Digital Commons Network^™

Association Of Blast Exposure In Military Breaching With Intestinal Permeability Blood Biomarkers Associated With Leaky Gut, Qingkun Liu, Zhaoyu Wang, Shengnan Sun, Jeffrey Nemes, Lisa A. Brenner, Miciej Skotak, Christina R. Lavalle, Yongchao Ge, Walter Carr, Fatemeh Haghighi

Faculty Publications

Injuries and subclinical effects from exposure to blasts are of significant concern in military operational settings, including tactical training, and are associated with self-reported concussion-like symptomology and physiological changes such as increased intestinal permeability (IP), which was investigated in this study. Time-series gene expression and IP biomarker data were generated from “breachers” exposed to controlled, low-level explosive blast during training. Samples from 30 male participants at pre-, post-, and follow-up blast exposure the next day were assayed via RNA-seq and ELISA. A battery of symptom data was also collected at each of these time points that acutely showed elevated symptom …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Alcohol-Attributed Deaths In The United States, 1999–2020, Ibraheem M. Karaye, Nasim Maleki, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The disparities in alcohol-attributed death rates among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US) have received limited research attention. Our study aimed to examine the burden and trends in alcohol-attributed mortality rates in the US by race and ethnicity from 1999 to 2020. We used national mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database and employed the ICD-10 coding system to identify alcohol-related deaths. Disparity rate ratios were calculated using the Taylor series, and Joinpoint regression was used to analyze temporal trends and calculate annual and …

Barriers To Cataract Surgery In Africa: Providers’ Perspective (Research Protocol), Cougar Hall, Scott Herrod, Benjamin Crookston, Sadik Taju Sherief, Akwasi Ahmed, Grace Chipalo Mutati, John Welling, Boatang Wiafe, Michae Gyasi, Joshua West

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Millions of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa are needlessly blind from cataracts. While progress was made towards the Vision 2020: The Right to Sight goals, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia fell short of the recommended cataract surgical rate (CSR) on a national level. The purposes of this study were to describe possible economic factors impacting surgeon surgical productivity, possible barriers to attaining the recommended CSR, and surgical services in each of these countries.

Methods: An online survey was sent to ophthalmologists practising in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia. Responses were collected between June 25, 2021 and January 30, 2022.

Results …

Intensive Care Unit Mortality And Length Of Stay Among Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis Treated With Corticosteroids: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Eric E. Chinaeke, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Bryan L. Love Pharm. D., Joseph Magagnoli, Claiborne E. Reeder

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients worldwide, and corticosteroids are commonly used to treat it. However, the evidence supporting the use of corticosteroids in sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is of low certainty, with conflicting results reported in previous studies. Thus, we aimed to investigate the potential association between corticosteroid treatment and various outcomes, including 30-day ICU mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS), mechanical ventilation use, new onset of infection, and hyperglycemia in patients diagnosed with sepsis and admitted to the ICU.

Materials and Methods: We conducted …

Menstrual Justice In Theoretical Context, Vivian E. Hamilton

Faculty Publications

This Essay reviews and places into theoretical contexts Bridget Crawford and Emily Waldman’s invaluable book Menstruation Matters. Although the authors themselves do not explicitly label the theoretical approach that undergirds their work, much of Menstruation Matters: Challenging the Law’s Silence on Periods falls within the liberal feminist legal tradition typical of post-civil rights second-wave feminism. Their work also embodies aspects of critical feminist approaches to law. Crawford & Waldman expose the discriminatory effects of facially neutral laws, the limits of formal equality, and the pitfalls of essentializing or making universal claims about categories of individuals—including women and menstruators. In …

Covid-19 Lockdown: Impact On College Students’ Lives, Wendy C. Birmingham, Lori L. Wadsworth, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Objective: In light of COVID-19, leaders issued stay-at-home orders, including closure of higher-education schools. Most students left campus, likely impacting their employment and social network. Leaders are making decisions about opening universities and modality of instruction. Understanding students' psychological, physiological, academic, and financial responses to the shut-down and reopening of campuses can help leaders make informed decisions. Participants: 654 students from a large western university enrolled during the pandemic shutdown. Methods: Students were invited via email to complete an online survey. Results: Students reported stress, depression, loneliness, lack of motivation, difficulty focusing on schoolwork, restless sleep, appetite changes, job loss …

Student Preferences For Active Learning And Their Beliefs, Experiences, And Knowledge, Tammy Shilling, Jerome Thayer, Anneris Coria-Navia, Heather Ferguson

Faculty Publications

Active teaching methods are believed to facilitate higher-order thinking skills and prepare allied health students for independent clinical decision-making. This quantitative, correlational study aimed to explain the relationships between student preferences for active over traditional methods and their beliefs, the frequency and positiveness of their experiences, and the extent of knowledge they have received regarding active and traditional teaching methods. Two hundred and thirty students completed a 53-item online survey. Students were enrolled in a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Masters in Speech-language Pathology, or Bachelor of Science Nursing program in one of seventeen participating institutions across a ten-state Midwest region. …

Women's Power In Hospital-Based Nursing: A Critical Qualitative Study, Kaitlyn C. George, Bret Lyman, Andy Pilarte Alcantara, Maya Stephenson

Faculty Publications

Aim: To understand the factors that affect power in hospital-based nursing and reveal how the female gender affects an individual's ability to feel empowered.

Design: Critical qualitative research design.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses working in inpatient hospital settings in Utah and New Mexico. Data were collected from February to March 2022. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Sixteen participants were interviewed. Six themes were identified from the data, four of which related to nurses' power at work, and two of which specifically related to how gender affects a nurse's ability to use power and feel empowered. …

Shifting Our Lens: Practical Trauma-Informed Approaches For Educators, Charity Garcia, Ingrid Weiss Slikkers, Tara Bailey

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Dating App Facilitated Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Review Of Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination Charts, Julie L. Valentine, Leslie W. Miles, Kristen Mella Hamblin, Aubrey Worthen Gibbons

Faculty Publications

Dating app facilitated sexual assault (DAppSA) is a concerning phenomenon with minimal published research. This retrospective study explored if DAppSAs were different than other sexual assaults (SAs) committed by acquaintances through a review of 3,413 sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE) charts from 2017 to 2020 in a Mountain West state in the United States. Routine Activities Theory and Confluence Model of sexual aggression provided the theoretical framework for the study. Inclusion criteria for DAppSA cases included (1) victim was 14 years of age or older; (2) victim indicated meeting the perpetrator on a dating app; (3) SA occurred at …

Safe, Supportive Neighborhoods: Are They Associated With Childhood Oral Health?, Elizabeth L. Crouch, Joni Nelson, Radhika Ranganathan, Melinda A. Merrell, Amy Martin

Faculty Publications

Objective

There has been limited examination of how community-level supports may influence oral health metrics among children. The purpose of our study is to examine the association between two types of community-level positive childhood experiences and oral healthcare and oral health outcomes among children ages 6 to 17 years of age.

Methods

This study uses a cross-sectional data set from the 2018–2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Two oral health metrics were used: preventive dental care, measured as one or more preventive dental visits in the past 12 months, and tooth decay, measured as tooth decay or cavities in the …

The Risk And Clinical Implications Of Antibiotic-Associated Acute Kidney Injury: A Review Of The Clinical Data For Agents With Signals From The Food And Drug Administration’S Adverse Event Reporting System (Faers) Database, Kalin M. Clifford, Ashley R. Selby, Kelly R. Reveles, Chengwen Teng, Ronald G. Hall Ii, Jamie Mccarrell, Carlos A. Alvarez

Faculty Publications

Antibiotic-associated acute kidney injury (AA-AKI) is quite common, especially among hospitalized patients; however, little is known about risk factors or mechanisms of why AA-AKI occurs. In this review, the authors have reviewed all available literature prior to 1 June 2022, with a large number of AKI reports. Information regarding risk factors of AA-AKI, mechanisms behind AA-AKI, and treatment/management principles to decrease AA-AKI risk were collected and reviewed. Patients treated in the inpatient setting are at increased risk of AA-AKI due to common risk factors: hypovolemia, concomitant use of other nephrotoxic medications, and exacerbation of comorbid conditions. Clinicians should attempt to …

The Impact Of Dieting Culture Is Different Between Sexes In Endurance Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Austin J. Graybeal, Andreas Kreutzer, Jada L. Willis, Robyn Braun-Trocchio, Kamiah Moss, Meena Shah

Faculty Publications

Background: Frequent dieting is common in athletes attempting to achieve a body composition perceived to improve performance. Excessive dieting may indicate disordered eating (DE) behaviors and can result in clinical eating disorders. However, the current nutrition patterns that underly dieting culture are underexplored in endurance athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the sex differences in nutrition patterns among a group of endurance athletes.

Methods: Two-hundred and thirty-one endurance athletes (females = 124) completed a questionnaire regarding their dieting patterns and associated variables.

Results: The majority of athletes did not follow a planned diet …

Ethnic/Racial Differences In Alcohol Use: Does Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy Matter?, P. Priscilla Lui, Savannah M. Krantz, Michael B. Madson

Faculty Publications

Introduction: College students—including those of Hispanic backgrounds—are at risk for hazardous drinking. Research has shown robust group differences between Hispanic and White individuals in alcohol use outcomes. The ability to resist alcohol consumption can be leveraged to reduce hazardous drinking; however, little research has examined Hispanic-White differences and whether drinking refusal self-efficacy accounts for group differences in hazardous drinking. Considering Hispanic individuals make up the largest ethnic/racial minority group in the United States, it is important to identify malleable psychological factors that prevent and reduce drinking problems. Method: Hispanic and White college students at two predominantly White institutions …

Mindfulness, Psychological Distress, And Somatic Symptoms Among Women Engaged In Sex Work In China, Cheuk Chi Tam, Yuejiao Zhao, Shan Qiao, Xiaoming Li, Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

Women engaged in sex work (WSW) in China encounter numerous disadvantages (e.g., exposure to violence) and have substantial risk for psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Intervention literature has attended to mindfulness, which is a protective factor for psychological outcomes, and its influences can further improve physical health. However, mindfulness has not been well studied in WSW. We aimed to examine the association among mindfulness, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms among Chinese WSW. Data were collected from 410 WSW in Guangxi, China, using an anonymous, self-administered survey evaluating demographics, mindfulness, psychological distress (i.e., depression, loneliness, and perceived stress), and somatic symptoms …

The Effect Of Social Exclusion On Trust Among Youth Orphaned By Hiv/Aids: Evidence From An Event-Related Potentials Study, Jiaojiao Wan, Qi Zhao, Yafei Zhang, Lili Ji, Junfeng Zhao, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Grounded in a follow-up study among children who lost one or both parents to HIV in central China in the early 2000s, we conducted an event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment to explore the effect of social exclusion on trust and the corresponding neurophysiological mechanism among youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS (“AIDS orphans”). A sample of 31 AIDS orphans (26.16 ± 3.34 years old; 15 female) and 32 age and development status matched controls (25.02 ± 3.45 years old; 14 female) participated in the study. They were all assigned to play Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game that reliably induced social exclusion (15 orphans, …

Correlates Of Zero-Dose Vaccination Status Among Children Aged 12-59 Months In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multilevel Analysis Of Individual And Contextual Factors, Chamberline Ozigbu, Bankole Olatosi, Zhenlong Li, James W. Hardin, Nicole L. Hair

Faculty Publications

Despite ongoing efforts to improve childhood vaccination coverage, including in hard-to-reach and hard-to-vaccinate communities, many children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain unvaccinated. Considering recent goals set by the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), including reducing the number of zero-dose children by half, research that goes beyond coverage to identify populations and groups at greater risk of being unvaccinated is urgently needed. This is a pooled cross-sectional study of individual- and country-level data obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys Program and two open data repositories. The sample includes 43,131 children aged 12–59 months sampled between 2010 and 2020 in 33 SSA countries. …

“Where The Truth Really Lies”: Listening To Voices From African American Communities In The Southern States About Covid-19 Vaccine Information And Communication, Ran Zhang, Shan Qiao, Brooke Mckeever, Bankole Olatosi, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

The high uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is one of the most promising measures to control the pandemic. However, some African American (AA) communities exhibit vaccination hesitancy due to mis- or disinformation. It is important to understand the challenges in accessing reliable COVID-19 vaccine information and to develop feasible health communication interventions based on voices from AA communities. We conducted 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) among 18 community stakeholders recruited from 3 counties in South Carolina on 8 October and 29 October 2021. The FGDs were conducted online via Zoom meetings. The FGD data were managed and thematically analyzed using NVivo …

How Different Pre-Existing Mental Disorders And Their Co-Occurrence Affects Covid-19 Clinical Outcomes? A Real-World Data Study In The Southern United States, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Shujie Chen, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Suzanne Hardeman, Meera Narasimhan, Larisa Bruner, Abdoulaye Diedhiou, Cheryl Scott, Ali Mansaray, Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Although a psychiatric history might be an independent risk factor for COVID-19 infection and mortality, no studies have systematically investigated how different clusters of pre-existing mental disorders may affect COVID-19 clinical outcomes or showed how the coexistence of mental disorder clusters is related to COVID-19 clinical outcomes.

Methods: Using a retrospective cohort study design, a total of 476,775 adult patients with lab-confirmed and probable COVID-19 between March 06, 2020 and April 14, 2021 in South Carolina, United States were included in the current study. The electronic health record data of COVID-19 patients were linked to all payer-based claims data …

Treatment Pearls: Management Of Physical Healthcare Needs In Patients With Mental Illness, Leslie W. Miles, Brandon Thatcher, Michael C. Thomas, Blaine Winters

Faculty Publications

Clinicians caring for persons with mental illness should be aware of increased mortality, physical problems, and health disparities in this population. This article provides a brief overview of physical health problems in the context of mental illness as well as those related to psychotropic medications, and discusses strategies to manage treatment effectively.

Covid-19 And Transition To Distance Learning: Perspectives Of Postsecondary Teachers In Kenya, James Ogechi Kereri, Grace Moraa Kennedy, Dovison Kereri

Faculty Publications

Several countries have transitioned to online and/or virtual learning to minimize the impact of Covid-19 on education. In Kenya, schools were closed for the better part of 2020 and reopened back on relying on an online mode and/or virtual learning. However, very little is known about the impact of such transition on postsecondary educators. Therefore, this research aims to bridge this gap by investigating the impact of online and/or virtual learning transition on postsecondary educators based on age, gender, location, and academic rank. Using a nationally distributed web-based survey, the study utilized data from 117 educators across Kenya who participated …

Examining Social Determinants Of Health During A Pandemic: Clinical Application Of Z Codes Before And During Covid-19, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Brooks Yelton, Shujie Chen, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Recognition of the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on healthcare outcomes, healthcare service utilization, and population health has prompted a global shift in focus to patient social needs and lived experiences in assessment and treatment. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) provides a list of non-billable “Z codes” specific to SDoH for use in electronic health records. Using population-level analysis, this study aims to examine clinical application of Z codes in South Carolina before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study population consists of South Carolina residents who had a healthcare visit and had …

Analysis Of Firearm Violence During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Us, Shengzhi Sun, Wangnan Cao, Yang Ge

Faculty Publications

Importance In the US, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified some conditions that may contribute to firearm violence, and a recent surge in firearm sales during the pandemic has been reported. However, patterns of change in firearm violence in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US remain unclear.

Objective To quantify the changes in interpersonal firearm violence associated with the pandemic across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cross-sectional study examined 50 US states and the District of Columbia from January 1, 2016, to February 28, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic …

Social Capital, Urbanization Level, And Covid-19 Vaccination Uptake In The United States: A National Level Analysis, Shan Qiao, Zhenlong Li, Jiajia Zhang, Xiaowen Sun, Camryn Garrett, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

Vaccination remains the most promising mitigation strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing literature shows significant disparities in vaccination uptake in the United States. Using publicly available national-level data, we aimed to explore if county-level social capital can further explain disparities in vaccination uptake rates when adjusting for demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) variables, and if association between social capital and vaccination uptake may vary by urbanization level. Bivariate analyses and a hierarchical multivariable quasi-binomial regression analysis were conducted, where the regression analysis was stratified by urban–rural status. The current study suggests that social capital contributes significantly to …

Do We Trust The Government? Attributes Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Acceptance In Nigeria, Osmond C. Ekwebelem, Helen Onyeaka, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Taghi Miri, Yahwedalu M. Onwuneme, Ayeni T. Eunice, Amara Anyogu, Bright Obi, Ngwogu Ada Carol

Faculty Publications

Objectives:

A significant percentage of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Therefore the success of a vaccination program relies on the level of acceptance. This present study seeks to understand COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in Nigeria by assessing the public's willingness to get vaccinated.

Study design:

This is a population-based cross-sectional study. Data were derived through a structured online survey.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult residents in Nigeria in March 2021 using a structured online questionnaire. The questionnaire surveyed participants' demographic characteristics and perception of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive statistics and …

Social Capital, Urbanization Level, And Covid-19 Vaccination Uptake In The United States: A National Level Analysis, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Zhenlong Li, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Xiaowen Sun, Camryn Garrett, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Vaccination remains the most promising mitigation strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing literature shows significant disparities in vaccination uptake in the United States. Using publicly available national-level data, we aimed to explore if county-level social capital can further explain disparities in vaccination uptake rates when adjusting for demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) variables, and if association between social capital and vaccination uptake may vary by urbanization level. Bivariate analyses and a hierarchical multivariable quasi-binomial regression analysis were conducted, where the regression analysis was stratified by urban–rural status. The current study suggests that social capital contributes significantly to …

Hiv-Related Stigma, Sexual Identity, And Depressive Symptoms Among Msm Living With Hiv: A Moderated Mediation Modeling Analysis, Tianyue Mi, Guanghua Lan, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou

Faculty Publications

Depression is one of the biggest health issues among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV, where sexual identity might play an intricate role. Yet, findings of the relationship between sexual identity and depression were mixed and few studies explored its underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to examine the association between sexual identity and depression, and the potential mediating role of HIV-related stigma and moderating role of age. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 203 MSM living with HIV in Guangxi, China. Participants provided information on sexual identity, depression, HIV-related stigma, and background information. Descriptive statistics, bivariate …

Accountability As A Key Virtue In Mental Health And Human Flourishing, John R. Peteet, Charlotte Vanoyen-Witvliet, C. Stephen Evans

Faculty Publications

We propose that accountability plays an implicit, important, and relatively unexamined role in psychiatry. People generally think of accountability as a relation in which one party is held accountable by another. In this paper, we examine accountability as a virtue, drawing on philosophy, psychiatry, and psychology to examine what it means to welcome being accountable in an excellent way that promotes flourishing. When people manifest accountability as a virtue, they are both responsive to others they owe a response, and they are responsible for their attitudes and actions in light of these relationships. Psychiatric treatment often aims to correct disordered …

Mindfulness, Psychological Distress, And Somatic Symptoms Among Women Engaged In Sex Work In China, Cheuk Chi Tam, Yuejiao Zhou, Shan Qiao, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

Women engaged in sex work (WSW) in China encounter numerous disadvantages (e.g., exposure to violence) and have substantial risk for psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Intervention literature has attended to mindfulness, which is a protective factor for psychological outcomes, and its influences can further improve physical health. However, mindfulness has not been well studied in WSW. We aimed to examine the association among mindfulness, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms among Chinese WSW. Data were collected from 410 WSW in Guangxi, China, using an anonymous, self-administered survey evaluating demographics, mindfulness, psychological distress (i.e., depression, loneliness, and perceived stress), and somatic symptoms …

Impacts Of Climate Change And Heat Stress On Farmworkers' Health: A Scoping Review, Moussa El Khayat, Dana A. Halwani, Layal Hneiny, Ibrahim Alameddine, Mustapha A. Haidar, Rima R. Habib

Faculty Publications

Due to the continuous rise of global temperatures and heatwaves worldwide as a result of climate change, concerns for the health and safety of working populations have increased. Workers in the food production chain, particularly farmworkers, are especially vulnerable to heat stress due to the strenuous nature of their work, which is performed primarily outdoors under poor working conditions. At the cross-section of climate change and farmworkers' health, a scoping review was undertaken to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the health impacts associated with climate change and heat stress, guide future research toward better understanding current and future climate change …