kathleen ragsdale | Mississippi State University (original) (raw)
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Papers by kathleen ragsdale
Journal of health disparities research and practice, 2014
Purpose: Despite broad public support for comprehensive sex education, its implementation remains... more Purpose: Despite broad public support for comprehensive sex education, its implementation remains controversial in the United States, especially in states such as Mississippi that have been identified as politically conservative. This study examined parental opinions regarding the implementation of ageappropriate sex-related education (SRE) (i.e., abstinence-plus education) in Mississippi public schools. Methods: Data were used from the first state-level survey of a randomized sample of parents (N = 3,600) of public school students in Mississippi. The sample was relatively equally distributed between non-Hispanic whites (52.8%) and African Americans (48.2%). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine parental support for a number of components associated with comprehensive sex education (i.e., condom use demonstration). Results: More than 90% of parents endorsed implementing age-appropriate SRE in Mississippi public schools, discussing the transmission and preve...
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
In the global knowledge economy, connectivity is the oxygen for any research and development inst... more In the global knowledge economy, connectivity is the oxygen for any research and development institutions such as those within the National Agriculture Research System (NARS). The need to empower the NARS to assume research and development leadership requires superior information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Specifically, the manuscript addresses two new research questions: 1) what is the state, both quantitatively and qualitatively, of ICT at a NARS institution, and 2) what should a tool look like whereby NARS network managers can on their own benchmark and monitor the state of their ICT systems. The research team employs the case study method to measure the state of ICT connectivity for the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), a leading station within the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana. Additionally, the research team develops, describes, and applies a new assessment tool, the ICT Health Checkup, which NARS and higher education institutions can utilize. This research fills a void in the ICT for development literature, which to date provides no guidance for research institutions in the developing world as to how they are to access the connectivity they need to be able to provide scientific leadership at the national, regional, and international level. The results quantify the gap between the needs of the researchers, support staff, and administration and the available service. Additionally, the ICT Health Checkup Tool not only shows NARS leadership their connectivity gaps, but also provides specific and measurable benchmarks of the physical infrastructure, intranet services, and capacity of the ICT staff. Finally, the case study provides important insights as to the way forward. The case motivates the underlying economies of scale associated with ICT systems, and the need for NARS to leave the current model of individual contracts with telecom providers. Collaborating with like institutions aggregates demand, which in turn lowers the costs per unit of bandwidth. In this vein, the case study shows the value of the relatively new National Research and Education (NREN) model to bring much needed connectivity to the region's agricultural researchers.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
The emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza epidemic produced a number of unique communication chall... more The emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza epidemic produced a number of unique communication challenges for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Part of the CDC's response to these challenges included the strategic use of video posted to YouTube to address the public's need for information in a timely and accessible way. This case study includes an examination of the context in which this communication response took place, an overview of the research and strategy development that informed the strategic communication, and an evaluation of the response.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
An estimated 25% of HIV-infected persons in the US are unaware of their HIV status, either becaus... more An estimated 25% of HIV-infected persons in the US are unaware of their HIV status, either because they have never been tested for HIV or have not been tested recently. Substance abusers are at higher risk for HIV infection than are non-users. Integrating Rapid HIV testing, referral, and prevention counseling into non-medical settings is a key strategy in HIV prevention, as it is important to identify those recently HIV-infected and link them as early as possible to healthcare and support services. One of the poorest states in the US, Mississippi ranks 14th in the rate of AIDS cases per 100,000 and 8th in rate of HIV infections among teens and young adults. African Americans comprise 72% of the estimated 9,000 Mississippians living with HIV. We report on preliminary results from a study to address the HIV testing and prevention needs of clients in three rural community-based substance abuse treatment centers in the Mississippi Delta. We used a participatory action research (PAR) app...
Background: Implementing effective school-based health initiatives has become ever more urgent du... more Background: Implementing effective school-based health initiatives has become ever more urgent due to climbing childhood obesity rates in the US. With a childhood obesity rate of 22%, Mississippi ranks first in the nation in obesity among children ages 10-17. In response to Mississippi's childhood obesity rate, the state legislature passed the Mississippi Healthy Students Act of 2007 (MHSA), which centers on a number of school-based health initiatives to address childhood obesity, including promotion of physical activity, sound nutrition, and sound health education in public schools. Methodology: From 2009-2012, annual evaluations of MHSA have been conducted among four key stakeholder groups, including parents. We present the 2009-2011 results from the state-wide survey of a randomized sample of parents (N>3,600 per year) to examine their: (1) knowledge/attitudes towards MHSA; (2) knowledge/attitudes/behaviors that influence children's health; and (3) perceived overweight...
Journal of cultural diversity, 2007
Sexual risk variability among brothel-based sex workers has been shown to be influenced by fear o... more Sexual risk variability among brothel-based sex workers has been shown to be influenced by fear of HIV transmission, and by culture-bound gender norms as well as economic need, yet the effect of sexual agency on impoverished Latina sex workers' risk behavior with their clients remains poorly characterized. We investigated perceived health beliefs regarding susceptibility to/severity of HIV/AIDS, and sexual agency regarding barriers to condom use, benefits of unprotected sex, and risk-reduction behavior with clients among a sample of 33 brothel workers in Belize. Although 77% of participants felt at risk for HIV, only 30% always use condoms and 43% did not refuse unprotected sex with clients. Participants' narrative explanations for unprotected sex emphasized that clients'preferences often overrode brothel workers fear of HIV, and that the health benefits of using condoms with clients were often weighed against the social benefits of unprotected sex. Implications for brot...
Journal of health disparities research and practice, 2014
Purpose: Despite broad public support for comprehensive sex education, its implementation remains... more Purpose: Despite broad public support for comprehensive sex education, its implementation remains controversial in the United States, especially in states such as Mississippi that have been identified as politically conservative. This study examined parental opinions regarding the implementation of ageappropriate sex-related education (SRE) (i.e., abstinence-plus education) in Mississippi public schools. Methods: Data were used from the first state-level survey of a randomized sample of parents (N = 3,600) of public school students in Mississippi. The sample was relatively equally distributed between non-Hispanic whites (52.8%) and African Americans (48.2%). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine parental support for a number of components associated with comprehensive sex education (i.e., condom use demonstration). Results: More than 90% of parents endorsed implementing age-appropriate SRE in Mississippi public schools, discussing the transmission and preve...
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
In the global knowledge economy, connectivity is the oxygen for any research and development inst... more In the global knowledge economy, connectivity is the oxygen for any research and development institutions such as those within the National Agriculture Research System (NARS). The need to empower the NARS to assume research and development leadership requires superior information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Specifically, the manuscript addresses two new research questions: 1) what is the state, both quantitatively and qualitatively, of ICT at a NARS institution, and 2) what should a tool look like whereby NARS network managers can on their own benchmark and monitor the state of their ICT systems. The research team employs the case study method to measure the state of ICT connectivity for the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), a leading station within the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana. Additionally, the research team develops, describes, and applies a new assessment tool, the ICT Health Checkup, which NARS and higher education institutions can utilize. This research fills a void in the ICT for development literature, which to date provides no guidance for research institutions in the developing world as to how they are to access the connectivity they need to be able to provide scientific leadership at the national, regional, and international level. The results quantify the gap between the needs of the researchers, support staff, and administration and the available service. Additionally, the ICT Health Checkup Tool not only shows NARS leadership their connectivity gaps, but also provides specific and measurable benchmarks of the physical infrastructure, intranet services, and capacity of the ICT staff. Finally, the case study provides important insights as to the way forward. The case motivates the underlying economies of scale associated with ICT systems, and the need for NARS to leave the current model of individual contracts with telecom providers. Collaborating with like institutions aggregates demand, which in turn lowers the costs per unit of bandwidth. In this vein, the case study shows the value of the relatively new National Research and Education (NREN) model to bring much needed connectivity to the region's agricultural researchers.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
The emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza epidemic produced a number of unique communication chall... more The emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza epidemic produced a number of unique communication challenges for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Part of the CDC's response to these challenges included the strategic use of video posted to YouTube to address the public's need for information in a timely and accessible way. This case study includes an examination of the context in which this communication response took place, an overview of the research and strategy development that informed the strategic communication, and an evaluation of the response.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
An estimated 25% of HIV-infected persons in the US are unaware of their HIV status, either becaus... more An estimated 25% of HIV-infected persons in the US are unaware of their HIV status, either because they have never been tested for HIV or have not been tested recently. Substance abusers are at higher risk for HIV infection than are non-users. Integrating Rapid HIV testing, referral, and prevention counseling into non-medical settings is a key strategy in HIV prevention, as it is important to identify those recently HIV-infected and link them as early as possible to healthcare and support services. One of the poorest states in the US, Mississippi ranks 14th in the rate of AIDS cases per 100,000 and 8th in rate of HIV infections among teens and young adults. African Americans comprise 72% of the estimated 9,000 Mississippians living with HIV. We report on preliminary results from a study to address the HIV testing and prevention needs of clients in three rural community-based substance abuse treatment centers in the Mississippi Delta. We used a participatory action research (PAR) app...
Background: Implementing effective school-based health initiatives has become ever more urgent du... more Background: Implementing effective school-based health initiatives has become ever more urgent due to climbing childhood obesity rates in the US. With a childhood obesity rate of 22%, Mississippi ranks first in the nation in obesity among children ages 10-17. In response to Mississippi's childhood obesity rate, the state legislature passed the Mississippi Healthy Students Act of 2007 (MHSA), which centers on a number of school-based health initiatives to address childhood obesity, including promotion of physical activity, sound nutrition, and sound health education in public schools. Methodology: From 2009-2012, annual evaluations of MHSA have been conducted among four key stakeholder groups, including parents. We present the 2009-2011 results from the state-wide survey of a randomized sample of parents (N>3,600 per year) to examine their: (1) knowledge/attitudes towards MHSA; (2) knowledge/attitudes/behaviors that influence children's health; and (3) perceived overweight...
Journal of cultural diversity, 2007
Sexual risk variability among brothel-based sex workers has been shown to be influenced by fear o... more Sexual risk variability among brothel-based sex workers has been shown to be influenced by fear of HIV transmission, and by culture-bound gender norms as well as economic need, yet the effect of sexual agency on impoverished Latina sex workers' risk behavior with their clients remains poorly characterized. We investigated perceived health beliefs regarding susceptibility to/severity of HIV/AIDS, and sexual agency regarding barriers to condom use, benefits of unprotected sex, and risk-reduction behavior with clients among a sample of 33 brothel workers in Belize. Although 77% of participants felt at risk for HIV, only 30% always use condoms and 43% did not refuse unprotected sex with clients. Participants' narrative explanations for unprotected sex emphasized that clients'preferences often overrode brothel workers fear of HIV, and that the health benefits of using condoms with clients were often weighed against the social benefits of unprotected sex. Implications for brot...