Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of A Jail-Based Substance-Abuse Program On Anxiety, Depression, And Locus Of Control, Peggy Leigh Frick

Dissertations

Problem. More and more alcohol and drug users are coming into contact with the criminal justice system. Some of these individuals may have comorbid mental health issues. This present study sought to determine whether the New Avenues Substance Abuse Treatment Program, housed at the Correctional Work Center, Davidson County, Tennessee, did, in the course of treatment, have an impact on the anxiety, depression, and locus of control of those individuals completing the program.

Method. The Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Rotter Internal versus External Control of Reinforcement Scale were utilized to measure depression, anxiety, and locus …

Be In Control - Living With Diabetes, Laura Prestwich

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

History, Culture And Alcohol: Drinking Patterns In Poland And Australia, Barbara Wolska

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It is a widely held view in Poland that for centuries those in power have promoted heavy drinking among their subjects in order to achieve their various goals and that this contributed to the development of Polish drinking patterns. There is some empirical evidence that the political economy of alcohol in Poland promoted heavy drinking among the Polish population. Drinking alcohol in Poland was an important aspect of social situations. The most popular beverage was vodka(s). Social pressure to drink in the extreme was attributed to the tradition of hospitality. Cultural norms encouraged very heavy drinking among men and imposed …

A Pilot Study Of An Employee Developed Observational Tool As A Valid And Reliable Measure Of Organisational Safety, Matthew Wallace

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Given the increasing high social and economic costs of occupational injury and illness to the Australian community, identification of initiatives to reduce the burden is urgently required. Paramount to reversing this trend is the need to identify and address the causes of the injury and illness. Employee involvement in occupational health and safety has for some time been espoused as an essential element in any occupational health and safety program, but its relationship with safety performance still remains unexplored. Although various theories suggest that the involvement of employees will increase their sense of ownership, there is little research to suggest …

Proteolytic Enzymes In The Marine Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas Atlantica: Post-Secretional Activation And Effects Of Environmental Conditions, Monica Hoffman, Alan W. Decho

Faculty Publications

Production and activities of cellular and extracellular proteolytic enzymes associated with the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas atlantica were examined in response to physiological state and changing environmental variables under laboratory conditions. Enzymes evidenced by zymography were metalloproteases, as defined by substrate preference and susceptibility to inhibitors (EDTA and 1, 10-phenanthroline). Distinct bands (i.e. molecular-weight [MW] size classes) of enzymes were isolated from within cellular and extracellular compartments. Susceptibility of extracellular enzymes to environmental stressors was related, in part, to the MW size classes of the enzymes. While all bands of enzymes showed some degree of inhibition when pH was decreased, the …

Emerging Issues In The Use Of Binding Arbitration To Resolve Disputes Between Individuals And Health Plans, Karl Polzer

National Health Policy Forum

After briefly describing the federal legal framework fostering the growth of binding arbitration, this paper identifies controversies surrounding arbitration as well as arguments supporting and opposing its use. The paper describes the use of arbitration among certain types of collectively bargained employee health plans regulated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in California, and by a large employer operating a self-insured ERISA health plan. Evidence cited by the California Supreme Court that the largest HMO in California operated its mandatory arbitration program in an unfair way is presented, along with the …

The Use Of Uniaxial And Triaxial Accelerometers To Measure Children's "Free-Play" Physical Activity, Alise E. Ott, Russell R. Pate, Stewart G. Trost, Dianne S. Ward, Ruth P. Saunders

Faculty Publications

In order to effectively measure the physical activity of children, objective monitoring devices must be able to quantify the intermittent and nonlinear movement of free play. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Computer Science and Applications (CSA) uniaxial accelerometer and the TriTrac-R3D triaxial accelerometer with respect to their ability to measure 8 "free-play" activities of different intensity. The activities ranged from light to very vigorous in intensity and included activities such as throwing and catching, hopscotch, and basketball. Twenty-eight children, ages 9 to 11, wore a CSA and a heart rate monitor while performing …

Schip In The Formative Years: An Update, Judith D. Moore

National Health Policy Forum

This issue brief examines the status of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) three years after authorizing legislation was enacted. Topics addressed include enrollment and retention of children in new programs, funding allotments and expenditures, evaluation activities planned and underway, the interaction of Medicaid and SCHIP, and problems common across many states.

Children's Understanding Of The Concept Of Physical Activity, Stewart G. Trost, Angela M. Morgan, Ruth P. Saunders, Gwen A. Felton, Dianne S. Ward, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

This study evaluated 4th-grade students' understanding of the concept of physical activity and assessed the effects of two interventions to enhance the students' understanding of this concept. Students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: the video group (n=40) watched a 5-min video describing physical activity; the verbal group (n=42) listened to a generic description of physical activity; the control group received no instruction (n=45). Students completed a 17-item checklist testing their understanding of the concept of physical activity. Compared to controls, students in the verbal and video group demonstrated significantly higher checklist …

Outpatient Commitment In Mental Health: Is Coercion The Price Of Community Services?, Coimbra Sirica

National Health Policy Forum

This paper reviews the debate over civil commitment to outpatient settings of people with mental illness who are considered too ill and/or too dangerous to be left on their own in their communities. The choices of two states — Maryland and New York — in dealing with this issue are reviewed. Alternative ways of drawing people into treatment and keeping them there are also discussed.

Beyond Stigma: What Barriers Actually Affect The Decisions Of Low-Income Families To Enroll In Medicaid?, Jennifer P. Stuber, Kathleen A. Maloy, Sara Rosenbaum, Karen C. Jones

Health Policy and Management Issue Briefs

No abstract provided.

Locus Of Control, Coping, And Anticipatory Nausea In Women With Breast Cancer, Melinda L. Nielsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Many cancer patients experience adverse chemotherapy-related side effects. The present study examined whether the perception that one can control and effectively cope with her treatment for breast cancer mitigate against any nausea and vomiting that she may experience in anticipation of chemotherapy treatments. Seventy-five women with breast cancer completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale - Form C, the Krantz Health Opinion Survey, the Ways of Coping Scale - Revised, and the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis. As hypothesized, internal health locus of control was significantly positively related to positive reappraisal coping strategies. This relationship was moderated by …

Comparison Of A Dietary Record Using Reported Portion Size Versus Standard Portion Size For Assessing Nutrient Intake, Desiree C. Welten, Ruth A. Carpenter, R. Sue Mcpherson, Suzanne Brodney, Deirdre Douglass, James B. Kampert, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Objective: Because the percentage of missing portion sizes was large in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS), careful consideration of the accuracy of standard portion sizes was necessary. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the consequences of using standard portion size instead of reported portion sizes on subjects' nutrient intake.

Methods: In 2307 men and 411 women, nutrient intake calculated from a 3-day dietary record using reported portion sizes was compared with nutrient intake calculated from the same record in which standard portion sizes were substituted for reported portion sizes.

Results: The standard portion sizes provided significantly …

Audit Of Lymph Node Biopsies In Suspected Cases Of Lymphoproliferative Malignancies: Implications On Tissue Diagnosis And Patient Management, Mohammad Zeeshan Qamar, Mehrukh Mujib, Shahid Pervez

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Aims: To carry out an audit ascertaining the importance of condition of lymph node specimen, submission of clinical history including site of biopsy and imrnunohistochemcial studies on conclusiveness of diagnosis made.

Methodology: Computer records of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Histopathology Laboratory were used to analyze all cases of lymphoproliferative malignancies presented at the hospital from 1992 to 1998.

Results: Out of a total of 466 cases studied, in 283 (61%) the lymph nodes were fragmented. The site of biopsy was mentioned in 361 (77.5%) cases with the cervical region forming the most common site (56.5%). A clinical history was …

Pharmaceutical Marketplace Dynamics, Robin J. Strongin

National Health Policy Forum

This issue brief provides a profile of the pharmaceutical industry and explores topics such as competition, generics, intellectual property, research and development, pricing, and distribution. It also discusses government programs such as the Department of Veterans' Affairs federal supply schedule and Medicaid rebates.

Whose Turn Is It Anyway : The Impact Of Job Rotation On The Reduction Of Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Francesco Dimiceli Jr.

Theses

In today's fast-paced world, repetitive activity on the job has become very demanding. Many workers are suffering from injuries known as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). Job rotation can be an effective and powerful tool when seeking to minimize CTDs by allowing workers to experience different activities, thereby distributing the physical demands on the workers' bodies.

A case study was conducted on a northwestern New York manufacturing facility to identify the presence of excessive work stressors and to formulate potential corrective actions, including an analysis of their current job rotation system. The jobs were evaluated using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment. …

Reinventing Medicaid: Hoosier Healthwise And Children's Health Insurance In Indiana, Judith D. Moore, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

This site visit explored the factors that have made Indiana so successful in enrolling children in its Medicaid and SCHIP plans under the brand name Hoosier Healthwise. Site visitors met with legislators and state officials to gain understanding of the genesis and development of Hoosier Healthwise and its aggressive outreach component. A panel of representatives from partner organizations engaged in enrolling children provided further insight into this process. The site visit participants traveled to observe enrollment and operations in both urban (Marion) and rural (Clay) county offices. They also met with health care executives at hospitals, clinics, and neighborhood health …

Providing Low-Cost Assistive Equipment Through Home Care Services: The Massachusetts Assistive Equipment Demonstration, Alison S. Gottlieb, Francis G. Caro

Gerontology Institute Publications

This report describes the Massachusetts Assistive Equipment Demonstration, a collaborative project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson’s Home Care Research Initiative and carried out collaboratively by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA). The purpose of the demonstration was to systematically encourage the use of low-cost assistive equipment among elderly clients through existing case management resources, thereby extending the effectiveness of the Massachusetts home care program by supplementing formal services with expanded use of assistive equipment.

The Pediatric Breathing Survey, Linda J. Galloway

Health Services Research Dissertations

To ensure culturally-sensitive assessments, the researcher designed a Pediatric Breathing Survey (PBS) to measure quality of life for African-American children. The purpose of this study was to test whether the PBS is a reliable and valid instrument. Comparisons of group differences on race, income and parent's level of education based on parent responses to the questionnaires were conducted. More specifically, differences in Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) between Caucasian and African-American children were examined. The researcher-designed instrument was compared to Juniper's Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. The sample consisted of parents of 84 school-aged children diagnosed with asthma. …

Nursing Homes To Medicare Waiver Programs In Vermont, Joseph Murray

New England Journal of Public Policy

This research examines the differences between nursing home residents and those who were able to leave nursing homes with the help of the Medicaid Waiver Program in Vermont. Ninety individuals who reentered the community with the aid of such waivers were compared with a random sample of nursing home residents through the use of the Nursing Home Minimum Data Set. The researchers found divergence in four key areas: cognition, continence, treatment categories, and desire to return to the community. Typically, those who left nursing homes for the community were cognitively intact, had moderate continence, received rehabilitative or clinically complex treatments, …

Improving Quality And Preventing Error In Medical Practice, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

Drawing on the Institute of Medicine's report To Err Is Human, this issue brief looks at quality-improvement and error-reduction efforts at the institutional, regional, and state levels and analyzes the roles of government and the private sector in bringing such efforts into national focus. Questions considered include whether error reporting should be mandatory or voluntary, who should perform error analysis, and the role of the individual in an institutional accountability model.

Pharmacotherapy Of Smoking Cessation, Kolawole S. Okuyemi, Jasjit S. Ahluwalia, Kari J. Harris

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable diseases in the United States. Smoking accounts for more than 400,000 deaths yearly and 30% of all cancer deaths. Primary care physicians have access to 70% of smokers, approximately 60% of whom are perceived to be in excellent health. Recent advances in the pharmacotherapy of nicotine addiction, including nicotine nasal spray, nicotine inhaler, bupropion hydrochloride, and over-the-counter transdermal nicotine patches, have increased the treatment options physicians can offer to smokers. Physicians, especially thosein primary care specialties, should familiarize themselves with these products to improve efforts to help their patients stop smoking. …

How Tuberculosis Threatens Supporters And Opponents Of Racial Profiling, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article explores peculiarities of logic and reason among supporters and opponents of racial profiling as a tool of developing and implementing public policy.

Effect Of Preventive Home Visits By A Nurse On The Outcomes Of Frail Elderly People In The Community: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Dawn M. Dalby, John W. Sellors, Fred D. Fraser, Catherine Fraser, Cornelia Van Ineveld, Michelle Howard

Kinesiology and Physical Education Faculty Publications

Background: Timely recognition and prevention of health problems among elderly people have been shown to improve their health. In this randomized controlled trial the authors examined the impact of preventive home visits by a nurse compared with usual care on the outcomes of frail elderly people living in the community. Methods: A screening questionnaire identified eligible participants (those aged 70 years or more at risk of sudden deterioration in health). Those randomly assigned to the visiting nurse group were assessed and followed up in their homes for 14 months. The primary outcome measure was the combined rate of deaths and …

Current First Aid And Cpr Credentials Of Selected Head High School Athletic Coaches In West Virginia, Amy Robinson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Coaches are typically the immediate caregivers to high school athletes. To date the state of West Virginia has no mandatory laws that coaches be first-aid and CPR certified before they are hired as a coach. The general purpose of this study is to assess current status of first-aid and CPR certifications held by high school head athletic coaches in the state of West Virginia. A packet will be sent to the 160 high schools in West Virginia. The principal will randomly choose five head coaches, at least two females and two males, to fill out the survey which are to …

Response To Critique Of The Claim Of Cannibalism At Cowboy Wash, Patricia M. Lambert, Banks L. Leonard, Brian R. Billman, Richard A. Marlar, Margaret E. Newman, Karl J. Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

The original authors of Billman et af. (2000) are joined by three other analysts from the Cowboy Wash research team to respond to the critique of this article by Dongoske et af. (2000). Dongoske and his coauthors state that Billman et af. (2000) failed to test alternative hypotheses or to consider alternative explanations for the findings at 5MTJOOJO and similar sites. The original authors point out that alternative hypotheses were examined and rejected, leaving a violent episode of cannibalism as the most plausible explanation for the remains found at 5MTJOOJO. Dongoske et af. also question many aspects of the osteological, …

Lessons Learned In Applying The U.S. Epa Proposed Cancer Guidelines To Specific Compounds, Melvin Andersen, M. Elizabeth Meek, Gary Boorman, David Brusick, Samuel Cohen, Yvonne Dragan, Clay Frederick, Jay Goodman, Gordon Hard, Ellen O'Flaherty, Denise Robinson

United States Public Health Resources

An expert panel was convened to evaluate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Proposed Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment” through their application to data sets for chloroform (CHCl₃) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA). The panel also commented on perceived strengths and limitations encountered in applying the guidelines to these specific compounds. This latter aspect of the panel’s activities is the focus of this perspective. The panel was very enthusiastic about the evolution of these proposed guidelines, which represent a major step forward from earlier EPA guidance on cancer-risk assessment. These new guidelines provide the latitude to consider diverse scientific data …

Point Blank: Product Liability Law Takes Aim At Guns, Deborah Robinson

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Female Condom: Dynamics Of Use In Urban Zimbabwe, Deanna Kerrigan, Steve Mobley, Naomi Rutenberg, Andrew A. Fisher, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In July 1997, Population Services International (PSI), at the request of the Zimbabwe National AIDS Coordination Programme, launched a social marketing program for the female condom in Zimbabwe. To avoid stigma associated with condoms and STI prevention, the female condom was marketed as a family planning product or “contraceptive sheath” under the brand name “Care.” It was initially sold through pharmacies and clinics at a heavily subsidized retail price of US $0.24 for two; distribution has since expanded to other urban outlets, including supermarkets and convenience stores. Approximately one year after the start of the social marketing program, the Horizons …

Peer Education And Hiv/Aids: Past Experience, Future Directions, Deanna Kerrigan, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

Peer education typically involves training and supporting members of a given group to effect change among members of the same group. Peer education is often used to effect changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors at the individual level. However, peer education may also create change at the group or societal level by modifying norms and stimulating collective action that contributes to changes in policies and programs. Worldwide, peer education is one of the most widely used strategies to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This report presents findings from a project designed to identify components and principles that influence HIV/AIDS peer …