Podium Session I

ABSTRACT:

Food insecurity remains one of the most significant public health concerns in the United States today with this being particularly true for the senior population. Using original survey data collected in Clark County, NV, I investigate the link between financial literacy and senior food security relying on perceived parental financial confidence as an exclusion restriction. My results indicate that financial literacy broadly, and financial behaviors specifically, can play a critical role in lessening the propensity for a senior household to be classified as food insecure.

ABSTRACT:

Background: During March of 2020, schools in Nevada were issued a lockdown mandate. During the same year, 16% of children aged 10 to 17 years were documented as obese in Nevada. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term impact of the pandemic on weight change among a clinical subset of pediatric youth residing in Southern Nevada. Methods: Data were assessed for significant changes in BMI category overall, race and insurance type. The McNemar-Bowker test was utilized to examine categorical BMI changes from pre- to during-pandemic timeframe and cross-tabulated with the appropriate comparative variable. A two-sample test for differences in proportions was used to compare insurance coverage groups. Results: Overall, 493 (26.2%) patients increased their BMI category. Specifically, of the 654 subjects that were of normal weight during the pre-pandemic period, 168 (26%) became overweight, and 12 (1.8%) became obese during the pandemic period of observation. Examination of race indicated that 151 (25.4%) whites, 74 (25.6%) blacks, 148 (29.2%) other race, and 120 (24.3%) of unknown race increased their BMI category. Further, examination by insurance coverage indicated that 113 (22.2%) with commercial insurance and 378 (28.0%) with Medicaid coverage increased their BMI category (z = 2.52, p = 0.018). Conclusion: Overall, a significant BMI increase was observed between the pre-and during pandemic period among a clinical youth cohort (p<0.05). More studies are needed to determine factors associated with pediatric weight change and interventions for Nevada’s pediatric population.

ABSTRACT:

The goal of this study was to assess the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on older adults by exploring suicide trends in Clark County, Nevada over the past five years. This investigation involved an analysis of differences in suicide rates, demographic trends, and causes of death before and after Nevada’s initial emergency stay-at-home order was issued on March 12, 2020. It was hypothesized that stress and social isolation exacerbated by the pandemic may have contributed to an overall increase in older adult suicide deaths, and that changes in specific causes of death would be observed.

This preliminary sample included 997 adults aged 50 years and older whose manner of death was deemed a suicide by the Clark County Office of the Coroner and Medical Examiner (CCOCME) between the years 2017 and 2021. This study focused upon trends among both older adults (>50 years) generally and older adults of geriatric age (65+ years) specifically. While not statistically different (p=0.19), 44.7% of the pre-pandemic group were of geriatric age at time of death compared to 49% of the pandemic group. There were no significant differences in race and/or sex between the two time periods. In regards to cause of death, there was an increase in the use of firearms (57.1% to 67.7%, p=.002) and a decrease in drug/alcohol related suicides (19.2% to 10.8%, p=0.001) following the beginning of the pandemic period, both of which were statistically significant.

ABSTRACT:

Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a disruption to the courts, child victims of alleged abuse continued to be subpoenaed to testify in child welfare and/or criminal proceedings. This presentation will provide an overview of the Kids’ Court School program, a model court education program that has been shown to reduce court-related stress, and identify challenges and benefits of remote delivery of the program. Additionally, preliminary data on the effects of remote delivery of the program on children’s court-related stress will be presented. Implications for the program beyond COVID will also be discussed.

ABSTRACT:

Adopted individuals make up about 2% of the general population and are accessing mental health services at twice the rate that non-adopted individuals do (Slap et al., 2001, Van IJzendoorn et al., 2001). Adoptees are also more likely to experience mental health struggles and to commit suicide (Slap et al., 2001, Van IJzendoorn et al., 2001). Poor performance in school for adoptees has been related to increased suicide attempts, criminal behavior, and dependence on welfare programs (Berlin & Hjern, 2011). This alone calls attention to the necessity of an in-depth analysis of the adoptee's development. The purpose of this presentation is to understand how adoptees differ with reference to their learning and development through social learning theory (SLT) and attachment theory (AT). Using the SLT and AT to identify critical junctures in an adoptee's development this paper will offer an important starting point for teachers in understanding how the adoptee may develop differently in their classroom. Self-efficacy will also be discussed in relation to both theories and adoption to exemplify adoption-related issues. This presentation will pinpoint key points of disconnect in terms of the adoptee's development and what learning outcomes this could impact in the classroom context. Lastly, all the information will be used to offer insights for teachers, instructors, and society as a whole. Ultimately this presentation will argue that adoptees are presented with several obstacles when it comes to development that if left unattended can result in learning difficulties and contribute to the overwhelming mental health crisis among the community of adopted individuals.