Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Health Impacts Of Vehicular Emissions In South Florida: A Comprehensive Analysis, Janelle Ducheine, Noah Horesh, Jason C. Quinn

FIU Undergraduate Research Journal

South Florida is famous for its diverse cultural scene and year-round sunshine. This success, however, has not been without its consequences. While the region enjoys economic prosperity, the hidden cost of deteriorating air quality and adverse health effects from vehicle emissions necessitates urgent attention. Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a potential solution, promising reduced emissions, and increased energy efficiency. However, the intricate life cycle emissions associated with EV energy production raise questions about their net benefits. Using predictive modeling and historical data, the study forecasts emissions trajectories and assesses their health implications. Results indicate a substantial reduction in pollutants …

Local Health Department Capacity To Improve Public Health - The Impact Of Public Health Accreditation And Public Health Funding, Nancy S. Elliott

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public health accreditation and public health funding have the potential to transform the way local health departments (LHDs) deliver public health, but it is unclear if they are having their intended impact. Since performance expectations are high and public health funding is scarce, LHD leadership will continually be interested in finding the most effective ways of improving public health. The purpose of this research is to examine whether LHDs are reaching their goal of public health improvement through public health accreditation and public health funding. Data from the National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile Surveys, Public Health …

Use Of Mobile Technology: Effects On Diabetic Health Outcomes And Health Care Costs In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Ahmad M. Rayani

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes in Saudi Arabia has reached an epidemic rate and is a significant cause of major medical complications, premature death, and health costs. Recent statistics indicates that up to 30% of Saudi population are diabetic and this number is expected to increase. As diabetes is increasing in extremely high rates in Saudi Arabia, a texting intervention has the potential in improving the health outcomes for this population. This data is needed in Saudi Arabia to improve the outcomes with diabetic patients and to guide the development of practice models with the aim to improve diabetics non-adherence to medically prescribed treatments …

Physicians Perception Of The Impact Of E-Health Reform On The Saudi Arabian Health System, Saeed A. Alwadei

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia introduced E-health system reform in 2011. The national E-health plan has already been in action; the MOH expects to implement the system throughout the country by 2021. The MOH manages about 60% of the hospitals in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, the government of Saudi Arabia introduced vision 2030. One of the main objectives of the reform is to accelerate the implementation of primary and digital infrastructure projects. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the E-health system reform in Saudi Arabia.

This research utilized a questionnaire to collect …

Three Essays On Disaster Risk, Housing Market And Public Health, Mehrnoosh Asadi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays focusing on topics related to environmental and health economics. In the first essay, we look into risk mitigation measures related to public health. More specifically, the focus is on the societal impacts of Superfund Sites and their inundation during extreme weather events. With that objective in mind, we investigate the effect of hurricane-induced discharges from Superfund Sites in terms of residents’ risk perception and its consequence on housing values in the real estate market using the property sales data. The findings suggest that home prices in the vicinity of Superfund Sites experience depreciation. Following …

Mapping Covid-19: How Web-Based Maps Contribute To The Infodemic, Peter Mooney, Levente Juhasz

GIS Center

A proliferation of web-based maps have appeared depicting many different aspects of the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In this commentary, we consider the usage of web-based mapping during the COVID-19 pandemic and argue that web maps have been widely misused for delivering public information on this fast moving, epidemiologically complex, and geographically unbounded process.

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees In Florida, Racha Sankar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Syrian refugees settled in the United States may experience food insecurity due to different socioeconomic factors that may include nutrition knowledge, language proficiency, women’s education, and perceived stress. The structure and the type of households may also contribute to food insecurity in this population.

The objective of this study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. It also aimed to determine the socioeconomic factors that may attribute to food insecurity at household level.

A comprehensive 228-item questionnaire was administered to N=80 households (n=43 in rural areas, n=37 in urban areas). Families with and without children were …

Keyword Essay: Health Literacy, Jessica Nalani Lee, Amcy C. Hickman

Community Literacy Journal

No abstract provided.

Cross-Sectional Predictors Of Hiv Risk Among Latino Migrant Workers, Ailin Rodriguez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between suspected predictors of current HIV risk, i.e. self-efficacy, social norms, expectancies, alcohol use, past HIV risk, past history sexual abuse, social support, and behavioral intention was investigated in a sample of Latino migrant workers living and working in the United States (N=270) using baseline data from a previous study.

A series of multiple regression analyses were performed by adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, and length of stay. Zero-inflated Poisson regression analysis showed that self-efficacy was associated with behavioral intention (β= 0.03, p= 0.04) and expectancies was associated with behavioral intention …

A State And Territorial Survey Regarding Utilization Of Environmental Health Shelter Assessments During Disasters, And A Secondary Analysis Of Available Shelter Assessment Data, Miguel A. Cruz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disasters are complex events characterized by damage to key infrastructure and population displacements into disaster shelters. Assessing the living environment in shelters during disasters is a crucial health security concern. Until now, jurisdictional knowledge and preparedness on those assessment methods, or deficiencies found in shelters is limited. A cross-sectional survey (STUSA survey) ascertained knowledge and preparedness for those assessments in all 50 states, DC, and 5 US territories. Descriptive analysis of overall knowledge and preparedness was performed. Fisher’s exact statistics analyzed differences between two groups: jurisdiction type and population size. Two logistic regression models analyzed earthquakes and hurricane risks as …

Assessing Sustainability Of Sanitation Technologies Recommended For Rural Settings: A Case Study Of Morogoro District, Tanzania, Amour Seleman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to: assess the sanitation conditions and sustainability of sanitation technologies, using a comprehensive framework of sustainability indicators. A survey of 500 households and focus group discussions of 40 key informants were conducted in five villages. Ninety-six percent of the households had toilets, with only 9.4% having improved toilets. A strong relationship existed between the percent of sanitation coverage and the diarrhea incidence rates. Education and family wealth were the two significant determinants of sanitation coverage. On the basis of the sustainable development index, SanPlat and VIP latrine were the top two probable sustainable technologies. …