Underrepresentation of women and minorities in the science, technology, and engineering (STEM) fields is a perennial concern for researchers and policy-makers. Many causes of this problem have been identified. Less is known about what constitutes effective methods for increasing women’s participation in STEM. This study examines the role that identity formation plays in encouraging girls to pursue STEM education and careers utilizing data from a cohort-based, informal science enrichment program that targets middle-school-aged girls. A Mixed-methods design was employed to examine girls’ science interests, efficacy, attitudes, and identity—referred to as affinities. Quantitative data were collected before and after program participation using science affinity scales. Qualitative data included observations, focus groups, and individual interviews. This study builds on past research conducted on the same program. The study is presented in three components: fidelity of implementation, participant affinities, and science identity theory building. Quantitative and qualitative measures reveal that the program was implemented with high fidelity. Participants had high initial affinities for science as compared to a contrast group. Analysis of qualitative data of science affinities revealed several themes in girls’ attitudes, experiences, and intentions toward science. Emergent themes discussed include girls’ preferences and interests in science, gender and science efficacy, attitudes toward science, and elements of science identities. Archetypes of emergent science identities developed in this study (expert, experimenter, and inventor) inform different ways in which girls engage with and envision science study and careers. Implications for best practice in fostering science engagement and identities in middle-school-aged girls include the importance of hands-on science activities, the need for enthusiastic relatable role models, and an emphasis on deep understanding of scientific principles.

余琴. / "2013年8月". / "2013 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-232). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Yu Qin.

BACKGROUND: Rising rates of maternal morbidity and mortality and persistent disparities in care utilization and outcomes signal a need for new approaches to prenatal care delivery. This study uses perspectives of low-socioeconomic status (SES) pregnant women to generate features of a patient-centered intervention aimed at improving outcomes in high cost, high need pregnant individuals. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews with Medicaid-insured pregnant high and low utilizers of unscheduled obstetric care. Using a grounded theory approach, we tightly mapped themes to generate intervention strategies with potential to improve prenatal care delivery. RESULTS: Three key themes translated into intervention features: social support, care delivery, and access. Unlike low utilizers, high utilizers had a desire for more social support, improved communication in care delivery, and access to timely and efficient appointments. For low utilizers, improved insurance access and the ability to opt out of support services that didn’t align with their priorities were essential. CONCLUSION: High and low utilizers of unscheduled obstetric care have unique ideas for improving their care. Targeted interventions to improve prenatal care can be tested to potentially address unmet needs of vulnerable subgroups of low-SES pregnant women at risk for poor outcomes. / 2019-10-31T00:00:00Z

An extensive body of research suggests that increasing access to contraception can improve the health of women and children and increase their socioeconomic mobility through increased wages and labor force participation. In the United States, however, contraception and childbearing has historically been used as a form of racist and eugenic population control. This thesis outlines the history of contraception in an intersectional context, inspired largely by the work of Martha Bailey and Dorothy Roberts, from forced childbearing during chattel slavery, to the forced and or coercive sterilization of large populations of Black and Brown women in the modern era. Given the historical racism of contraception, combined with the possibilities for increased socioeconomic mobility and self-determination that accompany increased access to contraception, leads this thesis to ask: who lacks access to contraception in the U.S. today? An original analysis of data from the Guttmacher Center determines that Hispanic women are the most likely to lack access to birth control, followed by younger women and impoverished women. These findings, in conversation with the current implications of the racist past of contraception, imply the need for anti-racist contraception programs that prioritize informed consent and patient autonomy. Such programs could improve women’s and child health, decrease government spending, and contribute to increasing economic and racial equality.

Differential sentencing has been a reoccurring issue in the judicial system for decades. Sentencing disparity occurs when similar offenders (similar in offense type, age, gender, ethnicity, and SES) receive different sentences or when different offenders receive the same sentence (Spohn, 2009). Prior studies find a sex effect,where women tend to be treated more leniently than men (e.g., Daly, 1987a). Sentencing discrepancies are evident in crimes that are considered to be gendered. Certain types of crimes are more likely to be committed by females and receive more lenient sanctions than if a male were to commit these types of crimes. These crimes include shoplifting, petty theft, and forgery. On the contrary, certain types of crimes are more likely to be committed by males and receive more harsh sentences than if a female were to commit them. These crimes include aggravated assault, burglary, and homicide. Driving under the influence of alcohol was chosen to study here because in instances of DUI, individuals are initially apprehended due to perceived behaviors behind the wheel, and officers are unaware if the driver is male or female. This study examines whether discrepancies exist in DUI case sentencing in the state of Pennsylvania. The bivariate analyses performed found significant associations between variables. The ANOVA depicted significant findings among men and women. Overall, women were more likely to be treated more leniently than similarly situated men. The crosstabulations also depicted significant findings for the effects of the mitigating and aggravating circumstances on the different types of sanctions. The presence of aggravating circumstances was associated with more severe types of sanctions, whereas the presence of mitigating circumstances was associated with less severe sanctions. The multivariate logistic regression models show that women were nine times more likely than men to receive a license suspension, and .3 times less likely to receive a jail sentence. These findings suggest that the Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines are not preventing disparities like they are supposed to. This indicates that legislative reform needs to occur in order to prevent disparities among individuals.

Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death among women. While a significant amount of research has been done to understand the different disparities related to this disease, there is still more to learn about the relationship between a person's nationality and the staging of breast cancer. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program as the data source, this retrospective cohort study was aimed at assessing late-stage breast cancer among Caribbean immigrants, specifically comparing Haitian women with Americans and other immigrant populations in the United States. The research questions addressed the link between nationality and the likelihood of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis as well as the risk factors associated with an advanced stage of breast cancer. Findings from logistic regression analyses indicated no statistically significant difference in Stage IV diagnosis between women born in Haiti and U.S.-born women, while the converse was true for women born in other foreign countries. The results also suggested that race, Hispanic ethnicity, marital status, insurance coverage, being unemployed, and language isolation were significant predictors of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis (p < 0.05). When stratifying the analyses by nationality, marital status and poverty were the common predictors of advanced breast cancer diagnosis among Haitian, foreign-born, and U.S.-born women. The observed disparities confirm the need for additional efforts that seek to improve screening rates among underserved groups and ultimately reduce the burden of late-stage breast cancer.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (April 26, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Brownfields have an important impact on health. They can influence physical health by increasing risk for health hazards such as the potential for injury hazards, disease transmission, or exposure to chemicals. They can also influence social health determinants like neighborhood level social capital or behavioral risk factors. Reusing brownfields for community gardens reduces environmental hazards and associated health hazards. It further promotes public health, and sustainable quality environment. Community gardens increase nutrition access, especially for many in low income populations, and community aesthetic. They also strengthen social cohesion and create recreational or therapeutic opportunities for a community, becoming part of the urban green space network. Special care must be taken to protect public health when reusing a brownfield for a community garden, like sampling for chemicals, cleaning up soil, and using protective garden designs. The overall benefit to the community is worth the initial investment required.

Americans often face end-of-life with ineffective pain/symptom control. While hospice care prevents suffering for the terminally ill, only around 40% of individuals access services. Although few studies describe differences in terms of cancer vs. non- cancer diagnoses, hospice utilization/access disparities appear to exist. Analyzing 14 sociodemographic and clinical variables for 3,905 hospice discharge cases, this study highlights observed disproportions between cancer and non-cancer groups, identifying significant relationships amongst patient characteristics and hospice diagnosis. Factors found significantly related to diagnosis include components of the following: age, primary payment source, mortality status at discharge, hospice initiation location, length of stay, physical function, cognitive function, and presence of pain symptoms. Results confirm low overall hospice utilization rates, while validating diagnosis-specific differences driven by individual and population-based characteristics. In order to increase utilization/access rates and eliminate current disparities, patients presenting with certain terminal diseases may require greater provider flexibility in terms of hospice eligibility requirements.

The growth in the number of black women in the prison system necessitates more research become rooted in an intersectional approach. This quantitative study will empirically apply intersectionality to address the unique circumstances of imprisoned black women by comparing and analyzing sentence convictions shared between black and white incarcerated women in Georgia. Drawing on 600 inmate profiles published by Georgia Department of Corrections, this study will address the statistical significance of race, class and gender on the length of sentence for incarcerated white and black women using regression models.