Digital Commons Network^™

Voices From The Field: A Qualitative Study Of The Challenges And Promising Practices Of Rural Public Health In Addressing Hiv And Hepatitis C, Martha Elbaum Williamson Mpa, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ms, Amanda R. Burgess Mppm, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Population Health

Rural areas of the United States may be vulnerable to an HIV or hepatitis C (HCV) outbreak among persons who inject drugs. Researchers at the University of Southern Maine’s Rural Health Research Center examined the capacity of rural public health systems to prepare for, identify, control, and respond to an HIV or HCV outbreak. Through semi-structured interviews with 36 state and local public health professionals from six rural states, we sought to understand the challenges related to HIV, HCV, and serving rural persons who inject drugs and to identify strategies to address those challenges. Challenges limiting the public health capacity …

Does Pre-Operative Education Increase Activity Participation And Decrease Perceived Arm Dysfunction In Breast Cancer Patients?, Stephanie R. Rexing

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Executive Summary

Background: Currently there is sufficient evidence indicating safety with upper extremity resistive exercise among those at risk for developing breast cancer related lymphedema. However, there is insufficient evidence of the benefits of pre-operative lymphedema prevention education, upper body strengthening exercises, and strategies to continue or resume physically demanding activities that breast cancer survivors need to do, want to do, or are expected to do.

Purpose: This project described the impact pre-operative education has on activity participation, and perceived upper extremity function among individuals diagnosed with breast cancer compared to those who do not receive pre-operative education. The capstone …

Shurooq, Shurooq, Brandi Kilmer, Sherianne Schow, Nicole Taylor, Sasha Sloan

TSOS Interview Gallery

Shurooq fled Iraq and came to the United States when she was 12. Iraq was a beautiful place full of family and celebration. Her brother passed away from leukemia 1 1/2 years prior to coming to the States. Prior to his death, their father took him to Syria to for treatment. He passed in Syria. Although the family had applied for a medical visa to the United States, upon Shurooq’s brother’s passing, they received threats and knew they could not stay. The call came for the visa and all but her mother were able to come. Thankfully her mother arrived …

Improving Contact Tracing In Minority Communities By Combating Misinformation And Distrust, Jason G. Randall, Dev Dalal, Aileen Dowden

Understanding and eliminating minority health disparities in a 21st-century pandemic: A White Paper Collection

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge the global population as infection rates climb, and officials struggle to balance the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 but also open economies safely. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities has raised questions about the unique experiences of these communities in terms of not only becoming infected with COVID-19, but also mitigating its spread. Although contact tracing has been identified as an invaluable tool for managing community spread and supporting economic reopening, this is contingent, in part, upon compliance with contact tracer requests. In this study, we investigated how misinformation and …

“[The Pediatrician] Said That Maybe My Milk, Instead Of Doing Good, No Longer Helped”: The Ecology Of Infant Formula In Rural Communities In Central Mexico., Paulina Luna Martinez

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The objective of this study was to determine the social and cultural factors that influence the use of formula in two rural and indigenous communities in Central Mexico. We used a qualitative methodology based on the socioecological framework and integrative model of behavior. Interviews and focus groups were carried out with mothers, fathers, and grandparents of children two years of age or younger and healthcare providers attending to mothers and infants. We found that breastfeeding was still favored in both communities, however, many mothers viewed formula as a complement for breastfeeding. Young and first-time mothers were more likely to prefer …

Multiplex Social Factors Affecting Hiv Prevalence In Colorado, Jesse Cannella

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The objective of this paper was to investigate and analyze the relationships between the prevalence of HIV and geographic location, high-risk behaviors, and education status in Colorado in 2020. Methods: The author of this paper conducted Spearmen correlations on HIV prevalence with rural status, rates of flu vaccinations, and drug overdose deaths, as well as performed stepwise linear regressions on the variance of HIV prevalence accounted for by rates of teen births, sexually transmitted infections, high school graduation, and college education status. Results: Incidence of other STIS and teen births (F2,42 = 7.69, p = .001), as well as …

Understanding Challenges To Well-Being Among Latina Farmworkers In Rural Idaho Using In An Interdisciplinary, Mixed-Methods Approach, Cynthia L. Curl, Lisa Meierotto, Rebecca L. Som Castellano

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

The aim of this study was to identify social, cultural and workplace-related risk factors affecting well-being among Latina farmworkers in rural Idaho. We recruited 70 Latina farmworkers from southwestern Idaho in 2019. We employed an inter-disciplinary, mixed-methods approach—including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and pesticide biomonitoring—to characterize multiple domains that influence well-being, including food security and access, housing conditions, social supports, access to medical care, and workplace safety. Six major themes emerged as primary challenges to Latina farmworkers’ well-being. In the public sphere, study participants identified these challenges as long working hours, concerns regarding pesticide exposure, and lack of enforcement of …

The Quantity And Composition Of Household Food Waste During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Direct Measurement Study In Canada, Haley Everitt, Paul Van Der Werf, Jamie A. Seabrook, Alexander Wray, Jason A. Gilliland

Paediatrics Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified the environmental, social, and economic implications of household food waste. A better understanding of household food wasting during the pandemic is needed to improve the management of waste and develop best practices for municipal waste management programs under crisis circumstances. A waste composition study was undertaken with 100 single-family households across the city of London, Ontario, Canada to determine the quantity and composition of household food waste disposed in June 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how household demographic, socioeconomic, and neighbourhood food environment characteristics influence household food …

Covid-19 Mortality In New York City Across Neighborhoods By Race, Ethnicity, And Nativity Status, Samantha Friedman, Tabassum Insaf, Jin-Wook Lee, Temilayo Adeyeye

Understanding and eliminating minority health disparities in a 21st-century pandemic: A White Paper Collection

New York City has lost more lives from COVID-19 than any other American city. Our paper examines variation in COVID-19 deaths across neighborhoods as it relates to the spatial variation in the racial, ethnic, and nativity-status composition of neighborhoods. This topic has received little scholarly attention and is imperative to explore, given the absence of racial and ethnic specific COVID-19 mortality rates by neighborhood. New York City is a racially and ethnically segregated city and a longstanding destination of immigrants, making some neighborhoods more susceptible to greater levels of COVID-19 mortality than others. Using ZCTA-level data on COVID-19 deaths and …

The Association Between Social Capital And Depression, Abdulrahman Abudawood

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Mental health is an integral component of a healthy and balanced life, and deterioration in mental health has a significant impact on the quality of life. Being an active member of the community can positively impact personal mental health and emotional wellbeing. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Social Capital (SC) a significant determinant of individual mental health. Despite that, there are limited studies analyzing the association between SC and the prevalence or severity of depressive symptoms experienced by suburban residents of the United States. This study aimed to assess the relationships between the six dimensions of SC introduced by …

Readiness To Change In Rural Adults At High Risk For Diabetes, Katherine A. Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

Type II diabetes is one of the most devastating chronic diseases in the United States and is associated with decreased lifespan and serious comorbidities. While evidence-based prevention strategies of nutrition and physical activity exist, behavior change is an essential component. Researchers use readiness to change to predict clinical outcomes of chronic disease prevention programs, however, this has not been well studied in rural populations. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between readiness to change and attrition rates and clinical outcomes among rural dwellers enrolled in a nutrition and physical activity intervention. Article one of this three-article …

Maternal Proximity To Mountaintop Removal Mining And Birth Defects In Appalachian Kentucky, 1997-2003, Daniel B. Cooper

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

Background: Extraction of coal through mountaintop removal mining (MTR) alters many dimensions of the landscape, and explosive blasts, exposed rock, and coal washing have the potential to pollute air and water with substances known to increase risk of developmental and birth anomalies. Previous research suggests that infants born to mothers living in MTR coal mining counties have higher prevalence of most types of birth defects.

Objectives: This study seeks to examine further the relationship between MTR activity and birth defects by employing individual level exposure estimation through precise satellite data of MTR activity in the Appalachian region and maternal residence …

Racial Disparities In Syringe Exchange Program Access In Kentucky, Ankur Bhargava

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

Non-white Kentuckians use syringe exchange programs (SEPs) at lower rates than white Kentuckians. This analysis begins by documenting this disparity and then explores several potential causes. Access to SEPs is limited by law as only health departments may operate them. Areas of the state in which SEPs face political opposition are therefore underserved. A consequence of this legal limitation is distance to a SEP may be a barrier to access. Analysis of publicly available data indicates non-white drug users in Kentucky are located closer to syringe exchange programs in urban areas but farther away in rural areas. Proximity to a …

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 …

Sport, Gender And Development : Intersections, Innovations And Future Trajectories, Lyndsay M C Hayhurst, Holly Thorpe, Megan Chawansky Dr.

Faculty Books

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access, thanks to Knowledge Unlatched funding, and freely available to read online. In a context where striving for gender equity in relation to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals seems more pressing than ever before, Sport, Gender and Development: Intersections, Innovations and Future Trajectories bring together an exploration of sport feminisms to offer new approaches to research on Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) in global and local contexts. Including postcolonial and decolonial feminist lenses by drawing upon fieldwork with organizations and individuals in Afghanistan, Uganda, Nicaragua, and India, Sport, Gender and …

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 …

Is There A Relationship Between Leadership Characteristics And Services Provided Among Ihs Urban Indian Health Programs?, George Grant Tribble

All ETDs from UAB

IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS AND SERVICES PROVIDED AMONG IHS URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS?GEORGE G. TRIBBLE HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP ABSTRACT The Native American population has faced and been impacted by a wide range of actions throughout the last few hundred years. The loss of cultural norms and way of life continues to manifest itself through various socioeconomic concerns. At the center of the Native American leadership model is a disciplined and culturally specific guidance structure. The Urban Indian Health Program (UIHP) was created by the Indian Health Service to establish a culturally appropriate health care delivery model for Native …

Protecting Life And Lung: Protected Areas Affect Fine Particulate Matter And Respiratory Hospitalizations In The Brazilian Amazon Biome., Derek Michael Sheehan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

I assessed the impacts of upwind protected area coverage on local respiratory health within the Brazilian Amazon. A hypothesized mechanism is the legal prohibition of human ignited fires within protected areas, reducing particulate matter pollution, impacting respiratory health downwind. The connection between fires and respiratory diseases in the Amazon is well established (Smith et al. 2014; Rangel and Vogl 2019; Rocha and Sant’anna 2020). What is not well understood is the potential that government policies aimed at preventing ecosystem loss may also promote health and wellbeing, combining the UN sustainable development goals 3 and 15. Protected areas currently dominate government …

Ziba, Ziba, Sherianne Schow, Brandi Kilmer, Heather Oman

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ziba, a promising medical student, fled Afghanistan in 2018 due to instability and for her safety. Life was difficult upon arrival in the United States. In Afghanistan Ziba was involved in national and international poetry, math and science competitions. Ziba went from having everything to starting completely over in a new country. Her anxiety and depression became extremely difficult to deal with She reminded herself who she was, what her passions were and in January 2019 started medical school while working part time as a cashier. Her hope for future arriving refugees is to have a mental health network established …

Comunidad Y Contagio: La Narrativa Del Brote De Covid-19 En España, Samantha Lee

Honors Theses

La pandemia global de COVID-19 inició inesperadamente el enero del año 2020. Mientras que el nuevo coronavirus impactó a personas de todo el mundo, hay una narrativa particular del brote que se ha ocurrido en España. Las consecuencias corpóreas del virus han tenido mayores impactos en el tejido social, económico, político y cultural de España. Por resultado, hay una narrativa del brote que es específica a los valores, experiencias, suposiciones y creencias de personas en España. Esta historia de la pandémica se ha escrito a través de las redes sociales, así como los funcionarios de salud pública, profesionales medicales, autoridades …

Association Of Genetic Variants With Prostate Cancer In Africa: A Concise Review, Emmanuel Acheampong, Evans A. Adu, Christian Obirikorang, George Amoah, Osei O. Afriyie, Joseph Yorke, Enoch O. Anto, Michael A. Gyamfi, Emmanuella N. Acheampong, Christian K. Gyasi-Sarpong, Francis A. Yeboah

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) has one of the highest heritability of all major cancers, where the genetic contribution has been documented, and knowledge about the molecular genetics of the disease is increasing. However, the extent and aspects to which genetic variants explain PCa heritability in Africa are limited. Main body: In this review, we summarize studies that highlight how identified genetic variants explain differences in PCa incidence and presentation across ethnic groups. We also present the knowledge gaps in PCa genetics in Africa and why Africa represents an untapped potential ground for genetic studies on PCa. A significant number of …

Addressing The Needs Of African American Grandparents: An Intersectionality Perspective, Dorothy Smith-Ruiz, Kendra Jason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study seeks to demonstrate the intersecting structural and compounding challenges African American custodial grandparents experience collectively, rather than as separate non-competing factors, which has been modeled in prior studies. Using a mixed-method research design, the study explored the challenges faced by African American and white custodial grandparents. These challenges included difficulties attaining different types of support, respite care, and programs for teens and special needs grandchildren. Results showed that caregiving challenges among African Americans were more pervasive than their White counterparts. These findings have significant implications for the development of intervention programs for custodial African American grandmothers and their …

Effects Of Resistance Training On Muscle Quality Index, Muscle Strength, Functional Capacity, And Serum Immunoglobulin Levels Between Obese And Non-Obese Older Women, Paulo Roberto Silva Junior, Dahan Da Cunha Nascimento, Ivo Vieira De Sousa Neto, Silvana Schwerz Funghetto, Ramires Alsamir Tibana, James W. Navalta, Fabiani Lage Rodrigues Beal, Jonato Prestes

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(7): 707-726, 2021. Considering the negative impact of obesity on neuromuscular and immune systems, we sought to compare the effects of a 10-week resistance training (RT) program on muscle quality index (MQI), muscle strength, functional capacity, and immunoglobulins in older women with and without obesity. Thirty-nine older women participated in the present study (age: 69.02 ± 6.16, fat (%): 38.80% ± 6.28) and underwent a linear RT program performed on two non-consecutive days of the week. Body composition, functional tests, immunoglobulins, muscle quality of upper and lower limbs and absolute muscular strength of the upper …

Prevalence Of Canine Atopic Dermatitis And Distribution Of Causative Allergens In Bangkok, Sopon Sornsanit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a pruritic allergic skin disease caused by an overreaction to environmental allergens. The diagnosis of CAD is made on the basis of the patient's history, physical examination, and exclusion of other pruritic skin diseases. Allergen-specific IgE serology (ASIS) is one of the most frequently recommended tests in veterinary dermatology for identifying causative allergens. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of CAD and the types of allergens that cause it in atopic dogs using ASIS in the Bangkok metropolitan area. The study was divided into two sections. Between 2015 and 2019, 383 …

Exploring The Relationships Between Cultural Values And Diet Patterns Among Mexican And Cuban Immigrants In Kentucky, Nasreen Omran

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The number of Latinx in the U.S. is expected to grow to about 28 percent of the population by the year 2060. As the number of Latinx increases in the U.S. it is important to understand how cultural beliefs influence dietary behaviors as Latinx are disproportionately affected by diet related disease such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this secondary data analysis is to examine the relationship between family values, gender roles, and religious values on diet patterns in adult Mexican and Cuban immigrants in Kentucky utilizing the Mexican American Cultural Values Scale. The study findings …

Risk Factors For Gut Dysbiosis In Early Life, Kimberley Parkin, Claus T. Christophersen, Valerie Verhasselt, Matthew N. Cooper, David Martino

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Dysbiosis refers to a reduction in microbial diversity, combined with a loss of beneficial taxa, and an increase in pathogenic microorganisms. Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota can have a substantial effect on the nervous and immune systems, contributing to the onset of several inflammatory diseases. Epidemiological studies provided insight in how changes in the living environment have contributed to an overall loss of diversity and key taxa in the gut microbiome, coinciding with increased reports of atopy and allergic diseases. The gut microbiome begins development at birth, with major transition periods occurring around the commencement of breastfeeding, and the introduction …

Does Previous Open Or Percutaneous Renal Stone Surgery Affect Retrograde Intrarenalsurgery Outcomes?, Özer Güzel, İbrahi̇m Can Aykanat, Yilmaz Aslan, Ahmet Asfuroğlu, Meli̇h Balci, Altuğ Tuncel

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Open or percutaneous renal stone surgery can have an adverse effect on the collecting system of the kidney. We evaluated retrograde intrarenal surgery outcomes in patients with 󖼮 mm renal stones who had open or percutaneous renal stone surgery history. Materials and methods: A total of 707 patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery treatment were included in this study. Fifty-six patients had open or percutaneous renal stone surgery history (Group 1) and the remaining did not (Group 2, n = 651). The groups were compared in terms of age, stone size, stone-free rates, and complications. Results: The mean age …

Prevalence Of Distress, Its Associated Factors And Referral To Support Services In People With Cancer, Deborah Kirk, Istvan (Ishti) Kabdebo, Lisa Whitehead

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives:

To (i) characterise prevalence of distress amongst people diagnosed with cancer, (ii) determine factors associated with increasing distress, (iii) describe reported problems for those with clinically significant distress and (iv) investigate the factors associated with referral to support services.

Background:

International studies report a high prevalence of clinically significant distress in people with cancer. Australian studies are notably lacking. Additionally, clinicians still do not fully understand the factors associated with cancer-related distress.

Design:

Period prevalence study.

Methods:

Distress screening data were analysed for 1,071 people accessing the Cancer Council Western Australia information and support line between 01/01/2016–31/12/2018. …

The Missing Link Between Medical Science Knowledge And Public Awareness: Implications For Tourism And Hospitality Recovery After Covid-19, Jun Wen, Haifeng Hou, Metin Kozak, Fang Meng, Chung-En Yu, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: As the world grapples with the pervasive effects of the coronavirus pandemic, a notable disconnect has emerged in the public's understanding of scientific and medical research. Particularly, the travel industry has become unquestionably vulnerable amid the COVID-19 outbreak; this pandemic has interrupted the industry's operations with devastating economic consequences. This paper aims to highlight the importance of deconstructing barriers between medical science and public awareness related to COVID-19, taking tourism as a case in point. It also discusses the role of interdisciplinary research in facilitating the tourism and hospitality industry's recovery and alleviating tourists' uncertainties in the wake of …

Evolution, Ecology, And Zoonotic Transmission Of Betacoronaviruses: A Review, Herbert F. Jelinek, Mira Mousa, Eman Alefishat, Wael Osman, Ian Spence, Dengpan Bu, Samuel F. Feng, Jason Byrd, Paola A. Magni, Shafi Sahibzada, Guan K. Tay, Habiba S. Alsafar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Coronavirus infections have been a part of the animal kingdom for millennia. The difference emerging in the twenty-first century is that a greater number of novel coronaviruses are being discovered primarily due to more advanced technology and that a greater number can be transmitted to humans, either directly or via an intermediate host. This has a range of effects from annual infections that are mild to full-blown pandemics. This review compares the zoonotic potential and relationship between MERS, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. The role of bats as possible host species and possible intermediate hosts including pangolins, civets, mink, birds, and other …