Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Education On Cancer Amenable Mortality Among Non-Hispanic Blacks &Amp; Non-Hispanic Whites In The United States (1989–2018), Alberto Barcelo, Linda Duffett-Leger, Maria Pastor-Valero, Juliana Pereira, Fernando A.B. Colugnati, Edward Trapido

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: Cancer mortality in the U.S. has fallen in recent decades; however, individuals with lower levels of education experienced a smaller decline than more highly educated individuals. This analysis aimed to measure the influence of education lower than a high school diploma, on cancer amenable mortality among Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) in the U.S. from 1989 to 2018. Methods: We analyzed data from 8.2 million death certificates of men and women who died from cancer between 1989 and 2018. We examined 5-year and calendar period intervals, as well as annual percent changes (APC). APC was adjusted for …

Why Should People Use Face Masks In The Time Of Covid? The Jri Position, Jose Bordon, Alex Glynn, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Chronic Airflow Obstruction And Ambient Particulate Air Pollution, Andre F S. Amaral, Peter G J. Burney, Jaymini Patel, Cosetta Minelli, Filip Mejza, David M. Mannino, Terence A R. Seemungal, Padukudru Anand Mahesh, Li Cher Lo, Asaad Ahmed Nafees

Community Health Sciences

Smoking is the most well-established cause of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO) but particulate air pollution and poverty have also been implicated. We regressed sex-specific prevalence of CAO from 41 Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study sites against smoking prevalence from the same study, the gross national income per capita and the local annual mean level of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) using negative binomial regression. The prevalence of CAO was not independently associated with PM2.5 but was strongly associated with smoking and was also associated with poverty. Strengthening tobacco control and improved understanding of the link between CAO and poverty should …

County-Level Factors That Influenced The Trajectory Of Covid-19 Incidence In The New York City Area, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

More than a century of research has shown that sociodemographic conditions affect infectious disease transmission. In the late spring and early summer of 2020, reports of the effects of sociodemographic variables on the spread of COVID- 19 were used in the media with minimal scientific proof attached. With new cases of COVID-19 surging in the United States at that time, it became essential to better understand how the spread of COVID-19 was varying across all segments of the population. We used hierarchical exponential growth curve modeling techniques to examine whether community socioeconomic characteristics uniquely influence the incidence of reported COVID-19 …

Exploring Covid-19 Case Fatality In Relation To The Prevalence Of Chronic Conditions And Health Behaviors In Appalachian Kentucky, W. Jay Christian

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Research has demonstrated that common chronic conditions, especially those related to cardiovascular health, are important risk factors for severe COVID-19 symptoms or hospitalization. Population prevalence rates of such conditions have not previously been examined in relation to COVID-19 case fatality rates in the Central Appalachian region.

Purpose: This study examined prevalence rates of selected chronic conditions and COVID-19 case fatality rates to determine whether the relationship between them is consistent across Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Kentucky.

Methods: Data from Kentucky’s Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (KyBRFS) were used to calculate prevalence rates of asthma, diabetes, influenza vaccination, hypertension, obesity, …

Timing Of Term Elective Cesarean Section And Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study, Ayah Al Bizri, Nansi Boghossian, Anwar Nassar, Pascale Nakad, Dina Jaber, Rabih Chahine, Gaby Fallakha, Gjaotj Makhoul, Khalid Yunis

Faculty Publications

Background Rate of cesarean section (CS), including elective CS has globally increased. Studies have found that term elective CS before 39 weeks of gestation is associated with increased risk of adverse respiratory outcomes.

Objective To determine the rate of elective CS and examine the association between timing of elective term CS and adverse neonatal outcomes in a large population of Lebanese women.

Methods A Multi-Center Study was conducted using data from the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network database. Simple and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between timing of term elective CS and adverse neonatal outcomes. …

Association Of Nsaids And Acetaminophen Prescriptions During Pregnancy With Autism Spectrum Disorders In The Child, Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual disability (ID) are the topics of growing concern and recently many studies looked for the risk factors of these disorders. Although antidepressants and antiepileptics consumption during pregnancy have been reported to be associated with ASD, the effect of NSAID or acetaminophen, two most common drugs used during pregnancy, have been under researched. We conducted a prospective cohort study linking data from Medicaid, Department of Education, and Department of Disabilities and Special Needs with birth certificate data from mothers and children between 2010-2017. Beside exposure variables, NSAID and acetaminophen, and …

Prevalence Of Liver Cirrhosis And Its Association With Obesity Among Hispanics And Mexican Americans: An Evidence Synthesis, Alexa Perlick, Abaigeal Thompson, Colton Wayne, Angel Rendon, Jose Campo Maldonado

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

INTRODUCTION

The obesity epidemic is a growing public health concern. In addition to the already known complications and comorbidities associated with obesity, data suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for the development of liver disease.^1,2 However, there is a paucity of data regarding the clinical correlation of obesity and cirrhosis in a predominantly Hispanic population of South Texas. The aim of this systematic literature review is to investigate the prevalence of cirrhosis stratified by obesity in Hispanic populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed was used to perform a thorough literature search. The terms liver cirrhosis and obesity were …

Hubungan Antara Ruang Terbuka Hijau Dengan Prevalensi Hipertensi Di Provinsi Dki Jakarta Tahun 2018, Dwi Nutfa Liani, Laila Fitria

Jurnal Nasional Kesehatan Lingkungan Global

Background. Study about the relationship between green space with the prevalence of hypertension in DKI Jakarta is necessary to be done considering of the availability of green spaces that are less than the minimum standard, and the prevalence of hypertension that continues to increase, The increase of urbanization in DKI Jakarta provokes many problems. One of the problems is about the availability of green spaces. The availability of green spaces in DKI Jakarta is only 10% from all the areas. Besides, according to UU No. 26 Tahun 2007 Tentang Penataan Ruang, the minimum standard of green space in city is …

Effects Of Trained Providers And Naloxone Distribution On Prescription Opioid Use Disorder, Samuel Sarpong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpioid abuse and overdose are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates, as well as social and economic costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of state-sponsored prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) trained healthcare providers and community-based naloxone distribution program related factors in the states of Florida and Georgia for the prevention and reduction of prescription opioid use disorder, overdose, and deaths. The research theory adopted was the socio-ecological model with an emphasis on risk factors such as age. The study used secondary data from 2014 to 2018 from the Florida and Georgia …

Association Between Race/Ethnicity And Covid-19 Disease Outcomes In The United States: A Qualitative Systematic Review Of The Literature, Jacob Smith

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background/Objective: As studies have shown disparities in coronavirus disease-19 prevalence and severity, we sought to evaluate differences in outcomes of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection by race/ethnicity.

Design: Systematic review

Data Source: Studies from PubMed were included.

Review methods: Articles published in English language from January 1, 2019 through March 22, 2020. Studies included were observational studies that examined racial or ethnic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in the United States. One reviewer performed data extraction.

Results: Out of a possible 1,944 articles, 99 observational studies (82 individual-level and 17 population-level) were included. Differential rates of hospitalization or otherwise severe illness …

An Assessment Of Kentucky Birth Records, Focusing On Early-Onset Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy, Environmental Metal Exposures, And Geocoding Precision, 2008-2017, Courtney J. Walker

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Using live and stillbirth records from Kentucky (2008-2017), this dissertation assessed the county-level prevalence and geospatial patterns of early-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (eHDP); examined the geocoding precision of addresses recorded on birth records, and evaluated the association between individual risk factors and environmental metal exposures on eHDP prevalence. After adjusting for maternal demographic factors and pre-existing health conditions, we observed that eHDP prevalence was 38% higher (aPR=1.38, 95%CI:1.16, 1.64) in counties with the highest prevalence of married women (> 53.8%) compared to lower prevalence areas (31.6%) had a 20% higher prevalence of eHDP(aPR=1.20, 95%CI:1.00, 1.44) compared to counties with …

Mapping Heat Vulnerability Index Based On Different Urbanization Levels In Nebraska, Usa, Babak Jalalzadeh Fard, Rezaul Mahmood, Michael Hayes, Clinton Rowe, Azar M. Abadi, Martha Shulski, Sharon J. Medcalf, Rachel Lookadoo, Jesse E. Bell

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Heatwaves cause excess mortality and physiological impacts on humans throughout the world, and climate change will intensify and increase the frequency of heat events. Many adaptation and mitigation studies use spatial distribution of highly vulnerable local populations to inform heat reduction and response plans. However, most available heat vulnerability studies focus on urban areas with high heat intensification by Urban Heat Islands (UHIs). Rural areas encompass different environmental and socioeconomic issues that require alternate analyses of vulnerability. We categorized Nebraska census tracts into four urbanization levels, then conducted factor analyses on each group and captured different patterns of socioeconomic vulnerabilities …

The Relationship Between Social Vulnerability And Covid-19 Incidence Among Louisiana Census Tracts, Erin N. Biggs, Patrick M. Maloney, Ariane L. Rung, Edward S. Peters, William T. Robinson

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Objective: To examine the association between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and COVID-19 incidence among Louisiana census tracts. Methods: An ecological study comparing the CDC SVI and census tract-level COVID-19 case counts was conducted. Choropleth maps were used to identify census tracts with high levels of both social vulnerability and COVID-19 incidence. Negative binomial regression with random intercepts was used to compare the relationship between overall CDC SVI percentile and its four sub-themes and COVID-19 incidence, adjusting for population density. Results: In a crude stratified analysis, all four CDC SVI sub-themes were significantly …

Applied Methodologies Demonstrated Through Three Independent Studies For Assessing The Effects Of Socioeconomic, Environmental Chemical Exposure, And Therapeutic Factors On Oncological Diseases And Covid-19, Bayarmagnai Maggie Munkhjargal

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

When trying to understand risk factors for a disease, even before we know the causal agents, it is necessary to create a surveillance data set that answers the questions of who, when, and where, and includes any potential covariates which may either promote or prevent the disease. There are a wide variety of surveillance data. For example, hospital discharge data, such as the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data, encompass all hospitalized cases in the state, while clinical datasets cover a specially constructed population in pursuit of research of a certain disease type. Analysis of surveillance …

Environmental Respiratory Exposures And Pulmonary Function Among Residents Of Rural Appalachia, Kentucky, John C. Flunker

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Introduction

Resource extraction exposures are hypothesized to promote adverse respiratory health outcomes among residents of rural Appalachia, yet no studies to date have simultaneously quantified small-scale geographic variation in residential exposure, individual level health factors, and respiratory health outcomes.

Methods

The Mountain Air Project (MAP) is a community engaged cross-sectional study based in Harlan and Letcher counties of Southeastern Kentucky. MAP utilized a novel small-scale method to define residential exposure boundaries: hydrologic unit code (HUC), which represents distinct drainages (AKA “hollows”) where residents cluster. We assigned the HUC level density of active and abandoned surface and underground mining, oil/gas wells, …

Living In An Oil-Polluted Region In Nigeria As A Risk Factor In Colorectal Cancer Development, Steve Nwachi Onya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to differences in exposure to various risk factors, colorectal cancer (CRC) rates differ in regions of Nigeria. Although the people living in the Southsouth, an oil-producing region, are concerned that they are most affected, there is insufficient research to address these concerns. The purpose of this quantitative ecological study was to investigate whether living in the oil-polluted region in Nigeria is associated with an excess CRC incidence rate. The potential spatial autocorrelation of CRC incidence among the contiguous regions was also examined. The study was grounded in the ecosocial theoretical framework. Data were extracted from the Nigeria National System …

Examining Social Vulnerability And The Association With Covid-19 Incidence In Harris County, Texas, Guillermo A Tortolero, Marcia De Oliveira Otto, Ryan Ramphul, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Alison Rector, Michael Brown, Melissa F Peskin, Dania Mofleh, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Studies have investigated the association between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence. However, few studies have examined small geographic units such as census tracts, examined geographic regions with large numbers of Hispanic and Black populations, controlled for testing rates, and incorporated stay-at-home measures into their analyses. Understanding the relationship between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence is critical to understanding the interplay between social determinants and implementing risk mitigation guidelines to curtail the spread of infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and SARS-CoV-2 incidence while controlling for testing rates and …

A Time-Series Ecological Study Protocol To Analyze Trends Of Incidence, Mortality, Lethality Of Covid-19 In Brazil, Luiz C De Abreu, Khalifa Elmusharaf, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

Introduction: since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in February 2020, Brazil has reported more than 20 million cases and more than 600,000 deaths on October 31, 2021. The behavior of the pandemic was also different in the various states, from the less developed to the more developed, such as the state of São Paulo. Objective: to describe step-by-step time series for analyzing trends in mortality, lethality and incidence of COVID-19 in Brazil. Methods: a protocol for an ecological study of time series, covering the 26 states and the federal district (Brasilia). Results: the descriptions have the potential to …

Analysis Of Covid 19 Mortality And Case Fatality In A Low Income Region Of Brazil, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Luiz C De Abreu

Gastón Institute Publications

Introduction: Inserted in the vulnerable context of the Brazilian Amazon, the state of Tocantins has suffered damages with the dissemination of COVID-19 in its territory; however, little evidence is published from this state. Objective: This study aims to analyze the case-fatality, mortality, and incidence of COVID-19 in Tocantins. Methods: This is an ecological study, population-based, time- series analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state of Tocantins from March 2020 to August 2021. Results: During the examined period, 219,031 COVID-19 cases, and 3,594 deaths were registered due to disease. Two possible occurrence peaks were characterized in this time- series …

The Use Of Penalized Regression Analysis To Identify County-Level Demographic And Socioeconomic Variables Predictive Of Increased Covid-19 Cumulative Case Rates In The State Of Georgia, Holly L. Richmond, Joana Tome, Haresh Rochani, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Gulzar H. Shah, Jessica S. Schwind

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Systemic inequity concerning the social determinants of health has been known to affect morbidity and mortality for decades. Significant attention has focused on the individual-level demographic and co-morbid factors associated with rates and mortality of COVID-19. However, less attention has been given to the county-level social determinants of health that are the main drivers of health inequities. To identify the degree to which social determinants of health predict COVID-19 cumulative case rates at the county-level in Georgia, we performed a sequential, cross-sectional ecologic analysis using a diverse set of socioeconomic and demographic variables. Lasso regression was used to identify variables …

Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become A Real Public Health Problem, Lars Alfredsson, Bruce K Armstrong, D. Allan Butterfield, Rajiv Chowdhury, Frank R. De Gruijl, Martin Feelisch, Cedric F. Garland, Prue H. Hart, David G. Hoel, Ramune Jacobsen, Pelle G. Lindqvist, David J. Llewellyn, Henning Tiemeier, Richard B. Weller, Antony R. Young

Chemistry Faculty Publications

This article aims to alert the medical community and public health authorities to accumulating evidence on health benefits from sun exposure, which suggests that insufficient sun exposure is a significant public health problem. Studies in the past decade indicate that insufficient sun exposure may be responsible for 340,000 deaths in the United States and 480,000 deaths in Europe per year, and an increased incidence of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, autism, asthma, type 1 diabetes and myopia. Vitamin D has long been considered the principal mediator of beneficial effects of sun exposure. …

Laws Restricting Access To Abortion Services And Infant Mortality Risk In The United States, Roman Pabayo, Amy Ehntholt, Daniel M. Cook, Megan Reynolds, Peter Muennig, Sze Yan Liu

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives: Since the US Supreme Court′s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, states have enacted laws restricting access to abortion services. Previous studies suggest that restricting access to abortion is a risk factor for adverse maternal and infant health. The objective of this investigation is to study the relationship between the type and the number of state-level restrictive abortion laws and infant mortality risk. Methods: We used data on 11,972,629 infants and mothers from the US Cohort Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Files 2008–2010. State-level abortion laws included Medicaid funding restrictions, mandatory parental involvement, mandatory counseling, mandatory waiting period, and …

Epidemiologic Survey Of Legionella Urine Antigen Testing Within A Large Wisconsin-Based Health Care System, Caroline P. Toberna, Hannah M. William, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Legionella pneumophila pneumonia is a life-threatening, environmentally acquired infection identifiable via Legionella urine antigen tests (LUAT). We aimed to identify cumulative incidence, demographic distribution, and undetected disease outbreaks of Legionella pneumonia via positive LUAT in a single eastern Wisconsin health system, with a focus on urban Milwaukee County.

Methods: A multilevel descriptive ecologic study was conducted utilizing electronic medical record data from a large integrated health care system of patients who underwent LUAT from 2013 to 2017. A random sample inclusive of all positive tests was reviewed to investigate geodemographic differences among patients testing positive versus negative. Statistical comparisons …

Spatiotemporal Epidemiology Of Varicella In Chongqing, China, 2014-2018, Hua Zhu, Han Zhao, Rong Ou, Qing Zeng, Ling Hu, Hongfang Qiu, Manoj Sharma, Mengliang Ye

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Although immunization against varicella using vaccines has been proven to be significant and effective in the past decades, varicella remains a major public health concern for many developing countries. Varicella vaccination has not been introduced into routine immunization programs in China, and varicella outbreaks have continued to occur. Taking the city of Chongqing, which has a high prevalence of varicella, as an example, this study explored the spatiotemporal epidemiology of varicella. Based on the reported data of varicella cases from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 in Chongqing, hot spots and space-time clusters of varicella were identified using spatial …

A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human babesiosis are tick-borne diseases spread by Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged or deer tick) and are the result of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In New York State (NYS), incidence rates of these diseases increased concordantly until around 2013, when rates of HGA began to increase more rapidly than human babesiosis, and the spatial extent of the diseases diverged. Surveillance data of tick-borne pathogens (2007 to 2018) and reported human cases of HGA (n=4,297) and human babesiosis (n=2,986) (2013 to 2018) from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) showed a …

An Ecological Approach To Understanding Lethal Violence In The Us Using Stream Analogy, Jacqueline Seals

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

ABSTRACT OF CAPSTONE

Background: Lethal violence, homicides and suicides, is a growing issue in the US. Historically homicides and suicides have been studied separately, but with stream analogy of lethal violence homicides and suicides are both currents of lethal violence, just branching in opposite directions. The purpose of this study is to understand which county-level factors increase risk of lethal violence.

Methods: This ecological study combined open-source datasets to create one dataset of socioeconomic risk factors of lethal violence. Counties with 10 or more lethal violent deaths were included (n=2751). Negative Binomial models examined the relationship between risk factors and …

Microcystins And Liver Disease Mortality, Insights From An Ecological Study, Rajesh Tirpaul Melaram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. Algal bloom subsidence can stimulate MC release, which can impair liver function if orally exposed to in large doses. The purpose of this retrospective, U.S. ecological study was to determine if MC exposure represented an environmental risk factor for liver disease mortality using a socioecological approach. A longitudinal ecological substudy investigated the association between average total MCs in Lake Washington and Lake Manatee and age-adjusted chronic liver disease (CLD)/cirrhosis death rates in Brevard County and Manatee County, Florida (FL). A prediction model of total MCs was deduced by quantifying levels …

Childhood Blood Lead Levels And Adolescent Crime Rates In The United States, Jude Juiye Soweh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile violent crime rates in the United States have been on a continuous decline since 1996. Despite this decrease, youth violence as well as racial differences in crime rates continues to be a public health issue in the United States. Researchers have linked externalization behavior in children to factors including genetics, parental upbringing, abuse, school environment, and media exposure but have not fully considered the relationship between early childhood lead contamination and youth violence. This was an ecologic study of the relationship between early childhood blood lead levels (BLLs; ≥ 10µg/dL before 2012 or ≥ 5µg/dL after 2012) and crime …

Association Of Landfall Atlantic Tropical Storms And Human Cases Of Locally Acquired West Nile Virus Infection In Florida, Jackson G. Mosley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

West Nile virus (WNv) is the most widely distributed flavivirus and considered a vector-borne pathogen of global significance. During the study period from 2002 to 2018, WNv had the highest incidence of locally acquired human cases when compared to any other mosquito borne illness in Florida with 373 cases documented during the study period. The purpose of the study is to determine if there is an association between Florida landfall tropical storms (LTS) and the incidence of locally acquired human WNv cases from 2002 through 2018. The study used a retrospective ecological study design guided by the epidemiological triad model …