control, and six safety citizenship sub-dimensions of action (i.e. stewardship, civic virtue, whistleblowing, initiating safety-related change, voice, and helping) at two companies in the Midwestern region of the United States. The survey consisted of 34 items and used a 5-point Likert Scale to quantify the data gathered along with other demographic variables. An ordinal logistic regression analysis to investigate the relationship between the behavior of reporting occupational injuries, job control, and the six sub-dimensions of safety citizenship was conducted. Results indicate that job control ( X2 = 8.512, df = 1, p < 0.05) and whistleblowing (X2 = 4.836, df = 1, p < 0.05) predict the behavior of occupational injury reporting.

Comprehensive Contraceptive Education Intervention in a College Setting: Design and Methodology

Background: Unintended pregnancy continues to be a public health concern across the nation. National data demonstrates the highest rates of unintended pregnancy occurs in women who are 18 to 24 years old. Providing practical and meaningful health education about contraception has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancy and improve quality of life for young adults. This paper describes the design and methodology for a comprehensive contraceptive education intervention at a public university. Methods: Convenience sampling was used with a custom survey conducted in Women’s Health classes from 2015-2021. Surveys contained questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge of contraception options, sources of knowledge, stress levels, and confidence in knowledge. Students completed a pretest, received a comprehensive contraception health education lecture, and completed a post-test. Data collection was approved by the university’s IRB, and analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 27. Conclusion: At a time when reproductive freedom, choice, and justice is scrutinized and suppressed, it is imperative that young adults maintain and understand the importance of having control over when, where, and how they decide to have children if they desire to do so. There is a need for continued comprehensive health education and appropriate resources at the university level. The use of assessments, building trusted professor-student relationships, and exploring credible and reliable information sources can be used to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies for college-aged students. If significant, the replication of the design and methods could have a significant impact on the public health problem of unintended pregnancies, maternal health equity, and reproductive justice.

Examining the Intersection of Alcohol Use and Hookups among Transgender College Students: A Descriptive Study

We examined the intersection of alcohol use and hookups among transgender college students to identify sexual behaviors that may reduce negative hookup experiences. Our analytic sample included US college students who identified as transgender (n=36; 11 trans men and 25 trans women). Descriptive analyses were performed using the Online College Social Life Survey (2005–2011) to describe transgender students’ alcohol use, hookups, and related sexual behaviors. Twenty-five (69.4%) transgender students reported a hookup since entering college. The majority (n=19; 76.0%) of hookups included only non-penetrative sexual behaviors. Of these hookups, nearly half (n=9; 47.4%) reported heavy drinking. Some condom use was reported with penetrative hookups. This suggests that transgender students use some lower risk strategies during hookups. Alcohol use was high, which has implications for the consistent use of these behaviors to reduce negative hookup experiences.

Person-Centered Care for Older Adults living in Long-term care facilities: A Systematic Literature Review

Person-centered care (PCC) is the empowering approach of ho-listic care that shifts from a traditional biomedical framework to one that emphasizes older adults’ personalized preferences, abilities, and strengths. This systematic literature review aimed to describe the current status of research on PCC for older adults living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). The method that conducted the search involved using 5 consistent keywords along with adding various descriptor terms to help narrow the search. A total of 18 articles were discussed in the final review after meeting all of the inclusion criteria. The results showed overall beneficial outcomes of PCC for institutionalized older adults, the importance of prioritizing residents’ preferences when implementing PCC, and perspectives of residents and staff workers on the state of PCC in their respective LTCFs, as well as what they think are barriers and facilitators. Identifying what the top shared preferences are is the first step to providing individualized PCC delivery that will improve the quality of care and quality of life for older adults living in LTCFs. Furthermore, taking into account both staff and residents’ perspectives will lead to an improved PCC climate in LTCFs that will enable better care outcomes.

The Use of Smartphone Technology to Improve the Health of Sickle Cell Patients

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious health issue in society. The United State continues to register a large number of people affected by the disease. Due to the prevalence and severity of this hereditary condition, reliable and effective monitoring and prevention systems are needed. Smartphone technologies have the potential of improving health outcomes of people with SCD by promoting the empowerment and health literacy of people with SCD who live in underserved communities. The vast adoption of smartphones in the country provides an opportunity for the implementation of applications to support current healthcare systems. Mobile applications provide an opportunity to reform the healthcare sector by mitigating cost, yet maximizing accessibility, safety, and quality of care. The study aimed to provide insights into the use of smartphone technology and its impact on improving the health of SCD patients. A literature analysis methodology was adopted. The study found that smartphones provide enhanced means of sharing data and collaborating. The benefits of using smartphones in SCD management included pain tracking and monitoring, reinforcing treatment guidelines, and patient education.

Examining Suicide and its Warning Signs and Determinants in a County of Illinois, 2014 to 2020: Implications for Future Research and Prevention

This study is to examine the trend in suicide over the last 12 years in a county of IL; establish warning signs leading up to suicide; identify major risk factors of suicide among the decedents; as well as explore preventative measures for future suicide interventions. It’s a mixed-methods retrospective cross-sectional study. A total of 264 existing suicide case files between 2014 and 2020 were reviewed. Based on the current literature, the suicide data collection instrument was developed to include four sections: demographics, medical history, warning signs, and risks of suicide. A total of 96 variables were included to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. From 2014 to 2020, a total of 264 suicide deaths occurred in the county with the highest number in 2017 and lowest in 2010. Approximately 77.3% of the suicide deaths were males and 81.1% were non-veterans. About 31.4% of the cases left a suicide note; 22.1% had previously attempted suicide; and 49.2% had previous suicide ideation. About 39.4% of the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds, 39.4% were caused by suffocation, and 15.5% were caused by poisoning. More than half of the cases (58.3%) had a mental illness, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Nearly 45.5% of the cases were taking prescription medications. Roughly 41.7% of the cases indicated they were in a troubled relationship, 33.0% indicated they could be grieving the loss of parents, significant others, children, and siblings. Only 23.9% of the cases had received suicide prevention treatment, such as hospitalization or admittance to a mental health center, prior to their suicide death. Future endeavors should consider developing suicide prevention strategies/interventions within the domains of the Social Ecological Model, including building social capital, issuing temporary firearms restraining orders, and establishing community-based suicide prevention training/screening programs.