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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (4 results)

  • Article
UC Irvine Previously Published Works (2010)
    Cover page: Making a Successful Transition from Academe to IndustryCreative Commons 'BY' version 4.0 license
    • Thesis
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2018)

    Significant health inequities have been documented among marginalized youth populations, particularly among gender minority (e.g. trans, genderqueer, non-binary) and homeless youth. Stressors related to social exclusion, stigma, and discrimination have been shown to contribute to higher risk factors for adverse health outcomes among both populations; however, these populations may not benefit from research and innovative public health interventions to the same extent as other youth populations. There is a critical need for research that explores the risk and protective factors for health disparities among marginalized youth populations in order to inform the development of interventions to promote their health and well-being. This dissertation uses innovative qualitative visual methods to explore stressors related to social exclusion among both marginalized youth populations – gender minority adolescents and formerly homeless transitional aged youth – as well as the psychosocial resources that they use to manage those stressors.

    The dissertation is composed of three separate papers: The data presented in the first two papers are drawn from the author’s independent research study of minority stress and psychosocial resources among trans, genderqueer and non-binary adolescents in New York City and the SF Bay Area. This study used a combination of “lifeline” interviews and “photo elicitation” interviews. The first paper focuses on the non-binary participants in the sample – or those who do not identify as solely male or female. The paper explores participants’ experiences of “identity invalidation,” defined as having one’s identity dismissed by others as not real or valid. The study data demonstrate that identity invalidation is a unique from of minority stress for non-binary individuals, with significant implications for their social and emotional well-being. Protective factors and internal resilience strategies were identified, and implications for interventions to reduce identity invalidation and promote better mental health among non-binary adolescents are discussed.

    The second paper examines parental support among trans, genderqueer, and non-binary adolescents. This paper explores participants’ perceptions, meanings, and experiences of their parents’ behaviors across three categories: supportive, rejecting, and mixed behaviors. Overall, participants reported that rejecting behaviors exacerbated their mental health problems and led to adverse psychological and social consequences, while supportive behaviors were related to positive psychological and social consequences. Intervention implications for improving family functioning, reducing rejecting parental behaviors, and supporting trans adolescent mental health and well-being are discussed.

    The data presented in the third paper are drawn from a community based participatory research study conducted in the first permanent supportive housing building designed for formerly homeless transitional aged youth in San Francisco. This study used “PhotoVoice” to explore the interconnections between structural violence and food insecurity in participants' lives. Participants reported several forms of structural violence that constrain their ability to access adequate and healthy food. Participant adaptations and coping responses to food insecurity are explored, as well as participant- and policy-driven solutions for reducing food insecurity within their community.

      Cover page: Exploring Health Inequities among Marginalized Youth Populations Using Innovative Visual Qualitative Methods
      • Article
      • Peer Reviewed
      UC San Diego Previously Published Works (2021)
      In a preregistered, cross-sectional study, we investigated whether olfactory loss is a reliable predictor of COVID-19 using a crowdsourced questionnaire in 23 languages to assess symptoms in individuals self-reporting recent respiratory illness. We quantified changes in chemosensory abilities during the course of the respiratory illness using 0-100 visual analog scales (VAS) for participants reporting a positive (C19+; n = 4148) or negative (C19-; n = 546) COVID-19 laboratory test outcome. Logistic regression models identified univariate and multivariate predictors of COVID-19 status and post-COVID-19 olfactory recovery. Both C19+ and C19- groups exhibited smell loss, but it was significantly larger in C19+ participants (mean ± SD, C19+: -82.5 ± 27.2 points; C19-: -59.8 ± 37.7). Smell loss during illness was the best predictor of COVID-19 in both univariate and multivariate models (ROC AUC = 0.72). Additional variables provide negligible model improvement. VAS ratings of smell loss were more predictive than binary chemosensory yes/no-questions or other cardinal symptoms (e.g., fever). Olfactory recovery within 40 days of respiratory symptom onset was reported for ~50% of participants and was best predicted by time since respiratory symptom onset. We find that quantified smell loss is the best predictor of COVID-19 amongst those with symptoms of respiratory illness. To aid clinicians and contact tracers in identifying individuals with a high likelihood of having COVID-19, we propose a novel 0-10 scale to screen for recent olfactory loss, the ODoR-19. We find that numeric ratings ≤2 indicate high odds of symptomatic COVID-19 (4 < OR < 10). Once independently validated, this tool could be deployed when viral lab tests are impractical or unavailable.
        Cover page: Recent Smell Loss Is the Best Predictor of COVID-19 Among Individuals With Recent Respiratory Symptoms.
        • Article
        • Peer Reviewed
        UC San Diego Previously Published Works (2020)
        Recent anecdotal and scientific reports have provided evidence of a link between COVID-19 and chemosensory impairments, such as anosmia. However, these reports have downplayed or failed to distinguish potential effects on taste, ignored chemesthesis, and generally lacked quantitative measurements. Here, we report the development, implementation, and initial results of a multilingual, international questionnaire to assess self-reported quantity and quality of perception in 3 distinct chemosensory modalities (smell, taste, and chemesthesis) before and during COVID-19. In the first 11 days after questionnaire launch, 4039 participants (2913 women, 1118 men, and 8 others, aged 19-79) reported a COVID-19 diagnosis either via laboratory tests or clinical assessment. Importantly, smell, taste, and chemesthetic function were each significantly reduced compared to their status before the disease. Difference scores (maximum possible change ±100) revealed a mean reduction of smell (-79.7 ± 28.7, mean ± standard deviation), taste (-69.0 ± 32.6), and chemesthetic (-37.3 ± 36.2) function during COVID-19. Qualitative changes in olfactory ability (parosmia and phantosmia) were relatively rare and correlated with smell loss. Importantly, perceived nasal obstruction did not account for smell loss. Furthermore, chemosensory impairments were similar between participants in the laboratory test and clinical assessment groups. These results show that COVID-19-associated chemosensory impairment is not limited to smell but also affects taste and chemesthesis. The multimodal impact of COVID-19 and the lack of perceived nasal obstruction suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus strain 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may disrupt sensory-neural mechanisms.
          Cover page: More than smell – COVID-19 is associated with severe impairment of smell, taste, and chemesthesis
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