Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Qualitative Research Synthesis Of Contextual Factors Contributing To Female Overweight And Obesity Over The Life Course In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ifeoma Ozodiegwu, Mary Ann Littleton, Christian Nwabueze, Oluwaseun Famojuro, Megan Quinn, Rick L. Wallace, Hadii M. Mamudu

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Objective: Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course.

Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ProQuest Central, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched to locate qualitative research articles conducted in SSA countries beginning in the year 2000. After assessment for eligibility and critical appraisal, 17 studies were included in the synthesis. Textual data …

The Influence Of Maternal Body Mass Index And Physical Activity On Select Cardiovascular Risk Factors Of Preadolescent Hispanic Children, Basil A. Alhassan, Ying Liu, Deborah Slawson, Jonathan M. Peterson, Jo-Ann Marrs, William A. Clark, Arsham Alamian

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Background. Maternal obesity and physical inactivity have been identified as correlates of overweight and obesity and physical inactivity in older preadolescents; however, no study has explored this relationship in Hispanic preadolescents. Furthermore, the relation between maternal physical activity (PA) and blood pressure (BP) in Hispanic preadolescents has not been examined. Purpose. This study aimed to assess the associations between Hispanic mothers’ PA and body mass index (BMI) and their preadolescents’ PA, screen time, BP, and BMI. Methods. Data of 118 mother-child (aged 2–10 years) dyads enrolled in a crosssectional study of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic preadolescents at a community health …

Almost Everything We Need To Better Serve Children Of The Opioid Crisis We Learned In The 80s And 90s, Kimberly A. Horn, Robert P. Pack, Robert Trestman, Gerard Lawson

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Opioid use disorder impedes dependent parents' abilities to care for their children. In turn, children may languish in unpredictability and persistent chaos. Societal responses to these children are often guided by a belief that unless the drug dependent parent receives treatment, there is little help for the child. While a preponderance of the drug dependence research is adult-centric, a significant body of research demonstrates the importance of not only addressing the immediate well being of the children of drug dependent caregivers but preventing the continuing cycle of drug dependence. The present commentary demonstrates through a brief review of the US …

An Undergraduate Curriculum In Public Health Benchmarked To The Needs Of The Workforce, J. Michael Stoots, Randy Wykoff, Amal Khoury, Robert P. Pack

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East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has offered an undergraduate degree in public health for 60 years. Alumni survey data have documented that the majority of the graduates from this program enter the workforce [see accompanying commentary by Wykoff, et al. (1)]. To keep pace with ongoing changes in the workforce, the decision was made to completely review, and, as appropriate, revise and restructure the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) curriculum.

The National School Lunch Program In Rural Appalachian Tennessee – Or Why Implementation Of The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act Of 2010 Was Met With Challenges: A Brief Report, Jodi L. Southerland, Taylor M. Dula, W. T. Dalton, Karen E. Schetzina, Deborah L. Slawson

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate challenges faced by high schools in rural Appalachia in implementing the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). Methodology: We used qualitative, secondary analysis to analyze a collection of thirteen focus groups and 22 interviews conducted in 2013-14 among parents, teachers, and high school students in six counties in rural Appalachian Tennessee (n=98). Results: Five basic themes were identified during the thematic analysis: poor food quality prior to implementation of the HHFKA school nutrition reforms; students’ preference for low-nutrient energy-dense foods; low acceptance of healthier options after implementation of the …

New Approaches To Melanoma Prevention, June K. Robinson, Katie Baker, Joel J. Hillhouse

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Skin cancer is a major public health concern, and tanning remains a modifiable risk factor. Multidimensional influences, including psychosocial, individual, environmental, and policy-related factors, create the milieu for individuals to engage in tanning. Parents and physicians can modify the behavior of teens and young adults using strategies based on harm reduction. Environmental and policy-related factors similar to those used to limit smoking by restricting access of minors to cigarettes in the United States in the 20th century need to be created. Federal regulations can restrict direct advertising and the excise tax can be increased to a prohibitive amount. Social networking …

A Process Description Of Playing To Live! A Community Psychosocial Arts Program During Ebola, C. Alexis Decosimo, Jessi E. Hanson, Catherine Reilly Boland, Deborah L. Slawson, Mary Ann Littleton, Megan Quinn

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From 2014 to 2015, Liberia experienced the largest Ebola epidemic in world history. The impact of this disease was not only physical; it created fear, loss, and trauma throughout the country. This article will describe the process of three phases of a community-based psychosocial expressive arts program, which used theory from the fields of expressive arts therapy to build mental health capacity during and after the epidemic. This article will highlight the background of Ebola virus disease and the Ebola virus disease epidemic, provide an overview of current theory and research for expressive arts therapy and the impact of trauma, …

Prescription Drug Abuse Communication: A Qualitative Analysis Of Prescriber And Pharmacist Perceptions And Behaviors, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Fred Tudiver, Scott Brewster, Elizabeth J. Hagy, Angela Hagaman, Robert P. Pack

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Background: Interpersonal communication is inherent in a majority of strategies seeking to engage prescriber and pharmacist health care professionals (HCPs) in the reduction and prevention of prescription drug abuse (PDA). However, research on HCP PDA communication behavioral engagement and factors that influence it is limited. Objectives This study quantitatively examined communication behaviors and trait-level communication metrics, and qualitatively described prescription drug abuse-related communication perceptions and behaviors among primary care prescribers and community pharmacists. Methods: Five focus groups (N = 35) were conducted within the Appalachian Research Network (AppNET), a rural primary care practice-based research network (PBRN) in South Central …

The Behavioral Addiction Indoor Tanning Screener (Baits): An Evaluation Of A Brief Measure Of Behavioral Addictive Symptoms, Jerod L. Stapleton, Joel J. Hillhouse, Rob Turrisi, Katie Baker, Sharon L. Manne, Elliot J. Coups

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No abstract provided.

Theory-Driven Longitudinal Study Exploring Indoor Tanning Initiation In Teens Using A Person-Centered Approach, Joel J. Hillhouse, Rob Turrisi, Michael J. Cleveland, Nichole M. Scaglione, Katie Baker, L. Carter Florence

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Background

Younger indoor tanning initiation leads to greater melanoma risk due to more frequent and persistent behavior. Despite this, there are no published studies exploring the predictors of indoor tanning initiation in teen populations.

Purpose

This longitudinal study uses latent profile analysis to examine indoor tanning initiation in indoor tanning risk subgroups from a national sample of female adolescents.

Methods

Latent profile analysis used indoor tanning beliefs and perceptions to identify indoor tanning initiation risk subgroups. The teens in each subgroup were reassessed on indoor tanning initiation after a year.

Results

Three subgroups were identified: a low risk, anti-tanning subgroup …

Engaging Moms On Teen Indoor Tanning Through Social Media: Protocol Of A Randomized Controlled Trial, Sherry L. Pagoto, Katie Baker, Julia Griffith, Jessica L. Oleski, Ashley Palumbo, Barbara Walkosz, Joel J. Hillhouse, Kimberly L. Henry, David Buller

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Background: Indoor tanning elevates the risk for melanoma, which is now the most common cancer in US women aged 25-29. Public policies restricting access to indoor tanning by minors to reduce melanoma morbidity and mortality in teens are emerging. In the United States, the most common policy restricting indoor tanning in minors involves parents providing either written or in person consent for the minor to purchase a tanning visit. The effectiveness of this policy relies on parents being properly educated about the harms of indoor tanning to their children.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy …

College Students As Facilitators In Reducing Adolescent Obesity Disparity In Southern Appalachia: Team Up For Healthy Living, Deborah Slawson, William T. Dalton, Taylor Mckeehan Dula, Jodi Southerland, Liang Wang, Mary Ann Littleton, Diana Mozen, George Relyea, Karen Schetzina, Elizabeth F. Lowe, James M. Stoots, Tiejian Wu

ETSU Faculty Works

The proportion of obese adolescents in Southern Appalachia is among the highest in the nation. Through funding from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities — National Institutes of Health, the Team Up for Healthy Living project was a cluster-randomized trial targeting obesity prevention in adolescents through a cross-peer intervention. The specific aims of the project were to: 1) develop a peer-based health education program focusing on establishing positive peer norms towards healthy eating and physical activity (PA) among high school students, 2) test program efficacy, and 3) explore mechanisms underlying the program. The study was guided by …

Undergraduate Training In Public Health Should Prepare Graduates For The Workforce, Randy Wykoff, Amal Khoury, J. Michael Stoots, Robert P. Pack

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There has been a rapid growth in the number of programs awarding undergraduate degrees in public health and the number of students receiving such degrees (1). There has not, however, been a significant discussion of the purpose of such degree programs. What, if anything, are the recipients of these degrees being trained to do? What careers, if any, are they being prepared to enter? Is the degree designed primarily to prepare students to enter graduate training in public health or some other graduate or health professional programs? Alternatively, does the degree exist because “an understanding of public health is a …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Indoor Tanning And Sunless Tanning Product Use Among Female Teens In The United States, Megan Quinn, Arsham Alamian, Joel J. Hillhouse, Colleen Scott, Rob Turrisi, Katie Baker

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Background

Indoor tanning (IT) before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 75%. Nevertheless, IT and sunless tanning product (STP) use have gained popularity among youth. However, there are limited data on the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of both IT and STP use in a representative sample of American teens.

Methods

Teenage females (N = 778) aged 12–18 years were recruited as part of an on-going longitudinal study conducted between May 2011 and May 2013. Descriptive statistics explored IT and STP usage in teen females at baseline. Logistic regression was used to determine sociodemographic correlates of IT and STP …

Self-Reported Versus Actual Weight And Height Data Contribute To Different Weight Misperception Classifications, William T. Dalton, Liang Wang, Jodi Southerland, Karen E. Schetzina, Deborah L. Slawson

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Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine potential differences between two approaches to defining adolescent weight misperception. Specifically, weight status perception was compared with self-reported weight status and actual weight status (based on body mass index percentiles calculated from self-reported and actual weights and heights, respectively). Furthermore, the accuracy of assigning weight status based on body mass index percentiles calculated from self-reported weights and heights was assessed by comparing them with actual weight status.

Methods: Data were extracted from Team Up for Healthy Living, an 8-week, school-based obesity prevention program in southern Appalachia. Participants (N = 1509) were …

Accuracy Of Self-Reported Sun Exposure And Sun Protection Behavior, Joel J. Hillhouse, Robert Turrisi, James Jaccard, June K. Robinson

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The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of self-reported skin cancer risk outcome measures proposed as standards by prevention experts to aggregated estimates of behavior from weekly diaries. Weekly electronic diaries of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) behaviors, initially validated by comparison with daily electronic diaries, were used to assess the accuracy of commonly used end-of-summer self-reported measures among 250 adults. Results revealed low biases, and good correspondence between simple open-ended self-reported estimates of days outside, hours outside, sunbathing days and hours, and days outside when not protected by either sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, hats, or shade. Rating scale measures …