Health Science

Erika Monzon-Martinez, itz.erika.m@gmail.com
University of Texas San Antonio, with  Dr. Monica Lawson

The Role of Household Labor Division in Children's Psychopathological Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the daily life of families. Caregiver demands increased and household dynamics were reshaped, creating a unique stressor that potentially influenced children's psychopathological development. This study examines the correlation between the division of household labor and children's psychological well-being, with a particular focus on internalizing and externalizing outcomes. This research aims to assess the hypothesis that children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors during the pandemic increased as the number of hours caregivers spent in childcare activities decreased. In this study, parents (N = 342) of 4- to 10-year-olds living in the United States completed online questionnaires regarding demographics, experiences with COVID-19, children's strengths and difficulties, and caregiving hours. The findings from this study aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how role distribution relates to child mental health during societal disruptions and times of crisis, informing future prevention and intervention efforts to support family functioning and child well-being. The implication will be discussed.

Taylor Brown, brown6to@mail.uc.edu
University of Cinannati, with Dr. Roshni Dasgupta

Outcomes in Pediatric Oncology Patients with Pneumatosis Intestinalis
Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a radiograph showing the presence of gas within the submucosal and subserosal layers of the intestinal wall essentially acting as a gas cyst. PI is a finding and not a diagnosis found in oncological patients but is rare in pediatrics. It is found in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients and can be solved with a certain amount of specific therapy. This study done at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (CCHMC) will be incorporated into in multi-institutional study called Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative (PSORC) where it will combine patients with PI to create a larger data pool. The patients were collected through a Slicer Dicer in EPIC and were transferred to an Excel sheet to organize the patients who would be included. The patients that were included would then be moved to REDCap to expand the patient's history and where all of PSORC inclusion data will be located. There are 40 patients in CCHMC data so far where none of the patients had to go through surgical intervention. Due to still undergoing result analysis, some of the main things that will be looked at are the times of chemotherapy, stem cell transplant and steroids given around the time of PI. Also, the length of antibiotics treatment, surgery consultation and if there were any deaths related to PI. This is a retrospective study that will be added to the collection of 58 other institutions to look at how to better surgical consultation and management.
 

Christopher Sauceda, christopher.sauceda@my.utsa.edu
University of Texas San Antonio, with Dr. Donald Lucas

Prevalence of ADHD and Autism in Community Colleges
Although public awareness about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is growing, research on the prevalence of ADHD and ASD at community colleges (CCs) is sparse. CCs serve diverse and often underserved students, many of whom may have undiagnosed ADHD or ASD due to financial barriers, cultural stigmas, or lack of early support. Traditional methods of estimating the prevalence of ADHD and ASD in CCs (e.g., using general population statistics or convenience sampling) likely misrepresent the true number of students with these conditions.  This study scientifically assessed the prevalence of ADHD and ASD among CC students using validated screening methods. By improving screening methods of ADHD and ASD, CCs can better serve their diverse student populations.  Because of limited access to healthcare, socioeconomic barriers, cultural stigmas, and masking behaviors-particularly among historically underrepresented and nontraditional student populations, we expect the prevalence of ADHD and ASD traits among CC students to be significantly higher than the prevalence of ADHD and ASD in the general population. Further, for the same stated reasons, we expect formal diagnoses of ADHD and ASD in CC students to be lower than those found in the general population.