Hand holding smartphone with fitness app concept on touchscreen. Modern flat vector icons of healthy lifestyle fitness and physical activity. Healthy lifestyle concept.

A Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Mobile Devices to Promote Physical Activity

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Hand holding smartphone with fitness app concept on touchscreen. Modern flat vector icons of healthy lifestyle fitness and physical activity. Healthy lifestyle concept.

Lead Researcher: Yan Qin

Summary: This project involves systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of mobile devices to promote physical activity. Moderators such as use of behavioral change theories/techniques and targeted audience groups are also investigated in the study.

Sexual Health Diseases Women Awareness Concept

Sexual Health Content on College Student Health Websites

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Sexual Health Diseases Women Awareness Concept, a laptop showing “sexual health,” with glasses, a cup of tea and dessert aside

Lead Researcher: Samantha Stanley

Summary: This content analysis examines the prevalence of sexual health information on college student health websites.

Girl Power Equality Feminist Women's Right Concept

A Construal Level Perspective on Sex Positivity and Self/Other Appeals.

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Girl Power Equality Feminist Women’s Right Concept, five girls from different ethnic groups standing together, laying their hands on top of each other

Lead Researcher: Samantha Stanley

Summary: This project tests messages that vary in the extent to which they are sex positive and appeal to the health of oneself or one’s sexual partner.

Social Media World Wide

Social Media, Culture, and Health

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Social Media World Wide, young people from around the world using social media through various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops

1. Principal Investigator: Yumin Yan

Funding Source: J. William and Mary Diederich, College of Communication, Marquette University, WI.

Summary: This project aims to explore Chinese international students’ social media (Facebook and WeChat) usage and how it influences their process of intercultural adaptation.

2. Lead Researcher: Yumin Yan

Summary: This project investigates the effects of Instagram usage and celebrity worship on college females’ body image satisfaction, social comparison behaviors, and eating disorders.

Global warming infographic shows key metrics that are effecting global climate change and becoming a high risk alert for the life on the Earth

An Examination of the Heartland Institute’s “Why Scientists Disagree about Global Warming.”

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Global warming infographic shows key metrics that are effecting global climate change and becoming a high risk alert for the life on the Earth

Lead Researcher: Gareth Thomas Williams

Summary: This project aims to exam the Heartland Institute’s “Why Scientists Disagree about Global Warming.” It is part of a broader analysis of the means of persuasion employed by government and nonprofit organizations and NGOs, and their use and/or manipulation of science to suit policy advocacy. A previous phase of this study included the broadcast of climate data by the Badlands National Park Twitter account on Inauguration Day 2017. This action ultimately spurred the current alt/rogue government galaxy of social media, numbering more than 35 as of July 2018.

Green plastic bottle of mineral and organic fertilizer

A Multipart Analysis of Outreach Communications

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Green plastic bottle of mineral and organic fertilizer

Lead Researcher: Gareth Thomas Williams

Summary: This project is a multi-part analysis of outreach communications by agricultural chemical manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture following the 1962 release of “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. The study includes rhetorical analysis of communications by the companies and examination of multimedia information and disinformation campaigns seeking to undermine Carson’s work. This work follows on a rhetorical analysis of Ms. Carson’s speeches in 1963 that rebut the industry and governmental challenges to her work. Future work will likely address the presidential commission launched in response to “Silent Spring,” which ultimately found the assertions in the book credible and warranting immediate intervention.

Food containing too much sugar. Sugar in diet causes obesity, diabetes and other health problems

Stigma Related Research

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Food containing too much sugar, e.g., sweets, donuts, and cookies. Sugar in diet causes obesity, diabetes and other health problems

Lead Researcher: Victoria Ann Ledford

1. Summary: This project aims to better understand how individuals with weight stigma construct their self-stigma beliefs and attitudes. The goal of this project is to develop a theoretically grounded measure for weight-related self-stigma.

2. Summary: This project aims to construct a model of self-stigma communication that provides predictable pathways for researchers who investigate how self-stigma affects health-related behavioral intentions. The first iteration of this project will be presented at NCA 2018.

Health and healthcare infographic. Health effects of obesity.

The RPA and Stigma

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healthcare infographic

Health and healthcare infographic. Health effects of obesity.

Lead Researcher: Victoria Ann Ledford

Summary: This project began as Victoria’s Master’s thesis project, which situated stigma as an important predictor in the Risk Perception Attitude Framework. She is currently working to extend the work of this study.

Results from her thesis project can be found here: http://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2090&context=etd