The goal of this thesis was to create a theory of change for an annual Multicultural Arts Camp (MAC) that offers youth with trauma histories opportunities to cultivate protective factors associated with resilience. MAC is designed to promote four primary protective outcomes among its participants: (1) safety, (2) self-expression, (3) skill-building and (4) self-efficacy through exploration of various multicultural art forms and connecting with caring adults. The theory of change was informed by my observations during my experience as a MAC volunteer and my review of academic literature to better define and understand how various factors involved in the MAC program are linked to resilience processes. Arts programming can provide opportunities for youth who have experienced trauma to feel safe enough to engage in self-expression and build corresponding skills that promote feelings of self-efficacy. Building these protective factors thereby strengthens children’s capacity for resilience. Accordingly, the theory of change articulates program activities and processes that promote these outcomes among participating youth. Program directors may draw on the theory of change for strategic planning and evaluation efforts assessing the program’s processes and corresponding impact.

In recent years, feminist activists have taken their fascination with and concern over access to period products in developing countries and diverted their attention to period poverty that exists in the United States. Backed by globalist approaches and the deep history of Menstrual Activism in the US, the Menstrual Equity Movement aims to make policy changes at the state and federal levels to ensure that all menstruators have the products they need to manage menstruation. This exploratory study aims to understand the experiences and attitudes about period poverty at Arizona State University’s campus. Undergraduate menstruators were asked to reflect on general, and on campus experiences with access to period products. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were utilized in conducting this research. This study concludes that menstruators’ education would benefit from having access to free period products in all bathrooms.

In the US, individuals between ages 18-26 years old have the highest incidence of new HPV infection, the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV infection can lead to the development of non-cancerous genital warts and persistent infection with cancerous strains can cause various cancers. An HPV vaccine which offers protection against seven cancerous strains and the two non-cancerous strains which cause genital warts has recommended for use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for both men and women beginning in 2011. However, young adult men, including college-aged men, are lagging in HPV vaccine uptake and completion. This cross-sectional study, guided by the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behavior, seeks to explore college men’s behaviors and intentions to getting the HPV vaccine (primary outcomes). It also seeks to explore their perceived susceptibility and severity of HPV infection; attitudes about the HPV vaccine, self-efficacy and social norms to vaccinate, and stigma related to HPV infection (secondary outcomes). Study results showed that only 33% of college men reported knowing they had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. The majority of men reported they had never had a conversation about the HPV vaccine with their primary care provider. Overall, men had positive attitudes about the HPV vaccine, high self-efficacy to communicate and access the vaccine, but low intentions and low social norms to vaccinate against this virus. Outcomes of this research suggest the need for future intervention work to focus on increasing college males’ social norms to vaccinate against HPV. Influencing parents, peers, and other influential individuals to encourage college males to vaccinate against HPV may, in fact, increase their intentions and behaviors to utilize this cancer prevention resource.

Preliminary studies indicate that the use of dietary menthol may prevent excessive weight gain through the activation of the transient receptor potential melastatin family member 8 (TRPM8) ion channel. It has also been expressed that elevation of the core temperature (Tc) inducing mild hyperthermia via an increase in ambient temperature aids in a marked reduction of the drive to eat and weight gain. While caloric restriction (CR) aims to treat obesity and secondary sicknesses, weight regain is a common result during long term weight maintenance. The goal of these studies was to evaluate and identify if the menthol and mild hyperthermia mechanisms could couple synergistically to reduce or abrogate weight gain. Ambient temperature (Ta) was increased incrementally to identify the threshold in which rodents display mild hyperthermia. Our initial attempts at hyperthermia induction failed because of limitations in the environmental chamber. These trials fail to note a threshold at which elevated Tc is sustained for any period of time. The data suggests an ambient temperature of 36-38 °C would be appropriate to induce a mild hyperthermia. A mild hyperthermia is described as the elevation of Tc 2-3 ° above the hypothalamic set point. To facilitate future hyperthermia studies, an environmental chamber was designed. A wine cooler was converted to withstand the desired temperatures, through the use of heat tape, a proportional controller, and a translucent Plexiglas custom fit door. Beyond leveraging temperature to regulate weight gain, dietary changes including a comparison between standard chow food, high fat diet, and menthol supplemented chow food treatment illustrate a strong likelihood of weight gain variability. In this pilot study, weight gain expression when given a diet supplemented with menthol (1%) showed no statistical significance relative to a high fat diet nor chow food, however, it revealed a trend of reduced weight gain. It is assumed the combination of supplemental menthol and mild hyperthermia induction will exacerbate their effects.