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When I first took the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) quiz, I was overcome with the enormity of Black trauma contained in those ten questions. The quiz reflected my own story, as well as those of Black students, women, and families—traumas that were magnified by the impact of three pandemics: COVID-19, economic inequities, and systemic racism. The definition of trauma as “emotional responses to disastrous life events” like COVID-19 can have both short- and long-term health consequences throughout one’s lifespan. The impact of COVID-19 as Black trauma in my family will reverberate long after society heals from the last three years and moves toward living with COVID-19 symbiotically. It is imperative to recognize ACEs and their perpetual trauma to implement successful trauma-informed practices to counteract and undo the damaging effects of COVID-19 on our collective lives.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women faculty and administrators are breaking barriers, maintaining excellence, becoming award-winning scholars, and flourishing as experts in their fields. Still, they must survive while they thrive, grappling with insecurity, writer’s block, and imposter syndrome. Further examination prompts the realization that imposter syndrome may be a scapegoat for structural racism. Moreover, COVID-19 has created substantial health and financial tolls, fueled mental and emotional fatigue, and disrupted workplace productivity. These barriers caused by COVID-19 and structural racism inspire the courage to reassure, uplift, mentor, invite, and make collaborative spaces for BIPOC women to express feelings of vulnerability, unease, and, ultimately, hope. When seats are missing at the table, one can bring their own table and seats. In a field of often unforgiving critics, the authors provided underrepresented scholars the opportunity to promote authenticity and illuminate their voices. This chapter shares the authors’ reflections on being able to share the diverse and resilient perspectives of BIPOC women in academia.

Objective: Increasing BMI, overweight, and obesity are urgent and grave problems in the US. The goal of this study is to begin to understand trends in overweight and obesity among undergraduate students in the U.S. to assist in informing public health education and health promotion practices. Methods: Data on self-reported weight and height were collected in 2012, 2014, and 2016 from randomly selected college students who were enrolled in a public university in Northeast US. Spearman's Rank Order Test was used to evaluate trends within specific demographic categories. Results: BMI increased for almost all studentsfrom 2012-2016. Groups with significant increases in BMI included: males, females, sophomores, and seniors. Conclusions: Results suggest the need for interventions to reduce increases in overweight and obesity that are experienced during college years. College is a critical transitional time when students adopt health behaviors that they continue into adulthood. Increasing BMI in college students indicates a need for additional research to understand the factors that contribute to the increasing trend of overweight and obesity in this population. College is an optimal setting for implementation of effective interventions that can help prevent BMI increases in this population and establish healthy behaviors for the future. Keywords: Overweight, Obesity, College Students, BMI, Spearman’s Rank, Interventions

COVID-19 brought me challenges and opportunities. I lost important people in this pandemic but also accomplished a lot. COVID-19 gave me a chance to soul search, grow, and develop. I blossomed into the woman I have always wanted to be but could not find. During it all, I was awarded my undergraduate degree, got accepted to a graduate program, received a new job, and bought my first car. With every blessing came a challenge, including health problems. Still, I persevered. Opportunities continue to present themselves and I seize them. Professional successes included publishing an article, presenting at a state public health conference, being featured in my university’s annual newsletter, and nailing my dream job! I got to “See Me!”, a woman of color coming from another country, accomplishing so much in a short span of time. This chapter details a true testimony and how giving up is not an option.

U.S. society has been gripped with dueling pandemics of racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, highly publicized instances of police brutality against Black persons, and ensuing unrest to challenges these atrocities. In higher education, the rapid pivot response to COVID-19 with remote and virtual learning has also highlighted multiple levels of mental health trauma and disparities. There has also been vicarious trauma for Black women in academia who may have seen their family, friends, or loved ones reflected during increased media coverage of police brutality. This implores the need for effective strategies to mitigate these issues. This chapter discusses evidence-based strategies for Black women who navigate academia and teach during times of COVID-19 and social unrest. This chapter also proposes strategies for university leaders to consider alleviating cultural and racial gaps in the classroom or workplace and foster diversity and inclusion in academia.

In addition to fueling health disparities, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities among faculty of color. COVID-19 has also taken a dramatic toll on college students’ mental health, with evident racial disparities. Gender inequality in research productivity has also been revealed, with women submitting fewer papers compared to men. This pandemic has created an opportunity, of sorts, to promote academic and career success among women and students of color in academia. Research has shown that mentorship and research opportunities improve chances for success among students of color in higher education. Faculty members can also progress personally and professionally from such collaborations. Still, students of color are not equally given opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research. This chapter shares perspectives and strategies from Black women faculty and graduate students regarding faculty-student research to promote academic and career success among faculty and students of color in academia.

Black women in the United States (U.S.) disproportionately experience adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal mortality, compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups. Historical legacies of institutionalized racism and bias in medicine compound this problem. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color may further worsen existing racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. This paper discusses structural and social determinants of racial disparities with a focus on the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States. We explore how structural racism contributes to a greater risk of adverse obstetric outcomes among Black women in the U.S. We also propose public health, healthcare systems, and community-engaged approaches to decrease racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality.

Objective To examine the association between the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participation during pregnancy and birth weight by race and ethnicity on a national level. Design Retrospective cohort of US natality from 2014 to 2022. Setting All US states and Washington, DC. Participants First-time mothers of a live singleton birth covered by Medicaid with available data on WIC participation and birth weight. Exposure WIC participation during pregnancy (yes/no) Main Outcome Measure Low (< 2,500 g) and very low (< 1,500 g) birth weight. Analysis Multivariable logistic regression Results A total of 3,778,400 mothers covered by Medicaid were included in this analysis, of which 69.6% were WIC participants during pregnancy. The association between WIC participation and birth weight outcomes differed by race and ethnicity. After adjusting, WIC participants during pregnancy were 25%, 20%, 17%, and 10% less likely to give birth to low-weight infants compared with non-WIC participants for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and White, respectively. Conclusion and Implications Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participation during pregnancy was associated with reduced low birth weight in all races and ethnicities. Improving WIC access and participation during pregnancy may support health equity in birth weight outcomes.

COVID-19 caused an increase in the demand for medications, which led to an increase in pharmaceutical waste and there is no doubt that this contributes to environmental pollution. Hence, it became necessary to search for how to protect and improve the environment by encouraging the behavior of medication waste reduction. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors affecting intentions to reduce medication waste. Considering this, we develop an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework by incorporating the constructs of moral obligation, environmental awareness, and medication waste risk perception. Using the convenience sampling method and based on a self-administered questionnaire, a total of 225 usable responses were collected in five Algerian cities. The results showed that positive attitudes (β = 0.316, p < 0.001), moral obligation (β = 0.291, p < 0.001), environmental awareness (β = 0.227, p < 0.001), perceived behavior control (PBC) (β = 0.151, p = 0.001), greater perceived risks (β = 0.127, p < 0.001), and subjective norm (β = 0.096, p < 0.05) significantly and positively influence the medication waste minimization intention. Furthermore, our analyses revealed that the extended TPB model explained 73.40% of the intention variance. In conclusion, we have explored the intentions, and there may be a gap between intent and actual behavior. Therefore, we recommend future studies to examine the factors affecting the actual behavior of medication waste reduction and to investigate environmental ethics and religious commitment as predictors of waste reduction intentions.

Underserved communities face persistent challenges due to limited access to healthcare services. Digital volunteering offers opportunities for healthcare professionals to support these populations remotely. This study examined factors associated with healthcare workers’ intentions to participate in digital healthcare volunteering in Algeria. An extended technology acceptance model was used, incorporating perceived organizational support (OS), altruism, and social responsibility. A convenience sample of 142 healthcare workers completed a survey, and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Results indicated that perceived ease of use, social responsibility, altruism, perceived OS, and perceived usefulness were each significantly associated with intentions to engage in digital volunteering. The extended model explained 75.6% of the variance in intention, highlighting the relevance of psychological, organizational, and ethical factors. These findings provide insights for policymakers, healthcare organizations, and developers seeking to support digital volunteering initiatives. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and the use of convenience sampling, which may affect generalizability. Future research should consider longitudinal designs, larger and more diverse samples, and cross-cultural comparisons to validate and extend these findings. © 2026 by Author/s and Licensed by Modestum.

Mobile health apps have been widely considered in the healthcare sector as innovative channels to reach patients and their families. Accordingly, the aim of the chapter was to investigate factors that influence the customers' adoption of digital health apps in Algeria. The authors adopted an extende...