Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ricketts, Hunter Christian, B. 1997 (Fa 1382), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1382. Project completed by Hunter Ricketts in fall 2019 regarding Mennonite health practices as part of a WKU folk studies class on Field Methods in Ethnography.

Las Dos Cosas Versus Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Culturally And Linguistically Exploratory Intervention Study In Hispanic Mothers Living In Kentucky, Ana Maria Linares, Diana Cartagena, Mary Kay Rayens

Nursing Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Formula supplementation among infants of breastfeeding Hispanic immigrants is common practice known as las dos cosas. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and acceptability of a culturally and linguistically diverse intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months.

METHODS: A sample of 39 Hispanic pregnant women was recruited and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 20) and control groups (n = 19). The intervention included a peer counselor and professional support, and mothers were followed from pregnancy to 6 months after birth.

RESULTS: After the study, women assigned to …

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 …

Operation Change Comes To Rural Appalachia, Keisha Hudson, Frances J. Feltner, Beth Bowling, Rose Gonzalez

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Presentations

Operation Change Model

Target Population: Underserved females age 45 and older who are experiencing obesity, joint pain, and limited mobility

An 18-week community-based behavioral health program that integrates:

• structured physical activity
• culturally tailored education
• motivational interviewer-led discussions to identify and address barriers to positive change

Appalachian Research Day: Come Sit On The Porch [2019], Frances J. Feltner, Melissa Slone, Beth Bowling

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Presentations

Rural Appalachian communities in eastern Kentucky suffer from some of the Nation’s most concerning health disparities. Community-based research can be an effective way to address health disparities by identifying problems and sharing workable solutions. However, challenges exist in recruiting and retaining research participants in rural populations that can often be difficult to reach. Partnerships between researchers and communities are essential to the success of the research process, particularly translation of findings back into the community.

The Effects Of Opioids On Kentucky's Workforce, Michael W. Clark, Jenny A. Minier, Charles J. Courtemanche, Bethany L. Paris, Michael T. Childress

CBER Research Report

From the executive summary:

Opioid abuse represents a significant and growing public health issue for both the nation and Kentucky. In 2016, opioids contributed to more than 62,000 deaths nationally and 1,406 deaths in Kentucky. National studies have placed the societal costs of opioid abuse at $55.7 billion in 2007 and $78.5 billion in 2013 (Birbaum et al. (2011) and Florence et al. (2016)). These costs included increased health care expenditures, higher criminal justice costs, and lost earnings due to reduced employment and premature deaths. The While House Council of Economic Advisors (2017) estimated the societal costs of opioid abuse …

The Effect Of Smoking On Kentucky’S Workforce, Michael W. Clark, Jenny A. Minier, Charles J. Courtemanche, Bethany L. Paris, Michael T. Childress

CBER Research Report

Excerpt from the Executive Summary:

Smoking has been estimated to increase health care costs in the United States by $167.5 billion annually (Xu et al. 2015). In Kentucky, smoking adds $2.5 billion in health care expenditures each year. Most of these costs were paid by public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. While these costs are significant, they represent only a portion of the costs that smoking imposes on society. Smoking also leads to poorer labor market outcomes. Smokers are more likely to be unemployed, earn lower wages, and die prematurely than non-smokers. These negative labor market effects reduce economic …

Young, Kathleen Louise "Kay" (Fa 1327), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 1327. Student folk studies project titled “Ginseng: A Treasured Kentucky Herb That Goes to China” about the business of buying and selling ginseng in Grayson County, Kentucky and the growing and harvesting of ginseng in Simpson County, Kentucky. Photos include the growing stages of the ginseng plant, the harvesting process, and the informants.

Francis, Jim (Fa 1316), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives project 1316. [“Supernatural Legends from Hopkins County, Kentucky”] collected by Jim Francis for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Titles include: "My Grandfather was a Fire-Drawer," "Haunted House of Carbondale," and "Raven Hill Cemetery.”

Comparative Spending Of Medicaid Dollars On Child Participants Of Kentucky’S Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams Program Versus A Matched Comparison Group., Matthew Thomas Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child protective services agencies have long observed the complicating role that parental substance use and addiction plays in cases of child maltreatment. Families who struggle with these problems present unique challenges for child welfare professionals. These families are typically more difficult to engage, more likely to have children removed from the home, and have poorer outcomes when compared to other families. These poorer outcomes often include health problems. Addiction has well-known effects on health, and the specific manifestations of these problems for parents have been documented for years in child protection casework. However, what has been less investigated are the …

The Economic Impact Of Diabetes In Kentucky, Michael W. Clark, Jenny A. Minier, Charles J. Courtemanche, Bethany L. Paris, Michael T. Childress

CBER Research Report

Excerpt from the Executive Summary:

The Kentucky Department of Public Health is responsible for improving the health and safety of Kentucky’s residents by preventing disease and injuries and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The department administers nearly 150 programs that address critical health issues affecting Kentuckians. These programs screen newborns for health problems, prevent the spread of infectious diseases, promote oral health, and provide numerous other services.

Diabetes represents a growing health concern for the nation and Kentucky. It is a chronic condition that causes blood sugar levels to rise and contributes to other serious health conditions such as heart and kidney …

Graves, Guthrie Yochlee, 1903-1967 (Sc 3449), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3449. Typescript of an article dated in pencil 4/22/50 and titled "Congenital Subtotal Duodenal Stenosis" by Dr. Guthrie Y. Graves of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Includes three x-rays of an infant’s abdominal section and a copy of the bill from Bowling Green's City Hospital for $132. The x-rays and bill, dated 1946, were for one of the patients mentioned in the article, the case of Baby Wanda Faye Pearson of Bowling Green. Also includes a proof for an article by Drs. Graves and Henry S. Harris titled "Carcinoma of the Male Breast with Axillary …

Opening Doors For Health Disparities Research In Appalachia, Frances J. Feltner, Mace Baker, Kentucky Homeplace, University Of Kentucky

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Presentations

Rural Appalachian communities in eastern Kentucky suffer from some of the nation’s most severe health disparities and barriers to health care. Communitybased research can be an effective way to address health disparities and promote equitable access to care by identifying problems and sharing workable solutions. However, significant challenges exist for successful recruitment and retention of research participants because rural Appalachian populations can be difficult to reach.

Kentucky Homeplace (KHP) is a nationally-recognized Community Health Worker (CHW) program established in 1994 by the University of Kentucky (UK) Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) in Hazard. KHP is an invaluable and …

Nurse Led Community Health Worker Lay Leader Model, Frances J. Feltner, William M. Baker

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Presentations

In America’s Health Rankings 2018 Annual Report, Kentucky ranked 45 out of 50 in the nation’s healthiest states, signifying the poor overall health of the state.1 Additional statistics show that rural areas of Kentucky, especially the Appalachian region, face some of the highest rates of health disparities in the state and nation. Associated social, environmental, and health risk factors in this population further complicate matters, resulting in a higher prevalence of chronic diseases.

Although chronic diseases can cause serious complications, most disease risk factors can be prevented or controlled. Evidence-based self-management education models, such as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program …

Tobacco Smoking And Dementia In A Kentucky Cohort: A Competing Risk Analysis, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Gregory A. Jicha, Gregory E. Cooper, David W. Fardo, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Tobacco smoking was examined as a risk for dementia and neuropathological burden in 531 initially cognitively normal older adults followed longitudinally at the University of Kentucky’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center. The cohort was followed for an average of 11.5 years; 111 (20.9%) participants were diagnosed with dementia, while 242 (45.6%) died without dementia. At baseline, 49 (9.2%) participants reported current smoking (median pack-years = 47.3) and 231 (43.5%) former smoking (median pack-years = 24.5). The hazard ratio (HR) for dementia for former smokers versus never smokers based on the Cox model was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.46), while the HR for …

Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Colorectal Cancer Screening, Incidence, And Survival In Kentucky, Tong Gan, Heather F. Sinner, Samuel C. Walling, Quan Chen, Bin Huang, Thomas C. Tucker, Jitesh A. Patel, B. Mark Evers, Avinash S. Bhakta

Surgery Faculty Publications

Background

Kentucky ranks first in the US in cancer incidence and mortality. Compounded by high poverty levels and a high rate of medically uninsured, cancer rates are even worse in Appalachian Kentucky. Being one of the first states to adopt the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion, insurance coverage markedly increased for Kentucky residents. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of Medicaid expansion on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, diagnosis, and survival in Kentucky.

Study Design

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Kentucky Cancer Registry were queried for individuals (≥20 years) undergoing CRC …

A Parent-Led Intervention To Promote Recovery Following Pediatric Injury: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Meghan L. Marsac, Ginny Sprang, Leila Guller, Kristen L. Kohser, John M. Draus Jr., Nancy Kassam-Adams

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: Injury is one of the most prevalent potentially emotionally traumatic events that children experience and can lead to persistent impaired physical and emotional health. There is a need for interventions that promote full physical and emotional recovery and that can be easily accessed by all injured children. Based on research evidence regarding post-injury recovery, we created the Cellie Coping Kit for Children with Injury intervention to target key mechanisms of action and refined the intervention based on feedback from children, families, and experts in the field. The Cellie Coping Kit intervention is parent-guided and includes a toy (for engagement), …

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 …

Everybody’S Working (But The Weakened): An Assessment Of Medicaid Work Requirements And Their Administrative Burdens, Samuel Misleh

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Although Medicaid work requirements are currently halted in both Arkansas and Kentucky, this analysis utilizes the data available to make an assessment and estimate of what Kentucky’s Medicaid enrollment will look like if work requirements similar to those Arkansas had are ever implemented. The relative severity of the administrative burden of such requirements provide a tool for comparison, and a difference-in-differences analysis of the change in Medicaid enrollment between Arkansas and West Virginia, a state that has not implemented and currently has no plans to implement Medicaid work requirements, provide the bases for this estimate. After coding the work requirements …

Promotion Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake Through Recipe Card Distribution And Sampling At Farmers’ Markets Throughout Kentucky, Umaima Sidra Afsheen Syeda

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports indicate that 8% and 6.3% of Kentuckians consume enough fruits and vegetables, respectively. The Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud (PIUKP) project is a recipe-development project that aims to boost produce consumption by incorporating local fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to implement promotional strategies using PIUKP recipes at farmers’ markets and determine their effects on consumers’ intent of purchasing and preparing the produce. The study was conducted at nine farmers’ markets across Kentucky (n=300) in collaboration with Cooperative Extension agents/assistants.

The consumers’ impression of the sample was positively …

Comparison Of The Kentucky Nutrition Education Program Healthy Eating Index Pre- And Post- Test Data For 2012-2013, Corey Joe Shepherd

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Nutrition education has become a topic of significant concern in today’s society. An area prominent in the interest of nutrition is the battle against food security. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed) is helping to improve its participants’ food security by providing nutrition education. Kentucky SNAP-Ed participants were asked to complete a survey and a 24-hour food recall to evaluate their knowledge in the following areas: Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores, food resource management and nutrition practices. Each participant completed an average of 7-12 nutrition education lessons throughout the year. To graduate from the program participants …

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 …

A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The average age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer is 55% and 56% higher in Kentucky than the national averages in the United States, respectively. Populations with low income and educational attainment, and those who live close to the mining regions across Kentucky are more affected by the high prevalence and resulting mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer. This study was conducted because of the high incidence of lung and bronchus cancer and resulting mortality rates in the state of Kentucky that may not be caused solely by social and demographic factors. The theoretical foundation for …

A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The average age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer is 55% and 56% higher in Kentucky than the national averages in the United States, respectively. Populations with low income and educational attainment, and those who live close to the mining regions across Kentucky are more affected by the high prevalence and resulting mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer. This study was conducted because of the high incidence of lung and bronchus cancer and resulting mortality rates in the state of Kentucky that may not be caused solely by social and demographic factors. The theoretical foundation for …

Implementing Components Of The Cafeteria Power Plus Project And The Five-A-Day Power Plus Project With The Catch’S Go, Slow & Whoa Program To Increase Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Community Eligibility Provision Elementary Schools In Lexington, Ky, Kayla Payton Keller

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Poor diet quality is a leading risk factor for many chronic diseases affecting Americans today. Increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables during childhood helps to protect against chronic diseases in adulthood and overall prolonged healthier habits. Since 1988, trends in fruit consumption remain unchanged in the United States and vegetable consumption has slightly decreased. Communities living under the poverty level have a greater disparity for access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This proposal is given by the Lexington Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD) and combines aspects of three evidence-based programs: the 5-a-day Power Plus Project, the …

The Impact Of Medication Donation Repositories: A Policy Analysis, Lacey Brinegar

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Two major issues surround the U.S. healthcare system: waste and inaccessibility of prescription drug medication. This paper primarily examines the financial impact medication donation repositories have on individuals and the healthcare system overall. Healthcare facilities may act as repositories for donated medications to be dispensed to those otherwise unable to afford them. The specifics of each policy vary from state to state with some policies covering a wider array of acceptable donations than others. Although Kentucky enacted a policy in 2005, the state still lacks any operational programs. By analyzing the policies of multiple states, this paper elucidates the more …

2018 Kentucky Dental Workforce Update, Sydney P. Thompson, Melissa Slone, Frances J. Feltner

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Workforce Reports

The perception that oral health is in some way less important than and separate from general health has been deeply ingrained in the American consciousness. Many Americans are unaware of ways to preserve oral health and may not recognize signs indicating they are in trouble. Poor oral health can contribute to various diseases including endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Kentuckians often fair worse on a multitude of health measures, especially rural Kentuckians. According to the 2019 County Health Rankings data, when compared to US averages, Kentuckians are more likely to smoke (18% vs 23%), be obese …

Examining The Effect Of Socioeconomic Factors On Kindergarten Vaccination Rates In Kentucky Counties, Abigail Wiggins

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between county-level socioeconomic factors and immunization compliance rates among kindergarten age children. All 120 counties in Kentucky were included in this evaluation.

County-level percent of uninsured children, number of children in poverty, children receiving free lunch (percentage), unemployment rate (percentage), and high school graduation rate were assessed. Socioeconomic data for each county were compared to county-level kindergarten vaccination rates. All vaccination data were obtained from the 2015-2016 Kentucky Annual School Immunization Survey Report. All socioeconomic county data were obtained from the 2016 County Health Rankings data, published by the Robert …

Disparities In The Risk Of Subsequent Primary Cancer Diagnosis And Recurrence Among Women With Breast Cancer (First Primary) In Kentucky, Pierre Fwelo

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background and objectives

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women in the United States. Women residing in the state of Kentucky have breast cancer incidence and mortality rates greater than the national average. Recent studies suggest an association between breast cancer subtypes/hormone receptor (HR) status and the risk of recurrence and the onset of subsequent primary cancer, however, limited research has focused on Kentucky or its Appalachian region.

Investigating these associations may potentially save lives by providing information that can be used in breast cancer education in Kentucky, assessing the population at greater risk of recurrence …