Author: Haley Person | Major: Public Health | Semester: Spring 2025
Since the popularization of the #MeToo movement, social media sites are increasingly used for disclosing, sharing, and responding to incidences of sexual violence (SV). TikTok is a popular social media app for creating and discovering short-form videos, with a focus on trends, challenges, and viral content. The purpose of my study was to analyze TikTok content to explore the nature of SV awareness, as well as coping strategies shared by TikTok users.
Presenting my research in a poster presentation at SOPHE 2025
Because of the Honors College conference travel grant, I was able to attend the 2025 annual Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) conference in Long Beach, California. The SOPHE annual conference provides the opportunity for health education professionals to share best practices, learn about new trends in the field, and network with one another making it an ideal venue for discussing the intersection of social media, sexual health, and trauma-informed communication.
Engaging with others doing research in technology and communications provided me with diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to health education. Throughout the conference, I thought about how I could bring strategies from other states, like Alabama and Texas, home to Fayetteville. The conference’s interactive workshops facilitated meaningful discussions about the struggles that we face as public health educators, especially in the south. It was incredible to feel a sense of solidarity with an entire room of people and to know that we are not alone as we face political challenges to our research topics, techniques, and grants.
THE SOPHE 2025 conference offered numerous opportunities for professional growth. During my short time there, I attended workshops on research into training health professionals to adapt to weight-inclusive thinking, implementing a diabetes prevention tool in food pantries, and research into how populations with high obesity rates change health outcomes. In addition, numerous public health groups were tabling outside of the conference rooms. I was able to have discussions with peers, public health masters’ and doctorate programs, and advocacy groups, allowing me to expand my network to a national scale.
Presenting my research at SOPHE 2025 was an incredible experience. I was terrified beforehand because I felt young and out of my league. However, all of the experts I spoke with were interested in and impressed with my research. Many people stopped to take pictures of my poster, and I had meaningful conversations with many students from other parts of the country. I even exchanged my LinkedIn with one girl from Minnesota. I learned to be more confident in my work because I was accepted to the conference for a reason. I also learned why research conferences are important in allowing peers to meet and exchange the latest research and educational techniques.
If I were giving advice to another Honors student considering submitting an abstract to a national conference, I would absolutely say to do it. Even being there for just three days, I had one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.
This summer, I will be helping to write a paper on our findings throughout this research project, which we will hopefully submit to be published sometime in the fall. I am also already working on my next research experience by helping a graduate student complete her dissertation that will explore the narratives of women with diabetes regarding managing diabetes and strategies used to regulate blood glucose levels during the phases of the menstrual cycle.