In a British Overseas territory, a smoking cessation program was implemented in 2014 and had not been evaluated since inception. The problem that was addressed in this study was that despite the implementation of the "I Can Quit" program, it was unknown which curriculum and instructional strategy interventions participants thought were…

Rates of overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States with 42% of Americans being classified as obese (BMI >30) and 73% as overweight according to the CDC. The prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the years and is not only a chronic disease in itself but is also a risk factor for countless others…

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for enhanced outbreak preparedness against viruses. Key elements to this preparedness are robust disease surveillance systems and effective interventions to minimize disease transmission. While individual clinical testing is the conventional disease surveillance approach, environmental…

Sleep is a vital human function, critical to health across the lifespan. However, college students report significant disturbances in sleep quality and sleep hygiene (ACHA, 2019; Moulin & Chung, 2016). The consequences of poor sleep include lower cognitive and executive functioning abilities (Honn et al., 2019; Whitney et al., 2015) and poorer…

The medical community recognizes the importance of regular, vigorous exercise. The evidence is indeed overwhelming in support of physical fitness for the prevention of disease and disability; yet nearly 80% of the population does not exercise enough to produce a health benefit (CDC, 2018). Thus, it is necessary to find a way to assist individuals…

Vaping is a serious concern in public health. Nurses are well-positioned to play a role in providing counseling and health promotion related to vaping if they have adequate knowledge and skills to do so. However, both a knowledge and curriculum gap have been identified in nursing education related to vaping and how to counsel patients about vaping…

Insufficient sleep among high school students has become a pressing concern for its detrimental effects on academic performance, physical health, and mental wellness. This concern is amplified for students living away from their parents in a boarding school setting. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the sleep…

Excessive drinking is commonplace among college students and can lead to numerous negative consequences. Alcohol expectancies are a well-studied correlate of alcohol consumption, and greater understanding of expectancies in relation to drinking behavior and alcohol-related consequences could inform future assessment and intervention. Past research…

Although sleep is a necessary function, it is not always prioritized, especially among university students. Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to university students due to an impact on memory, focus, emotional regulation, and stress levels. There is a bi-directional relationship between sleep quality and stress levels. The vast majority,?if not…

The sample (N=188) was 100% Black (N=188), 83.5% female N=(157), with mean age of 43.16 (min=18, max=72, SD 12.567). Some 81.4% (n=153) were working full- or part-time during the pandemic with low-moderate work-related risks for COVID-19 transmission (mean =2.56, min=0, max=7, SD= 2.102). The sample had a moderate household size (mean=2.64, min=1,…

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of mind-body physical activity (MBPA) interventions implemented within educational settings. Specifically, Study 1 was a systematic review with meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness of MBPA on stress-related physiological health markers in primary,…

Heavy and problematic drinking and sexual assault warrant significant concern on U.S. college campuses. Emerging evidence suggests that the risk for sexual victimization is amplified in the context of high-risk drinking behavior--and despite recent attention to sexual assault (e.g., MeToo Movement), rates of perpetration remain largely unchanged.…

Academic consequences, alcohol use disorders, assaults, and death are real and present dangers for college students problematically consuming alcohol. A number of theories exist that aid in the understanding of problematic alcohol consumption. These theories have been used to create particularly effective interventions to reduce problematic…

Online learning continues to widen in popularity by providing greater access and flexibility in time and location the learning occurs. There is a shift in the profile of a traditional college student. Almost half of the students who are enrolled in online classes are 24 or older and tend to carry increased time constraints due to external factors…

Adverse life events and trauma have the potential to devastate college students' lives across all domains of well-being, including physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social. Thriving despite these challenges requires academic resilience. Physical activity is one well-known strategy to support increased resilience. No research has…