Digital Commons Network^™

Health Literacy And Treatment Adherence In Hispanic Hiv-Infected Patients, Maria L. Alcaide, José G. Castro

Florida Public Health Review

This study examined health literacy in Hispanic HIV infected patients attending two large public clinics in Miami, Florida and assessed its association with adherence to antiretroviral medications. We performed a cross-sectional study. Eligible participants were enrolled from the Jackson Memorial Hospital HIV outpatient clinic and the University of Miami AIDS clinical research facility. Data were derived from socio-demographic information, the adult AIDS clinical trial group (AACTG) adherence questionnaire, the short test of functional literacy in adults (STOHFLA), and information about HIV clinical stages. Questionnaires were completed by study participants or by the study coordinator in their preferred language and the …

Cancer Information-Seeking Experiences: The Implications Of Hispanic Ethnicity And Spanish Language, Robin C. Vanderpool, Julie Kornfeld, Lila Finney Rutten, Linda Squiers

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Strategies to support cancer information-seeking among Hispanics are needed.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) to explore cancer information-seeking experiences among respondents according to ethnicity and language of interview.

RESULTS: Over 80% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics had never looked for cancer information. Compared to English-speaking respondents, Spanish-speaking Hispanics who sought cancer information indicated their search took a lot of effort (67%), was hard to understand (54%), and frustrating (42%). Spanish-speaking Hispanics noted minimal confidence in obtaining cancer information.

CONCLUSIONS: Language and cultural differences must be considered in the design, implementation, and dissemination of …

Bridging The Gaps: Biomedicine, Complementary And Alternative Medicine In A Holistic Approach, Hatim A. Omar, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The 4^th international conference on holistic health and medicine was held during September 24-26, 2008 in Lexington, Kentucky in the United States of America. This conference brought many participants from 23 countries, both mainstream health care providers as well as holistic health practitioners to address the latest in knowledge and research, and in turn to find ways to collaborate and work together to provide the best possible care for their patients and clients. These conferences are held to build bridges between the various fractions of medicine and health care providers. The scientific program included plenary sessions, keynotes, workshops and …

Commencement Program 2009, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 2009 Events of Commencement

3 | The Academic Procession

4 | Significance of the Academic Regalia

5 | The Good Samaritan

6 | The Speakers

13 | The University Honorees

19 | The School Honorees

30 | The Program

• School of Medicine, 31
• School of Pharmacy, 46
• School of Dentistry, 51
• School of Science and Technology and School of Religion, 63
• School of Nursing, 71
• School of Allied Health Professions - Physical Therapy, 78
• School of Allied Health Professions, 86
• School of Public Health, 95

Detecting, Preventing, And Treating Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adolescent Arrestees: An Unmet Public Health Need, Steven Belenko, Richard Dembo, Matthew Rollie, Kristina Childs, Christopher Salvatore

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Studies of detained and incarcerated adolescent offenders in the United States indicate that these juveniles have an elevated risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, many more arrestees enter the “front end” of the juvenile justice system that is detained or incarcerated, and research into the STD risk profiles and service needs of this larger group is lacking. An expansion of STD testing (including of asymptomatic youths), prevention, and treatment is needed, as is improved knowledge about gender- and race-specific services. A pilot program in Florida has shown that juvenile justice and public health systems can collaborate to implement STD …

Tuberculosis In San Bernardino County, 1993-2004 : Lifestyle And Environmental Factors, Anuj Bhatia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An observational retrospective study was conducted for tuberculosis (TB) cases between San Bernardino County (SBC), Riverside County, and the state of California from 1996 to 2004. A univariate comparison between San Bernardino County and California indicated a higher proportion of U.S. born cases in SBC. Additionally, it was found that San Bernardino had a higher proportion of non-injection drug using TB cases, compared with California in 1996. Further comparisons were made along country of birth between TB cases in San Bernardino County from 1993 to 2004. Notable differences were observed for injection drug use, non injection drug use, alcohol abuse, …

Resilience And Renaissance: Efforts To Rebuild A Healthier New Orleans, Michele J. Orza, Jessamyn Taylor

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum sponsored a site visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, in May 2009 to explore the city's health challenges, which are similar to those faced by other cities but were all greatly exacerbated by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The agenda focused on three themes: primary care and behavioral health services availability and access, public health preparedness, and rebuilding healthier communities. It examined how these themes and others intersect in two distinct communities within New Orleans: the Holy Cross community surrounding the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development and the community surrounding the Mary …

Is Volunteering During Adolescence Associated With A Delay In Pregnancy Until Adulthood?, Diane Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine if regular volunteering during adolescence was associated with a delay in first pregnancy until adulthood. Method: Data for this analysis were drawn from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regression was used, controlling for demographic characteristics and pregnancy intention, to estimate the independent contribution of volunteering during adolescence to a delay in first pregnancy until after age 18. Results: One-third of respondents reported regularly volunteering during adolescence. Volunteering significantly differed among those who had a teen pregnancy compared to those who delayed pregnancy until …

The Treatment Action Campaign's First Decade: Success Achieved?, Jung Cho

Honors Scholar Theses

South Africa is known to have the largest HIV epidemic in the world with 5.7 million people currently living with HIV, according to UNAIDS. In light of the crisis, South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has led the social movement for increased treatment access for people living with HIV through lobbying the government, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and grassroots campaigning. Since it's founding a decade ago, TAC has been highly acclaimed both regionally and internationally for its success. In order to determine the success of this social movement organization, social movement theories, such as mobilization potential, external political opportunity structure, and …

To Vaccinate, Or Not? Health Care Providers And The Hpv Controversy, Nicole Elizabeth Hanbury

Honors Scholar Theses

Gardasil® – the vaccine was first thought to be a medical breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but it quickly became plagued with controversy. Despite wide media coverage, little attention has been paid to today’s health care professionals who are ultimately responsible for prescribing the vaccine, and who may be the most knowledgeable about it. The present study seeks to expand on previous literature by investigating health care providers’ current beliefs and practices with the human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization. It is essential that more recent research be performed in order to encompass current views of the vaccine, post FDA-approval.

Data …

The Relationship Between Nurse To Population Ratio And State Health Ranking, Jeri Bigbee

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between nurse to population ratio and population health, as indicated by state health ranking.

Design: Secondary analysis correlational design.

Sample: The sample consisted of all fifty states in the U.S.

Measurements: Data sources included the United Health Foundation’s 2006 state health rankings, the 2004 National Sample Survey for Registered Nurses, and the U.S. Health Workforce Profile from the New York Center for Health Workforce Studies.

Results: Significant relationships between nurse to population ratio and state health ranking (rho = -.446, p =.001) and 11 of the 18 components of the overall ranking (motor vehicle death …

Reducing Stillbirths: Behavioural And Nutritional Interventions Before And During Pregnancy., Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Esme V Menezes, Tanya Soomro, Rachel A Haws, Gary L Darmstadt, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background:The vast majority of global stillbirths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and in many settings, the majority of stillbirths occur antenatally, prior to the onset of labour. Poor nutritional status, lack of antenatal care and a number of behaviours increase women's risk of stillbirth in many resource-poor settings. Interventions to reduce these risks could reduce the resulting burden of stillbirths, but the evidence for the impact of such interventions has not yet been comprehensively evaluated.

Methods:

This second paper of a systematic review of interventions that could plausibly impact stillbirth rates covers 12 different interventions relating to behavioural …

Public Health Systems And Services Research: Dataset Development, Dissemination, And Use, F. Douglas Scutchfield, Nikki Lawhorn, Rick Ingram, Debra Joy Pérez, Rick Brewer, Michelyn Bhandari

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Public health systems and services research (PHSSR) is defined as "a field of study that examines the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services within communities and the impact of those services." PHSSR is a relatively young field and suffers from a paucity of research resources. In this article, we describe the development and utility of a data resource, housed on the Health Services and Sciences Research Resources website maintained by the National Library of Medicine, which provides easy access to instruments, indices, and datasets that are relevant to PHSSR researchers. We also investigate efforts to promote the use …

Women, Birth Control Pills, And Thrombophilia: An Analysis Of Risk Communication, Kerry Gomer

All Theses

The Surgeon General recently issued a call to action to reduce the incidents of blood clots, which can cause pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and stroke. This research study was conducted to assess what risk information is available to women regarding thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombophilia (clotting disorders) in combination with birth control pills, what women know about this issue, and how to increase this awareness. A media analysis showed that very little information is available to women about thrombosis and thrombophilia with regard to birth control pills. It also demonstrated that the information that is available is often inadequate …

Cooking With A Chef: A Culinary Nutrition Intervention For College Aged Students, Andrew Warmin

All Theses

The primary objective of this study is to provide evidence that a culinary nutrition intervention is appropriate for, and of value to college students. A secondary objective is to provide evidence that the nutrition component of a culinary nutrition course can be delivered online through an interactive presentation. The study initially involved a review of literature highlighting the nutrition habits of college students, the strengths and weakness of existing cooking and nutrition classes, and other factors relating to the college student's health. Based on this literature review it was determined that a culinary nutrition course is an appropriate way to …

Advance Practice Nurses Readiness To Change Assessment Methods In Parents Of Obese Children, Carolyn Leach

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The worldwide epidemic of child and adolescent overweight and obesity continues to increase at disturbing rates. Unhealthy dietary practice is one of multiple causative behaviors leading to child and adolescent overweight and obesity. This behavior can contribute to short and long-term health consequences. Parents are modulators in the development of children's dietary behavior practices. It is recommended clinical practice that pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) assess readiness to change behavior in parents of overweight or obese children. The components of the Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in correlation with the counseling style of Rollnick, Miller and Butler's methods of Motivational …

Predictors Of Hpv Knowledge And Awareness In Rural America, Melanee Dulfon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prior research has shown that overall awareness of HPV is low among women in America. Yet limited research exists as to the awareness of HPV among rural U.S. women. The goal of this study was to determine the factors that predict women's knowledge and awareness of HPV in rural America. Secondary data was utilized from the National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of 2005. The sample consisted of 788 adult women over the age of 18 from rural areas of the U.S. Results indicated younger age, increased education, receipt of a Pap exam in over three years, …

Delayed And Forgone Care For Children With Special Health Care Needs In Virginia: A Cross-Sectional Study Using 2005-2006 Ns-Cshcn, Nevena Skoro

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives The objectives of our study were to: 1) summarize illness characteristics and functional ability difficulties among Children With Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) in Virginia, 2) examine the distribution of socio-demographic, health insurance, and health-related factors among Virginia’s CSHCN, 3) quantify the influence of these socio-demographic, health insurance, and health-related factors on delayed and forgone care of CSHNC in Virginia, and 4) analyze reasons for delayed and forgone care among Virginia’s CSHCN. Methods Data from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) were used for this study. Three categories of predictor variables were studied: …

Hand Hygiene Compliance Rates In The United States--A One-Year Multicenter Collaboration Using Product/Volume Usage Measurement And Feedback., Maryanne Mcguckin, Richard Waterman, John Govednik

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important factor in the prevention of health care-acquired infections. The 3 most frequently reported methods of measuring HH compliance are: (1) direct observation, (2) self-reporting by health care workers (HCWs), and (3) indirect calculation based on HH product usage. This article presents the results of a 12-month multicenter collaboration assessing HH compliance rates at US health care facilities by measuring product usage and providing feedback about HH compliance. Our results show that HH compliance at baseline was 26% for intensive care units (ICUs) and 36% for non-ICUs. After 12 months of measuring product …

The Pakistan Risk Of Myocardial Infarction Study: A Resource For The Study Of Genetic, Lifestyle And Other Determinants Of Myocardial Infarction In South Asia, Danish Saleheen, Moazzam Zaidi, Asif Rasheed, Usman Ahmad, Abdul Hakeem, Muhammed Murtaza, Waleed Kayani, Rashid Jooma, Nadir Khan, Nabi Shah, Asad Ali Shah, Maria Samuel, Farina Hanif, Madiha Yameen, Sobia Naz, Aisha Sultana, Aisha Nazir, Shehzad Raza, Muhammad Shazad, Sana Nasim, Muhammad Ahsan Javed, Syed Saadat Ali, Mehmood Jafree, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Altaf Hussain, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Philippe M. Frossard

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

The burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) is increasing at a greater rate in South Asia than in any other region globally, but there is little direct evidence about its determinants. The Pakistan Risk of Myocardial Infarction Study (PROMIS) is an epidemiological resource to enable reliable study of genetic, lifestyle and other determinants of CHD in South Asia. By March 2009, PROMIS had recruited over 5,000 cases of first-ever confirmed acute myocardial infarction (MI) and over 5,000 matched controls aged 30-80 years. For each participant, information has been recorded on demographic factors, lifestyle, medical and family history, anthropometry, and a …

Applying Leadership Paradigms To Public Health Challenges

Florida Public Health Review

In the 2008 volume of the Florida Public Health Review we published some student essays in which specific leadership paradigms were applied in theory to tackle some of public health’s most challenging problems. We continue that in effort in 2009 and invite other public health students, faculty, and practitioners from around the state to contribute ideas that foster leadership skills and the development of dynamic leaders.

Creating Pathways To Participatory Research

Florida Public Health Review

Many disciplines, including Public Health, have recognized the importance of participatory research methods in creating change in communities. The ability of participatory research to create change- particularly in behaviors- is what makes it such a promising area of research in health promotion. Whereas the value of participatory research is recognized, a “disconnect” exists in that the support mechanisms for this research are not in place. In fact, many researchers are encouraged to forgo the use of participatory research methods via the policies or biases of tenure and promotion committees, funding agencies and institutional review boards. These entities may claim to …

Applying Leadership To Facilitate Physician-Patient Communication And Promote Health In The Lesbian Community

Florida Public Health Review

Lesbian women experience health inequalities primarily related to their experiences of discrimination, homophobia, and the assumption of heterosexism. This milieu of experiences can lead to an avoidance of routine health care, screening, and non-disclosure of sexual orientation to physicians. Lesbians may participate in some health risk behaviors more than heterosexual women leading to an increase in risks for certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and HIV. Lesbians who discuss their sexual orientation and behavior with their physician report feeling more comfortable, experience better communication, and are more likely to seek routine medical care. Although the medical community has been making a shift …

Whom Can You Trust? Exploring Leadership Addressing Hiv Risk Prevention In African American Women

Florida Public Health Review

Within the last decade African American women have experienced serious increases in HIV diagnoses. Almost 40% of all newly diagnosed HIV-positive women in the United States are black women. Furthermore, black women are 23 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than white women. This paper explores some of the underlying socioeconomic factors for high incidence rates of HIV among African American women—including poverty, racism, and stigma—that contribute to this health disparity and discusses current leadership approaches to addressing this problem. One common leadership approach focuses on adapting CDC intervention programs at a local level, a process that presents …

Using Leadership To Improve Community-Based Obesity Interventions

Florida Public Health Review

Obesity is an enormous health problem facing America in the 21st century. Despite great efforts, health educators have made little progress in meeting the goals laid out in Healthy People 2010. A more contextual, community- based approach is necessary to change the physical and social environment in which people live, work and play. Studies show that residents of neighborhoods that lack pedestrian-friendly features and have high crime rates are less likely to be physically active, an important point for health educators to take into account when designing interventions. Whereas professional health educators have done little in this area, exemplary grassroots …

Improving Folic Acid Consumption In Women At Risk For Neural Tube Defects In Florida, Jessica C. Bishop-Royse, Elizabeth Jensen, Melanie Simmons

Florida Public Health Review

Two providers who participated in the Florida VitaGrant program, a site providing early childhood services to primarily Mexican Hispanic families (Site A) and a site providing home visiting services to pregnant women and families with infants (Site B), are presented as alternative models for improving folic acid levels in reproductive aged women in Florida. Site A distributed multivitamins and education in the context of health education provided to women in a group setting, once a month. Site B provided the services primarily through home visits of varying frequency. Folic acid knowledge and consumption were measured at program initiation and at …

Leadership Approaches To Providing Quality Hiv Prevention Care For Older Adults

Florida Public Health Review

Americans continue to face risks associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). One population that receives little attention concerning HIV is that of older adults. Approximately 20% of all HIV cases are among adults aged 50 and older. Older adults and younger populations are at risk for HIV; however, few programs are in place to reduce the incidence of HIV among this priority population. Many cases of HIV among older adults go unnoticed because health care professionals perceive older adults as asexual. Many physicians and other health professionals, including health educators, are uncomfortable in discussing sexual histories with older adults, so …

Meta-Analysis: Racial Disparities In Prostate Cancer Survival And Case-Control Study: Association Between Family History Of Cancers, Obesity And Prostate Cancer, Gayathri Sridhar

Theses and Dissertations

This is a compilation of 3 abstracts for the three manuscripts included in this dissertation. I. Meta-Analysis: Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Survival: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men. Previous studies have drawn inconsistent conclusions on racial differences in prostate cancer survival. This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between race and survival from prostate cancer. A systematic review of published articles from 1968 to 2007 assessing survival from prostate cancer among African American and White men was conducted. The search yielded 20 eligible published manuscripts. Analysis of unadjusted studies showed African American …

Frekuensi Dan Determinan Kontrasepsi Pria Di Indonesia, Ahmad Ahmad

Kesmas

Pertumbuhan penduduk Indonesia terlihat tinggi (1,25%) dengan pertambahan sekitar 7,3 juta penduduk setiap tahun. Sejak tahun 1980, program keluarga berencana berkontribusi terhadap penurunan angka fertilitas dari 5,61 menjadi 2,6 pada tahun 2002. Kontribusi pria menggunakan kontrasepsi berhubungan dengan banyak faktor antara lain meliputi pengetahuan, sikap, praktek, keterbatasan informasi aksesibilitas fasilitas pelayanan kontrasepsi pria, keterbatasan jenis kontrasepsi, dan persepsi masyarakat yang kurang menguntungkan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui berbagai faktor yang berhubungan dengan penggunaan kontrasepsi pria di Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan sumber data sekunder Survei Demografi Kesehatan Indonesia (SDKI) tahun 2002-2003. Disain penelitian yang digunakan adalah Cross Sectiona l dengan metode …

Hiv/Aids Di Indonesia : Fenomena Gunung Es Dan Peranan Pelayanan Kesehatan Primer, Hardisman Hardisman

Kesmas

Masalah HIV/AIDS di Indonesia diyakini bagaikan fenomena gunung es karena laporan resmi jumlah kasus tidak mencerminkan masalah yang sebenarnya. Prediksi besar masalah HIV/AIDS tersebut didasarkan atas jumlah penyalahgunaan narkotika suntik dan prostitusi yang tinggi. Keduanya merupakan faktor utama yang berperan sangat besar dalam penyebaran dan penularan HIV. Berbagai faktor risiko tersebut tidak hanya berkaitan dengan pelayanan keseha-tan tetapi juga dengan masalah sosial ekonomi. Permasalahan tersebut perlu diatasi dengan pendekatan pelayanan kesehatan primer komprehensif yang langsung menyentuh akar permasalahan mencakup masalah sosial ekonomi dan lingkungan kultural. Strategi tersebut dilakukan melalui berbagai langkah yang bersifat menyeluruh, meliputi preventif, promotif, kuratif dan rehabilitatif …