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Understanding Detroit’S Local Food And Urban Agricultural Policy Subsystem Using The Advocacy Coalition Framework, Joann Marie Hennessey Ph.D.

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This explanatory qualitative case study applied the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to study Detroit’s local food policy changes from 2000 to 2022. The research question and sub-questions were framed using three ACF hypotheses that addressed advocacy coalitions, collective action, and policy change. My research showed how actors in the policy subsystem worked to promote policy change during the study period. Using this Advocacy Coalition Framework approach, I explored local food policy change in the context of community resilience and system changes. Since 2000, the local food movement in Detroit attempted system changes by experimenting with ways to provide local residents …

Implementing Gross National Happiness In Bhutan As A Development Model And Governance Tool – Perspectives Of Policy Influencers, Tashi Dorji, Angus Morrison-Saunders, David Blake

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) prioritises the collective wellbeing of its people over economic growth through a multidimensional index that informs policy. While GNH has received global recognition, persistent challenges in conceptual clarity and practical implementation are argued and debated. This qualitative study examines the role and utility of GNH as a development model and its implementation as a multifaceted governance tool in Bhutan. The findings reveal that GNH is conceptualised in diverse ways, ranging from personal happiness to a more generic communal philosophy. While its strengths lie in its culturally grounded framework, key limitations include a …

Health Literacy Of Unhealthy Diet Consumption In Thailand, Sitaporn Suriya, Buraskorn Torut

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing worldwide, including in Thailand. One risk factor for NCDs is an unhealthy diet. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the consumption of an unhealthy diet and determine the proactive policies that support factors inhibiting an unhealthy diet.

Methods: We investigated the factors affecting unhealthy diet consumption behavior by multiple linear regression analysis by surveying 970 Thai patients with early-stage NCD. In addition, we investigated appropriate policy proposals by conducting in-depth interviews with 20 key informants.

Results: Knowledge (−0.247, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.285 to −0.210), …

Activity Performance Priorities For Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Insights From Management And Staff At A Transitional Housing Facility, Bernard Austin Kigunda Muriithi

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications and Presentations

For people experiencing homelessness (PEH), the provision of affordable housing has been recognized as the most crucial intervention for improving housing stability and facilitating substance abuse treatment. However, evidence indicates that providing housing does not significantly improve substance abuse, mental health, or physical health outcomes. Optimal participation in essential daily activities has been shown to improve health outcomes and support independent living, but there is limited research that identifies activity performance priorities among PEH living in transitional housing. The present study investigates activity performance priorities using the focus group methodology. Management and staff from a transitional housing facility participated in …

A Conceptual Framework To Assess The Health, Socioeconomic And Environmental Burden Of Chronic Kidney Disease, Charlotte Johnston-Webber, Isaac Bencomo-Bermudez, George Wharton, Robin Van Kessel, Salvatore Barone, Francisco Brotons Muntó, Steven Chadban, Juan Jose Garcia Sanchez, Janwillem Kocks, Kyra Obolensky, Petra Sandow, Neil Skolnik, Ming-Hui Zhao, Alexei Volaco, David Wheeler, Alistair Mcguire, Elias Mossialos

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health challenge that affects patients, caregivers, healthcare systems, the environment and national economies. Despite its far-reaching impact, there is no framework to systematically evaluate national CKD prevention and management programmes or evaluate the societal burden of disease. This paper has two objectives: first, to introduce a comprehensive framework to assess national programmes, which recognises gaps and weaknesses and identifies feasible policy interventions to reduce overall CKD burden; second, to present some key challenges and success stories in delivering CKD services delivered in eight different country settings. A literature review informed an initial version …

Nurturing Traditional Midwifery And Medicine: The Entangled Path Of Health Integration In Post-Independence Kilombero, Tanzania, Veronica Kimani

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This paper focuses on the Tanzanian government’s ambitious endeavour to enhance health, particularly midwifery services following independence. The initial strategy by the government involved promoting Western medicine by establishing healthcare facilities and training medical personnel. However, the strain of a burgeoning population and limited resources soon became evident, prompting the government to recognise the need for the incorporation of traditional medicine, previously overlooked. This integration posed its own set of obstacles, as the focus on herbal remedies overshadowed crucial aspects of conventional midwifery, such as rituals. While research has shown the resolve of the government towards medical integration between different …

Health Infrastructure Planning In Tanzania, 1961–1980s: The Problems Of Future-Making, Frank Edward, Ulrike Lindner

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Between 1961 and 1978, Tanzania invested significantly in the health service provision – from training requisite manpower, provision of health education to building the necessary infrastructure in order to improve health conditions of the population. As existing research indicates, the investment paid off considerably in qualitative terms, for instance, with a gradual increase in life expectancy and a decline in infant mortality. This paper examines the vision of the state of health in Tanzania by using the prism of infrastructure. Its focus is on direct and indirect physical infrastructures, particularly medical buildings and facilities. Through the analysis of archival and …

‘Prevention Is Better Than Cure’: Smallpox Vaccination In Postcolonial Tanzania, 1961–1980, Musa Sadock

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the smallpox vaccination programme in postcolonial Tanzania from the 1960s to the early 1980s as part of the postcolonial future making in preventive medicine. The article departs from extant scholarship on smallpox vaccination in postcolonial Tanzania, which depicts the intervention as a success, while relegating to the background challenges associated with the intervention. The article argues that the smallpox vaccination programme registered challenges and successes that offer lessons for combating of future epidemics. The achievements of the programme were due to the adoption of specific public health policies, namely mass vaccination and public health education as well …

The Texas Electorate's Views Of Health Care As A Human Right, Community Health Centers, And Certain Matters Of The Health Care Safety Net, Scott Elphingstone

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

In a country in which the government does not recognize a right to health care,social safety nets are the last hope for persons without insurance or other means to pay for needed care. In United States, community health centers, hospital emergency rooms, and private charities comprise that safety net. Community health centers offer a practicable alternative for politicians and citizens who want to help improve the lives of persons who struggle to access health care. This dissertation reviews the political history of community health centers from their founding as part of the War on Poverty in the 1960s through Democratic …

The Lived Experiences Of Poverty Among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups In A Rights-Based Anti-Poverty Programme In Jharkhand India, Monimala Sengupta

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

This research explores poverty and social exclusion among Primitive Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India using T. H. Marshall's concept of social citizenship. With evidence showing a disproportionate burden of poverty in the Global South, indigenous groups are even overrepresented among the poor. India, home to one of the largest Indigenous populations, accounts for 70% of South Asia's impoverished, but the specific nature of poverty within these communities remain poorly understood.

Over the past two decades, India's national response to poverty has shifted towards rights-based, inclusive policies targeting marginalised communities such as Dalits, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, historically subjected to …

Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors In The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Vic Morris

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Morris, Victor E. “Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2024. 285 pp.

The Canadian Armed Forces has outcomes and expectations for warriors to be spiritually resilient but does not have a training program that has been researched, tested, and validated to achieve this. This study investigates how chaplains can prepare spiritually resilient warriors in CANSOFCOM. A chaplain-led spiritual resilience course was created and delivered to CANSOFCOM members. The course was aligned with the holistic wellness strategy of OPF2, and designed as an inductive, experiential learning experience. An …

Patterns Of Activity Participation And The Well-Being Of Older Adults In Singapore, Zidane Tiew, Rachel Ngu, Yi Wen Tan

ROSA Research Briefs

Older adults participate in different types of activities and do so in varying frequencies. In this study, we utilised latent class analysis to identify underlying patterns of activity participation among the SLP respondents. We found three patterns: (i) generally active (i.e., socially, physically, and digitally active), (ii) physically and digitally active, and (iii) digitally active. Furthermore, we found that respondents who were more broadly active were more likely to experience higher levels of life satisfaction than those who were only digitally active. These respondents tended to be from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, report having better health, or had more close social …

Addressing The Public Health Concern Of Maternal Mortality In Houston, Texas, Lucy Couture

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Maternal mortality remains a pressing public health concern in the United States, with disproportionate consequences for marginalized communities. Despite being a developed nation, the U.S. reports one of the highest maternal mortality rates among its peers, with approximately 80% of maternal deaths deemed preventable. Texas reflects this national crisis, particularly affecting Black women, whose maternal mortality rate is significantly higher than that of other racial and ethnic groups. This thesis explores maternal mortality trends in Houston, Texas, analyzing the roles of systemic inequities, social determinants of health, and disparities in access to quality care. Drawing on data from the Texas …

Obesity: Influencing Behavioral Consumption Through Meal Kit Distribution, Alejandro Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Founded in 2002, Everyone’s Harvest is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to providing access to healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables through certified farmers markets and community food programs. Its key initiatives—Fresh Rx, Market Match, Edible Education and Farms Together —focus on alleviating nutrition insecurity and combating diet-related health conditions by providing vulnerable populations the resources to purchase, or receive, fresh produce and gain nutritional knowledge. This study explores a new intervention: the distribution of farmers' market meal kits as a complementary strategy to the current Edible Education program. These meal kits, which feature seasonally available produce and pre-measured ingredients, aim to …

Economic Growth, Poverty Gap, And Health Inequality: Implications Based On Panel Analysis Of Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development Data, Sangik Han

Kesmas

This study investigated the impact of economic growth and income distribution on health inequality using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Employing a panel analysis, this study amalgamated 21 years of data (spanning from 2000 to 2020) from 37 OECD countries. The dependent variables (life expectancy and avoidable mortality) were scrutinized against independent variables (gross domestic product and poverty gap). Control variables encompassed body mass index, consumption patterns, smoking rates, health workers availability, number of beds in health facilities, national medical expenses, and unemployment rates. This study revealed significant associations between economic growth, poverty gap, and …

An Analysis Of The Environmental Account Of Obesity As A Form Of Financial Neo-Imperialism, Zahara Alzubaidi

The Cardinal Edge

Socioeconomic developments of the past half-century have created mass social concern over an “obesity epidemic.” This concern is given a sense of legitimacy by studies that warn of a totally obese America in only a few decades, and children being more likely than ever to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The “environmentalist account” of obesity asserts that factors like genetics, food availability, and social or political climate are the major determinants of an “obesogenic environment” – that is, an environment of obese adults likely to raise obese children. Some feminist thinkers argue that the environmentalist account is necessary to …

Bike Buses: An Evaluation Of An Emerging Active Transportation To School Intervention, Evan Howington, Nathan Mcneil, John Macarthur

TREC Faculty and Staff Publications

Bike buses are a relatively new form of active transportation to school (ATS) that have primarily emerged in Europe and the United States. A form of coordinated, group bike riding along a defined route to school, bike buses are an outgrowth of Safe Routes to School interventions in North America that seek to reverse the declining rates of walking and biking to school among children. Our initial phase of research included a literature review of social and environmental factors affecting ATS in the contemporary North American context, and two convenience surveys of bike bus coordinators and parent participants. This initial …

Prospect And Problem Analysis Of Industry Data Application In Livestock And Poultry Breeding, Yiran Chen, Zhuqing Xiong, Jiaogen Zhou, Quan Wang, Jiancheng Shu, Yinfa Yan, Lanlin Yang, Zemeng Feng, Benhai Xiong, Yulong Yin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Livestock and poultry breeding is a pillar industry in China. The massive data in livestock and poultry breeding is a valuable resource. The market-oriented utilization of livestock and poultry breeding data plays an important role in improving industry standards, increasing industry profits, and driving the development of the entire industry chain. Currently, based on the demand for marketization of livestock and poultry breeding data, the application of new generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things in the process of livestock and poultry breeding to collect breeding process data, after de-sensitization and de-classification, through cloud computing, …

Update On Recommendations For Cancer Screening And Surveillance In Children With Genomic Instability Disorders, Yoshiko Nakano, Roland P Kuiper, Kim E Nichols, Christopher C Porter, Harry Lesmana, Julia Meade, Christian P Kratz, Lucy A Godley, Luke D Maese, Maria Isabel Achatz, Payal P Khincha, Sharon A Savage, Andrea S Doria, Mary-Louise C Greer, Vivian Y Chang, Lisa L Wang, Sharon E Plon, Michael F Walsh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Genomic instability disorders are characterized by DNA or chromosomal instability, resulting in various clinical manifestations, including developmental anomalies, immunodeficiency, and increased risk of developing cancers beginning in childhood. Many of these genomic instability disorders also present with exquisite sensitivity to anticancer treatments such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapy, which may further increase the risk of second cancers. In July 2023, the American Association for Cancer Research held the second Childhood Cancer Predisposition Workshop, where multidisciplinary international experts discussed, reviewed, and updated recommendations for children with cancer predisposition syndromes. This article discusses childhood cancer risks and surveillance recommendations for the group …

Waiving Physical Presence Requirements During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Wic Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Clay Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Camille Barbin

Center for Policy Research

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government relaxed the physical presence requirements for applicants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to reduce the associated health risks for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. Experts consider in-person application requirements an administrative burden that can constrain access to social services, but the causality of specific burdens on WIC has not previously been shown. This brief summarizes findings from a study that compared WIC caseload data collected across 738 counties in 10 U.S. states between January 2019 and May 2021 to determine how …

Effectiveness Of The Well-Being Path Program In Supporting Student Retention And College Completion, Vanessa Natasaha Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student retention at the study site community college had decreased, which negatively impacted funding. Increased student support that incorporates elements of the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA) model could improve retention rates. This mixed-methods case study examined the effectiveness of a mentoring program called the Well-Being Path Program (Path) at the community college, which incorporated elements of Seligman’s PERMA model. The data used for this study consisted of student exit surveys and the community college’s institutional enrollment, retention, and transfer data. Results showed that Path students had a higher average grade point average and transfer rate than …

Health Outcomes Reported By Healthcare Providers And Clients Of A Community-Based Medically Tailored Meal Program, Jessica M Sautter, Jule Anne Henstenburg, Adrian Glass Crafford, Ian Rowe-Nicholls, Victor S Diaz, Kaitlyn Ann Bartholomew, Julia S Evans, Maria R Johnson, Jeffrey Zhou, Deeksha Ajeya

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Medically tailored meal (MTM) programs provide home-delivered meals to people living with serious illness and poor nutritional status. Client outcome studies have found evidence of decreased healthcare utilization and cost savings associated with MTM program participation, and inconclusive evidence of change in health measures. The purpose of this study was to use a novel observational framework to describe the client profile and change in health outcomes using routinely collected health and program data from a community-based MTM program at MANNA (Philadelphia, PA).

METHODS: Clients reported their self-rated health and experiences of food insecurity and malnutrition. Healthcare providers reported clients' …

Improving Socioeconomic Conditions For Ghanaian Fishers On Flagged Vessels : Policy Recommendations For The Fishing Industry, Robert Nyarkoh

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Marine Protected Areas In Coastal Communities In Liberia : A Case Study On The Lake Piso Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve, Doris Wrehyonoh Yahn

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pancreatitis Pain Quality Changes At Year 1 Follow-Up, But Gp130 Remains A Biomarker For Pain, Jami L Saloman, Kristofer Jennings, Kimberly Stello, Shuang Li, Anna Evans Phillips, Kristen Hall, Evan L Fogel, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Dana K Andersen, William E Fisher, Christopher E Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Mark D Topazian, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Jose Serrano, Darwin L Conwell, Liang Li, Dhiraj Yadav

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background/objectives: Debilitating abdominal pain is a common symptom affecting patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). CP pain is dynamic due to multiple underlying mechanisms. The objective of this study was to 1) evaluate changes in pain phenotype at one year follow-up and 2) validate putative pain biomarkers in a prospective cohort study.

Methods: The Neuropathic and Nociceptive PROMIS-PQ questionnaires were used to classify pain for participants with in the PROCEED study. Putative serum biomarkers were measured via immunoassay.

Results: At enrollment, 17.6 % (120/681) subjects with CP reported no pain in the previous year. Of those, 29 % experienced pain during …

First Interim Results From Fine-Real: A Prospective, Non-Interventional, Phase 4 Study Providing Insights Into The Use And Safety Of Finerenone In A Routine Clinical Settingfirst Interim Results From Fine-Real: A Prospective, Non-Interventional, Phase 4 Study Providing Insights Into The Use And Safety Of Finerenone In A Routine Clinical Setting, Susanne B Nicholas, Ricardo Correa-Rotter, Nihar R Desai, Lixin Guo, Sankar D Navaneethan, Kevin M Pantalone, Christoph Wanner, Stefanie Hamacher, Samuel T Fatoba, Andrea Horvat-Broecker, Antonio Garreta-Rufas, Alain Gay, Martin Merz, David C Wheeler

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Finerenone, a selective non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, improves kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The FINE-REAL study (NCT05348733) aims to evaluate the characteristics and treatment patterns of participants treated with finerenone in clinical practice.

Methods: FINE-REAL is a prospective, single-arm, non-interventional study of patients initiated on finerenone as part of their routine care in accordance with country-approved labels. The study, initiated in June 2022, is expected to be completed by January 2028. The cutoff for this pre-specified interim analysis was June 13, 2023.

Results: Participants were …

Ghg Inventory From Building Washington State Department Of Transportation Roadways, Milad Ashtiani

PSU Transportation Seminars

State departments of transportation (DOTs) are increasingly focusing on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially with new regulations like the Buy Clean Acts in California, Oregon, and Washington. This project, in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), aims to assess the agency's carbon emissions through a life cycle assessment of construction materials such as cement, concrete, steel, and asphalt, which are now under heightened scrutiny.

While WSDOT has already implemented strategies to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (related to direct and energy-related activities), there has been limited focus on Scope 3 emissions—those generated upstream in …

How Does The Reauthorization Of The Farm Bill Impact Snap?, Colleen Heflin, Camille Barbin

Center for Policy Research

From 2021 to 2023, food insecurity in the United States increased from 10.2% to 13.5%, and food inflation rose to nearly 20%. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - the largest food assistance program, in the U.S. is funded and governed by the Farm Bill – a multi-year federal omnibus bill that provides agriculture and nutrition program funding. The 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2024, and while funding for SNAP has been extended through a Continuing Resolution, program reauthorization is needed. Negotiations on a new Farm Bill have included SNAP proposals to limit state discretion on work requirements …

An Ethnically Balanced Male Perspective Towards Police Officers Seeking Mental Health Counseling: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Arturo Parra

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study will aim to understand an ethnically balanced male perspective toward police officers seeking mental health counseling. Police Officers are routinely exposed to stressful and traumatic events, leading to acute and chronic disorders, mental illnesses, suicide ideation, and suicide, as research has indicated. Mental health counseling can play an essential role in intervention into mental health illness, providing critical tools to police officers to handle stress and potential mental illness. However, reluctance among the police community to seek mental health counseling continues to be prevalent. Possible cause for this reluctance are suggested through research as a direct result …

Student Loan Policies And Payments During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Closing The Gap Or Widening Inequalities?, Jason Jabbari, Takeshi Terada, Haotian Zheng, Stephen Roll

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Student debt was specifically addressed in the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic through forbearance polices. However, not all individuals were eligible for forbearance, and it is possible that forbearance would leave some feeling further behind. Yet, little is known about student loan debt over the course of the pandemic, especially in relationship to forbearance policies, loan payments, and household financial stability. Leveraging a representative longitudinal survey of households during the pandemic, we use descriptive regression techniques to explore changes in loan balances throughout the pandemic, as well as the relationships among student loan policies, payments, and measures of …