Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Justice And The Role Of Social Capital In An Underserved Urban Community, Lorraine Ann Dillon

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate a community's beliefs, attitudes, and experiences regarding their neighborhood's environmental health issues and the ways in which individuals utilize social capital (the degree to which a community collaborates and cooperates) to improve their environmental health. Research correlating social capital with health status shows that the higher the level of social capital in a community, the better the health. An understanding of why some groups exhibit more social capital than others is important in improving the public health system. The study was accomplished by comparing a convenience sample of two specific groups …

The Use Of The Tripartite Model Of Attitudes To Explain Ems Providers' Attitudes About The Ems Agenda For The Future, Carolyn Angela Rinaca

Health Services Research Dissertations

A dynamic and revolutionary health care system compels the Nation to develop a more cohesive, unified healthcare workforce. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) profession has contributed to this development with the publication of the EMS Agenda for the Future. The EMS Agenda for the Future describes the future direction for emergency medical services agencies and organizations within the nation. It is a vision that integrates EMS systems with other health care professions. The EMS Agenda for the Future is designed to assist EMS professionals in realizing their full potential for proficiency and contributes to the development of the EMS profession. …

Oral Cancer Prevalence In Virginia, Karin C. Loftin, Michele Darby, Stacey Plichta, Sophie Thompson, Shreeram Kumar, Louis Abbey

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose. Oral and pharyngeal cancer affects 30,000 Americans a year and kills one fourth of those diagnosed. The primary risk factors for oral cancer are past or present cigarette and tobacco usage, and alcohol consumption in conjunction with tobacco use. Even though the prevalence of oral cancer is relatively low in the younger age groups, this group is most likely to benefit from intervention programs designed to change risky behavior such as smoking, and to prevent oral cancer in the later years. The goal of the study was to identify high-risk target areas for an oral cancer prevention program in …

Are Residents' Extended Shifts Associated With Adverse Events, Mariana Szklo-Coxe

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

First paragraph:

Heated debates and controversies surrounding the regulation of medical residents’ work hours have raged for over twenty years. In the wake of Libby Zion’s untimely death in 1984 and resulting recommendations by the Bell Commission, New York State enacted legislation (Code 405.4) governing residents’ working conditions and supervision [1]. Since then, there has been growing interest in regulating residents’ work hours, culminating recently (2003–2004) in national guidelines and legislation on duty-hour restrictions both in the United States and Europe [2,3].

Changes In Immunological And Hematological Parameters Of Female Residents Exposed To Volatile Organic Compounds In The City Of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, I-Long Lee, Yang-Yen Gau, Ching-Tzu Yang, Chitsan Lin, Yu-Jue Hong

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the effects, if any, of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air of Kaohsiuug, Taiwan, on certain hematological and immunological parameters of 153 female study participants. The major source of VOCs was vehicle emissions. The participants were selected from three areas, each area at a different distance from a freeway. Results indicated that total concentrations of VOCs and a subgroup of 25 VOCs (VOC₂₅.) ranged from 250 to 335 ppb and 89 to 113 ppb, respectively. The distribution of VOC concentrations did not correlate with distance from the freeway. …

The Politics And Economics Of Health: A Cross-National Comparison Of Civic Engagement And Health Status, Suzanne J. Wood

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades, various structural modifications associated with the provision of national health and its systems have been undertaken. The preponderance of liberalization experiences have occurred in the absence of epidemiological, political, or social considerations associated with adoption and implementation. Often, financial and political manipulation by international organizations and powerful foreign governments has served as the impetus for fundamental shifts leading to an asymmetrical distribution of resources by population density, geography, and along various socio-cultural boundaries. Consequently, structural adjustments have resulted in unpredictable and divergent outcomes with regard to health status. The question of whether or not health …