Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Indoor Dust Mite And Cockroach Levels, J Mark Brooks

All ETDs from UAB

Exposures to dust mite and cockroach indoor allergens are important environmental risk factors in allergic sensitization and the development and exacerbation of asthma. To determine the relationship of indoor allergen levels and residence characteristics, dust samples were collected from indoor surfaces in residences in the Birmingham, Alabama area. The dust samples were analyzed for specific dust mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1) and cockroach (Bla g 1) antigens, the results of which were used to represent the level of indoor allergen present in each residence. The presence, and in some cases the degree, of potential allergen-predicting characteristics of …

Maximising Parent Involvement In The Pedestrian Safety Of 4 To 6 Year Old Children: Final Report, Child Health Promotion Research Centre

Research outputs pre 2011

In Australia pedestrian injury is the leading specific cause of death among 5-9 year old children, and pedestrian injuries among 0-14 year old children in 1999-20000 were the second highest cause of hospitalisation. This mortality and morbidity can be attributed largely to unsafe road environments and under 10 year old children's significant deficits in cognitive and perceptual abilities when crossing roads. For all children under 10 years learning to cross the road needs to be taught by parents in the same way that children learn to swim i.e. under close adult supervision and in the 'real' environment where the skills …

National Security And Environmental Laws: A Clear And Present Danger?, Hope M. Babcock

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Without question, life in the United States has changed significantly since September 11, 2001. The attacks launched from within the United States in broad daylight against non-military targets and innocent civilians, followed by the intentional dispersal of the biological agent anthrax, ushered in an era of uncertainty and fear in this country unlike any in recent memory. The visible manifestations of this fear are still with us--concrete barriers and the closing of public spaces around public buildings, heightened security at airports and train stations subjecting people to invasive searches of their persons and belongings, the sudden, seemingly random appearance of …

Accident Denominators Relative To Age Groups In Heavy Industries Of The Port Hedland Region Of Western Australia, John R. Bottrell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this research is to investigate characteristics of accident denominators across age groups in mining and associated process industries in the Port Hedland region of Western Australia. Emphasis has been focussed on comparing young, inexperienced groups with older, more experienced groups. A literature review revealed some key contributors to accidents among younger workers, in particular, those who had only recently entered the workforce. The review also revealed contributors impacting accidents regarding other age groups over a wide range of industry types. From these findings an accident construct model and questionnaire were designed to identify contributing and mitigating denominators …

Utilization Of Health And Medical Services: Factors Influencing Health Care Seeking Behaviour And Unmet Health Needs In Rural Areas Of Kenya, Trish Prosser

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There are many factors that influence health and health care seeking. Although many of these factors are similar across populations, exactly how they interact and influence the actions of people is often unique to a population in the context of the environment they live in. The current study, a population-based cross sectional survey, identifies three specific geographically diverse populations in rural areas of Kenya, to gain information regarding overall influences on health care seeking, and also information specific to each geographical area to directly target the health needs of the individual population living there. Participants of the survey were interviewed …

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

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Report on the US Summit

Through The Quarantine Looking Glass: Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis And Public Health Governance, Law, And Ethics, David P. Fidler, Lawrence O. Gostin, Howard Markel

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Isolation Order, Public Health Powers, And A Global Crisis, David P. Fidler, Howard Markel, Lawrence O. Gostin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Access To Health Information And Health Care Decision-Making Of Women In A Rural Appalachian Community, Tracy L. Legrow

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Access to health care is a challenge in rural communities. Higher rates of chronic illness and poor use of preventive health practices combine to increase mortality rates among residents of rural areas. The health status of residents of West Virginia is among the poorest in the United States. The current study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methodology, including the use of surveys, participant observation and ethnographic interviews, to explore the health status, beliefs and social support of women in a rural Appalachian community. Seven major themes were identified relevant to women’s experiences with health care: Definitions of Health, Barriers and …

Adults' Perceived Prevalence Of Enteric Fever Predicts Laboratory-Validated Incidence Of Typhoid Fever In Children, Xinguang Chen, Bonita Stanton, Al Pach, Andrew Nyamete, R. Leon Ochiai, Linda Kaljee, Baiqing Dong, Dipika Sur, S.K. Bhattacharya, Siti Sapardiyah Santoso, Magdarina Agtini, Zahid Memon, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Canh Gia Do, Lorenz Von Seidlein, John Clemens

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

This study was undertaken to develop a model to predict the incidence of typhoid in children based on adults’ perception of prevalence of enteric fever in the wider community. Typhoid cases among children, aged 5-15 years, from epidemic regions in five Asian countries were confirmed with a positive Salmonella Typhi culture of the blood sample. Estimates of the prevalence of enteric fever were obtained from random samples of adults in the same study sites. Regression models were used for establishing the prediction equation. The percentages of enteric fever reported by adults and cases of typhoid incidence per 100,000, detected through …

Resource Allocation Within The National Aids Control Program Of Pakistan: A Qualitative Assessment Of Decision Maker's Opinions, Sara Husain, Masood Kadir, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Background:

Limited resources, whether public or private, demand prioritisation among competing needs to maximise productivity. With a substantial increase in the number of reported HIV cases, little work has been done to understand how resources have been distributed and what factors may have influenced allocation within the newly introduced Enhanced National AIDS Control Program of Pakistan. The objective of this study was to identify perceptions of decision makers about the process of resource allocation within Pakistan's Enhanced National AIDS Control Program.

Methods:

A qualitative study was undertaken and in-depth interviews of decision makers at provincial and federal levels responsible to …

Effects Of Family Factors On The Development Of Alcohol-Related Problems Among Males From Pre-Adolescence To Adulthood

Florida Public Health Review

Alcohol use is a leading risk factor in suicides, homicides and unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle crashes and drownings) among adolescents, and is associated with adolescent health risk behaviors such as cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, and risky sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine if family factors would predict alcohol-related problems as the study cohort transitioned into young adulthood, and to determine if early alcohol use remained a significant influence on the development of alcohol-related problems in young adulthood. Results of the analyses indicate that three of the family factors measured in mid-adolescence were statistically significant …

Assessment Of Client Satisfaction In Six Urban Wic Clinics, Catherine Christie, Judy E. Perkin

Florida Public Health Review

Customer service is a measure of support and courtesy provided to individuals who patronize an organization, and is a factor vital to the success of any business. Programs that strive to meet critical needs of at risk populations, such as the Special Supplementation Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), may also benefit from assessment of client satisfaction. The purpose of the study was to examine factors related to customer satisfaction in Duval County Florida WIC clinics and identify potential barriers to participation through a two-year project initiated by the health department and the state university. The study examined …

Conducting Surveys Among Immigrants: Methodology And Implementation Of A Health Needs Assessment In The Haitian Community Of Miami, Florida

Florida Public Health Review

Lack of reliable data about foreign-born groups creates gaps in demographic measurement methodology leading to a cycle of misinformed policy development. Haitian immigrants represent one of the largest foreign-born groups in Florida. Only limited information is available on the health care issues that they face. This paper describes the methodological design and strategies employed for the implementation of a study whose primary purpose was to identify and evaluate basic health care needs and barriers to health care access for the Haitian immigrant population of Miami, Florida. Information was collected during face-to-face interviews on demographic characteristic and health needs and access …

A Likelihood Based Method For Real Time Estimation Of The Serial Interval And Reproductive Number Of An Epidemic, Laura Forsberg White, Marcello Pagano

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Personal Health Records And Electronic Health Records: Navigating The Intersections, Megan J. Hartman

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

International Medical Graduates (Imgs): Building Cultural Competence Into The Curriculum , Harriet P. Bernstein

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Ahrq Action, Karisa Walker, David B. Nash

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Social Support Indicators That Influence Breastfeeding Decisions In Mothers Of North Florida

Florida Public Health Review

To examine whether a mother’s social support system influences decision to breastfeed, pregnant women and women who had children, from six north Florida counties, were asked to participate in this study. Women were recruited from local lactation support groups and agencies serving mothers and children. Participants were administered a 34-item questionnaire that asked about motivation, social support and intention. Mothers breastfed because they believed breast milk was healthier for the baby. These mothers identified the baby’s fathers as being most supportive, but felt they needed more support from the fathers. Interestingly, most women strongly agreed that whereas the support system …

The Influence Of Age On Knowledge And Medication Usage By Persons Attending Rural North Florida Clinics

Florida Public Health Review

Medication therapy is an important component of the comprehensive treatment plan designed to maintain or improve health. If patients do not take prescribed medications correctly or are non-adherent, less successful therapy occurs. Reasons given for noncompliance include cost, misunderstanding the therapy, side effects, forgetfulness, or a belief that the medication is not effective or necessary. This study had two goals, the first was to evaluate medication use while simultaneously assessing knowledge, compliance, tolerance, and perceived efficacy. Drug-related problems, if any, were also identified. The second goal was to develop methods to improve patient outcomes based upon identified problems. For eight …

A Report From The Forum Session "Complexity, Coordination And Compromise: States And The Medicare Drug Benefit" (August 4, 2006), Lee Partridge

National Health Policy Forum

This National Health Policy Forum meeting report reviews a technical session that took place on August 4, 2006. The invitation-only meeting was designed to discuss implementation issues related to the new Medicare drug benefit, with special consideration of state activities, problems, and concerns. This meeting followed similar ones sponsored by the Forum in 2004 and 2005 in which the state perspective was the primary focus of conversation. Participants, including current and former state Medicaid directors, other state officials and experts, federal officials, Medicare drug plan representatives, and beneficiary advocates, described their experiences during the implementation process and addressed continuing challenges. …

Stability Analysis For An Seir Age-Structured Epidemic Model Under Vaccination, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

An SEIR age-structured epidemic model is investigated when susceptible and immune individuals are vaccinated indiscriminately and the force of infection of proportionate mixing type. We determine the steady states and obtain an explicitly computable threshold condition, and then study the stability of the steady states.

Global Stability Results And Well Posedness Of An Si Age-Structured Epidemic Model With Vertical Transmission, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

An SI age-structured epidemic model for a vertically as well as horizontally transmitted disease is investigated when the fertility and mortality rates depend on age and the force of infection of proportionate mixing assumption type. We prove the well posedness of the model as well as the global stability for endemic equilibriums.

A Multilevel Analysis Of Socioeconomic Status And Prostate Cancer Risk, Maureen Sanderson, Ann L. Coker, Adriana Perez, Xianglin L. Du, Gerson Peltz, Mary K. Fadden

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

PURPOSE

We investigated whether prostate cancer was associated with socioeconomic status (SES) at the individual level, area level, or a combination of both levels.

METHODS

This population-based case–control study of prostate cancer in men aged 65 to 79 years was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in South Carolina. Complete interviews were available for 407 incident prostate cancer cases and 393 controls (with respective response rates of 61% and 64%). We used educational level to measure individual-level SES and a composite variable capturing income and education from 2000 Census data to measure area-level SES.

RESULTS

After adjustment for race, age, geographic …

Personal Health Records: The People's Choice?, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

Information technology (IT), especially in the form of an electronic health record (EHR), is touted by many as a key component of meaningful improvement in health care delivery and outcomes. A personal health record (PHR) may be an element of an EHR or a stand-alone record. Proponents of PHRs see them as tools that will improve consumers’ ability to manage their care and will also enlist consumers as advocates for widespread health IT adoption. This issue brief explores what a PHR is, the extent of demand for it, issues that need to be resolved before such records can be expected …

The Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy: Final Report, The Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

On November 16, 2005, the Legislative Commission unanimously voted to approve hiring the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP), School of Public Health, UNLV to study and evaluate governmental entities and private facilities that have physical custody of children pursuant to a court order and other public entities that provide for the care and supervision of children in the State of Nevada. The study included three primary components. The first component involved an analysis of the guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures of these entities/facilities which affect the health, safety, welfare, treatment and civil or other rights of children …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 2, Iss. 8, November/December 2006

Public Health Link

Vol. 2, Iss. 8 includes a faculty spotlight on Mona Sarfaty, an article on Richard Wender becoming President of the American Cancer Society and Jefferson presenters at the upcoming American Public Health Association meeting.

Knowledge And Attitudes About Health Research Amongst A Group Of Pakistani Medical Students, Hassan Khan, Muhammad Rizwanulhaq Khawaja, Abdul Waheed, Muhammad Ameen Rauf, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Background

Health research training is an important part of medical education. This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes regarding health research in a group of Pakistani medical students at Aga Khan University, Karachi.

Methods

It was a cross-sectional pilot study conducted among a group of Pakistani medical students. Through stratified random sampling, a pre-tested, structured and validated questionnaire was administered to 220 medical students. Knowledge and attitudes were recorded on a scale (graduated in percentages).

Results

Mean scores of students were 49.0% on knowledge scale and 53.7% on attitude scale. Both knowledge and attitudes improved …

Preventive Medicine: A "Cure" For The Healthcare Crisis, Janice L. Clarke, Deborah Meiris

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Introductory Editorial: Few would dispute the premise that prevention, early detection, and early intervention form the first line of defense on the disease management (DM) continuum. That being the case, our national statistics on preventive health should be raising concerns throughout the industry. The US healthcare delivery system continues to fall woefully short of its prevention targets. On the international scene, the United States lags behind countries with less wealth and less technological savvy. Commentaries abound on the problems, but recently I became aware of an organization with an exciting goal and a novel solution for bringing preventive medicine …

Professionalism And Patient Safety, Sara Thier, David B. Nash

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.