Health Professions students present research projects at first-ever CHP Research Day


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Midland graduate student Alexis Cherven discusses her research with another student at the College of Health Professions Research Day on March 27 in the Bovee University Center.

Graduate and undergraduate students presented research ranging from exercise habits to marijuana at the Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions Inaugural Research Day March 27 at the Bovee University Center. 

The event was organized by the Central Michigan University College of Health Professions and the CHP Research Committee to highlight the research being done by students within the college. Students displayed dozens of poster board presentations, covering a diverse range of health topics. 

Mood disorder in college students 

Grand Rapids senior Emily Tulecki and Fowler junior Madison Koenigsknecht presented “Interventions to Reduce Mood Disorder Symptoms in University Students.” 

Common mood disorders include depression and anxiety, Tulecki said.

Tulecki and Koenigsknecht found that mindfulness classes and breathing labs were effective interventions. 

“It helped (students) manage their strengths and put them into effect to manage anxiety,” Tulecki said. 

The two found that physical activity and exercise can have an effect as well. 

“Students wore pedometers and then it tracked how physical activity affected their anxiety and depression levels,” Koenigsknecht said. “It proved to be effective, but not as effective as targeting their mental health first.

“We considered it important to look at different kinds of intervention, since not all students reacted the same way to taking a class or going to counseling."

Tulecki and Koenigsknecht want to continue to present their research to increase awareness and invoke positive change, hopefully on CMU’s campus. 

College Students’ Exercise and Diet Habits 

Senior Catherine Joppich and graduate student Paola Allievi presented “Habitual Physical Activity Behavior and Dietary Habits of College Students — Freshman Through Senior Year.” Graduate student Amanda Green and Health Sciences faculty member Rachael Nelson also authored the study. 

Joppich was surprised at the study’s findings: while the majority of college students met most guidelines for diet and physical activity, they do not meet the body fat percentage guidelines. 

The authors are interested in continuing their research by focusing on differences between grade levels to find a specific point where students are exercising less or eating differently. 

They are also considering longitudinal research of students’ habits as they progress from freshman year to graduation. 

Depression and Marijuana Usage 

Graduate student Toyin Olumolade presented “Examining the Correlation of a Depression Diagnosis with Marijuana Use among Adults in the United States Population.” Health sciences faculty members Shayesteh Jahanfar and Frank Snyder co-authored the study with Olumolade. 

The study found correlation between having diagnosed depression and using marijuana. It did not find whether marijuana can be a cause for depression or if depressed people are simply more likely to use marijuana. 

Further research can examine this question and determine what effects marijuana may have on people who already have mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, Olumolade said. 

“Although I think that a correlation between depression and marijuana has been established, I don’t think it’s well-understood,” Olumolade said. 

The most interesting research finding was that race and education did not have a significant effect on marijuana use, Olumolade said. 

“Sometimes when you’re looking through the literature, they do make inferences,” Olumolade said. “(Some papers I’ve read) are definitely offensive.” 

Weight-related stigma

Tecumseh graduate student Katherine Hughes was the first author on a qualitative study titled, “Weight-related stigma and low income rural women of higher weights from the Midwestern United States.” Hughes worked under the direction of health sciences faculty member Andrea Bombak with several other students in the Master’s of Public Health program.

Hughes said her study consisted of 25 in-depth interviews with low-income women in the Midwest who self-identify as obese. During the interviews, women talked about their experience getting healthcare and their body image.

Hughes said three major themes have emerged from these interviews. These include weight-centrism, avoidance of weight-centric doctors and denial of care and body repudiation. 

Women said they experienced weight-centric issues at the doctor’s office.

“Say she goes in to the doctor for a knee injury,” Hughes said. “Weight-centric doctors assumed the knee injury was because of her weight, even though it could have been a sports injury or something unrelated to weight.”

Hughes said the women often avoided getting care when they were sick or injured because they were discouraged by weight-centric doctors.

Hughes added she noticed a lot of body repudiation during the interviews, which describes harsh, self-stigmatizing words and phrases.

“Some of the quotes we heard were, ‘I’m such a slob’ and ‘when I look in the mirror, I’m disgusted,’” Hughes said.

Other posters at the event included research about traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorder and dementia. There were about 40 posters in total.

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