Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

The Rd Parent Empowerment Program Creates Measurable Change In The Behaviors Of Low-Income Families And Children: An Intervention Description And Evaluation, Rosa K. Hand, Amanda Birnbaum, Betty Jean Carter, Lisa Medrow, Emily Stern, Katie Brown

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Dietary and physical activity habits are developed early in life and are influenced by family environments. We describe and evaluate an intervention for low-income families to encourage healthy habits. The RD Parent Empowerment Program (http://www.eatright.org/programs/kidseatright/activities/content.aspx?id=6442477891) consists of four workshops centered on the 8 Habits of Healthy Children and Families (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation). Registered dietitian nutritionists conduct the workshops in school and community settings using a structured leader guide and tailor the communication and interactive activities to the audience. Participants are parents of young children. Our goals were to use a phenomenologic approach to elicit participant …

The Rd Parent Empowerment Program Creates Measurable Change In The Behaviors Of Low-Income Families And Children: An Intervention Description And Evaluation, Rosa K. Hand, Amanda Birnbaum, Betty Jean Carter, Lisa Medrow, Emily Stern, Katie Brown

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Dietary and physical activity habits are developed early in life and are influenced by family environments. We describe and evaluate an intervention for low-income families to encourage healthy habits. The RD Parent Empowerment Program (http://www.eatright.org/programs/kidseatright/activities/content.aspx?id=6442477891) consists of four workshops centered on the 8 Habits of Healthy Children and Families (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation). Registered dietitian nutritionists conduct the workshops in school and community settings using a structured leader guide and tailor the communication and interactive activities to the audience. Participants are parents of young children. Our goals were to use a phenomenologic approach to elicit participant …

Promoting Global Health Awareness Through Hands-On Training, Christina B. Gunther

Christina B. Gunther

Christina Gunther, Director, Global Programs & Assessment at Sacred Heart University, discusses her work with students in global health awareness through service learning and mission trips, study abroad and international clincal experiences.

Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself, Mary Gura, Deborah Baresic

Deborah Baresic

Women of the poor community of Cien Fuegos, Dominican Republic often use folklore or self-treatment for symptoms of vaginitis. Based on assessment of women in Cien Fuegos, an education program was developed called Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself. The need to increase empowerment and self respect was clearly evident for the women of this community. The program focuses on issues of vaginal hygiene, vaginitis, sexually transmitted infections and women's rights and self-protection. To provide sustainable education, the module will be sent to Cien Fuegos and implemented by local health providers.

A Community Conversation On Adolescent Pregnancy And Parenting Services: Networks Of Support, Gatekeepers To Care, And Non-Compulsory Fathering In A Black Urban Community, Tamara Leech, Elizabeth A. Adams, Marci Littlefield

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study employed Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods to document needs and capacity around adolescent pregnancy and parenting in one predominately Black, low-income urban community. Using an iterative focus group method, we engaged 60 participants in a two-day community conversation. Quantitative data from an enrollment questionnaire and qualitative transcripts of the discussions are analyzed. Our results indicate that the community’s greatest capacity lies in a network of women. Men tend to participate in parenting more holistically once formal paternity is established. Neighborhood women typically introduce adolescents to prenatal care, so delays in revealing the pregnancy to them serve as a …

Structural Factors That Increase Hiv/Sti Vulnerability Among Indigenous People In The Peruvian Amazon, E. Roberto Orellana, Isaac E. Alva, Cesar P. Cárcamo, Patricia J. García

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

We examined structural factors—social, political, economic, and environmental—that increase vulnerability to HIV among indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon. Indigenous adults belonging to 12 different ethnic groups were purposively recruited in four Amazonian river ports and 16 indigenous villages. Qualitative data revealed a complex set of structural factors that give rise to environments of risk where health is constantly challenged. Ferryboats that cross Amazonian rivers are settings where unprotected sex—including transactional sex between passengers and boat crew and commercial sex work—often take place. Population mobility and mixing also occurs in settings like the river docks, mining sites, and other resource …

Understanding Health Issues Among Adolescent Females In A Northeast Province Of Afghanistan, Amina Davlatshoeva

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the health issues facing adolescent females (ages 18-21) in rural, northeastern Afghanistan. Incorporating participant observations, in-depth interviews, and narrative inquiries, this study seeks to illustrate adolescent females’ perspectives on health issues. To achieve this goal, ten adolescent females were interviewed in rural, northeastern Afghanistan during 2010. The participants were between 18- and 21-years old. The one-on-one interviews were conducted in a multiple-response format and were structured around three research questions:

• How does a young female’s understanding of health issues shape her identity in northeastern Afghanistan?
• In what ways …

The Disability Burden Associated With Stroke Emerges Before Stroke Onset And Differentially Affects Blacks: Results From The Health And Retirement Study Cohort, Benjamin D. Capistrant, Nicte I. Mejia, Sze Yan Liu, Qianyi Wang, M. Maria Glymour

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background.

Few longitudinal studies compare changes in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) among stroke-free adults to prospectively document IADL changes among adults who experience a stroke. We contrast annual declines in IADL independence for older individuals who remain stroke-free to those for individuals who experienced a stroke. We also assess whether these patterns differ by sex, race, or Southern birthplace. Methods.

Health and Retirement Study participants who were stroke-free in 1998 (n = 17,741) were followed through 2010 (average follow-up = 8.9 years) for self- or proxy-reported stroke. We used logistic regressions to compare annual changes in odds of …

Developing A Measure Of Scientific Literacy For Middle School Students, Helenrose Fives, Mark Nicolich, Amanda Birnbaum, Wendy Huber

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Scientific literacy reflects “a broad and functional understanding of science for general education purposes” (DeBoer, 2000, p. 594). Herein, we present the ongoing development of the Scientific Literacy Assessment (SLA), a work‐in‐progress measure to assess middle school students' (ages 11–14) scientific literacy. The SLA includes a selected response measure of students’ demonstrated scientific literacy (SLA‐D) and a motivation and beliefs scale based on existing measures of self‐efficacy, subjective task value, and personal epistemology for science (SLA‐MB). Our theoretical conceptualization of scientific literacy guided the development of our measure. We provide details from three studies: Pilot Study 1 (n = …

Investigating The Viability Of Two Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Isolates After Air-Drying, Samantha Lane, Joanna Brooke

DePaul Discoveries

Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a water-borne infectious bacterium that is found in both clinical (hospitals) and non-clinical environments. This human pathogen is commonly recovered from respiratory tract infections. A recent study at a hospital in Taiwan suggested that dry patient charts can serve as a vehicle of transmission of this bacterium⁷. As S. maltophilia is not commonly isolated from dry surfaces, this current study tested the hypothesis that this pathogen can remain viable for some time on a dry surface. This study was designed to determine how long S. maltophilia could remain viable after air-drying by observing …

Diversity In Times Of Austerity: Documenting Resistance In The Academy, Tamara Leech, David Moscowitz, Terri Jett, Terri Carney, Ann Savage

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

What happens to feminism in the university is parallel to what happens to feminism in other venues under economic restructuring: while the impoverished nation is forced to cut social services and thereby send women back to the hierarchy of the family, the academy likewise reduces its footprint in interdisciplinary structures and contains academic feminists back to the hierarchy of departments and disciplines. When the family and the department become powerful arbiters of cultural values, women and feminist academics by and large suffer: they either accept a diminished role or are pushed to compete in a system they recognize as antithetical …

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Kathryn E. Brackett

Senior Honors Theses

Abstract

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a worldwide movement started by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that is aimed at providing hospitals with a certification that guarantees the best possible patient-centered care for mothers and infants. It focuses on breastfeeding as optimal infant nutrition, and implements strategies to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed their infants exclusively for six months after birth. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are a set of 10 simple, easy to understand guidelines developed by WHO and UNICEF for implementing this initiative in the hospital setting and …

Gods' Diseases: Conceptualizing The Phenomenon Of Hybridity In Sri Lanka, Anfal Yesmien Nyhan

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Sexuality Information Needs Of Latino And African American Ninth Graders: A Content Analysis Of Anonymous Questions, Francisca Angulo-Olaiz, Eva Goldfarb, Norman A. Constantine

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study used qualitative content analysis to examine anonymous questions about sex and sexuality submitted by Latino and African American adolescents in Los Angeles, California, classrooms. The majority of questions asked about sexuality and sexual behavior, or anatomy and physiology, with fewer questions about pregnancy and pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and condoms. Overall, a notable mix was found of questions implying exposure to or awareness of a wide range of sexual activities, together with questions demonstrating fundamental misunderstandings or confusion about some of the most basic aspects of sex and sexuality. Gender differences emerged across topics, subtopics, and question …

Evaluating Programs That Address Ideological Issues: Ethical And Practical Considerations For Practitioners And Evaluators, Lisa D. Lieberman, Michael C. Fagan, Brad L. Neiger

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

There are important practical and ethical considerations for organizations in conducting their own, or commissioning external, evaluations and for both practitioners and evaluators, when assessing programs built on strongly held ideological or philosophical approaches. Assessing whether programs “work” has strong political, financial, and/or moral implications, particularly when expending public dollars, and may challenge objectivity about a particular program or approach. Using a case study of the evaluation of a school-based abstinence-until-marriage program, this article discusses the challenges, lessons learned, and ethical responsibilities regarding decisions about evaluation, specifically associated with ideologically driven programs. Organizations should consider various stakeholders and views associated …

Community Built Environment And Multilevel Social Determinants Of Obesity: Evidence From China Health And Nutrition Survey, Libin Zhang, Tim F. Liao, Laura L. Hayman

Laura L. Hayman

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is highest in wealthy countries like the United States, but is rapidly increasing in less developed countries. From 1992 to 2002, China had an increase from 14.6% to 21.8% in overweight and obesity. Social determinants of obesity in developing countries remain poorly understood. Further, these associations may vary by community built environment (BE) of developing countries.

Unintended Pregnancy By The Numbers: A Look At Kenya, Carol Mukiira, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara

Reproductive Health

This fact sheet summarizes data collated during the development of the STEP UP Country Profile Report on Unintended Pregnancies for Kenya, which presents a range of key evidence aimed at informing readers about the trends, magnitude, determinants, and consequences of unintended pregnancy in Kenya. The data shown in this fact sheet are drawn mainly from the 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008/09 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) as well as other secondary sources.

Facilitator's Guide For Training On Monitoring And Evaluation Of Social And Behavior Change Communication Health Programs, Praween Kumar Agrawal, Kumudha Aruldas, M.E. Khan, Subrato Mondal

Reproductive Health

Social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions are now incorporated within state project implementation plans and increasing resources are being allocated for SBCC activities. A close monitoring of SBCC activities and an evaluation in terms of reach and effectiveness among intended audiences is thus necessary. This calls for a serious effort to build the capacity of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) personnel to monitor and evaluate performance of SBCC activities. FHI 360’s Improving Healthy Behaviors Program, funded by USAID, aims to provide technical assistance to strengthen the capacities of public program managers at the national, state, and district level to monitor …

Reduce Contraception Discontinuation In Bangladesh By Improving Counseling On Side Effects, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Sabiha Chowdhuri

Reproductive Health

High rates of contraceptive discontinuation and method failure could cause Bangladesh to lose the progress made in increasing contraceptive use over the past 20 years. This policy brief concludes that if women are adequately counseled and supported to sustain their use of more effective contraceptive methods, they will need less medical attention, have fewer unintended pregnancies, and reduce the workload for medical clinics. Furthermore, if providers are adequately trained and supported in counseling and managing side effects and in helping women to switch methods when they do have a problem, the Family Planning Clinical Contraception Services Delivery Program would meet …

Improving Family Planning Services In Public Health Facilities To Reach More Women, Caroline W. Kabiru, Jessica Brinton, Joyce Mumah, Carol Mukiira, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara

Reproductive Health

Although Kenya has made significant progress in ensuring its citizens’ right to reproductive health, many Kenyans still lack access to or fail to use contraceptives, in part because of the lack of quality family planning (FP) services. Through the STEP UP research program, the African Population and Health Research Center developed a comprehensive country profile report that outlines the status, causes, and consequences of unintended pregnancy in Kenya. One of the most prominent findings was how important public health facilities are to reducing unmet need for FP. In order to solidify gains achieved and make further progress, concerted commitment from …

Cultural Factors Associated With Utilization Of Antenatal Care Services In Rural India, Anjali Om

Undergraduate Research Posters

Despite vast economic growth in developing countries in the past few years, infant mortality continues to plague underdeveloped regions, particularly rural regions of India. Many of these deaths are caused by a lack of education and motivation in regard to utilization of antenatal and neonatal care services to prevent and treat consequences of unhygienic umbilical cord care.

For years, high incidences of neonatal tetanus have plagued rural areas of India as a result of cultural practices that encourage topical applications of cow dung to cut umbilical stumps either directly or by using ghee heated with cow dung to warm umbilical …

Sexual Rights For Marginalized Populations, Louis Graham, Mark Padilla

Louis F Graham