Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

My Experience In Swaziland With Give Hope, Fight Poverty, Megan Kaser

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Megan Kaser, a recent 2017 alum in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University, describes her experience with Give Hope, Fight Poverty (GHFP)—a nonprofit organization in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in physician assistant studies. GHFP’s mission is “to foster philanthropy domestically by designing service-learning programs that engage U.S. college students with rural communities in Swaziland, Africa, and work together to educate, empower, and lift orphaned and vulnerable children—particularly those living in child-headed households— out of poverty” (Give Hope, Fight Poverty, n.d.). By incorporating college students in the implementation of GHFP orphan education …

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. …

Ua12/2/1 Fit: A Health & Wellness Guide, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

Special magazine of College Heights Herald regarding health and fitness.

• Childress, Nicole. Welcome to Fit
• Southers, Mariah. CVS Shares 4 Ways to Beat the Flu
• Childress, Nicole. Do It Yourself Face Masks
• Goodlett, Ryan. Juices Add Zest to Life
• Southers, Mariah & Bryson Lacasse. Classic Shortcuts – WKU Campus Map
• Wells, Spencer. Little Fox Bakery Offers Sweet Treats for Every Diet
• Southers, Mariah. Turning Up the Heat – Hot Yoga
• Goodlett, Ryan. Iron Woman – Melinda Grimsley-Smith
• Wells, Spencer. Preston Health & Fitness Center: More Than Just a Gym

It's About Communities: The Commitment To Promoting A Culturally Competent Environmental Health Workforce, Clint Pinion Jr., Leslie D. Mitchell, Jason W. Marion

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Environmental health and public health are profoundly local. The Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) firmly agrees and for this reason, it is important to have local environmental health experts who know the pulse of their communities. AEHAP believes in supporting the advanced scientific education of environmental health in these communities through people from these communities. Accordingly, AEHAP has sought to promote and support accredited environmental health programs among a diverse cross-section of the U.S. higher education landscape. AEHAP’s students are diverse in many ways, including socioeconomically, racially, ethnically, and culturally. The value of this approach enhances the overall …

Self-Regulation Abilities Of Low-Income Mothers In Community Based, Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Alyssa Abreu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diet is strongly associated with many risk factors for chronic disease. Educational programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) are designed to improve dietary behaviors among low-income populations. Although EFNEP has seen improvements, they are not yet up to recommendations. Previous studies have been successful in eliciting behavior change when improving self-regulation in conjunction with dietary education. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine self-regulation in EFNEP participants and its relationship to participants change in dietary behavior. All participants were currently enrolled in an EFNEP program and were asked to complete an additional self-regulation …

The Legalization Of Medical/Recreational Marijuana: Implications For School Health Drug Education Programs, Joseph Donnelly, Michael Young

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND

More than half of US states have legalized medical marijuana. Several states have also legalized it for recreational use. In spite of states' actions, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. It remains to be seen, however, if the Trump administration will enforce federal law in states that have legalized marijuana. For now, it appears the move toward state legalization of marijuana will increase. Because of its legal status, research concerning the medical benefits of marijuana has been limited.

METHODS

We reviewed the literature pertaining to medical use and legalization of marijuana.

RESULTS

Available research shows that marijuana can benefit …

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.

Pink And Dude Chefs: Effectiveness Of An After-School Nutrition Knowledge And Culinary Skills Program For Middle School Students To Increase Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Alyssa S. Vaziri

Master's Theses

The rate of overweight and obesity among adolescents aged 12-19 years has more than tripled since 1980, and disproportionately impacts low-income and marginalized populations. Reduction in adolescent obesity rates may result in decreased health risks, decrease healthcare costs, and increased quality of life. Effective intervention methods for adolescent participants have incorporated nutrition knowledge and culinary skill building into afterschool programs. This study examines whether building knowledge, skills, and confidence through a culinary intervention can improve adolescent participants’ choices of healthful foods through increased fruit and vegetable intake.

Pink and Dude Chefs (PDC) is an afterschool nutrition education and culinary skills …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Evolution Of Bordetella Pertussis Genome May Play A Role In The Increased Rate Of Whooping Cough Cases In The United States, Kevin Loftus

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Bordetella pertussis is the bacterium responsible for pertussis, a disease commonly referred to as whooping cough. Recently, pertussis has made a resurgence in the U.S. despite high-vaccination coverage. Possible causes of the increased number of pertussis cases include genetic evolution of B. pertussis, increased awareness of the disease, better laboratory diagnostics, and the switch from a whole-cellular (wP) vaccine to an acellular vaccine (aP) in the 1990s. Fortunately, just as B. pertussis is evolving, so is the arsenal of technologies used to understand and combat this pathogenic bacterium. Whole genome sequencing is one technology that helps researchers better understand …

Wearable Fitness Tracking Improves Self-Efficacy For Exercise, Adam Sturts Oms-Ii, Adarsh Gupta Do

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The present study was designed to determine the impact of wearable fitness tracking technology use on physical activity and self-efficacy for exercise among wearable fitness device users. This was a cross sectional study. A single questionnaire was administered to participants, providing patient data pertaining to wearable fitness tracking device use, exercise habits and intrinsic self-efficacy for exercise. Wearable fitness tracking device users were found to have higher levels of self-efficacy for exercise than non-users across all participating ages, genders and ethnicities. In addition, wearable fitness device users reported increased engagement in physical activity with the concomitant use of their devices. …

Expression Of Androgen Receptor And Cancer Stem Cell Markers (Cd44 +/Cd24 - And Aldh1 +): Prognostic Implications In Invasive Breast Cancer, Nazia Riaz, Romana Idress, Sadia Habib, Iqbal Azam Syed, El Nasir Lalani

Section of General Surgery

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) has emerged as a significant prognostic marker in early breast cancer (BCa). Association of AR with cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in BCa is unknown. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of AR, CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 in a cohort of Pakistani patients diagnosed with invasive BCa and to correlate the expression with 5- year disease free survival.
Patients and methods: We evaluated immunohistochemical expression AR, CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 in formalin fixed paraffin embedded archival blocks of 166 cases of primary invasive BCa (stage I-III) and correlated the expression with …

Efficacy Of Technology-Based And In-Person Health Education For Behavior Change In College-Aged Women, Madeline Bremel

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether an in-person or technology based bone health intervention improved bone health knowledge and behaviors in college-aged women. Methods: 30 college-aged women were randomly divided into three groups: personal intervention (n = 10), technological intervention (n = 10), and control (n = 10). Both intervention groups received identical information regarding the importance of bone health and the appropriate behaviors for maintaining strong bones including weight-bearing exercise, calcium consumption, and vitamin D consumption. The technology group received the information via an online video, and the personal group via a one-on-one …

Survey Of Hydration Knowledge And Behavior In Youth Mountain Bike Teams, Natasha Brand

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many youth sports organizations recognize the importance of educating on hydration practices and awareness, although according to recent research current hydration education is not correlating to effective practices. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess and describe the hydration knowledge and behavior of student-athletes participating in competitive junior high and high school mountain bike teams, in order to substantiate further research. METHODS: A total of 133 male and female participants, ranging from 11-18 years were surveyed on their hydration knowledge and behavior. All participants were apparently healthy and were active members of a National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) …

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 …

Herpes Zoster Patient Education: A Coloring Book Approach, Sophia Charuhas

Senior Honors Theses

Shingles, the disease caused by the herpes zoster virus, is a widespread and widely misunderstood illness in the United States. It is preventable, but many at-risk patients do not know what measures they may take to prevent it. Clear communication from physician to patient is crucial for patient understanding of diseases. Many patient education materials on herpes zoster currently available are often unused. It is therefore beneficial to public health to disseminate new mediums of medical communication, and one way of accomplishing this is through adult coloring books. The pathophysiology of herpes zoster virus is here explored and the idea …

Correcting For The Inconveniences Of Cultivation: Foraging As A Food Source In Southwestern Burkina Faso, Julia Deryn Morgan

Geography Honors Projects

Malnutrition is an important public health issue in Burkina Faso where 30 % of children are underweight for their age and 92% suffer from iron deficiency. Such statistics indicate that there is a significant lack of adequate nutrition in the country. With approximately 80% of the population employed in the agricultural sector, development projects have focused on increasing agricultural production and commercializing output to ameliorate poor nutrition. However, this strategy ignores the importance of local knowledge and food traditions, most notably by neglecting to acknowledge foraging as a significant source of food. To address this concern, I seek to understand …

Physical Activity Monitoring Through A Wearable Technological Device, Alissa Underhill

Scholar Week 2016 - present

PURPOSE: To assess the use of a wearable technological device for the increase in attainment of physical activity (PA) with the goal of preventing Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) through weight loss.

METHODS: Men and women over the age of 40, and at risk for prediabetes, were recruited. The study period was four months in length, with an initial four weeks of baseline PA testing, followed by 12 weeks of lifestyle intervention. Participants averaged 72 days of PA tracking with 46% of participants reaching the maximal number of days (77). RESULTS: Participants (N = 13) were aged …

Increasing Fruits And Vegetable Consumption Among Snap Recipients Through An Innovative Prescription Program: Appalachian Farmacy, Kiriinya Mwirigi, Beenish Kamran

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction:

Food insecurity prevalence in Washington County, TN is 14.3% yet 61% of SNAP eligible residents are food insecure. Food insecurity is associated with inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as increased risk of chronic disease. Tennessee ranks 47^th in the Nation with only 6.7% consuming the recommended fruits and vegetable intake. The Farmacy Pilot Program was developed to encourage increased consumption of produce and to reduce food insecurity among SNAP recipients.

Methods:

This program provided vouchers to SNAP recipients and their families to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market and in the grocery …

Under The Needle: Understanding The Benefits And Misconceptions Of Vaccinations, Desmond Davis

Student Writing

By and large, medical and government institutions such as the CDC have been primarily responsible for educating the public on the necessities of vaccinations, and quelling fears regarding them. As the world becomes more connected, proponents of the anti-vaccination movement find common ground via social media platforms and other outlets from which to confirm preexisting notions that vaccines are detrimental to recipients. This places a burden on both the aforementioned institutions as well as the general public to deal with potential outbreaks before they either resurge from previously low infectivity rates, or before they reach epidemic proportions.

The Link Between Vaccination And Autism, Erika Tellez

Student Writing

Vaccination provides individuals with protection against many preventable diseases, yet many claims against vaccination have causes vaccination rates to drop. Vaccination rates have dropped after a claim that vaccines offset autism was published. Although vaccination is necessary in order to prevent the spread of diseases throughout the population and in order to protect individuals who cannot be vaccinated. The claim that there is a link between vaccines and autism has been disproven based on lack of communication between the scientific community and public, discovery of falsified evidence, and further studies which demonstrate there is no link.

Autism And Vaccines: Exploring Misperceptions In Science, Arsenio Menendez

Student Writing

This paper will be exploring the supposed link between vaccines and autism which is a hot button topic as of late. Starting at the roots of where this myth began with the infamous and long since disproved initial paper penned by Andrew Wakefield. As of late with the ever-rising numbers of parents deciding to forego the vaccination of their children there is an increasing risk of herd immunity failing leading to old diseases that had been wiped out making a massive resurgence. Detailed in my research findings will be data driven explorations of psychology and human nature changing perception of …

Assessment Of Temperature And Ultraviolet Radiation Effects On Sunburn At An Inland U.S. Beach: A Cohort Study, Jason W. Marion, Jiyoung Lee, James Rosenblum, Timothy J. Buckley

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Increases in outdoor temperature may lead to increases in sunburn, outdoor exposure, and skin cancer in human populations.

Objective

This study aimed to quantify sunburn incidence and risk for Ohio beachgoers exposed to varying outdoor conditions.

Methods

Sunburn incidence data were obtained through a prospective cohort study at East Fork Lake (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA). Recruitment occurred over 26 weekend days. Beach interviews and follow-up telephone interviews obtained exposure and health information. New sunburns were self-reported 8–9 days post-enrollment. Survey data were paired with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) index and temperature data for statistical analysis.

Results

Among 947 beachgoers, new sunburns …

Frequency And Factors Associated With Adult Immunization In Patients Visiting Family Medicine Clinics At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi, Samar Zaki, Asma Usman, Swaleha Tariq, Sameena Shah, Iqbal Azam Syed, Waris Qidwai, Kashmira Nanji

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with adult immunization in patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2014 to March 2015 in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants more than 18 years were invited to participate in the study. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 19.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp).
Results: A total of 340 patients were surveyed. The majority of patients …

Vulnerable, Single And Living In Poverty: Women’S Challenges To Accessing Food In The Australian Capital Territory, Tanya Lawlis, Amanda Devine, Penney Upton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To explore challenges to food access faced by vulnerable women living in the Australian Capital Territory and surrounds.

Method: Qualitative study comprising semi‐structured interviews supplemented with quantitative demographic data.

Results:Forty‐one women, mean age of 43 years, living in government and community housing who had an income of

Conclusion: Access to safe, nutritious and healthy food is difficult for women living in poverty. Acknowledgement of challenges that contribute to women’s food insecurity by all stakeholders is essential to address the problem and build sustainable actions and solutions.

Implications for public health: Collaboration from all stakeholders within our food system …

Snac_Oshc: Exploring A Multifaceted Approach To Develop Outside Of School Hours Care As A Health Promoting Setting, Karen Forde

Theses : Honours

Background: Outside of school hours care (OSHC) services are underutilised as health promoting settings, yet are well positioned to influence health behaviours. OSHC Professionals are ideally placed to become positive influencers in this setting, although may require training to confidently perform this role.

Aim: This research trialed a multifaceted intervention strategy to increase OSHC Professional’s confidence and competencies, to support a health promoting OSHC environment with a nutrition and PA activity focus.

Design and Methods: This exploratory study adopted a mixed methods approach. The three-pronged, multifaceted intervention included: a workshop, a closed Facebook group, and a website. 19 OSHC Professionals, …

Relationship Of Dietary Nitrate Intake From Vegetables With Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Prospective Study In A Cohort Of Older Australians, Alex H. Liu, Catherine P. Bondonno, Joanna Russell, Victoria M. Flood, Joshua R. Lewis, Kevin D. Croft, Richard J. Woodman, Wai H. Lim, Annette Kifley, Germaine Wong, Paul Mitchell, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

Short-term trials indicate inorganic nitrate and nitrate-rich vegetables may have vascular health benefits. However, few observational studies have explored the relationship between nitrate intake and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association of nitrate intake from vegetables with CVD mortality in a sample of older Australians.

Methods

A subgroup of participants without diabetes or major CVD at baseline (1992–1994) were included from the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a population-based cohort study of men and women aged ≥ 49 years. Diets were evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline, …