Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions About Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Akwa Ibom State Of Nigeria: A Qualitative Study Of Young Adults Age 18-24, Mfon Archibong Archibong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the ongoing investments in programs to increase sexual health awareness among young adults globally, many youths remain vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Two-thirds of all STDs occur among youths engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors, which put young adults at higher risk of STDs and can result in serious consequences including infertility. Additionally, the social consequences of STD affect families and communities. While a need exists for increased public awareness of STDs among young adults, extant intervention and prevention activities should be informed by a cultural perspective, including the integration of community and government roles. The purpose of this …

Improving The Inference Of Some Experiemtal Studies By Using Ranked Auxiliary Covariates, Rajai Jabrah

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In many studies, the measurement of sampling units according to the response variable is costly or time consuming, however, it is possible to rank sampling units according to baseline auxiliary covariates, which are available, easily obtainable, and cost efficient. In these cases, when estimating the population mean, Ranked Set Sampling (RSS) can be a more efficient sampling method than the Simple Random Sampling (SRS) method. In this dissertation, we propose a modified approach of the RSS method to allocate units into an experimental study, aimed to compare two or more groups.

Ranked auxiliary covariates, which are typically correlated with the …

Dietary Patterns And Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness In African-American And European-American Men, Lara Ryan Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Several foods and nutrients have been linked to prostate cancer risk, but the effect of overall diet on prostate cancer outcomes is not well understood. Previous research has primarily examined a posteriori dietary patterns in relation to prostate cancer; studies that have used a priori dietary patterns and their relationship with prostate cancer have been inconclusive. Furthermore, racial differences in prostate cancer incidence and aggressiveness are not well understood. Data from the case-only North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) was used to examine the association between overall dietary pattern, as measured by the Mediterranean Diet (MED) score and the Dietary …

Lead Exposure In Children Through Water And Soil, Sravya Maru

Environmental Management & Risk Assessment (PH 560)

Lead is a metal which has the ability to spread in the earth’s crust and has corrosive property. It is a naturally occurring metal which is soft in nature. Lead exposure in children is through various pathways and the major concentrated sources are the soil and drinking water. Children are most susceptible to lead exposure is due to their growing/developing bodies which are very sensitive to lead. Lead poisoning in children is a preventable environmental disease affecting many children around the world. This paper discusses how soil and water plays a major role in lead exposure to children’s routine life. …

'At-Risk' Places: Inequaties In The Distribution Of Environmental Stressors And Prescription Rates Of Mental Health Medications In Glasgow, Scotland, Juliana A. Maantay, Andrew Maroko

Publications and Research

Using geospatial analytical methods, this study examines the association between one aspect of the built environment, namely, the concentration of vacant and derelict land (VDL), and the prevalence of mental health disorders (using the proxy variable of mental health medication prescription rates) in Glasgow, Scotland. This study builds on our previous research, which demonstrated the spatial correspondence between the locations of VDL in Glasgow and several physical health outcomes. Numerous studies of other locales have found similar correspondence between different elements of the built environment and various health outcomes. This is the first study of its kind to look at …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Melanoma Incidence Rates In Georgia: 2000-2011, Marybeth Culp, Sara W. Robb, A. R. Bayakly, John E. Vena

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The objective of this research was to investigate melanoma incidence rates and health outcomes in Georgia over time and by race, socio-economic status (SES), and gender.

Methods: Age-adjusted melanoma incidence rates were obtained from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry SEER*Stat Database (2000-2011). To compare incidence rates across counties, and public health districts and by race, SES and gender, maps were generated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A cluster analysis was performed by use of SaTScan, and maps were created to visualize clusters of melanoma cases.

Results: In Georgia, from 2000-2011, age-adjusted incidence rates for melanoma were higher among Whites …

Effect Of The New York City Overdose Prevention Program On Unintentional Heroin-Related Overdose Death, 2000-2012, Anne Elizabeth Siegler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Drug overdose mortality is the leading cause of injury death in both the United States (US) and New York City (NYC). Heroin-related overdoses make up the majority of overdoses in NYC. Since 2006, when a law was passed that allowed for layperson administration of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, heroin-related overdose deaths have decreased in NYC. No studies to date have investigated a possible association between the implementation of this intervention and heroin-related overdose mortality.

Objectives: To investigate the possible association between overdose prevention programs (OPPs) and heroin-related overdose mortality in NYC, using interrupted time series and geospatial analytic …

Evaluation Of Soil As A Risk Indicator For Human Leptospirosis In Coastal, Rural Ecuador, Chad Allen Weddell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochete bacteria (family Leptospiraceae, genus Leptospira), is endemic in developing tropical regions of the world. It occurs in epidemics and is endemic in Ecuador where environmental conditions are ideal for maintenance. The role of soil as a long term reservoir has been previously been documented. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technology was used in our study to further explore the role of soil as an environmental reservoir and its potential use as a static risk indicator for disease. Red, Green, Blue (RGB) spectral band data from known leptospire …

Effect Of Timely Treatment On Malaria Gametocytemia In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Miguel Reina-Ortiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a disease that causes great burden in public health worldwide. It was estimated that in 2011 there were 3.3 billion people at risk of acquiring malaria. According to data from the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador, malaria incidence has shown a 99.9% steady decrease since year 2000. This study evaluated the effect of timely treatment on circulating gametocyte and malaria incidence rates. All cases reported in the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador from July 2012 to March 2015 and to the national headquarters between February 2012 and December 2014 were studied. The effect of early treatment on: 1) …

Rural Opioid And Other Drug Use Disorder Diagnosis: Assessing Measurement Invariance And Latent Classification Of Dsm-Iv Abuse And Dependence Criteria, Billy Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rates of non-medical prescription drug use in the United States (U.S.) have increased dramatically in the last two decades, leading to a more than 300% increase in deaths from overdose, surpassing motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury deaths. In rural areas, deaths from unintentional overdose have increased by more than 250% since 1999 while urban deaths have increased at a fraction of this rate. The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that cultural, economic, and environmental factors prevalent in rural America affect the rate of substance use disorder (SUD) in that population, and …

Epid 7133 - Epidemiologic Research Methods I, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will focus on epidemiologic methods - primarily methods used in observational studies, cohort studies, case-control studies and randomized controlled trials. With respect to cohort studies, topics covered include cohort identification, ascertainment of exposure status, follow-up of cohort members, measuring outcomes, sources of bias and interpretational issues. Case-control topics include issues around defining cases and controls, control of confounding, and sources of bias/systematic error. Topics around randomized trials include randomization procedures, defining and assembling treatment/intervention arms, selecting study subjects and approaches to data collection. Other topics covered in this course include surveillance and ecologic studies. Pros and cons of …

Pubh 8133 02p - Epidemiologic Methods, Kelly L. Sullivan

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

An advanced epidemiology course designed to reinforce epidemiological concepts, as well as build a foundation for epidemiologic research in public health practice. Specific course content includes observational and experimental epidemiologic research methods. Emphasis will also be placed on appropriate analytic techniques necessary for biostatistical inference.

Pubh 8133 01p - Epidemiologic Methods, Yelena N. Tarasenko

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

An advanced epidemiology course designed to reinforce epidemiological concepts, as well as build a foundation for epidemiologic research in public health practice. Specific course content includes observational and experimental epidemiologic research methods. Emphasis will also be placed on appropriate analytic techniques necessary for biostatistical inference

Association Between Air Temperature And Heart Disease Death Rates In Georgia Counties, John Hart

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In this ecological study, global warming theory was tested on a local level, in Georgia. The hypothesis was that warmer counties would be associated with higher death rates.

Methods: Heart disease death rates (HDDR) for 2008-2010 by Georgia county were compared to air temperature, also by county for the same years. Three race categories for HDDR were studied: black, white, and all races. Since there is evidence that living at higher land elevations provides a protective effect against heart disease, land elevation by county was included as a second predictor.

Results: Correlation analyses revealed low strength, statistically significant correlations …

Identifying Individual Risk Factors And Documenting The Pattern Of Heat-Related Illness Through Analyses Of Hospitalization And Patterns Of Household Cooling, Michael T. Schmeltz, Grace Sembajwe, Peter J. Marcotullio, Jean A. Grassman, David U. Himmelstein, Stephanie Woolhandler

Publications and Research

Background
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events researchers and public health officials must work towards understanding the causes and outcomes of heat-related morbidity and mortality. While there have been many studies on both heatrelated illness (HRI), there are fewer on heat-related morbidity than on heatrelated mortality.

Objective
To identify individual and environmental risk factors for hospitalizations and document patterns of household cooling.

Methods
We performed a pooled cross-sectional analysis of secondary U.S. data, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Risk ratios were calculated from multivariable models to identify risk factors for hospitalizations. Hierarchical modeling was also …

Association Between Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity And Pneumococcal Disease In Infants: A Time Series Analysis Of Us Hospitalization Data., Daniel M. Weinberger, Keith P. Klugman, Claudia A. Steiner, Lone Simonsen, Cécile Viboud

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

The importance of bacterial infections following respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains unclear. We evaluated whether variations in RSV epidemic timing and magnitude are associated with variations in pneumococcal disease epidemics and whether changes in pneumococcal disease following the introduction of seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) were associated with changes in the rate of hospitalizations coded as RSV.

METHODS AND FINDINGS:

We used data from the State Inpatient Databases (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), including >700,000 RSV hospitalizations and >16,000 pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations in 36 states (1992/1993-2008/2009). Harmonic regression was used to estimate the timing of the average seasonal …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Regression Analysis Of Lung Cancer Risk And Inorganic Arsenic In Drinking Water., Steven H. Lamm, Hamid Ferdosi, Elisabeth K. Dissen, Ji Li, Jaeil Ahn

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

High levels (> 200 µg/L) of inorganic arsenic in drinking water are known to be a cause of human lung cancer, but the evidence at lower levels is uncertain. We have sought the epidemiological studies that have examined the dose-response relationship between arsenic levels in drinking water and the risk of lung cancer over a range that includes both high and low levels of arsenic. Regression analysis, based on six studies identified from an electronic search, examined the relationship between the log of the relative risk and the log of the arsenic exposure over a range of 1-1000 µg/L. The …

Examining Alcohol Consumption, Psychological Distress, And Current Smoking Status: Results From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013, Guangxing Zhan

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Approximately 443,000 people die from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million people have a serious smoking-related illness, which costs nearly $96 billion in health-care expenditures and $97 billion in productivity losses annually in the United States. This study examined the association between alcohol consumption and smoking status, and how psychological distress can affect this association. Methods: Data come from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). We used binary logistic regression models to compute adjusted odds ratios between alcohol consumption and smoking status, controlling for age, gender, race, education, and income. We used chi-square …

Concealed Weapon Proliferation And The Impact On Firearm-Related Fatalities And Injuries Due To Assault In Kentucky, 2005-2013, Travis Young

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives: The objective of our research was to look broadly at firearms and health in the state of Kentucky, where annual gun purchases are rising and laws eliminating restrictions on concealed carry have empowered more than 300,000 citizens to carry firearms in virtually any public setting. As guns become more prevalent, and more readily accessible, will violent crime decrease as some have predicted, or will the potential for conflict escalation cause the opposite effect?

Methods: Utilizing death records for firearm-related homicides and hospitalization and emergency department visit data for injuries occurring due to firearm-related assault, we correlated the rate of …

Alcohol Sale Status And Violent Deaths In Kentucky, Usa: 2005-2012, Hanan Abdulghafoor Khaleel

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Alcohol is one of the major public health problems worldwide because of its association with many health and psychological problems. This study adds to the extant literature by examining the association between being a resident in a wet county and having an alcohol related violent death, an alcohol related suicide, or an alcohol related homicide victimization.

The first aim of this study is to determine whether residents of wet counties have a higher odds of alcohol related violent deaths than residents of dry/moist counties after adjusting for other confounding factors. The second aim is to determine whether residents of wet …

Creating A Foundation For The Causal Relationship Between Libraries And Learning: A Proposed Application Of Nursing And Public Health Research Methods, Marcia A. Mardis, Sylvia K. Norton, Gail K. Dickinson, Shana Pribesh, Allison Cline, Sue Kimmel, Jody Howard

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Thomas Cook, a renowned causal research expert and professor of sociology, psychology, education, and social policy at Northwestern University (USA), called for school library researchers to parallel causality determination efforts in health-related fields. In this paper, we respond to Dr. Cook’s challenge with a proposed research design centered on Mixed Research Synthesis (MRS) as part of process validated by the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation’s Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development. MRS studies, often used in nursing and public health research to develop causal theories, enable researchers to develop evidence summaries; identify and adjudicate rival and …

Three Studies On Cardiovascular Health: Modifiable Risk Factors And Health Expenditures In Medicare, Kristal Jo Aaron

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation comprises a series of studies conducted on modifiable risk factors as they contribute to cardiovascular health and disease and their associated health service expenditures and utilization. Specific topics in this compilation include (1) exploring the role of dietary sodium and potassium intake in cardiovascular health and disease; (2) examination of direct health expenditures in the Medicare-linked REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort as associated with Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), a composite measure of cardiovascular health defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) that is based on seven modifiable risk factors (blood pressure, blood cholesterol, …

Correlation Analysis Of Climatic Variables, Migration And Dengue Cases In Southeast Florida, Brunilda Lugo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dengue fever is a debilitating, viral, mosquito-borne disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas in the world. The majority of dengue cases in the United States were acquired in endemic areas by travelers or immigrants. However, in recent years, autochthonous (locally acquired) dengue cases have been diagnosed in Florida. The purpose of this study was to find an association between potential risk factors and the expansion of dengue fever in the United States. Guided by the eco-bio-social framework, which offers a broad assessment of risk factors for the illness, a retrospective design was used with archival data to correlate changes …

Effect Of Primary Care Physician Density On Late Stage Cervical Cancer Diagnosis, Emily Haanschoten

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis is an important contributing factor to the cervical cancer mortality rate. Screening for cervical cancer is a vital tool in reducing the number of late-stage cases, preventing incident cases and reducing mortality. Access to care is often a significant barrier to receiving these services. Women who have no usual source of care report significantly lower percentages of Pap tests than women who have a usual source. South Carolina ranks 13th in the US in cervical cancer incidence and 7th in cervical cancer mortality. South Carolina also struggles with a primary care physician shortage, ranking 39th …

A Review Of Software For Analyzing Molecular Sequences, Haema Nilakanta, Kimberly L. Drews, Suzanne Firrell, Mary A. Foulkes, Kathleen A. Jablonski

GW Biostatistics Center

Background Over the past ten years, there has been an explosion of microbiome research. Many software packages for analyzing microbial sequences such as the 16S gene from 454 sequencers and Illumina platforms are available. But for a new researcher, it is difficult to know which package to choose. We present a systematic review of packages for the analysis of molecular sequences used to describe and compare microbial communities. This review gives students and researchers information to help choose the best analytic pipeline for their project. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of such software.

Findings …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Of Pm2.5 Speciation Metals And Their Mixtures, Boubakari Ibrahimou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in the ambient air is associated with various health effects. There is increasing evidence which implicates the central role played by specific chemical components such as heavy metals of PM_2.5. Given the fact that humans are exposed to complex mixtures of environmental pollutants such as PM_2.5, research efforts are intensifying to study the mixtures composition and the emission sources of ambient PM, and the exposure-related health effects. Factor analysis as well source apportionment models are statistical tools potentially useful for characterizing mixtures in PM_2.5. However, classic …

Pendapatan Daerah, Pembiayaan Kesehatan, Dan Gizi Buruk Pada Balita: Studi Korelasi Tingkat Kabupaten/Kota, Septyana Choirunisa, Asri C. Adisasmita

Kesmas

Pendanaan kesehatan merupakan salah satu faktor penting dalam memengaruhi derajat kesehatan, termasuk salah satu masalah gizi pada balita yang disebut gizi buruk. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan pendapatan daerah dan pembiayaan kesehatan serta korelasinya dengan gizi buruk pada balita di tingkat kabupaten/kota di Indonesia tahun 2007. Penelitian ini merupakan studi ekologi/korelasi. Data pendapatan daerah dan pembiayaan kesehatan didapat dari Kementerian Keuangan, sedangkan data gizi buruk menggunakan data Riset Kesehatan Nasional tahun 2007. Sebanyak 250 kabupaten/kota yang diteliti dengan tidak mengikutsertakan kabupaten/kota yang datanya tidak lengkap atau tidak valid. Secara nasional, hanya persentase pendapatan asli daerah (PAD) per total …

Low Risk Of Attrition Among Adults On Antiretroviral Therapy In The Rwandan National Program: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis Of 6, 12, And 18 Month Outcomes, Harriet Nuwagaba-Biribonwoha, Aleksandra Jakubowski, Veronicah Mudisha, Paulin Basinga, Anita Asiimwe, Denis Nash, Batya Elul

Publications and Research

Background
We report levels and determinants of attrition in Rwanda, one of the few African countries with universal ART access.

Methods
We analyzed data abstracted from health facility records of a nationally representative sample of adults [≥18 years] who initiated ART 6, 12, and 18 months prior to data collection; and collected facility characteristics with a health facility assessment questionnaire. Weighted proportions and rates of attrition [loss to follow-up or death] were calculated, and patient- and health facility-level factors associated with attrition examined using Cox proportional hazard models.

Results
1678 adults initiated ART 6, 12 and 18 months prior to …

Examining The Influence Of Farmers' Market Motivations On Access To Healthful Foods And Business Opportunities For Farms, Rachel K. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Farmers’ markets are increasingly promoted as mechanisms for improving access to healthful foods for low-income households, as they are relatively inexpensive to establish and they can provide affordable food for low-income households by offering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer (SNAP/EBT). SNAP/EBT at markets also expands revenue opportunities for participating farmers. Market mangers provide a critical role in overseeing SNAP/EBT at markets and influencing business opportunities for farmers. Using a mixed-method approach, this study aimed to evaluate how managers’ motivations influence SNAP/EBT availability and participation at markets and business opportunities for small- and moderate- sized farms.

To develop a …

Vegetarian Dietary Patterns: Mortality, Colorectal Cancer, And Food Consumption, Michael John Orlich

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective Vegetarian dietary patterns represent longstanding, real-world diets consumed by a minority of persons. Studies of important health outcomes of such diets, particularly for all-cause mortality and colorectal cancer risk, have yielded inconsistent results. We sought to examine these outcomes (mortality and colorectal cancer incidence) in a large North-American cohort. We also sought to further characterize potentially important differences in the food consumption patterns of these diets. Design Baseline diet was measured by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire among more than 96,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the US and Canada, enrolled from 2002-2007. Dietary patterns were defined, based on the reported …