Public Health Commons^™

Modeling An Infection Outbreak With Quarantine: The Sibkr Model, Mikenna Dew, Amanda Langosch, Theadora Baker-Wallerstein

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

Influenza is a respiratory infection that places a substantial burden in the world population each year. In this project, we study and interpret a data set from a flu outbreak in a British boarding school in 1978 with mathematical modeling. First, we propose a generalization of the SIR model based on the quarantine measure in place and establish the long-time behavior of the model. By analyzing the model mathematically, we determine the analytic formulas of the basic reproduction number, the long-time limit of solutions, and the maximum number of infection population. Moreover, we estimate the parameters of the model based …

The Importance Of Triple Panel Testing For Hepatitis B And The Burden Of Isolated Anti-Hepatitis B Core Antibodies Within A Community Sample, Catherine Freeland, Vivek Sreepathi, Richard Hass, Jonathan Fenkel, Jessie Torgersen, Kenneth Rothstein, Chari Cohen, Robert Gish

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Within the United States (US), 2.4 million individuals are living with chronic hepatitis B, but less than 20% are diagnosed. Isolated anti-hepatitis B core (iAHBc) antibodies indicate serology in an individual that is positive for anti-HBc antibodies, while negative for surface antigen (HBsAg) and surface antibodies (anti-HBs). A result of iAHBc could indicate a chronic occult bloodstream infection, necessitating further testing. This study assesses the prevalence and risk factors associated with anti-HBc and iAHBc within community high-risk screening in Greater Philadelphia. Participants (n = 177) were screened for HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc during community screening events in 2022. Chi-square tables …

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At 2023 Advocate Aurora Scientific Day

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This abstract supplement includes findings presented at the 49th annual Advocate Aurora Scientific Day on May 24, 2023. The Scientific Day symposium provides a virtual forum for the sharing of preliminary results from research and case studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and other health professionals associated with Illinois-based Advocate Health Care and Wisconsin-based Aurora Health Care.

Nutrition In Times Of Crisis: A Qualitative Study In Siargao Island, Philippines, During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gideon Lasco, Vincen Gregory Yu, Julie Madelo Compra, Phetdavanh Leuangvilay, Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, Yunting Zhang, Charina Javier

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Objectives

Despite the public-health significance of both malnutrition and crises, little has been done to explore the convergence of the two domains and develop ways to improve policies and practices, especially in rural communities. This article remedies that knowledge gap by focusing on nutrition-related changes, responses, and practices during crisis situations in Siargao Island, Philippines, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop.

Methods

Forty-six (46) semi-structured interviews were conducted among parents, caregivers, local health workers, and local officials of Del Carmen, Siargao Island. Principles of thematic analysis were applied to data analysis using NVivo 12. Afterwards, the preliminary data were …

Review Of Gynaecological Cancer Among Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander People In Australia, Aime Powell, Ami Morseu-Diop, Maya Morton Ninomiya, Uday Narayan Yadav, Emily Phillips, Devendra Raj Singh, Tamara Butler, Emma Allanson, Lisa J. Whop

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Gynaecological cancers bear a significant burden on the health of Australians. Whilst Australia has made great strides in reducing the overall gynaecological cancer burden nationally, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women continue to experience disproportionately high rates of gynaecological cancers.

This review focuses on the social, cultural, and historical contexts that contribute to inequitable gynaecological cancer rates among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women. An in-depth discussion on cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer are described; including the incidence, mortality, survival, and management of these diseases for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women.

It highlights both the persistent barriers …

Clinical Characteristics Of Covid-19 Waves In The Southeastern United States: A Retrospective Study, Omar Kandah, Robert Sherertz, Richard Duff, Erica Junqueira

South Atlantic Division Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies Within The Community Of A Private Tertiary University In The Philippines: A Serial Cross Sectional Study, Lourdes S. Tanchanco, Jenica Clarisse Y. Sy, Angel Belle C. Dy, Myla D. Levantino, Arianna Maever L. Amit, John Wong, Kirsten Angeles, John Paul Vergara

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency in all sectors of society, including universities and other academic institutions. This study determined the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among administrators, faculty, staff, and students of a private tertiary academic institution in the Philippines over a 7 month period. It employed a serial cross-sectional method using qualitative and quantitative COVID-19 antibody test kits. A total of 1,318 participants were tested, showing 47.80% of the study population yielding IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 virus. A general increase in seroprevalence was observed from June to December 2021, which coincided with the vaccine roll-out of …

Exploring Stakeholders' Experiences And Perceptions Regarding Barriers To Effective Surveillance Of Communicable Diseases In A Rural District Of Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Imran Naeem Abbasi, Sameen Siddiqi, Mmna Rehana Sididiqui, Rumina Hasan

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To explore the experiences and perceptions of health system stakeholders of a rural district of Sindh, Pakistan regarding the barriers to effective surveillance of communicable diseases.
Design: This qualitative descriptive exploratory design comprised in-depth interviews. Both inductive and deductive thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes from the data.
Settings: The study was conducted in public sector healthcare facilities and the district health office of the rural district of Thatta, in Sindh province, Pakistan.
Participants: Fifteen healthcare managers and healthcare providers working in the eight public sector primary and secondary healthcare facilities were interviewed using an open-ended in-depth …

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At Advocate Aurora Scientific Day 2022

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The abstracts published in this supplement were presented at the 48th annual Advocate Aurora Scientific Day on May 25, 2022. This scholarly symposium provides a closed forum for sharing preliminary results from research studies conducted by faculty physicians and nurses, fellows, residents, scientists, and other health professionals associated with U.S. Midwest-based health system Advocate Aurora Health, publisher of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

Adapting The Fast-M Maternal Sepsis Intervention For Implementation In Pakistan: A Qualitative Exploratory Study, Sheikh Irfan Ahmed, Bakhtawar M H. Khowaja, Rubina Barolia, Raheel Sikandar, Ghulam Kubra Rind, Sehrish Rani, Raheela Rani, James Cheshire, Catherine Louise Dunlop, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: A maternal sepsis management bundle for resource-limited settings was developed through a synthesis of evidence and international consensus. This bundle, called 'FAST-M' consists of: Fluids, Antibiotics, Source control, assessment of the need to Transport/Transfer to a higher level of care and ongoing Monitoring (of the mother and neonate). The study aimed to adapt the FAST-M intervention including the bundle care tools for early identification and management of maternal sepsis in a low-resource setting of Pakistan and identify potential facilitators and barriers to its implementation.
Setting: The study was conducted at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, which …

Implementation Of Multi-Level Interventions To Mitigate Risk Of Sars-Cov-2 Delta Variant At A Public University In Southern United States, Keena N. Arbuthnot, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Edward J. Trapido, John H. Pardue, John N. Perret, William F. Tate

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, navigating the implementation of public health measures in a politically charged environment for a large state entity was challenging. However, Louisiana State University (LSU) leadership developed and deployed an effective, multi-layered mitigation plan and successfully opened in-person learning while managing cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the fourth surge. We describe the plan to provide a framework for other institutions during this and future responses. The goals were 3-fold: maintain a quality learning environment, mitigate risk to the campus community, and ensure that LSU operations did not contribute to …

Impact Of Biosecurity Measures, Social Pressure And Bullying On Attitudes, Perceptions, And Job Satisfaction Levels Among Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho-Leon, Geovanny Efraín Alvarado-Villa, Derly Madeleiny Andrade-Molina, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Cadena, Arjola Agolli, Zeynep Yukselen, Miguel Felix, Juan Carlos Gallardo Bastidas

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The extent and nature of social pressure and bullying towards healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 remains unclear. The following study identifies the effect of social pressure and bullying directed towards HCWs when using biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic; further, the impact on perceptions, attitudes and job satisfaction level is also explored.
Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional survey-based study among 684 Ecuadorian HCWs. The survey consisted of 38 questions related to the frequency, attitudes, and perceptions of biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the validity of the questionnaire. Associations between variables …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Various Immunochromatographic Tests For Ns1 Antigen And Igm Antibodies Detection In Acute Dengue Virus Infection, Mughees Haider, Saira Yousaf, Asifa Zaib, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were evaluated, in this paper, for their utility as a reliable test, using resource-constrained studies. In most studies, NS1 antigen and immunoglobulin M (IgM)-based immunochromatographic tests (ICTs) were considered for acute phase detection. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of NS1, IgM, and NS1/IgM-based ICTs to detect acute dengue virus (DENV) infection in dengue-endemic regions.
Methods: Studies were electronically identified using the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL Plus. Keywords including dengue, rapid diagnostic test, immunochromatography, sensitivity, specificity, and diagnosis were applied across databases. In total, 15 studies were …

Total Prevention: A History Of Schistosomiasis In Japan, Alexander Bay

History Faculty Articles and Research

In Japan, schistosomiasis was endemic in Yamanashi Prefecture and a few other hotspot areas where the Miya’iri snail lived. The parasite’s lifecycle relied on the intermediary Miya’iri snail as well as the human host. Parasite eggs passed into the agrarian environment through untreated night soil used as fertiliser or through the culture of open defecation in rural Japan. Manmade rice fields and irrigation ditches, night soil covered paddies and highly refined growing seasons put people in flooded rice paddies to intensively work the land in the spring and summer. The disease was equally dependent on human intervention in the natural …

Attitudes And Barriers Toward Covid-19 Vaccination Among People Experiencing Homelessness In Detroit, Mi, Sanjna Ghanshani, Sophie Wittenberg, Richard Bryce

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have a high risk of exposure to communicable diseases and limited access to health care services and treatment in their communities. Despite the availability of highly effective vaccines against COVID-19, the infection prevention practices and level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PEH in Detroit have not been well studied.

Methods: Medical students administered an electronic Qualtrics survey to consented participants during outreach visits to local homeless shelters and encampments organized by Street Medicine Detroit. The questionnaire comprised six topics, including hygiene and masking practices, experience with COVID-19 testing and vaccination, and attitudes toward …

Review Of Diabetes Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People, Katherine Ride, Samantha Burrow

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease condition globally. Type 2 diabetes in particular, has reached epidemic proportions, with the greatest burden falling on socially disadvantaged groups and Indigenous peoples.

This review focuses primarily on type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which is responsible for the majority of cases of diabetes in this population. It provides general information on the social and cultural context of diabetes, and the behavioural and biomedical factors that contribute to diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This review provides detailed information on:

• the extent of diabetes among Aboriginal and …

“Pandemias Políticas: The Effects Of Political And Social Instability On Infectious Disease Epidemiology In Latin America"”, Sarah H. Noonan

Senior Theses

This paper seeks to analyze the relationship between political and social unrest and conflict and infectious disease epidemiology in Latin America. An analysis of published literature regarding epidemiological, biomedical, political, and historical content was conducted to highlight potential connections between infectious disease epidemics and sociopolitical conflict in the region. Specific analyses of Smallpox, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, Chagas disease, Cholera, Dengue, and COVID-19 were conducted, in an effort to uncover potential causations and context of epidemics of these conditions. Results of this analysis depict a necessity for further research into public health and disease control mechanisms during times of conflict and …

Zoonotic Pathogens From Illegally Traded Wildlife Justify Adopting The One Health Perspective In Disease Response, Marianne Allison G. Lee, Vinyl Joseph S. Valeza, Jonathan Patrick H. Yan, Ronald Allan L. Cruz

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies have described a direct relationship between the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in human populations. In the Philippines, the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) framework outlines the monitoring, response, and management of disease outbreaks, but needs to be updated in the wake of zoonoses from IWT. Here, we identified zoonotic pathogens that may be introduced to human populations through the IWT, pinpointed potential outbreak hotspots, and provided recommendations on how to improve the Philippines’ public health response while considering One Health. Using seizure data from the Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) covering …

An Epidemiologic Study Of Vaccination Exemptions And Pertussis Risk, Corinne B. Tandy

Doctoral Dissertations

The incidence of pertussis, a vaccine-preventable disease that can have severe complications in infants, has been increasing in the United States over the past three decades. Vaccine hesitancy and refusal have also increased and are associated with vaccination exemptions, which in turn are associated with outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including pertussis. Understanding attitudes towards vaccinations and identifying geographic disparities of vaccination exemptions and pertussis risks is useful for guiding control programs. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (i) investigate attitudes towards vaccinations; (ii) identify county-level geographic disparities and sociodemographic predictors of vaccination exemptions in Florida; (iii) investigate county-level …

Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Women Living With And Without Hiv In Pakistan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Muslima Ejaz, Soren Andersson, Salma Batool, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Anna Mia Ekström

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection, genotypes and risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women living with and without HIV in Pakistan. Anal infection with HPV is very common worldwide among MSM, particularly among MSM living with HIV. The high prevalence of HIV among MSM and male-to-female transgendered individuals in Pakistan is a significant health concern since access to screening and health-seeking is often delayed in this stigmatised key population.
Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2016 and November 2017.
Participants, …

Student Pharmacists’ Response To A Pandemic: Service-Learning Through Contact Tracing, Antoinette Martin, William Harris, Alexander Szu-Wei Chao, Caroline Blankemeier, Diane Hobbs, Emily Hall, Emily Harvath, Madilyn Eberle, Monica L. Miller, Rakhi Karwa

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

In March 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted education nationwide. To safely deliver in-person classes, Purdue University contracted One-to-One Health, creating the Protect Purdue Health Center (PPHC). The PPHC was a central location for information, testing, and case management for Purdue students, staff, faculty and their dependents. Contact tracing is a proven public health measure that has been utilized to control the spread of infectious diseases by identifying and isolating potential active cases. The communicative nature of contact tracing, along with its need for clinical decision-making skills makes the student pharmacist an ideal candidate for aiding in this pandemic response. …

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At 2021 Advocate Aurora Health Scientific Day

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Abstracts published within this supplement were presented at the 47th annual Advocate Aurora Health Scientific Day, held virtually on May 26, 2021. This research symposium provides a forum for disseminating results from studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and other allied health professionals associated with Midwest-based health system Advocate Aurora Health, which publishes the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

The Influence Of The Urban Food Environment On Diet, Nutrition And Health Outcomes In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Susannah Westbury, Iman Ghosh, Helen Margaret Jones, Daniel Mensah, Folake Samuel, Ana Irache, Nida Azhar, Lena Al-Khudairy, Romaina Iqbal, Oyinlola Oyebode

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: Diet and nutrition are leading causes of global morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on the association between food environment characteristics and diet, nutrition and health outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), relevant to urban settings, to support development and implementation of appropriate interventions.
Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of 9 databases from 1 January 2000 to 16 September 2020 with no language restrictions. We included original peer-reviewed observational studies, intervention studies or natural experiments conducted in at least one urban LMIC setting and reporting a quantitative association between a characteristic of …

Exploring Digital Health Interventions To Support Community Health Workers In Low-And-Middle-Income Countries During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review Protocol, Anam Shahil Feroz, Komal Valliani, Hajra Khwaja, Sehrish Karim

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: COVID-19 has significantly affected community health workers' (CHWs) performance as they are expected to perform pandemic-related tasks along with routine essential healthcare services. A plausible way to optimise CHWs' functioning during this pandemic is to couple the efforts of CHWs with digital tools. So far, no systematic evidence is available on the use of digital health interventions to support CHWs in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The article describes a protocol for a scoping review of primary research studies that aim to map evidence on the use of unique digital health interventions to support CHWs during COVID-19 …

Impact Of Pulse Oximetry On Hospital Referral Acceptance In Children Under 5 With Severe Pneumonia In Rural Pakistan (District Jamshoro): Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Trial, Fatima Mir, Apsara Ali, Suhail Chanar, Amjad Hussain, Arjumand Rizvi, Imran Ahmed, Zahid Memon, Atif Habib, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Pneumonia is a leading cause of death among children under 5 specifically in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hypoxaemia is a life-threatening complication among children under 5 with pneumonia. Hypoxaemia increases risk of mortality by 4.3 times in children with pneumonia than those without hypoxaemia. Prevalence of hypoxaemia varies with geography, altitude and severity (9%-39% Asia, 3%-10% African countries). In this protocol paper, we describe research methods for assessing impact of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) identifying hypoxaemia in children with signs of pneumonia during household visits on acceptance of hospital referral in district Jamshoro, Sindh.
Methods and analysis: A …

Quality Of Inpatient Care Of Small And Sick Newborns In Pakistan: Perceptions Of Key Stakeholders, Nousheen Pradhan, Ammarah Ali, Sana Roujani, Sumera Aziz Ali, Samia Rizwan, Sarah Saleem, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Background: In LMICs including Pakistan, neonatal health and survival is a critical challenge, and therefore improving the quality of facility-based newborn care services is instrumental in averting newborn mortality. This paper presents the perceptions of the key stakeholders in the public sector to explore factors influencing the care of small and sick newborns and young infants in inpatient care settings across Pakistan.
Methods: This exploratory study was part of a larger study assessing the situation of newborn and young infant in-patient care provided across all four provinces and administrative regions of Pakistan. We conducted 43 interviews. Thirty interviews were conducted …

Improving Social Justice In Covid-19 Health Research: Interim Guidelines For Reporting Health Equity In Observational Studies, Alba Antequera, Daeria O. Lawson, Stephen G. Noorduyn, Omar Dewidar, Marc Avey, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Catherine Chamberlain, Holly Ellingwood, Damian Francis, Sarah Funnell

Woman and Child Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the global imperative to address health inequities. Observational studies are a valuable source of evidence for real-world effects and impacts of implementing COVID-19 policies on the redistribution of inequities. We assembled a diverse global multi-disciplinary team to develop interim guidance for improving transparency in reporting health equity in COVID-19 observational studies. We identified 14 areas in the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist that need additional detail to encourage transparent reporting of health equity. We searched for examples of COVID-19 observational studies that analysed and reported health equity analysis across one …

Social Media Use And Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Health Behaviors, Knowledge, And Mental Health Among University Of Nevada, Reno Students, Molly M. Hagen, Sarah Y.T. Hartzell, Paul G. Devereux

Health Behavior Research

Reliance on social media for health information is widespread, yet impacts of social media use (SMU) on health behaviors during infectious disease pandemics are poorly understood. We used a random sample from a university student directory to invite students to take a cross-sectional online survey during the coronavirus pandemic. Survey questions assessed adherence to public health guidelines, knowledge of COVID-19/SARS-CoV2, and mental health symptoms. Students were classified based on their level of SMU for information on COVID-19 as: (1) none, (2) some use, or (3) main source. Weighted regressions were used to relate SMU to adherence (five-point scale) and knowledge …

Exploring Community Perceptions, Attitudes And Practices Regarding The Covid-19 Pandemic In Karachi, Pakistan, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Ridah Feroz, Noshaba Akber, Salima Nazim Meghani

Community Health Sciences

Background: The Government of Pakistan is facing difficulty to contain the surge of COVID-19 due to the country's social, political, economical and cultural context. Experiences from the previous epidemic suggest that community perceptions, social norms and cultural practices can impede COVID-19 containment. To understand social responses towards COVID-19, the study aims to explore the understanding of COVID-19 and the acceptance of control measures among community members.
Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at two communities of Karachi, Pakistan. In-depth interviews were conducted with community members including, young, middle-aged and older adults of both genders. …