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Hpv Vaccination In The Virginia Context: Demographic Disparities, Patient-Provider Gender Concordance And The Impact Of Changing Recommendations, Isha Patel, Norma M. Benitez, George L. Maxwell, Fabian T. Camacho, Rajesh Balkrishnan

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Objective: Despite its effectiveness in preventing several cancers, there are marked disparities in HPV vaccination initiation and series completion. The present study sought to understand disparities in HPV vaccinations among patients in northern Virginia (ages 9-26) and the impact of patient and provider gender concordance, in lieu of CDC’s vaccine recommendation changes in 2016, which reduced the recommended doses from three to two, in this population. Design: Analyses of electronic medical records collected from 2012 to 2017. Setting: A large health care system in Northern Virginia. Participants: A total of 37,427 patients, ages 9 to 26, were included in analyses. …

Introducing The Vpha Policy Forum, Benjamin P. Barber

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Data before and during the pandemic indicates Virginia's public health system needs reform. This article suggests that reform requires policy change, and it introduces the VPHA forum as a place to examine current policies and explore new ideas. Finally, it encourages policymakers, advocates, and the public to focus on fundamental questions about how public health is financed and delivered in Virginia. Answering these questions is necessary to creating better public health policies - and better health - for all Virginians.

Editor's Note, Maria Devalpine, Jennifer Gallagher Jones

Virginia Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Refugees’ Ability To Pass The United States Citizenship Exam, Molly Grover, Fern Hauck, Sarah Blackstone, Emily Cloyd

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Background: Passing the United States citizenship exam can be challenging for refugee populations for several reasons, including affordability of English classes, time restraints, medical stressors, and limited formal education. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may influence a refugees’ ability to pass the citizenship exam, including English proficiency, education, employment, and completion of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Methods: Refugee patients at the International Family Medicine Clinic (IFMC) in Central Virginia participated in a survey that assessed their levels of English proficiency and whether or not they had passed the citizenship exam. The survey …

Knowledge Of The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: An Analysis Using Together For Health Virginia Population Health Survey, Mythili Vigneshwar, Sunny Jung Kim, Carrie A. Miller, Bernard Fuemmeler, Rajesh Balkrishnan

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis was to identify key predictors which impact knowledge of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine in adults aged 21 to 45 in Virginia.

Methods: Data was collected from the Together for Health Virginia Population Surveys administered by Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. Logistic regression was performed on data using the variables sex, age, rurality, race, education, income, occupation, and type of health insurance coverage.

Results: There was a statistically significant positive relationship between knowledge of the HPV vaccine and part-time occupation (OR: 4.288, CI: 1.492-13.325), younger age (OR: 2.31, CI: 1.088-4.905), and …

Air Quality Monitoring In The Southeast Community In The City Of Newport News, Va, Michala L. Hendrick, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Alexander M. Lasky, Ryan Mace

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess air quality in the Southeast Community of Newport News, VA by monitoring air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, NO2, and SO2. Currently, there is a lack of community specified air quality data in Newport News despite observed environmental degradation and public health problems.

Methods: Three air sampling sites were located within residential areas of the Southeast Community, while four industrial air sampling sites were chosen based on proximity to potential pollution sources, including traffic emissions, the coal pier, and industrial activities. All of the industrial sites were located on the boundaries …

Covid-19 In Congregate Settings: A Literature Review, Jennifer G. Jones, Maria G. Devalpine

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Virginia has numerous and varying congregate living facilities, to include correctional facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and 13 state-operated mental/behavioral health/rehabilitation facilities. The purpose of this literature review is to review COVID-19 trends in congregate settings and identify suggested mitigation efforts.

Methods: The target population for the literature search was individuals in congregate living facilities. Both correctional facilities and nursing homes were included as congregate settings.

Findings: Studies reviewed reported on disease transmission, the use of universal and serial testing, and reported additional information. Early and frequent testing to guide resident cohorting and exclusion of individuals from work was recommended. …

Health Equities/Health Disparities

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Presentations Included:

Causes of Healthcare Disparity in Appalachia and What Needs to Change
Chris Martin

Improving Health Equity with Community-Based Actions: A Literature Review
Talayha A. Gilliam

Racial Disparities Among Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Patients in the United States: A Review
Emily Varvil, Georges Adunlin, and Hadiza Galadima

Behavioral Health/Health Education

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Presentations Included:

Association Between Breastfeeding During Infancy and Obesity During Adolescence
Sharaf Alddin R, AlMathkoor R, Kostakis H, Albatineh A, Al-Taiar A, and Akpinar-Elci M.

Association Between Meal Program Participation and Protein Intake in US Adults 65 and Older: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the NHANES 2013-2018
Sarah V. Collins, Robert A. Blanco, and Anika L. Hines

Examining Motor Outcomes of Infants in Three Virginia Regions
Michaela Schreyer, Lisa Letzkus, and Katheryn Frazier

Fear, Frustration, and Fatalism: The Association Between Cancer Beliefs and Colorectal Cancer Screening Compliance in Virginia
Monique Rajbhandari

Maternal Perceptions of the Child's Weight in Relation to the …

Social Determinants Of Health And The Prevalence Of Overweight Status And Mental Health Conditions Among Non-Hispanic Black And Hispanic Children In The United States, Mackenzie Hunt, Arianna Jensen-Wachspress, Nicole Holt Drph, Mph

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: A growing concern in the United States has been the rise of anxiety and depression and its relation to excessive weight status among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children, racial groups with higher-than-average rates of overweight status and obesity. This study explored this prevalence by analyzing individual, interpersonal, and community factors among this population. The study also sought to determine if a correlation exists between elevated weight and mental health issues in the study population.

Methods: Using data from the 2017’s National Survey of Children Health (NSCH), the prevalence of anxiety and depression was investigated among Black and Hispanic children …

Covid-19

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Presentations Included:

Application of Whole Health Using the Donabedian Model During COVID-19 at Veteran Administration Facilities
Lynnsey Boldt and Christine Booker

Comparing Age-Group Trends in COVID-19 Cases Across Virginia Heath Districts
Rachel A. Silverman

COVID-19 Trends & Their Impact on Populations in Portsmouth, VA
Arnell Jackson Jr.

Effects of the Pandemic on Nursing Schools in Virginia<>
Benjamin Gersbach and Christine Booker

Evaluating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Telehealth on University Student Access of Mental Health Resources
Grace Duncan

Physical and Mental Health Care Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During COVID-19 from January 1st, 2019 - April 24th, 2020: A …

Systemic Racial Bias In Health Care Delivery To Women, Tiffany M. Edwards Mph, Deanne Shuman Phd, Muge Akpinar-Elci Md, Phd

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Introduction: The main hypothesis is that racial bias towards minority women perpetuates systemic racism in the U.S., health care system resulting in negative health outcomes and detrimental incidences.

Methods: In this semi-systematic and literature review, an informational web-based search was used from the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, Elsevier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and ResearchGate. Inclusion criteria were adult women over the age of eighteen, women of color restricted to the United States only, and different areas of health care delivery.

Results: This review found that women of color, especially black …

Other Topics

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Presentations Included:

Conducting Research as a First-Year Medical Student
Siri Tummala and Gary Kesling

Establishing a Research Lab in Public Health: Opportunities and Challenges from a Faculty and Student Led Collaboration
M. Achike, B. Berumen-Flucker, A. Dumadag, T. Edwards, H. Galadima, M. Kekeh, and M. Akpinar-Elci

Introductory and Framing of Forthcoming Dissertation, Power and Politics in National Pharmaceutical Pricing: Implications of Power and the Political Dimensions of Health for Global Health Governance and Equity
Claire Wulf Winiarek

Virginia Journal Of Public Health Spring 2021 Full Issue

Virginia Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Environmental Health

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Presentations Included:

Association Between Mold and Asthma in Minority Children in the Urban Setting
Judith K. Muir

Comparing Source-Specific PM2.5 Between Rush Hour vs. Sporadic Commuters
Charlotte Joannidis, Jenna R. Krall, and Karlin D. Moore

Exploration of the Spatial Relationships between Lead and Pesticide Exposures and Neurodegenerative Disease Age-Adjusted Mortality Risk in North Carolina
Maci Keaton, Kathleen Poole, and Ashley Stoop

Evaluating the Impact of Work Environments on ADHD Presentation in Adults
Adam Moore

Outdoor Air Pollution and Cancer in African American Men
Megan Coles

Particulate Matter Concentration Around Lamberts Point & Railroad, Norfolk, VA
Shobha Subedi

The Utility of …

Virginia Journal Of Public Health Fall 2021 Full Issue

Virginia Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.