Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Regional Variation In States’ Naloxone Accessibility Laws In Association With Opioid Overdose Death Rates-Observational Study (Strobe Compliant), Hyo-Sun You, Jane Ha, Cyra-Y. Kang, Leeseul Kim, Jinah Kim, Jay J. Shen, Seong-Min Park, Sung-Youn Chun, Jinwook Hwang, Takashi Yamashita, Se Won Lee, Georgia Dounis, Yong-Jae Lee, Dong-Hun Han, David Byun, Ji Won Yoo, Hee-Taik Kang

Public Health Faculty Publications

Though overall death from opioid overdose are increasing in the United States, the death rate in some states and population groups is stabilizing or even decreasing. Several states have enacted a Naloxone Accessibility Laws to increase naloxone availability as an opioid antidote. The extent to which these laws permit layperson distribution and possession varies. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in provisions of Naloxone Accessibility Laws by states mainly in the Northeast and West regions, and the impact of naloxone availability on the rates of drug overdose deaths. This cross-sectional study was based on the National Vital …

Decline In Telomere Length By Age And Effect Modification By Gender, Allostatic Load And Comorbidities In National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002), Saruna Ghimire, Carl V. Hill, Francisco S. Sy, Rachelle Rodriguez

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: This study aims to assess the decline in telomere length (TL) with age and evaluate effect modification by gender, chronic stress, and comorbidity in a representative sample of the US population. Methods: Cross-sectional data on 7826 adults with a TL measurement, were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, years 1999–2002. The population rate of decline in TL across 10-year age categories was estimated using crude and adjusted regression. Results: In an adjusted model, the population rate of decline in TL with age was consistent and linear for only three age categories: 20–29 (β = -0.0172, 95% …

Dissociation Between The Growing Opioid Demands And Drug Policy Directions Among The U.S. Older Adults With Degenerative Joint Diseases, Pearl Kim Phd, Takashi Yamashita Phd, Mph, Ma, Jay J. Shen Phd, Seong-Min Park Phd, Sung-Youn Chun Phd, Sun Jung Kim Phd, Mhsa, Jinwook Hwang Md, Phd, Se Won Lee Md, Georgia Dounis Dds, Ms, Hee-Taik Kang Md, Phd, Yong-Jae Lee Md, Phd, Dong-Hun Han Dds, Phd, Ji Eun Kim Phd, Hyeyoung Yeom Md, David Byun Do, Tsigab Bahta Md, Ji Won Yoo Md

Public Health Faculty Publications

We aim to examine temporal trends of orthopedic operations and opioid-related hospital stays among seniors in the nation and states of Oregon and Washington where marijuana legalization was accepted earlier than any others. As aging society advances in the United States (U.S.), orthopedic operations and opioid-related hospital stays among seniors increase in the nation. A serial cross-sectional cohort study using the healthcare cost and utilization project fast stats from 2006 through 2015 measured annual rate per 100,000 populations of orthopedic operations by age groups (45–64 vs 65 and older) as well as annual rate per 100,000 populations of opioid-related hospital …

Healthy Food Options At Dollar Discount Stores Are Equivalent In Quality And Lower In Price Compared To Grocery Stores: An Examination In Las Vegas, Nv, Courtney Coughenour, Timothy J. Bungum, M. Nikki Regalado

Public Health Faculty Publications

Food deserts indicate limited access to and affordability of healthy foods. One potential mediator is the availability of healthy food in non-traditional outlets such as dollar-discount stores, stores selling produce at the fixed $1 price. The purpose of this study was to compare availability, quality, price differences in ‘healthier’ versus ‘regular’ food choices, price per each food item, and summary score in dollar-discount stores to grocery stores in Las Vegas using the NEMS-S; a protocol consisting of three subscores—availability, quality, price of healthier versus regular food, and a summary score. [...] see article for full abstract

Culture, Caregiving, And Health: Exploring The Influence Of Culture On Family Caregiver Experiences, Jennifer Pharr, Carolee Dodge Francis, Christine Terry, Michele Clark

Public Health Faculty Publications

Ethnic minorities are expected to experience a greater demand for family caregiving than non-Latino Whites due to their projected population growth. Although the consensus of researchers on caregiving and culture finds that the caregiving experience differs significantly among cultural/ethnic groups, the question remains as to how cultural values and norms influence the caregiver experiences. We conducted an interpretative, phenomenological qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts from four groups (African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and European American) for cultural influences on caregiving. Data were collected in Nevada between December 7, 2009, and August 20, 2010. Thirty-five caregivers participated in this …

Injury In Nevada, Michelle Chino, Jonathon Lavalley, Darlene R. Haff, Deborah A. Harris, Andrea R. Rivers

Public Health Faculty Publications

Injury is a major threat to health and safety. In a typical day in the US, 400 people will die as the result of an injury, 7,500 will be hospitalized due to an injury, and more than 150,000 will suffer an injury severe enough to restrict activities and seek medical attention. Many of these deaths, hospitalizations, and disabling events will be the result of motor vehicle crashes. Others will result from vio­lence, falls, drowning, and poisoning – all of which are considered injuries.

The costs of injury are high. In the United States, the cost of injuries is estimated to …

Analysis Of Primary Risk Factors For Oral Cancer From Us States With Increasing Rates, Anthony Bunnell, Nathan Pettit, Nicole Reddout, Kanika Sharma, Susan O'Malley, Michelle Chino, Karl Kingsley

Public Health Faculty Publications

Objectives

To examine the primary risk factor for oral cancer in the US, smoking and tobacco use, among the specific US states that experienced short-term increases in oral cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods

Population-based data on oral cancer morbidity and mortality in the US were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for analysis of recent trends. Data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure current and former trends of tobacco usage. To comprehensive measures of previous state tobacco use …

Indigenous Health – Australia, Canada, New Zealand And The United States - Laying Claim To A Future That Embraces Health For Us All., Lisa Jackson Pulver, Melissa R. Haswell, Ian Ring, John Waldon, Wayne Clark, Valorie Whetung, Dianne Kinnon, Catherine Graham, Michelle Chino, Jonathon Lavalley, Christina Compher, Ritu Sadana

Public Health Faculty Publications

Improving the health of all peoples has been a call across the globe for many decades and unfortunately remains relevant today, particularly given the large disparities in health status of peoples found around the world. Rather than differences in health, or health inequalities, we use a different term, health inequities. This is so as mere differences in health (or "inequalities") can be common in societies and do not necessarily reflect unfair social policies or practices. For example, natural ageing implies older people are more prone to illness. Yet, when differences are systematic, socially produced and unfair, these are considered health …

War Crimes Of The 90s: Rape As A Strategy, Mary Guinan

Public Health Faculty Publications

Historically, only men went to war. The winners took the losers' women and could rape, enslave, or kill them. As we moved into a more modern civilization, the rights of the winner over the women of the loser became less clear and were only vaguely documented. Even for modern war historians, what happens to the men on and off the battlefield is the main preoccupation. After all, women do not face combat and what happens to them seems unimportant. The rape of women by conquering armies has continued through all wars, but has rarely been considered a war crime, especially …

The Right To Die: An Old Woman's Formula, Mary Guinan

Public Health Faculty Publications

On December 26, 1990, Nancy Cruzan died, 12 days after her feeding tube was removed. She had been in an irreversible coma for seven years and her parents had sued for the right to remove the feeding tube that was keeping her alive. The pain and suffering of her family in coming to this decision was certainly compounded by those who disagreed with them and tried to prevent the extubation. Whether one agrees with this particular decision or not, most of us will not be faced with such clear alternatives, ie, leave the tube in or take it out in …

Domestic Violence: Physicians A Link To Prevention, Mary Guinan

Public Health Faculty Publications

Domestic violence may result in more injuries and fatalities for women than automobile crashes, muggings, and rapes combined, but according to a recent editorial, physicians largely ignore the problem. Evidence showed that a majority of women treated at an emergency facility for injuries resulting from violent acts of spouses or other persons known to the victims were discharged without any arrangement being made for their future safety. Physicians rarely inquired about an injury victim's past sexual or physical abuse, living arrangements, or future prospects of safety.

What Is The Health Impact Of Day Care Attendance On Infants And Preschoolers?, Ruth L. Berkelman, Mary Guinan, Phen B. Thacker

Public Health Faculty Publications

The impact of various child care arrangements on the health of infants and preschool children is not known in any systematic way, yet by 1990 more than 10 million of these children may be receiving their care in day care facilities (1). Concerns over the health of these children and health practices within day care facilities have already led some States to place regulation of day care facilities under the jurisdiction of the department of health (2,3), and others are presently considering such legislation. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently published "Health in Day Care," a manual …

Virginity And Celibacy As Health Issues, Mary Guinan

Public Health Faculty Publications

Sexual behavior is both a health issue and a moral issue. Hence public education on sexuality has traditionally come from two main sources, those individuals or groups concerned with health and those concerned with morals. In his book No Magic Bullet (Oxford University Press, 1985), Allan Brandt describes the tensions that developed between these groups over the control of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States early in this century. Both groups wanted to control sexual behavior, but for different reasons. Public health personnel wanted to change sexual behavior in order to control infection and disease, while moralists believed that …

Pms Or Perifollicular Phase Euphoria?, Mary Guinan

Public Health Faculty Publications

Why is it that so little is known about PMS? First of all, there is no agreement on what PMS is. If investigators are referring to different sets of symptoms, how can studies be comparable? In fact, they are not. Not only are the symptoms different, but the timing of symptoms is different, Some studies describe symptoms that occur 7 to 10 days before the onset of menses, while others include symptoms that begin 14 days before the onset of menses and continue for 7 days after onset. This definition suggests that women may have PMS-related symptoms during 21 days …