Browsing by Author "Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member"

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Open Access
Exploring the relationship between hormonal contraceptive methods and symptoms of depression and bulimia nervosa
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Almengual, Mallory, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member
Research has been unable to determine if there is a link between hormonal contraceptive (HC) use, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). There is a well-documented sex discrepancy in the lifetime prevalence of both of these diagnoses such that women are disproportionately affected. Prevalence rates of MDD are similar between males and females during childhood. However, following the onset of puberty, women are inordinately affected by MDD. This difference has been observed throughout the duration of the female reproductive years. Prevalence rates of MDD between males and females return to equivalence following menopause. Females are also at a much greater risk of developing an eating disorder (ED) during their lifetime, and the age of onset typically aligns with puberty. The effects of HC use on mental health remain largely unknown. The current body of research on HC use and MDD is characterized by inconsistent, and even contradictory, findings about both the presence and direction of the such a relationship. There is a paucity of research examining HC use and BN, though changes in appetite and weight gain are two of the most commonly reported side effects of HC use. The present study aimed to explore such relationships among a sample of undergraduate women at Colorado State University. Using self-report measures, this project attempted to examine potential correlations between HC use and symptoms of MDD and BN. Data from 378 respondents was collected via survey and analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression. Participants were categorized into HC users and Nonhormonal Contraceptive (NC) users. No significant relationship was observed between HC use and MDD. Negative correlations were identified between HC use and two measures of maladaptive eating implicated in the etiology and maintenance of BN: Cognitive Restraint and Emotional Eating. These findings suggest that HC use might actually serve as a protective factor for the development of BN. Further research is needed to better understand these relationships and to better inform individuals considering HC as part of their reproductive health practices.
Open Access
Hormonal contraception and eating pathology: a study among undergraduate women
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Almengual, Mallory, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member
Objective: To investigate the relationship between hormonal contraceptive (HC) use and eating pathology, and to assess the moderating effects of cognitive restraint and other demographic features on this relationship among undergraduate women at Colorado State University. Method: A correlational study design was used to collect data from 458 female undergraduate participants through self-report assessments capturing demographic information, reproductive health history, and constructs associated with eating pathology. Specific measures included the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18), the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), and the Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Participants were categorized based on their HC use—especially focusing on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) and Short-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (SARC)—to establish the connection between the type of HC and symptoms of eating pathology. Multiple linear regression analyses identified relationships, with a consideration of potential mediating effects of cognitive restraint and demographic variables. Results: Findings revealed a significant relationship between long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use and specific psychological outcomes, such as reduced interpersonal insecurity and increased emotional dysregulation, suggesting a multidimensional impact of HC types on psychological and behavioral patterns in this population. Although cognitive restraint was anticipated to be a moderating factor, the study did not find evidence to support a significant moderating effect on the relationship between HC use and eating pathology. Age of menstrual regularity emerged as a noteworthy covariate affecting psychological outcomes. Conclusion: The study offers important insights into the variant effects of different types of HCs on psychological health and eating behaviors among college-aged women. These findings indicate that different types of hormonal contraceptives may have unique effects on psychological outcomes and eating behaviors. The differential outcomes with LARC and SARC underscore the need for comprehensive, individualized reproductive health counseling that both addresses the potential psychological impacts of contraceptive methods and is sensitive to the evident disparities. Further research is recommended to decipher the complex interactions between HC use, cognitive restraint, and eating pathology. These findings have critical implications for refining clinical practices and reproductive health education to promote the wellbeing and bodily autonomy of menstruating individuals, and to better address the mental health needs related to contraceptive choices.
Open Access
Hunger strikes and carceral resistance: embodied struggle, discourse, and the political meaning-making of hunger
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Clark-Hargreaves, Becca, author; Sbicca, Joshua, advisor; Opsal, Tara, committee member; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member
Since 2014, there have been a series of hunger strikes at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Hunger strikes have been utilized globally and throughout history, and, among other tactics, have been one of the primary tactics utilized by prisoners to protest their conditions and make broader political demands. In this study, I analyze the specific discursive repertoires created and deployed my media, detention officials, detainees, and one community activist organization surrounding the NWDC hunger strikes, in order to discover how hunger strikes operate as a mode of symbolic contestation. By delineating the specific frames constructed and deployed by each group, I construct an analysis of the dynamic and relational processes of discursive resistance and the ways that dominant and subaltern actors structure and contest the symbolic field surrounding immigration, detention, and carcerality. Overall, I find that detained hunger strikers and members of one grassroots solidarity organization draw upon a few primary discursive repertoires, including legalistic and rights-based discourses, and a discourse of family to contest hegemonic narratives of the hunger strikes. Finally, I draw upon the notion of differential consciousness to argue that subaltern actors engage in impure tactics of discursive resistance, deploying hegemonic languages only to subvert them, and in this way, challenging dominant narratives and the symbolic power of the state.
Open Access
Hydrothermal surface modifications on titanium for biomedical applications
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Manivasagam, Vignesh K., author; Popat, Ketul C., advisor; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member; Walajabad, Sampath, committee member; Wang, Zhijie, committee member
Titanium and its alloys are widely used in different biomaterial applications due to their remarkable mechanical properties and bio-inertness. However, titanium-based materials still face some challenges, with an emphasis on hemocompatibility. Blood-contacting devices such as stents, heart valves, and circulatory devices are prone to thrombus formation, restenosis, and inflammation due to inappropriate blood–implant surface interactions. After implantation, when blood encounters these implant surfaces, a series of reactions takes place, such as protein adsorption, platelet adhesion and activation, and white blood cell complex formation as a defense mechanism. Currently, patients are prescribed anticoagulant drugs to prevent blood clotting, but these drugs can weaken their immune system and cause profound bleeding during injury. Extensive research has been done to modify the surface properties of titanium to enhance its hemocompatibility. Results have shown that the modification of surface morphology, roughness, and chemistry has been effective in reducing thrombus formation. A simple hydrothermal treatments with different acidic/basic medium were investigated in this dissertation. The first treatment with sodium hydroxide and the second treatment with sulfuric acid. Hemocompatability, cytocompatibility and antibacterial properties of these surfaces were investigated. The results indicated that sodium hydroxide surface is suitable for orthopedic application and sulfuric acid surface with silane coating is highly suitable for blood contacting implant surface.
Open Access
Strength and power throughout the menstrual cycle
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Miller, Amber D., author; Tracy, Brian, advisor; Braun, Barry, committee member; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member
Purpose: The purpose was to determine if maximal muscle performance varies across the menstrual cycle because historically this measurement has been left out of research and women report feeling differences between phases. Strength and ballistic force production were measured in normally cycling eumenorrheic women and in women on hormonal birth control. We expected greater performance during the follicular vs. luteal phase because of fluctuating hormones, specifically estrogen, for the normally cycling women and more constant values for women on birth control because of the lack of fluctuating hormones due to effects of birth control. Methods: Participants were physically active women between 18-40 years who were either 1) eumenorrheic and not taking hormonal birth control (N=13), or 2) taking birth control (N=10). Ovulation was determined via body temperature and LH strips, and along with menses, was tracked for one full cycle prior to strength testing as well as during their two months of strength testing. Identical assessments were performed on four visits in the luteal and follicular phases over two consecutive months of menstrual cycles. Tests included leg and arm strength, ballistic force production, and vertical jump. Results: Comparisons were made between the luteal and follicular phases within subjects and between the normally cycling and hormonal birth control groups. No significant differences were found in for strength or ballistic functional measures between menstrual phases or between the groups (p=>0.05). Conclusions: Meaningful differences between phases would suggest that hormonal fluctuations affect muscle performance. We found no difference in muscle function between follicular and luteal phases. This suggests that the hormonal variation during the menstrual cycle is insufficient to alter maximal neuromuscular output. One possibility is that the relatively low number of participants hampered the ability to detect differences. If there are no differences between phases, the female athlete does not need to adjust their training and competition schedules.