American Journal of Health Studies

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Health Education Specialists

Heidi Hancher-Rauch — 2024-11-29

The physical, mental, and professional impacts of the pandemic on healthcare and public health workers have been widely discussed in the media and the scientific literature, but what is known about health education specialists (HES) appears to be far less. To address this gap, a brief online survey including questions from the PHQ-9 Depression Questionnaire, General Anxiety Disorder Scale, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale, Brief COPE, the Transtheoretical Model, and the Health Belief Model, was sent to certified (CHES®) and master certified (MCHES®) HES. Of the 11,743 successfully delivered, 1,480 (13%) were completed. The overwhelmingly female (89%), white (71.5%), non-Hispanic (86%), respondents reported being employed full-time (80.7%) and holding at least a master’s degree (77.7%). Though approximately half of participants reported at least some level of anxiety, worry, trouble sleeping, tiredness, poor appetite or overeating, trouble concentrating, depression, and/or little interest in doing things, the majority had not sought treatment. Not surprisingly, there was a significant correlation between those who reported a notable increase in COVID-19 work hours and those who felt nervous, anxious, or on edge over the last two weeks (r=8.5, p<.05). HES frequently turned to various forms of healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms besides professional treatment. These findings are important both to document the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the HES workforce, as well as to highlight the ways employers can offer appropriate support to those needing mental health interventions.

The Role of Victim Age in Perceptions of Sexual Assault: A Scenario Study

Megan Osborne — 2024-11-29

Purpose: Various factors related to the victim and perpetrator in sexual assault have been shown to affect people’s perceptions of the sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature and analyze how age of the victim might influence perceptions of a sexual assault. Method: University students over the age of 18 (n=400) completed a paper and pencil survey to examine rape myth acceptance, ageism, and sexual assault classification after reading a hypothetical scenario in which the victim was either 21 or 65 years old. Results: Most participants classified the scenario as sexual assault regardless of condition, however, participants had higher odds of sexual assault classification when the victim was 65 compared to when she was 21, regardless of ageism scores. Conclusions: These findings can have implications within the legal system where incorrect decisions may be made due to bias.

Cannabis Care: Intellectual Humility and Instructional Strategies

Janice Putnam — 2024-11-29

The challenge healthcare faculty are encountering when discussing cannabis education with students is the effect that misperceptions, media influence, and lack of evidence can have regarding cannabis care. This article shares an innovative teaching strategy and qualitative results based on increasing intellectual humility using the Collective Rethinking Model. The instructional design of this study included three assignments: a role and responsibility analysis, a more nuanced conversation about cannabis, mental health, and athletes, and promoting student curiosity using a virtual cannabis field trip. Each assignment consisted of a cannabis-related activity followed by a written response (n=99). These responses were coded, and thematic analysis was confirmed by the research team. For the role and responsibility analysis assignment, themes reflected existing stigmas and a new awareness of evolving cannabis research. For the nuanced conversation assignment about cannabis, mental health, and athletes, the results identified three themes: concern for the ethics of the suspension, the need for more research regarding cannabis and PTSD care, and an increased awareness of the inconsistencies in drug policies from a global perspective. The last assignment designed to promote cannabis curiosity used a virtual cannabis field trip. It demonstrated curiosity across a broad spectrum of cannabis industry topics and issues. The results demonstrate today's healthcare students have curiosity about their potential role in cannabis care. The lessons learned from this study have implications for designing nursing and interprofessional health curricula that rigorously and creatively engage students in the practice of cannabis care, mental health promotion, ethics, regulation, and industry.

Body Mass Index Effects on Physical Activity Motivation Among Pre-Health Students

Derek Elton — 2024-11-29

Many people understand participating in physical activity (PA) can provide both physical and psychological benefits, yet a plethora of individuals remain inactive. Understanding these factors could prove vital in development of improved intervention strategies. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and motivation to participate in PA among undergraduate pre-health students. Participants completed an online survey. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine variables: Motivation, PA, and BMI. Correlations and ANOVAs were used to assess associations and variable differences established at p < 0.05. Multiple significant associations and gender-based group differences were found which illustrate males being primarily driven by intrinsic motives, while female data suggests high motivational drive in both intrinsic and extrinsic areas. Furthermore, among BMI categories, those classified as ‘normal’ reported significantly higher levels of appearance and ‘obese’ categories reported significantly higher levels of fitness motivation. Findings illustrate how the impact of both gender and BMI on PA motivation is shifting from traditional understanding. While educated individuals may be more eager to participate in PA, they may still lack the knowledge of how to properly apply PA principles to daily life. This study controlled possible internal motivation variables by exploring those who understand the benefits of PA, which is absent in the literature. Previous research indicates that BMI inversely effects affective response to exercise, which reduces sustained PA participation, however, the solution to this may not be more literacy-based education.