Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For Improving Access To Comprehensive Obesity Prevention And Treatment Services For Medicaid-Enrolled Children, Sara E. Wilensky, Ramona Whittington, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Health Policy and Management Issue Briefs

This policy brief builds on our prior work for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2005, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GW) evaluated the role of public and private insurance in financing preventive care and treatment for at-risk and obese children. One of the key findings from that report was that Medicaid's existing Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) coverage standards provide for comprehensive, obesity-related pediatric health care interventions. Using data drawn from state Medicaid programs, this report examines the extent to which state programs use the Medicaid EPSDT benefit to address …

Uxo Risk Education Needs Assessment, Mag, Lao Youth Union

Global CWD Repository

As a result of intense ground battles and extensive bombing during the Indo-China War, especially during the years 1964 – 1973, Lao PDR has the distinction of being, per capita, the most heavily bombed nation in the world. The war left widespread unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination, which thirty years on continues to act as a barrier to socio economic development causing death and injury to adults and children. UXO injury, especially in a country such as Lao PDR where access to adequate health services is limited, can result in long-term medical and psychological sequelae (Handicap International, 2004) as well as …

The Economic Impact Of Early Life Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure: Early Intervention For Developmental Delay, Thaddeus R. Miller, Virginia A. Rauh, Sherry A. M. Glied, Dale Hattis, Andrew Rundle, Howard Andrews, Frederica Perera

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early-life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) can result in developmental delay as well as childhood asthma and increased risk of cancer. The high cost of childhood asthma related to ETS exposure has been widely recognized; however, the economic impact of ETS-related developmental delay has been less well understood.

METHODS AND RESULTS:The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) has reported adverse effects of prenatal ETS exposure on child development in a cohort of minority women and children in New York City (odds ratio of developmental delay = 2.36; 95% confidence interval 1.22-4.58). Using the environmentally …

Outcomes From State Department Grants To Build A Stable Economy In Tajikistan, S. Kay Rockwell, Lee V. Rockwell, Julie Albrecht

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Over a 10-year period, State Department grants were awarded to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to help build a stable economy in Tajikistan. The 2003-06 grants provided the Khujand Branch of the Technological University (KbTUT) faculty and students the opportunity to develop expertise in safe food production and viable textile/apparel production for international markets. Specific grant activities were to (a) develop an entrepreneur center at KbTUT to provide outreach programs for community members on small-scale business development, (b) develop a textile museum for University courses, and (c) train KbTUT faculty/upper level students/administrators at UNL to enhance their skills in food …

The Geography Of American Poverty: Is There A Need For Place-Based Policies?, Mark D. Partridge, Dan S. Rickman

Upjohn Press

Partridge and Rickman explore the wide geographic disparities in poverty across the United States. Their focus on the spatial dimensions of U.S. poverty reveals distinct differences across states, metropolitan areas, and counties and leads them to consider why antipoverty policies have succeeded in some places and failed in others.

Update On The Status Of The Medicaid Prospective Payment System In The States, Roger Schwartz, Peter Shin, Megan Reilly

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

The Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 replaced the traditional cost-based reimbursement system for federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) with a new prospective payment system. States were also allowed to implement an alternative payment methodology (APM) as long as it did not pay less than what FQHCs would have received under PPS and the affected FQHC agreed to the APM. Although changes in payment policies were to take effect in 2001, states were slow to implement them and most only did so after one or two years. With little or no oversight by the federal government, the National Association of …

Rejecting The 65-Percent Solution, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Water, Development, And State Security In South Asia: Scenarios For China And India, Ray Chandrasekara, John M. Polimeni

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Conflict over water resources is rare and has not occurred for thousands of years. However, the dynamics in South Asia are changing so rapidly that a conflict in the not-so-near future may be unavoidable. Water shortages could have the nonlinear effects of food shortages, political instability, migration problems, and diminished economic growth. All of these factors, caused by water shortages, could be a driver of conflict in the region, causing territorial disputes. Global instability would be sure to follow as both the U.S., attempting to protect their national security interests, and China, reacting as the regional power, tries to intervene. …

May 2006 - Staff Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Niche To Mainstream In Sustainable Urban Food Systems: The Case Of Food Distribution In Portland, Oregon, Bowen Close

Pomona Senior Theses

To address the negative environmental, political, and social consequences of the dominant, industrialized global food system, communities around the world have developed goals and values underlying a sustainable food system. Conceptualizing food production, distribution, and consumption as systems helps clarify the ways food affects social and natural environments, with the distribution element as the critical juncture where the product reaches the consumer. Urban food systems are a particularly important environment in which to study movements toward sustainability. This paper focuses on the movement for a sustainable food system in Portland, Oregon, with particular focus on the city’s markets for …

Leftist Populism And Sustainable Development In Latin America, Carina Kjelstad

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Sustainable development still remains the best option to secure a viable future. Why are some leaders more prone to implement sustainable development policies than others, and does the leaders' political orientation affect such decision-making? Leaders are often faced with constraints that make them choose policies that do not necessarily lead to sustainability from an ecological point of view. This thesis addresses these issues by examining two case studies that involve an analysis of the sustainable development policies implemented by President Lula in Brazil and President Chavez in Venezuela and the constraints that have hindered them in doing so.

2006 Advisory Council

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Promoting Federal Depository Libraries: Improving Public Access To U.S. Government Information, Newkirk Barnes

The Southeastern Librarian

Since its creation in 1860, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has supplied the nation’s Congress, federal agencies, and citizenry with the information they need to carry out their daily activities (Morehead 1999, 15). Through its Superintendent of Documents programs, the GPO produces and disseminates the largest volume of U.S. government publications in the world (U.S. Government Printing Office 2003).

The most widely publicized of the Superintendent of Documents programs is the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Authorized by Title 44 of the United States Code, the FDLP provides the American public with information resources from the legislative, executive and …

The Early Years: A City Club Report On The Care And Education Of Children From Birth To Age Five, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.), Bethany Wurtz, Julie Young

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Role Of Survey In Mine Action, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

"In many ways, mine action management is as much about information as it is about landmines.” This statement was one of the central conclusions of the GICHD Study of Socio-Economic Approaches to Mine Action. In seeking to obtain the necessary information to plan and manage programmes effectively, mine action has seen a considerable number of surveys carried out. In particular, a number of surveys have sought to record the location and scale of hazardous areas, and, increasingly, an assessment of their social and economic impact as well as the success of mine clearance projects.

However, it is a daunting task …

The Social And Economic Impact Of Sanctions And Time Limits On Recipients Of Temporary Assistance To Needy Families, Taryn Lindhorst, Ronald J. Mancoske

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A central feature of the reforms enacted through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (welfare reform) has been the adoption of strategies to involuntarily remove Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients from the welfare rolls, including increased use of sanctions and time limits on welfare receipt. Drawing on data from a three year panel study of women who had been receiving welfare in a state which adopted stringent sanctioning and time limit policies, we investigate predictors of recipients' TANF status after implementation of welfare reform, and identify differences in post-reform material resources, hardships and quality of life …

The Effect Of Parental Work History And Public Assistance Use On The Transition To Adulthood, Stephanie Cosner Berzin, Allison C. De Marco, Terry V. Shaw, George J. Unick, Sean R. Hogan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Survey Findings: Children Served By Mainecare, 2005, Catherine Ormond, Deborah Thayer

Disability & Aging

No abstract provided.

The North Carolina Physical Activity Policy Research Center: Making Connections With North Carolina Planners, Kelly R. Evenson, Carrie Fesperman, Semra Aytur, Austin Brown, Daniel A. Rodriguez, David Salveson

Health Management & Policy

Physical activity participation for youth and adults is suboptimal in North Carolina. There is growing interest among policy makers to promote physical activity, yet research in this area is limited. The North Carolina Physical Activity Policy Research Center was established in 2004 to conduct research on physical activity and policy. This cross-disciplinary center brings together faculty and researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and the College of Arts and Sciences. Current projects include understanding and documenting polices that affect walking and bicycling to school, trail development, and community planning decisions related to physical activity.

Responding To The Storm: Exploring The Psychological Support Of Emergency Responders After The May 2004 Storms In Southeast Nebraska, Denise Bulling, Stacey J. Hoffman, Martin R. Klein, Brooke Olsen, Harry Walles

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

A large number of emergency personnel were involved in the response to the May 2004 storms that devastated a 52 mile swath of Southeast Nebraska. Emergency workers who responded the night of the storm were exposed to bad weather, darkness, and uncertainty about their own safety. Later, they were asked to work alongside survivors and neighbors who had lost everything amidst widespread destruction of farms, homes, and businesses. Some, but not all of the emergency personnel were offered formal psychological support services like critical incident debriefing to assist with the emotional processing of the event.

The research literature is mixed …

Genetically Modified Foods: Attitudes And Knowledge In The Heart Of The Farm Belt, Usa, Alan Tomkins, Ian Christensen, John Fulwider, Kim Loontjer, Tarik Abdel-Monem, Dana Cohn

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

What do “average citizens” think about genetically modified foods (GMF)? Do their potential benefits outweigh their risks? Should food products containing GM ingredients be so labeled?

Surveys of attitudes toward GM foods and discussions on the topic in the US have been plentiful. The research typically indicates at least a low level of concern about GMFs. Yet GMFs continue to be prevalent in the American food marketplace. Whatever concerns Americans may have, they have not adversely impacted the production or consumption of GM foods. Indeed, there have not been sufficient political pressures in the US to require the labeling of …

State Of Philanthropy 2006: A New Foundations Debate, David R. Jones, David A. Campbell

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nutrition On Wheels Business Plan: A Strategic Analysis, Seena Gill Kakar

Theses Digitization Project

Describes the business plan for an entrepreneurial venture called Nutrition on Wheels, which will be the first locally owned and operated gourmet diet food delivery service in the Coachella Valley of California. The service will provide customized meals to fit the specific dietary needs of its customers. Covers the essential components of the business plan for Nutrition on Wheels including industry analysis, market potential, marketing plans, organization and operational plans, strategic management and a financial plan.

Orphans And Vulnerable Youth In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: An Exploratory Study Of Psychosocial Well-Being And Psychosocial Support, Laelia Gilborn, Louis Apicella, Jonathan Brakarsh, Linda Dube, Kyle Jemison, Mark Kluckow, Tricia Smith, Leslie M. Snider

HIV and AIDS

This Population Council Horizons report presents findings from an exploratory study by the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative and Catholic Relief Services’ Support to Replicable, Innovative Village/Community-level Efforts Program of vulnerable youth living in and around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It describes their demographic characteristics, exposure to stress and trauma, and psychosocial well-being. The report also highlights the relationships between psychosocial well-being outcomes and exposure to stress and trauma, and the differences in psychosocial well-being between males and females, orphaned and nonorphaned youth, and younger and older adolescents. The report concludes with program and research implications.

Cradled In Her Arms: Stories Of The Life And Work Of Palwasha Kakar Of Afghanistan, Heather Farrell

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Women on the frontline of efforts to end violence and secure a just peace seldom record their experiences, activities and insights – as generally there is no time or, perhaps, they do not have formal education that would help them record their stories. The Women PeaceMakers Program is a selective program for leaders who want to document, share and build upon their unique peacemaking stories. Selected peacemakers join the IPJ for an eight-week residency.

Women PeaceMakers are paired with a Peace Writer to document in written form their story of living in conflict and building peace in their communities and …

Exploring Current Practices In Pediatric Arv Rollout And Integration With Early Childhood Programs In South Africa: A Rapid Situation Analysis, Desiree Michaels, Brian Eley, Lewis Ndhlovu, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

This Horizons program report describes the status of pediatric HIV treatment in selected sites in South Africa, identifies gaps in service delivery, and proposes recommendations for strengthening services and expanding children’s access to treatment. The study provides much needed information on critical issues of pediatric HIV care, especially regarding health service and contextual issues surrounding the expansion of access to treatment for HIV-infected children, and key factors that facilitate sustainability of treatment by young children. The aims of the study were to identify successful program strategies in pediatric HIV treatment in South Africa and to determine priority knowledge gaps to …

Free To Be Obese In A " Super Nanny State " ?, Nadine Henley

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure Publications

Should individuals be free to make lifestyle decisions (such as what, when and how much to eat and how much physical activity to take), without undue interference from the state, even when their decisions may lead to negative consequences (obesity, heart disease, diabetes)?

Air Exchange Rate In A Horse Trailer During Road Transport, Joseph L. Purswell, Richard S. Gates, Laurie M. Lawrence, Jamey D. Jacob, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Robert J. Coleman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Horses traveling by road commonly experience heat stress conditions and poor air quality, which may be caused by insufficient ventilation; however, there are few estimates of air exchange in a horse trailer during transport. Air exchange rate was measured at ten locations within a four-horse trailer (internal volume 18.5 m³) using tracer gas decay measurement to assess the adequacy of ventilation. Three vehicle speeds (13, 48, and 97 km h^-1) and three window configurations (all windows and roof vents closed, all windows open, all windows open and roof vents open forward) were tested with and without …

Priority Setting For Reproductive Health At The District Level In The Context Of Health Sector Reforms In Ghana, Harriet Birungi, Philomena Nyarko, Ian Askew, Ayorinde Ajayi, Gifty Addico, Edward Addai, Caroline Jehu-Appiah

Reproductive Health

This report outlines results of an in-depth assessment carried out in Ghana in order to provide a better understanding of key factors affecting reproductive health (RH) prioritization at the district level; and to make recommendations for policy dialogue, advocacy, resource allocation, and RH program implementation. In particular, the study examined whether or not districts are connecting to the central process of priority setting and reasons for not doing so. The report includes recommendations for bridging the policy implementation gap, including: ensuring that RH advocates participate in national policy dialogue; investing in systems development for procurement and delivery of drugs and …

Free To Be Obese In A 'Super Nanny State'?, Nadine Henley

Research outputs pre 2011

Should individuals be free to make lifestyle decisions (such as what, when and how much to eat and how much physical activity to take), without undue interference from the state, even when their decisions may lead to negative consequences (obesity, heart disease, diabetes)?