Browsing by Author "Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor"
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Item Open Access A reliability and validity study of the PROMIS measures with underserved lung cancer and head-and-neck cancer patients(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Gutierrez, Crystal, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Gonzalez, Jessica, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee memberHigher incidence of cancer diagnosis, death, and psychosocial distress are present among traditionally underserved and marginalized populations in the United States. High mortality rates and physical pain are associated with lung cancer and head and neck cancer due to less favorable treatment outcomes and later stage diagnosis that is typical with these types of cancer, and these high rates are observed more often in populations of patients who are identified as underserved. These physical symptoms are coupled with increased psychological distress throughout the course of treatment for underserved cancer patients. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common and often are associated with poorer treatment adherence and outcomes. The current study seeks to validate the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures in a sample of underserved lung cancer and head and neck cancer patients. Data was collected from 92 respondents who were recently diagnosed with lung cancer and/or head and neck cancer and were identified as underserved either by indicating that their household income fell below the Federal poverty line or by indicating that they were uninsured or underinsured. Responses on the PROMIS measures anxiety and depression subscales were correlated with responses on other measures of anxiety and depression in order to establish convergent validity. Predictive validity was determined by exploring the ability of the PROMIS measures to detect the presence of a previously diagnosed mental health concern. PROMIS anxiety and depression responses were analyzed with responses on a measure of quality of life to establish discriminant validity. The results of this study imply that the PROMIS measures are valid and reliable in a sample of underserved lung cancer and head and neck cancer patients. In doing so, the study hopes to increase the ease of understanding the psychological distress experienced by underserved lung cancer and head and neck cancer patients and inform future intervention efforts.Item Open Access Cannabis use consequences: a multi-ethnic site investigation of risk and protective factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Gutierrez, Crystal, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Schillington, Audrey, committee memberCannabis is the most popular regulated drug in the world and use rates continue to increase as legalization becomes more prevalent. Heavy cannabis use has been associated with a variety of mental health concerns and psychological distress has been observed to be a risk factor for the development of Cannabis Use Disorder. The current study examines how psychological distress relates to cannabis use consequences across sites in the United States, the Netherlands, Uruguay, Spain, and Argentina. Additionally, this study also explores protective coping strategies that users employ that may reduce the incidence of negative cannabis use consequences. Participants were recruited from university research pools and given surveys that assessed the individual's cannabis use behavior, possible risk and protective strategies, and problematic use outcomes. Results from this study may inform clinical interventions for the treatment and prevention of cannabis use disorder and make suggestions about ways to alter these interventions based on the location of services provided.Item Open Access Internalizing symptoms, medication adherence, and perceived social support in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Bascom, Elise, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Rickard, Kathryn M., committee member; Weir, Tiffany, committee memberThe present study examines perceived social support for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients were recruited for this study from online forums consisting of Facebook support groups, Twitter followers, and email. This study investigated sociodemographic and disease-related predictors of disease severity for individuals with IBD, as well as whether or not perceived social support moderates the relationship between disease severity, internalizing symptoms, quality of life, and medication adherence. A sample size of 155 individuals self-reporting with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) completed questionnaires related to disease severity, disease type, disease duration, quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress, perceived social support, and medication adherence. The study findings suggest that anxiety and stress are potential predictors of scores on disease severity for this population. Results also suggests that perceived social support is likely to have (or had in this sample) a significant, moderating relationship between disease severity and anxiety, disease severity and stress, and disease severity and the full depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS). Anxiety was also found to moderate the relationship between disease severity and adjusted quality of life (QoL) scale. Perceived social support did not moderate the relationship between disease severity and the abbreviated medication adherence rating scale (MARS) generated by principle component analysis. It is important to note that future research should include a more randomized, representative sample, allowing for more conclusive findings. Understanding the psychological impact associated with this disease provides continued evidence for the need support individuals coping with IBD.Item Open Access Life in the field: migrant farm workers' perceptions of work related injuries(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Rosales, Monica S., author; Stallones, Lorann, advisor; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisorA majority of migrant farm workers in the United States are of Latino descent. Agriculture is a hazardous occupation that puts workers at risk for occupational injuries. While migrant farm workers provide an indispensable service they comprise a disadvantaged group. Migrant farm workers' views of work related injuries have not been fully evaluated. Therefore, this study examined migrant farm workers' views and perceptions of work related injuries. The method of analysis consisted of an ethnographic content analysis of migrant farm workers perceptions and views of occupational injuries. Interviews from twelve Colorado migrant farm workers were analyzed. The analysis led to the identification of five main themes (1) Concerns about safety, (2) Characteristics of injuries, (3) Factors contributing to injuries, (4) Injury prevention strategies, and (5) Injury accountability. Each theme was organized into three sub-themes. The findings from this study suggest that the safety level of the working environment needs to be improved.Item Open Access Perceived stress, caregiver burden, and emotional distress in caregivers of head and neck cancer and lung cancer(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Alliegro, Marissa C., author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Henry, Kim, committee member; Gonzalez, Jessica, committee memberCaregiving research focuses highly on the impact burden of care has on the mental health of caregivers (Nightingale et al., 2014; Northouse et al., 2012; Perz et al., 2011). However, little research focuses on how stress, as an independent construct contributes to the emotional distress caregivers of Head and Neck and Lung Cancer patients experience (Luchesia et al., 2016). This project aims to investigate the relationship between caregiver burden, perceived stress, and emotional distress (depression and anxiety) of caregivers of HNC and LC patients. Results revealed positive and significant relationships between predictor variables (perceived stress and caregiver burden) and emotional distress. Results further revealed higher perceived stress is indicative of higher caregiver burden. Additionally, preliminary results suggested the relationship between caregiver burden and emotional distress is moderated by the caregiver's level of perceived stress. Explanations and implications of all investigated relationships are discussed. This study highlights that in fact, perceived stress as a construct is important to explore when understanding the mental health needs of caregivers of Head and Neck and Lung Cancer patients.Item Open Access Predicting adjustment to college: the role of protective factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Olivas, Nicole, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Gingerich, Karla, advisor; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberA number of empirical studies have assessed successful college adjustment despite prior adversity, in order to understand how individuals who have experienced adversity adjust. In contrast to existent research, the present study aims to evaluate the general adjustment process during the first semester of college, while controlling for prior adversity, to determine which factors serve to enhance the likelihood of successful adjustment to the college environment. In addition, minimal research has been conducted on gender differences in protective factors. The present study aims to further understand whether a difference exists between men and women in protective factors associated with successful college adjustment. This study found that higher levels of self-esteem significantly predicted positive social adjustment to the college environment. Higher levels of self-esteem, quality education, and greater coping skills significantly predicted positive emotional adjustment. Further, greater levels of intelligence and quality education significantly predicted positive academic adjustment. Comparisons between men and women regarding different protective factors revealed that men reported a higher self-perception of personal talent than women. These findings have implications for designing effective orientation and transition programs that foster successful adjustment in first-year college students.Item Open Access Predicting college adjustment and retention: the role of protective factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Olivas, Nicole, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Gingerich, Karla, committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberThe goal of the present study was to investigate which protective factors contribute to college success, as defined by social, emotional, and academic adjustment. Further, the study aimed to assess whether college adjustment in the first semester predicts academic success, retention, and college satisfaction after two years. In particular, the study assessed how males and females compare regarding the association of protective factors and college adjustment outcomes. One-hundred-sixteen participants completed the study, which included completing a set of surveys at three time points. This study found that individual, familial, and community protective factors predicted successful college adjustment at the beginning and end of the first semester of the first year in college. These findings suggest that qualities within the individual, family, and community support initial college adjustment and adjustment over time. The study found that adjustment at the end of first semester did not predict retention, GPA, or satisfaction with the college experience at the end of second year. It is possible that adjustment during the first semester has less of an impact on long-term success than originally thought. Finally, males and females appeared to have similar adjustment outcomes during the first two years of college. Although males reported greater personal talent, self-esteem, and coping self-efficacy than females, there were no gender differences in adjustment outcomes, which supports the gender similarities hypothesis. Future research should assess whether differences in college adjustment outcomes exist between first-generation and non-first-generation students.Item Open Access Stress, coping, and emotional distress of medically underserved lung and head-and-neck cancer patients(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Peterson, Grace E. B., author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Gonzalez-Voller, Jessica, committee memberThe intent of this study was to investigate how lung cancer (LC) and head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who are medically underserved (i.e. uninsured, underinsured, low income) experience emotional distress (symptoms of depression and anxiety) after being diagnosed with LC or HNC. Participants were recruited from four Colorado hospitals. They completed a baseline survey which included measures of perceived stress, coping self-efficacy, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) was used as a theoretical guide for analyses about the relations of stress coping and emotional distress. When age, sex, and stage of cancer were controlled for, levels of perceived stress were observed to be positively associated with experience of emotional distress. Further, coping was shown to be an effective moderator of the relation of perceived stress to emotional distress. The TMSC is a functional theoretical model for organizing the understanding of stress, coping and emotional distress for medically underserved LC and HNC patients. Further research should be conducted to assess for changes in these variables overtime, particularly if psychological interventions can be used to influence each variable.Item Open Access The design, construction, and testing of an instrument to measure Latina's health beliefs about breast cancer and screening(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007) González, Patricia, author; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisorHispanic women's (Latinas) survival from breast cancer (BC) is lagging behind the survival rates of non-Hispanic white women, possibly due to more advanced stage of disease at diagnosis (Fernandez-Esquer, Espinoza, Torres, Ramirez, & McAlister (2003). Fewer baseline and routine BC screening procedures among Latinas may explain the observed delay in diagnosis. Participation in BC screening is influenced by various socio-demographic, socio-cultural and psychological factors. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the Latina Breast Cancer Screening (LBCS) Scale, which measures cultural health beliefs that might influence Latinas' decision to engage in regular BC screening. More specifically, this study tested the LBCS scale to establish its psychometric properties: the instruments validity and reliability. Content validity was assessed by having a research team review the items for relevancy, accuracy and wording of the items. First, a 60-item and an 80-item version of the LBCS was developed and administered to 288 Latinas. Next, principal components analyses and reliabilities aided in reducing the scale to 36 items. This study was successful at identifying six distinct factors, therefore contributing to the scale's construct validity. Lastly, the LBCS scale was tested with 155 participants to establish its psychometric properties: the instrument's validity and reliability. The LBCS displayed strong internal consistency. As expected, the LBCS scale was significantly and positively correlated with the Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale items (i.e., medical mistrust), the fatalism inventory, and the Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire thus establishing convergent validity. In addition, as predicted traditional scores on the LBCS were significantly and negatively correlated to BC knowledge, thus establishing discriminant validity. This study suggests that the LBCS is a reliable and valid scale to assess cultural BC health beliefs. This study provides a contribution to the literature on Latinas BC beliefs through the development of an instrument that measures cultural health beliefs and norms that past research studies have alluded to but have not been able to measure. In conclusion, BC prevention efforts should focus on increasing awareness among Latinas and medical healthcare providers about cultural health beliefs (i.e., Feeling Healthy, Feeling Indecent, Feeling Threatened) which play an important role in BC screening behaviors.Item Open Access The role of coping in depression and anxiety outcomes of US Latinx cancer patients(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Vigodnier, Eva Victoria, author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Gonzalez-Voller, Jessica, committee memberCancer diagnosis and treatment are related to adverse mental health outcomes, including increased depression and anxiety symptoms. Literature shows that lung cancer (LC) and head and neck cancer (HNC) patients report among the highest rates of depression and anxiety. These outcomes have been shown to be worse among medically underserved cancer patients, including the US Latinx population. However, no research exists that investigates rates of depression and anxiety among US Latinx LC and HNC patients nor potential protective factors. Further, research shows that the ways in which people cope with stressors has both positive and negative impact on mental health factors. The present study analyzed coping, depression, and anxiety outcomes among medically underserved US Latinx cancer patients. Results indicate that 29.51% of medically underserved US Latinx people newly diagnosed with LC or HNC report clinically relevant depression symptoms and 59.02% report clinically relevant anxiety symptoms. Self-efficacy in several forms of adaptive coping were also found to serve as protective factors toward depression and/or anxiety symptomatology and differences in coping self-efficacy were observed between individuals that met the clinical cut-offs for depression and/or anxiety across various coping strategies. Self-efficacy in coping strategies that were problem-focused and aimed at stopping unpleasant thoughts and emotions, were found to be most predictive of reduced depressive and anxious symptomatology. The present study is the first to explicate mental health outcomes among US Latinx people newly diagnosed with LC or HNC and to identify salient coping factors that buffer depression and anxiety symptoms. Implications for mental health intervention in oncological treatment settings are discussed.