Explore the vast range of titles available.

Student-faculty (S-F) interactions that are conducive to students’ learning can help reduce the retention and graduation gaps in higher education, especially for college students from underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds. The aim of the study was to explore students’ perceptions of their interactions with faculty, and the subjective impact of these interactions on students’ academic and personal life. We analyzed qualitative data from a larger study with the goal of providing best practice models to support students experiencing displacement and food insecurity. Through purposive sampling techniques, 53 students from a diverse public university were recruited. Recruitment strategies focused on students who were likely to be facing academic, personal, and/or financial challenges that may affect their academic performance. Students were interviewed three to four times over a four to six-month period, using semi-structured interview guides. Our multidisciplinary team analyzed data thematically in team-based coding sessions using an online software. We identified four themes for faculty practices: (1) Creating Pedagogical Space, (2) Being Inclusive and Aware, (3) Being Engaged and Engaging Students, (4) Doing More Than Teaching. Based on students’ perspectives, these practices lead to supportive and responsive S-F relationships that facilitate learning and success. The findings have implications related to how faculty can encourage caring S-F relationships and create conducive learning environments where students can thrive, especially during times of crisis.

BACKGROUND Although end-of-life care preferences vary across racial/ethnic groups, little is known about how cultural values affect end-of-life care preferences among South Asian immigrants and their offspring in the US. OBJECTIVE To examine the perspectives of first- and second-generation South Asians living in the US regarding end-of-life care. DESIGN Focus group study. Discussions explored participant preferences and experiences with family members facing the end of life. PARTICIPANTS Twelve first-generation and 11 second-generation self-identified Asian Indians living in the mid-Atlantic region. APPROACH Content analysis of focus group transcripts. RESULTS First-generation participants ranged in age from 41 to 76 years and were evenly split by gender. Second-generation participants ranged in age from 23 to 36 years and included seven women and four men. All participants were highly educated, and two thirds were either studying or working in a health care field. All but two subjects were Hindu. Several themes emerged that highlighted cultural differences and challenges for this population in the context of end-of-life care: attitudes toward death and suffering; family duty; and preferences for information disclosure and decision making. Participants described cultural challenges due to the evolution of traditional roles, lack of explicit discussion between patients and family members about preferences and care expectations, and a tension between wanting to meet traditional expectations and the challenges in doing so given US social realities. CONCLUSIONS Traditional cultural values, such as duty to family, greatly influenced end-of-life care preferences and retained importance across generations. Clinicians caring for Asian Indian patients at the end of life may be better able to assess care preferences after exploring the complex interplay between traditional expectations and specific social realities for each patient. Particular attention should be given to attitudes toward death and suffering, family duty, and preferences for information disclosure and decision making.

Couple-level reports of contraceptive use are important as wives and husbands may report their use differently. Using matched couple data ( N = 63,060) from India’s NFHS-4 (2015–16), this study examined concordance in spousal reports of current contraceptive use and its differentials. Reporting of contraceptive use was higher among wives (59.0%) than husbands (25.2%). Concordance was low; 16.5% of couples reported the current use of the same method, while 20.4% reported the current use of any method. Many husbands did not report female sterilization as a means of contraception being used by their wives. Reconstruction of contraceptive use among men, based on the ‘ever-use of sterilization’ question asked to men, increased concordance by 10%. Multivariate analyses showed that concordance was low in urban and southern India, among younger women and among women with a lower wealth index. Men’s control over household decision-making and negative attitudes towards contraception were associated with lower concordance. The findings highlight the importance of using couple-level data to estimate contraceptive prevalence, and the role of education programmes to inculcate positive attitudes towards contraception, fostering gender equality and involving men in family planning efforts. The results also raise the issue of data quality as the survey questions were asked differently to men and women, which might have contributed to the wide observed discordance.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes varied medical and healthcare systems, healing practices, and products that are outside of allopathy/biomedicine. The aim of this study was to examine US South Asian youths’ beliefs, practices, decision-making, and experiences of using CAM. Ten focus group discussions with 36 participants were conducted. Data were coded deductively and inductively by four coders, working in pairs. Thematic analysis was performed. Disagreements were resolved through consensus. The results showed that CAM was appealing because of its often low cost, ease of access, family traditions to use CAM, and the perception that it was safe to use. Participants exercised pluralistic health choices. Some responses suggested a hierarchy wherein allopathy was used for serious, acute issues, and CAM for much of the remaining issues. The high use of and trust in CAM among young US South Asians raises important issues (e.g., provider support and integration to prevent potential interactions and avoid delaying allopathic treatment). More exploration is needed about the decision-making processes of US South Asian youth, including the perceived benefits/limitations of allopathy and CAM. US healthcare practitioners should familiarize themselves with South Asian social and cultural beliefs about healing to provide culturally-appropriate services and enhance patient care.

Women in Bangladesh have traditionally been excluded from taking part in social, political and economic activities by means of institutions such as the purdah (veil). However, the rise of the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh since the 1970s has provided women with opportunities to work outside the home for wages. This change coincided with changes such as a decline in the rural sector, increased emphasis on girls' education and campaigns to improve women's health and reduce fertility. As a result of these changes, the social exclusion of women has reduced considerably. This paper analyses existing literature on women's employment in the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh using a social exclusion framework. It finds that the impact of the industry on women's exclusion is mixed. Women have greater economic independence, respect, social standing and \"voice\" than before. However, harassment and exploitation persists. Given the important changes that this industry is helping to bring into women's lives, stakeholders should focus attention on making the industry a more humane and sustainable option for women. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Bangladesh has maintained a low HIV prevalence (of less than 1%) despite multiple risk factors. However, recent serological surveillance data have reported very high levels of HIV infection among a subgroup of male injecting drug-users (IDUs). This suggests that an HIV/AIDS epidemic could be imminent in Bangladesh. Although biomedical and behavioural change projects are important, they do not address the root causes of observed risky behaviours among 'high-risk' groups. In Bangladesh, these groups include sex workers, IDUs, males who have sex with males, and the transgender population—hijra—who are all excluded groups. Using a social exclusion framework, this paper analyzed existing literature on HIV in Bangladesh to identify social, economic and legal forces that heighten the vulnerability of such excluded groups to HIV/AIDS. It found that poverty and bias against women are major exclusionary factors. The paper presents areas for research and for policy action so that the social exclusion of high-risk groups can be reduced, their rights protected, and an HIV epidemic averted.

Bangladesh has maintained a low HIV prevalence (of less than 1%) despite multiple risk factors. However, recent serological surveillance data have reported very high levels of HIV infection among a subgroup of male injecting drug-users (IDUs). This suggests that an HIV/AIDS epidemic could be imminent in Bangladesh. Although biomedical and behavioural change projects are important, they do not address the root causes of observed risky behaviours among 'high-risk' groups. In Bangladesh, these groups include sex workers, IDUs, males who have sex with males, and the transgender population-hijra-who are all excluded groups. Using a social exclusion framework, this paper analyzed existing literature on HIV in Bangladesh to identify social, economic and legal forces that heighten the vulnerability of such excluded groups to HIV/AIDS. It found that poverty and bias against women are major exclusionary factors. The paper presents areas for research and for policy action so that the social exclusion of high-risk groups can be reduced, their rights protected, and an HIV epidemic averted.

Background. Many out-of-care people living with HIV have unmet basic needs and are served by loosely connected agencies. Prior research suggests that increasing agencies' coordination may lead to higher quality and better coordinated care. This study examines four U.S. interagency networks in AIDS United's HIV linkage and retention in care program. This study explores changes in the networks of implementing agencies. Methods. Each network included a lead agency and collaborators. One administrator and service provider per agency completed an online survey about collaboration prior to and during Positive Charge. We measured how many organizations were connected to one another through density, or the proportion of reported connections out of all possible connections between organizations. Network centralization was measured to investigate whether this network connectivity was due to one or more highly connected organizations or not. To compare collaboration by type, density and centralization were calculated for any collaboration and specific collaboration types: technical assistance, shared resources, information exchange, and boosting access. To characterize the frequency of collaboration, we examined how often organizations interacted by \"monthly or greater\" versus \"less than monthly.\" Results. Density increased in all networks. Density was highest for information exchange and referring clients. When results were restricted to \"monthly or greater,\" the densities of all networks were lower. Conclusions. This study suggests that a targeted linkage to care initiative may increase some collaboration types among organizations serving people living with HIV. It also provides insights to policy makers about how such networks may evolve.

Background. Many out-of-care people living with HIV have unmet basic needs and are served by loosely connected agencies. Prior research suggests that increasing agencies’ coordination may lead to higher quality and better coordinated care. This study examines four U.S. interagency networks in AIDS United’s HIV linkage and retention in care program. This study explores changes in the networks of implementing agencies. Methods. Each network included a lead agency and collaborators. One administrator and service provider per agency completed an online survey about collaboration prior to and during Positive Charge. We measured how many organizations were connected to one another through density, or the proportion of reported connections out of all possible connections between organizations. Network centralization was measured to investigate whether this network connectivity was due to one or more highly connected organizations or not. To compare collaboration by type, density and centralization were calculated for any collaboration and specific collaboration types: technical assistance, shared resources, information exchange, and boosting access. To characterize the frequency of collaboration, we examined how often organizations interacted by “monthly or greater” versus “less than monthly.” Results. Density increased in all networks. Density was highest for information exchange and referring clients. When results were restricted to “monthly or greater,” the densities of all networks were lower. Conclusions. This study suggests that a targeted linkage to care initiative may increase some collaboration types among organizations serving people living with HIV. It also provides insights to policy makers about how such networks may evolve.

Background: This dissertation aimed to investigate the patterns of inter-agency collaboration among agencies that offer HIV-related services in Baltimore City as well as the factors that affect such collaboration. Methods: A network analysis of 57 agencies that provided HIV-related services in Baltimore City was conducted. Further, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 key informants from 21 agencies that offered diverse services in Baltimore City. Results: HIV service agencies in Baltimore formed a connected network. Not-for-profit agencies as well as agencies affiliated to Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland had high centrality scores indicating their prominent role in the network. No distinct sub-groups were present in the network. Qualitative inquiry showed that most agencies perceived collaboration positively. Client referrals were the most common means of collaboration. Collaboration was driven primarily by inter-personal relationships and the needs of the client. Memoranda of understanding were mostly found to lack practical utility in fostering inter-agency collaboration. The most frequently cited barriers to collaboration lay in scarcity of time, funding and differences in agency philosophy and procedures. The case study of the impact of the closure of a central HIV service agency in a city on the East Coast showed mixed effects on other agencies and their patterns of collaboration. While some agencies possibly grew as a result of the funding that was freed by the closure, others added in-house services similar to those provided previously by the closed agency. The impact of the closure was likely felt most strongly by clients who had relied on the closed agency for practical and emotional support. Conclusions: Inter-agency collaboration is crucial in the HIV/AIDS field due to multiple client needs that cannot be served by any agency alone. Agencies should constantly monitor the external environment for changes that may compromise their ability to serve their clients effectively. Policy and programmatic interventions to foster collaboration should be sensitive to the existing constraints faced by agencies in shortage of time and fragmented funding mechanisms. More research is needed to identify mechanisms to foster collaboration that will be feasible and perceived as relevant by HIV service agencies.