Covid-19 has affected the church with in person attendance and volunteering. This research project will investigate how church attendance and volunteering has been affected by the covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research is to discover patterns of attendance and volunteering and how churches reacted to the shift in these attendance data. It is hoped that these findings will inform future directions as churches respond to a post-pandemic world.

Background: COVID-19 has limited the access and utilization of many colleges’ mental health services for students; as first-generation college students are navigating through college; several have experienced an increase in mental health issues relating to feelings of depression and anxiety during the pandemic. However, there is a lack of research investigating access to and utilization of mental health resources among first-generation college students in relation to COVID-19. Methods: The current study will utilize a descriptive cross-sectional design to assess depression, anxiety, utilization of mental health services, and barriers that prevent students from using campus resources among first-generation college students. The anticipated sample size for the survey will be 150-200 individuals. A survey will be used to collect data from college students in Utah. Anticipated Results: Data collection will begin in June 2023. It is anticipated that first-generation college students who use campus health resources at higher levels will be associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety due to the pandemic. To furthermore, those who still feel isolated are less likely to use mental health resources on campus because of COVID-19 adversities. Implications: Results will help identify gaps in mental health resources for first-generation college students and inform higher education institutions about necessary resources. This study will also expand the field of research related to the relationship between COVID-19 and the utilization of mental health resources on college campuses among first-generation college students.

The people of the United States territories have faced healthcare inequalities for years due to ongoing issues with their public health infrastructure and racial health disparities. During the 2009 influenza pandemic, the US territories faced several issues such as insufficient funding, a lack of laboratory equipment, personal protective equipment, and surveillance to predict the spread of the disease, due to the ongoing health disparities and complications with their public health infrastructure (Dopson, 2016). These patterns have also been seen during the covid-19 pandemic. The objective of this research is to compare and contrast the effects of covid-19 in the U.S. territories to the U.S. while examining the social and cultural conditions of these territories. A descriptive analysis of data on covid fatality rates and vaccination rates will be completed. These dependent variables will be explored for all of the US territories. Relevant social and cultural conditions will be examined as well, such as race, effects on infrastructure from natural disasters, and policies in place during the pandemic. Conclusions about these outcomes within the territories have allowed us to recognize distinct patterns from the latest data available. There are differences in how these disparities occur in the U.S. territories and how Covid-19 has affected them. In the future, people of the US territories should not have to face a lack of access to prevention of ongoing infectious diseases as they have in the past.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on individuals and families throughout the United States and beyond. The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of understanding the social determinants of health, the role of healthcare providers, and how these intersect with marginalized individuals with known or unknown underlying health conditions. Using a health equity lens, this research conducts a systematic review informed by a case study to better understand the social determinants, underlying conditions and decision making. Using EBSCO databases, conducting a systematic review to determine the social determinants of healthcare, unknown and known underlying conditions, and healthcare provider decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research focuses on identifying the mechanisms that impact healthcare provider decision making around survivorship, quality of life, and whether a patient is “worth the fight.” During an in-depth review of three key articles, the research suggests that during times outside of a pandemic, it is the sickest patients who are the highest priority. However, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the sickest patients have sadly become last priority while the healthiest become the top priority. The systematic review, to date, suggests that there is no biological or scientific evidence based on race/ethnicity of who survives COVID-19 and who doesn’t. Further research on provider decision making based on social determinants is needed to provide health equity and health justice for marginalized individuals with known or unknown underlying health conditions.