Digital Commons Network^™

Future Demands For Services From Public Health Facilities In Uttar Pradesh, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A Population Council-led consortium in India conducted a study to assess (a) the expected workload of public health facilities, and (b) the extent to which the demand for contraception could be met by the existing health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, following the implementation of behavior change communication (BCC) activities. This policy brief recommends that BCC efforts create demand for services and address perceptions that it is “not necessary” to access health care services. BCC must play a greater role in motivating women to move to facilities not just for institutional delivery but for other services as well. BCC can also …

Increasing The Practice Of Thermal Care To Prevent Newborn Hypothermia: Implications For Behavior Change Communication In Rural Uttar Pradesh, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to assess current newborn bathing practices and the methods adopted to keep the baby warm immediately after birth; explore the beliefs that guide these customs and practices; identify the barriers and facilitating factors in adopting healthy newborn care practices, such as skin-to-skin contact (STSC); and identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of newborn care practices. Barriers included misconceptions about the consequences of bathing a newborn and a lack of awareness among mothers and health workers about STSC. Facilitating factors included contact …

Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

Maternal health complications, including those arising from unsafe abortion and miscarriage, are a leading cause of morbidity among women in Kenya. These realities necessitate interventions to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancies and to ensure access to quality care for women with postabortion complications. In response to this need, the RESPOND Project designed an intervention package aimed at increasing awareness and use of postabortion care (PAC) services and improving family planning, reproductive health, and maternal health outcomes. As part of the intervention, RESPOND works with districts and communities to: strengthen service delivery points to provide PAC services; conduct community mobilization to …

Pollution And Public Health In A Shrinking World: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations As A Paradigm For Emergent Needs In Environmental And Public Health Policy, Leland Stillman

Self-Designed Majors Honors Papers

Environmental factors play a major part in human health. Environmental pollutants are often as poisonous to humans as the environment. Presently, much time and energy is dedicated to keeping pollution apart from human society, with varying success. But as global population densities rise, current levels of pollution will become inviable due to public health concerns. An emergent example of this is in the concentration of livestock operations. Recent changes in the structure of U.S. hog farming have resulted in an industry-wide shift from small or medium production farms to high capacity, “concentrated animal feeding operations” (CAFO). These operations have become …

Book Review Of, The Politics And History Of Aids Treatment In Brazil In Latin American Politics And Society, Shawn Smallman

International & Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book "The Politics and History of AIDS Treatment in Brazil," by Amy Nunn

Using The Andersen Behavioral Model Of Health Services Use To Examine Adult Uninsured Patient Health Services Use At A Community Health Center, Jewel Shonette Goodman

Health Services Research Dissertations

Prescription medications are essential to the treatment and management of chronic conditions (Smith et al., 2005). Lack of access can result in pain, worsening of the condition and increased risk of additional health problems. Health care expenditures in the United States were reportedly 1.7 trillion in 2003 (Smithetal.,2005) and exceeded" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; line-height: 0; font-size: 16.66px; overflow-wrap: normal; word-spacing: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px; position: relative;">1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded2.3 trillion in 2008 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010). Prescription medication costs …

Photovoice In The Workplace, Marian Flum, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Anthony Decaro, Scott Redway

Gastón Institute Publications

Background Photovoice, a photographic participatory action research methodology was used in a workplace setting to assess hazards that were creating extremely high injury and incidents rates for university custodians and to promote the conditions to eliminate or reduce those hazards. Methods University custodians participated in a Photovoice project to identify, categorize, and prioritize occupational hazards and to discuss and propose solutions to these problems. Results were presented to management and to all custodians for further discussion. The effort was led by a worker-based union-sponsored participatory evaluation team in partnership with a university researcher. Results Visual depiction of hazardous tasks and …

Chronic Alcohol Consumption Promotes Opening Of The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore And Increases Mitochondrial Injury In Liver, Adrienne Lester King

All ETDs from UAB

Alcoholic liver disease is a serious public health concern. In particular, the mitochondrion is a specific target of ethanol toxicity and much of the damage can be related to unregulated Ca2+ homeostasis and oxidative stress which are key players in the induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) within the organelle. The mechanism behind the induction of the MPTP remains elusive. Therefore, this body of work will provide insight on what effects chronic alcohol consumption has on mitochondrial dysfunction with an emphasis on the MPTP. Chapter 2: Assessment of mitochondrial dysfunction arising from treatment with hepatotoxicants provides a description …

A Pilot Study For A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Quantitative Ultrasound Change Outcomes?, Donald Henry Lein

All ETDs from UAB

Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures are costly personal and national problems. No cure exists so experts stress early practice of bone protective behaviors, like adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, to prevent osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures. However, young women in the United States do not consume adequate amounts of these two nutrients. Further evaluation to identify cost effective programs to increase calcium and vitamin D consumption in young women is needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) with bone strength feedback to a computer-tailored feedback and counseling intervention was needed to increase calcium and vitamin …

Prevalence And Susceptibility Of Cryptococcus Neoformans To Fluconazole In Hiv Patients In Kenya, Rennatus Magina Mdodo

All ETDs from UAB

In an applied analysis, examining the association between log transformed C-reactive

Sexual Risk Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Trajectories And Their Predictors, Maureen Muchimba

All ETDs from UAB

Although adolescents in the United States are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, research indicates that many do not use condoms consistently and have high numbers of lifetime multiple sexual partners. Among adolescents, different subgroups exhibit distinct patterns of sexual behavior over time. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify trajectories of sexual risk behavior among adolescents and to determine individual, family and community factors that are predictive of membership to trajectory groups. Data were collected on sexual risk behavior among low-income African-American adolescents in Mobile County, Alabama. Gender-balanced subsamples of risky sex (N = 1294) …

A Pilot Study Of A Computer-Tailored Program To Increase Calcium And Vitamin D Consumption In Young Women: Does Adding Heel Quantitative Ultrasound Feedback Change Outcomes?, Donald H. Lein

All ETDs from UAB

Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures are costly personal and national

Investigation Of The Cese Framework For Viscous Flows, Balaji Shankar Venkatachari

All ETDs from UAB

A transient viscous solver has been developed based on the novel space-time conser-vation element solution element (CESE) framework. Till date, the numerical accuracy of the CESE framework in modeling inviscid flow problems has been well documented, while very little work has been done in regards to modeling transient viscous flows. In this work, an attempt to fill that gap in literature was carried out by rigorously investigat-ing the numerical accuracy and computational performance of the CESE framework in simulating such flows. The study aims at gaining a deeper understanding on the numeri-cal accuracy and dissipation characteristics of the CESE framework, …

The Role Of Socioeconomic Factors In Racial And Ethnic Disparities Among Child And Adult Tuberculosis Cases, Spatial And Non-Spatial Analysis: Alabama 1993-2007, Sharada Adolph

All ETDs from UAB

This study aimed to evaluate the role of individual and community/population level socioeconomic factors on racial/ethnic disparities among children and adults with TB, and used area-based socioeconomic measures (ABSMs) for the identification of high-risk geographic areas for populations-at-risk. Joinpoint, multivariable and Poisson regression, and spatial methods were used to determine the trends and risks of disease in a low TB incidence state. General disease trends declined significantly by factors of -0.044838 from 1993-1998, and -0.061821 from 2001-2007; but, were disparate and increased for the foreign-born, African Americans (AA) and Latinos, and in long-term care settings. The average annual percentage change …

Determinants Of Self-Efficacy To Seek Care For Tuberculosis And Complete Tuberculosis Treatment Among Hiv-Positive Patients Attending Government Hiv/Aids Clincis In Honduras, Mayra Silvana Arias

All ETDs from UAB

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Hypothesis Testing Based On Pool Screening With Unequal Pool Sizes, Hongjiang Gao

All ETDs from UAB

Pool screening is a widely applied technique to estimate the prevalence of a rare event. This focus of this research is on developing statistical test of hypothesis procedures under the assumption that pool sizes are unequal but known. One of the proposed test procedures is , an exact test based on the number of positive pools (denoted by T). Another set of proposed test procedures is a modification of the likelihood ratio, Wald's and Score tests which are commonly-used likelihood-based tests. In paper 1, we derive the distribution of T which will be the basis of the exact test. Other …

Atopy In Us-Mexico Border Elementary School Children: A Pilot Study, Julia Laura Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance. Atopy is a hypersensitivity disorder that mainly affects the mucous membranes and the skin. It is reported to be the most prevalent type of clinical allergy syndrome. Persons who have atopy suffer from various combinations of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis and/or eczema. Atopy is defined as an inherited predisposition to generate IgE against common environmental allergens. Atopy is a type I hypersensitivity condition mediated by IgE immune response, while allergy is any excessive immune response to a foreign antigen. Thus, all atopic disorders are allergic response but some allergic conditions are not atopic per se.

The etiology of pediatric …

Predicting Walking Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior In A Worksite Wellness Setting., Lucia Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study examined constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) as predictors of walking behavior among adult university employees. Specifically, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control towards walking were used to predict behavioral intentions to walk and concurrent walking behavior in a sample of adult university employees. The study is a secondary analysis of data already collected on a sample of 118 employees enrolled in a Worksite Wellness Program from a large southwestern university who completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding, TpB constructs and actual walking behavior. The questions from the survey where derived from the Theory of Planned …

Predictors Of Developmental Screenings For Young Children, Janice Chandler Ranne

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study examines the usefulness of the New Model of Children's Health and its Influences for the identification of predictors for health service effectiveness. Health service effectiveness is measured by probability estimations of whether young children receive formal or informal developmental screenings. Screenings lead to prevention of communication delays in later childhood. Formal screenings with standardized questions are preferred over informal screenings, which are knowledgeable observations. The theoretical framework is a child-centered socio-ecological theory that is untested for use in health service effectiveness studies until the present one. Four developmental concepts of the theoretical framework, social environment, physical environment, biological …

Recent Diarrhea Is Associated With Elevated Salivary Igg Responses To Cryptosporidium In Residents Of An Eastern Massachusetts Community, A. I. Egorov, L. M. Montuori Trimble, L. Ascolillo, H. D. Ward, Deborah A. Levy, R. D. Morris, E. N. Naumova, J. K. Griffiths

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Serological data suggest that Cryptosporidium infections are common but underreported. The invasiveness of blood sampling limits the application of serology in epidemiological surveillance. We pilot-tested a non-invasive salivary anti-Cryptosporidium antibody assay in a community survey involving children and adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Families with children were recruited in a Massachusetts community in July; symptoms data were collected at 3 monthly follow-up mail surveys. One saliva sample per person (n = 349) was collected via mail, with the last survey in October. Samples were analyzed for IgG and IgA responses to a recombinant C. hominis gp15 sporozoite protein using a …

The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Performance Success In Hospitals, Beverly J. D. Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Upheavals in the health care landscape threaten the sustainability of contemporary hospital organizations. Yet there is limited research regarding the characteristics of leaders within successful hospitals. The problem is the leadership styles needed to effectively run hospital organizations have not been identified and/or established. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of congruent leadership styles linked to the success of hospitals in one metropolitan city. The research questions sought to uncover (a) consistent leadership styles within successful hospitals, and (b) what, if any, relationship exists between leadership styles and measures of success. Examination of the literature uncovered …

From Infanticide To Activism: The Transformation Of Emotions And Identity In Self-Help Movements, Verta Taylor, Lisa A. Leitz

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Taylor and Leitz trace processes of collective identity construction and politicization among women suffering from postpartum psychiatric illness who have been convicted of infanticide. Joining a growing body of research suggesting that self‐help and consumer health movements can be a significant force for change in both the cultural and political arenas, Taylor and Lietz examine one such movement, a pen‐pal network of women incarcerated for committing infanticide. Taylor and Leitz show how a sense of collective identity fostered by the pen‐pal network triggered a profound emotional transformation in participants, allowing them to convert shame and loneliness into pride and solidarity, …

Family Members' Influence On Family Meal Vegetable Choices, Tionni R. Wenrich, J. Lynne Brown, Michelle Miller-Day, Kevin J. Kelley, Eugene J. Lengerich

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Objective—Characterize the process of family vegetable selection (especially cruciferous, deep orange, and dark green leafy vegetables); demonstrate the usefulness of Exchange Theory (how family norms and past experiences interact with rewards and costs) for interpreting the data.

Design—Eight focus groups, two with each segment (men/women vegetable-likers/dislikers based on a screening form). Participants completed a vegetable intake form.

Setting—Rural Appalachian Pennsylvania.

Participants—61 low-income, married/cohabiting men (n=28) and women (n=33).

Analysis—Thematic analysis within Exchange Theory framework for qualitative data. Descriptive analysis, t-tests and chi-square tests for quantitative data.

Results—Exchange Theory proved useful for understanding that regardless …

Prenatal Beta-Endorphin As An Early Predictor Of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms In Euthymic Women, Ilona S. Yim, Laura M. Glynn, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

After delivery, many women experience symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD), and early identification of women at risk is therefore important. The opioid peptide [beta]-endorphin has been implicated in non-puerperal depression but its role in the development of PPD is unknown.

"A Cage Of Ovulating Females" : Mary Breckinridge And The Politics Of Contraception In Rural Appalachia, Dana Allen Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service have been the focus of intense scholarly effort over the last twenty years. Scholarship on Mary Breckinridge has centered on her healthcare reform work in Appalachia and its effects on the local residents and culture. This thesis examines the oral contraceptive trial that the FNS performed in Leslie County in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although Breckinridge and the FNS maintained a restrictive contraceptive stance, they paradoxically permitted the contraceptive trial to be conducted on their patients in Leslie County. The decision to participate in the contraceptive trial resulted from a complex …

Observer-Dependent Model For Analyzing Subjective Parameters In Epidemiology, Milad Zarei

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although medical technologies for preventing the contagion and spread of infectious diseases have improved steadily throughout the last century, new infectious diseases are still emerging and spreading swiftly. The modeling of infectious disease spread is crucial in addressing the lack of predictive ability in epidemiology. Managing the spread of infectious diseases requires processing quantitative epidemiological data and the ability to capture the dynamics of the infectious disease in order to provide a measure of control.

In this thesis, I have introducing cognitive biases in diseases spread modeling. For the first time, to the author's knowledge, the human subjective experience has …

Health Risk And Health-Seeking Behaviors Of Migrant And Seasonal Farmworkers On The Us-Mexico Border, Claudia Delilah Saenz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance

The estimated 1–3 million migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) employed in the U.S. play a crucial role in assuring the success of the multi-billion dollar agricultural industry and the nation's access to a safe and nutritious food supply. This predominantly Mexican immigrant occupational group is documented to be at–risk for chronic and infectious disease morbidity and premature mortality but published studies are limited which describe their reproductive/sexual health, mental health, substance abuse, and workplace violence situation. Prior studies are especially scant regarding U.S.–Mexico border MSFW.

Objectives and Hypothesis

The major objective of the pilot study was to …

Metabolic Actions Of Insulin In Men And Women, Faidon Magkos, Xuewen Wang, Bettina Mittendorfer

Faculty Publications

Insulin is an important regulator of glucose, lipid and protein metabolism. It suppresses hepatic glucose and triglyceride production, inhibits adipose tissue lipolysis and whole-body and muscle proteolysis and stimulates glucose uptake in muscle. In this review we discuss what is currently known about the control of substrate metabolism by insulin in men and women. The data available so far indicate that women are more sensitive to insulin with regards to glucose metabolism (both in the liver and in muscle) whereas there are no differences between men and women in insulin action on lipolysis. Potential differences exist in the regulation of …

Comparison Of Ammonia And Particulate Matter Air Sample Concentrations At Task-Locations Within Swine Confinement Buildings., Earl Dan Bembry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: A task-associated analysis of ammonia and particulate matter concentrations was conducted on swine farms in breeding and gestation barns. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific tasks performed by workers increase concentrations of ammonia and particulate matter exposure.

Methods: An exploratory, descriptive design was used to determine if swine confinement workers have increased ammonia and particulate matter exposure when performing assigned tasks in breeding and gestation barns. A convenience sample of 8 workers volunteered from among all breeding and gestation workers (n=24). Data collection occurred in the morning at each of the 8 farms …

A Comparison Of The Wellbeing Of Orphans And Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 In Institutional And Community-Based Care Settings In 5 Less Wealthy Nations, Kathryn Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Rachel A. Whetten, Brian W. Pence, Karen O'Donnell, Lynne C. Messer, Nathan M. Thielman, The Positive Outcomes For Orphans (Pofo) Research Team

Faculty Publications

Background

Leaders are struggling to care for the estimated 143,000,000 orphans and millions more abandoned children worldwide. Global policy makers are advocating that institution-living orphans and abandoned children (OAC) be moved as quickly as possible to a residential family setting and that institutional care be used as a last resort. This analysis tests the hypothesis that institutional care for OAC aged 6–12 is associated with worse health and wellbeing than community residential care using conservative two-tail tests.

Methodology

The Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) study employed two-stage random sampling survey methodology in 6 sites across 5 countries to identify 1,357 …