Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Syndemics Of Severity And Frequency Of Elder Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Study In Mexican Older Females, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Elder abuse is a common phenomenon with important effects on the health and well-being of older adults. There are important gaps in elder abuse measurement, as it is usually reported as the absence or presence of elder abuse, disregarding its severity and frequency.

Objectives: Identify different ways of measuring severity and frequency of elder abuse and assess whether different experiences of severity and frequency suggest syndemic relationships.

Methods: Through a sample of 534 non-institutionalized Mexican older women, we assessed how severity (i.e., number of abusive experiences and number of types of abuses) and frequency (i.e., if abusive experiences had …

Syndemics Of Severity And Frequency Of Elder Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Study In Mexican Older Females, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Elder abuse is a common phenomenon with important effects on the health and well-being of older adults. There are important gaps in elder abuse measurement, as it is usually reported as the absence or presence of elder abuse, disregarding its severity and frequency.

Objectives: Identify different ways of measuring severity and frequency of elder abuse and assess whether different experiences of severity and frequency suggest syndemic relationships.

Methods: Through a sample of 534 non-institutionalized Mexican older women, we assessed how severity (i.e., number of abusive experiences and number of types of abuses) and frequency (i.e., if abusive experiences had …

Finding The Narrative In Incident Reports, La'eeqa Aslam

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Progress Foundation, as licensed by the state of California and the Community Care Licensing, is required to use incident reports for internal audits and remain in compliance as a health facility. Incident reports are used to record events or accidents that have occurred within an organization. Often times, reports are made, handed off, and given from the residence home to the Community Care Licensing with little to no information of how an incident was managed. The Progress Foundation is working towards tracking information from the incident reports to improve internal management and understand the trends in the reports.

In …

The Critical Need For Mental Health Education To Be Mandated In New Mexico's Public Schools, Bonnie L. Murphy

Shared Knowledge Conference

Based on a review of research and best practices in mental health awareness and skills, this inquiry project argues for state legislative policies that would require mental health awareness and skills in the K-12 curriculum. Mental health affects individual accomplishments in every stage of people’s lives beginning in early childhood and throughout the life cycle. Prevention and treatment of mental illness plays a key role in the ability of an individual to cope with loss and develop resiliency and perseverance in challenging times and to make better decisions that improve the individual’s life and the lives of those around them. …

School‐Level Body Mass Index Shapes Children's Weight Trajectories, Ashley W. Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND

Embedded within children's weight trajectories are complex environmental contexts that influence obesity risk. As such, the normative environment of body mass index (BMI) within schools may influence children's weight trajectories as they age from kindergarten to fifth grade.

METHODS

I use 5 waves of the ECLS‐K—Kindergarten Class 1998‐1999 data and a series of multilevel growth models to examine whether attending schools with higher overall BMI influences children's weight status over time.

RESULTS

Results show that, net of child, family, and school sociodemographic characteristics, children who attend schools with higher rates of obesity have increased weight compared to children who …

A Characterization Of The Medical-Legal Partnership (Mlp) Of Nebraska Medicine, Jordan Pieper

Capstone Experience

This research study was completed at Legal Aid of Nebraska’s Health, Education, and Law Project through the partnership it has formed working with Nebraska Medicine and Iowa Legal Aid. Traditionally, health and disease have always been viewed exclusively as "healthcare" issues. But with healthcare consistently growing towards holistic approaches to help patients, we now know there are deeper, structural conditions of society that can act as strong driving forces of a person's poor daily living conditions that can negatively impact health. The importance of a Medical-Legal Partnership is that it considers a patient's social determinants of health (SDHs). The goal …

Cross Jurisdictional Boundaries To Build A Health Coalition: A Kentucky Case Study, Angela L. Carman, Margaret L. Mcgladrey

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Cross-jurisdictional sharing is accomplished through collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to deliver essential public health services and solve problems that cannot be easily addressed by single organizations or jurisdictions. Partners across 10 counties and three public health jurisdictions of the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) convened as Barren River Initiative to Get Healthy Together (BRIGHT), a community health improvement coalition. Focus groups and interviews with BRIGHT members indicate that the use of effective strategies to focus collaborative health improvement efforts fosters a cohesive coalition even when the group is populated by individuals from across public health jurisdictional boundaries. Focusing strategies …

Injection Partners, Hcv, And Hiv Status Among Rural Persons Who Inject Drugs In Puerto Rico, Patrick Habecker, Roberto Abadie, Melissa L. Welch-Lazoritz, Juan Carlos Reyes, Bilal Khan, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background—The prevalence of hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV among persons who inject drugs (PWID) and the ability of these diseases to spread through injection networks are well documented in urban areas. However, less is known about injection behaviors in rural areas.

Objectives—This study focuses on the association between the number of self-reported injection partners with the PWID’s self-reported HCV and HIV status. Injection networks provide paths for infection and information to flow, and are important to consider when developing prevention and intervention strategies.

Methods—Respondent driven sampling was used to conduct 315 interviews with PWID in rural Puerto Rico during 2015. …

Using A Model To Design Activity-Based Educational Experiences To Improve Cultural Competency Among Graduate Students, Kathleen D. Bauer, Yeon Bai

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

To improve the cultural competency of 34 students participating in graduate nutrition counseling classes, the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care Services was used to design, implement, and evaluate counseling classes. Each assignment and activity addressed one or more of the five constructs of the model, i.e., knowledge, skill, desire, encounters, and awareness. A repeated measure ANOVA evaluated pre- and post-test cultural competence scores (Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals). The overall cultural competence score significantly improved (p < 0.001) from “culturally aware” (68.7 at pre-test) to “culturally competent” (78.7 at post-test). Students significantly improved (p < 0.001) in four constructs of the model including awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounter. Factor analysis indicated that course activities accounted for 83.2% and course assignments accounted for 74.6% of the total variance of cultural competence. An activity-based counseling course encouraging self-evaluation and reflection and addressing Model constructs significantly improved the cultural competence of students. As class activities and assignments aligned well with the Campinha-Bacote Model constructs, the findings of this study can help guide health educators to design effective cultural competence training and education programs.

Exploring Direct And Indirect Effects Of English Proficiency On Access, Utilization, And Health Status Among Californian Adults With Limited English Proficiency (Lep), Renee E. Pierre-Louis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Study Purpose: Findings from previous studies suggest that, in a health care delivery context, individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) are adversely impacted by lack of patient-provider language concordance. Yet, the concept of LEP has been mostly studied in the context of cultural competence and language has been generally considered a demographic or cultural characteristic. There is a growing body of research concerning LEP and health status; however, it is limited. This study sought to evaluate the effects of LEP on access, utilization, and self-rated health status (SRHS) among LEP respondents to a large health interview survey …

Policy Of Current Hospital Translation Services And Recommendations For Future Adjustments For Spanish-Speaking Patients, Isidora Rose Beach

Baker Scholar Projects

It is a seldom-discussed fact that English-speakers in America enjoy a quality of health care that is not necessarily afforded to non-native speakers receiving care at the same facilities. Policy regarding what is required of health institutions in terms of translation services is exceedingly vague, and implementation of this policy is inconsistent. This lack of guidance makes it possible for many patients needing interpreters to fall through the cracks. This project will examine current policy guiding interpretive services in the U.S., and will recommend more specific guidelines that would improve quality of care for limited English proficiency individuals. This project …

An Exploration Of Barriers To Health Care Access Among Uninsured Patients: Using The Moderating Effect Of Patients’ Enablement, Enedelia L. Jessup

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT On March 23, 2010, Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase value of care, improve clinical outcomes, decrease health care costs, and increase affordability in health care access. The purpose of the study attempts to examine the moderating effects of patient enablement impacting barriers, low socio economic status, and unmet basic needs, toward health care access in uninsured populations post ACA. Only certain aspects of patient enablement in self-management of an individual’s health care goals have been conducted with uninsured populations with barriers toward health care access. The research design was a quantitative, exploratory, …

Identifying The Newly Insurable Medicaid Coverage Gap Population Under The Affordable Care Act: Who They Are And Where They Live, Samuel L. Woodruff

Capstone Experience

The goal of this Capstone Project is to better define and geographically locate the potential distribution of individuals who fall within the current Medicaid Coverage Gap and those populations who would be eligible for Medicaid under the expansion of Medicaid within the state of Nebraska. Using data from multiple United States Census Bureau sources, along with available data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), this project looks to also locate populations of these individuals that may live within established Medically Underserved Areas (MUA's) or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA's) within the state. American Community Survey 5-year Public Use …

Examining The Benefits And Client Satisfaction Of The Open Arms Of Minnesota Meal Service Program, Carlie Rhinehart

Capstone Experience

Chronic disease can leave individuals incapable of caring for themselves, leading to a low quality of life. Public health researchers have proven how crucial medically tailored meals are to those fighting such chronic diseases. Open Arms is a local nonprofit that started in 1986. They make and deliver meals, free of charge, to people with life-threatening illnesses.

The goal of this study is to examine the benefits of the meal services provided by Open Arms of Minnesota to clients who are chronically ill. To learn about the benefits, analysis was conducted on the client satisfaction survey data collected. The anonymous …

Policy Of Current Hospital Translation Services And Recommendations For Future Adjustments For Spanish-Speaking Patients, Isidora Rose Beach

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Articulación Y Apoyo Del Programa De Los Agentes Sanitarios De Mendoza: De La Teoría A La Práctica / Coordination And Support In Mendoza’S Community Health Worker Program: From Theory To Practice, Kelly Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Desde que fue publicada la resolución de la Alma-Ata, varios sistemas de salud al nivel mundial han implementado programas de agentes sanitarios para ayudar en el cumplimiento de la estrategia de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) y el aseguramiento de la salud como derecho humano. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, varios investigadores identificaron obstáculos comunes que enfrentan los agentes sanitarios en el alcance de sus tareas como resultado de la falta de apoyo que reciben por el sistema de salud. En forma sucesiva, dicha falta de apoyo ocasionó daño potencial para su capacidad de contribuir …

Massachusetts Medicaid Members That Smoked In 2008: Characteristics Associated With Smoking Status In 2014, Alexis D. Henry, John Gettens, Judith A. Savageau, Doris Cullen, Anna Landau

Judith A. Savageau

The smoking rate among non-elderly Medicaid enrollees is more than double the rate for those privately insured; smoking-related conditions account for 15% of Medicaid expenditures. Under state health reform, Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) made tobacco cessation treatment available beginning in 2006. We used surveys conducted in 2008 and 2014 to examine changes in smoking abstinence rates among MassHealth members identified as smokers and to identify factors associated with being a former smoker. Members previously identified as smokers were surveyed by mail or phone; 2008 and 2014 samples included 3,116 and 2,971 members, respectively. Surveys collected demographic and health information, asked members …

Addressing Hydrocephaly In Viet Nam: A Plausible Prevention And Intervention Medical Support Program Proposal, Chelle Mcintyre-Brewer

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Families affected by hydrocephalus in Viet Nam have few options for sustainable treatment for a myriad of reasons, primarily centering on barriers to care prevalent to minority, underserved, and economically disadvantaged populations. High morbidity and abandonment rates often result from these circumstances. An interdisciplinary examination of the factors contributing to causal concerns reveals unique cultural considerations, language and literacy barriers, ethnic and geographic differences, as well as economic and governmental issues greatly impacting patient outcome for this condition. The author contends that a program that addresses sociological concerns, along with the medical treatment of the patient, proffers the opportunity for …

Identifying Windows Of Opportunity For Active Living And Healthy Eating Policies In Connecticut, 2016, Anna E. Greer, Ann-Uriel Knausenberger

Public Health Faculty Publications

We examined the relative importance of 23 community issues among elected officials and health directors in Connecticut in 2016. For this cross-sectional study, 74 elected officials (40.7% response rate) and 47 health directors (62.7% response rate), who were purposively sampled, completed a questionnaire to rate their perceived importance of 23 community issues. Eight of these issues were related to active living, healthy eating, or obesity. We used χ2 tests to evaluate differences in responses. Compared with elected officials, health directors significantly more often perceived obesity, access to healthy groceries, poor nutrition, lack of pedestrian walkways, and pedestrian safety as important. …

Wdph 2017 Summer Internship Report, Lauren Meininger

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

In the spring of 2014, the Worcester Division of Public Health, UMass Memorial Health Care, and Clark University’s Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise joined forces to begin developing a partnership that would combine academic resources, student input, and public health needs in the City of Worcester. Founders of this program were motivated to seek and implement innovative interventions for public health issues while simultaneously inspiring a new generation of public health professionals.

Each year, the Academic Health Collaborative of Worcester (AHCW) brings in student interns to work on the pressing public health issues of the moment. Interns work alongside epidemiologists, …

The Lifestyle Initiative: An Innovative Coaching-Based Quality Improvement Study To Improve The Health Of Aurora Health Care Caregivers And Family Members, Tiffany A. Mullen, Jessica J.F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Dennis J. Baumgardner, MD

Background: Self-management support has been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Health coaching, one form of self-management support, empowers patients within the health care system by providing information and through collaboratively developed care plans.

Purpose: Assess the impact of The Lifestyle Initiative, a coaching-based health program utilized by Aurora Health Care caregivers or family members.

Methods: The Lifestyle Initiative is a coaching-based approach for Aurora caregivers or family members enrolled in Aurora’s health insurance network. Individuals were recruited from the care management database, and all participants had an Aurora primary care provider. Participation was limited to those ≥ 18 years of …

Tonga: Chronic Diseases, Muhammad Taimoor

Global Public Health

Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean, south of Samoa. The public health brief project is on chronic diseases in Tonga. The total population of Tonga was 107,122 in 2010. The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga is the established religion in Tonga. Tongan’s make up the majority of the population but there are other ethnicities such as Euromericans and Europeans too. The major challenges faced by Tonga are decaying infrastructure, low economy, and political corruption. The widespread of non-communicable diseases such as cancer is a major health issue in Tonga. 74% of all adults in Tonga are the …

The Effectiveness Of Interventions And Bundles For Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mohamad Alhamwi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) are a major cause of increased mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) patients. Despite CDC's efforts to reduce infection rates, patients often suffer consequences. The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review of strategies utilized in the neonatal population and evaluate them with the current CDC's guidelines to assess the effectiveness of bundles in preventing CLABSI in NICUs.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using CINAHL Plus with Text, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and MEDLINE from January 2008 up to 2018. There were multiple …

Out-Of-Pocket Cost For Individuals Being Treated For Opioid Dependence In Rutland County, Vermont, Christopher T. Veal

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Each day more than 140 Americans die from drug overdoses, 91 specifically due to opioids. In Vermont, more than 50 people die each year from opioid poisoning. With insurance coverage being a critical component of Opioid Dependence Recovery, many people seeking treatment are unaware of the financial barriers to recovery- namely the out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment. This study sought to provide insight on the financial impact of Opioid Dependence Treatment on the patient, and provide financial assistance information to the Rutland County community.