Connecticut Community Research Articles

Exploring the Nexus: Homeschooling and Library Engagement in Connecticut

ABSTRACT In the dynamic landscape of education, homeschooling continues to offer a compelling alternative to traditional schooling. Homeschool numbers surged through the pandemic and have not decreased to pre-pandemic levels. This study examines the shared connections between homeschooled families in Connecticut and local public libraries by looking at how home educators use library resources and participate in library programming; and examining how Connecticut libraries perceive and respond to the diverse needs of homeschooling communities. Based on 2 Connecticut statewide surveys, one sent to public librarians and another to homeschoolers, the study sought to identify areas of strengths, weaknesses and disconnects in the homeschool community and public library relationships in Connecticut. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected and reviewed to identify potential improvements to the evolving role of libraries in supporting alternative education pathways, and the potential for an infusion of public library support from the homeschool community.

Using Human-Centered Design Strategies to Identify Unmet Adolescent Sexual Health Wants and Needs.

This paper describes a human-centered design approach to investigate unmet adolescent sexual health wants and needs among youth of color in low-income and rural communities in Texas, North Carolina, and Connecticut (n = 149). The approach involved gathering qualitative data through in-depth interviews and other human-centered design activities between April 2016 and August 2016. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis after each round of data collection. Themes were triangulated across multiple data sources to identify key insights. Results highlighted several important unmet wants and needs. Participants shared that schools were not the preferred place to learn about sexual health and healthy relationships, due to uncomfortable and sometimes even hostile environments. When discussing the potential to use internet- and technology-based sexual health resources, participants expressed concerns over privacy, safety, and credibility of information available. Similarly, participants preferred mobile apps over websites due to the privacy of the experience. Most importantly, key emotions impacting adolescents' access to and use of sexual health resources were identified. Results indicated a preference for consuming story-based information in a text message format that described diverse experiences related to sexual health topics. Together, these findings led to the development of an innovative, mobile health intervention for adolescents, the Real Talk mobile app. This human-centered approach can support researchers and practitioners in strengthening intervention development efforts to improve the reach, adoption, and implementation of sexual health interventions.

Comparison of Metabolic Response to Colonic Fermentation in Lean Youth vs Youth With Obesity

Pediatric obesity is a growing health care burden. Understanding how the metabolic phenotype of youth with obesity may modify the effect of intestinal fermentation on human metabolism is key to designing early intervention. To assess whether adiposity and insulin resistance in youth may be associated with colonic fermentation of dietary fibers and its production of acetate, gut-derived hormone secretion, and adipose tissue lipolysis. Cross-sectional study of youths aged 15 to 22 years with body mass index in the 25th to 75th percentile or higher than the 85th percentile for age and sex throughout the New Haven County community in Connecticut. Recruitment, studies, and data collection occurred from June 2018 to September 2021. Youths were assigned to a lean, obese insulin sensitive (OIS), or obese insulin resistant (OIR) group. Data were analyzed from April 2022 to September 2022. Participants consumed 20 g of lactulose during a continuous 10-hour sodium d3-acetate intravenous infusion to measure the rate of appearance of acetate in plasma. Plasma was obtained hourly to measure acetate turnover, peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), ghrelin, active glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and free fatty acids (FFA). A total of 44 youths participated in the study (median [IQR] age, 17.5 [16.0-19.3] years; 25 [56.8%] were female; 23 [52.3%] were White). Consequent to lactulose ingestion, there was a reduction of plasma FFA, an improvement of adipose tissue insulin sensitivity index, an increase in colonic acetate synthesis, and an anorexigenic response characterized by an increased plasma concentration of PYY and active GLP-1 and a reduction of ghrelin in the subgroups. Compared with the lean and OIS groups, the OIR group showed a less marked median (IQR) rate of acetate appearance (OIR: 2.00 [-0.86 to 2.69] μmol × kg-1 × min-1; lean: 5.69 [3.04 to 9.77] μmol × kg-1 × min-1; lean vs OIR P = .004; OIS: 2.63 [1.22 to 4.52] μmol × kg-1 × min-1; OIS vs OIR P = .09), a blunted median (IQR) improvement of adipose insulin sensitivity index (OIR: 0.043 [ 0.006 to 0.155]; lean: 0.277 [0.220 to 0.446]; lean vs OIR P = .002; OIS: 0.340 [0.048 to 0.491]; OIS vs OIR P = .08), and a reduced median (IQR) PYY response (OIR: 25.4 [14.8 to 36.4] pg/mL; lean: 51.3 [31.6 to 83.3] pg/mL; lean vs OIR P = .002; OIS: 54.3 [39.3 to 77.2] pg/mL; OIS vs OIR P = .011). In this cross-sectional study, lean, OIS, and OIR youth demonstrated different associations between colonic fermentation of indigestible dietary carbohydrates and the metabolic response, with OIR youth showing minimal metabolic modifications as compared with the other 2 groups. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03454828.

Recovery advocate: News from Minnesota, and the country

Randy Anderson is a well‐known figure in the small world of recovery advocates; he travels across the country to trainings and his organization, Bold North Recovery, is a [Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery] CCAR‐certified trainer for peers in recovery. ADAW talked to him last month about his work in the field.

Experiences of Connecticut Community Health Center Patients With Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background Since COVID-19 rapidly made telemedicine a necessity, it is clear that virtual patient visits are going to be part of the new norm in continued outpatient care as we move into a postpandemic reality. However, we are still learning about patients’ experiences and preferences amid the rapid and widespread deployment of telemedicine. Objective The aim of this paper is to determine patients’ satisfaction with and experiences of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic among those seeking care at Community Health Center Association of Connecticut member clinics. Methods Data were collected using a 24-question phone survey, which asked about telehealth use, frequency of telehealth visits, and barriers experienced. Participants were eligible if they aged 18 years or older, were English speaking, and were receiving care at 1 of 3 participating Community Health Center Association of Connecticut clinics. Results A total of 383 participants completed the phone survey throughout July 2021. The median age grouping was between 55 and 59 years, and the majority (63%) were female. Since COVID-19, in total, 78% reported having one or more audio-only telehealth visits (from 31% before), and 53% had one or more video telehealth visit (from 13% before). Most reported being very satisfied with their visits (86%) and that they felt confident in their provider’s ability to address their needs (74%). Most did not experience technical problems or have difficulty understanding how to connect to their provider. Even among older participants (60 years and older), only 28% reported having difficulty understanding how to connect to their provider, compared with 23% of 40- to 59-year-old patients and 18% of 18- to 39-year-old patients. Moreover, 45% reported being very likely to continue using telehealth even after the pandemic. However, 52% would have liked the option of in-person visits if they had been available in the past year. Conclusions These results suggest that most patients find telehealth visits an appropriate and accessible means of accessing health care, though some still like the option of seeing their provider in person. Future work should compare provider and patient experiences and identify optimal means of making the encounters mutually satisfying and beneficial. Conflicts of Interest None declared.

President’s Commentary

Editorial| January 01 2023 President’s Commentary Tara Jo Holmberg Tara Jo Holmberg NABT President TARA JO HOLMBERG, PhD (leadership@nabt.org) is a professor of environmental science and biology at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, CT. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2023) 85 (1): 3. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2023.85.1.3 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Tara Jo Holmberg; President’s Commentary. The American Biology Teacher 1 January 2023; 85 (1): 3. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2023.85.1.3 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search Having just returned from the enriching and fulfilling NABT 2022 conference in Indianapolis, I found myself remembering a small conference on reflective teaching practice a number of years ago. At this conference, I was given the prompt, “Who inspired you to become an educator?” I was stumped. I had not planned on becoming a teacher but rather fell into it by circumstance. As I thought more about this question, I recalled the various educators that I considered particularly effective now that I was in their shoes. I thought about the commonalities between them and in what ways each had impacted me. I found one common thread particularly intriguing: each of them was exceptionally good at making their job look effortless. We know how easy teaching appears to outsiders. We have certainly heard as much in recent years, but it has been a disparaging mantra for a very long time. As... You do not currently have access to this content.

"We Need Health for All": Mental Health and Barriers to Care among Latinxs in California and Connecticut.

Latinx (im)migrant groups remain underserved by existing mental health resources. Past research has illuminated the complex factors contributing to this problem, including migration-related trauma, discrimination, anti-immigrant policies, and structural vulnerability. This paper uses decolonial-inspired methods to present and analyze results from two studies of Latinx (im)migrant communities in central California and southern Connecticut in the United States. Using mixed quantitative and qualitative analysis, we demonstrate the intersectional complexities to be addressed in formulating effective mental health services. Relevant social and structural factors including knowledge of mental health, access to insurance, and experiencing discrimination were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms, based on linear regression analysis. Ethnographic interviews demonstrate how complex trauma informs mental health needs, especially through the gendered experiences of women. Overlapping aspects of gender, language barriers, fear of authorities, and immigration status contoured the lived experiences of Latinx (im)migrants. Thematic analyses of open-ended survey responses also provide recommendations for solutions based on the experiences of those directly affected by these health disparities, particularly relating to healthcare access, affordability, and capacity. Building from these findings and past research, we recommend the adoption of a comprehensive model of mental health service provision for Latinx (im)migrants that takes into account Indigenous language access, structural competency, expanded health insurance, and resources for community health workers.

Debate & Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, Consequences

Debate & Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, Consequences

Centering Health Equity Within COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Connecticut's Community Outreach Specialist Program.

Context:The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations, including those who are non–English-speaking and those with lower socioeconomic status; yet, participation of these groups in contact tracing was initially low. Distrust of government agencies, anticipated COVID-19–related stigma, and language and cultural barriers between contact tracers and communities are common challenges.Program:The Community Outreach Specialist (COS) program was established within the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) COVID-19 contact tracing program to encourage participation in contact tracing and address a need for culturally competent care and social and material support among socially vulnerable and non–English-speaking populations in 11 high-burden jurisdictions in Connecticut.Implementation:In partnership with state and local health departments, we recruited 25 COS workers with relevant language skills from target communities and trained them to deliver contact tracing services to vulnerable and non–English speaking populations.Evaluation:We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from ContaCT, DPH's enterprise contact tracing system. Overall, the COS program enrolled 1938 cases and 492 contacts. The proportion of residents reached (ie, called and interviewed) in the COS program was higher than that in the regular contact tracing program for both cases (70% vs 57%, P < .001) and contacts (84% vs 64%, P < .001). After adjusting for client age, sex, race and ethnicity, language, and jurisdiction, we found that the COS program was associated with increased reach for contacts (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.17-1.99) but not for cases (OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70-0.88). Rapid qualitative analysis of programmatic field notes and meeting reports provided evidence that the COS program was feasible and acceptable to clients and contributed to COVID-19 education and communication efforts.Conclusion:A COS program employing a client-centered, community-engaged strategy for reaching vulnerable and non–English-speaking populations was feasible and more effective at reaching contacts than standard COVID-19 contact tracing.

Midwives' Perspectives about Vitamin K Prophylaxis Against Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding of the Newborn.

BackgroundThe American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one intramuscular (IM) vitamin K injection at birth to prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding of the Newborn (VKDB). Among factors associated with IM vitamin K refusal, investigators have reported an increased frequency of IM vitamin K refusal among parents who select midwife-assisted deliveries. Reasons behind this association are unclear.MethodsTo understand the perspectives of midwives on IM vitamin K prophylaxis and approach to counseling parents using qualitative methodology, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews of midwives associated with 3 tertiary academic medical centers and surrounding communities in Connecticut, Iowa and Michigan. We used the grounded theory approach and the constant comparative method until saturation was reached.ResultsWe interviewed 19 white female midwives from different training pathways. Participants who were Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) routinely recommended IM vitamin K prophylaxis and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) took a more neutral approach. The following 4 themes emerged: (1) Emphasis on an educational approach to counseling that supports parents’ decision-making authority; (2) Low-intervention philosophy in the midwifery model of care attracts certain parents; (3) Need for relationship building between midwives and pediatricians and (4) Opportunities for the future.ConclusionsMidwives in our study perceived that the midwifery model of care, the focus on physiologic birth and prioritizing parents’ decision-making autonomy appears to attract a sub-set of expectant parents with certain belief systems who question interventions such as IM vitamin K prophylaxis. There are opportunities for better collaboration between midwives and pediatricians.

Breeding forest birds of northeastern Connecticut show a long-term population increase and high species turnover

North American birds have declined by 29% over 48 years, with declines occurring across species and biomes. To examine population patterns at a local scale, we investigated species and population shifts in a forest bird community in northeastern Connecticut. We did so in relation to its changing environments, focusing on patterns consistent with the effects of climate change and habitat manipulation. In 1985, we established survey routes primarily in the intensively managed Yale-Myers experimental forest, which we repeated in 2018 and 2019. Species richness varied little from the initial survey to the recent ones, although population density increased by 24% after 1985. Turnover in species composition exceeded 50%. The 5 most strongly declining species were northerly distributed, forest interior inhabitants, whereas the 7 most strongly increasing species were variously distributed forest interior and edge/successional-associated species. Some species experienced increases by invading new habitats, whereas at least one appeared to decline due to interspecific competition. Expected effects of climate change on populations were consistent with some findings, but habitat effects appeared related to a greater number of shifts. However, much contrary data indicated that these factors were not alone in driving community change. This bird community may best be thought of as a dynamic assemblage that represents the sum of individualistic responses to environmental and perhaps stochastic factors.

Recovery Coaching In and Out of Emergency Departments: an Overview of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery’s (CCAR) Emergency Department Recovery Coaching Program

Recovery Coaching In and Out of Emergency Departments: an Overview of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery’s (CCAR) Emergency Department Recovery Coaching Program

Recommendations for Community Colleges in a Post-COVID-19 World: What Worked, What Did Not and Assorted Commentary on Lessons Learned in One Community College

ABSTRACT Northwestern Connecticut Community College is a small rural community college that quickly pivoted to offering almost all classes and services over video conferencing and other online means because of the COVID pandemic. The college offered faculty training in online pedagogy and offered students a variety of resources such as laptops, food, and Wi-Fi-hotspots, to keep them progressing in classes. These efforts worked as enrollment was the strongest in Connecticut, the online courses did not exacerbate underlying racial gaps, and course pass rates had minimal decrease. Frequent communication from college leadership assisted in successful roll out of all innovations. The implications of this study could be used to highlight the new needs of community college students in a post-COVID world.

Role of wetlands in reducing structural loss is highly dependent on characteristics of storms and local wetland and structure conditions

Coastal communities in New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), and Connecticut (CT) sustained huge structural loss during Sandy in 2012. We present a comprehensive science-based study to assess the role of coastal wetlands in buffering surge and wave in the tri-state by considering Sandy, a hypothetical Black Swan (BS) storm, and the 1% annual chance flood and wave event. Model simulations were conducted with and without existing coastal wetlands, using a dynamically coupled surge-wave model with two types of coastal wetlands. Simulated surge and wave for Sandy were verified with data at numerous stations. Structural loss estimated using real property data and latest damage functions agreed well with loss payout data. Results show that, on zip-code scale, the relative structural loss varies significantly with the percent wetland cover, the at-risk structural value, and the average wave crest height. Reduction in structural loss by coastal wetlands was low in Sandy, modest in the BS storm, and significant in the 1% annual chance flood and wave event. NJ wetlands helped to avoid 8%, 26%, 52% loss during Sandy, BS storm, and 1% event, respectively. This regression model can be used for wetland restoration planning to further reduce structural loss in coastal communities.

Open Budgetary Meetings Amid a Pandemic: Assessing Connecticut’s Various Pathways to Public Engagement During COVID-19

This qualitative analysis of public participation in Connecticut open meetings highlights how Connecticut communities adjusted when the state’s open meeting law was temporarily revised under emergency order during COVID-19. A survey of officials in 95 municipalities found a majority had the same or more participation in budget deliberations during that time. Only about a quarter saw decreased public participation. A closer look at four communities highlights specific challenges and successes during the sudden shift in public meetings. Connecticut’s varied forms of government give multiple perspectives, which can provide insight for other communities looking to expand virtual access to open meetings.

Culinary Cultural Conservation and Cultural Keystone Food Groups: Concepts in Ethnobotany

We propose Culinary Cultural Conservation (CCC) and Cultural Keystone Food Groups (CKFG) as ethnobotanical concepts. Our two-decade study of fresh food markets showed impressive crop-consistency across space (Puerto Rico to Connecticut, Vietnam to Australia and to the USA) and time (1993–2015). Notably, fresh, mostly tropical and imported, starchy crops (‘viandas’) are preferentially selected by the migrant Puerto Rican community in Connecticut, despite higher costs. We term this phenomenon Culinary Cultural Conservation (CCC), and argue that it may apply more generally across immigrant/migrant cultural groups and also extend to dry commodities (like rice). We suggest the dietary focus on viandas among fresh crops in immigrant/migrant Puerto Rican communities might represent a “keystone” analogous to keystone species in ecology, and the Cultural Keystone Species in ethnoecology. The new concept applies to a group of foods, and we therefore propose the term Cultural Keystone Food Group. We suggest that identification of CKFGs allows ethnobotanical comparisons of fresh commodity choices among cultures to be made efficiently and facilitates rapid assessments and analysis of ethnonutritional preferences and dietary conservation.

Relative Versus Absolute Commodity Measurements in Benefit Transfer: Consequences for Validity and Reliability

Non‐market goods can be measured on cardinal or relative scales. Consider a marsh of 200 acres, of which 20 acres would be affected by a policy. The same affected area can be measured in cardinal terms (20 acres) or as a relative proportion (10% of the marsh). When relative units such as percentages are a scalar transformation of cardinal units, the units of measurement used for modeling are often inconsequential for single‐site econometric and welfare analysis. However, this seemingly inconsequential transformation can have significant implications for benefit transfer across sites—a simple observation that remains unacknowledged by the literature. This article provides a theoretical and empirical evaluation of variable measurement conventions within benefit transfer, deriving conditions under which different types of measurement scales are expected to enhance validity and reliability. Theoretical results are illustrated using an application of discrete choice experiments to coastal flood adaptation in two Connecticut (United States) communities. Empirical findings validate expectations from the theoretical model, suggesting that transfers over goods measured in relative units may often outperform transfers over goods measured in cardinal units. These findings imply that the outcome of benefit transfer convergent validity tests may hinge on whether goods are measured in cardinal or relative units.

Delivering a Post-Partum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook or In-Person Groups: Protocol for a Randomized Feasibility Pilot Trial.

BackgroundPostpartum weight retention contributes to long-term weight gain and obesity for many women. Lifestyle interventions with numerous visits are logistically challenging for many postpartum women. Delivering a lifestyle intervention via social media may overcome logistic challenges to participation in in-person weight loss programs.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to conduct a randomized feasibility pilot trial of a 6-month postpartum weight loss intervention delivered via Facebook or in-person groups with 72 postpartum women with overweight or obesity.MethodsWomen with overweight or obesity who are 8 weeks to 12 months postpartum (N=72) will be recruited from the Hartford, Connecticut community. Eligible participants must also own an iPhone or Android smartphone and be an active Facebook user. Participants will receive a 6-month postpartum weight loss intervention based on the Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention and adapted for postpartum women. Participants will be randomized to receive the intervention via a private Facebook group or in-person group meetings. Assessments will occur at baseline, weekly during the intervention, at 6 months (at the end of the intervention), and at 12 months. Primary feasibility outcomes are recruitment, sustained participation, contamination, retention, and feasibility of assessment procedures including measurement of costs to deliver and receive the intervention. We will describe 6- and 12-month weight loss as an exploratory outcome.ResultsRecruitment began in September 2018. The first wave of the intervention began in February 2019, and the second wave of the intervention is expected to begin in fall 2019. We anticipate completing follow-up assessments in fall 2020, and results will be analyzed at that time.ConclusionsResults will inform the design of a large randomized controlled trial to assess whether delivering a postpartum weight loss intervention via Facebook is noninferior for weight loss and more cost-effective than delivering the intervention via traditional in-person groups.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/15530

Sudden cardiac arrest survival in HEARTSafe communities

BackgroundThe HEARTSafe Communities program promotes community efforts to improve systems for treating sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The study hypothesis was that the rates of SCA survival to admission, discharge, and discharge with CPC score 1 or 2 are higher in HEARTSafe-designated communities than non-designated communities in Connecticut, USA. Secondary outcomes included bystander CPR and AED application. MethodsThe state Office of EMS supplied a list of towns that are HEARTSafe-designated, and dates of designation. The Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival provided data for all SCA from 2013 to 2017 in the 70 participating towns. For each SCA, it was determined whether the town was HEARTSafe-designated at the time. ResultsOf 2922 SCA cases, 1569 (54%) occurred in towns that were HEARTSafe-designated.Patients in designated towns were 1.15 times more likely to have AEDs applied by bystanders, and 1.15 times more likely to have CPR started by bystanders, than were patients in non-designated towns, but these differences were not significance (p = 0.66 and 0.28). The likelihood of surviving to admission was 1.33 times higher (p = 0.02) in designated towns. The likelihood of surviving to discharge was 1.33 times higher, and of surviving to discharge with CPC 1 or 2 was 1.4 times higher, but these differences were not significant (p = 0.17 and 0.13). ConclusionSCA survival rates do not differ between HEARTSafe and non-HEARTSafe communities in Connecticut. SCA patients in HEARTSafe communities are no more likely to receive bystander AED application or bystander CPR.

Senior centers: if you build will they come?

ABSTRACTSenior Centers have served as community focal points for older adults in the US since 1943. They serve a critical role on the aging continuum of care. However, attendance rates among seniors have been dropping nationally, especially among “younger” older adults. This study, which was conducted in a suburban community in Connecticut, utilized a cross-sectional, mixed methods design to understand this phenomenon. Nearly 800 older adults were surveyed to identify their needs, interests and reservations about senior centers. The study findings are relevant for the continued sustainability and relevance of senior centers nationwide. The results provide the framework for recommendations to senior centers with respect to both policy and practice.