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Drivers Of Global Waterborne Disease Transmission Following Extreme Precipitation Events: A Systematic Review, Claire Latendresse

Public Health Theses

Precipitation events such as hurricanes, typhoons, and heavy rainfall can have devastating impacts on water and sanitation infrastructure around the world and have led to large-scale waterborne outbreaks. As climate change amplifies the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, it is also triggering an increase in waterborne disease transmission. This master’s thesis consists of a systematic review of academic literature pertaining to extreme precipitation events and the pathways by which they trigger waterborne outbreaks.

A systematic review of the literature in PubMed was conducted to identify waterborne disease outbreaks associated with extreme precipitation. The initial search yielded 3,248 results …

A Geospatial Analysis Of Demographic Characteristics And Environmental Burdens In Communities Near Superfund Sites, Long Island, New York, Fintan Mooney

Public Health Theses

Nassau and Suffolk Counties of Long Island, New York, have over 30 federal Superfund sites, which may contribute to increased health inequities in nearby communities due to potential drinking water contamination and air pollutant emissions. We assessed the proximity to Superfund sites on Long Island in relation to community demographics and the presence of other environmental burdens. Data were obtained from the 2022 United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen) and included proximity to Superfund sites (operationalized through the EJScreen distance weighting score), presence of other environmental hazards, and sociodemographic variables from the U.S. Census …

Characterizing Populations Living Near Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Implications For Health Equity And Environmental Justice, Leah Salzano

Public Health Theses

Current literature has highlighted that concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOS) are associated with adverse health outcomes among populations living in close proximity to the farms and that, in certain states, vulnerable populations may be disproportionately exposed to CAFOs. However, none of the existing studies have assessed the sociodemographic makeup of areas highly exposed to CAFOs across a diverse geographic range. Using locations of CAFOs across six states with robust operations, we conducted logistic regression models assessing the likelihood of high exposure vs. low exposure at the census tract level for each 10% increase in sociodemographic variables (percent unemployed, percent minority, …

Association Of Diurnal Temperature Range With Pediatric Influenza Hospitalization Rates In The United States, 2009 – 2019, Khang Duy Tran

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Climate change may have a negative impact on respiratory illnesses, such as influenza. Diurnal temperature range (DTR), an indicator of climate change, is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature within a day or a week. As the climate warms, global DTR decreases, though there might be regions where DTR increases instead. Previous literature conducted in non-U.S. regions found both positive and negative associations between DTR and influenza infections. A group especially vulnerable to the effects of DTR are children less than 5 years of age due to their less-developed thermoregulation capability. This study thus aimed to explore …

The Potential Link Between Pfas And Colorectal Cancer: A Narrative Review, Amina Mutalib

Public Health Theses

Background: Currently, there is information on the detrimental impacts of exposure to pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) but there is still limited information on the impact PFAS has on colorectal cancer.Aim: To review and examine the evidence available in the existing published literature showing an association between exposure to PFAS and colorectal cancer. Methods: In this narrative review using searches of PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar, publications between 2003 and 2023 were identified to ensure the inclusion of all recent development in this area of research. Inclusion criteria included a focus on the association between PFAS/PFOS and …

“Am I Sick Or Just Discarded?”: Psychiatry, Health Care Reform, And The Rise Of Geriatrics In America, 1931-1954, Sophie E. Edelstein

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

Between 1931 and 1941, the United States population over the age of sixty-five increased by over 35 percent. These individuals, however, did not receive increased support. Rather, American politicians and society at large labeled the elderly a ‘burden,’ and passed off their care to the overworked medical personnel of state and federal mental institutions. Sparked by clinical exposure to the influx of elderly patients to mental institutions, Massachusetts psychiatrist David Rothschild identified an erroneous assumption in care practices for senile patients. In many cases, physicians preemptively diagnosed those admitted to state and federal institutions with some form of senile dementia, …

Evaluating Environmental Risk Factors For Community-Associated C. Difficile Infection In New Haven County, Connecticut, 2016-2021, Hannah Liat Litwak

Public Health Theses

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is classified as an urgent threat to public health and has been increasing in incidence and severity. CDI is commonly considered hospital- acquired; however, rates of community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) have been increasing and now make up more than 50% of cases reported. Risk factors for CA-CDI exposure are poorly understood and inadequately studied. This study uses regression to evaluate if community characteristics are associated with CA-CDI incidence at the census tract level in New Haven County. The goal is to determine if where someone lives in proximity to these potential risk factors may contribute to …