This dissertation examined disparities in initial placements and Length of Stay in Custody of children in North Carolina experiencing child maltreatment. This research examined how the Length of Stay in Custody and type of initial placement was associated with the age, race, and gender of children who had been removed from the care of their…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there are statistically significant relationships between academic advisors' demographic characteristics, advising-related variables, burnout, and risk for mental health disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). In February 2023, we conducted a national…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the ECLS-K:2011 longitudinal study to determine the impact the mother's education has on her child's kindergarten academic performance, growth and attainment from kindergarten through fifth grade, and the background characteristics that affect child academic development. This study employed a…

This study assessed participant, facilitator, and program-level characteristics associated with intervention dosage among women receiving an evidence-based perinatal depression preventive intervention, Mothers and Babies (MB). We also explored how intervention dosage affected the use and maintenance of core skills taught in the six-session…

For this study, we explored the association between high school students' reported history of sport- or physical activity-related concussions and persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Data from the 2017 national "Youth Risk Behavior Survey" (YRBS; N = 14,765) was used for this analysis. YRBS is administered to high school…

Nursing educators are challenged to find strategies that will develop critical thinking and clinical judgment abilities in students. As technology has advanced, the use of virtual simulation platforms has increased in use in nursing courses. This study examined the effect of a pilot virtual simulation intervention on critical thinking and clinical…

Objective: To identify the association between loneliness and eating disorder symptomatology among a national sample of U.S. college students during COVID-19. Participants: Cross-sectional data from the 2020-2021 Healthy Minds Study (N = 96,645) were analyzed. Methods: Loneliness was measured using the UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale and eating…

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between learned helplessness and academic baseline levels among adult students who dropped out of high school and have returned to a high school equivalency program to prepare to take the GED examination. The study controlled for the variables of the age of…

Objective: Substance use peaks in emerging adulthood, with evidence suggesting that college-attending emerging adults have a higher rate of substance use than their non-college attending peers. More insight into the factors that might contribute to substance use among college-attending emerging adults is needed. The current study examined the…

Emerging evidence suggests that physical activity may be associated with improved sleep in autistic children. We aimed to determine whether physical activity associated with sufficient sleep duration in children and whether this association was modified by reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) status. We analyzed existing data of children 6-17…

This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence about the associations of affective teacher--student relationships with bullying perpetration and peer victimization. A systematic database search resulted in 65 primary studies (k) that met the inclusion criteria. The final sample included 185,881 students from preschool to high school. Separate multilevel…

Objective: Transition from school to early adulthood incurs many changes and may be associated with deterioration in general health in youth with autism. We aimed to investigate this. Method: The National Longitudinal Transitions Study-2 is a USA nationally representative sample of youth receiving special education services, aged 13-17 at wave 1,…

This systematic review aimed to understand the effects of self-esteem on risky sexual behavior (RSB) among adolescents and young adults. We followed the procedures outlined in the Cooper's five-step approach, and used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 reporting requirements. Published studies were…

Objectives: Evaluate the association between perceived risk of harm and self-reported binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and marijuana smoking among college students. Participants: Participants were 599 students (ages 19-28) at a large Midwestern university recruited from October 2015 to December 2017. Methods: Hurdle regression was used to test…

Objective: Disordered eating is highly prevalent on college campuses and is associated with a host of negative outcomes. To better understand the nature of disordered eating, it is important to examine motivational processes that guide eating behavior. Participants: Participants were a diverse sample of 1,589 college students (80.4% females;…