Browsing by Author "Dinh, Kristin"
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Item Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Aspire Program for Improving Student SAT Scores Before, During, and After COVID-19(2023-04-13) Dinh, Kristin; Joshi, Neha; Nguyen, Ngoc-Trang Adrienne; Vinod, VeenaAspire is a Houston-based educational project provided by the University of Houston Honors College Bonner Leaders Program in a partnership with Stephen F. Austin High School, which is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Aspire provides SAT exam and college readiness mentorship to low-income high school students in order to expand their educational opportunities, promoting confidence through personalized guidance and empowering them to pursue post-secondary education. By using College Board's practice SAT tests, Aspire executives design a curriculum to be used throughout the academic year. The program structure consists of in-person tutoring with high school seniors in the fall semester and high school juniors in the spring semester. Student success is measured by their performance on the SAT. Improving by at least 100 points on the SAT from their initial test scores prior to the program indicates mastery of the skills necessary to solve SAT questions. Based on changes in students' SAT scores, mentor evaluation forms, and pre- and post-program student feedback forms, Aspire is able to assess the program's effectiveness with respect to both student and mentor performance. The purpose of this study is to examine students' SAT scores after program completion from pre-COVID-19, Fall 2019, to post-COVID-19, Fall 2021. Our findings show that student SAT scores increased after the program relative to their pre-program SAT scores.Item Food Insecurity is Associated with Moderate and Severe Psychological Distress in Latino Adults(2022-04-14) Ali, Arfa; Bhatt, Jhanvi; Dinh, KristinLatinos are more likely to be food insecure and report psychological distress compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Despite these disparities, limited research has examined the association between food insecurity and psychological distress among Latinos. The purpose of our study was to examine associations between food insecurity and psychological distress levels in U.S. Latino adults. We used cross-sectional 2014-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data on Latino participants 18-59 years of age (n=13,799). Food insecurity status was measured using the 10-item USDA Food Security Scale. Participants were categorized as food secure (2 or fewer items) and food insecure (3 or more items). Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-6 scale, which categorized participants into no psychological distress, moderate psychological distress (MPD), and severe psychological distress (SPD). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between food insecurity and psychological distress level. All models were adjusted for sex, age, education, nativity, insurance coverage, and marital status. In adjusted models, compared with those that were food secure, individuals that were food insecure were significantly more likely to report MPD (Odds Ratio [OR]: 2.60, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.24-3.01). Those that were food insecure were also more likely to report SPD (OR: 5.01, 95% CI: 4.06-6.18). These findings suggest that food insecure Latinos are more likely to experience psychological distress. Our findings highlight the continued need for community-based interventions and programs focused on providing food and mental health resources for individuals experiencing food insecurity. This project was completed with contributions from Daphne Hernandez from the UT Health Cizik School of Nursing.Item Gender Disparities in the Association between Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress among US Adults(2023-04-13) Dinh, Kristin; Thomas, RonaldIntroduction: Women are more likely to experience food insecurity (13.2% vs. 12.3% men) and more likely to report higher levels of psychological distress than men. Limited research has examined gender disparities in association between food insecurity and psychological distress among U.S. adults. Methods: We used cross-sectional 2014-2018 National Health Interview Survey data on 41,122 participants 18-59 years old with household income ?299% federal poverty level (FPL). 10-item USDA Food Security Scale measured food security levels (food secure: 0-2 items; food insecure: 3-10 items). Kessler-6 scale was used to measure the level of psychological distress and classify participants as having no psychological distress (more than 6 items), moderate psychological distress (6-12 items), and serious psychological distress (SPD; less than or equal to 13 items). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between food insecurity and psychological distress by gender. All models were adjusted for age, ethnicity, education, insurance coverage, employment status, marital status, and FPL. Results: In adjusted models, compared with food secure men, those that were food insecure were significantly more likely to report MPD (OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 2.08-2.70) and SPD (OR: 4.20, 95% CI: 3.47-5.09). Compared with food-secure women, those that were food insecure were also more likely to report MPD (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 2.42-2.95) and SPD (OR: 5.27, 95% CI: 4.58-6.06). Conclusion: Findings highlight the continued need for community programs focused on providing resources to men and women experiencing food insecurity and psychological distress.