Association Between Non-Cigarette/Smokeless Tobacco and Hypertension in the National Health Interview Survey: a Pseudo-Panel Analysis

This study sought to examine assumption between having ever used non-cigarette tobacco or smokeless tobacco, and a diagnosis of hypertension among a sample of 13, 086 United States adults participating in the National Health Interview Series from 2012-2014. A pseudo-panel analysis of data extracted from the Integrated Health Interview Series Survey was conducted. The generalized linear mixed model was used to quantify the effect of a history of non-cigarette tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and socio-demographic predictor variables on the response variable, a diagnosis of hypertension. The transformed data, based on the pseudo-panel technique, resulted in fifty-seven (57) birth cohorts and followed in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The mean age was 51.6 years (±12.4). The findings of this study revealed that the odds of hypertension diagnosis for non-cigarette tobacco users was 0.8846 times lower (95% CI: 0.7907, 0.9896) than non-users after adjusting for possible confounders such as age, language, education, income and years of smoking. Our study suggested that the association between the use of non-cigarette tobacco and the diagnosis of hypertension among the sample population is consistent enough to assume a less plausible association between the two variables

The Classification Paradox: Historically Black Colleges\u27 and Universities\u27 Complex Relationship with Inequitable Experiences with the Carnegie Classification System

[Introduction] Higher education in the United States boasts of diverse institutional offerings to students. From community colleges to well-resourced liberal arts institutions, this diverse array of institutions and types has created a system commonly viewed as having a variety of access points for those seeking higher learning. Higher education stakeholders can argue that this diversity is a strong suit of American higher education, but an argument can also be made that this same institutional diversity laid the groundwork for systemic racism and inequities within the higher education system. These inequities exist through various intersecting systems and practices, such as the Carnegie Classification system. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have and continue to experience the impact of the compounding systemic racism and inequities that occur when the higher education landscape and practices such as the Carnegie Classification system merge. The following discussion, based on interviews with leaders at HBCUs, will unpack how the Carnegie Classification system, despite its initial intent, has created inequitable experiences for HBCUs and produced a striving culture that causes tensions between HBCUs\u27 mission-centered approaches and attaining resource-connected status. Through this discussion, various HBCU stakeholders will identify how the classification system can be changed to better the HBCU sector\u27s experience

The Tie that Binds: Trusteeship, Values, and the Presidential Selection Process at AME Affiliated HBCUs

Trust is necessary to legitimize good relationships and good relationships are necessary for good governance (Kezar, 2004). Literature also suggests that social capital and networks create and establish trust (Fukuyama, 1995, Leana & Van Buren III, 1999; Orr, 1999; Beaudoin, 2011). In short, trust comes from relationships, networks, and shared connections that create comfort or familiarity with a person. This study aims to discover how trust is established during the decision making processes of boards of trustees at HBCUs. This study also aims to understand more about the role and effect of individual board members on the work of the board. The question central to my inquiry is, how does the composition and value system of board members at private church affiliated HBCUs, particularly AME affiliated HBCUs, affect the decision-making process? Using a multi-site case study approach, board members of three AME church affiliated HBCUs were interviewed regarding their paths to board service, their experiences as board members, their individual and collective roles as board members, what they consider important concerning their roles as board members, and the presidential selection process. Major findings from this study are that personality and character traits of presidential candidates may have a heavier influence on the perception of candidatesâ?? suitability than their resume or past performance. Furthermore, there is a direct reflection of board membersâ?? values in the personality and network traits found desirable and non-desirable in presidential candidates. These shared values create a sense of trust between board members and candidates. This indicates that board composition is important, not merely due to the access to networks members possess, but also due to membersâ?? individual value systems. Values and value systems find themselves intertwined in the evaluation of presidential candidates and the work of the board. Recommendations are made for board of trustees at similar institutions to ensure boards are high performing, effective and efficient in the decision making process. Though this data is not generalizable to all private church affiliated HBCUs it lays a foundation for future researchers to explore the role of the boards and board composition at similar institutions. This research begins the conversation of how board composition can plays an important role in strategic planning and the selection of presidents

Violent or Non-Violent? What Difference Does it Make in 1960’s Civil Rights Activism and the State?

In this essay, I research the differences between violent and non-violent actors during the civil rights movement and how their methods changed their interactions with the state. For my case study, I chose two violent and two non-violent subjects, as well as two individuals, and two organizations. Those being Martin Luther King Jr. and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for my nonviolent actors, and Malcolm X and The Black Panther Party as my violent actors. I examine how their methods as individuals and groups changed the way they interacted with Police, The FBI, and the Federal Government such as presidents and congress

Experiences of Mental Health Professionals in the Rapid Pivot to Telehealth: Implications for Social Work Practice

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of telehealth in behavioral healthcare was rapidly accepted. This article reflects one component of a larger qualitative study that sought to understand the personal and professional experiences of front-line workers and their supervisors during the pivot to virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current article is focused on the question, what were mental health workers’ reactions, both personal and professional, to the rapid adoption of technology in their community mental health center practice? Thirty-six mental health professionals, ranging from front line workers to supervisors, participated in telephone and Zoom interviews between late August and mid-November 2020. Respondents spoke of their organization’s rapid response, the switch to telehealth for many services, the impact of this switch on professional practice, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of virtual services. They also shared their thoughts about the future of telehealth. The rapid changes, necessary for clients and the organization alike, brought an opportunity to reimagine service delivery. As social work is a profession that heavily emphasizes ethics and advocacy, and is the predominant professional group in community mental health, the final section examines implications for social work practice including practice ethics, consideration of factors on a micro, macro, and environmental level, the need to balance protection of the individual with the rights of many, and the necessity to take care of those doing the work as well

Church-based recruitment of African immigrants: Evidence and lessons learned from the Afro-Cardiac Study

African immigrants (AIs) are a growing yet understudied immigration population in the US. Churches that serve the AI population are a feasible and ideal setting for conducting community-based research to understand the cardiovascular health of AIs. The evidence and lessons learned from the Afro-Cardiac Study among AIs will be presented

Predicting injury in football using pitch quality, player’s function, player’s age and match intensity: A case study of the 2017 African Cup of Nations

Applied project submitted to the Department of Computer Science, Ashesi University College, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems, April 2017Football is the most popular sport in the world, and many individuals have taken advantage of it to earn a living and improve upon their standards of living. Injuries are also unfortunate incidents that occur in daily life and in sports, which affect an individual’s ability to make good use of his sporting talent to earn a living for himself and his family. In this project, modifiable risk factors that affect a player’s likelihood of getting an injury are identified, and their individual contributions to injury of a player is assessed. A predictive model for determining important risk factors for determining injuries in football is generated using the identified risk factors: pitch quality, match intensity, player function and player age.Ashesi University Colleg