Three students in USF鈥檚 (COPH) just presented a strong case for making the world a bit healthier.
The team shared its views with peers and professionals at the Florida Public Health Association鈥檚 2025 in Orlando, under the topic of Rebuilding and Reshaping: Innovation in Florida Public Health. The association exists to benefit the state鈥檚 public health professionals, students and infrastructure through education and collaboration.
The group included Emily Walsh, MPH student in ; MPH alumnus Connor McCarley; and Rashida Jones, a doctoral candidate in . They presented their research and recommendations on the topics of reproductive well-being, building stronger families and flu vaccines during pregnancy, respectively.
Also participating was , COPH faculty administrator and director of the college鈥檚 , a statewide initiative to increase access to quality health care coverage for Floridians. The COPH involvement was 鈥減assion in practice,鈥欌 Jacobs said, as the students shared a wealth of knowledge and insights that extend beyond their own community.
Dr. Xonjenese Jacobs presented at the conference. (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Keough)
鈥淚 was proud to see our work as a faculty member and alum,鈥欌 she said. 鈥淭he conference offered the perfect setting to connect with community providers and public health professionals who connect people with much-needed assistance navigating access to health care.鈥欌
Walsh鈥檚 presentation was titled 鈥淭ampa Bay Youth Reproductive Well-Being Needs Assessment.鈥 She argued for a community-based approach to addressing reproductive health among youth and certain populations. Findings from her assessment, she said, could offer insights into the factors influencing adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes and overall reproductive well-being, including medical, social, educational and economic.
Emily Walsh (left) presented at the conference (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Keough)
鈥淒espite the increasing number of local, state and federal restrictions on reproductive health access and education, there鈥檚 still a striking lack of understanding around how these changes are affecting young people鈥檚 lived experiences,鈥欌 Walsh said. 鈥淲hat inspired me to pursue this topic was the disconnect I saw between policy decisions and the realities youth face when trying to access care and information.鈥欌
Reproductive well-being ensures that all people have access to the information, services, and support needed to make informed choices about sexual and reproductive health throughout their lives. In Florida, these choices can be shaped by issues that 鈥渄isproportionately affect certain populations, particularly youth,鈥欌 Walsh said.
She added that the conference provided networking opportunities, meaningful dialogue and fresh perspectives: 鈥淓ngaging with attendees gave me deeper insight into the project and helped me consider new angles and potential partnerships.鈥欌
McCarley鈥檚 presentation, 鈥淏uilding Stronger Families: Assessing the Impact of a Holistic Relationship and Parenting Intervention,鈥 described the improvements in behavorial health, communication and parenting scores for participants of parenting programs.
Connor McCarley presented at the conference. (Photo courtesy of McCarley)
鈥淎 strong family foundation significantly influences the health and well-being of both adults and children,鈥欌 McCarley said. 鈥淗owever, parenting pressures can strain relationships, causing adverse effects. While evidence-based programs exist to help families build strong relationships and enhance parenting skills, programming tends to focus on distinct challenges.鈥欌
McCarley argued for a more holistic approach to family support, integrating relationship education, parenting skills and financial education into the whole.
Jones presented on a topic she titled, 鈥淪ocioeconomic Predictors of Maternal Flu Vaccination,鈥 which looked at how financial and social challenges may affect whether pregnant individuals in Florida get the flu vaccine. Based on data from 2018 to 2022, she studied how personal factors can influence a person鈥檚 decision to be vaccinated.
鈥淭he goal is to give public health professionals a new way to identify who needs more support and to design programs that help improve vaccination rates,鈥欌 Jones said. 鈥淭his research helps us understand how money-related and social challenges 鈭 like income, education or transportation 鈭 might affect whether pregnant individuals in Florida get the flu shot.鈥
鈥淲hen pregnant individuals skip the flu vaccine, it puts both their health and their baby鈥檚 health at risk,鈥欌 she added. 鈥淏y identifying the groups who face more barriers, public health workers can create better outreach programs to protect more moms and babies.鈥欌
Jacobs鈥檚 presentation, 鈥淗ealth Belief and Health Access: Responding to Intersecting Identities,鈥 described how the combination of demographics and social needs create barriers to access for health care for many people in low access communities. These people also struggle with health insurance.
Jacobs argued how Florida Covering Kids & Families uses its Covering Florida Health Belief Model as a framework to better understand the barriers and benefits for people seeking health care coverage and how to navigate the system.
鈥淭his research is relevant to the average person,鈥欌 Jacobs said, 鈥渂ecause it communicates strategies to support the under-resourced communities with gaining access to health care.鈥欌
The Orlando conference was sponsored by Power to Decide, a national non-profit organization focused on advancing sexual and reproductive well-being for all people.