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- Title
- UCF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF A SMOKE-FREE CAMPUS POLICY.
- Creator
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Roman, Alyssa, Ford, Jason, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Within the last few decades, the prevalence of cigarette smoking has decreased because of the vast amount of research which indicates that smoking leads to health problems many of which are potentially fatal. Also, smoking harms not only those whom choose to smoke but non-smokers in the area are affected by even low levels of cigarette smoke. Thus, cigarette smoking has become a public health concern. Around the globe, countries are passing smoke-free laws in public areas such as businesses,...
Show moreWithin the last few decades, the prevalence of cigarette smoking has decreased because of the vast amount of research which indicates that smoking leads to health problems many of which are potentially fatal. Also, smoking harms not only those whom choose to smoke but non-smokers in the area are affected by even low levels of cigarette smoke. Thus, cigarette smoking has become a public health concern. Around the globe, countries are passing smoke-free laws in public areas such as businesses, restaurants, and bars. In the United States, many universities have enacted smoke-free campus policies to ensure the health of all their students in all places on campus. The purpose of this research is to identify the support or opposition for a smoke-free campus policy at the University of Central Florida by UCF students. A survey was distributed to undergraduate students at UCF which asks whether they would support such a policy along with characterizing questions about their smoking habits, lifestyle, history, and opinion. The analysis of the data shows that the majority of UCF student would support a smoke-free campus policy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003706, ucf:44716
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003706
- Title
- REDUCED VISIBILITY RELATED CRASHES IN FLORIDA: CRASH CHARACTERISTICS, SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND INJURY SEVERITY.
- Creator
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EKRAM, AL-AHAD, Abdel-Aty, Mohamed, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Roadway crashes related to vision obstruction due to fog/smoke (FS) conditions constitute a challenge for traffic engineers. Previous research efforts mostly concentrated on the snow and rain related crashes. Statistics show that Florida is among the top three states in terms of crashes due to vision obstruction by FS. This research culminated in a comprehensive study of fog and smoke related crashes in the state of Florida. The analysis took into account the crashes that occurred between...
Show moreRoadway crashes related to vision obstruction due to fog/smoke (FS) conditions constitute a challenge for traffic engineers. Previous research efforts mostly concentrated on the snow and rain related crashes. Statistics show that Florida is among the top three states in terms of crashes due to vision obstruction by FS. This research culminated in a comprehensive study of fog and smoke related crashes in the state of Florida. The analysis took into account the crashes that occurred between 2003 and 2007 on Florida state roads. Spatial analysis and injury severity analysis have been conducted and significant results have been identified. The spatial analysis by GIS examines the locations of high trends of FS related crashes on state roads in the State of Florida. Statistical features of the GIS tool, which is used efficiently in traffic safety research, has been used to find the crash clusters for the particular types of crashes that occur due to vision obstruction by FS. Several segmentation processes have been used, and the best segmentation for this study was found to be dividing the state roads into 1 mile segments, keeping the roadway characteristics uniform. Taking into account the entire state road network, ten distinct clusters were found that can be clearly associated with these types of crashes. However, no clear pattern in terms of area was observed, as it was seen that the percentage of FS related crashes in rural and urban areas are close. The general characteristics of FS related crashes have been investigated in detail. For the comparison to clear visibility conditions, simple odds ratios (in terms of crash frequencies) have been introduced. The morning hours in the months of December to February are found to be the prevalent time for fog related crashes, while for the smoke related crashes the dangerous time was found to be morning to midday in the month of May. Compared to crashes under clear-visibility conditions, the fog crashes tend to result in more severe injuries and involve more vehicles. Head-on and rear-end crashes are the two most common crash types in terms of crash frequency and severe crashes. For the injury severity analysis, a random effect ordered logistic model was used. The model in brief illustrates that the head-on and rear-end crash types are the two most prevalent crash types in FS conditions. Moreover, these severe crashes mainly occurred at higher speeds. Also they mostly took place on undivided roads, roadways without any sidewalk and two-lane rural roads. Increase of average daily traffic decrease the severity of FS related crashes. Overall, this study provides the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) with specific information on where improvements could be made to have better safety conditions in terms of vision obstruction due to FS in the state roads of Florida. Also it suggests the times and seasons that the safety precautions must be taken or the FS warning systems to be installed, and the controlling roadway geometries that can be improved or modified to reduce injury severity of a crash due to FS related vision obstruction.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002903, ucf:48008
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002903
- Title
- CAUSAL FACTORS OF CRYPTORCHIDISM AND ENDOCRINE DISURPTING CHEMICALS SUCH AS PRENATAL MATERNAL CIGARETTE SMOKE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW.
- Creator
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Morrissey, Andrew R., Rovito, Michael J., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Cryptorchidism is a male congenital disorder with an unspecified, multifactorial etiology. This review evaluated the strength of select factors in the development of cryptorchidism to better understand its etiology. The strength of relationship between factors and their respective functions during testicular descent was evaluated. Factors evaluated in the causal pathway include the signaling mechanisms Desert Hedgehog (DHH), Insulin-like Hormone 3 (INSL3) and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ...
Show moreCryptorchidism is a male congenital disorder with an unspecified, multifactorial etiology. This review evaluated the strength of select factors in the development of cryptorchidism to better understand its etiology. The strength of relationship between factors and their respective functions during testicular descent was evaluated. Factors evaluated in the causal pathway include the signaling mechanisms Desert Hedgehog (DHH), Insulin-like Hormone 3 (INSL3) and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF), as well as sex hormone regulation (androgen: estrogen ratio, aromatase expression). Articles supporting a factor in testicular descent were evaluated and scored. These scores were summed to create the �Step Score� for each step in the causal pathway. An arrow system was developed which ranked the strength of each pathway step as either �weak�, �moderate� or �strong�. Thus, step scores and the strength of factors in the pathological pathway were determined: DHH (15-moderate), PDGF (10-weak), INSL3 (24-strong) and Androgen: Estrogen ratio, Aromatase (23-strong). The pathological pathway produced by this review represents a literature based perspective of the research regarding cryptorchidism etiology. Literature indicates that prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in animals and humans may lead to abnormal genital development. Recently, prenatal maternal cigarette smoke was demonstrated to be a risk factor for cryptorchidism. This controversial finding was explored in the context of endocrine disrupting chemicals. However, literature has provided very little evidence in support of this hypothesis and more research is needed to better evaluate prenatal maternal smoking as a risk factor for undescended testis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000008, ucf:45591
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000008
- Title
- PERCEPTIONS AND THEIR ROLE IN CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING.
- Creator
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Khaddaria, Raman, Gerking, Shelby, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation is an empirical investigation into the roles that different quantifiable and measurable perceptions play in defining individual behavior across a variety of decision-making contexts. In particular, the focus lies on smokers and the choices they make with regard to smoking and beyond. Chapter 1 analyzes a nationally representative sample of adults (23 years and older) in the United States, pertaining to the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey II (1999-2000). It is...
Show moreThis dissertation is an empirical investigation into the roles that different quantifiable and measurable perceptions play in defining individual behavior across a variety of decision-making contexts. In particular, the focus lies on smokers and the choices they make with regard to smoking and beyond. Chapter 1 analyzes a nationally representative sample of adults (23 years and older) in the United States, pertaining to the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey II (1999-2000). It is observed that three dimensions to smoking behavior viz., risk, temporality and addiction, interact to determine the smoking status of an individual. Although previous studies mostly looked into each of these dimensions in isolation, in this chapter, we empirically illustrate how perceptions on risk, time dimensions and addiction, jointly influence the smoking behavior of adults. Chapter 2 casts the smoker in the role of a parent and explores parental behavior towards the general health-risks facing their children. Using the dataset from a survey (2009), conducted in Orlando, Florida, on parents, having at least one child aged between 1 and 16 years, the chapter arrives at two findings relevant for policy: i) In each of the 'smoker' and 'non-smoker' parent categories, parents exhibit equal concern for themselves and their children, and ii) the level of concern shown by smoker-parents, towards health-risks faced by their children, is the same as that shown by their non-smoking counterparts. The analysis in this chapter also affirms the need to incorporate subjective risk assessment in willingness-to-pay (WTP) exercises to facilitate a deeper behavioral analysis of health risk valuation. Lastly, in Chapter 3, we focus on the issue of quantitative assessment of the perception of health risks from smoking. Particular interest lies in understanding how variants of a metric - namely, a survey question - have been employed in academic studies and industry-surveys, in order to measure smoking-related risk-perceptions. In the process of reviewing select tobacco-industry survey records, we analyze the implications of different features of this metric, (e.g., use of a 'probe', the 'Don't Know' option), and various interview modes (e.g. telephonic, face-to-face), for the estimates of perceived risk arrived at in these studies. The review makes clear that two aspects of health risks from smoking - the risk of contracting a smoking-related disease, as against the risk of prematurely dying from it conditional upon getting affected - have not been jointly explored so far. The dataset obtained from the Family Heart Disease and Prevention Survey (November 2010-March 2011), provides a unique opportunity to explore these two kinds of probabilities, particularly with regard to the risks of lung-cancer from smoking. Chapter 3 concludes by illustrating how individuals evaluate both these aspects of health-risks. While the probability of getting lung-cancer is found to be overestimated in conjunction with previous studies, the conditional probability of premature death is severely underestimated. Additionally, it is found that individuals' subjective assessments of either of these risk aspects predict smoking behavior in an identical manner. This calls into question the so-called 'rationality' of smoking decisions with implications for policies designed for the control of tobacco consumption.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003918, ucf:48736
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003918
- Title
- Health Behaviors in Military Veterans with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
- Creator
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Kitsmiller, Emily, Neer, Sandra, Beidel, Deborah, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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A link between posttraumatic stress disorder and health behaviors, such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether veterans with combat-related PTSD differ from combat veterans without PTSD and whether health behaviors change over the course of exposure therapy for PTSD or differ based on PTSD severity. This study examined the relationship between health behaviors and PTSD. More specifically, combat veterans with and without PTSD were...
Show moreA link between posttraumatic stress disorder and health behaviors, such as exercise, alcohol, smoking, and caffeine has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether veterans with combat-related PTSD differ from combat veterans without PTSD and whether health behaviors change over the course of exposure therapy for PTSD or differ based on PTSD severity. This study examined the relationship between health behaviors and PTSD. More specifically, combat veterans with and without PTSD were compared across self-reported levels of alcohol use, smoking, exercise, and caffeine. Health behaviors of combat veterans with PTSD were compared before and after a 17-week treatment for PTSD. Results showed a significant number of participants decreased alcohol use at post-treatment by an average of eight drinks over 30 days, regardless of their PTSD severity level or amount of improvement in PTSD symptoms. No significant differences were found for other health behaviors.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006891, ucf:51711
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006891
- Title
- Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Policies and Youth Tobacco Use in Florida Public Schools.
- Creator
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Terry, Amanda, Zhang, Ning, Martin, Lawrence, Gammonley, Denise, Delnevo, Cristine, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 16.8% of adults were current cigarette smokers, and 9.2% of high school students smoked cigarettes. Nearly 90% of smokers developed their habit as teenagers, and students' tobacco use in high school influences their behaviors later in adulthood. Smoking behaviors appear to be inseparable from the social environment, physical environment, small social groups, and cognitive...
Show moreTobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 16.8% of adults were current cigarette smokers, and 9.2% of high school students smoked cigarettes. Nearly 90% of smokers developed their habit as teenagers, and students' tobacco use in high school influences their behaviors later in adulthood. Smoking behaviors appear to be inseparable from the social environment, physical environment, small social groups, and cognitive and affective processes. Preventive strategies, such as advertising bans, clean indoor air laws, education programs, increased taxes, labeling limitations, mass-media campaigns, and youth access regulations, have been commonly used to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use nationwide. In Florida, local public school districts were authorized to develop new tobacco-free school policies through an amendment to the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in June 2011. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the recently implemented smoking cessation policies, as well as individual-level factors and interpersonal-level factors, on youth tobacco use in Florida public schools. This study employed a pooled cross-sectional design with data for high school students from the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS) in 2010 (n=37,797) and 2014 (n=32,930). It was guided by a theoretical framework based on the reasoned action approach and the social ecological model. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to analyze the data. The four models were binary logistic regression for cigarette use, multinomial logistic regression for cigarette use, binary logistic regression for cigar use, and multinomial logistic regression for cigar use. The results of this study support the importance of the individual-level constructs of background factors, behavioral beliefs, and control beliefs, the interpersonal-level construct of normative beliefs, and the policy-level construct of actual behavioral control when applied to youth tobacco use. These findings led to a better understanding of which policies, environments, and cognitions contribute to preventing and reducing teenage tobacco use, which is imperative in controlling the risks related to smoking and improving youth health. Now that the individual-level factors, interpersonal-level factors, and policy-level factors that contribute to youth tobacco use were recognized, preventative and therapeutic programs and interventions can be suggested and improved. This study provided evidence-based knowledge for improving public policies and interventional strategies towards smoking prevention and cessation for youth.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006188, ucf:51128
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006188
- Title
- Modeling social norms in real-world agent-based simulations.
- Creator
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Beheshti, Rahmatollah, Sukthankar, Gita, Boloni, Ladislau, Wu, Annie, Swarup, Samarth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Studying and simulating social systems including human groups and societies can be a complex problem. In order to build a model that simulates humans' actions, it is necessary to consider the major factors that affect human behavior. Norms are one of these factors: social norms are the customary rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. Norms are everywhere around us, from the way people handshake or bow to the clothes they wear. They play a large role in determining our behaviors....
Show moreStudying and simulating social systems including human groups and societies can be a complex problem. In order to build a model that simulates humans' actions, it is necessary to consider the major factors that affect human behavior. Norms are one of these factors: social norms are the customary rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. Norms are everywhere around us, from the way people handshake or bow to the clothes they wear. They play a large role in determining our behaviors. Studies on norms are much older than the age of computer science, since normative studies have been a classic topic in sociology, psychology, philosophy and law. Various theories have been put forth about the functioning of social norms. Although an extensive amount of research on norms has been performed during the recent years, there remains a significant gap between current models and models that can explain real-world normative behaviors. Most of the existing work on norms focuses on abstract applications, and very few realistic normative simulations of human societies can be found. The contributions of this dissertation include the following: 1) a new hybrid technique based on agent-based modeling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo is introduced. This method is used to prepare a smoking case study for applying normative models. 2) This hybrid technique is described using category theory, which is a mathematical theory focusing on relations rather than objects. 3) The relationship between norm emergence in social networks and the theory of tipping points is studied. 4) A new lightweight normative architecture for studying smoking cessation trends is introduced. This architecture is then extended to a more general normative framework that can be used to model real-world normative behaviors. The final normative architecture considers cognitive and social aspects of norm formation in human societies. Normative architectures based on only one of these two aspects exist in the literature, but a normative architecture that effectively includes both of these two is missing.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005577, ucf:50244
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005577
