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Examining The Association Between Perceptions Of Racial Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms Among African Americans In Georgia, Obioesio Bassey

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Depression in the United States is a persistent but relatively understudied public health issue, especially among particularly burdened populations that suffer from comorbidities and additional conditions that may trigger or exacerbate the presence of depressive symptoms. Stress is a leading causes of many health defects and many recent theories concerning health disparities center around the differences in stress between different subpopulations contribute to health. Perceived discrimination is a unique stressor that has been linked to the observed wellness gap between races. Discrimination in the United States is often targeted towards African Americans and the effect that this unique stressor …

The Effects Of Psychological Stress On Abdominal Obesity Among African American Women, Sankan W. Nyanseor

Public Health Theses

African American (AA) women have the highest prevalence of obesity than other groups in the US making them disproportionately at high risk for chronic diseases associated with obesity such type 2 diabetes mellitus. Research has shown that stress may be a risk factor for obesity and that it may be more prevalent within AA women. The aim of this study was to identify if there is an association between psychological stress in AA women in the US and abdominal obesity (AO). A cross sectional study design was employed using secondary data from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey …

Susceptibility For Hepatitis B Infection Within The United States Population With Special Focus On African American Females., Dajuana Phillip

Public Health Theses

In 2010, the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected 1.2 million people in the United States, many of whom were unaware of their infection (CDC, 2010). The available research on HBV infection is predominately among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander. HBV infection and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection share similar modes of transmission. Very little HBV research has been dedicated to the African American females; who accounted for 29% of the new HIV cases among young adolescents in 2010 (CDC, 2010). Due to the common mode of transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B many persons at risk for …

Characteristics Of African American Adolescent Females Who Use Emergency Contraception, Erin Little

Public Health Theses

Unintended pregnancy remains to be a public health priority for adolescents as there are a myriad of negative social and developmental consequences for both young mothers and their children. The goal of this study was to examine associations of individual-level determinants of health with sexual risk behaviors and protective factors among a sample of African American female adolescents. African American adolescent females were recruited from sexual health clinics to participate in a cross-sectional survey at 18 months post-participation in a STD/HIV prevention trial. Surveys were administered using Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (ACASI). Statistical analyses were run to determine associations …

Preventing Post - Treatment Relapse Among African American Adolescents And Young Adult Marijuana Users Through Effective Treatment Interventions: A Proposed Intervention For Metro-Atlanta, Charlotte E. Robinson Ms

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Marijuana use, although illegal in the majority of states, is increasingly becoming acceptable for use in the United States. There are dangerous public health consequences associated with marijuana use—including: impaired driving, loss of productivity in workplaces and school settings, as well as mental health impacts. In Atlanta, the majority of residents (54.0%) are African American. Emergency room use is double for African American Fulton County residents compared to their Caucasian counterparts and approximately 1/5 of the total population receiving public health treatment identify marijuana as the primary drug of use, with 57% of those being African Americans. Despite these …

Factors Associated With Hiv Among Heterosexual African American Adults Aged 50 Years And Older In Ten Zip Codes Of Atlanta, Georgia, 2005-2011, Grace Marriott

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: The fastest growing segment of the U.S. population is among individuals aged 50 and older. However, advanced age is not protective against HIV.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to examine individual characteristics (gender, age, education) as well as environmental and behavioral factors (doctor visits and IDU) that may be linked with HIV status among older heterosexual African American adults. The factors associated with HIV status that were examined include education level, IDU within the last six months, non-injected drugs that were used within the last six months and the length of time since the last doctor visit. …

Changes In Sexual Risk Perception And Risk Taking Among Urban African American Adolescents, Rosa M. Steen

Public Health Theses

Background: Adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 acquire nearly half of all new STDs in the United States, yet they represent only 25% of the sexually active population. Young men and women in this age group have the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, especially in the African American population. Adolescent risk factors include having a history of pregnancy or STDs, being arrested or incarcerated, substance abuse, early sexual debut and having 4 or more lifetime sexual partners. Protective behaviors such as parental involvement, school enrollment, and consistent condom use have been associated with decreased incidence …

Examination Of Gender Differences In Baseline Characteristics And 12 Month Death And Rehospitalization Of African American Patients Admitted For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Saadia Khizer

Public Health Theses

Coronary heart disease, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is the nation's leading cause of death. This study examined the characteristics and outcomes of 397 African American (AA) patients within one year of hospitalization due to AMI at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Atlanta. The PREMIER study, a nationwide registry, maintained by John Spertus MD, included data from patient interviews, medical records, and clinical characteristics like diabetes, hypertension, smoking, angina frequency and quality of life was used. Patient characteristics, associated with a major adverse event (MAE) within one-year post AMI were evaluated using SAS. Results showed a trend of higher odds …