InnovateHER Meeting 2026

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  Approval Motivations in Sharing Humorous TikTok's

  Mariam Al-Areedy

  TikTok is a short-form video platform where users create and share content that is often centered around humor, trends, and everyday social experiences. In face-to-face interactions, people typically rely on immediate feedback to navigate conversations, often using approval seeking behaviors to gain positive reactions and rejection-avoidant behaviors to reduce the risk of negative judgement. While these motivations are well-established in in-person settings, less is known about how they function in digital environments like TikTok, where teens privately share humorous content without immediate social cues to guide their interactions. My general hypothesis was that both rejection avoidance and approval-seeking behaviors will be prevalent in adolescents’ digital behaviors and shaping if they choose to share or limit sending videos

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  Health-Seeking Behaviors of Ethiopian Women in the United States: A Pilot Qualitative Study

  Hanna Belay, Felicia Leammuda, Ahmed Ugbad, and Beamlak Kebede

  This study explores how Ethiopian immigrant women understand health and navigate healthcare in the United States. Using qualitative interviews with two participants, findings show that health is viewed holistically, with strong reliance on traditional remedies. Participants engage with the U.S. healthcare system selectively, often seeking care only when symptoms become severe. Barriers such as system complexity, fear, and time delays influence healthcare decisions.

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  Disney Princess Films Representation of Food and Their Effects on Teenage Girls' Eating Norms

  Addison Benninghoff

  Media portrayal obviously have some profound impacts on our society. The problem at hand is that there have been and will continue to be body image and eating habits linked to the media in teenage girls' lives. A mainstream example of this can be seen early on in young girls' lives when they are first exposed to princess films, which have representations of both femininity and the idealized female form. Disney maintains these body ideals whether the heroine is Asian, Scottish, African-American, or Native American. How are these body ideals broadcast through eating habits? What messages about normative eating might be gleaned from these films?

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  AdvocateAI: A Human-in-the-Loop Artificial Intelligence Platform to Improve Diagnostic Trajectories and Patient Empowerment in Chronic Pelvic Pain

  Gayatri Bhanot and Ashley Kochans

  Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 27% of women globally^1, yet diagnosis takes 4 – 12 years on average² — a crisis driven by healthcare fragmentation, systemic gender bias, and a 62% rate of symptom dismissal by healthcare providers³. AdvocateAI is a human-in-the-loop AI platform designed to empower patients to accelerate their own diagnostic journey. By synthesizing fragmented medical records and patient-reported symptoms, the tool creates structured clinical summaries and personalized advocacy scripts. Here, we present our findings from discovery, including a landscape analysis of available CPP treatments, a prototype co-designed by patients, and custom survey instruments. These findings will inform future development and prepare for an HCD project at UC Berkeley.

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  Hip Stretching Protocol's Impact on Female Ice Hockey Players

  Cienna Clark

  Women’s ice hockey participation continues to grow as do injury rates among these players. However, female ice hockey players often show different injuries than male players. This is largely due to the lack of checking in women’s hockey, which means the injuries that tend to be seen are more about overuse injuries and less catastrophic injuries. Female injuries also tend to be more in their hips, which begs the question: what would happen if hips were stretched on a regular basis? Would these injuries subside, or at least improve?

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  Advancing Menstrual Equity: Development and Implementation of the Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit

  Kara Cowell and Mary Kenny

  The Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit is a practical guide for educators and school staff, created to support implementation of the state’s menstrual product access law. Our research helped identify current needs from schools, now supported by this content that is grounded in established science and best practices in menstrual and health education. The Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit was developed throughout 2025 and was launched to the public on August 12th2025. The toolkit and subsequent resources are now available (for free) on the website of the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, Honest Sex Ed, and the Period.org

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  Relaxation Activities and the Effects of Sleep Quality on High-Achieving Females

  Kaitlynn Cusipag

  The overall goal of this study was to help improve the sleep quality of high-achieving female high school students. This study’s goal was to determine whether the difficulty of crossword puzzles and coloring pages had an impact on sleep quality and stress levels. Sleep is crucial for the well-being and daily performance of teenagers

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  Managing Maternal Anemia in Pregnancy: The Role of Iron-Rich Foods and Supplementation

  Carli Dibler

  Anemia during pregnancy is a large public health concern, which often leads to independent risk factors for fetal and maternal outcomes including postpartum hemorrhaging, cesarean sections, blood transfusions during and after the labor process, hysterectomies, preterm birth, and infectious diseases. Six level I-III studies were analyzed using the John Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice model. Findings showed that by using a combined approach of dietary intake and supplementation overall leads to better fetal and maternal outcomes compared to supplementation alone.

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  When Faced With Persistent Crying, Will Adults Follow the Advice to Take a Break?

  Lauren J. Duplessis, Remington K. Asta, and Benjamin N. Witts

  Inconsolable crying in early infancy can have detrimental effects on caregiver mental health, the caregiver-infant relationship, and infant safety. Professionals often advise caregivers to walk away and take a break. This study used n-of-1 methodology to examine how frequently undergraduate students will follow this advice when tasked with calming a simulated inconsolable infant. Results are mixed, but suggest active training prior to the baby’s arrival might yield promising outcomes

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  Healthy Mother-Daughter Relationship Depictions in Television

  Brooklyn Gallant

  This was a qualitative thematic analysis of two television depictions of healthy relationship traits between mothers and daughters. These themes were presented to a focus group of teen girls, who discussed their relationships with their mothers and whether they found these shows to be realistic.

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  Prenatal Care, Pregnancy Risk, Birth Outcomes and the Role of Neighborhood Characteristics

  Monica Garcia-Perez PhD, Randy Huard PhD, Christopher Thoms PhD, and David Tilstra MD

  This study links 2024 CentraCare Health birth records with neighborhood census tract conditions from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA, 2020/2021) to examine how place, prenatal care, and clinical risks influence birth outcomes in Central Minnesota. Neighborhood factors are standardized and paired with measures of prenatal-care adequacy and pregnancy-risk indicators in a series of multivariate linear models to explore their effect on birth outcomes. Analyses adjust for maternal demographics and clinical risks to identify independent neighborhood effects. A privacy-preserving, tract-linked dataset is also created to help local partners target high-need prevention areas.

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  Unearthing Misconceptions and Opinions in an Established Pollinator Project

  Stella Holstrom

  The Sartell High School has 13 acres of pollinator fields that were cultivated within the last 3 years. While the main part of the garden has signage, it is far from the more visible parts of the gardens. Over the last three years, there has been some negative feedback about the gardens, much of which seems to come from a place of ignorance by the public. A literature review about pollinator project and their benefits establishes that most research has surround bees or plants, but not usually both or the public reaction to pollinator gardens. My hypothesis was that most of the people surveyed would not know much about pollinator plants or the insects and animals associated with them.

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  Building Resilience: Empowering Baccalaureate Nursing Students for Enhanced Well-Being and Success

  Jessica Imrie DNP, Emily Nowak PhD, and Roxanne Wilson PhD

  Providing baccalaureate students with resilience-building modules such as stress management, mindfulness, optimism, socialization, and reflection can increase psychological well-being and success through a nursing program. It can also decrease the number of meetings faculty have with students regarding psychological concerns

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  From Chew to Throughput: Supporting Faster Recovery

  Lindsay Kephart and Morgan Thiry

  Patients admitted with bowel-related diagnosis groups (DRGs) are experiencing extended lengths of stay. The delay in return of bowel function is a barrier to care progression for patients admitted with a bowel DRG. Evidence supports early implementation and consistent use of chewing gum to improve early GI motility, reducing overall length of stay.

  This pilot aims to standardize gum chewing after surgery for our bowel patient population to promote early bowel function and help reduce hospital length of stay.

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  Advancing Exclusive Breastfeeding Through Prenatal Education, EMR Optimization, and Community Partnership: A CHAMPS National Quality Improvement Initiative

  Heather Klein and Hannah Koepp

  CHAMPS National is a CDC-funded quality improvement initiative focused on improving exclusive breastfeeding rates, strengthening maternity care practices, and reducing racial disparities. This project implemented culturally responsive prenatal education, optimized EMR workflows, and strengthened community partnerships to support informed infant feeding decisions and improve breastfeeding equity.

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  Living With Confidence: The Importance of Hip Health

  Ellisa Louisy, Shannon M. Meyer, and Kyle W. Reason

  The hip joint is essential for weight-bearing movement, providing both mobility and stability as a ball-and-socket joint. Surrounding muscles generate movement and maintain stability during daily activities like walking, standing, and rising from a chair. As the link between the trunk and lower limbs, reduced hip strength or mobility can impair balance and movement efficiency. In women, hormonal changes, especially after menopause, contribute to decreased bone density and muscle mass, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and hip fractures and underscoring the importance of hip health.

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  Difference Between Postural Sway, Functional Fitness, and Behavioral Measures in Older Adult Fallers & Non-Fallers

  Olivia Maus, Rebecca Brandhorst, Andrea Geisenhof, and Kyle Reason

  BACKGROUND: Falls are among the leading causes of injury, hospitalization, and loss of independence among older adults. There is not enough research to determine how body composition, fitness, and postural sway affect balance.

  METHODS: Participants completed surveys measuring behaviors around fall risk, assessment of body composition, postural sway, and functional fitness.

  RESULTS: There was a significant difference between OF and ONF on the FES-I (p=0.05; d=-0.41) and the ABC-6 (p=0.008; d=0.57). There was significance on condition three of the mCTSIB (p=0.007; d=-.58), and composite score (p=0.04; d=-0.43).Significance between groups was approached on condition one of the mCTSIB (p=0.06; d=-0.39).

  CONCLUSIONS: OFs are more worried than ONFs about falling and may have difficulty with reweighting using sensory inputs involved in the somatosensory component of balance.

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  Utilizing Remote Patient Monitoring with DNP Students to Provide Pre-Natal Care

  Sara McCumber

  This educational project introduced Nurse Practitioners to the use of RPM during pre-natal care for a patient with pre-natal hypertension. Hypertension is a risk factor in 16% of pregnancies and 5-8% of US births are impacted by hypertensive disorders and preeclampsia (CDC, 2023).

  Identification and effective management of hypertension in pregnancy recently was an initiative of the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MPQC, 2022).

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  Empowering Women: Understanding Neurological Changes in the Aging Brain

  Joy McKenzie

  Women tend to have more neurological changes than men as they age starting in their mid-30s (Mosconi, 2024). While aging is a natural process, the neurological changes can impact a woman’s personal and professional quality of life (Faubion et al., 2023; Gravini, 2023). For years, women’s neurological symptoms have been ignored by being told that their experiences are normal and just a part of life (Haver, 2025). That narrative is starting to shift with the increased awareness of changes specific to women. There are resources to assess cognitive changes such as memory, processing speed, and word finding and strategies to support brain health. Additionally, it is vital that typical aging changes verses cognitive changes indicating early detection of dementia – Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are a part of the discussion for women’s health.

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  The Influence of Social Media on Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Eating Disorder Risk in Adolescent Females

  Nestanet A. Molla

  • This literature review explored how appearance-focused social media affects adolescent girls. The studies showed that social media is linked to body dissatisfaction, comparison behaviors, lower self-esteem, and unhealthy eating behaviors, especially when use is intensive, problematic, or strongly appearance-focused^1–4

  • At the same time, protective factors such as media literacy, family support, and body-positive interventions may help reduce these negative effects^4,5

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  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Psychosocial Interventions to Reduce Anxiety After Social Isolation in Adolescent Females

  Bailey E. Noble

  • COVID-19 social isolation linked with higher anxiety risk in adolescents, especially females
  • Review examined whether CBT-based psychosocial interventions reduce anxiety after pandemic-related loneliness/social isolation
  • Across 6 studies, remote and internet-delivered CBT linked with anxiety improvement
  • Strongest outcomes seen with therapist-assisted CBT
  • Common barriers: privacy, motivation, scheduling, and digital access
  • Nursing relevance: early screening, referral, and support for treatment participation

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  The Correlation Between Age, Perceived Success, and Prospective Time Judgements in Adolescence

  Anna Parker

  The expressions “a watched pot never boils” or “time flies when you’re having fun” are common expressions in day-to-day life, but the phenomenon of time perception is application in aspects all throughout life, including school years. The purpose of this study is to determine what effect, if any, the variables of age and success have on a younger population’s perception of time by examining the correlation between time judgements, feelings of success, and age. My hypotheses include that an increase in age and higher success scores will lead to greater accuracy, and that an increase in age and higher success scores will to underestimation of time.

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  Using Weekly Guided Meditation to Develop Community, Connection and Improved Overall Experience and Wellbeing at Work

  Mary Patterson Friedmeyer

  The majority (99%) of respondents rated the Weekly Guided Meditation (via zoom) as being both impactful and valuable in their lives. The majority (82%) of respondents reported finding more balance in the workday and improvement in overall well-being. The majority (63%) of respondents were neutral on building community, with just over one third (36%) of respondents responding positively to community building.

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  Paving a Path for Equitable and Inclusive Nurse Leadership within Practice Settings: The Innovative Role of a Transcultural Equity & Inclusion Nurse Leader

  Theresa Reichert

  Growing cultural diversity in communities and health care practice environments require nurses and nurse leaders to effectively navigate cultural differences and relationships in practice settings (Teixeira et al, 2023)

  Recognizing this important shift:

  • health care accrediting bodies (such as the Joint Commission)
  • professional practice-based nursing organizations (such as the American Nurses Association), and
  • professional recognition bodies (such as Magnet)

  are incorporating culturally congruent, socially just care within their expectations. The innovative Transcultural Equity & Belonging Nurse role was designed to support nurses and nurse leaders incorporate these expectations within everyday nursing practice.

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  Awareness and Attitudes Toward Female Genital Mutilation at a Mid-Sized Midwestern University

  Kaafiya Salad

  This study utilized a confidential survey to examine awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) among the Saint Cloud State University community. Participants were recruited through campus outreach methods, and responses were collected voluntarily. The survey included questions assessing familiarity with FGM, sources of information, knowledge of associated health risks, and perceptions of the importance of awareness and public education.