Digital Commons Network^™

Randomized Controlled Trial Of Low Cost Interventions To Reduce Childhood Immunization Dropouts In Pakistan, Hussain Raza Usman

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood immunization coverage in Pakistan remains sub-optimal despite universal and free of cost availability of vaccines. Structural impediments to progress may include the immunization card that is hard to read and interpret. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of redesigned immunization card and center-based education to mothers on immunization completion at rural immunization centers in Karachi, Pakistan. Other objectives were to identify the predictors of immunization completion and to identify factors associated with delay at first dose of diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (DTP1). Mother-child units were enrolled from six immunization centers at DTP1 and randomized to four study groups: …

Multiracial Tobacco, Alcohol, And Drug Use: An Investigation Of The Function Of Racial Identity In A Longitudinal Sample From Youth To Young Adulthood, Julia Katrina Crumly

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of the research is threefold. The first purpose is to determine if multiracial individuals are at a higher risk for alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. The second purpose is to determine the relationship between racial identity and risk behaviors. The third purpose is to determine how the change/no change of racial identity longitudinally contributes to one’s risk to engage in risk behaviors. A national representative longitudinal data set was obtained and analyzed for the purpose of this study. Results of the study reveal that there are differences in multiracial groups for risk behaviors, minority identification is not necessarily …

Gender Difference In Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes: Survival, Functional Independence, And Employment Status, Andrea T. Underhill

All ETDs from UAB

Medical and rehabilitative care of women living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is based on information drawn from research conducted primarily on men. Care for men may be adequate for women, but all of the body’s organs have the capability to respond differently based on gender, and research should examine the genders separately. This dissertation examines the survival to 24 months post-TBI and the functional independence and employment status at 12 and 24 months post-TBI of men and women. Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study of injured persons and include those diagnosed only with a TBI. Variables used in …

Assessing The Professional Development Needs Of Public Health Educators In Light Of Changing Competencies, A. R. Demers, Edward M. Mamary

Faculty Publications

Introduction Because of the need for a well-trained public health workforce, professional competencies have been recently revised by the Institute of Medicine and the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project. This study compared the self-identified training needs of public health educators with the updated competencies and assessed employer support for continuing education. Methods A convenience sample of public health educators was recruited from an e-mail list of San Jose State University master of public health alumni. Respondents completed a Web-based survey that elicited information on emerging trends in public health education, training needs, and employer support for continuing education. Results …

Integration Of Analysis And Deliberation To Evaluate Biodiesel Occupational And Environmental Exposures, Nora M. Traviss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Many U.S. organizations interested in a renewable and domestic source of energy are considering switching from petroleum diesel to biodiesel blends for transportation and heavy-duty equipment use. Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils or waste grease. While there is a considerable body of evidence on the negative health effects of petroleum diesel exhaust exposures in occupational and urban settings, there has been little research examining the impact of biodiesel fuel on occupational and environmental exposures. This dissertation combined a collaborative exposure assessment of B20 (20% soy-based biodiesel/80% diesel) at a rural recycling center with a policy intervention to …

A Study Of Compliance In Aged Care Facilities With Regards To Australian Standards 1851:2006 Maintenance Of Fire Protection Systems And Equipment Section 17, Robert Doleman

Theses : Honours

The management of risk within a nursing home environment is widely viewed as an undertaking perfom1ed by the owners or managers of nursing homes. The residents of these homes are reliant upon the owners and managers to keep them safe, due in part to a traditional belief that they are the experts and have a greater understanding of risk. To establish risk it is first a requirement to have an understanding of levels of risk and risk management techniques. Risk appreciation is often influenced by heuristic representativeness, as well as social and cultural influences. The higher level of risk within …

Is Enough Really Enough? : Evaluation Of An Alcohol Awareness Campaign At Ecu Joondalup, Marissa Macdonald

Theses : Honours

Australian young adults aged 17-25 years old attending university are more likely to drink at levels which put themselves at risk of both short and long term alcohol-related harm. University settings are an appropriate place to target university students with alcohol education or awareness-raising campaigns. Australian research on this topic is relatively limited. This mixed methods study involved two phases. The first phase quantitatively evaluated the impact of the 'Enough is Enough' campaign, implemented by the North Metropolitan Community Drug Service Team at ECU Joondalup, on students' awareness of the consequences of excessive alcohol use and perceived acceptability of drunkenness. …

Knowledge And Perceptions About Hepatitis C Among Police Undertaking Training At The Western Australia Police Academy, Cerissa Papanastasiou

Theses : Honours

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a significant health issue in Australia with approximately 90% of new cases attributed to injecting drug use (IDU). With no vaccination for this infection it is important that preventive methods are utilised to reduce the likelihood of it being transmitted from the IDU community into the wider community. Research has suggested that people's beliefs, which are influenced by the knowledge they have, play an important role in influencing the action people take in protecting and promoting their health. While there are numerous studies which have measured the HCV-related knowledge and perceptions of other professions in the …

Evaluation Of A Community Radio Station In Tulikup, Bali: Indonesia, Dane Anthony Waters

Theses : Honours

Community-oriented radio can be a valuable tool to mobilise communities and contribute to making positive social changes throughout the world (Dagron, 2001). Heartline Bali FM is a community-oriented radio station, which since development, has sought to positively impact the people within the community it serves. Located in the rural Balinese village of Tulikup, Indonesia, the station has responded practically to the health and social needs of the community through radio and other social development strategies since its establishment in 2003. In 2004, a base-line needs assessment was conducted within the village to help inform the radio station of the health …

The Laurels Of Local Public Health, Cathy Raevsky

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Toward The Development Of Cancer Literacy Assessment Tools, Karen Patricia Williams, Mark Reckase, Omara Rivera-Vazquez

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Background: This study represented the first that documents the development of breast and cervical cancer literacy assessments that can be administered orally by laypersons. Methods: Critical indicators of cancer literacy were identified through a review of pertinent literature and interviews with ethnically diverse women. The pilot-test consisted of a 29- question assessment for language appropriateness. A score of 75% was established as the threshold for functional cancer literacy. Results: The assessment tools demonstrated a high level of internal consistency. Paired t-test analysis of pre- and post-intervention tests showed that the instrument was sensitive to changes in literacy of breast and …

The Detroit Youth Tobacco Survey: Results From Middle School Students, Calvin Trent, Julie Gleason-Comstock, Gary Petroni, William Ridella

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Background: The Detroit Youth Tobacco Survey (DYTS) provided representative data from middle school students, 84.7% of whom were African-American/Black, on self-reported prevalence of tobacco use and awareness, smoking cessation, peer and family influence, environmental tobacco smoke, media exposure and access to tobacco. Results: Over half of the students (53.0%; +/-4.1) used some form of tobacco at least once, with the majority trying cigarettes (47.5%; +/-3.9) and about a quarter (23.1%; +/-3.5) trying cigars. Ten percent (10.2%; +/-2.3) tried bidis or kreteks, and 7.4% (+/-1.4) tried smokeless tobacco. Of middle school students who smoked, nearly one out of four (23.2%; +/-3.1) …

Modeling Physical Activity In Working Adults: How Suitable Is The Expanded Parallel Process Model?, Adwoa B-H-Sam

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study is an assessment of the usefulness of the Expanded Parallel Process Model in predicting health enhancing physical activity as an outcome variable. The theory is tested in the context of risk for coronary heart disease and involves secondary analyses of a dataset from a group of working adults. These individuals had elected first to participate in a health plan ‘Quality Improvement Study’ and were then randomly selected to receive an intervention program designed to get people to be more active.

Data on self-reported demographics, physical activity levels, health status characteristics and perceptions measured on a Likert-type scale known …

Influenza Virus Samples, International Law, And Global Health Diplomacy, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Indonesia’s decision to withhold samples of avian influenza virus A (H5N1) from the World Health Organization for much of 2007 caused a crisis in global health. The World Health Assembly produced a resolution to try to address the crisis at its May 2007 meeting. I examine how the parties to this controversy used international law in framing and negotiating the dispute. Specifically, I analyze Indonesia’s use of the international legal principle of sovereignty and its appeal to rules on the protection of biological and genetic resources found in the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition, I consider how the International …

Strategies For Implementing The New International Health Regulations In Federal Countries, David P. Fidler, Kumanan Wilson, Christopher Mcdougall, Harvey Lazar

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The International Health Regulations (IHR), the principal legal instrument guiding the international management of public health emergencies, have recently undergone an extensive revision process. The revised regulations, referred to as the IHR (2005), were unanimously approved in May 2005 by all Member States of the World Health Assembly (WHA) and came into effect on 15 June 2007. The IHR (2005) reflect a modernization of the international community’s approach to public health and an acknowledgement of the importance of establishing an effective international strategy to manage emergencies that threaten global health security.

The success of the IHR as a new approach …

Improving Laws And Legal Authorities For Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness, David Fidler, Robert M. Pestronk, Brian Kamoie, Gene Matthews, Georges C. Benjamin, Ralph T. Bryan, Socrates H. Tuch, Richard Gottfried, Jonathan E. Fielding, Fran Schmitz, Stephen Redd

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Assessing Laws And Legal Authorities For Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness, David Fidler, Brian Kamoie, Robert M. Pestronk, Peter Baldridge, Leah Devlin, George A. Mensah, Michael Doney

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: Use And Perceived Use In Non-Athlete College Students, Joseph M. Berning, Kent J. Adams, Mark Debeliso, Bryant A. Stamford, Ian Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: The authors investigated the use and perceived use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) among nonathlete college students. Participants: The authors surveyed a sample of 485 nonathlete college students at a major metropolitan university. Methods: They administered a survey on use and perceived use of AAS to the students. Results: Forty-two participants (9%) reported using AAS (37 men, 5 women). Seniors were the most likely to use AAS (36%), and freshman the least likely (7%). Thirty-four percent of nonusers and 41% of users indicated they knew between 1 and 5 AAS users. Of the total sample, 36% perceived that 5% …

Academic Incentives Impact On Increasing Seventh -Graders Physical Activity During Leisure Time, Jeffrey Scott Brinker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent research clearly demonstrates that a decrease of physical activity has occurred among young people. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of external motivation on physical activity. Drawn from self-determination theory, the specific research question examined if academic incentives effectively motivated 7th grade students to participate in a 3-week fitness program. A quasi-experimental pre-post design examined treatment and control groups drawn from a sample of 24 students from three physical education classes. The treatment group received academic incentives whereas the control group received no external incentives but were asked to complete the same fitness Program. …

Timing Of Fetal Exposure To Stress Hormones: Effects On Newborn Physical And Neuromuscular Maturation, Lauren M. Ellman, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of the study was to determine the specific periods during pregnancy in which human fetal exposure to stress hormones affects newborn physical and neuromuscular maturation. Blood was collected from 158 women at 15, 19, 25, and 31 weeks' gestation. Levels of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and maternal cortisol were determined from plasma. Newborns were evaluated with the New Ballard Maturation Score. Results indicated that increases in maternal cortisol at 15, 19, and 25 weeks and increases in placental CRH at 31 weeks were significantly associated with decreases in infant maturation among mates (even after con trolling for length …

A Review Of The Evaluation Of Healthway Sponsorships, Michael Rosenberg, Christina Mills, Joanna Granich, Renee Ferguson, Sarah French, Lisa Wood

Research outputs pre 2011

This study reviewed the methods used by Healthway to assess sponsorship implementation/value and to explore complimentary or alternative evaluation measures...

Interview questions related to sponsorship activities, procedures, requirements and evaluation. Suggestions for practical and alternative ways of assessing sponsorship implementation and conducting evaluations were also asked. In addition, the perceived value of sponsorship investments to Healthway and satisfaction with the existing evaluation framework were also sought...

Review Of The Social And Emotional Wellbeing Of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Darren Garvey

Research outputs pre 2011

The first case of diabetes among Indigenous people was recorded in Adelaide in 1923. Records prior to this time showed that Indigenous people were fit, lean, and did not suffer from any form of metabolic condition, which were largely believed to be a characteristic of European populations. The earliest detailed studies investigating the development of diabetes in Indigenous populations were not undertaken, however, until the early 1960s. These and subsequent studies found a significant correlation between the development of a ‘westernised’ lifestyle and the levels of type 2 diabetes in the Indigenous population.

Since that time, type 2 diabetes has …

Healing The Health Care System: Summaries From The Department Of Health Policy Summer Seminar, David B. Nash, Nora Dowd Eisenhower, Rosemarie Greco, Deborah C. Meiris

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Editorial Introduction:
The disease management field continues to evolve. The range of chronic diseases treated has expanded to include such conditions as obesity and pain management, and the care continuum now encompasses wellness, prevention, and population health. One population that is an ideal candidate for our collective efforts is that of older adults. Global and national population projections reveal the impending staggering increase in the age 65+ cohort, which will cause a sharp increase in the demand for health care and other services due to such age-related issues as multiple chronic conditions, falls, and depression.

To begin to address these …

Report On The U.S. Summit: "Chronic Care At The Crossroads: Exploring Solutions For Chronic Care Management", Janice L. Clarke

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

On Tuesday, July 17, 2007 in Washington, DC, Intel Corporation assembled a group of the nation’s most respected health leaders to discuss the issues surrounding chronic care and an aging population and explore solutions to these highly complex and increasingly urgent challenges for the US health care system. The highlevel summit, hosted by Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, was held in the auditorium of the National Museum for Women in the Arts and attended, either in person or via the simultaneous webcast, by presidents, chairmen, and executive directors of influential organizations including the National Business Coalition on Health, the National Medical …

Periodontal Disease And Diabetes: Knowledge And Attitudes Assessment Project

Florida Public Health Review

There is a growing body of evidence showing that periodontal disease is more prevalent among diabetic patients than among non-diabetic patients. This same evidence also shows that the more poorly controlled the diabetes, the more severe the periodontal disease. However, it is unclear if the increased risk of periodontal disease is known by the diabetes community. Two hundred diabetic patients voluntarily participated in an intervention to increase the diabetic patient’s knowledge of and attitudes toward periodontal disease. The study was conducted at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) during the month of May 2005. The purpose …

How Does Quality Enter Into Health Care Purchasing Decisions?, Neil I. Goldfarb, Vittorio Maio, Chureen T. Carter, Laura Pizzi, David B. Nash

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

A number of employers, business consortia, and public purchasers are promoting "value-based purchasing" as a way to improve the quality of patient care. Some purchasers are using publicly available information on health plan and provider performance to make their health plan and provider choices, while others are using their market power to drive improvements in patient care and safety. This article examines six key strategies used by purchasers.

Barriers To Medicare Hospice Utilization: A Qualitative Study Of Maine's Medicare Hospice Providers, Judith B. Tupper Dhed, Ches, Cpps

Disability & Aging

This report, prepared for the Maine Hospice Council and funded by the Carpenter Foundation, presents findings of a qualitative study of barriers to hospice utilization. This study includes the perspectives of all 26 Medicare certified hospice providers in Maine. Significant findings of the qualitative study include: A continuing need to educate the general public about hospice and the Medicare benefit. Maine health care providers have low referral rates to the hospice programs and often misunderstand the regulations and guidelines of the hospice benefit. The referral process to hospice programs is based on fragile systems of communication, fraught with potential miscues, …

Public Health Campaigns To Change Industry Practices That Damage Health: An Analysis Of 12 Case Studies, Nicholas Freudenberg, Sarah Picard Bradley, Monica Serrano

Publications and Research

Industry practices such as advertising, production of unsafe products, and efforts to defeat health legislation play a major role in current patterns of U.S. ill health. Changing these practices may be a promising strategy to promote health. The authors analyze 12 campaigns designed to modify the health-related practices of U.S. corporations in the alcohol, automobile, food and beverage, firearms, pharmaceutical, and tobacco industries. The objectives are to examine the interactions between advocacy campaigns and industry opponents; explore the roles of government, researchers, and media; and identify characteristics of campaigns that are effective in changing health-damaging practices. The authors compared campaigns …

Pregnancy Intentions And Happiness Among Pregnant Black Women At High Risk For Adverse Infant Health Outcomes, Susan M. Blake, Michele Kiely, Charlotte C. Gard, Ayman El-Mohandes, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Nih-Dc Initiative

Publications and Research

CONTEXT:Unintended pregnancy is associated with risk behaviors and increased morbidity or mortality for mothers and infants, but a woman's feelings about pregnancy may be more predictive of risk and health outcomes than her intentions.

METHODS: A sample of 1,044 black women who were at increased risk were enrolled at prenatal care clinics in the District of Columbia in 2001-2003. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed associations between pregnancy intentions or level of happiness about being pregnant and multiple psychosocial and behavioral risk factors, and identified correlates of happiness to be pregnant.

RESULTS: Pregnancy intentions and happiness were strongly associated, but …

Addressing Potential Conflicts Of Interest Arising From The Multiple Roles Of Colorado’S Community Centered Boards, Maureen Booth Mrp, Ma, Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

This document summarizes the information we gathered, our analysis of potential conflicts of interest, and recommendations for addressing opportunities for improvement. The information we gathered is based on document review, input from stakeholders, and a review of practices in four other states.