This research project examined the longitudinal course of body dissatisfaction among undergraduate females at Brigham Young University (BYU) using the Body Satisfaction Questionnaire (BSQ).The research also examined what percentage of undergraduate females have BSQ ratings in the clinically significant range and whether body dissatisfaction ratings varied based on the environment in which the student lived. Results indicate that no significant change in body dissatisfaction occurred over time, nor did living environment appear to play a role in BSQ scores. Results also showed that at any given time over 34% of women on BYU campus have BSQ scores in the clinically significant range.

South Africa has the highest global burden of HIV/AIDS with over 7.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of the disease, which is potentially driven by low levels of correct HIV knowledge and high levels of gender-based violence. Our study aimed to determine the factors that influence uptake of HIV testing among reproductive aged women between 15-49 years in South Africa. Data from the 2016 (N=8514) iteration of the Demographic and Health Survey was utilized. Our outcome variable was HIV testing (yes/no) and our predictor variables were age at first sex, highest educational level, marital status, and recent condom use. We conducted descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis and T-test for our categorical and continuous variables (age at first sex), respectively. We further conducted multiple logistic regression to determine predictors of HIV testing. Frequencies, mean age at first sex, p-values, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals with alpha set to 0.05 were reported. Of 6489 women included in the final analysis, 5915 (91.15%) of women had ever been tested for HIV, 4964 (76.50%) and 746 (11.50%) had secondary and higher education as their highest educational level The mean age at first sex for women who had ever tested for HIV was 17.55 + 2732.7 years compared to 17.17 + 3119.7 years for women who had never tested for HIV (P<0.0001). The majority of respondents were never married (N=3415,52.63%) and 1746 women (26.91%) were married. Women who used condom during the last sex were 2883 (44.43%) compared to 3606 (55.57%) women who did not. The relationship between marital status and HIV testing (P=0.0009) and condom use and HIV testing (P=0.0471) were all statistically significant. After adjusting for confounders, we found that women with primary education had a 44.4% decrease in the odds of HIV testing and women with no education had a 61% decrease, compared to women to women who had secondary education (OR = 0.556, CI= 0.429-0.719, P<0.0001), (OR = 0.394, CI= 0.251-0.620, p<0.0001)., Women who had higher education had a 46% increase in the odds of HIV testing compared to women who had secondary education (OR = 1.460, CI= 1.049-2.033, P=0.0249). Being married and living with partner were associated with a 59.6% and 90% increase in the odds of having been tested HIV (OR = 1.596, CI= 1.276-1.996, P<0.0001) and (OR = 1.907, CI= 1.441-2.524, P<0.0001) compared to women who had never been married. No longer living together/separated was associated with a 4.5 times higher odds of HIV testing (OR = 4.491, CI= 1.826-11.045, P=0.0011) among women compared to never been married. Age at first sex was not significantly associated with HIV testing in the final model (OR = 1.028, CI= 0.995-1.062, P= 0.1020). Our study suggests the need to increase basic education up to secondary level and beyond among women in South Africa to increase uptake of HIV testing and reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS.

Women in general have been historically overlooked in society and, more recently, in research females with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) have been unnoticed (Rice, Merves, & Srsic, 2008). The purpose of the current study is to build a foundation of knowledge and practices for educators and researchers to better support and education this unique population of females. To better understand females with EBD, the researcher imposed a three-phase study, situated in two frameworks-the Culturally Responsive Theory Framework (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995) and the Participation-Identification Model (Finn, 1989), to look into the predictors of school engagement for females with EBD. In the first phase the researcher utilized quantitative data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 to build three structural equation models (SEM) on the predictors of school engagement for students with EBD. Results and procedures are discussed for each SEM created. During phase two the researcher shifted the focus to females with EBD and interviewed six current females with EBD, ages 14-17. The participants were engaged in separate interviews that allowed the researcher to uncover additional variables necessary for females with EBD to engage in the school setting. The third phase consisted of an intersection of phases one and two to create a newly developed SEM model for females with EBD merging the interviews and the SEM built in phase one. The newly developed SEM is provided for future research, as well as are the provision of recommendations and implications of the results from the study.

Studies find consistently that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress, and problematic substance use, and may experience also a variety of adjustment difficulties in several emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. Involvement with the legal system is one such outcome to consider, especially given the increasing number of women serving time in correctional facilities with nearly two-thirds of these women being survivors of CSA (e.g., Browne, Miller, & Maguin, 1999). The current literature lacks comparisons between female survivors of CSA who have legal involvement and those who do not; hence, the current study addresses the need for a comprehensive investigation of early victimizations and later adjustment. Data were obtained from 169 female inmates and 420 female college students, a number of whom were survivors of CSA (66% and 35.5%, respectively), so that group differences could be examined and relationships among family environment, abuse disclosure history, coping, perceived social support, adjustment (i.e., trauma symptoms, substance abuse, depressive symptomatology, revictimization), and criminal history could be explored. Results suggested that inmate survivors experience poorer functioning overall relative to student survivors of CSA, including more depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, and substance abuse. Further, avoidance coping by using substances mediated fully the relationship between trauma symptoms and substance abuse for both groups. Finally, severity of CSA, problematic substance use, and social support emerged as significant predictors of incarceration among survivors of CSA. Findings may aid in the refinement of interventions, prevention efforts, and educational programs regarding CSA, and shed light on pathways to incarceration.

The workforce in society today has rapidly growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Females are largely underrepresented in these fields in colleges and also careers. Previous research cites multiple reasons that could cause this disparity between the genders, and this study adds to that. Females in their developmental years are equal to or outperform males in STEM fields in school, and the number of females who are beginning to choose these areas in college is on the rise. This study sought to determine if females choose colleges and careers based on their family’s emotional or financial influence. Utilizing data from the United States Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 with a follow-up study in 2012, answers to the research questions were sought. Analysis using t-tests determined that while a family’s financial situation does have an effect on college choice, females are supported by their families as they choose math and science fields of study. Future research could seek to determine more specifically why females continue to choose careers in fields of education and healthcare to provide community colleges better information to help direct females into the expanding fields of STEM.

Prior research has established significant associations between regular physical activity and enhancements in well-being, quality of life, and self-regulation. Given that these benefits may extend to influence the quality of romantic relationships, the present study was the first to evaluate the relationship between exercise and romantic relationship satisfaction through the role of body image, drawing upon the Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical framework. Specifically, the current study aimed to achieve three objectives: (a) to investigate the impact of exercise on romantic relationship satisfaction, (b) to examine the effects of body image as a mediator in the exercise-relationship connection, and (c) to determine whether exercise motives moderate the mediating effect of body image. Data were gathered from an online survey completed by 392 cisgender women in heterosexual relationships and analyzed using PROCESS Macro for SPSS Model 4 and Model 7, respectively. The results showed that exercise frequency was not directly related to romantic relationship satisfaction. However, body image fully mediated this association, indicating that increased exercise predicted body satisfaction and subsequently contributed to individuals' perceived relationship quality. While exercise motivation did not emerge as a moderator of the mediation of body image, health/fitness and enjoyment/mood motives significantly predicted positive body evaluation and relationship quality. In contrast, concerns related to appearance were linked to higher levels of social comparison and negative affect. Therefore, these findings highlight the value of fostering a positive body image and reducing body-focused motivation, as well as prioritizing autonomous exercise for the quality of romantic relationships and overall well-being.

The aim of the present study was to explore the ways adolescent females, age 14 through 17, utilized social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook for communication, self-presentation and identity development purposes. Uses and gratifications theory served as a framework for identifying the participants' motivations for heavily using these websites, which allow users to post pictures, interests and updates for their friends to view and interact with online. Using a qualitative method, one preliminary focus group and ten in-depth interviews were conducted, totaling fifteen female participants between the ages of 14 and 17. Interview questions covered topics such as peer interactions through social networking sites, posting personal content to their profile pages, self-presentations through pictures and text, creating and maintaining friendships through these sites, and negative and positive feedback received through comments. Results indicated that the participants frequently used social networking websites for five main gratifications: Information Sharing, Convenient Communication, Self-Expression, Friendship Formation and Social Support.

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