Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Potential Factors, Motivations, And Barriers Influencing Research Participation And Retention Among People Who Use Drugs In The Rural Usa, Angela T. Hetrick, April M. Young, Miriam R. Elman, Sarann Bielavitz, Rhonda L. Alexander, Morgan Brown, Elizabeth Needham Waddell, P. Todd Korthuis, Kathryn E. Lancaster

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite high morbidity and mortality among people who use drugs (PWUD) in rural America, most research is conducted within urban areas. Our objective was to describe influencing factors, motivations, and barriers to research participation and retention among rural PWUD.

METHODS: We recruited 255 eligible participants from community outreach and community-based, epidemiologic research cohorts from April to July 2019 to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Eligible participants reported opioid or injection drug use to get high within 30 days and resided in high-needs rural counties in Oregon, Kentucky, and Ohio. We aggregated response rankings to identify salient influences, motivations, and …

Estimating The Population Attributable Fraction Of Asthma Due To Electronic Cigarette Use And Other Risk Factors Using Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Data, 2016-2017, W. Jay Christian, Courtney J. Walker

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Electronic nicotine delivery systems ENDS have become popular in the United States among both new users of nicotine and those seeking less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Users often perceive ENDS as being less harmful than traditional cigarettes. This study investigated the relationship between use of ENDS and asthma in a representative sample of adults. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we used data from the Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey data from 2016-2017. Using a weighted multivariable logistic regression analysis, we identified important covariates to adjust for to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF) of asthma …

Enhancing Timeliness Of Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance: A Machine Learning Approach, Patrick J. Ward, Peter J. Rock, Svetla Slavova, April M. Young, Terry L. Bunn, Ramakanth Kavuluru

Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Timely data is key to effective public health responses to epidemics. Drug overdose deaths are identified in surveillance systems through ICD-10 codes present on death certificates. ICD-10 coding takes time, but free-text information is available on death certificates prior to ICD-10 coding. The objective of this study was to develop a machine learning method to classify free-text death certificates as drug overdoses to provide faster drug overdose mortality surveillance.

METHODS: Using 2017–2018 Kentucky death certificate data, free-text fields were tokenized and features were created from these tokens using natural language processing (NLP). Word, bigram, and trigram features were created …

Timely Linkage Of Individuals To Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of Findhelpnowky.Org, Terry Lee Bunn, Dana Quesinberry, Tyler Jennings, Amber Kizewski, Heather Jackson, Sarah Mckee, Sarah Eustice

Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) have steadily increased over the last two decades. Seeking SUD treatment involves searching SUD treatment facility types (inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient, residential and family residential, and detoxification facilities) that offer specialized SUD treatment depending on individual needs and preferences. Referrals to SUD treatment require innovative strategies that rapidly link individuals to SUD treatment when they are at the critical stage of readiness. The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a user-friendly SUD treatment facility opening availability website called FindHelpNowKY.org. The objectives of the study were to 1) recruit SUD treatment …

Impact Of Prescription Opioid Access Restrictions On Alcohol-Induced Mortality In Kentucky, Changwe Park

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are state policy tools to combat risky opioid prescribing. Since 2012, several states began to mandate PDMP use. As mandating use laws have settled down, evaluating potential adverse events becomes possible.

In this study, I focus on alcohol-induced mortality as a potential unintended consequence via substituting alcohol for prescription opioids, since alcohol and opioids are often concurrently misused as a part of pain self-management. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the unintended consequences of prescription opioid access restrictions on alcohol-induced mortality.

I compare the alcohol-induced mortality among adults during pre- and post-revision …

Healthcare Contact And Treatment Uptake Following Hepatitis C Virus Screening And Counseling Among Rural Appalachian People Who Use Drugs, Dustin B. Stephens, April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background—Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since 2009, Kentucky has led the United States in cases of acute HCV, driven largely by injection drug use in rural areas. Improved treatment regimens hold promise of mitigating the impact and transmission of HCV, but numerous barriers obstruct people who inject drugs (PWID) from receiving care, particularly in medically underserved settings.

Methods—503 rural people who use drugs were recruited using respondent-driven sampling and received HCV screening and post-test counseling. Presence of HCV antibodies was assessed using enzyme immunoassay of dried blood samples. Sociodemographic and …

Starting Off, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This book is really a reflection of the past 15 years of work with teens and suicide prevention in the state of Kentucky. The work to establish the "Stop Youth Suicide Campaign (SYS)" has resulted in contact with many young adults and we have found that the most important thing for all of them, was finding a caring person they trust and can talk to. Because of the constant need, the SYS went from a goal of one year awareness campaign to a major community resource, to work with the state and local governments and state legislators to add as …

Warren County, Kentucky Anti-Liquor Association (Sc 1121), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1121. Minutes, correspondence, and research notes of the Warren County, Kentucky Anti-Liquor Association and the local option election held in Bowling Green, Kentucky on 24 September 1960.

Sampson, Flemon Davis, 1875-1967 (Sc 964), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 964. Family correspondence, 1945-1958 (60 items), chiefly of Governor Flemon Davis Sampson, Barbourville, Kentucky and his daughters Emolyne (Sampson) Churchill and Paula (Sampson) Risen, Louisville, Kentucky. Also business correspondence and papers about Sampson’s incompetency and his financial affairs, 1955-1967 (38).

What Makes People Generally Satisfied With Mental Health Services? Findings Of 2010 Consumer Satisfaction Survey In Kentucky Community Mental Health Centers, Minji Sohn

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem: In 2010, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (BHDID) conducted a survey to evaluate consumers’ satisfaction with services delivered at the Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) in Kentucky. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that predict clients’ perception on General Satisfaction using responses of the survey.

Research Design: Two separate logistic regression analysis were performed for adult and youth survey respondents, respectively. For the Adult survey, respondents’ characteristics and their responses about several aspects of services were included as potential explanatory variables. For the Youth survey, …

What Is The Impact Of Kentucky’S Pharmacy Recovery Network?, Benjamin Paul Clark

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement: This capstone will focus on Kentucky’s Pharmacy Recovery Network (PRN). In general, professional recovery networks are organizations that act as a liaison between professional state boards and the health professionals who are dealing with substance abuse and addictions that sometimes result in negative consequences to that individual and/or their profession. Instead of a “one-strike and you are out” approach, these organizations recognize that there is a disease process occurring. Thus, as opposed to engaging in strictly punitive measures, a rehabilitative approach is chosen to allow the health professional an opportunity to recover and successfully reenter into their profession. …

Youth Suicide Prevention In Rural Kentucky, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Youth suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nation wide it is the third leading cause of death in the 10-24 year old age group. The rate of suicide varies somewhat from state to state. In the state of Kentucky, youth suicide is the second leading cause of death. This article describes a grass roots, community based program for youth suicide prevention and its impact on the community. The Stop Youth Suicide Campaign was launched in 2000 and included more than 30 local agencies. This program worked through public education, education of …

Foothills Academy: A Program Ranking And Comparative Analysis Of Residential Treatment Programs, William Aaron

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Foothills Academy is an all male adolescent residential treatment facility in Albany, Kentucky. As more states turn toward alternative treatment options to address the growing needs of youth suffering from mental and emotional disorders and substance abuse issues, demand for more efficient treatment programs is on the rise. To remain competitive and to administer the best treatment services for their clients, residential treatment programs must utilize industry best practices that allow efficient use of public funds. By identifying high performing programs, those programs may then be studied to identify factors key to individual program success.

My findings were consistently …

Employability After Substance Abuse Treatment In Kentucky: An Analysis Of The Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study, Steven Scrivner

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Public funding of substance abuse treatment (SAT) in Kentucky dates back to the 1950s when legislators sought to curb the problem of alcoholism through legislative acts. The definition of substance abuse expanded through the years to include other substances such as cocaine, marijuana and opiates.

Employment after SAT is a critically important outcome for policymakers to consider when allocating funds because it assists in social re-integration, helps to prevent relapse and promotes economic self-sufficiency. Because of this, employment is an important factor to consider when assessing the impact SAT has on its clients (participants).

The Kentucky Alcohol and Other Drug …

Bouldin Family Papers (Mss 195), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 195. This collection consists of business and personal correspondence and account books of the Bouldin Family of Cumberland County, Kentucky, and of Walter H. Parks of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Of special interest is an account book kept for Albert J. Armes, a patient at Central Kentucky Hospital in Lakeland, Kentucky.

Obesity, Hypertension, And Mental Health Evaluation In Adolescents: A Comprehensive Approach, Stefan G. Kiessling, Kimberly K. Mcclanahan, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The global epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity in developing and developed countries has become a major public health concern. Given the relation between obesity and hypertension as documented in several landmark studies, it is no surprise that as the prevalence of obesity has increased in the pediatric population, the rates of hypertension have also increased substantially. Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and stroke; therefore, evaluation and initiation of appropriate treatment are extremely important in the pediatric population. Evaluation for secondary causes of hypertension, including renovascular, renoparenchymal, and endocrine disease is the approach …

A Model Program For Youth Suicide Prevention, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Youth suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nation wide it is the third leading cause of death in the 10-24 year old age group. The rate of suicide varies somewhat from state to state. In the state of Kentucky, youth suicide is the second leading cause of death. This article describes a grass root, community-based program for youth suicide prevention and its impact on the community. The Stop Youth Suicide Campaign was launched in October 2000 and included more than 30 local agencies. This program worked. through public education, education of …

Ua68/13/4 Bowling Green, Vol. 7, No. 1, Kelly Thompson Chapter, Public Relations Student Society Of America

Student Organizations

Magazine produced by senior seminar class in public relations with the Kelly Thompson Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and students in the WKU Department of Journalism.

Regular features include:

• Reflections
• Business
• Art
• Community Service
• Reminiscing
• Curiosities
• Entertainment

This issue includes articles:

• Gray, Beth. Caring Comes Home - Hospice
• Hornback, Todd. Alcoholics Anonymous: Finding a Better Way of Life
• McCoy, Steve. Area Underground Shared by Few - Cave & Karst
• McCormick, Rebecca. Architecture: History Lines the Streets
• McCormick, Rebecca. Landmark: Preservation & More
• Quinn, Paula. Madame Kennedy: Working with the Problem at Hand

Ua68/13/4 Bowling Green, Vol. 5, No. 2, Kelly Thompson Chapter, Public Relations Student Society

Student Organizations

Magazine produced by senior seminar class in public relations with the Kelly Thompson Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and students in the WKU Department of Journalism.

Regular features include:

• Reflections
• Business
• Art
• Community Service
• Reminiscing
• Curiosities
• Entertainment

This issue includes articles:

• Dunkel, Missy. It's 3:30 p.m. What Are Your Kids Doing? - Drug Abuse
• Thomley, Mike. Illiteracy: The Hidden Handicap
• Jones, Linda. Education: Improvement at the Grass Roots Level
• Rappaport, Jessica. Poems Mirror Poet's Life - Lillie Carter