Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing The Mortality Trends Of Covid - 19 Comorbidities And Recommendations For The Population At Risk, Ogechukwu Igbokwe

Public Health Theses

AIM: The aim of this research is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mortality rates among people in the United States with comorbid diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD)

METHODS: We utilized mortality data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the years 2018–2021. Annual mortality rates were reported, including all-cause mortality, and mortality rates with COVID-19, diabetes and cardiovascular disease listed as a primary or underlying cause of death.

RESULT: Compared to 2018, there was a substantial increase in all-cause mortality across 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively (0.9%, 18.4% and 20.3%). At the same time, we …

Food Insecurity And Chronic Disease Among Working-Age Us Adults, Kiara Maddox

Public Health Dissertations

Studies of the health impact of low food security among adults are limited and generally focus on the association between low food security and one chronic illness. These studies do not examine the full range of food security status which include high, marginal, low, and very low. Past studies have focused only on two groups: food secure and food insecure. We, therefore, examined the association between the four levels of food security and six chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, asthma, and kidney disease. Our study compared two nationally representative population-based samples from the National Health and …

Peer Support, Self-Efficacy, And Diabetes Self-Management In Veterans Living With Diabetes, Michael Smart

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Type 2 diabetes is a significant problem among veterans in the United States, affecting about 25%. Informal peer support, a type of support that is provided by someone who also has diabetes, may be a useful adjunct to interventions targeting diabetes self-management behaviors in this population. The purpose of this study was to explore informal peer support among veterans living with diabetes, its impact on behaviors and self-efficacy related to diabetes self-management, and glucose control.

A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to evaluate relationships between variables of interest. Non-random sampling was used, and participants were recruited mostly through social media …

A Data Visualization Framework For Esda: Understanding Pre-Diabetes And Diabetes Prevalence In Florida, Brindal Dhol

Computer Science Theses

Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) is a technique for analyzing data from different geographic regions. To examine patterns, ESDA uses univariate and multivariate graphical approaches. Through a case study of diabetes and pre-diabetes prevalence in Florida, we built a novel data visualization framework for ESDA.

Diabetes is a rapidly increasing global disease that is a major global health concern with significant implications for healthcare spending. Information about the relationship between diabetes and geographical sociodemographic characteristics could assist public health programs better targeting those who are at risk. We show the regional prevalence of disease in Florida and its relationship to …

Hypoglycemia In The Hospital And In The U.S. Population, Payal Suresh Shah

Public Health Dissertations

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is the most common acute adverse complication of glucose lowering therapy among patients with diabetes and is associated with poor outcomes, including death. A recent study reported that the rate of hypoglycemia-related hospitalization in the United States increased by 11.7% (from 94 to 105 admissions per 100,000 person years) between 1991 and 2011 and that total annual costs increased to $1.6 billion. Despite these concerns, diabetes care quality established a decade ago has primarily focused on prevention and reducing rates of complications such as hypoglycemia. Although these efforts have been successful and the proportion of patients achieving …

Examining The Risk And Prevalence Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Hispanic Population Subgroups In The United States, Natalie Tripp

Public Health Theses

ABSTRACT

Examining the Risk and Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Among Hispanic Population Subgroups in the United States

By

Natalie Elizabeth Tripp

December 13^th, 2019

INTRODUCTION: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant public health problem in the United States because of its implications for both maternal and child health. While it is well documented that Hispanic women are disproportionately impacted by GDM, research and surveillance about GDM among ethnic subgroups is limited. Understanding how racial and ethnic subgroups differ from the general population, and from each other, have important research, policy, prevention and treatment implications.

AIM: This …

Modeling The Relationships Between Urinary F2-Isoprostanes, Bmi, And Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes, Padmini Sangaraju

Public Health Theses

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a chronic condition affecting 1 in every 10 adults in the United States. There is evidence that individuals with greater levels of F2-isoprostanes at similar levels of adiposity have reduced risk of T2DM. F2-isprostanes have been validated as markers of oxidative status in animal and human studies. Many cross-sectional studies found correlations between F2-isprostanes and adiposity measured as body mass index (BMI). The connection of F2-isprostanes to the lower risk of diabetes and BMI suggests that these markers can be interpreted as a part of some compensatory mechanisms involved in metabolic adaptation to body fat …

Income Level And Educational Attainment As Predictors Of Self-Reported Type 2 Diabetes In African American Women Residing In The United States, Vondra Crowell

Public Health Theses

Background: Type 2 diabetes (hereafter “diabetes) is the fourth leading cause of death amongst African American women and an increasing public health problem. Existing statistics show that African American adults are 50%-100% more likely to have diabetes than White Americans. The National Diabetes Statistics Report (2017) also noted that diabetes prevalence significantly varied by educational attainment with 12.6% of adults with less than a high school education compared to 9.5% of those with a high school education, and 7.2% of those with more than a high school education. There was a similar pattern observed when using socioeconomic status (SES) as …

Branched Chain Amino Acids: Causal Or Predictive Of Type 2 Diabetes, Jency George

Public Health Capstone Projects

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) have been associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, there is not concrete understanding on whether BCAA is playing a causal factor or a predictive factor for type 2 diabetes. The aim of this review is to understand how Branched Chain Amino Acids act as a predictive biomarker of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or causal factor in insulin resistance. Two mechanisms have been proposed, but not enough studies have been done to prove which is true. There is still a lot of unknowns in BCAA mechanisms and how it affects metabolic disorders. Future …

A Grant Proposal To Evaluate The Effect Antibiotic Tb Treatment Has On The Gut Microbiota And On Metabolic Functions Of Pediatric Tb Patients In Dekalb County, Oluwatobiloba Adeola Akingbade

Public Health Capstone Projects

INTRODUCTION: This capstone project is modeled after a National Institutes of Health R21 grant application to evaluate the relationship between tuberculosis (TB) antibiotic treatment and 1) gut microbiota and 2) long-term metabolic functions among pediatric patients less than five years old or greater than five years old, residing in Dekalb county.

AIM: The proposed study specific aims are to 1) determine the relationship between standard drug-sensitive antibiotic TB regimens on the gut microbiota (total density and taxa) at the time of TB treatment completion and one-year after treatment completion; 2) determine the relationship between standard drug-sensitive antibiotic TB …

Regulation Of Innate Immune Cell Response Under Sub-Acute/Chronic Inflammatory Conditions, Shuo Niu

Biology Dissertations

Sub-acute/chronic inflammatory diseases are often associated with altered inflammatory response, leading to increased host vulnerability to secondary inflammatory challenges. In the first study, by employing streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in mice, we further investigate mechanisms leading to enhanced polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) response under hyperglycemia. We show that existence of a proinflammatory state associated with broad increases of macrophages in various organs plays a dominant role in promoting PMN response in diabetic mice. Studies of PMN infiltration during zymosan-induced peritonitis reveal that hyperglycemia enhances PMN recruitment through increasing F4/80⁺ macrophages in the peritoneal cavity. Insulin reversal of hyperglycemia reduces peritoneal macrophage …

Accessing Health: Examining Racial And Geographic Disparities In Diabetes Prevalence As A Result Of The Built Environment, Amanda Powell

Sociology Dissertations

Diabetes is a leading cause of premature death and disability in the United States and vulnerable populations may be at increased risk. Racial residential segregation, population density, and other factors influence the built environment, which in turn affects access to health-related facilities. Using the theory of fundamental causes, this study aims to determine whether neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors, the built environment, and subsequent access to health-related facilities are associated with diabetes prevalence in Georgia’s population.

A built environment assessment of all health facilities located in the state of Georgia was conducted using health data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance …

Differences Of Diabetes-Related Complications And Diabetes Preventive Health Care Utilization In Asian And White Using Multiple Years National Health Survey Data, Yonggang Li

Mathematics Theses

The main purpose of this study is to examine the differences of preventive management utilizations and diabetes complications in Asian Americans and Non-Hispanic whites using multiple years (2002-2013) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). SAS for complex survey procedures were used to perform the data analysis. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare the prevalence of diabetes complications and preventive management rate in Asian with white. Compared to white, the prevalence of diabetes retinopathy in Asians were higher, while the rates of neuropathy and cardiovascular complications, pneumonia shot, personally management as well as management diabetes with doctors were lower. The …

An Examination Of The Gender Disparities In Receiving Diabetes-Specific Healthcare Services, Matthew Jackson

Public Health Dissertations

Background: Diabetes is one of the most common and pernicious chronic illnesses. Guidelines recommend visiting a physician for the secondary prevention of complications. Many risk factors and barriers exist, which hinder healthcare usage. Males are at higher risk for many health issues, including diabetes, yet research shows that women are more likely to receive preventive services. The purpose of this study is to examine whether putative risk factors and barriers to care are diabetes-specific and whether their impact varies by gender.

Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to assess disparities between genders related to diabetes-specific care. In …

Epidemiology Of Type 2 Diabetes In Populations Of African Descent, Kenyatta Bruce

Public Health Capstone Projects

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) is a significant public health problem among populations of African descent around the world. In the United States alone, African descent populations are disproportionally affected by the growing epidemic of T2D and are greatly impacted by T2D-related complications. Over the last decade, there have been major advancements in access to care for minority populations. Despite these advancements, this population has the second highest prevalence of T2D compared to any other minority group. The objective of this literature review is to identify the burden of Diabetes Mellitus in the United States among populations of African descent. …

The Association Between A History Of Prior Experience With Meditation And The Prevalence Of Chronic Health Conditions: Evidence From The 2012 Nhis., Morgan Smith, Ashli Owen-Smith, Matthew Hayat

Public Health Theses

The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has grown in popularity since the 1990’s. One possible explanation is the Western medicine’s inability to adequately treat pain and chronic diseases. Hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity each pose significant public health challenges, and effective treatment requires lifestyle modification. Meditation, by attenuating the body’s stress response, may positively impact a wide range of chronic health concerns. However, research on meditation has been mixed and is often criticized for methodological shortcomings. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) most recently included questions about CAM in 2012. NHIS-based research describes differences in both CAM …

Can Changing Your Environment Change Your Health? Examining Public Housing Relocation And Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Amanda N. Powell Ma, Mph

Public Health Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death in the United States today, and vulnerable populations may be more susceptible to this disease risk. Relocating into a new neighborhood may affect one’s cardiovascular disease risk. Through a socio-ecological framework, this study sought to determine whether changes in one’s interior and exterior built environment had a significant effect on cardiovascular disease risk in Atlanta’s relocated public housing population. Using pre- and post-relocation data from a questionnaire delivered to public housing residents, and built environment assessments from before and after demolition neighborhoods, the results showed residents were significantly more satisfied with …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Albuminuria And Food Insecurity In Women, Using The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Heidi Cox

Public Health Theses

Context: Albuminuria, a clinical indicator of chronic kidney disease, has a high prevalence among the US population where approximately half of the people with this condition are women. In the US, most participants in food based government assistance programs are women who have food insecurity. Research indicates that obesity and diabetes, known risk factors for chronic kidney disease, are consequences of food insecurity.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine racial-ethnic differences in the relationship between food insecurity and albuminuria in women who participated in the 2011-2012 NHANES.

Methods: Odds ratios from racial-ethnic specific multivariate …

Insulin Dynamic Measures And Weight Change, Noreen Kloc, Noreen G. Kloc

Public Health Theses

ABSTRACT

Insulin Dynamic Measures and Weight Change

By

Noreen Kloc

B.S. Computer Information Technology, Purdue University

December 7, 2015

INTRODUCTION: Weight gain and obesity are risk factors for insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; however, there is a complicated interplay between insulin sensitivity (SI), fasting insulin, acute insulin response (AIR), and disposition index (DI) and the relationship of these dynamic measures with weight change is not well understood.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between insulin dynamic measures, SI, fasting insulin, AIR, and DI, with weight change during a …

Secular And Longitudinal Trends In Body Weight In A Large Population Of Veterans, 2000-2014, Margery J. Tamas

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the United States and globally, and impacts many aspects of health. To understand the contribution of body weight to chronic diseases such as diabetes, it is necessary to characterize secular and longitudinal weight trends prior to evaluating the weight effects that may result from medical interventions. The cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that mean body weight in the adult population increased from 152 lb (69 kg) to 181 lb (82 kg) between 1959 and 2008. However, there are no previously published studies on secular or longitudinal weight trends …

Diabetes Reduces The Rate Of Sputum Culture Conversion In Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis, Argita Salindri

Public Health Theses

Background: Risk factors for acquired multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) are well described but risk factors of primary MDR TB is understudied. We aimed to 1) assess risk factors for primary MDR TB, including diabetes, and 2) determine if diabetes reduced the rate of sputum culture conversion in patients with primary MDR TB.

Methods: From 2011-2014 we conducted a prospective cohort study at the National Center for TB and Lung Disease in Tbilisi, Georgia. Adult (≥35 years) patients with primary TB were eligible. MDR TB was defined as resistance to at least rifampicin and isoniazid. Patients with HbA1c …

Diabetes In American Indian And Alaska Native Populations, Courtney Godwin

Public Health Theses

Diabetes is the cause of a major health burden in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population in the United States. While rates have been rising throughout the U.S. over the last two decades, the incidence of diabetes among AI/AN individuals remains higher than for any other racial or ethnic group. In fact, AI/ANs are now over two times as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-hispanic whites in the U.S. Despite improvements in healthcare delivery and access diabetes continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality among AI/AN people across the country. With such a …

Latino Youth With Diabetes: A Mixed Methods Examination Of Adherence And Metabolic Control Within The Context Of Sociopolitical And Policy Challenges, Alvina Rosales

Psychology Dissertations

The current study employed quantitative and qualitative methods to examine predictors of adherence and diabetes health outcomes in Latino youth, and to gain understanding of mechanisms that underlie health behaviors and outcomes. Forty-nine Latino youth and their caregivers were recruited at a hospital-based outpatient diabetes clinic, 76% of the youth were either first or second-generation Latino youth (i.e., immigrant youth or youth whose parents are immigrants). A primary aim of this study was to quantitatively examine the impact of parent immigrant-related stress on child health behaviors and outcomes. This study complements these quantitative analyses by qualitatively exploring how (e.g., under …

A Proposed Evaluation Plan For Kaiser Permanente’S Diabetes Disease Management Program, Kathryn Wiedeman

Public Health Theses

DM is a serious and complex public health problem in the U.S. The CDC (2013) estimated that 25.8 million people, or 8.3% of the U.S. population, were suffering from DM in 2011. DM can significantly affect patient’s quality of life. Additionally, DM places a significant economic burden on the U.S. healthcare system.

Over the past two decades, DMPs have emerged as a promising intervention to improve health outcomes for patients suffering from chronic conditions, such as DM, and to bend the cost curve. DMP’s aim is to improve communication and follow-up so that patients can better manage their chronic condition(s) …

The Prevalence And Distribution Of Diagnosed And Undiagnosed Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Among Young Adults Aged 20-40 Years, Utilizing Nhanes Data From 1999-2010, Zachary Roach

Public Health Theses

Background

Within the last century, Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become one of the major health concerns both in the US and globally. Overall prevalence and incidence of the disease within younger populations including adolescents and young adults has sharply increased since 1990 and is estimated to increase further if no actions are taken. It is estimated that 5.7 million people have a form of diabetes. Of the total estimated prevalence of T2DM, 25% of persons with diabetes are unaware they have the disease. This study aims to identify populations most at risk as well as to label important risk …

Association Between Food Deserts And Diabetes Related Morbidity And Mortality Among Residents Of Fulton County, Georgia, Madhubanti Chatterji

Public Health Theses

Background: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability among chronic diseases in the United States. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases, is a preventable form of disease which can be controlled through diet and physical activity. But residents of places such as ‘food deserts’, with no access to fresh food, often bear the burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes. There have been very few studies which have particularly looked at the association between food environment and diabetes prevalence in such deprived areas.

Objective: The study investigated the association …

Chronic Disease Control: Factors Associated With Adherence To Physicians' Recommendations, Jeremy Chartash

Public Health Theses

Background: Recently across the United States, chronic diseases have been becoming more prevalent and compliance rates to recommendations have been declining. Non-adherence to health professionals recommendations creates a greater risk of complications for the patient.

Objective: The objective of this study is to discover which populations have the highest prevalence of chronic disease and compare adherence to physicians’ recommendations throughout those populations. If a physician tells a patient to complete a certain behavioral change to improve health, a physician would assume that the adherence level should be nearly 100%, but it is clear adherence levels do not reach those levels. …

The Relationship Between Diet Quality And The Comorbidity Of Diabetes In Adults With Heart Failure, Jessica M. Hill

Nutrition Theses

Background: Heart failure and diabetes are common coexisting diseases. Elevated levels of glucose in the blood caused by insulin resistance can damage blood vessels and nerves, and eventually lead to heart disease. A poor diet and obesity can also contribute to the progression of diabetes and heart disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if diet and lifestyle factors between adult heart failure patients with and without diabetes who are participating in the EducatioN, and Supportive Partners Improving Self-CaRE (ENSPIRE) study are associated with comorbidities such as diabetes, and if so then how current dietary …

Hov To The Md? A Multilevel Analysis Of Urban Sprawl And The Risk For Negative Health Outcomes, William Mark Sweatman Ph.D.

Sociology Dissertations

Urban sprawl often has a negative connotation, used as a derogatory label for certain forms and consequences of land development that are seen as environmentally and socially unpleasant. Although sprawl may be seen as offensive, there may be other, far greater and more harmful consequences of sprawl. The literature indicates that rates of negative health outcomes, such as obesity, tend to be higher in more developed areas. However, aside from a few studies, little empirical research looks specifically at the influence of sprawl when it comes to individual health. This research project focuses on sprawl and examines the relationships it …

Racial Disparities Study In Diabetes-Related Complication Using National Health Survey Data, Fengxia Yan

Mathematics Theses

The main aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of diabetes-related complications in white to the prevalence in other racial and ethnic groups in United States using 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). By constructing the logistic regression model, odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare the prevalence of diabetes complications in white and other groups. Compared to white, the prevalence of hypertension and stroke in African Americans were higher, while the prevalence of heart attack and coronary heart disease were lower. The Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to develop …