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All ETDs from UAB

Theses/Dissertations

2014

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) School of Public Health

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Evaluation Of Environmental Factors And Dengue Fever In Sri Lanka Using Geospatial Tools, Meghan Tipre Jan 2014

Evaluation Of Environmental Factors And Dengue Fever In Sri Lanka Using Geospatial Tools, Meghan Tipre

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The incidence of dengue fever has increased exponentially in Sri Lanka, from 24.4 cases per 100,000 in 2003 to 165.3 per 100,000 population in 2013. Despite concerted effort by the Sri Lankan government, dengue control remains a challenge in the country, indicating a need for novel approach for dengue prevention and control. The aim of this research was to identify environmental risk factors that may be associated with dengue incidence rate at the Gram Niladhari Divisions level (smallest administrative unit) in Colombo city, Sri Lanka, using geospatial tools such as remote sensing and geographic information system. These factors included climate …


Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Medical Indications, And Perinatal Outcomes Associated With Interventional Early Term Delivery, Kelley Swatzell Jan 2014

Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Medical Indications, And Perinatal Outcomes Associated With Interventional Early Term Delivery, Kelley Swatzell

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Non-medically indicated deliveries, resulting from obstetrical intervention in an effort to avoid delivery at a later date, are frequently referred to as elective deliveries. These were increasingly occurring in early term gestations of 37.0 to 38.7 and frequently resulting in adverse neonatal outcomes such as sepsis, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress disorder the need for mechanical ventilation. In addition to concerns regarding adverse neonatal and maternal health outcomes, elective early term delivery increases health care costs due to prolonged hospital stays and NICU admissions. Efforts taken to reduce elective early term deliveries include public service announcements, educational programs, performance incentives and reimbursement …


Urbanization And Land-Use Change In Puerto Maldonado, Peru: Categorizing The Landscape Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery For Potential Use In Public Health Research, Laura Brianna Gast Jan 2014

Urbanization And Land-Use Change In Puerto Maldonado, Peru: Categorizing The Landscape Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery For Potential Use In Public Health Research, Laura Brianna Gast

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Environmental change, especially rapid urbanization, has measurable effects on human health. Over 70 percent of the global population is expected to live in urban areas by 2025, and at least 1 in 3 of these individuals will live in extreme poverty. Living in a slum or shantytown exposes individuals to health and safety risks including inadequate sanitation, lack of access to clean water, air pollution, violence, over-crowding and risk of infectious disease. Remote sensing technologies are an effective tool for detection and prediction of areas with significant land use change, which enables identification of populations with the highest risk of …


Three Studies On Family Meals: Examining The Predictors Of Family Meals And Its Impact On Adolescent Health, Samantha Sittig Goldfarb Jan 2014

Three Studies On Family Meals: Examining The Predictors Of Family Meals And Its Impact On Adolescent Health, Samantha Sittig Goldfarb

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This three-manuscript dissertation addresses gaps in the literature related to the predictors of family meals and its impact on adolescent health behavior. Sharing dinner as a family has been promoted by the media and many researchers as an ideal environment to enrich the parent-child bond and subsequently reduce adolescent risk behaviors such as substance use and delinquency. This dissertation centers on three topics, in particular: (1) the nature of the family meal literature given the multiple adolescent health behavior outcomes, study designs, and model types investigated and used by researchers, (2) the impact of family dinners on adolescent school problems, …


Relationship Between Diabetes And Indoor Air Pollution: An Exploratory Analysis, Sandeep Mishra Jan 2014

Relationship Between Diabetes And Indoor Air Pollution: An Exploratory Analysis, Sandeep Mishra

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India has the second highest number of people with diabetes. The high prevalence of diabetes in India cannot be explained on the basis of established risk factors like obesity. The role of air pollution in diabetes has recently received attention. Studies have indicated the possibility that air pollution generated by traffic might be associated with increased risk of diabetes. Published literature lacks studies that assess the relationship between indoor air pollution and diabetes, although indoor air pollution can lead to higher levels of pollutants in house compared to traffic pollution. The current study determined the relationship between indoor air pollution …


Promoting Worksite Stair Use By Launching The "Stepping Up" Campaign, Lynne A. Obiaka Jan 2014

Promoting Worksite Stair Use By Launching The "Stepping Up" Campaign, Lynne A. Obiaka

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Background: Obesity and overweight contribute to worksite absenteeism and decreased productivity. Encouraging employees to frequent the stairs is one approach towards increasing worksite physical activity. Methods: An explanatory, mixed methods research design was used to explore the impact of a health communications campaign entitled "Stepping Up" on worksite stair use in health department employees. The campaign included octagonal shaped posters similar to traffic signs, email prompts and printed materials. A pretest and posttest were administered before and after the intervention to assess stair use frequencies and identify predictors. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test for related samples, Spearman correlations and multiple rank …


The Effect Of Medicaid Dental Coverage On Dental Care Utilization Among Older Americans, Ahyuda Oh Jan 2014

The Effect Of Medicaid Dental Coverage On Dental Care Utilization Among Older Americans, Ahyuda Oh

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This dissertation examines the impact of Medicaid dental coverage on dental care utilization and oral health outcome of low-income elderly and non-elderly adults, using a fixed-effects model with longitudinal data of all states and multiple years from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS). By exploiting within-state variation over time in adult Medicaid dental coverage, the study estimates the effects of Medicaid dental coverage on dental care utilization (i.e., dental visits and dental cleanings) and oral health outcome (i.e., tooth loss). The study evaluates the effects of Medicaid dental benefits with preventive dental services on each of the three dental …


Patient And System Level Factors As Predictors Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Appointment Schedules In Cambodia, Gary T. Daigle Jan 2014

Patient And System Level Factors As Predictors Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Appointment Schedules In Cambodia, Gary T. Daigle

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PATIENT AND SYSTEM LEVEL FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF ADHERENCE TO ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY APPOINTMENT SCHEDULES IN CAMBODIA GARY T. DAIGLE EPIDEMIOLOGY / INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ABSTRACT On-time attendance at clinical appointments by patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to the prevention of medication interruptions, viral rebound, drug resistance, and long term mortality. An observational study conducted in 2010, Enablers and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Cambodia, sought to identify factors that predict on-time clinical appointment attendance by patients on ART. These factors were classified as either ART patient level factors (e.g. demographic, clinical) or patient care and support system level factors …