Browsing by Author "Wenzel, Sophie"
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- Advancing the Global Land Grant Institution: Creating a Virtual Environment to Re-envision Extension and Advance GSS-related Research, Education, and CollaborationHall, Ralph P.; Polys, Nicholas F.; Sforza, Peter M.; Eubank, Stephen D.; Lewis, Bryan L.; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H.; Pollyea, Ryan M.; Schoenholtz, Stephen H.; Sridhar, Venkataramana; Crowder, Van; Lipsey, John; Christie, Maria Elisa; Glasson, George E.; Scherer, Hannah H.; Davis, A. Jack; Dunay, Robert J.; King, Nathan T.; Muelenaer, Andre A.; Muelenaer, Penelope; Rist, Cassidy; Wenzel, Sophie (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)The vision for this project has emerged from several years of research, teaching, and service in Africa and holds the potential to internationalize education at Virginia Tech and in our partner institutions in Malawi. The vision is simple, to develop a state-of-the-art, data rich, virtual decision-support and learning environment that enables local-, regional-, and national-level actors in developed and developing regions to make decisions that improve resilience and sustainability. Achieving these objectives will require a system that can combine biogeophysical and sociocultural data in a way that enables actors to understand and leverage these data to enhance decision-making at various levels. The project will begin by focusing on water, agricultural, and health systems in Malawi, and can be expanded over time to include any sector or system in any country. The core ideas are inherently scalable...
- Avoid Infection, and While You're At It, Have a Demographic TransitionBromage, Paul; Wenzel, Sophie (Center for Public Health Practice and Research, 2016)Allocating Energy: What Social Activists Know About Metabolism
- COVID-19 related messaging, beliefs, information sources, and mitigation behaviors in Virginia: A cross-sectional survey in the summer of 2020Silverman, Rachel; Short, Danielle; Wenzel, Sophie; Friesen, Mary Ann; Cook, Natalie (PeerJ, 2024-01-08)Background. Conflicting messages and misleading information related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) have hindered mitigation efforts. It is important that trust in evidence-based public health information be maintained to effectively continue pandemic mitigation strategies. Officials, researchers, and the public can benefit from exploring how people receive information they believe and trust, and how their beliefs influence their behaviors. Methods. To gain insight and inform effective evidence-based public health messaging, we distributed an anonymous online cross-sectional survey from May to July, 2020 to Virginia residents, 18 years of age or older. Participants were surveyed about their perceptions of COVID-19, risk mitigation behaviors, messages and events they felt influenced their beliefs and behaviors, and where they obtained information that they trust. The survey also collected socio-demographic information, including gender, age, race, ethnicity, level of education, income, employment status, occupation, changes in employment due to the pandemic, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and zip code. Analyses included specific focus on the most effective behavioral measures: wearing a face mask and distancing in public. Results. Among 3,488 respondents, systematic differences were observed in information sources that people trust, events that impacted beliefs and behaviors, and how behaviors changed by socio-demographics, political identity, and geography within Virginia. Characteristics significantly associated (p < 0.025) with not wearing a mask in public included identifying as non-Hispanic white, male, Republican political identity, younger age, lower income, not trusting national science and health organizations, believing one or more non-evidence-based messages, and residing in Southwest Virginia in logistic regression. Similar, lesser in magnitude correlations, were observed for distancing in public. Conclusions. This study describes how information sources considered trustworthy vary across different populations and identities, and how these differentially correspond to beliefs and behaviors. This study can assist decision makers and the public to improve and effectively target public health messaging related to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic and future public health challenges in Virginia and similar jurisdictions.
- Developing a Master Food Volunteer Continuing Education Program: A Model for Volunteer Capacity BuildingJiles, Kristina A.; Chase, Melissa W.; Hosig, Kathy L.; Wenzel, Sophie; Schlenker, Eleanor; Rafie, Carlin (2019-04-30)We developed a master food volunteer (MFV) continuing education program (CEP) for MFVs assisting Extension agents with a diabetes self-management program. Our development process included two phases of pilot testing. First, seasoned MFVs tested and provided formative feedback on the first iteration of the MFV CEP modules. After revising the modules in response to their feedback, we evaluated program effectiveness by comparing pretraining/posttraining score change between MFVs who had completed the training (intervention group) and those who had not (comparison group). All test scores increased for intervention group members, whereas half declined for comparison group members. Our process of developing enhanced education to address program-specific volunteer capacity building has broad applicability.
- Implementation and outcomes of the Balanced Living with Diabetes program conducted by Cooperative Extension in Rural Communities in VirginiaRafie, Carlin; Hosig, Kathy L.; Wenzel, Sophie; Borowski, Shelby; Jiles, Kristina A.; Schlenker, Eleanor (2021-08)Introduction: Adult onset diabetes is a significant health issue in rural communities that are disproportionately suffering from the health, social and financial costs of the disease. Despite this, over half of rural counties in the USA lack access to diabetes selfmanagement programs, which are effective at improving diabetes management. The Cooperative Extension System (CES) is a nationwide education network that provides research-based information and programs in nearly 3000 counties in the USA to improve the health and wellbeing of rural and urban communities. This study evaluated the implementation and outcomes of a lifestyle management program, Balanced Living with Diabetes (BLD) conducted by community-based educators who are part of the CES in rural Virginia, to address the gap in diabetes education in these communities. BLD is grounded in social cognitive theory and has shown efficacy to modify dietary and physical activity behaviors resulting in improved glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The study evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of BLD programs conducted by the CES in 16 rural counties over 2 years. Program adoption, reach, context, and barriers and facilitators to implementation were evaluated through program outcome data and extension educator interviews. Program outcomes included change in weight, glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), diabetes knowledge, self-management practices, diet and physical activity behaviors, and self-efficacy from baseline to 12-week assessment. Results: Extension educators conducted 30 programs, reaching 290 residents, with a 58% mean retention rate. The program resulted in a significant increase in diabetes and food knowledge, fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake, use of the plate method, exercise, and diabetes management self-efficacy. A1C decreased significantly in participants with diabetes (mean reduction=0.345±1.013; p=0.001). The program was conducted twice in 11 counties, and once in five counties. Barriers to program adoption in the five counties included limited community interest, competing program priorities of the extension educator, and loss of extension personnel to conduct the program. Participant communication materials and systems to enhance program sustainability were developed in response to educator feedback. Process evaluation indicated that the program was highly acceptable to extension educators and program participants. Conclusion: The CES is an effective network for implementation of diabetes lifestyle-management programs in underserved communities, and the BLD program is effective at increasing lifestyle behaviors and self-efficacy that improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Collaboration by Virginia’s CES with a variety of community partners, including healthcare and social service providers, increases the reach and sustainability of extension diabetes programs. The CES in the USA is well positioned to fill the gap in diabetes education in rural communities as part of a chronic care model.
- Implementation and outcomes of the Balanced Living with Diabetes program conducted by Cooperative Extension in rural communities in VirginiaRafie, Carlin; Hosig, Kathryn W.; Wenzel, Sophie; Borowski, Shelby; Jiles, Kristina; Schlenker, Eleanor D. (2021-08-02)Introduction: Adult onset diabetes is a significant health issue in rural communities that are disproportionately suffering from the health, social and financial costs of the disease. Despite this, over half of rural counties in the USA lack access to diabetes selfmanagement programs, which are effective at improving diabetes management. The Cooperative Extension System (CES) is a nationwide education network that provides research-based information and programs in nearly 3000 counties in the USA to improve the health and wellbeing of rural and urban communities. This study evaluated the implementation and outcomes of a lifestyle management program, Balanced Living with Diabetes (BLD) conducted by community-based educators who are part of the CES in rural Virginia, to address the gap in diabetes education in these communities. BLD is grounded in social cognitive theory and has shown efficacy to modify dietary and physical activity behaviors resulting in improved glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The study evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of BLD programs conducted by the CES in 16 rural counties over 2 years. Program adoption, reach, context, and barriers and facilitators to implementation were evaluated through program outcome data and extension educator interviews. Program outcomes included change in weight, glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), diabetes knowledge, self-management practices, diet and physical activity behaviors, and self-efficacy from baseline to 12-week assessment. Results: Extension educators conducted 30 programs, reaching 290 residents, with a 58% mean retention rate. The program resulted in a significant increase in diabetes and food knowledge, fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake, use of the plate method, exercise, and diabetes management self-efficacy. A1C decreased significantly in participants with diabetes (mean reduction=0.345±1.013; p=0.001). The program was conducted twice in 11 counties, and once in five counties. Barriers to program adoption in the five counties included limited community interest, competing program priorities of the extension educator, and loss of extension personnel to conduct the program. Participant communication materials and systems to enhance program sustainability were developed in response to educator feedback. Process evaluation indicated that the program was highly acceptable to extension educators and program participants. Conclusion: The CES is an effective network for implementation of diabetes lifestyle-management programs in underserved communities, and the BLD program is effective at increasing lifestyle behaviors and self-efficacy that improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Collaboration by Virginia’s CES with a variety of community partners, including healthcare and social service providers, increases the reach and sustainability of extension diabetes programs. The CES in the USA is well positioned to fill the gap in diabetes education in rural communities as part of a chronic care model.
- A mixed methods investigation of how young adults in Virginia received, evaluated, and responded to COVID-19 public health messagingCook, Natalie E.; Wenzel, Sophie; Silverman, Rachel A.; Short, Danielle; Jiles, Kristina A.; Markwalter, Teresa; Friesen, Mary Ann (2022-09-22)The purpose of this study was to investigate how young adults in Virginia received, evaluated, and responded to messages related to the coronavirus/COVID-19, a major disruptor of our time, and to understand how and when these messages influenced behavior. This was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study, including an online survey (quantitative) and virtual focus groups (qualitative). We surveyed a convenience sample of 3,694 Virginia residents by distributing a link to complete the survey online. Only data from18-24 year old adults (n=207) were included in the analysis for this study. Focus group participants were recruited from the survey participants as well as from a college-level introductory health class. Most (83%) young adult respondents reported national science and health organizations as a trusted source for COVID-19 information and over 50% of respondents reported getting information from state/local health departments (72%), healthcare professionals (71%), and online news sources (51%). Focus group participants emphasized social media as an additional major source of COVID-19 information. Focus group data revealed that young adults struggled with deciphering contradictory messaging, had a mix of logical and emotional reasons for deciding whether to adhere to guidelines, had a desire for consistent, fact-based public health messaging at the national level. The findings from this study underscore the importance of consistent, positive public health messaging in a public health crisis.
- Virginia Tech Assessment Showcase 2015: Day 1Amelink, Catherine T.; Kutnak, Michael J.; Wenzel, Sophie; Evans, Jack (2015-02-09)University Libraries partnered with the Office of Assessment to hold the Virginia Tech 2015 Assessment Showcase for the entire university.