The effect that pornography has on demand for sex trafficking has yet to be thoroughy investigated. A confidential survey was constructed and opened exclusively to heterosexual English-speaking men who are currently living in the U.S. and between teh ages of 18 and 25. Results showed that men who have purchased sex are more likely to watch porn more often and for longer durations than men who do not report ever purchasing sex. Results also support that men who have purchased sex consume different kinds of porn than men who report never having purchased sex. Finally, results also suggest that men who have purchased sex are more likely to simultaneously report feelings of guilt and satisfaction after viewing pornography. As a whole, these results demonstrate a difference in porn consumption by men who have a history of purchasing sex.

Sepsis is a global health problem, and millions of people die annually from sepsis around the world (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the prevention, recognition, and treatment of sepsis as well as the need for more public health education to raise awareness of the significant burden of sepsis. It is difficult to recognize because there are several nonspecific symptoms, and there is not a comprehensive diagnostic tool. Diagnosis is based on evidence of infection, organ dysfunction, and clinical judgment (Fay et al., 2020). The definition of sepsis has evolved over the last three decades, though the most recent update is not widely accepted by all healthcare systems. There remains debate about treatment practices as well, including the following: whether one or multiple antibiotics should be used, which type of fluids should be used for rapid resuscitation, and the number of fluids that should be given to the patient. However, evidence agrees that treatment should be started within the first hour of symptom onset for the best chance of survival (Gyawali, Ramakrishna, & Dhamoon, 2019). Despite the significant burden that sepsis places on families, healthcare team members, and hospitals, there is not enough public awareness of the issue (Jabaley et al., 2018). There should be a greater push for public education using technology, social media, and mass media campaigns to increase awareness and prevention of infection.

Human trafficking is a widespread global health issue impacting communities both locally and globally. Despite its prevalence in our world, there is a lack of education amongst healthcare providers. Research suggests that more than 80 percent of human trafficking victims encountered one or more healthcare professionals while being trafficked. Of these providers encountered, 60 percent were emergency department personnel (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014). Although emergency department personnel have a high rate in interaction with victims, less than 5 percent have received formal training regarding human trafficking (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014). It is my goal to better educate current and future healthcare professionals on human trafficking. Through education, more victims can be recognized and be offered the resources they deserve. In order to do this, I want to understand current perceptions, knowledge, and beliefs that healthcare personnel have, and how education affects these perceptions. To gain this information, I will distribute the same survey to healthcare professionals before and after receiving a formal training on human trafficking. Through this survey, I hope to better understand how education affects people’s perceptions, knowledge, and beliefs on human trafficking.

Blockchain technology has the potential to be an effective form of identity management and human trafficking prevention as an identity solution. The topic of this thesis originates from the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal to create a form of identity for every individual on the plant by the year 2030. This research analyzed and compared primarily global databases with information on human trafficking populations and unidentified populations to understand both issues, and the intersections of their populations. This is followed by a discussion of Blockchain technology’s attributes and a Blockchain identities potential characteristic. This research concludes that a Blockchain based identity can be used to mitigate human trafficking by creating various forms of identity for affected populations. Four basic factors of Blockchain technology can be utilized through public and private partnerships to address different parts of the AMP model for the cycle of human trafficking. The conclusion that Blockchain is a potential solution to the analyzed issues comes with caution and alongside an examination of the risk factors involved in implementing this technology and the future investigation necessary to test this conclusion. Risk factors with using blockchain technology as a solution are examined to help direct future research on the topic. The conclusion is based off Blockchain’s ability to address specific problems in human trafficking and the global identity crisis (GIC) that were found in the analysis.

Adolescent survivors of sex trafficking are at risk for poor health outcomes and may be less likely to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity. Survivors of childhood traumas may be less likely to engage in physical activity due to lack of self-efficacy. The present study was a case-series of a pre-post, single-arm physical activity intervention to test whether the program could increase self-efficacy among adolescent survivors of sex trafficking. The intervention was 8-weeks of 60-minute aerobic physical activity classes offered three times per week at a residential center for adolescent girls who are survivors of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. The primary outcome was physical activity-related self-efficacy as measured by the Sport Competence subscale of the Physical Self Perception Profile (PSPP) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity, emotional eating, and sleep habits. All outcomes were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Five participants were enrolled in the study. Two participants experienced an increase in the Sport Competence subscale of the PSPP Questionnaire by Week 4 of the study and then a decrease by Week 8 of the study. Another participant experienced no change in the Sport Competence subscale score. Scores for the last two participants could not be determined due to invalid data. These findings suggest that more research is needed on enhancing healthy behaviors among adolescent sex trafficking survivors.

Human trafficking is not only a social injustice, but also a major global health problem, that our communities cannot ignore. Despite the common misconception that trafficking is only seen in foreign countries or is only related to immigrants, the U.S. is known to be a major trafficking market and destination, with trafficking reported in all 50 states (Bladwin et al., 2011; Shandro et al., 2016; Dovydaitis, 2010). Although trafficking victims are unlikely to have appropriate access to health care, as much as 80% of sex trafficking victims have reported that they encountered a medical professional while under their traffickers' control and went unidentified at the time (Baldwin et al., 2011; Shandro et al., 2016). This exemplifies a serious missed opportunity for intervention. Health care providers should be prepared to identify and care for victims of trafficking as part of their routine clinical practice. This thesis aims to describe trafficking victims' encounters in U.S. health care settings, to assess health care professionals' and students' awareness, knowledge, and beliefs on trafficking, to examine the impact of an educational intervention on this populations' knowledge/belief changes, and to ultimately spread education about this issue to a wide array of communities.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a yoga intervention for adolescents suffering from depression. Secondary results regarding the viability of yoga as an intervention for increasing self-esteem and decreasing anxiety were also explored.

Methods: Using PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL the search terms adolescents, depression, and yoga were searched for related articles. Articles were then excluded or included based on certain criteria. Focus was placed on articles written within the last 10 years as well as studies done on children within 10-19 years of age. Final articles underwent extraction for relevant information and comparisons were drawn between the studies.

Results: Final exclusion lead to a total of 5 suitable studies. Studies varied in styles of yoga performed and measurement scales used to assess depression. Populations of adolescents varied significantly as well. The majority of these studies showed significant improvement in depression symptoms when measuring from pre to post intervention. Similar improvements were also noted in anxiety symptoms and low self-esteem.

Conclusion: Data gathered indicated that yoga serves a suitable intervention for decreasing depression symptoms in adolescents. Additionally, there seems to be promising results regarding the viability of yoga as an intervention for decreasing symptoms of anxiety and increasing self-esteem. Despite, current promising results, there is need for more research to affirm the findings found in these articles to determine the long term effects of yoga interventions.

The growing Hispanic population in Phoenix, Arizona frequently lacks financial resources which may limit their access to health care. The goal of this study was to identify the ideal factors in a health insurance plan for the Hispanic/Latino population in Phoenix, AZ. A survey was designed to gather information regarding demographics, health insurance, preferences, and affordability. The survey was completed by 260 participants. Several multivariate regressions were run using SAS Statistical Software. The final model generated explained 4.48% of the variation in the data set. It showed that an individual who identified as Hispanic/Latino was 8.2% less likely to have health insurance. In addition, an individual who identified as a US Citizen was 23% more likely to have health insurance. To improve access and enrollment among the Hispanic/Latino population, further investigation is needed to identify relevant communication techniques that increase enrollment among this high-risk community.

Objective: The purpose of this research project was to determine if there are nutritional disparities between students of differing socioeconomic status (SES) households. The SES was determined using school classifications (i.e., title one versus non-title one) as a proxy measure. It was hypothesized that children attending a title one school would consume a greater amount of sugary drinks than students attending a non-title one school Participants: The parents/guardians of students in grades 3rd and 4th, from a title one school and from a non-title one school. Methods: The data were gathered from surveys that were sent home to the parents/guardians of the students. The surveys inquired about how many bottles of water, juice boxes, glasses of milk, cans of soda, bottles of Gatorade, and cans of energy drinks their child consumes on a single weekend day. Statistical Analysis: Shapiro Wilk tests were used for normality. Differences in the consumption of sugary drinks were analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test. Results: A total of 150 surveys were returned by students from both schools (n=57 from the title one school; n = 93 from the non-title one school). The results showed a median of 1.00 (IQR=1.25, 4.50) sugary drink for the non-title one school and 3.00 (IQR=0.00, 2.00) sugary drinks for the title one school. The results from the Mann-Whitney U Test showed a significant difference in consumption in sugary drinks between schools (U = 1509.00, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Students attending a title one school consumed a greater amount of sugary drinks than students attending a non-title one school. Parents are a strong contributor to the nutritional diet of children, however students of this age are developing self-efficacy to make their own choices regarding the food and drinks they consume. Researchers can intervene by increasing student and parent knowledge and by researching the effectiveness of instructions based on the new knowledge.

According to the CDC, over 1/3 of Americans are considered obese (CDC, 2015). Being overweight makes individuals at high risk for developing countless diseases that lead to premature death. Most of these diseases are preventable with healthy weight attained by nutritious diet and regular exercise. People living in food deserts such as Harmon have limited access to healthy food options. Access to supermarkets and nutritious foods is connected to healthy body weight and decreased obesity while increased access to convenience stores is connected to increased obesity rates (Beaulac et al., 2009). A survey was formulated for residents of the Harmon community to better understand their food preferences, limitations, and needs. The results gathered from the survey indicate that people in Harmon have a desire to eat healthfully, but there are barriers such as access and price of food that limit their ability to make smart food choices. The survey results also suggest that there is a potential lack of understanding regarding nutrition and what healthful eating actually means.