College of Letters & Science
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/37
The College of Letters and Science, the largest center for learning, teaching and research at Montana State University, offers students an excellent liberal arts and sciences education in nearly 50 majors, 25 minors and over 25 graduate degrees within the four areas of the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics and social sciences.
Browse
3 results
Search Results
Item Operational efficiency, patient composition and regional context of U.S. health centers: Associations with access to early prenatal care and low birth weight(2019-04) Thorsen, Maggie L.; Thorsen, Andreas H.; McGarvey, Ronald G.Community health centers (CHCs) provide comprehensive medical services to medically under-served Americans, helping to reduce health disparities. This study aimed to identify the unique compositions and contexts of CHCs to better understand variation in access to early prenatal care and rates of low birth weights (LBW). Data include CHC-level data from the Uniform Data System, and regional-level data from the US Census American Community Survey and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. First, latent class analysis was conducted to identify unobserved subgroups of CHCs. Second, data envelopment analysis was performed to evaluate the operational efficiency of CHCs. Third, we used generalized linear models to examine the associations between the CHC subgroups, efficiency, and perinatal outcomes. Seven classes of CHCs were identified, including two rural classes, one suburban, one with large centers serving poor minorities in low poverty areas, and three urban classes. Many of these classes were characterized by the racial compositions of their patients. Findings indicate that CHCs serving white patients in rural areas have greater access to early prenatal care. Health centers with greater efficiency have lower rates of LBW, as do those who serve largely white patient populations in rural areas. CHCs serving poor racial minorities living in low-poverty areas had particularly low levels of access to early prenatal care and high rates of LBW. Findings highlight that significant diversity exists in the sociodemographic composition and regional context of US health centers, in ways that are associated with their operations, delivery of care, and health outcomes. Results from this study highlight that while the provision of early prenatal care and the efficiency with which a health center operates may improve the health of the women served by CHCs and their babies, the underlying social and economic conditions facing patients ultimately have a larger association with their health.Item Lending Outcomes Among Native American and Reservation Applicants(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Stonnell, AustinThis study examines the impact of loan location on Native Americans applying for mortgages. The study specifically looks at what effect applying for a mortgage on reservation land has on loan outcomes. Due to their status as sovereign nations, repossessing homes that are in foreclosure within these areas is more difficult due to several legal challenges lenders face. The study is concerned with determining how big of a difference there is in these loan outcomes and among both Native American and non-Native American applicant groups.Item Can there be another Industrial Revolution?(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Dorsey, ElvaMy research will consist of identifying top features a manufacturing company is looking for and comparing that to the Blackfeet Reservation. I will look at the reservation to identify the health of transportation, policy/legal, labor force, and land use as it pertains to businesses. Once I have a strong idea of how the area measures up to the need of a small manufacturing firm I will look at possible ways to improve that areas that could be seen as weak to a potential manufacturer. Once there is a plan on improving weaknesses I will go to the same manufacturers and ask them to score the Blackfeet Reservation before the research is complete and once the research is done and they are presented with a feasibility study showing the strong qualities of the reservation as well as a plan on how to improve the weaker manufacturing features. I will than present the findings to Montana State University as well as the Blackfeet Tribe. My findings presentation to the tribe will have the goal of discussing and improving weakness to attract a manufacturing firm that will develop a site on the Blackfeet Reservation, reducing the unemployment rate while increasing jobs and income across Montana. With the reservation a designated area for government contracts it seems like an ideal place to develop manufacturing.