Public Health Commons^™

Campus Recreation And Fitness Center Utilization During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Keagan Kiely, William A. Mase, Bridget F. Melton, Haresh Rochani

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has far reaching effects for college students' health and physical activity behaviors. This analysis focuses on university student fitness center usage pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers hypothesized a reduction in fitness center utilization when comparing Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 utilization rates.

Methods

Patterns of the recreation center and fitness center utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic are compared to pre-pandemic patterns of a matched time period in the previous academic year in an observational study. Overall utilization was evaluated using secondary data from the university’s recreation center data system. Six weeks …

The Impact Of Rurality, Underlying Cardiovascular Disease, And Socioeconomic Vulnerability On Covid-19 Outcomes In Georgia, Michael C. Morgan, Lavannya Atri, Jennifer L. Waller, Douglas Miller, Adam E. Berman

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: COVID-19 related illnesses have been associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease sequelae and worsened socioeconomic variables. We sought to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 outcomes, underlying cardiovascular disease, and socioeconomic determinants of health in rural and non-rural counties in the state of Georgia.

Methods: COVID-19, demographic, and socioeconomic data were acquired from publicly available databases including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and markers of cardiovascular disease burden, rurality, and socioeconomic determinants of health was assessed at the county level in Georgia through the beginning of …

Strategic Implications Of Covid-19: Considerations For Georgia’S Rural Health Providers, Bettye A. Apenteng, Linda G. Kimsey, Charles F. Owens, Samuel T. Opoku, Angela Peden, William A. Mase

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Whether rural hospitals and providers have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases or a reduction in patients seeking care since the pandemic began, their financial condition has been negatively impacted. Many providers have now received some emergency funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Payroll Protection Program but these are likely only short-term fixes. For many, the crisis has exacerbated already existing problems. Notable among these problems are volume declines, supply chain disruptions, and workforce concerns. While these problems require immediate action, two longer-term systemic changes to rural healthcare delivery are needed to address them. …

The Interplay Of Policy, Behavior, And Socioeconomic Conditions In Early Covid-19 Epidemiology In Georgia, Mallory J. Harris, Ella Tessier-Lavigne, Erin Mordecai

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Publishing Note: This article has been published in its peer-reviewed and accepted form as a post-print version. The fully formatted version of the article will be published on this record when it is available.

ABSTRACT

Background: As COVID-19 began to spread worldwide, local socioeconomic and health factors and nonpharmaceutical interventions may have affected epidemiological outcomes. To investigate the associations between public health orders, behavior, and population factors, and early epidemic dynamics, we investigated variation among counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. There, a large early outbreak occurred in March 2020 with varying levels of local nonpharmaceutical interventions prior to …

Barriers To Purchasing Narcan® In Georgia: A Survey Of Pharmacy Staff, Thomas E. Griner, Sheryl Strasser, Stacie Kershner, Ashli Owen-Smith, Matthew J. Hayat

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In Georgia, recent measures have expanded public access to naloxone-containing products like Narcan® to combat opioid-related overdose deaths. Although laypersons may legally purchase naloxone products without a prescription for use during opioid-related overdose events, barriers may remain.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous telephone survey to investigate three potential barriers to purchasing naloxone (Narcan®) in Georgia: availability, price, and working knowledge of legal requirements among pharmacy representatives. We surveyed pharmacy representatives in select Georgia counties with high volumes or high rates of poisoning deaths compared with other counties. We also compared responses among chain and non-chain representatives. Descriptive statistics are …

Zika Virus Concern And Preventative Behaviors During Pregnancy: Analysis Of 2017 Georgia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Data, Priya R. Nair, Christine E. Stauber

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Zika virus infection can cause severe health complications in pregnant women such as microcephaly and other congenital anomalies in the developing fetus but it can be prevented. It is imperative to develop an understanding of concern about Zika virus among pregnant women as this can influence their Zika virus preventative behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of Zika virus concern among women in Georgia with live births in 2017 and to examine the frequency of condom use among those who were sexually active during their most recent pregnancy.

Methods: This cross- sectional study used …

“It Didn’T Matter What The Bill Said...”: Influences On Abortion Policy Legislative Decision-Making In Georgia, Erica Barton, Subasri Narasimhan, Dabney P. Evans

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In March 2019 the Georgia legislature passed HB 481 described as a “heartbeat bill”, prohibiting abortion at around six weeks gestation. Given the prevalence of anti-abortion legislation and the public health implications of abortion restrictions, we sought to understand how Georgia legislators made decisions on this early abortion ban legislation.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with nine legislators from the Georgia House of Representatives who participated in the 2019 legislative session. In-depth interviews were conducted in-person and over the phone. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and inductive codes identified. Codes focused primarily on views of: abortion in general; specific …

Parental School Involvement On Physical Activity And Screen Time Among Middle And High School Students, Joseph Greer, Kiran Thapa, Jessica Mcnulty, Janani R. Thapa

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: High levels of sedentary activity and low levels of physical activity have led to an increase in childhood obesity. A reduction of sedentary behavior and the promotion of an active lifestyle positively impacts weight status of children. A child may modify their behavior through direct interventions from their parents, such as enforcement of rules or guided activities, or through broad interventions, by expressing their values and modeling behavior. Current research does not establish if broad or specific parental involvement has a greater effect on healthy behavior. Our group sought to support existing evidence that parental involvement directly impacts behavior …