Public Health Commons^™

Anti-Vaxxers: Parents Fighting Science, Katie West

Symposium of Student Scholars

Immunizing children helps protect the health of our community, especially those people who cannot be immunized. Yet, since 1996 after a study was released that linked autism to vaccinations, there has been a trend of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. What are the demographics of the parents who believe their children are better off without vaccines? By knowing where these parents live and what decisions they make for their children’s education, counties and medical professionals can provide education and address their concerns.

My research involves data on 116,141 kindergarten classes from 2000-2015 in California. The two vaccine exemption options …

Disparities In Covid-19 Rates Among Various Demographics And Lack Of Racial Representation In Medical Texts, Diangelo Gonzalez

Celebration of Learning

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, has impacted nations all over the globe. Given the health disparities which existed within the United States prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this pandemic continued to pose a significant challenge to the health of the public. The aims of this research study were twofold: (1) to analyze the incidence rates of COVID-19 among different racial and ethnic groups within the United States and (2) to describe the occurrence of diversity within medical texts. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities within the United States. Understanding …

Use Of Artificial Intelligence To Identify Predictors Of Functional Outcomes In Patients With Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, Natalie K. Katz

Research Days

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness. Symptoms initially involve the facial and shoulder girdle muscles, with later involvement of the distal lower extremities, pelvic girdle and proximal lower extremities. FSHD type 1 (FHSD1) is the most common form (~95% of individuals) and is caused by deletion of microsatellite repeats in the D4Z4 region on chromosome 4 (4q35). Normal individuals have >10 repeats whereas individuals with FSHD1 have 1-10 repeats. There is significant variability in regards to disease severity, rates of progression and functional outcomes, but …

Assessment Of Factors Preventing Adequate Decline In Cervical Cancer Rates Amongst Minority Women In New Jersey, Rosie Wenrich, Jillian Baker

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

• Nationally declining cervical cancer rates are still high amongst minority women in NJ, with Hispanic women being affected the most.

• The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and can lead to cervical cancer

• Administration of the 9-valent HPV vaccine can prevent infection and progression to cancer

• Regular cervical cancer screenings allow for better outcomes

• Various barriers prevent people with a cervix receiving the vaccine

• Various barriers prevent people with a cervix aged >/= 30 from receiving regular cervical cancer screenings

Conclusions

• Improved physician recommendation is required for the …

Association Between Childhood Obesity And Lack Of Healthy Food Access In Urban Food Deserts, Nicholas Averell, Rushali Desai, Archana Menon, Ayushi Naik, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Childhood Obesity: growing epidemic affecting almost 20% of children and adolescents in the United States

● Characterized by BMI greater than 95^th percentile of their age and gender

● Often leads to chronic medical conditions: high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes and heart diseases

● Low socioeconomic status(SES), lack of healthy food access and urban neighborhood

The Impact Of Exercise On Pregnant Women Aged 18-40 And Fetal Development, Jinisha Patwa

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

68% of those who performed minimum level exercise prior to pregnancy stopped completely during early pregnancy.

Women stop exercising during pregnancy due to worries about the impact it may have on the development of the fetus.

Starting moderate-intensity, weight-bearing exercise early in pregnancy increases placental growth rate and volume.

Exercise reduces the risks of excess gestational weight gain and high maternal body weight before pregnancy.

Physical exercise reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Lipid Profile And Admission/Discharge Locations As Predictors Of 60 Day Readmission In Adults 65 Or Older With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Zac Dalton, Terrie Ginsberg, Matthew Mclaughlin

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Reducing 30 and 60 day hospital readmissions is critical to our healthcare systems. Older folks with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) account for a disproportionate amount of readmissions. Through recognizing factors that correlate to readmissions, patients at risk may be identified.

Objective: To conduct a retrospective review of electronic medical records (EMR) to determine if there is an association between the lipid profile and admission and discharge locations of hospitalized older adults and whether they were rehospitalized 60-days post discharge.

Methods: EMRs were reviewed of 86 randomly selected consenting participants who were admitted to a community hospital and were …

Ring Based Wearable Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer For Body Fat Estimation, Muhammad Usman, Adarsh Gupta, Wei Xue

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction

• Obesity is the most serious public health problem because it is linked to cardiovascular diseases.
• Measuring fat mass is necessary to study the obesity epidemic.
• Fat mass can be estimated by measuring impedance of the human body.

Conclusions

• A novel bioelectrical impedance analyzer for body fat estimation.
• Device validated for 40 healthy human subjects against commercial analyzer.
• Great potential to replace commercial analyzers for wearable real-time body fat monitoring.

Barriers To Lung Cancer Screening Among African American Males Aged 50-70 In The United States, Edward Marines

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objectives:

• Identify the different barriers to lung cancer screening among African American males
• Examine potential methods of increasing access and participation within this population

Ethnic Differences In Maternal Cytokines And Adipokines And Their Association With Spontaneous Preterm Delivery, Yelizavet D. Lomakova, Xinhua Chen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD, birth at <37 weeks’ gestation) is a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States [1]. Infants born prematurely are more likely to suffer from both short and long-term complications including neurodevelopmental delay, visual and hearing impairment, and chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes in later life [2-4]. African American women have a 2-fold increased risk of preterm delivery compared to Caucasian women [5].The reasons for this disparity are poorly understood. This limits the ability to predict and prevent preterm delivery in the most high-risk populations.

Nutrition Education Intervention For Children In Low Socioeconomic Neighborhoods, Archana Menon, Kasmier Viciosi, Joshua Nsubuga

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Childhood obesity is a public health epidemic affecting 18.5% of children and adolescents in the United States. Children who are obese are more likely to obese as adults. Obesity leads to a number of comorbidities including chronic conditions like high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, and heart disease. Low socioeconomic status (SES), lack of healthy food access, and urban neighborhoods have been associated with childhood obesity. Additionally, convenience stores and other low-price stores tended to display and promote junk foods by the main entrance, whereas supermarkets and higher-income stores tended to display fruits and vegetables. We want to combat these …

C21: Diagnostic Accuracy Of Rapid Antigen Tests For Covid-19 Compared To The Viral Genetic Test In Adults: A Systematic Review Protocol, Ellyn Hirabayashi, Shelby Feliciano

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

C17: Programmed Cell Death Ligand- 1 Expression As A Prognostic Indicator In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Dr. Samar Saeed Khan

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Systematic Review Of Water-Related Diseases In The Florida Environment, Mckinley Chapman, Amber N. Barnes

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

Background: Florida’s environments are suitable reservoirs for many disease-causing microorganisms. Pathogens and toxins in Florida waterways hold the potential to infect vectors, animal and human hosts. Many conditions are reportable to the Florida Department of Health. Our objective in this review was to determine which waterborne, water-based, and water-related pathogenic organisms have been documented in Florida’s environments over the last twenty years. Methods: Nineteen databases were searched using keywords relating to the waterborne, water-based toxins, and water-related vector-borne diseases. Peer-reviewed journal articles were included if written in English, published between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2019, …

Comparing Melatonin Use To Bright Light Therapy In Mitigating Cardiovascular Effects Due To Shift Work Disorder In Shift Working Adults, Alexandra Hirt

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: Circadian Misalignment is a term used to describe a mismatch in one’s physiologically determined sleep patters and their actual sleep wake behaviors. Shift workers often end up in a vicious cycle of being in a state of chronic circadian misalignment, which then can lead to health problems, extreme fatigue, and insomnia, known as Shift Work Disorder (SWD).This has been studied in night shift workers who, when compared to daytime workers, have an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease.These results are not dependent on any behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and poor …