Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Expanding Healthcare Access For The Undocumented Immigrant Community: The Heal For Immigrant Families Act Of 2023, Perla Torres Estrada

The Gettysburg Journal for Public Policy

When it comes to the topic of universal healthcare, most of us will readily agree that healthcare is a human right. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who should be granted this right, and if it should be left to the free market to determine access and affordability. Specifically, the political debate on expanding healthcare access to undocumented immigrants in the United States revolve around concerns over costs, legality, and equity. Proponents maintain that it is a human right whereas opponents question the potential burden on taxpayers and the implication for immigration policy. The HEAL …

Developing An Ordered Logistics Regression Model For Denture Hygiene Among Elderly In Residential Care Homes, Wan Muhamad Amir W Ahmad, Ruhana Hasan, Mohamad Nasarudin Adnan, Farah Muna Mohamad Ghazali, Hazik Bin Shahzad, Nor Azlida Aleng, Mohamad Shafiq Mohd Ibrahim

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

With a global aging population, the oral hygiene of elderly individuals in institutional settings requires unique management. Maintaining adequate denture hygiene is a critical aspect of their overall well-being, while neglecting denture hygiene can lead to various oral health issues, malnutrition, and further impacting their overall health. Objective: This paper aims to provide a preliminary overview of denture hygiene care among the elderly using an ordered logistics model. Methods: Data was obtained from 174 participants in two government institutional homes in Malaysia. The Principle Components Analysis (PCA) was used to identify significant variables and an ordered logistic model …

Smoking During Pregnancy; An Epidemiologic Study Of Knowledge And Behavior In Caucasian Women, Victoria Maria Ruta, Teodora Gabriela Alexescu, Nicoleta Stefania Motoc, Roxana Constantin, Daisy Vaida-Voevod, Milena Adina Man

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Introduction. Although it is an easily avoidable lifestyle, tobacco use during pregnancy is an important chronic health care problem, potentially leading to severe pregnancy complications for both mother and infant. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding the effects of tobacco smoking during pregnancy. Methods. An online self-report questionnaire was administered using social networks and websites to women who were pregnant or who had recently given birth. Results. 1357 women were eligible to be included in the study. 919 women smoked during their pregnancy, 105 smoked but stopped before pregnancy (former smoker) and …

Establishing The First Student-Run Clinic To Provide Free Health Care To A South Texas Colonia, John Nicholas Cauba, Andrew B. Callan, Beatriz Tapia

Research Symposium

Purpose: The purpose of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine Student Run Clinic is to bridge the healthcare gap in the local colonias by providing excellent, compassionate primary care to all who enter our doors, free of charge. We also work to connect our patients to low-cost, high-quality services in the area like women’s health visits, appointments with social workers, and dental services. Additionally, we offer medical students’ opportunities from their first year to serve an underserved population and get hands-on experience with patients.

Many patients in colonias face challenges like limited transportation options and a …

How Can Academic Health Science Centers Help To Increase Diversity In The Stem Professions?, Mary Moore, Martha Cuccia, Alicia Edwards, Chindo Hicks, Angela Mclean, Christian Nieves-Rivera, Gabrielle Sheets, Kelly Jean Sherman, Allison Augustus-Wallace, Fern Tsien

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

In the United States, great inequities exist within the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in individuals who self-identify as belonging to underrepresented groups (e.g., from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, people with disabilities, and Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander). Underrepresentation in STEM careers has been documented to be due to a lack of qualified and diverse teaching personnel, limited access to resources in disadvantaged schools, and implicit bias within US institutions. In recognition of these inequities, an interprofessional team of biomedical faculty members and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) educators from the Louisiana …

Evaluating The Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Dental Patients In South India - A Descriptive Study, Dheekshitha P K, Sudeep C B Dr., Sunil P M Dr., Suji M Dr.

Annual Research Symposium

This study aims to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life among dental patients in South India.

It Takes A Village To Raise A Grandchild: Developing Communities Of Support For Grand-Families On Pei, Canada, Christina Murray, Laura Bain, Nora Spinks, Donald Avery

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

In this practice brief, we outline our research focused on grandparents raising grandchildren in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Specifically, we highlight a series of collaborative community workshops implemented as part of our research project. Using a participatory action research approach, we worked with grandparents raising grandchildren to co-design and implement the workshops, which we titled It Takes a Village to Raise a Grandchild. These workshops brought together grandparents raising grandchildren and key community members, including clergy, educators, healthcare providers, politicians, social services, child services, and researchers. The goal of these workshops was to build awareness and increase understanding …

Pilot Implementation Of A Nutrition-Focused Community-Health-Worker Intervention Among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults In Permanent Supportive Housing, Jane E Hamilton, Diana C Guevara, Sara F Steinfeld, Raina Jose, Farrah Hmaidan, Sarah Simmons, Calvin W Wong, Clara Smith, Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk, Shreela V Sharma

Student and Faculty Publications

Food insecurity is a known health equity threat for formerly chronically homeless populations even after they transition into permanent housing. This project utilized a human-centered design methodology to plan and implement a nutrition-focused community-health-worker (CHW) intervention in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The project aimed to increase access to healthy foods, improve nutritional literacy, healthy cooking/eating practices, and build community/social connectedness among 140 PSH residents. Validated food-security screening conducted by CHWs identified low or very low food security among 64% of 83 residents who completed the baseline survey, which is similar to rates found in a previous study among formerly homeless …

Policy Review And Recommendation For Secondary Education Np-Led Clinics In The Southeastern United States, Shiney Alex Jacob

Student Scholarly Projects

Secondary-level education involves adolescent children aged 11-12 years to 18-19 with unique healthcare needs. Their healthcare is of significant importance as they are transitioning to adulthood, and a majority of them lack access to primary healthcare needs. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses/Nurse Practitioners (APRNs/NPs) provide high-quality, cost-effective, and evidence-based care to people across the lifespan, and there is minimal utilization of their services in meeting the primary care needs of adolescents at the secondary school level. The purpose of the policy project was to determine if current policies and practices related to school health services in three southeastern states of the …

What We Know About School-Based Health Centers: Literature On Outcomes, Cost Impact, Implementation, And Sustainability, Michelle R. Coble, Valerie F. Mcdaniel

Pacific Journal of Health

Many children lack access to adequate healthcare in the United States. School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are a useful resource for accessing those needed services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the available research for the strengths of SBHCs with improving health outcomes and health equity, cost impact of SBHCs, and best practices for implementing and sustaining an SBHC. The focus of this study was on reviewing the current literature on the impact of SBHCs on improving health equity, health outcomes, cost impact, and to establish best practices for implementing and sustaining an SBHC. Although the current literature …

Psychological Violence And Manipulative Behavior In Couple: A Focus On Personality Traits, Carmela Mento, Clara Lombardo, Nicholas Whithorn, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, Antonio Bruno, Maura Casablanca, Maria Catena Silvestri

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Psychological violence is characterized by systematic denigration and humiliation of the partner (victim). It is an insidious and manipulative behavior put in place to ensure that the victim begins to doubt themselves, and their own judgments, to the point of feeling confused and wrong. This behavior pattern is called Gaslighting and the personality traits are characterized by lack of empathy, psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism. These three conditions are part of the so-called dark triad and distinguished by the lack of empathy. The aim of this study is to explore psychological aspects and consequences of Gaslighting phenomena. This systematic review was …

Access To Veterinary Care & Animal Welfare Organizations, Linda Daugherty Mpa, Sue Neal Dpa

Social Work Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this study is to better understand the challenges animal welfare organizations face around access to veterinary care and how these challenges impact the animals in their care. The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE) at the University of Tennessee joined forces to conduct a survey of shelters and rescues at the national level. This study grew out of a project completed for the California Access to Care Working Group (CACWG) by PPHE that explored challenges experienced by animal shelters in California due to inequitable access to veterinary care. The CACWG …

Dance/Movement Therapy Used As An Intervention To Heal Racial Trauma Within The Black Community: A Literature Review, Jennifer Noboise

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The history of dance within the black community has served an important role while living through a racist and discriminatory society. Dance has been used to express anger, grief, and joy during hardships and moments of rejoicing from the black experience. African American people have endured years of trauma and abuse from oppressive systems. Research has been conducted to demonstrate that dance/movement therapy has been effective in treating those who have experienced a form of trauma since the trauma is stored in the body. Examining trauma symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and substance use, the research found these symptoms diminished …

Mental Health Navigators Bridging The Gap Of Care, Valentina Loreto-Ashley

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Individuals with schizophrenia are most vulnerable at time of discharge due to risk factors that lead to relapse, re-admission, suicide and/or danger to others. A successful discharge process can decrease overall care costs, promotes team collaboration, supports the therapeutic relationship between client and care provider, and helps the client to reach autonomy and self-efficacy. This DNP is a quality improvement project that aims at educating Mental Health Navigators about symptoms of schizophrenia, medications management, and community resources. Effectiveness of the educational intervention will be assessed as the differences between the pre- and post-test assessment score on insight or lack of …

Evaluation Of Medical Decision Errors During The Transition Period To Telemedicine, Marius Moroianu, Roxana- Elena Bogdan-Goroftei, Teodor Salmen, Cristina Ioana Bica, Valeria-Anca Pietrosel, Razvan Hainarosie, Anca Pantea Stoian

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The context of the Coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we approach medical services. Beyond setting up new technological possibilities, it has propelled telemedicine to become a reality, bringing undeniable practical benefits. The questions that arise are both justified and worrying: can digitalization replace a direct interpersonal relationship that involves a physical examination, while preserving the quality of the medical act and the degree of patient satisfaction? Isn't there a risk that the digitization of the medical record will cancel out the deep human character of classical medicine that has evolved since the time of Hippocrates? Should the implementation …

Clinical Decision Support System For Standardization Of Disease-Specific Education, Paul Nava

Student Scholarly Projects

The evidence-based, contextually relevant, disease-specific health education materials aim to provide strategies for improvement in health literacy, disease management comprehension, and medication adherence. The health education materials address difficulties many adults experience in understanding health information. The health education system must remain a contextually relevant, patient-specific reference for standardizing disease-specific education according to the patient's mental capability (Fereidouni et al., 2019). Nurse-driven education material system addresses equity, diversity, and inclusion, tailored for all literacy degrees.

Clinical decision-making is a complicated process influenced by a highly variable process that exponentially increases error rates, selection, or exclusion, unintended or not, by presenting …

Editorial: Assessing And Addressing Health Inequities And Disparities: The Role Of Health Informatics, Gulzar H. Shah, Anjum Khurshid, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mouth Care Is Self-Care, Abigail Waunch, Katelynn Huot, Aleya J. Germany, Oleksandra Shmatok, Elizabeth M. Cortes, Cortney M. Firns

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

In February of 2023, six Seattle Pacific University (SPU) nursing students partnered with a Seattle rehab agency to deliver mouth care education while prioritizing the health literacy level of the community. The agency aims to foster an inclusive and empathetic environment that builds a diverse community for those traumatized by homelessness, addiction, and mental health (Recovery Café, n.d.). The nursing group upheld the agency's mission with honor and respect during each project step. The special projects manager of the agency expressed a lack of health literacy among members. Tailoring health literacy to the appropriate education level has significantly improved dental …

Identification Of Cancer Related Risk And Protective Factors For American Indian Youth: A Mixed Studies Review, Melanie Nadeau, Kathryn Wise, Vianca Farfan Cuela, Devon Olson, Karan Saravana

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Many causes of cancer related morbidity and mortality can be traced back to childhood behaviors. The culmination of cancer related risk and protective factors impacting the health and wellbeing of American Indian youth is unknown. The aim of this Mixed Studies Review was to identify cancer related risk and protective factors among American Indian youth. Results will be shared with Tribal communities to inform surveillance efforts.

Methods: A Mixed Studies Review process was deemed most appropriate for the search process and data collection. 7 databases were included in the search along with 3 databases that were hand searched. Google …

Community-Based Tuberculosis Contact Management: Caregiver Experience And Factors Promoting Adherence To Preventive Therapy, Micaela Sandoval, Godwin Mtetwa, Tara Devezin, Debrah Vambe, Joyce Sibanda, Gloria S Dube, Thandeka Dlamini-Simelane, Bhekumusa Lukhele, Anna M Mandalakas, Alexander Kay

Student and Faculty Publications

Delivery of tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) for children with household exposure to tuberculosis is a globally supported intervention to reduce the impact of tuberculosis disease (TB) in vulnerable children; however, it is sub-optimally implemented in most high-burden settings. As part of a community-based household contact management program, we evaluated predictors of adherence to community based TPT in children and performed qualitative assessments of caregiver experiences. The Vikela Ekhaya (Protect the Home) project was a community-based household contact management program implemented between 2019 and 2020 in the Hhohho Region of Eswatini. At home visits, contact management teams screened children for TB, …

Hpv Vaccination Training Of Healthcare Providers And Perceived Self-Efficacy In Hpv Vaccine-Hesitancy Counseling, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Charles Darkoh, Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, Wenyaw Chan, Paige Padgett Wermuth, Mala Pande, Sonia A Cunningham, Sanjay Shete

Student and Faculty Publications

HPV vaccine hesitancy is a key barrier to HPV vaccination. Using a population-based survey of HCPs practicing in Texas we determined the association between formal training of HCPs and perceived self-efficacy in counseling HPV vaccine-hesitant parents and adult patients. A total of 1283 HCPs completed the survey, with 879 providing vaccination services to pediatric patients and 1018 providing vaccination services to adult patients. Among HCPs included in this study, 405 of 577 (70%) and 315 of 505 (62%) perceived they were very/completely confident in counseling HPV vaccine-hesitant parents and adult patients, respectively. Compared to HCPs who received no training, those …

Phq-2 Scores In Broward County’S Homeless: Prevalence, Barriers, And Proposed Solutions To Mental Health Disparities, Jeena A. Kar, Reeja Raj, Ariba Hashmi, Tahia Hossain, Joshua Berko, Joseph S. Degaetano, Patrick Hardigan

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Introduction: Florida ranks 9th in states with highest prevalence of mental illness among homeless individuals. The state also ranks 43rd of 52 states in providing adequate access for mental health concerns in homeless individuals. This study surveyed people experiencing homelessness in Broward County to investigate utilization of healthcare and mental health resources and accessibility of the target population to adequate care.. Aims included a collection of demographics concerning homelessness such as age and gender, prevalence of mental illness, history of substance use and emergency department, and then correlating these with scores from a standardized depression rating scale (PHQ-2). Methods: The …

A Review On Psychosocial Distress Among General Population Of Pakistan During Covid-19 Pandemic, Anosh Arshad Chaudhary, Iqra Arooj, Amina Elahi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The COVID-19 crisis in 2019 significantly impacted human life all over the globe. Psychological health of general population has been affected by the unpredictable circumstances and impulsion of living in isolation, if suspected positive for coronavirus. During COVID-19 outbreak, escalation of various types of psychosocial distresses such as anxiety, sleep disorders and depression has been observed in the general population globally. Thus, there is an urgent need to combat these issues through well planned strategies. The focus of this review is to conduct a thorough evaluation of the available research on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental status …

Perception Of Health Care Access In Rural Georgia: Findings From A Community Health Needs Assessment Survey, Elisa M. Childs, Tiffany R. Washington

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Limited access to health care services has been cited as a barrier to care for individuals who live in rural areas, contributing to significant health disparities in this population. While perception of services has been cited as a determinant of utilization of health services, it is unknown how perception of services influences health care access in rural areas. The paucity of studies specific to areas in the United States that are medically underserved, necessitated this study and its quantification of the issues that are relevant to individuals living in rural Georgia.

Methods: This study examined the perception of health …

Perceptions Of Well-Being Among College Majors, Baylee Jahraus

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess the well-being perceptions of selected college students at a midsize midwestern university. To collect data, an adaptation of the Open Science Framework’s (n.d) College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire and the CDC’s (2018b) Health-related Quality of Life scale was used. The 26-item survey was distributed to junior and senior students enrolled in 300-400 level courses in a variety of majors. The findings for each research question are presented in the cross-sectional study. The results of the study indicate there are differences in perceptions of physical and mental health between males and females and …

The Ecology Of Mental Health And The Impact Of Barriers On Mental Health Service Utilization, Alisha Aggarwal

Theses & Dissertations

Mental health has emerged as a major public health concern in recent times with several disparities and barriers related to adequate health service utilization. Different age groups experience diverse symptoms and face distinct barriers in accessing and utilizing healthcare. Policies like Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were launched to improve insurance coverage and delivery of mental health services. However, a large gap of unmet needs exists for adequate mental health service utilization in the country. This dissertation aims to describe the financial and non-financial barriers to mental health service utilization …

Using A Social Support Group To Educate And Empower Immigrant Latina Women, Diana N. Rendon

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to promote mental health education and access to vulnerable South Florida Latina Women. The original intent was to establish a program providing families with mental health education, including information about common mental illnesses, signs and symptoms, community resources, and the impacts on occupations. This capstone experience was conducted with the Magnolias Women's Support Group at Caridad Center, located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The focus areas of this capstone were advocacy, policy and program development, and administration. Furthermore, this capstone project was intended to promote health literacy for underserved populations, especially immigrant women.

Exploring The Contextual Factors And Decision-Making Process Of Risky Sexual Behavior Among Homeless Adults In Louisville, Kentucky., Sarah C. Van Heiden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homelessness is a complex public health issue; individuals who experience homelessness are said to engage in risky sexual behaviors at an increased rate and experience a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infection (STI). While the sexual behaviors of homeless adolescents are commonly studied, little is known about the sexual behaviors of the growing population of older adults, or how they make decisions to engage in sex. Three aims guided this research: 1) to describe the sexual behaviors and sexual decision-making process of homeless older adults, 2) to examine how homeless older adults evaluate the outcomes associated with engaging in risky …

Call For Emergency Action To Limit Global Temperature Increases, Restore Biodiversity And Protect Health: Wealthy Nations Must Do Much More, Much Faster, Lukoye Atwoli, Abdullah H. Baqui, Thomas Benfield, Raffaella Bosurgi, Fiona Godlee, Stephen Hancocks, Richard Horton, Laurie Laybourn-Langton, Carlos Augusto Monteiro, Ian Norman

Internal Medicine, East Africa

The UN General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the biodiversity summit in Kunming, China, and the climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK. Ahead of these pivotal meetings, we— the editors of health journals worldwide— call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5, halt the destruction of nature and protect health

Filling Gaps And Setting Boundaries: Examining Utilization Of Health And Social Services At Jeffhope Student Run Clinics., Roy Wang, Amanda Guth, Alyssa Tate, Michele Ly, James D. Plumb Md, Mph

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to describe the frequency that healthcare and social support services offered by JeffHOPE, a student run clinic for people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, PA, were utilized by patients. This study also aimed to investigate where patients would seek medical care on a given day had they not been able to access JeffHOPE. This study was conducted via mixed methods consisting of retrospective chart review of patient encounter records and a patient survey conducted weekly throughout 2019, both at a single clinic site, and retrospective chart review of January through March 2020 records at 5 …