Digital Commons Network^™

In Reply, Monica H. Swahn, Meltem Alemdar, Daniel J. Whitaker

Public Health Faculty Publications

A reply to a letter to the editor regarding their article:

Swahn MH, Alemdar M, Whitaker DJ. 2009. Nonreciprocal and Reciprocal Dating Violence and Injury Occurrence Among Urban Youth. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 11(3):264-268.

Injury In Nevada, Michelle Chino, Jonathon Lavalley, Darlene R. Haff, Deborah A. Harris, Andrea R. Rivers

Public Health Faculty Publications

Injury is a major threat to health and safety. In a typical day in the US, 400 people will die as the result of an injury, 7,500 will be hospitalized due to an injury, and more than 150,000 will suffer an injury severe enough to restrict activities and seek medical attention. Many of these deaths, hospitalizations, and disabling events will be the result of motor vehicle crashes. Others will result from vio­lence, falls, drowning, and poisoning – all of which are considered injuries.

The costs of injury are high. In the United States, the cost of injuries is estimated to …

Nonreciprocal And Reciprocal Dating Violence And Injury Occurrence Among Urban Youth, Monica Swahn, Meltem Alemdar, Daniel J. Whitaker

Public Health Faculty Publications

Objective: Dating violence is a significant health problem among youth that leads to adverse health outcomes, including injuries. Reciprocal violence (perpetrated by both partners) is associated with increased injury in adults, but very little is known about the prevalence and context for reciprocal violence, as well as injury rates, among youth. We sought to determine the prevalence and scope of reciprocal dating violence and injury occurrence among urban youth in a high-risk community.

Methods: Analyses were based on data from the Youth Violence Survey, conducted in 2004, and administered to over 80% of public school students in grades 7, 9, …

Children At Risk For Suicide Attempt And Attempt-Related Injuries: Findings From The 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Bethany A. West, Monica H. Swahn, Frances Mccarty

Public Health Faculty Publications

Purpose: The current study examines the associations between a range of risk factors and reports of suicide attempts and attempts requiring medical care in a nationally representative study of high school students. The goal is to examine sex differences in the risk factors associated with suicide attempts and attempt-related injuries requiring treatment by a health-care provider.

Methods: We used data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey for students in grades 9-12 to assess the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behavior, as well as differences in these for boys and girls. Cross-sectional multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed to …

Changes In The Viral Distribution Pattern After The Appearance Of He Novel Influenza A H1n1 (Ph1n1) Virus In Influenza-Like Illness Patients In Peru, Gerardo Chowell, Victor Alberto Laguna-Torres, Jorge Gomez, Patricia V. Aguilar, Julia Ampuero, C V. Munayco, Victor Ocana, Juan Perez, Maria Gamero, Juan Arrasco, Irmia Paz, Edward Chavez, Rollin Cruz, Jaime Chavez, Silvia Mendocilla, Elizabeth Gomez, Juana Antigoni, Sofia Gonzalez, Cesar Tejada, Tadeusz Kochel

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: We describe the temporal variation in viral agents detected in influenza like illness (ILI) patients before and after the appearance of the ongoing pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) in Peru between 4-January and 13-July 2009. Methods: At the health centers, one oropharyngeal swab was obtained for viral isolation. From epidemiological week (EW) 1 to 18, at the US Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD) in Lima, the specimens were inoculated into four cell lines for virus isolation. In addition, from EW 19 to 28, the specimens were also analyzed by real time-polymerase-chainreaction (rRT-PCR).

Results: We enrolled 2,872 patients: 1,422 …

North Carolina Hispanic Farmworkers And Intestinal Parasitism: A Pilot Study Of Prevalence And Health-Related Practices,And Potential Means Of Foodborne Transmission, Mindi Russell, Maria Correa, Christine E. Stauber, Julie Case

Public Health Faculty Publications

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers provide much of the necessary labor to harvest and process agricultural commodities desired by consumers. Little is known about the health status (especially the parasitic burden) of farm laborers, who handpick agricultural items such as fruits and vegetables, despite being implicated as a means of foodborne pathogen transmission. The goal of this research was to develop a framework to investigate enteric parasitic infections among Hispanic farmworkers in Eastern North Carolina. Seventy-one interviews were conducted, 16 stool samples were collected, and two parasite-positive workers were found. In addition, some potentially harmful health practices (e.g., self-medication) were identified. …

Impact Of Vital Signs Screening & Clinician Prompting On Alcohol And Tobacco Screening And Intervention Rates: A Pre-Post Intervention Comparison, J. Paul Seale, Sylvia Shellenberger, Mary M. Velasquez, John M. Boltri, Ike S. Okosun Ms, Mph, Phd, Frsph, Monique Guyinn, Dan Vinson, Monica Cornelius, J. Aaron Johnson

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: Though screening and intervention for alcohol and tobacco misuse are effective, primary care screening and intervention rates remain low. Previous studies have increased intervention rates using vital signs screening for tobacco misuse and clinician prompts for screen-positive patients for both alcohol and tobacco misuse. This pilot study’s aims were: (1) To determine the feasibility of combined vital signs screening for tobacco and alcohol misuse, (2) To assess the impact of vital signs screening on alcohol and tobacco screening and intervention rates, and (3) To assess the additional impact of tobacco assessment prompts on intervention rates.

Methods: In …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Levels Of Drinking Water Quality Indicators And The Occurrence Of Self-Reported Diarrheal Disease: A Five-Month Prospective Cohort Study In The Dominican Republic, 2005-2006., Shannon M. Kraft, Christine E. Stauber, Gloria M. Ortiz, Mark Sobsey

Public Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Age-Adjusted Us Cancer Death Rate Predictions, Matt Hayat, Ram C. Tiwari, Kaushik Ghosh, Mark Hachey, Ben Hankey, Rocky Feuer

Public Health Faculty Publications

The likelihood of developing cancer during one's lifetime is
approximately one in two for men and one in three for women in the
United States. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death and
accounts for one in every four deaths. Evidence-based policy
planning and decision making by cancer researchers and public health
administrators are best accomplished with up-to-date age-adjusted
site-specific cancer death rates. Because of the 3-year lag in
reporting, forecasting methodology is employed here to estimate the
current year's rates based on complete observed death data up
through three years prior to the current year. The authors expand
the …

Indigenous Health – Australia, Canada, New Zealand And The United States - Laying Claim To A Future That Embraces Health For Us All., Lisa Jackson Pulver, Melissa R. Haswell, Ian Ring, John Waldon, Wayne Clark, Valorie Whetung, Dianne Kinnon, Catherine Graham, Michelle Chino, Jonathon Lavalley, Christina Compher, Ritu Sadana

Public Health Faculty Publications

Improving the health of all peoples has been a call across the globe for many decades and unfortunately remains relevant today, particularly given the large disparities in health status of peoples found around the world. Rather than differences in health, or health inequalities, we use a different term, health inequities. This is so as mere differences in health (or "inequalities") can be common in societies and do not necessarily reflect unfair social policies or practices. For example, natural ageing implies older people are more prone to illness. Yet, when differences are systematic, socially produced and unfair, these are considered health …

Consumer-Directed Health Insurance Vs. Managed Care: Analysis Of Health Care Utilization And Expenditure Incurred By Employees In A Rural Area, Cecilia M. Watkins, J. White, D. Duncan, D. Wyant, T. Nicholson, J. Khubchandani, C. Lakshminarayana

Public Health Faculty Publications

Consumer-Directed Health Plans (CDHPs) are proposed as an option to control healthcare costs. No research has addressed their applicability in rural settings. This study analyzes three years (2003–2005) of healthcare expenditure and utilization incurred by two employers and a national carrier providing data from a rural state, Kentucky. The study included two measures of expenditures (health care and prescription drugs) and three measures of utilization (physician visits, hospital admissions, and hospital inpatient days). In general, the CDHP successfully controlled the growth of medical costs. These findings suggest that CDHPs may be a viable alternative benefit structure for rural employers.