Health Services Research Commons^™

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Loneliness And Social Isolation: A Multi-Country Study, Roger O’Sullivan, Annette Burns, Gerard Leavey, Iracema Leroi, Vanessa Burholt, James Lubben, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Christina Victor, Brian Lawlor, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Carla M. Perissinotto, Mark A. Tully, Mary Pat Sullivan, Michael Rosato, Joanna Mchugh Power, Elisa Tiilikainen, Thomas R. Prohaska

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent public health social measures have challenged our social and economic life, with increasing concerns around potentially rising levels of social isolation and loneliness. This paper is based on cross-sectional online survey data (available in 10 languages, from 2 June to 16 November 2020) with 20,398 respondents from 101 different countries. It aims to help increase our understanding of the global risk factors that are associated with social isolation and loneliness, irrespective of culture or country, to support evidence-based policy, services and public health interventions. We found the prevalence of severe loneliness was 21% during …

Covid-19 Viral Testing Disparities In Los Angeles City, Laura Cyphers

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Hispanic and Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality (California Department of Public Health, 2020). Inequitable access to viral testing resources may have exacerbated these COVID-19-related racial and ethnic health disparities. For example, reports from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health revealed glaring viral testing disparities in April 2020 (early pandemic), with predominantly White communities in Los Angeles County receiving 65% more tests than Hispanic and Black communities. In response, California statewide testing was expanded for communities of color (Vann et al., 2020). To investigate access to viral testing in Los Angeles City, the current …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees In Florida, Racha Sankar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Syrian refugees settled in the United States may experience food insecurity due to different socioeconomic factors that may include nutrition knowledge, language proficiency, women’s education, and perceived stress. The structure and the type of households may also contribute to food insecurity in this population.

The objective of this study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. It also aimed to determine the socioeconomic factors that may attribute to food insecurity at household level.

A comprehensive 228-item questionnaire was administered to N=80 households (n=43 in rural areas, n=37 in urban areas). Families with and without children were …

Let Me Upgrade You: Common Measures In Public Health Accreditation Action Plans, Gurleen K. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the success rates for health departments pursuing and achieving accreditation in version 1.0 and 1.5 of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) standards and measures. During the accreditation process, health departments that present performance gaps are asked to complete an Action Plan to specify how they plan to improve to meet the desired conformity. This study will highlight specific measures that are often included in Action Plans so that health departments pursuing accreditation can be better prepared to address these common pitfalls.

Methods: This study is a non-experimental, secondary …

Assessment Of Quality Improvement In Ontario Public Health Units, Madelyn P. Law, J. Ross Graham, Erica Bridge

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Background: Quality Improvement (QI) approaches are used extensively in healthcare settings and increasingly in public health. However, the proliferation of QI in Canadian public health settings is unknown.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (a) assess the QI maturity in Ontario local public health units in Canada, and (b) to determine the relevance of the QI Maturity Tool in a Canadian setting

Methods: The QI Maturity Tool (Version 5) was used to conduct a cross-sectional assessment of the QI maturity of 36 local public health units in Ontario, Canada. After tool items were reviewed for relevance, individuals most …

Discovering Community Assets: Master Of Public Health Culminating Experience, Megan E. Sirna

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Sonoma County Department of Health Services, through Cradle to Career, promotes collective impact around educational attainment and workforce development, and has become a leader in developing a framework for community schools. The first step in developing a community schools model is to understand and inventory what is already going on in the community. This process, known more formally as asset mapping, is a participatory process focused on documenting the strengths and resources of a community. The collaborative nature of the process helps to promote community involvement and build community cohesion. In order to assist schools wanting to begin an …

Local Tobacco Control: Application Of The Essential Public Health Services Model In A County Health Department’S Efforts To Put It Out Rockland, Lisa D. Lieberman, Una Diffley, Sandy King, Shelley Chanler, Maryanne Ferrera, Oscar Alleyne, Joan Facelle

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

In 2000, Rockland County, a small suburban county north of New York City, dedicated $1 million of its Master Settlement Agreement funds to a comprehensive tobacco control program, Put It Out Rockland. Developed and implemented by the county health department, this program used an essential public health services model and an ongoing financial investment, within the context of strong statewide tobacco control efforts, to lower adult smoking rates to 9.7% and to reduce both smoking among youths and exposure to secondhand smoke over the ensuing decade. By combining state funds and local dollars for a total of $6.75 cost per …

Energy Balance And Breast Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Jain Meera, Geoffrey R. Howe, Anthony B. Miller, Thomas E. Rohan

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

While there is evidence that breast cancer risk is positively associated with body mass index (in postmenopausal women) and energy intake and inversely associated with physical activity, few studies have examined breast cancer risk in association with energy balance, the balance between energy intake and expenditure. Therefore, in the cohort study reported here, we studied the independent and combined associations of vigorous physical activity, energy consumption, and body mass index (BMI), with breast cancer risk. The investigation was conducted in 49,613 Canadian women who were participants in the National Breast Screening Study (NBSS) and who completed self- administered lifestyle and …

Carotenoid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, And Vitamin E Intake And Risk Of Ovarian Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Meera Jain, Geoffrey R. Howe, Anthony B. Miller, Thomas E. Rohan

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

It is thought that oxidative stress resulting to repeated ovulation may increase the risk of ovarian cancer by inducing DNA damage (1). Consumption of antioxidants may, therefore, decrease ovarian cancer risk by counteracting oxidative stress and the resultant DNA damage (2, 3). Currently, the epidemiologic evidence regarding associations between antioxidants and risk of ovarian cancer is mixed (4-12). Of the two prospective studies, Kushi et al. (4) and Fairfield et al. (7) both reported no association between β-carotene and ovarian cancer risk. In addition, Fairfield et al. …

Cigarette Smoking And Risk Of Glioma: A Prospective Cohort Study, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Anthony B. Miller, Thomas E. Rohan

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The etiology of glioma, the most commonly diagnosed malignant brain tumor among adults in the United States, is poorly understood. N‐nitroso compounds are known carcinogens, which are found in cigarette smoke and can induce gliomas in rats. On this basis, it has been hypothesized that cigarette smoking may be associated with an increased risk of glioma. We investigated the association between cigarette smoking and glioma risk in the National Breast Screening Study, which included 89,835 Canadian women aged 40–59 years at recruitment between 1980 and 1985. Linkages to national cancer and mortality databases yielded data on cancer incidence and deaths …

Dietary Folate, Alcohol Consumption, And Risk Of Ovarian Cancer In An Italian Case-Control Study, Claudio Pelucchi, Monia Mereghetti, Renato Talamini, Eva Negri, Maurizio Montella, Valerio Ramazzotti, Silvia Franceschi, Carlo La Vecchia

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

An increasing number of studies are focusing on the potential association between dietary folate intake and risk of various cancers (1), particularly of the colorectum and breast (2, 3). A low folate status can induce misincorporation of uracil into DNA, leading to chromosome breaks in humans and hence increasing cancer risk (4). Alcohol may increase folate requirements in the body and cause relative folate deficiencies (2). Although several findings on the relation between folate intake and ovarian cancer risk are inconsistent (5-9), recent results from two prospective …

Are Differences In Exposure To A Multicomponent School-Based Intervention Associated With Varying Dietary Outcomes In Adolescents?, Amanda S. Birnbaum, Leslie A. Lytle, Mary Story, Cheryl L. Perry, David M. Murray

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Multicomponent interventions are recommended for health behavior change among adolescents. However, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of multiple intervention components. This article reports outcomes associated with varying levels of exposure to a school-based nutrition intervention, Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School (TEENS). Four incremental exposureswere possible: (1) control group, (2) school environment interventions only, (3) classroom plus environment interventions, and (4) peer leaders plus classroom plus environment interventions. Patterns suggesting dose response were observed, with peer leaders reporting the largest increases in fruit, vegetable, and lower fat food consumption. Students exposed to classroom plus environment interventions …

Condom Availability In New York City Public High Schools: Relationships To Condom Use And Sexual Behavior., Sally Guttmacher, Lisa D. Lieberman, David Ward, Nick Freudenberg, Alice Radosh, Don Des Jarlais

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the impact of the condom availability program in New York City public high schools by comparing rates of sexual activity and condom use for New York students and similar students in Chicago.

METHODS: A total of 7119 students from 12 randomly selected New York schools and 5738 students from 10 Chicago schools participated in a cross-sectional survey.

RESULTS: New York students, compared with Chicago students, reported equal rates of sexual activity but higher rates of condom use at last intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36). For higher-risk students (those with three or more sexual partners in …