Schedule at a Glance Speaker Index Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 Room 9 Room 10 Room 11 Posters Special Events
This is a Tuesday and Wednesday event.
ZOOM link for off-campus community members
This analytical paper assess how nurses have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It dives into the life of a nurse before the pandemic, meaning the stressors that have been present in the field. There are many solutions that have been mentioned in the literature that could potentially better support nurses during the current pandemic. The inclusion of mental health programs and government assistance is further explained on how they can improve nurses mental health.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
It has been proven that peer tutoring is beneficial to students at the undergraduate level in science classrooms in terms of academic performance and social support. The multidimensional support provided to students by peer tutoring programs also provides further opportunities for students who are peer tutors to gain leadership skills and teaching experience specific to their area of study. This community outreach project is designed to be a guide for future peer tutors in the Exercise and Health Science department, as a means for instructors to easily implement peer tutoring into their classrooms.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Exposure to plants has been shown to reduce stress and improve productivity in the workplace. This study investigates the effect of plants on student anxiety (STAI) and test scores. Anatomy students were randomly assigned plant versus control conditions. No significant differences between plant exposure or laboratory sections were detected for STAI (43.2 ± 8.9, 41.8 ± 8.4, P=0.128) or for test performance (38.3 ± 8.5, 27.9 ± 10.1, P=0.103). A high degree of variability in student responses and laboratory performance likely contributed to lack of differences detected.
Faculty Sponsor: Lucas Ettinger
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
After completing a month-long medical internship at Coastal General Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya it was striking how many pediatric burn victims suffered. A shocking 95% of burn fatalities occur in developing countries. Wong et al. (2014) found that Kenyan children under five-years-old sustained burns at a 3.8-fold greater rate than those older than five years (Wong et al, 2014). “Calm in the Kitchen” is filled with beautiful illustrations bringing the relatable story narrative to life with the intent to create a framework to influence positive behavioral change in Kenyan toddlers to reduce their risk of burn injuries.
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Harmer
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
This project investigates several methods used to prevent perineal trauma suffered during childbirth and if the most beneficial methods are accessible to women. Approximately 85% of all women experience some level of perineal tearing during vaginal childbirth, which contributes to the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders. The options examined include pelvic floor muscle training, perineal massage, and the use of epi-no, in which the main findings that will be discussed include incidence of perineal lacerations, degree of lacerations, episiotomy, and pain after vaginal birth.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) can impair gait which can result in a decrease in step length, reduced speed, and shuffling of steps. The human body naturally has a sense of rhythm and timing such as walking. Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) can improve gait in older adults with PD. Music and the beat of the metronome are common RAS that is used in physical therapy. The purpose of this paper is to explore how RAS improves gait and overall compliance to exercise in PD patients and further make recommendations on how RAS can be implemented in a physical therapy clinic.
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Harmer
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are all experiencing a shortage of applicants and personnel, placing extra strain on the existing employees and expediting burnout. Additionally, these career pathways remain male-dominated careers, which suggests women have yet to reach their fullest potential within this career path. The objective of this community outreach project is to increase the number of high-school students interested in firefighting and EMS through a comprehensive, informational website, with a page highlighting the history and community of women in these professions emphasizing their viability for women.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
This essay examines how health outcomes and costs are impacted by the provision of preventative care in the U.S. and recommends optimizing preventative care delivery by strengthening existing programs, instituting further community health programs, and improving coverage of preventative services. Healthcare costs have reached a critical level. Current spending has failed to result in proportionate health outcomes compared to international counterparts, due to overall inefficiency and missed prevention opportunities. This proposed solution intends to improve health outcomes and decrease costs through strengthening the primary care system and its relationship with health insurance.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Injury prediction is one of the most challenging issues in sports today. Over the last decade, the acute to chronic workload ratio (ACWR) has gained popularity, with software’s and organizations using the method to predict and reduce the risk of injury in athletes. The research has identified a “sweet spot” that puts an athlete at the lowest risk of injury, but there has been conflicting results within the literature that brings into question the validity of the ACWR “sweet spot.” However, there’s a bigger issue, the underlying mechanisms the ACWR uses to predict injury.
Faculty Sponsor: Michael Lockard
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
The purpose of this study was to identify a field-based protocol that analyzes balance deficits rather than cognitive deficits to define concussion recovery. Student athletes were put through a series of balance assessments and baseline data was collected. The results of these tests will be revealed and the conclusion that the field-based tests are able to identify balance deficits will be discussed.
Faculty Sponsor: Stasinos Stavrianeas
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
This research investigates the use of field tests to measure deficits in gait and movement associated with concussion. By comparing the results from instrumented lab-based tests to more feasible field-based tests, this study aims to provide insight into the objective measurement of gait performance in concussed athletes. Single- and dual-task, tandem, and other complex gait patterns were measured at baseline in healthy collegiate athletes participating in various sports. The results from this study will be revealed and discussed.
Faculty Sponsor: Stasinos Stavrianeas
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Injury rehabilitation is often conceptualized as consisting only of physical components of recovery, but psychosocial factors (i.e., anxiety, depression) also impact the rehabilitation process. Growing support for the influence of these responses on recovery suggests that the scope of physical therapy should be readdressed. This analysis evaluates the feasibility of added support for patients provided by physical therapists through implementation of psychosocial interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational strategies such as collaborative goal-setting and positive self-talk, and social support. Results indicate these methods are beneficial and cost effective, but additional training provided to physical therapists is necessary for implementation.
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Harmer
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
This paper investigates the demographics most likely to be vaccine-hesitant in the United States. Examining national COVID-19 case surveillance data from the CDC during the global pandemic, we investigate the possible root causes of such disparities in vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, this analytical investigation will examine evidence-based medicine and inoculation with respect to vaccines, geopolitical contributing factors to vaccine-hesitancy and anti-vaccine movements outside of COVID. From this investigation, we draw insights to how public health officials could adapt Vaccine administration and rollout to counter low compliance rates seen across the U.S.
Faculty Sponsor: Luke Ettinger
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
The female athlete triad consists of amenorrhea, low bone mineral density, and energy deficiency. Prevalence of the female athlete triad varies in the literature, however, recent evidence indicates 60% of athletic women exhibit at least one aspect of the triad. The paucity of literature and outreach pertaining to the athlete triad, coupled with social pressures of body image on this demographic likely contributes to the high degree of variability in reporting and diagnosis. Raising awareness of the condition and its symptoms through health-positive local outreach at Willamette University, this thesis aims to help students find balance during their health journeys
Faculty Sponsor: Lucas Ettinger
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
An important part of returning to play post injury for athletes is the rehabilitation program and athlete adherence. Electronic medical record systems (EMR) play a vital role in rehabilitation and improving the quality of patient care. The Burr Sports Medicine Center (BSMC) could maximize their current EMR, the Athletic Trainer System (ATS), by making it more accessible through QR codes. The benefits of using QR codes for healthcare lie in the ability to provide timely, multimodal information. QR codes provide a way to maximize the current EMRs and injury surveillance systems, and make them more accessible and inviting to athletes.
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Harmer
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
I conducted a needs analysis at the Marion County Health Department, which was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that illuminated pre-existing gaps in workforce resources and expertise. I explored the potential for student internship projects as an avenue to shorten the timeline for the development of qualified public health employees. Through a literature review, surveys, and interviews, I identified a significant overlap, indicating that internships can become a viable solution to the lack of public health resources. Finally, I provide recommendations on best practices when creating an internship program such as onboarding, marketing, and financing.
Faculty Sponsor: Stasinos Stavrianeas
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Evidence exists supporting physical activity to be beneficial for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy (CP), and Down Syndrome (DS). Children with IDD are less likely to be physically active and at greater risk of obesity and other comorbidities compared to their typically developing peers. Thus, significant attention needs to be put towards improving the physical health of children with IDD. This project will explore the most effective ways to increase physical activity and improve quality of life in youth with ASD, CP, and DS.
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Harmer
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
This project explores literature about obese individuals suffering from Osteoarthritis of the Knee (KOA) and the interventions that exist to treat KOA. Pharmacological, lifestyle, and surgical treatments were evaluated to determine which is most cost effective and most effective in reducing pain, increasing mobility, and increasing quality of life. This project also looks at denial of total knee replacement surgery for obese individuals with KOA and if there is a viable reason for denial of this treatment since TKR surgery seems to be the most cost effective intervention for treating obese populations with KOA.
Faculty Sponsor: Luke Ettinger
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
Plyometrics is a category of exercise that involves explosive movements tailored to enhancing clinical and sport performance outcomes. A comparison of jump rope, its mechanical properties as well as performance outcomes will be compared to traditional plyometric exercises such as drop jumps, counter movement jumps, hopping cone drills etc. The goal of this paper is to indicate if jump rope can provide similar, if not superior performance outcomes when compared to plyometrics. The stretch shortening cycle is a key component to the performance outcomes of plyometrics and can be seen in jump rope as well. With that being considered this paper argues the validity of jump rope being a plyometric exercise due to the stretch shortening cycle as well as previous research indicating that both plyometric exercises and jump rope produce significant results in performance outcomes such as agility, speed, explosive power etc.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science
A resistance training intervention study was implemented with patients aged 65 years and older seeking rehabilitation for low functional capacity in a partnering physical therapy clinic. Patients were randomized into a usual care group including balance and strength exercises that includes chair stand exercises. The intervention group conducted chair stand exercises with progressively decreasing chair heights, based on a baseline minimum height chair stand test (MHCST). Preliminary results regarding the MHCST and other functional tests of muscle strength and power following the intervention will be presented, along with a discussion of the research challenges of the project.
Faculty Sponsor: Brandi Row Lazzarini
Discipline: Exercise & Health Science