Public Health Commons^™

Determining The Effects Of The Think Risk Initiative As Implemented By The Southern Nevada Health District, Karalin Nichole Cronkhite

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the United States, someone becomes infected with a foodborne illness every 2 seconds, is hospitalized by a foodborne illness every 4 minutes and dies due to a foodborne illness every 3 hours. Foodborne illness is preventable, yet each year, 1 in 6 Americans is affected by it from contaminated foods or beverages. There are over 250 different foodborne diseases, and in 2015, there were 73 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection in Southern Nevada alone. Since the emergence of public health, food establishment inspections have been an important part of the regulation of food safety. Risk-based inspections were developed by …

Structuring A Risk-Based Bioassay Program For Uranium Usage In University Laboratories, Johnne' Talia Dawson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bioassay programs are integral in a radiation safety program. They are used as a method of determining whether individuals working with radioactive material have been exposed and have received a resulting dose. For radionuclides that are not found in nature, determining an exposure is straightforward. However, for a naturally occurring radionuclide like uranium, it is not as straightforward to determine whether a dose is the result of an occupational exposure. The purpose of this project is to address this issue within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s (UNLV) bioassay program. This project consisted of two components that studied the effectiveness …

Assessing The Impact Of The Sunwise Program On Youth Sun Safety Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors In Clark County, Nevada, Sabina Malik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Skin Cancer rates in Nevada continue to increase and remain above the

national average. One important method to combat rising rates is education related to the

prevention of sunburns, the main risk factor for developing skin cancer. This study aimed

to assess the impact of the SunWise Program, a sun safety education program developed

by the Environmental Protection Agency, to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and

change behaviors of participants based on constructs of the Health Belief Model.

Methods: Participants included youth from ages 7-18 years old who attended 6 Boys and

Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. Boys and Girls …

The Relationship Between Pediatric Asthma And Obesity In Nevada, Jennifer Anne Lucas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Asthma and obesity are two of the most common comorbid health problems in the U.S. Currently nearly 8% of Nevada youth are affected by asthma and more than 30% are overweight or obese. Obesity is a risk factor for asthma, yet asthma-related factors such as decreased physical activity and use of oral corticosteroids for asthma control can lead to obesity. This study examined the relationship between asthma and obesity in two pediatric populations in Nevada. It was hypothesized that children with asthma and elevated BMI would have more severe asthma symptoms, decreased lung function, poorer quality-of-life measures, and different atopic …

Intra-Ethnic Diversity In Ischemic Heart Disease And Stroke Mortality Among Hispanics In The United States, Karen Elizabeth Callahan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Hispanics are the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States (US), comprising 17% of the total US population in 2014, and projected to increase to 28.6% by 2060. Yet, the intra-ethnic heterogeneity for the second and fourth leading causes of death among Hispanic populations, heart disease and stroke, has never been comprehensively studied. We examined ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke mortality among distinct Hispanic subgroups: Caribbean Hispanics (including Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans), Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans, comparing their mortality with non-Hispanic whites (NHWs).

Methods: Five years (2008-2012) of death certificate data from Florida and …

Association Between Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention During Routine Check-Ups And Alcohol Consumption Among Adults Living In California, Gene Kilian Wells

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Alcohol consumption accounts for 1 in 10 deaths among U.S. adults, and has cost upwards of $200 billion in a single year due to lost productivity. Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention (ASBI) was developed as a treatment approach for use in primary care to identify and reduce hazardous and harmful substance use behaviors among the general population. Although ASBI has proven to be successful, implementation rates remain low. Few studies have been conducted in Nevada to encourage or improve ASBI implementation in primary care. In order to better support Nevada policy decisions, this study investigates the proportion of ASBI …

Differences In Perceived Importance Of Preventative Services And Healthcare Provider Trust Among Hispanics, Jonathan James Gore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Hispanic population varies greatly in their risk factors, health outcomes and access to care by country of origin, level of education and language dominance (Vega & Amaro, 1994) (Fiscella, Franks, Doescher, & Saver, 2002b). The differences within the Hispanic population also extend to their knowledge and attitudes toward health choices and maintenance, where they receive their health information, and what they access to meet their health care needs. Subpopulations within the Hispanic community as defined by language dominance and nativity must be understood as separate and distinct so that the health needs of each can be adequately addressed. The …

Impacts To Phytoplankton After The Establishment Of Quagga Mussels In Lake Mead, Nevada, Warren Bruce Turkett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are an invasive species that were discovered in Lake Mead in January of 2007, and rapidly spread throughout the lake. Quagga mussels are about the size of a fingernail, but are known to clog pipes, damage infrastructure and alter ecosystems. In large numbers, mussels can have a dramatic impact on an ecosystem by reducing the phytoplankton and potentially increasing toxin producing cyanobacteria. This research analyzed data collected from three separate basins in Lake Mead to determine if water quality characteristics that are commonly impacted by invasive mussels have changed. Transparency, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton and zooplankton samples …

Microbial Contamination Of Ice At Food Establishments In Las Vegas, Nevada, Jerry Wills

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When food establishments make ice for consumption, it is important to use water free of pathogens and to employ hygienic practices. Freezing can reduce the number of culturable microorganisms present in water but does not eliminate them completely. Coliform bacteria are used as an indicator of water quality and are used to test for fecal contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes standards for drinking water, and has set a goal for zero total coliforms. Another commonly used tool to measure water quality is the heterotrophic plate count (HPC). The EPA limit for HPC is 500 colony forming units …

The National Diabetes Prevention Program An Intervention For Diabetes Risk Reduction, Kavita Batra

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes mellitus is among the most frequently occurring chronic conditions, affecting 28 million adults in the Nation. The Nevada diabetes prevalence rate is approaching the National average, with 1 out of 4 diabetic patients experiencing serious clinical complications. Diabetes is typically preceded by a preventable condition classified as prediabetes, in which the blood sugar level exceeds the normal level, yet not enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes increases the risk of developing diabetes within 10 years, if not effectively managed. In an attempt to help reduce this risk, the CDC recently introduced an evidence-based intervention, the National …

Cancer Among Asian American Population In The United States: Incidence And Survival Disparities, Hongbin Jin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Part I

Cancer incidence disparities exist among specific Asian American populations. However, the existing reports exclude data from large metropoles like Chicago, Houston, and New York. Moreover, incidence rates by subgroup have been underestimated due to the exclusion of Asians with unknown subgroup. Cancer incidence data for 2009 to 2011 for eight states accounting for 68% of the Asian American population were analyzed. Race for cases with unknown subgroup was imputed using stratified proportion models by sex, age, cancer site, and geographic regions. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated for 17 cancer sites for the six largest Asian subgroups. Our analysis …

Effectiveness Of Commercially-Available Cosmetic Cleaners On Cosmetics And Cosmetic Brushes, Vanessa Ortiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The complex nature of skin contributes to the microbial population present on its surface. While normal skin flora is either beneficial or has no effect on the body, there are instances where pathogenic microorganisms are present and can cause infections. Damaged skin is more susceptible to infections from these microbes. Behavioral characteristics, such as the use of cosmetics, can affect the microbial population present on the skin. Staphylococcus aureus is the organism most commonly isolated from cosmetics, and it can be responsible for conjunctivitis, impetigo, boils, and folliculitis.

There are many ways microbial contamination of cosmetics can occur, such as …