Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Worldwide Trends In Blood Pressure From 1975 To 2015: A Pooled Analysis Of 1479 Population-Based Measurement Studies With 19·1 Million Participants, Bin Zhou, James Bentham, Mariachiara Di Cesare, Honor Bixby, Goodarz Danaei, Melanie J. Cowan, Christopher J. Paciorek, Gitanjali Singh, Kaveh Hajifathalian, James E. Bennett, Cristina Taddei, Con Burns, Tara Coppinger, Ver Bilano, Rodrigo M. Carrillo-Larco, Shirin Djalalinia, Shahab Khatibzadeh, Charles Lugero, Niloofar Peykari, Wan Zhu Zhang, Yuan Lu, Gretchen A. Stevens, Leanne M. Riley, Pascal Bovet, Paul Elliott, Dongfeng Gu, Nayu Ikeda, Rod T. Jackson, Michel Joffres, Andre Pascal Kengne, Tiina Laatikainen, Tai Hing Lam, Avula Laxmaiah, Jing Liu

Publications

Background Raised blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. We estimated worldwide trends in mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence of, and number of people with, raised blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher. Methods For this analysis, we pooled national, subnational, or community population-based studies that had measured blood pressure in adults aged 18 years and older. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1975 to 2015 in mean …

Perceptions Of And Preferences For A Mobile Health Clinic For Underserved Populations, Melinda Gillispie, Catherine Mobley, Lynette M. Gibson, Arelis Moore De Peralta

Publications

Background: Research has established that members of particular demographic groups are inordinately burdened by differential healthcare access. Mobile health clinics (MHCs) are emerging across health systems to improve access to care of marginalized populations. This study explored the perceptions and concerns of community residents living in underserved neighborhoods toward MHC services.

Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive design with 5 focus group meetings. Purposive sampling was used to recruit ethnically diverse, English- and Spanish-speaking men and women ages 20–67 residing in 5 underserved neighborhoods in Greenville County, SC.

Results: Participants (N = 35) felt positive about obtaining personalized health …

Results From Ireland North And South's 2016 Report Card On Physical Activity For Children And Youth, Deirdre M. Harrington, Marie Murphy, Angela Carlin, Tara Coppinger, Alan Donnelly, Kieran P. Dowd, Teresa Keating, Niamh Murphy, Elaine Murtagh, Wesley O'Brien, Catherine Woods, Sarahjane Belton

Publications

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a key performance indicator for policy documents in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Building on baseline grades set in 2014, Ireland's second Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth allows for continued surveillance of indicators related to PA in children and youth. Methods: Data and information were extracted and collated for 10 indicators and graded using an international standardized grading system. Results: Overall, 7 grades stayed the same, 2 increased, and 1 decreased. Grades were assigned as follows: Overall PA, D (an increase); Sedentary Behavior (TV), C-; Physical Education, D-; …

Electronic Cigarettes In The Indoor Environment, Cheri Marcham

Publications

"E-cigarettes should be considered a source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates in the indoor environment that have not been thoroughly characterized or evaluated for safety."--NIOSH

Hazcom 2012, Cheri Marcham

Publications

This presentation reviews changes to the OSHA Standard called HazCom 2012. Old and new definitions for "health hazards" are discussed as well as labeling requirements.

Impact Of Economic Trends And Disparities On South Carolina Children’S Health And Well-Being: An Analysis Of The 2016 Kids Count Profile, Arelis Moore De Peralta, Bonnie Holaday

Publications

There are many approaches to conceptualizing and measuring the well-being of children. These indices vary considerably depending on the goal of the scale. However, all of these indices share similar characteristics in that they are multi-dimensional and take into account the complexity of children’s lives. One of the best known of these measures is the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s national KIDS COUNT Data Book (http://www.aecf.org/resources/the-2016-kids-countdata-book/). Each year since 1990 the Casey Foundation has released the KIDS COUNT Data Book. This data provides key information about dimensions of child well-being in the following areas: health, education, economic well-being and family and …

‘Project Spraoi’: A Randomized Control Trial To Improve Nutrition And Physical Activity In School Children, Tara Coppinger, Seán Lacey, Cian O'Neill, Con Burns

Publications

Background

Recent evidence predicts that by 2030, Ireland will have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Consequently, there are concerns that health problems associated with this condition will present in childhood. Studies have shown that interventions based on increasing physical activity (PA) levels, reducing sedentary lifestyles and improving nutritional habits all pose protective mechanisms against obesity and its related disorders in youth. Yet, to date, there are no interventions being delivered in Ireland that concurrently target PA, nutritional habits and sedentary time amongst school children.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement and evaluate an intervention that …

A Century Of Trends In Adult Human Height, Con Burns, Tara Coppinger

Publications

Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3–19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people …

A Review Of Studies Of Ventilation And Indoor Air Quality In New Homes And Impacts Of Environmental Factors On Formaldehyde Emission Rates From Composite Wood Products, Francis (Bud) Offermann, Cheri Marcham

Publications

• While increasing outdoor air ventilation rates does reduce the indoor concentrations of air contaminants with indoor sources, the actual reductions in concentrations can differ significantly from those calculated with the assumption of a constant indoor emission rate.
• The ratio of actual to predicted concentration reductions for the low to high outdoor air ventilation modes ranged from 0.59 for formaldehyde to 1.37 for benzaldehyde.
• Increases in emission rates for compounds such as formaldehyde are consistent with mass transfer theory for emissions from materials such as composite wood where mass transfer is limited by gas-phase diffusion across the boundary layer.
• Decreases in …

Live Wholly Journazine Spring 2016, Andrews University

Publications

The University Health & Wellness Team is delighted to launch the new LIVE WHOLLY Journazine: a blend of a journal and magazine about health, fitness and wellness! The purpose of this Journazine is to communicate current, evidence-based and practical information and tips. In addition, it will feature elements related to the Andrews University community, locally and globally, to inspire all to make positive health and wellness changes!

Socio-Cultural And Linguistic Adaptation Of Cdc Change Action Guide To Conduct A Community Health Assessment In The Dominican Republic: A Multi-Disciplinary And Mixed Methods Approach, Chloe Schockling, Katherine Brown, Michelle Fuentes, Arelis Moore De Peralta

Publications

Background. Third world communities like Las Malvinas, located in the Dominican Republic (DR), often face public health challenges. Instituting healthy communities requires collaborative public health services. The US has used evidence-based initiatives including the CDC’s CHANGE tool to address community health. There is a need to adapt these initiatives to other contexts. Clemson University (CU) students have partnered with Dominican University (UNIBE) and the Las Malvinas community to improve the community’s health and well-being.

Methods. The team’s ACTION steps include: assembling a community team and strategy, reviewing the CHANGE sectors, and gathering the data to use in the CHANGE tool. …

Project Energize: Intervention Development And 10 Years Of Progress In Preventing Childhood Obesity Public Health, Elaine Rush, Carolyn Cairncross, Margaret Hinepo Williams, Marilyn Tseng, Tara Coppinger, Steph Mclennan, Kasha Latimer

Publications

Prevention of childhood obesity is a global priority. The school setting offers access to large numbers of children and the ability to provide supportive environments for quality physical activity and nutrition. This article describes Project Energize, a through-school physical activity and nutrition programme that celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2015 so that it might serve as a model for similar practices, initiatives and policies elsewhere. The programme was envisaged and financed by the Waikato District Health Board of New Zealand in 2004 and delivered by Sport Waikato to 124 primary schools as a randomised controlled trial from 2005 to 2006. …

Aiha White Paper: Electronic Cigarettes In The Indoor Environment, Cheri Marcham

Publications

This presentation covers the effects of different volatile organic compounds released by electronic cigarettes which can cause health problems. More research on the effects of electronic "smoke" should be conducted on the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients in electronic cigarette exhaust.

Aiha White Paper Findings: Emissions, Exposures And Health Risks, Cheri Marcham

Publications

Part of Seminar 51: Electronic Cigarettes: An Emerging Issue for ASHRAE.

• Introduction to e-cigarettes
• Components and potential health effects
• Current regulatory status
• AIHA white paper findings and recommendations
• ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1 and addenda

Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Patient Outcomes, Lilian Ndifon, Jude E. Edwards, Leila Halawi

Publications

With the passing of the HITECH Act, EHRs have come into prominence and sharper focus, due to efforts by the government to push for a national adoption of EHRs into our healthcare system. This push for a national adoption of EHRs is based on the premise that it will help improve the quality delivery of health care services and reduce costs. However, this push for a “national adoption” has experienced mixed results. This study was designed to assess the impact of EHRs post-2009, the year of the HITECH Act, to review some of the key contributing factors to this mixed …

Design And Commissioning Of A Community Scale Solar Powered Membrane-Based Water Purification System In Haiti, Shavin Pinto, Yung Wong, Kyle Fennesy, Yan Tang, Marc Compere

Publications

This paper presents the design and commissioning of a solar powered water purification system at the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti. This system supplies clean drinking water to the 200 children who live and go to school at REHC and also to the community in the form of a micro-business. This micro-business is the mechanism for income generation for sustainable system operation. The purifier uses a three stage filtration system with a disc-type sediment filter, a 0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane, and an ultraviolet light for disinfection. The backwash cycle extends the life of the ultrafiltration membrane …

Comparison Of Small-Area Deprivation Measures As Predictors Of Chronic Disease Burden In A Low-Income Population, Ana Lopez-De Fede, John E. Stewart, James W. Hardin, Kathy Mayfield-Smith

Publications

Background: Measures of small-area deprivation may be valuable in geographically targeting limited resources to prevent, diagnose, and effectively manage chronic conditions in vulnerable populations. We developed a census-based small-area socioeconomic deprivation index specifically to predict chronic disease burden among publically insured Medicaid recipients in South Carolina, a relatively poor state in the southern United States. We compared the predictive ability of the new index with that of four other small-area deprivation indicators. Methods: To derive the ZIP Code Tabulation Area-Level Palmetto Small-Area Deprivation Index (Palmetto SADI), we evaluated ten census variables across five socioeconomic deprivation domains, identifying the combination of …

Small-Area Variation In Hypertension Prevalence Among Black And White Medicaid Enrollees, Kellee White, John E. Stewart, Ana Lopez-De Fede, Rebecca C. Wilkerson

Publications

Objectives: To examine within-state geographic heterogeneity in hypertension prevalence and evaluate associations between hypertension prevalence and small-area contextual characteristics for Black and White South Carolina Medicaid enrollees in urban vs rural areas.

Design: Ecological.

Setting: South Carolina, United States.

Main outcome measures: Hypertension prevalence.

Methods: Data representing adult South Carolina Medicaid recipients enrolled in fiscal year 2013 (N=409,907) and ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)-level contextual measures (racial segregation, rurality, poverty, educational attainment, unemployment and primary care physician adequacy) were linked in a spatially referenced database. Optimized Getis-Ord hotspot mapping was used to visualize geographic clustering of hypertension prevalence. Spatial regression …