TCC (Transitions of care clinic) is a specialized clinic visit where patients present to their primary clinic after a hospital stay. TCC deploys an interprofessional team to address a gamult of patient concerns. Traditionally, TCC interprofessional team includes a nurse and a doctor. The nurse calls the patient’s house within 2 days to check up on the patient and then they schedule a clinic visit, usually within 7-14 days. However it has been proposed that addition of team members from other disciplines could contribute to better health outcomes for patients seen in TCC. We studied a TCC model with an interprofessional team of not only physicians and nurses but also pharmacists and behavioral therapists for two months. Our aim was to uncover the utility of having a behavioral health team member in TCC visits. This was a prospective study of patients who attended a TCC clinic in a residency setting. An observer collected data on the time the behavioral health provider was in the patient room and the interventions/consultations he/she provided. Data collection is ongoing. We expect to find the following: the percentage of patients within TCC who utilized some form of behavioral therapy in their TCC visits; the percentage of common interventions that were used; average time spent in each visit; average age of patients; and average number of hospitalizations per patient. We expect that these results will demonstrate how behavioral health providers function on interprofessional TCC teams.

Background. Maternal obesity and physical inactivity have been identified as correlates of overweight and obesity and physical inactivity in older preadolescents; however, no study has explored this relationship in Hispanic preadolescents. Furthermore, the relation between maternal physical activity (PA) and blood pressure (BP) in Hispanic preadolescents has not been examined. Purpose. This study aimed to assess the associations between Hispanic mothers’ PA and body mass index (BMI) and their preadolescents’ PA, screen time, BP, and BMI. Methods. Data of 118 mother-child (aged 2–10 years) dyads enrolled in a crosssectional study of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic preadolescents at a community health center in Johnson City, TN were used. Parent and child questionnaires were used to ascertain mothers’ BMI and PA and preadolescents’ PA and screen time.

The leadership of several health districts in the rural Appalachian region of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia has expressed interest in addressing the educational needs of their employees. The majority of these workers have not completed an undergraduate degree, but they desire to further their education. The College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University has begun preliminary discussions with these leaders to identify potential approaches to address these needs. There appear to be four approaches that should be explored by regions facing similar challenges: on-line or on-line/on-site degree completion programs; course clusters provided for academic credit; partnerships with community colleges; and training programs offered for nonacademic credit.

Background Indoor tanning (IT) before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 75%. Nevertheless, IT and sunless tanning product (STP) use have gained popularity among youth. However, there are limited data on the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of both IT and STP use in a representative sample of American teens. Methods Teenage females (N = 778) aged 12–18 years were recruited as part of an on-going longitudinal study conducted between May 2011 and May 2013. Descriptive statistics explored IT and STP usage in teen females at baseline. Logistic regression was used to determine sociodemographic correlates of IT and STP use. Results Approximately 16% of female teens engaged in IT behavior and 25% engaged in using STPs. Female teens living in non-metropolitan areas were 82% more likely to indoor tan compared to those in metropolitan areas (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.07–3.10). Age, geographic regions, and race increased the likelihood of IT and STP use. Conclusions Results indicate a significant proportion of teen females engage in IT and STP use. There was evidence that in teens that have never used IT before, STP use precedes IT initiation. Given the evidence for increased IT in rural populations, research focused on rural tanning bed use is needed.

Background: Interpersonal communication is inherent in a majority of strategies seeking to engage prescriber and pharmacist health care professionals (HCPs) in the reduction and prevention of prescription drug abuse (PDA). However, research on HCP PDA communication behavioral engagement and factors that influence it is limited. Objectives This study quantitatively examined communication behaviors and trait-level communication metrics, and qualitatively described prescription drug abuse-related communication perceptions and behaviors among primary care prescribers and community pharmacists. Methods: Five focus groups (N = 35) were conducted within the Appalachian Research Network (AppNET), a rural primary care practice-based research network (PBRN) in South Central Appalachia between February and October, 2014. Focus groups were structured around the administration of three previously validated trait-level communication survey instruments, and one instrument developed by the investigators to gauge HCP prescription drug abuse communication engagement and perceived communication importance. Using a grounded theory approach, focus group themes were inductively derived and coded independently by study investigators. Member-checking interviews were conducted to validate derived themes. Results: Respondents' trait-level communication self-perceptions indicated low communication apprehension, high self-perceived communication competence, and average willingness to communicate as compared to instrument specific criteria and norms. Significant variation in HCP communication behavior engagement was noted specific to PDA. Two overarching themes were noted for HCP-patient communication: 1) influencers of HCP communication and prescribing/dispensing behaviors, and 2) communication behaviors. Multiple sub-themes were identified within each theme. Similarities were noted in perceptions and behaviors across both prescribers and pharmacists. Conclusions: Despite the perceived importance of engaging in PDA communication, HCPs reported that prescription drug abuse communication is uncomfortable, variable, multifactorial, and often avoided. The themes that emerged from this analysis support the utility of communication science and health behavior theories to better understand and improve PDA communication behaviors of both prescribers and pharmacists, and thereby improve engagement in PDA prevention and treatment.

Background: Tobacco-free campus policy is identified as an effective means to address tobacco use on college campuses; however, the prevalence of tobacco-free policies (TFPs) in the United States remains low. This study explores college tobacco users' support for a university's TFP and tobacco-free campuses (TFCs) in general. Methods: A standardized and structured questionnaire was administered to 790 college tobacco users recruited in a university located in a tobacco-growing region of the United States, during April-May 2011, to collect information on support for TFPs and TFCs and sociodemographic-political characteristics. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify key factors associated with support for TFPs and TFCs. Results: Approximately 2 of 5 tobacco users favored TFPs and TFCs. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that demographic factors were mostly not significantly associated with attitudes of the college tobacco users. Instead, while knowledge about harmful effects of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke significantly increased support for both TFPs and TFCs, parental and peer smoking and exposure to tobacco industry promotions significantly decreased the likelihoods of support compared with respective referent groups. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that campus advocacy and education campaigns for campus tobacco policies to pay attention to tobacco use behavior of familial relations, tobacco industry activities, and other political determinants of tobacco users' attitudes. Thus, this study should inform national initiatives to promote TFPs nationwide such as the Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative.

The number of females arrested for violent crimes has increased. The juvenile justice system continues to be challenged with developing gender-based treatment strategies to accommodate female delinquents. The purpose of this study was to examine probation officers' perceptions of the treatment provided for female delinquents and its ability to rehabilitate, reduce recidivism, and promote successful transition among female delinquents. The framework of this study encompassed the feminist theory from a criminology perspective. Data collection included interviews with 5 probation officers in El Paso County's Juvenile Justice Detention Center. Interviews were reviewed to generate a summary of relevancy. Themes and codes pertaining to the research were identified for analysis. The participants provided several recommendations for treating the female delinquent; they also identified that a lack of resources and funding for gender-responsive treatment contributed to the systems' inability to provide gender-specific treatment for female delinquents. Implementation by the Juvenile Justice Department of gender-responsive programs would respond to the varied needs of female delinquents; thereby increasing rehabilitation, reducing recidivism, and promoting successful transition among female delinquents. This implementation would benefit society as a whole, producing productive members who are able to affect social change.

Despite the abundance of literature regarding potentially effective treatment modalities for Native American clients, researchers have been unable to identify an empirically proven effective treatment modality for this population. Common recommendations/considerations for therapists working with Native clients have been identified throughout literature; however, such findings were gathered by insiders (i.e., Native researchers or trained Tribal staff), which has left questions regarding the efficacy of such recommendations when applied by non-Native therapists. Due to Native American history, elaborate IRB requirements were put in place to ensure ethical research with this population but impedes the research process. I conducted an analytic autoethnography to explore my experiences of working on an Indian reservation as an outsider/Whitegirl marriage and family therapist. Experiences were explored contextually and explanatorily through a postmodern epistemology to determine similarities/differences to common recommendations/considerations in literature. Themes that emerged from the analysis of this study reflected common factors of psychotherapy and MFT rather than aspects of a specific MFT modality. This study contributes to the expansion of knowledge regarding effective practices and therapeutic considerations for Native American clients.

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