Public Health Commons^™

Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Outcomes: Evaluating The Link Between Infection Prevention Practices In Healthcare Facilities And Their Health Care-Associated Infection Rates, Chidinma Veronica Njoku

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a pressing problem affecting vulnerable individuals who come to the hospital to receive care for one condition only to find that they have contracted another during their stay. Studies point to the importance of training and educating staff in order to implement and comply with recommended infection control and prevention control and prevention practices as lack of training and knowledge about infection control and prevention has been perceived to bring about a limited ability for direct care staff to adhere to recommended processes and activities. Although there are prior studies on the effects of assessments, infection …

A Comparison Of Beliefs And Attitudes About Body Image, Eating And Weight Between Incarcerated And Non-~Incarcerated Females, Anne R. Lindsay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Abstract

Incarceration and substance abuse are two of the largest public health issues in America. While the U.S. makes up only 5% of the world’s population, it accounts for 25% of its prisoners. Incarceration affects more than 2.2 million individuals who will eventually return to their families and communities with ongoing family, social and health issues. Women in prison are a particularly vulnerable and underserved population, generally of low education and socio-economic status and although they account for a small percent of the prison population, many are mothers of young children who are likely to become incarcerated themselves. Substance abuse …

Educators’ Perspectives Associated With School Garden Programs In Clark County, Nevada: Practices, Resources, Benefits And Barriers., Tomomi Murakami

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School garden programs have been utilized in the U.S. since their introduction at the end of the 19th century. The use of school gardens and the teaching style implemented in them are dependent on individual schools and teachers. Educators’ attitudes, knowledge, and motivation for a school-based gardening program are crucial to implementing comprehensive school garden programs. To move toward an expansion of garden education, it is necessary to determine the concerns, resources, benefits or barriers that educators identify regarding the utilization of gardens to teach their students. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine principals’ and teachers’ perceived …

An Assessment Of A 13-Week Teaching Gardens Intervention On Healthy Behavior Outcomes In 4th And 5th Grade Students At Crestwood Elementary School In Las Vegas, Nevada, Miranda Corgiat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 13 million children and adolescents are considered to be obese in the United States, with children enrolled in Clark County School District showing elevated overweight and obese weight statuses compared to national averages. Carrying an excessive amount of weight can lead children to experience a multitude of complications with their physical and mental health as well as increase their risk of developing various chronic diseases. The American Heart Association's Las Vegas Teaching Gardens program implemented a school-based garden pilot study to target environmental causes of obesity in 4th and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary School. The objective of …

A Comparison Of Nursing Service Demand In Title 1 Schools And Non-Title 1 Schools, Karen Ray Stratford

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children from low-income families are known to struggle academically, but lack of health services may also impact their education. School nurses must identify and manage health problems in the school-age child to improve academic success. Unfortunately, the school nurse-to-student ratio may limit the amount of time nurses can give to the recognition of health problems and appropriate follow-up. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provides Title 1 funding to schools whose enrollment includes at least 40% of low-income families. These federal funds are intended to be used to bridge the achievement gap between low-income students and other students. …

Model Provisions For Building A Successful Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: A Case Study For The Western United States, Kathleen Lauckner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been 236 years since Benjamin Franklin voiced his concerns about lead poisoning from the occupational exposures in his printing shop, yet, in 2012 childhood lead poisonings and adult occupational exposures are still serious public health issues in the United States. Lead poisoning is a 100% preventable affliction if the ingestion or inhalation of lead from environmental exposures can be avoided.

The quality of blood lead detection methods and brain function studies have improved dramatically over the last few decades and far more is now known about the adverse health effects from low level (microgram- µg) exposures to lead. …

Elementary School Based Health Centers As Providers Of School Entry Health Exams: Do They Meet The Standards?, Roberta Bavin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The health of today's children is crucial for the future of our society. There are many children without access to healthcare in these turbulent economic times; times that are increasingly uncertain as society maneuvers its way through the maze of healthcare reform. School based health centers (SBHCs) provide a safety net for children needing basic healthcare who are otherwise underserved. School entry health examinations (SEHE) are legal requirements in many states, and are a proven method for identifying health conditions early enough in a child's life that they can be corrected. Treating identified health conditions facilitates academic success for children, …

Effects Of Environment On Children's Motor Scores, Eligibility Status, And Administration Times, Derrick Mittelstadt, Abigail Parker, Kirsten Pickett, Heather Temkin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Best practices for assessing developmental skills in young children focus on naturalistic observation in everyday settings, but the effects of environment on test scores, eligibility status and administration time have not been explored. The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2) was administered to 34 children aged 18 to 59 months in natural and pull-out settings. PDMS-2 total, gross, and fine motor quotient (TMQ, GMQ, and FMQ) scores were significantly lower in the natural environment (p’s≤.014). Based on our results, more children would qualify for services when tested in natural environments using TMQ and GMQ scores. It also took significantly longer …