Public Health Commons^™

Listening To The Ranks: Perceptions Of The U.S. Air Force Occupational Health And Safety Training, Melissa Jo Breunig

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational health and safety hazards are abundant in military environments. Due to the hazardous occupational settings, injuries remain a public health concern in the United States military. Public health plays a critical role in injury reduction by addressing the need for comprehensive safety education training, and more specifically, exposure related injuries. A secondary data analysis was completed using Communication Theory as the overarching framework to analyze 13 qualitative interviews conducted with Airmen to gain their perceptions of the occupational health and safety training at Nellis and Creech Air Force Base (AFB). Pedagogy and training content were the two main themes …

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 …

Social Network Analysis (Sna) Of Clark County, Nevada Tuberculosis (Tb) Case And Contact Investigation Data To Determine Pediatric Risk Factors For Disease Transmission, Darin Michael Cozatt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Within the spectrum of childhood (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence), TB is a priority disease, and preventive care is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)/Bright Futures initiative (AAP, 2008). Within the early childhood stage (15 months to 4 years), TB is classified as "HR2" (high risk 2), behind lead poisoning, which is "HR1" (AAP, 2008), the highest risk within this age range. Within the middle childhood stage (5 to 10 years), TB becomes an HR1. TB is preventable, and targeted screening is the best prevention method. The AAP/Bright Futures initiative further specifies the risk based on …

Socio-Economic And Cultural Determinants Of Health Care Services Utilization In Ghana, Vickita Akosua Antwiwaa Harvey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study examines the relationship between socio-economic and cultural determinants of health care service utilization in Ghana using Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2008 data collected by Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in which a two-stage sample design was used. The first stage involved a systematic sampling, with probability proportional to size, of 412 clusters using the 2000 Ghana Population and Housing Census as the sampling frame. At the second stage, systematic samples of 30 households from each cluster were selected, making a total of 12,360 sampled households. According to the GSS, data were not collected in some of the …

Factors Associated With Rapid Readmission Among Nevada State Pyschiatric Hospital Patients, Christopher Owen Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rapid readmission (RR) of psychiatric patients within 30 days of discharge places a costly burden on state psychiatric facilities and may be an indicator of suboptimal service provision. Several studies have previously considered RR to inpatient facilities, but there is a lack of information available about the variables associated with RR of psychiatric patients to state-operated inpatient facilities in Nevada. This study attempts to identify factors associated with RR at a southern Nevada state psychiatric hospital. Participants included 7,177 patients admitted between May 1, 2012 and April 30, 2014. All 12,068 admissions, including 2,220 RR, were reviewed, and rapid readmits …

Lung Cancer Survival Disparities In Nevada, Chima Osuoha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Nevada shows moderate incidence rates of lung cancer for men but high rates for women. Little is known about the lung cancer experience and survival characteristics of the nearly 2000 new cases occurring every year in the State. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which geographic area of residency, gender, race, health insurance, social economic status (SES) and stage at diagnosis were associated with survival in patients diagnosed with lung cancer in Nevada. This was a retrospective …

Application Of The Transtheoretical Model: Assessing Exercise Behavior In African Americans In A Church-Based Setting, Robin Marie White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sedentary behavior rates are higher among African-American men and women than in other American races and ethnicities, placing them at greater risk for chronic illness. Routine physical activity reduces the risk of chronic health problems such as: (a) overweight and obesity, (b) type 2 diabetes, (c) hypertension, (d) coronary artery disease, (e) stroke, (f) congestive heart failure, and (g) cancers. Assessment of African-Americans' exercise attitudes in a church-based setting may provide information with which to develop effective interventions to improve physical activity. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used components of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to assess whether any associations exist between …

Characteristics Of Unintentional Prescription Drug Poisoning Admissions Clark County, Nevada 2009-2013, Tamara Bruno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prescription drug abuse has been the fastest growing drug problem in the United States in recent years, and is the second most commonly abused category of illegal and illicit drugs, after marijuana (SAMHSA, 2013; Carnevale, 2011). Reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with prescription drug abuse in challenging because multiple factors contribute to the problem. Prescribing behaviors and the lack of education among providers and pharmacists along with inadequate counseling and

monitoring of patients prescribed pain medication are important factors (Machikanti, 2007; Okie, 2010). Patients' misuse or abuse, diversion or the sharing or sell of pills, and doctor shopping are …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Newly Implemented, Proactive Approach To Legionellosis Investigations Conducted By The Southern Nevada Health District, Devin Charlotte Raman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is an evaluation of a new, more proactive approach to legionellosis investigations conducted by the Southern Nevada Health District. The new protocol was conceived, written and adopted in April of 2012 with the goal of preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease that can have a significant impact on public health and the resort industry of Las Vegas. The objectives of this project were to determine if the remediation methods were successful at eliminating the target organism from water systems and maintaining a negative status throughout the monitoring period, to conduct a cost/benefit analysis, and to compare this protocol with …

A Qualitative Study Of The Perceived Health Care Needs Of Undocumented Latino Day Laborers Living In Las Vegas, Nevada, Siboney Zelaya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Undocumented (unauthorized, illegal) immigrants seek employment on the street corners near home improvement stores offering their services and selling their labor to the employers who arrive in their cars or trucks to pick them up for a few hours of hard work. The number of undocumented immigrants in the United States continues to increase. By percentage of overall population, Nevada has one of the largest shares of undocumented immigrants in the United States, and the bulk of that percentage is Latino.

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study is to gain knowledge about undocumented Latino day laborers' perceived health …

Factors Which Predict The Use Of Active Transportation To School Among Children In Clark County, Nv, Sheila G. J. Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Active transportation to school (ATS) shows promise for increasing activity levels in children, but prevalence and correlates vary widely in cities and regions with different barriers and supports for active travel. Classification of ATS users is a current issue in the field. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ATS use and develop a predictive model of ATS for the novel population of children enrolled in grades K-8 in Clark County School District, a large metropolitan school district in Southern Nevada. Methods: This study used a secondary data from the National Center for Safe Routes …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Home-~Based Childhood Asthma Intervention Program In Clark County, Nevada, Mackenzie Suzanne Burns

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Asthma is a chronic, incurable, costly, and potentially life–threatening disease that affects an estimated 7 million children in the United States; further, more than 56,000 Nevada children are currently living with asthma. The literature suggests that a number of factors that contribute to either the development of asthma or the exacerbation of asthma symptoms in sensitive individuals can be traced to the home environment. Given that the majority of Americans spend over 90% of their time indoors, of which two–thirds are spent at home, a home–based childhood asthma intervention program represents a unique primary prevention opportunity. This pre–experimental study evaluated …

A Survey Of Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices In The Western United States: Successes And Challenges, Gayle Louise Allenback

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Antibiotics are one of the most important developments in medicine, and their ability to prevent and control infections has had a major impact in clinical medicine. However, the past three decades have shown an increase in multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in both hospital patients and in the community, decreasing our ability to successfully control infection. Complicating the depletion of effective antimicrobials is the fact that, in the last 10 years, there has also been a decrease in the development of new antibacterial agents. Resistant infections have resulted in increased morbidity and mortality, with a consequential increase in healthcare costs. The utilization …

The Reduction Of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections In Intensive Care Units Through The Implementation Of The Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program, Michael Andrew Basinger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are one of the most significant healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting resulting in increased lengths of stay, increased healthcare costs, and higher mortality rates (Institute of Healthcare Improvement [IHI], 2012). Evidence that CLABSIs are largely preventable has created opportunities for healthcare organizations to implement evidence-based bloodstream infection prevention practices to reduce or eliminate these infections (Lissauer, Leekisa, Prease, Thom, & Johnson, 2012). Other efforts to reduce CLABSIs include implementation of safety programs to improve the safety culture in ICUs (Lissauer et al., 2012). One program, the comprehensive unit-based safety program …

The Relationship Among School Playground Design And Conditions And Physical Activity Levels In Children, Ipuna Estavillo Black

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Almost 20% of children aged 6 to 11 years are obese in the United States, tripling over the last ten years. The rise in childhood obesity challenges nurses in their efforts to improve community health and sustainability. A decrease in physical activity (PA) levels has been associated with an increase in obesity. Schools have been identified as a primary setting to provide children adequate amounts of daily PA, and nurses working in the area of child health promotion can work with schools to provide opportunities for children to increase PA levels. The playground is one environment where children can increase …

Determining The Presence Of Carbapenem Antibiotic Resistance In Clinical Isolates, Fidelis Uzoma Enyinnaya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Carbapenems are β-lactam antibiotics reserved for the treatment of severe microbial infections, especially those targeting the Enterobacteriaceae. Introduced in the 1980s, carbapenems have been used successfully in hospitals, and in the 1990s resistance was discovered. Carbapenem resistance is conferred through the production of carbapenemases. In the U.S., the most common carbapenemase is Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC). In 2012, the National Healthcare Safety Network reported a carbapenem resistance rate of 13.0% among Klebsiella pneumoniae infections, and indicated that the mortality rate associated with carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections ranged from 48.0-71.9%. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), carbapenem resistance …

Determinants Of Head And Neck Cancer Survival In Nevada For 1995-2008, Xiao Q. Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Head and neck cancer (HNC), also known as oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer, comprises a group of cancers that arise in the head or neck region, such as the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, and pharynx. Use of tobacco, alcohol, or a combination of the two, are major risk factors for head and neck cancer. Approximately 75% of oral cancers are attributable to smoking and/or alcohol consumption. More recently, the human papilloma virus (HPV) has also been associated with the development of head and neck cancer.

The objective of the present study is to investigate head and neck …

Development Of A Molecular Method For Detecting The Causative Agent Of Swimmer's Itch (Trichobilharzia) In Freshwater Ecosystems, Heidi Mcmaster

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cercarial dermatitis, commonly known as swimmer's itch, is caused by penetration of larvae of the schistosome,Trichobilharzia, into the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin. Symptoms are characterized by painful swelling and itching at the site of penetration. The normal hosts for the life cycle of the schistosome are aquatic birds and aquatic snails. The most frequently used method of detection forTrichobilharziais microscopy. With increases in the occurrence of cercarial dermatitis outbreaks in freshwater in the Southwestern United States, it is becoming increasingly important to develop and standardize a molecular method for rapid detection that can assist health professionals and …

Sentiments Of Community Stakeholders Living In Southern Nevada Neighborhoods, Erin Sheehy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Community stakeholders provided insight to their local neighborhoods and shared their thoughts about the potential redevelopment of their neighborhoods. This study utilized data from the Southern Nevada Strong ethnographic research project. Ethnographic research was conducted over ten weeks in Summer 2013. Neighborhood observations and interviews with community stakeholders were conducted to understand how neighborhoods are utilized, how residents feel about potential redevelopment, and what areas of the neighborhoods residents would like to see improved in the future. Photographs were also collected to further examine the characteristics, aesthetics, and spatial landscape of the neighborhoods. The purpose of this qualitative research project …

Health Hazards In Rental Housing: An Overview Of Clark County, Nevada, Amanda Nicole Sokolowsky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A wide range of health conditions are associated with housing conditions, including asthma, respiratory infections, injuries, mental health issues, and lead poisoning. People in modern societies spend more than 90% of their time indoors, the vast majority of which is spent at home. Therefore, any new information on housing related health hazards in a population provides an opportunity for a new prevention program. Reports have shown that rental properties have more health related hazards than owner occupied housing, and rental properties are frequently occupied by low-income and minority individuals. This descriptive study intended to provide an overview of housing related …