Tag: Oral Session 1 C

Embodied Experiences: The Health Implications of Transnationality and Undocumented Migration Among Latin Americans

Presenter(s): Samantha Sidline

Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris & Christabelle Dragoo

Oral Session 1 C

Given the current political climate, studying Latin American migrant experiences and adverse consequences to health is particularly important and relevant. By evaluating health disparities, studying social stigmas, and examining institutions and policies, ethnographic research has been able to show how being a Latin American in a transnational setting negatively affects health outcomes. This project draws on three ethnographic studies about health and transnational migration written by Kristin E. Yarris, Whitney L. Duncan, and Sarah B. Horton. The ethnographic research follows the experiences of Latin Americans in three distinctly different transnational circumstances, including grandmothers serving as caretakers of their grandchildren in their migrant daughter’s absence, families separated by the United States and Mexico border, and undocumented migrants in California. The arguments of this presentation synthesize the findings in these ethnographies by identifying key themes and commonalties among Latin American transnational migrants and applying theories to these themes. The health outcomes of the individuals studied in these ethnographies reveal how mental and physical health symptoms are the manifestation of lived experiences based on social position, such as socioeconomic and legal status. These outcomes are directly related to the concept of syndemics, which describes the interrelationship between mental health struggles and chronic disease. Intersectionality Theory, which describes how systems of oppression contribute to health inequity, is also foundational in the evaluation of health outcomes across Latin American populations. The culmination of these ethnographic studies and the application of other theories demonstrate how Latin American transnational families and undocumented migrants suffer disproportionately from chronic disease and mental health challenges.

“I Don’t Have Deaths on my Conscience”: Perspectives of Intravenous Drug Users on a Peer-Delivered Naloxone Program in Eugene, Oregon

Presenter(s): Eleanor Rochester

Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Graboyes

Oral Session 1 C

The United States is in the midst of an epidemic of overdose deaths. In response, harm reduction programs commonly distribute the opioid antagonist naloxone directly to drug users so that they can act as first responders to overdose. When injected, naloxone reverses respiratory depression and can save the life of a person overdosing on opioids. As evidence for the effectiveness of these programs at reducing deaths continues to be collected, little research has been conducted into the impact of serving in this role on drug users themselves. To better understand the lived experiences of drug users with naloxone, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen syringe exchange participants who currently carry naloxone. Interviews revealed that carrying and using naloxone is empowering for many drug users, because it contrasts with the powerlessness they may feel in other aspects of their lives. Peer administrators use naloxone in a way that reinforces the community of care among drug users. This aligns with the goals of harm reduction programs, which seek to empower drug users to make choices to improve their lives, without abstinence as the ultimate goal. Future programs distributing naloxone to drug users should be aware of it’s potential not only to save lives, but to increase drug users’ self- confidence and strengthen the network of overdose care in their communities.

The Effect of Pyridoxamine on Ages and Aortic Wall Structure

Presenter(s): Elise Kronquist

Faculty Mentor(s): Ashley Walker

Oral Session 1 C

Aging leads to arterial stiffening, likely due to increased advanced glycation end products (AGEs), oxidative stress, and collagen, which contribute to vascular dysfunction. Pyridoxamine, a form of vitamin B6, prevents age-related arterial stiffening. We hypothesized that pyridoxamine treatment will prevent AGEs formation in aged mouse aortas, while not affecting aortic wall structure.

Eight aged C57BL6 mice (18 mo) were treated with pyridoxamine in their water for six months and compared with eight vehicle control old mice (normal drinking water, 18 mo) and 6 untreated young mice (6 mo). Histological samples were collected. Aorta samples were quantified for AGEs via immunofluorescence. Aorta samples were also stained with Verheoff-Van Gieson and wall area was measured.

Young mice trended toward fewer AGEs than old control mice in the aorta (0.01 ± 0.003 vs 0.1 ± 0.05 AU), but the pyridoxamine treated animals were not different than old control or young mice (0.05 ± 0.02; p=0.11). The overall thickness of the aortic wall was unchanged between young, old treated, and old control subjects (area: 25840 ± 3388μm^2 vs. 34617 ± 5232μm^2 vs. 34165 ± 3377μm^2; p=0.3). Treatment did not change adventitial thickness between young, old control, and old treated groups (area: 21352 ± 2695μm^2 vs. 26102 ± 5006μm^2 vs. 30099 ± 4587μm^2; p=0.4).

These results indicate pyridoxamine treatment does not prevent the formation of AGEs or change the wall structure of the aorta in aged mice. Further studies are needed to identify the mechanism by which pyridoxamine prevents age-related arterial stiffening.

How Marginalized Communities Have Been Affected by the Me Too Movement

Presenter(s): Ashley Kim

Faculty Mentor(s): Cheyney Ryan

Oral Session 1 C

In 2006, activist Tarana Burke coined the phrase “Me Too” as a means to show solidarity and support for survivors of sexual violence. Her personal mission was to provide the resources that the black community lacked in response to sexual violence, and provide a large population of survivors with a sense unity to prove that they were not alone in enduring through their painful experiences. Over the past decade, shifts in society’s perspective of survivors have created a vocabulary to describe sexual violence and its’ presence in society, such as rape culture and even “Me Too”. The ability to clearly communicate experiences of sexual violence has given a voice to those who were previously unable to come forward with their experiences, as we are now able to identify the systems in place that enable assault and work to dismantle them. Even with the strides society has made in supporting survivors of sexual assault, the Me Too movement still only works for a subset of the population it seeks to represent. Through the examination of social media posts, interviews, and personal experiences, I sought to understand the marginalized groups that are still excluded from the public narrative and the methods society collectively needs to adopt to address exclusion and oppression in widespread social movements. Societies and cultures are shifting towards a future where sexual violence is not only unacceptable, but where every case of sexual violence is acknowledged and investigated and survivors are given the resources they need to move forward.

Investigating Human Rights and Peace Studies in the Western Balkans

Presenter(s): Cassidy Kenney

Co Presenter(s): Meredith Gusky

Faculty Mentor(s): William Johnson

Oral Session 1 C

Introductory Sentences: Our research studied the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, and the subsequent tensions inherent in peaceful rebuilding and international human rights practices. Our research examined the role of art in peace building, religion in peace building, and public perception toward refugees.

Research Question: How have peace and human rights mechanisms transformed society in the Western Balkans?

Methods: Students conducted qualitative research through interviewing citizens, experts, leaders and activists and by attending museum exhibits, sites of memorial, places of worship, and political and legal organizations. The research was conducted over a four-week period following two five-week long courses on these subjects.

Key findings: Our key findings include a realization that the abstract aims of most religious communities inherently build peace, that art is a powerful healing mechanisms, and that refugee policy and perception in the Balkans continues to be impacted by the conflicts of the 1990s. Because our areas of research varied in discipline and many of the human rights mechanisms continue to evolve today, much of our research is incomplete and only represents the time frame from July 2018 to now. Despite the constant evolution and limited scope of the research, it is essential in creating a larger understanding of human rights and peace-building mechanisms, their successes and shortcomings.

Significance: Our research offers pieces of a complex and growing narrative of the Western Balkans and analyzes the ways in which human rights and peace mechanisms can be improved upon now and in the future.

Social Smoking & Its Patterns in Relation to Intention to Quit Smoking

Presenter(s): Abby Hyland

Faculty Mentor(s): Larissa Maier & Erin Vogel

Oral Session 1 C

Poster 164

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Introduction—Social smokers are a specific group of smokers who smoke mainly or only with others. They usually tend to underestimate the health risks associated with their tobacco consumption and are more confident in their ability to quit smoking. The goal of this study was to identify whether the intention to quit smoking differs between young adult social smokers and non-social smokers entering a social media intervention.

Methods—Young adults (N=179) aged 18-25 were recruited through Facebook to participate in the Smoking Tobacco And Drinking Study (STAND). Validated social smoking and stage of change measures collected at baseline from STAND were examined. Participants were grouped by: self- identification as a social smoker (SS+) or a non-social smoker (SS-), and daily smoker (DS) or non- daily smoker (NDS). A chi-square test was run to examine whether the groups differed in getting ready (GR) or not ready (NR) to quit smoking in the next 30 days.

Results— Two thirds (67.6%, n=121) identified as SS+ and 82.7% (n=148) were DS. About two thirds of SS+ (n=81) and SS- (n=38) were NR to quit. NDS, SS+ (n=20, 74.1%) had the highest proportion of participants who were NR, followed by DS, SS- (n=36, 66.7%), DS, SS+ (n=61, 64.9%), and NDS, SS- (n=2, 50.0%) but differences were not significant (χ2=1.293, p=.731).

Conclusion—The intention to quit smoking in the next 30 days did not differ between SS+ and SS- entering the intervention. Given that the NDS, SS+ group is likely to experience fewer problems related to smoking, they may be the least likely to quit smoking during the intervention.

Sex Work in the Margins: How Intersectional Stigma Affects Queer Sex Worker’s Access to Intracommunity Support Networks

Presenter(s): Ryhs Hawes

Faculty Mentor(s): CJ Pascoe

Oral Session 1 C

Previous research has shown that community is essential to sex workers’ success: it both offers concrete resources as well as provides space for emotion work and catharsis. Yet despite its importance to the welfare of sex workers, very little research has gone into how intersectionality shapes their experiences with community. This research examines how intersectional stigma affects queer sex workers’ ability to access community support structures. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six queer and trans sex workers about their experiences in sex work and queer communities. Responses indicated that while queer identity itself is by no means incompatible with sex work, the heteronormative standards of erotic labor predisposes sex work communities to assumptions of cisgender and heterosexual identity. A lack of visibility and inclusion of queer identities and experiences cause many respondents to turn away from mainstream sex work communities to find specifically queer sex worker spaces. However, due to anti-sex work stigma and the danger of outing one’s sex worker identity as well as increases in online censorship, queer sex work spaces are difficult to locate, and access relies heavily on pre- existing social networks. This in turn leads to increased isolation, frustration, and, for some, an inability to continue work. In short, this research finds that intersectional stigma detrimentally affects queer sex workers’ ability to access the intracommunity support systems that are integral to their success, and suggests that increasing inclusivity and visibility within queer and sex work spaces is essential to queer sex workers’ emotional and tangible welfare.

Assessing the Public Health Response to the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in Guinea

Presenter(s): Hadi Barry

Faculty Mentor(s): Jo Weaver

Oral Session 1 C

Global health interventions are influenced by various external factors and politics that determine the level of attention and funding that is given to public health crises that yield long term implications for people and countries affected. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was a public health emergency of international concern that prompted the creation of the first UN emergency health mission and a massive scale public health response to contain the virus that had spread across three West African nations and was rapidly spreading to more developed countries such as the United States prompting global concern. The initial response to the outbreak was slow and insufficient and significantly exacerbated by the weak health infrastructure in Guinea that was significantly under-equipped to deal with the unfamiliar disease. This delayed response and lack of attention to the outbreak contributed to the spread of Ebola cases outside of West Africa bringing to attention this pattern of globalisation of disease that is of of global concern and required global cooperation and multilateral organisation in order to adequately address. The rapid shift in funding and expansion of humanitarian and political actors responding to the outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia significantly influenced the local response and public perceptions about Ebola which had both positive and negative implications in regards to the efficacy of the public health response.