College of Letters & Science
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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.
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Item Child Incarceration and Maternal Alcohol Use: Disentangling Within- and Between-Person Processes(SAGE Publications, 2024-01) Greene, Kaylin; Warner, CodyHaving a child incarcerated can take a toll on the physical, psychological, and financial well-being of mothers. These factors could, in turn, affect behavioral outcomes of mothers, such as alcohol use patterns. Some mothers might drink to cope with the experience of having a child incarcerated, but others may reduce alcohol use for various reasons. Given these uncertainties, the authors examined the association between child incarceration and maternal alcohol consumption (i.e., any use, frequency, quantity, and binge drinking). Eight waves of nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort were linked with the National Longitudinal Survey Children and Young Adults (n = 3,837 mothers; 678 had children incarcerated). Multilevel generalized linear regression models showed that compared with mothers with no child incarceration, mothers of ever-incarcerated children were more likely to binge drink and consume more drinks when drinking (between-person effects). In contrast, following child incarceration, women consumed alcohol less frequently and were less likely to binge drink than they were prior to experiencing child incarceration (within-person effects). Additional research should focus on mechanisms that explain these opposing associations to identify protective factors and institutional supports for women whose children have been incarcerated.Item School modality, race and ethnicity, and mental health of U.S. adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024-07) Tamla, Vijaya; Laestadius, Linnea; Campos-Castillo, CelesteBackground. While minoritized ethnoracial groups were most likely to be in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of these ethnoracial disparities on adolescent mental health is unclear. Since past studies do not directly examine whether the association between school modality and self-reported mental health outcomes varied by race and ethnicity among U.S. adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study addresses the gap. Methods. Adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old (n = 510) were surveyed for self-reports of anxiety and depression symptoms using the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire during Spring 2021. Seemingly unrelated regressions were used to estimate the differential association between school modality and mental health by respondents’ race and ethnicity. Results. Estimates without interaction between school modality and race and ethnicity suggested that Latino respondents reported a significantly higher frequency of depressive symptoms than their White counterparts (b = 0.459; p < 0.05). Similarly, the estimates without the interaction suggested respondents reporting hybrid learning had a higher frequency of depressive symptoms than in-person learning (b = 0.504; p < 0.05). Estimates with interaction between school modality and race and ethnicity suggested fully online learning was associated with poorer mental health only among White respondents and better mental health among Black respondents. Among adolescents attending school fully online, Black adolescents reported fewer mental health symptoms than their White counterparts (anxiety, b =– 1.364; p < 0.05, and depression, b =– 1.647; p < 0.05). Conclusions. Fully online learning may have benefitted the mental health of Black adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps because it buffered racial discrimination and social anxiety in schools. Additional interventions should be explored to promote in-person school environments that better support the mental health of Black adolescents. Moreover, prioritizing equitable access to broadband internet will provide better access to online learning and ensure positive mental health, particularly for adolescents from minoritized ethnoracial groups during instances of future pandemics. Future research should continue to consider the race and ethnicity of adolescents to promote mental well-being in schools across learning modalities.Item Undergraduate Student Process Reflections on Utilizing Photovoice to Learn Principles of Feminist Research(Elsevier, 2024-08) Rachel C. Ormsbee; Ashtyn Winchell; Jenny English; Allie Martian; Molly L. Craig; Nikki M. Michaels; Amanda Haab; Abigail Girardot; Lauren Winter; Penelope Reed; Clare J. Hendricks; Alison Gaarsland; Elizabeth H. D'Amico; Alysah K. Southworth; Lilyanna Blevins; Tricia Saam; Genevieve R. CoxPhotovoice is a participant-oriented research methodology applied in community-based participatory action research (PAR) (Schell et al., 2009). Wang and Burris (1997) developed Photovoice, grounded in “critical consciousness, feminist theory, and documentary photography,” to assist in recording and reflecting on community strengths and concerns (p. 370). This lays the groundwork for critical communication with policymakers. Among feminist research methodologies, Photovoice stands out for its allegiance to feminist research principles and capacity to invoke community-driven change (Budig et al., 2018). Because of its ability to challenge traditional power imbalances between researchers and participants, it is well-suited to employ in teaching feminist research principles (Wang et al., 2000).Item Race and Place Matter: Inequity in Prenatal Care for Reservation-Dwelling American Indian People(SAGE Publications, 2024-03) Thorsen, Maggie L.; Palacios, Janelle F.Early initiation and consistent use of prenatal care is linked with improved health outcomes. American Indian birthing people have higher rates of inadequate prenatal care (IPNC), but limited research has examined IPNC among people living on American Indian reservations. The current study uses birth certificate data from the state of Montana (n = 57,006) to examine predictors of IPNC. Data on the community context is integrated to examine the role of community health in mediating the associations between reservation status and IPNC. Results suggest that reservation-dwelling birthers are more likely to have IPNC, an association partially mediated by community health. Odds of IPNC are higher for reservation-dwelling American Indian people compared to reservation-dwelling White birthers, highlighting intersecting inequalities of race and place.