Co-Presenting at APHA Conference
Author: Jessica Seymore | Major: Public Health & Biology | Semester: Fall 2023
My name is Jessica Seymore. I am part of the College of Education and Health Professions & Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. My majors are Public Health & Biology. My mentor is Dr. Page Dobbs. I completed my research in Fall 2023. My future plans are to graduate from the U of A in spring 2024, and apply to medical school.
My research is applicable to students at the University of Arkansas and beyond. My research focused on e-cigarette usage by young adults and their measures of distress and dependence. E-cigarettes have become more common over time, so it is important to understand the effects that e-cigarettes may have on different aspects of emotions. Other students can benefit from learning about this research, because they will become more aware of the prevalence of e-cigarette use and the potential impact e-cigarettes have on health. Evaluating aspects of distress and dependence among young adults allows others to have a better understanding of ways that public health cessation programs can target young adult e-cigarette users.
Once I decided that I wanted to pursue Honors research, I began reading through different faculties’ profiles, information, and research interests under the Public Health faculty directory. I was previously interested in e-cigarettes, which connected me to my mentor, Dr. Dobbs. After meeting with Dr. Dobbs and discussing our shared interest for e-cigarette research, I knew that I wanted to complete Honors research in her lab. One of the first activities I did in my research was coding interview transcripts of participants. During coding the transcripts of interviews, I gained an interest in the possible correlation that e-cigarettes may have with distress and dependence. In these transcripts, many students expressed their concerns about how distress prompted their e-cigarette usage. I wanted to have a better understanding of the potential relationship between these factors, which led me to choosing the relationship between e-cigarette, distress, and dependence as my research topic.
Although I was previously aware of the prevalence of students’ e-cigarette usage around me, it was very interesting to learn about the data about e-cigarette usage nationwide by young adults. In preparing for my Honors Proposal, I did a literature review to better understand e-cigarette usage and its potential impacts on coping with distress and negative emotions. Being able to complete this literature review provided me with more well-rounded knowledge of the impacts that e-cigarettes have on public health.
Dr. Dobbs played a major role in supporting my research. She provided her honor students with detailed timelines of tasks that needed to be completed. She supported me in narrowing down my research topic to focus on my interests. She encouraged each of her honors to apply for grants, conferences, and other opportunities. Having such a supportive mentor allowed me to have the best research experience possible. Every other week, Honors students and other members of the Health Equity and Addictions Lab met to discuss updates with our research projects, and upcoming opportunities. Being able to learn from other members of the lab was truly inspiring. I worked closely with another Public Health Honors student, Olivia Peterson. Olivia and I worked closely together in completing transcripts of interviews, coding the transcripts, and completing a thematic analysis of interview responses.
During my time as an Honors Research student, I was given the opportunity to co-present at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Our presentation was titled “Social Influences on Quitting E-Cigarette Use: A Mixed Method Analysis”. We presented our findings that young adults with greater social support were more likely to have tried to quit using e-cigarettes than those who had less social support.
Engaging myself with Honors research at the University of Arkansas has been an extremely fulfilling opportunity. After graduation in the Spring, I hope to attend medical school. My Honors research experience has made me more passionate about Public Health research, and has developed my interest in pursuing research while in medical school.