Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Crisis Narratives In Crisis? A Comparative Investigation Into National Covid-19 Narratives, Mouse D. Bennett

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

On January 31, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency for only the sixth time in its history. On March 11, 2020, it was stated that COVID-19 constituted a pandemic. How did countries respond? This dissertation traces the evolution of national crisis narratives in four states and assesses their relative success. The findings of this study are that pandemic crisis narratives are not generalizable to all crisis situations but require a high level of compliance to be effective in stopping the crisis. There is no formula for government success, there are no decisive variables determining outcomes. …

Tobacco Smoking Among Saudi College Students: Validation Of An Arabic Health Belief Model Instrument, Saad Abdullah S. Alotaibi

Health Services Research Dissertations

This dissertation intended to learn more about Saudi college students' behavior in relation to the use of tobacco smoking. Multiple interrelated projects have been carried out in order to achieve this ambitious goal. The goal of the first study was to evaluate the scope of the existing smoking issue as indicated by research, by systematically estimating the prevalence of tobacco use among higher education students in Saudi Arabia. The second study aimed to systematically analyze and integrate the existing information on the determinants of smoking among Saudi college students. The last project aimed to develop a psychometric instrument to evaluate …

Unraveling Controversies Over Civic Honesty Measurement: An Extended Field Replication In China, Qian Yang, Weiwei Zhang, Shiyong Liu, Wenjin Gong, Youli Han, Jun Lu, Donghong Jiang, Jingchun Nie, Xiaokang Lyu, Rugang Liu, Mingli Jiao, Chen Qu, Mingji Zhang, Yacheng Sun, Xinyue Zhou, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Cohn et al. (2019) conducted a wallet drop experiment in 40 countries to measure "civic honesty around the globe," which has received worldwide attention but also sparked controversies over using the email response rate as the sole metric of civic honesty. Relying on the lone measurement may overlook cultural differences in behaviors that demonstrate civic honesty. To investigate this issue, we conducted an extended replication study in China, utilizing email response and wallet recovery to assess civic honesty. We found a significantly higher level of civic honesty in China, as measured by the wallet recovery rate, than reported in the …

Barriers And Challenges For Visually Impaired Students In Pe - An Interview Study With Students In Austria, Germany, And The Usa, Sebastian Ruin, Justin A. Haegele, Martin Giese, Jana Baumgärtner

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Physical education (PE) is an important part of school education worldwide, and at the same time, almost the only subject that explicitly deals with body and movement. PE is therefore of elementary importance in the upbringing of young people. This also applies to children with visual impairments. However, existing findings on participation and belonging in PE as well as on physical and motor development reveal that this group of children and adolescents is noticeably disadvantaged in this respect. Against this background, this paper aims to explore fundamental barriers and challenges across different types of schools, types of schooling, and countries …

Reply To Tannenbaum Et Al.: Constructive Dialogue Advancing Research On Civic Honesty, Weiwei Zhang, Yacheng Sun, Shiyong Liu, Xinyue Zhou, Qian Yang, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Advanced Practice Nursing Initiatives In Africa, Moving Towards The Nurse Practitioner Role: Experiences From The Field, Deborah C. Gray, Melanie Rogers, Minna K. Miller

Nursing Faculty Publications

AIM: This paper discusses the development and progression of the advanced practice nurse practitioner role in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Providing adequate primary health care is problematic in Africa. The World Health Organization and International Council of Nurses proposed that nurses, specifically advanced practice nurse practitioners with the requisite skills in disease prevention, diagnosis and management, can be key to solving the primary care issue.

SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: This paper utilized publications from PUBMED, CINAHL, policy papers, websites, workgroups, conferences, and the experiences and knowledge of authors involved in leading and moving forward key events and projects.

DISCUSSION: Four African countries have …

Psychometric Properties Of The Persian Version Of Consideration Of Future Safety Consequence (Cfsc) Scale, Fazel Rajabi, Hamidreza Mokarami, Payam Farhadi, Sean Banaee, Mehdi Jahangiri

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Personality traits, due to having a relative stability, are important factors for predicting employees’ safety behavior. Consideration of Future Safety Consequence (CFSC) is a personality trait that was recently introduced to predict the safety behaviors. The purpose of this study was to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the CFSC scale.

Methods: In the first stage of this cross-sectional study, the instrument was prepared by the forward-backward forward translation technique and evaluated by 487 employees of a gas refinery. The validity of the scale was evaluated through face, concurrent, validity, and construct validity. The …

Vaccination Inequities Among Children 12-23 Months In India: An Analysis Of Inter-State Differences, Octavia K. Goodman, Abram L. Wagner, Dakota Riopelle, Joseph L. Mathew, Matthew L. Boulton

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Previous research has shown that socioeconomic and demographic risk factors in children are additive and lead to increasingly negative impacts on vaccination coverage. The goal of this study is to examine if different combinations of four risk factors (infant sex, birth order, maternal education level, and family wealth status) vary by state among children 12-23 months in India and to determine the impact of ≥ 1 risk factor on differences in state vaccination rates.

Methods

Using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in India between 2005 and 2006 (NFHS-3) and 2015-2016 (NFHS-4), full vaccination of children …

Biocybersecurity And Deterrence: Hypothetical Rwandan Considerations, Issah Samori, Gbadebo Odularu, Lucas Potter, Xavier-Lewis Palmer

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Digitalization and sustainability are popular words within modern disciplines as practitioners each look toward the future of their respective fields. Specifically for the African continent, which is making great strides in developmental targets, those two terms are central to core aspects of policy initiatives that may foster cooperation across its varied lands and nations. One of the underlying challenges that confront Africa is a lack of strong regional integration across socioeconomic and political programs; there is value in African regions having more regional connectedness. We assess the rate of regional integration and development in Africa and discuss how to alleviate …

First Bovine Vaccine To Prevent Human Schistosomiasis - A Cluster Randomised Phase 3 Clinical Trial, Allen G. Ross, Donald A. Harn, Delia Chy, Marianette Inobaya, Jerric R. Guevarra, Lisa Shollenberger, Yuesheng Li, Donald P. Mcmanus, Darren J. Gray, Gail M. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma japonicum is zoonotic in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, with bovines acting as major reservoirs of human infection. The primary objective of the trial was to examine the impact of a combination of human mass chemotherapy, snail control through mollusciciding, and SjCTPI bovine vaccination on the rate of human infection.

Methods

A 5-year phase IIIa cluster randomized control trial was conducted among 18 schistosomiasis-endemic villages comprising 18,221 residents in Northern Samar, The Philippines.

Results

Overall, bovine vaccination resulted in a statistically significant decrease …

Livestock Cattle As A Predictor Of Schistosomiasis Transmission In Nigeria, Oyetunde T. Oyeyemi, Oluyemi A. Okunlola, Zhiqiang Fu, Yang Hong, Jun-Hu Chen, Lisa M. Shollenberger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Livestock cattle have been widely linked to schistosomiasis epidemiology, but little is known about its contribution to schistosomiasis transmission in Nigeria. The aim of this study is to examine the association between prevalence of schistosomiasis and livestock cattle index in Nigeria. The study's data came from three sources: the demographic and health survey (DHS), the malaria indicators survey (MIS), and the expanded special project for the eradication of neglected tropical diseases (ESPEN). Analysis of variance, correlation, and logistic regression were used to evaluate the mean difference in schistosomiasis prevalence across geopolitical zones, the relationship between schistosomiasis prevalence and livestock cattle, …

The Intersection Between Climate Change And Human Inequality: A Narrative Review, Julia Serwaa

College of Health Sciences Posters

Introduction: Although developed countries are the largest contributors to climate change, its impacts continue to adversely affect low-income countries at a disproportionate rate. The purpose of this analysis is to address the environmental and health impacts of climate change in low-income countries as opposed to developed countries.

Methods:

A narrative literature review was conducted using a web-based search from scientific databases. The databases utilized were: United National Library of Medicine, JSTOR, and SpringerLink. The reviewer assessed the following inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed publications from 2012 – 2022, the availability of the publication in English, and the categorization as original research, reviews, …

Healthcare Transformation In Saudi Arabia: An Overview Since The Launch Of Vision 2030, Ahmed Ali Alasiri, Viqaruddin Mohammed

University Administration Publications

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has taken a centre stage in the development of its healthcare sector through privatization adopting Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). The objective of this study is to provide an overview of healthcare transformation in Saudi Arabia since the launch of the ambitious Vision 2030, identifying issues those need to be addressed and steps taken towards provision of health systems transformation. Literature review was based on extensive review of published and unpublished articles, where different search engines and databases searched using the key words: ‘Saudi Healthcare’, ‘Healthcare transformation’, ‘Saudi vision: 2030’, ‘Public-Private Partnerships’ and ‘Privatization’, in addition to …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Their Children's Weight: Opportunity For Health Promotion In Kuwait, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nawal Alqaoud, Reem Sharaf-Alddin, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Mothers’ perceptions of their children’s weight remain mostly unknown in oil-rich countries of the Middle East.

Aims: To compare maternal perceptions of their children’s weight with actual body weight.

Methods: We used the Kuwait nutritional surveillance data for 5 consecutive years (2015-2019) (N = 5119), which were collected through face-to-face interviews with mothers of children aged 2-5 years attending vaccination centres.

Results: Of the 5119 mothers in the study, 163 (3.18%) and 332 (6.48%) had obese or overweight children, respectively. Among 4624 mothers who had normal weight children, 1350 (29.20%) perceived their children’s weight as …

Effect Of Living Arrangements On Cognitive Function In Chinese Elders: A Longitudinal Observational Study, Yanwei Lin, Qi Zhang, Tingxian Wang, Zhirong Zeng

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objective To examine how living arrangement as a social contextual factor can affect Chinese elders’ cognitive function.

Setting and participants Our sample consists of 2486 Chinese elders from two waves (2014 and 2018) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) that was administered in 22 of China’s 31 provinces using a multi-stage, disproportionate, purposive random sampling method. The CLHLS aims to better understand the determinants of healthy longevity in China and collects extensive data on a large population of fragile elders aged 80–112 in China.

Outcome measures Cognitive function was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Living arrangement …

The Risk Factors For Self-Monitoring Of Blood Glucose Among Individuals Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes In Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Abdulrahman Alsuliman, Qi Zhang, Shelley Mishoe, Praveen K. Durgampudi

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Lack of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is a known risk factor for controlling type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Nevertheless, little research has been conducted on SMBG among Saudis with T2DM.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate personal and cognitive-perceptual factors for SMBG among Saudis with T2DM guided by Health Promotion Model.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 808 Saudi adults with T2DM utilizing secondary data from the Saudi Health Interview Survey for 2013.

Statistical Analysis: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were applied to examine the risk factors for SMBG among Saudis with T2DM. …

Predictive Modeling And Estimation Of The Doubling Time Of Confirmed Cases Of Covid-19 In Niger, Ibrahim Sidi Zakari, Hadiza Galadima

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Modeling is increasingly used to assess scenarios and make projections on the future course of new coronavirus disease. This allows for better planning of care as well as a relaxation or tightening of the restrictive measures decreed by the government and the health authorities. The data analyzed in this study covers the period from March 19 to June 05, 2020 and allowed predictions of new cases of COVID-19 based on a growth model with a growth rate that changes linearly over time. In addition, we calculated and predicted the doubling time of the number of positive cases in each region …

African Environmental Ethics: Keys To Sustainable Development Through Agroecological Villages, Charles Verharen, Flordeliz Bugarin, John Tharakan, Enrico Wensing, Bekele Gutema, Joseph Fortunak, George Middendorf

Center for Global Health Publications

This essay proposes African-based ethical solutions to profound human problems and a working African model to address those problems. The model promotes sustainability through advanced agroecological and information communication technologies. The essay's first section reviews the ethical ground of that model in the work of the Senegalese scholar, Cheikh Anta Diop. The essay's second section examines an applied African model for translating African ethical speculation into practice. Deeply immersed in European and African ethics, Godfrey Nzamujo developed the Songhaï Centers to solve the problem of rural poverty in seventeen African countries. Harnessing advanced technologies within a holistic agroecological ecosystem, Nzamujo's …

Impact Of Heavy Metals In Ambient Air In Insulin Resistance Of Shipyard Welders In Northern Taiwan, Ting-Yao Su, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Yuan-Ting Hsu, Ching-Huang Lai, Chih-Hong Pan

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Exposure to metals poses potential health risks, including insulin resistance (IR), to those exposed to them in excess. Limited studies have examined such risks in occupational workers, including welders, and these have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we examined the associations between exposure to welding metals and IR in welders. We recruited 78 welders and 75 administrative staff from a shipyard located in northern Taiwan. Personal exposure to heavy metals, including chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd), was monitored through particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM …

Income-Related Health Inequality Among Chinese Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence Based On An Online Survey, Peng Nie, Lanlin Ding, Zhou Chen, Shiyong Liu, Qi Zhang, Zumin Shi, Lu Wang, Hong Xue, Gordon G. Liu, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Partial- or full-lockdowns, among other interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, may disproportionally affect people (their behaviors and health outcomes) with lower socioeconomic status (SES). This study examines income-related health inequalities and their main contributors in China during the pandemic.

METHODS: The 2020 China COVID-19 Survey is an anonymous 74-item survey administered via social media in China. A national sample of 10,545 adults in all 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in mainland China provided comprehensive data on sociodemographic characteristics, awareness and attitudes towards COVID-19, lifestyle factors, and health outcomes during the lockdown. Of them, 8448 subjects provided data for …

Time Trends Of Overweight And Obesity Among Schoolchildren In Kuwait Over A 13-Year Period (2007-2019): Repeated Cross-Sectional Study, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nawal Alqaoud, Ali H. Ziyab, Faheema Alanezi, Monica Subhakaran, Reem Sharaf Alddin, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to examine age-specific trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren in Kuwait over a 13-year period (2007 to 2019) using the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) definitions.

Design: Using cross-sectional approach, Kuwait Nutrition Surveillance System (KNSS) objectively measured weight and height of schoolchildren over a 13-year period. Log-binomial regression models were used to examine age-specific trends of obesity and overweight over the study period.

Setting: Public primary, middle, and high schools in all provinces of Kuwait.

Participants: Schoolchildren aged 5-19 …

Factors Associated With Tobacco Smoking Among Saudi College Students: A Systematic Review, Saad A. Alotaibi, Praveen Durgampudi

College of Health Sciences Posters

Introduction: There has been an increase in tobacco smoking among Saudi college students in recent years. However, no study has examined, with a systematic approach, the extent to which specific factors are associated with tobacco smoking among this population.

Methods: PubMed, ProQuest, CINAHL, and Web of Science were utilized to retrieve studies addressing risk factors associated with tobacco smoking among Saudi college students between 2010 and 2019. After confirming their eligibility criteria, studies were imported to the NVivo software for data collection and synthesis. All included articles were critically appraised, based on a modified STROBE.

Results: Twenty-one out of 300 …

Association Between Participation In Annual Physical Examinations And Risk Factors For Noncommunicable Diseases In Adults With Disabilities: Evidence From Shanghai, China, Yugang Li, Qi Zhang, Xiaohong Li, Mei Sun, Jun Lu, Gang Chen

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The relationships between regular participation in annual physical examinations and the risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among adults with disabilities remains unclear. To address this gap, we used data from 130,899 individuals with disabilities in Shanghai (2014-2016) and evaluated four risk factors for NCDs: hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and being overweight. Overall, 4540 individuals participated in annual physical examinations across all three years and 11,388 missed examinations in 2015 (group without regular participation). Chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression were used to assess differences in patient characteristics and explore correlations between variables. Significant differences in age (χ² = 102.620, …

Who Infant And Young Child Feeding Indicators In Relation To Anthropometric Measurements, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nawal Alqaoud, Majeda S. Hammoud, Faheema Alanezi, Nawal Aldalmani, Monica Subhakaran

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objective: This study aimed to report the WHO infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators from Kuwait and to investigate the associations between these indicators and anthropometric measurements.

Design: The Kuwait Nutritional Surveillance System uses observational cross-sectional approach to collects data by face-to-face interviews with mothers or child guardians using a structured questionnaire that was developed based on the WHO IYCF indicators. The weight and height of infants and young children were measured using digital scales in a standardised manner.

Setting: Vaccination centres in all governorates (provinces) of Kuwait.

Participants: Infants and young Kuwaiti children aged 0–23 months (N 5839). …

Quality Of Life Of Adults With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury In Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Fengshui Chang, Haixia Xie, Qi Zhang, Mei Sun, Yuhui Yang, Gang Chen, Huifang Wang, Chengyue Li, Jun Lu

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of patients with chronic spinal cord injury in mainland China.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 247 adults ≥ 1 year post-SCI in mainland China.

Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) and the add-on modules on disability-related QoL (WHOQOL-DIS) were used to assess quality of life. Anxiety/depression was measured using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety/Depression Scale. Quality of life was compared with that of reference populations from China, Korea, the international field trial (23 countries). Multivariate linear regression was conducted to determine the factors that might …

Anemia And It's Associated Factors Among Adolescents In Kuwait, Lemia Shaban, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Abdur Rahman, Reem Al-Sabah, Olusegun Mojiminiyi

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

We estimated the prevalence of anemia among school children and investigated factors associated with this problem in Kuwait. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1415 adolescents randomly selected from middle schools in Kuwait. Hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, folate and vitamin B-12, in addition to many other laboratory indicators, were measured in a venous blood sample. Data on risk factors for anemia were collected from parents and adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with anemia. The prevalence of anemia was 8.06% (95% CI: 6.69-9.60%), which was significantly higher among females compared to males (10.96% vs. 5.04%; p < 0.001). Mean (SD) Hb level was 133.7 (9.89) g/L and 130.00 (10.48) g/L among males and females, respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe anemia was 5.94%, 1.91% and 0.21%, respectively. Gender, age, iron concentration and ferritin were associated with anemia in multivariable analysis. These data indicate that anemia among school children in Kuwait is of mild public health significance. Further reduction in anemia in school girls should focus on correcting iron deficiency. Surveillance systems for anemia may consider using a cut-off point that is specific for the method of blood sampling and the method of Hb measurement.

Smoking Tobacco Prevalence Among College Students In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Saad A. Alotaibi, Mohammed A. Alsuliman, Praveen K. Durgampudi

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION:

During the last two decades, several studies have been published regarding the prevalence of tobacco smoking among college students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This systematic review and meta-analysis is intended to determine and examine the smoking prevalence in Saudi college students from 2010-2018.

METHODS:

PubMed, Science Direct, APA PsycNET, Web of Science, and CINAHL were used to search for published articles reporting the smoking prevalence among Saudi college students. After eliminating irrelevant articles, investigators independently assessed the quality of each article, based on Russell & Gregory guidelines. MetaXL software was used to calculate the pooled prevalence …

Dysmenorrhea Among High-School Students And It's Associated Factors In Kuwait, Sharefah Al-Matouq, Hessah Al-Mutairi, Ohood Al-Mutairi, Fatima Abdulaziz, Dana Al-Basri, Mona Al-Enzi, Abdullah Al-Taiar

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Although dysmenorrhea is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause a substantial burden on individuals and communities. There is no data on the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Kuwait. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female public high-school students in Kuwait and investigate factors associated with dysmenorrhea.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling with probability proportional to size method was conducted on 763 twelfth grade female public high-school students (aged 16–21 years). We used face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire to collect data on dysmenorrhea and presumed risk factors. Weight and height of the …

Prevalence Of Low Back Pain Among Adolescents In Relation To The Weight Of School Bags, Fatemah Akbar, Muneera Albesharah, Jumana Al-Baghli, Farah Bulbul, Dana Mohammad, Bann Qadoura, Abdullah Al-Taiar

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

The association between the weight of school bag and Low Back Pain (LBP) amongst students remains under intense debate worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LBP amongst public high school students (14 to 19 years) in Kuwait and to investigate the association between LBP and the weight of school bags.

Methods

An analytical cross-sectional study using multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size was conducted on a total of 950 public high school students from all governorates. Data on LBP were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A 0–10 Numeric Pain Rating …

Family-Based Intervention For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Via Wechat In China: Protocol For A Randomized Control Trial, Linqi Mao, Jun Lu, Qi Zhang, Yuxi Zhao, Gang Chen, Mei Sun, Fengshui Chang, Xiaohong Li

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

China has the largest number of cases of diabetes with a high rate of uncontrolled blood sugar. Many studies show that family members’ involvement is related to better glycemic control. However, there is a significant problem with low participation of family members. The widespread use of WeChat provides an opportunity for family members to support their diabetic loved ones in their type 2 diabetes self-management practices. The main aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a family-based intervention via WeChat.

Methods

A parallel, two-group, randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the central urban area of …