Research and Publications - School of Nursing
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Browsing Research and Publications - School of Nursing by Author "Burton, Wanda Martin"
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Item Addressing the Racial Disparity in Birth Outcomes: Implications for Maternal Racial Identity on Birthweight(2017) Burton, Wanda Martin; Hernandez-Reif, Maria; Lian, BradAs a widely used marker of health, birthweight has been a persistent racialized disparity with the low birthweight rate of Blacks in Alabama nearly doubling the national average. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of racial identity and acculturation on birthweight in a sample of Black women living in Alabama. Black women (n=72) in West Alabama were surveyed about the birthweight of their first born child. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Racial identity was the only significant predictor of birthweight. Mothers with a strong racial identity reported having low birthweight babies less often than those who scored lower on racial identity. Further exploration of racial identity revealed self-image as the essential element that predicted birthweight. Birthweight increased 4.2 ounces for each additional degree of self-image. Results also indicated that birthweight decreased as mothers’ age increased, within the widely accepted optimal maternal age range 21 to 35. Results add to the existing body of literature in support of the positive effect racial identity has on health. Findings on age are congruent with the weathering hypothesis, which states that the health of Black women may begin to deteriorate in early adulthood possibly due to the strain of racism.Item Challenges to Providing Integrated HIV Prevention in Substance Use Treatment Settings: Frontline Staff Perspectives on HIV and Sex-Related, Education, Communication and Stigma(Taylor & Francis, 2023-10-11) Jaiswal, Jessica; Griffin, Marybec; LoSchiavo, Caleb; Cox, Amanda; Hascher, Kevin; Dunlap, Kandyce; Walters, Suzan; Burton, Wanda Martin; Grini, Benjamin; Mumba, Merci; Eaton, EllenIntroduction Substance use treatment settings can play a critical role in ending the HIV epidemic. Community-based methadone clinics are potentially useful sites to offer biomedical HIV prevention, but little is known about how clinicians and other clinic staff communicate with patients about sexual behavior and HIV-related topics. Methods Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted at two methadone clinics in Northern New Jersey. Participants included medical providers (physicians, RNs, DNPs), methadone counselors, intake coordinators, lab technicians, and other auxiliary staff members. Results: Three major themes were identified: (1) HIV education is primarily provided by external organizations, (2) there is limited staff-patient communication around HIV and sexual behaviors, and (3) HIV stigma is prevalent among staff and patients. Conclusion To implement PrEP in methadone treatment settings, clinic staff must be able to engage in non-judgmental communication about HIV and sex with patients. Additionally, federal and state funding for HIV prevention in substance use treatment settings must be prioritized to enable clinics to access the necessary training and resources.Item Coping Among Black College Women: A Transformative Study of Gendered Racism(Wiley, 2024) Burton, Wanda Martin; Ezemenaka, Christina; Jaiswal, Jessica; Guyotte, Kelly W.; Sanders, Angelica M.Black women in the United States are placed at higher risk for mental health challenges, including distress and depression, due to structural inequities. Black college women enrolled in predominantly White institutions may be particularly exposed to stressors related to gendered racism, but there is limited knowledge about this population's coping strategies. A cross‐sectional survey and focus group were utilized to understand and disrupt participants’ experiences of gendered racism. In phase one, a survey assessing coping strategies and mental health outcomes was conducted with 168 Black women enrolled at a predominantly White institution in the southeastern United States. Logistic regression results indicated that several coping strategies including behavioral disengagement, self‐blame, self‐distraction, denial, and positive reframing were significantly associated with depression and psychological distress, all p< 0.05. Phase two included a single focus group with a subset of the sample from phase one. The focus group findings supplemented the survey results, suggesting education (more accurately consciousness‐raising) as a foundational theme that seemed to create space for humor and social support as coping subthemes and created a transformative space where participants spoke openly about gendered racism. Findings from this study highlight the societal underpinnings that shape Black college women's experiences of gendered racism. College settings should endeavor to provide formal and informal support for Black women to minimize the harms related to gendered racism.Item Gendered racial microaggressions and black college women: A cross-sectional study of depression and psychological distress(Taylor & Francis, 2022-10-13) Burton, Wanda Martin; Paschal, Angelica M.; Jaiswal, Jessica; Leeper, James D.; Birch, David A.Objective: We assessed the association between gendered racism, the simultaneous experience of sexism and racism, depression, and psychological distress in Black college women using an intersectional instrument, the gendered racial microaggression scale. Participants: Black college women enrolled at a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the southeastern U.S. (N=164, response rate = 77%, mean age 21.67). Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to explore the impact of stress appraisal and frequency of gendered racial microaggressions on depression and psychological distress using validated scales. Results: 30% reported depression and 54% reported severe psychological distress. Correlations indicate significant relationships between gendered racism, depression and psychological distress, with the strongest relation reported between the frequency of gendered racism to depression. Regression analyses suggest significant relationships between gendered racism, depression and psychological distress. Conclusion: Gendered racism has significant bearing on the mental health of Black college women attending a PWI. Implications for interventions are discussed.Item Gendered Racism: A Call for an Intersectional Approach(Slack Journals, 2022) Burton, Wanda MartinInequities in social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to health disparities that outweigh an individual’s ability to make healthy choices. SDOH refer to environmental conditions that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risks. They are complex, interdependent, and often grouped in five categories: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and the built environment, and social and community con- text. Within the social and community context, discrimination has increasingly received attention since the American Public Health Association established its National Campaign Against Racism (Jones, 2016a,b). Understanding, revealing, and redressing racism as a social and structural determinant of health may help eliminate racialized health disparities. Yet, for those who are at the inter- section of multiple oppressions, focusing on racism alone may not go far enough.Item Memories of adult survivors of childhood cancer: Diagnosis, coping, and long-term influence of cancer(Taylor & Francis, 2022-02-03) Hinton, Tori; Burns-Nader, Sherwood; Casper, Deborah; Burton, Wanda MartinPurpose: This study examines adult childhood cancer survivors’ memories about diagnosis, coping, and life effects of cancer.Research approach: This qualitative study used inductive content analysis to analyze open-ended responses completed in a survey conducted in 2018.Participants: 27 adult survivors (15 male, 12 female) of childhood cancer, ranging in age from 20–39, who were at least 5 years post treatment.Methods: Participants recruited through Amazon MechanicalTurk responded to a survey which included open-ended questions about experiencing childhood cancer to examine their:(1) memories of initial reactions to cancer; (2) memories of coping during cancer; and (3) reflections of the cancer experience on who they are today.Findings: Inductive content analysis was performed to reveal categories related to the stories shared by participants regarding their memories of childhood cancer experiences. Participants’memories of diagnosis reflected categories such as psychological reactions and family support. Memories of coping reflected themes of family support and distraction. Participants’ reported strength and resilience as impacts of cancer on their present lives. Implications for Psychosocial Providers: These findings indicate that survivors of childhood cancer have strong, specific memories about diagnosis and coping during cancer and highlight the potential long-term implications of having cancer. The findings also illustrate the importance of appropriate psycho-social support for childhood cancer patients and survivors.Item Nursing Faculty Workforce Development Project(Wolters Kluwer, 2024) Welch, Susan; Acker, Kristi; Burton, Wanda Martin; Cheshire, Michelle; Sartain, Andrea; Wedgeworth, Monika; Welch, TeresaA proposed nursing faculty workforce development project by a college of nursing within a research-intensive institution will increase the number of nurse faculty from the current population of BSN-prepared nurses from underserved communities in a state to earn a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree with a nursing education specialty. This project will be accomplished through partnerships between a college of nursing and academic institutions with large nursing student populations from underserved communities. In addition, the project will incorporate the employment of MSN students at academic partner institutions within a clinical nurse faculty role. The proposed project will continue after an initial federally funded grant to continue the project and address the nurse faculty shortage from diverse populations and advance health equity and culturally congruent health care in the state. The project will also enhance partnership building with stakeholders, such as statewide academic institutions, to impact underserved communities.Item Race as a Structural Determinant of Mental Health(Slack Journals, 2024) Burton, Wanda Martin; Mumba, Mercy NgosaIn the United States, one in five adults (52.9 million) were living with a mental health disorder in 2020 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). According to the CDC (2023), mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being and affects thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Although higher prevalence rates of mental disorders are not typically reported in racialized minority groups due in part to imperfect racial categorizations and measurements, researchers contend that complex social and structural factors, including inequities in the social determinants of health (SDOH), contribute to Black American individuals’ stress and mental health concerns (Burton et al., 2023; Kim & Bostwick, 2020; Millet et al., 2020). In addition, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black adults are less likely to receive routine treatment for mental health disorders due to several factors, including lack of access to treatment, mistrust, and stigma (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2023). Moreover, people with mental health disorders oen receive mental health care in emergency departments (EDs) when routine care is lacking. National data from 2018 to 2020 show that mental health-related ED visits were highest among Black American individuals for substance use, anxiety, and mood disorders compared to Hispanic and non-Hispanic White ED patients (Peters et al., 2023).