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Profile: University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health Around The World In 10 Minutes

International Journal of Global Health

What does the phrase "global health" mean to you? Does it mean doing HIV/AIDS education in Mysore? Working to improve air quality in Manila? Or marrying eastern and western health practices for the Hmong in Minneapolis? If you answered "all of the above," you're right. Global health is all this and more. At the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, we ascribe to the philosophy whereby public health challenges are exchanged equally between developed and developing countries, and together we share the responsibility for finding solutions to these challenges.

Child Rearing Practices In Eastern Nigeria: Implications For Social Work In The United States, Chinyelu B. Okafor

International Journal of Global Health

This qualitative study describes the childrearing practices among the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria, and offers implications for social work and educational services for African immigrants raising families in the United States. First objective for the study was to ascertain how rural Igbos of Eastern Nigeria raise their children from birth to age eight years of age. Second objective was to determine parent's concept of reward and punishment, how gender role is communicated, and what constitutes parental expectations from successful parenting. Method: Focus group discussions with 400 men and women in 20 villages from five rural Local Government Areas (counties) of …

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International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Increased Morbidity And Mortality In Single Parent Families: A Review, Katie Steneroden

International Journal of Global Health

American families have changed dramatically in composition in recent decades. Increasing proportions of children are being raised in single parent households, reflecting both rising divorce rates, the growing percentage of births to unmarried women and adoption by single parents. As fewer children grow up in traditional families, there is increasing concern about the impact of alternative family structures on children's health and well-being. Many believe that there is a vital connection between family structure and youth well-being, with the nuclear family constituting the optimal structure for fostering "normal" development. Some say the change in the typical nuclear family is one …

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Effects Of The Pesticides Atrazine, Metoachlor And Diazinon And Binary Mixtures On Proliferation Of Human Fibroblasts, Kavita R. Dhanwada, Yijun Deng, Maureen E. Clayton

International Journal of Global Health

The frequent and heavy use of pesticides in agriculture has led to the contamination of surface and ground waters worldwide. Many questions have arisen about the human health effects of exposure to these pesticides and their mixtures. Most of the information about the adverse human health effects due to environmental contaminants comes from studies that focus on exposure to single rather than multiple contaminants since many of the environmental regulations regarding levels of xenobiotic contamination refer only to individual compounds. In this study, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) cell proliferation assays were performed with normal human fibroblasts to test the toxicity …

Impact Of Traditional Practices On Women's Health In Africa: Research Conducted In Cape Coast, Ghana, June 2001, Clementine M. Msengi

International Journal of Global Health

Traditional cultural practices are found in every social unit, in all societies. They stem from values and beliefs intrinsic in the cultural fabric of any given society. Such beliefs lead to certain practices in the area of health that can be a detriment or a benefit to a segment of a population. Examples in Africa range from FGC (female genital cutting); preadolescent or early adolescent marriage; nutritional taboos; social, cultural, and educational preference for male children; pregnancy practices and taboos, dowry-related mistreatment and enslavement of wives; abuse related suicides; etc. In all these examples, it is women who are affected …

The Risks Associated With Agriculture: A Review, Danelle Bickett-Weddle

International Journal of Global Health

Agriculture dates back to the first recorded civilizations in Mesopotamia (currently known as Iraq) in 8000 B.C. and is defined as "the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products." (1) It is a worldwide craft and agriculture is thought to be one of the three most hazardous occupations in the United States. There has been data collection regarding farm size, crops or animals produced and income generated for more than 150 years. A farm includes any place that sells or produces, or …

An Ethnographic Approach Describing Uses Of Medicinal Plants By Rural Guatemalan Women, Cynthia M. Goody

International Journal of Global Health

Much is known about the application of medicinal plants in health belief systems and in ethnopharmacological and botanical settings in Guatemala. What remains less understood is why and how rural women, the family's primary health care provider, use medicinal plants to treat family members' illnesses. Using an ethnographic approach, this work describes twenty women's responses about using medicinal plants as a traditional home remedy. Results suggest rural Guatemalan women traditionally use certain plants, because of their immediate availability at no cost, to treat psychological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory illnesses. Also discussed are the implications associated with honoring tradition, affordability, and availability …

Invisible, Underserved, And Diverse: The Health Of Women In Prison, Janette Y. Taylor, Rachel Williams, M. J. Eliason

International Journal of Global Health

In the United States of America, women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice system. They are entering the system with far greater physical and mental health problems than men, but with fewer health services. Additionally, within this expanding population of incarcerated women, are disproportionately represented poor women of color with serious health needs. This article: a) uses an ecosocial model to examine and critique the health and healthcare of women in prison, b) examines social structures that influence incarceration and health status, and c) proposes reconsideration of current prison health services and education.

Social Networks And Hiv Transmission: The Contextual Dynamics Of Hiv Risk Behaviors, Karen L. Robinson

International Journal of Global Health

Despite advances in public health, biomedical, and social sciences, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), continues to proliferate. HIV is spread by exposure to infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions. HIV transmission most commonly occurs because of sexual activities, through the sharing of contaminated needles and other drug paraphernalia, and less frequently, from infected mothers to their newborns (CDC, 2001). From the first reported in case in June 1981 through June 2001, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 793,026 cases of AIDS. The CDC estimates that 650,000 to 900,000 Americans …

Genetic Epidemiology Of Cleft Lip And Palate, Bonnie Pedersen

International Journal of Global Health

Clefts of the lip and palate are birth defects with multifactorial etiology, involving important surgical, speech, social, behavioral, and developmental implications. Approximately 70% of clefts are nonsyndromic - they do not involve other types of abnormalities such as shorter limbs, shorter digits (toes or fingers), wider set eyes, and many other symptoms. A number of environmental factors also play a role in craniofacial deformities. These factors include nutritional deficiencies such as insufficient folic acid consumption or absorption, smoking, and alcohol consumption, factors relevant to socioeconomic status. The purpose of this review is to present information concerning cleft lip and palate …

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International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

One Year After 9/11: The Impact Of Global Terrorism On Public Health Education, Joseph K. Ogah

International Journal of Global Health

As we mark one year after the September 11 (9/11) attack of the World Trade Center in New York, and the killing or traumatizing of thousands of innocent persons, global terrorism remains an issue of concern for political leaders, the business world and educators. The implications of terrorism to public health education are many and varied. At the minimum, 9/11 increased the immediate need for additional public health education to help people cope and deal with both the immediate and long-term effects of terrorist acts all over the world. Public health education plays a leading role in managing the fear …

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Health Disparities, Neil Macnaughton

International Journal of Global Health

"Americans believe that we are a classless society, largely because just about everyone thinks they are members of the struggling middle class. In actuality the United States is a highly stratified society in terms of wealth, meaning that we have a much more significant problem of poverty than most industrialized nations. Members of ethnic minorities are more likely to be poorer and less powerful. Racist beliefs on the part of the dominant white ethnic groups exacerbate the problem of socioeconomic inequality (Brown, 1998 p. 259)." In healthcare we like to believe that we do not discriminate amongst patient populations and …

Letter Of Congratulations, Deborah Ann Turner

International Journal of Global Health

Congratulations to the members of the Global Health Corps on the launching of their new publication, International Journal of Global Health.

There are many aspects of the University of Northern Iowa that make it a unique and outstanding institution of higher learning. However, there is none so great as the atmosphere that fosters both the development and delivery of a service such as the Global Health Corps.

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Profile: Friends Of Dolpa

International Journal of Global Health

Friends of Dolpa is a small non-profit organization working directly with Himalayan peoples to improve education and cultural preservation in the remote district of Dolpa, in northwestern Nepal. The organization supports locally managed projects in and near Shey-Phoksundo National Park. Until recently, Pockets of Ancient cultures and unique natural environments have survived intact in Nepal's remote corners. This generation of Dolpali people, no longer isolated, are in a process of defining for themselves how to control and participate in development while maintaining their unique heritage and traditions.

Humanitarian Health Education Programming: Diffusion Of Health Messages Through Folk Media, Archana Daya Shankar

International Journal of Global Health

For several decades, numerous health programs for the underserved have been launched in rural areas of developing countries. World organization, NGO's and government agencies have been allocating a significant portion of their budgets for developing health education programs for underserved population in different parts of the world. The success rate of reaching the goals of these programs has been very slow. For example, in India experience in rural health development has clearly indicated that isolated urban health programs do not provide appropriate assistance to the underserved sections of society (Hedge, 1997).

Medical Relief After An Unnatural Disaster: How International Health Care Providers May Prove Counter-Productive To Recovery, Maureen Mccue

International Journal of Global Health

Equally severe natural disasters that hit equally populous areas produce vastly different impacts and outcomes depending on preexisting political and economic conditions. International relief organizations and civil defense disaster response teams employ effective life saving protocols in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. However, there is little information that addresses the ongoing needs or assesses appropriate responses to the persistent hardships and ill health remaining months after a disastrous event hits an impoverished nation. This article relates the experience of27 volunteer health care workers who provided relief care to Nicaraguan victims of Hurricane Mitch three months after the event. Issues …

Profile: Global Health Corps Short-Term Health Education Missions, Linda K. Miller

International Journal of Global Health

Global Health Corps is a non -profit organization that provides a field -based training program for post-secondary students in the area of cross-cultural community health. Students practice a variety of culturally appropriate community health activities domestically in the United States, as well as villages and shantytowns around the world. Preventive health activities include basic health assessments, hypertension clinics, program evaluations, health fairs, breastfeeding promotion, hygiene programs, fitness promotion, safety and first-aid programs, violence prevention programs, and educational programs on topics such as nutrition, dental health , prenatal care, well-baby care, reproductive health , infectious disease prevention, cancer prevention, school health …

Health Assessment Of Bosnian Refugees In Black Hawk County, Iowa, Clementine Mukeshimana

International Journal of Global Health

This study examined the public health status of the Bosnian refugees in Black Hawk County Health, Iowa. A random sample of 557 Bosnian medical records was selected from People's Community Health Clinic. Virtually all Bosnians seek health care at People's Community Health Clinic in Waterloo. High rates of smoking behaviors and dental health problems were the most common health concerns among this group. The Bosnians refugees had rather low hypertension rates, low use of alcohol, healthy weight and a health diet, and low history of cardiovascular diseases.

Information For Authors

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

September 11th And Beyond: What Is The Role For Public Health?, Susan J. Koch

International Journal of Global Health

As Maureen McCue so aptly describes in this second issue of the International Journal of Global Health, public health professionals can and often do play a crucial role in responding to natural disasters like Hurricane Mitch. But with the world still shuddering from the events on September 11th when over 5,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, public health professionals and those who educate them are now also compelled to examine and expand their roles in responding to a new global threat - now evident to all.

Letter Of Welcome, Susan Koch

International Journal of Global Health

As Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa and co-founder of the UNI Global Health Corps, it is a great pleasure for me to take this opportunity to both reflect back on the founding of our organization here at the University of Northern Iowa and to look toward the future, as the Global Health Corps continues to grow and have an important impact, not only on UNI students and faculty, but also as a model for developing globally oriented programs in higher education everywhere.

The Global Health Corps: Bringing The Power Of Prevention To The People, Michele Yehieli

International Journal of Global Health

The Global Health Corps is now recognized as a model program for improving the cultural competency of health related pre-professionals, and recently received $1,000,000 of federal funding through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration fix its operations. It is also the winner of the 1999 Governor's Award for Excellence in Diversity Programming from the state of Iowa, and the Human Rights Award for Black Hawk County, Iowa. Amazingly, in just a few years time, the Global Health Corps has already trained nearly 200 students and served more than 10,000 at risk clients around the world. Through their efforts, students …

Cultural Competence In Epidemiological Field Work With Cultures In Flux: Romania, Diane Depken, Catherine Zeman

International Journal of Global Health

This article is a case study of conducting field -based epidemiological work in a former communist country. A brief background of Romanian history and culture is followed by discussion of the challenges of doing epidemiological science in a culture experiencing socio-political flux. In this former communist country where a common understanding of specific methods of epidemiological science and research ethics is not necessarily shared by both visiting and indigenous scientists, successful fieldwork depends on a high degree of understanding, sensitivity, and patience. The United States Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, OMH provides guidelines for culturally …

Comparison Of Nutrition And Dental Practices Of International Students At The University Of Northern Iowa Before And After Coming To The United States, Joseph Ogah

International Journal of Global Health

This study examined possible changes in nutrition and dental practices of international students after migration to the United States (US). A random sample of 81 international students at the University of Northern Iowa responded to a mail-in survey in the Fall Semester of 1999 (65% female, 85% over 21 years old, and 54% graduate students). Chi-square analyses showed that, while in the United States, the sample of international students consumed more high fat food (p = .002), more high sugar food (p < .001), more fast food (p < .001), less fruits and vegetables (p = .022), and fewer breakfasts (p= .23) than they did before coming. They also brushed their teeth more (p .031) and sought less dental care (p < .001). No significant changes were observed in the consumptions of cereals, protein products, milk, and high caffeine beverages. It was concluded that some nutrition and dental practices of international students studying in the US change for the worse. Implications for culturally appropriate diet education programming for international college students were discussed.