Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Lifestyle And Aging On The Longitudinal Change In Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Andrew S. Jackson, Xuemei Sui, James R. Hébert, Timothy S. Church, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background - Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in adults decreases with age and is influenced by lifestyle. Low CRF is associated with risk of diseases and the ability of older persons to function independently. We defined the longitudinal rate of CRF decline with aging and the association of aging and lifestyle with CRF.

Methods - We studied a cohort of 3429 women and 16,889 men, aged 20 to 96 years, from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed 2 to 33 health examinations from 1974 to 2006. The lifestyle variables were body mass index, self-reported aerobic exercise, and smoking behavior. Cardiorespiratory fitness …

Early Childhood Summit On Comprehensive Services For Homeless Children And Their Families, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy, Nevada Head Start State Collaboration Office, Head Start State Training And Technical Assistance Office For Nevada, Nevada Public Health Foundation

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

On October 23, 2009 the Nevada Head Start State Collaboration Office in partnership with the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, Head Start State Training and Technical Assistance Office for Nevada and the Nevada Public Health Foundation sponsored the Early Childhood Summit on Comprehensive Services for Homeless Children and Their Families. The Summit brought together 142 professionals working with homeless children and families in Nevada from a variety of different organizations and backgrounds. The goal of the summit was to discuss the problem of families experiencing homelessness and offer solutions to professionals in how to better serve these populations.

Responsibility For Disease Management On Rusinga Island: Reconciling The Limitations Of External Aid And The Role Of Community-Based Initiatives, Allyson Russell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rusinga Island has been on the receiving end of many non-governmental and government-run health interventions. Though ample money has been invested in disease control, malaria and HIV/AIDS transmission and death rates remain higher than in any other location in Kenya. This study employs the use of interviews, both formal and informal, focus group discussions and observation in order to discover possible factors which have confounded the success of previous disease management programs. The study seeks the community's perspective on these programs as well as ideas for community-based, bottom-up strategies which might be able to curb the high rates of malaria …

Prediction Of Birth Weight By Cotinine Levels During Pregnancy In A Population Of African American Smokers, Ayman A.E. El-Mohandes, Michele Kiely, Marie G. Gantz, Susan M. Blake, M Nabil El-Khorazaty

Publications and Research

Objective—The goal was to investigate the association between maternal salivary cotinine levels (SCLs) and pregnancy outcome among African Americans smokers

Methods—In a randomized controlled trial conducted in 2001-2004 in Washington, D.C. 714 women (126 active smokers (18%)) were tested for SCLs at the time of recruitment and later in pregnancy. Sociodemographic health risks and pregnancy outcomes were recorded.

Results—Birth weights were significantly lower for infants born to mothers with baseline SCLs of ≥20 ng/ml compared to/ml (p=0.024), ≥50 ng/ml compared to/ml (p=0.002), ≥100 ng/ml compared to/ml (p=0.002), in bivariate analyses. In linear regression analyses adjusting for sociodemographic …

Kibera Community Unconscious Of The Silent Disease: Sti, Sindhya Rajeev

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this study was to conduct a Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Awareness Survey that explores knowledge about STIs and attitude towards them, and thereafter, institute and implement an educational intervention in the Kibera slum, of Nairobi. The survey included 120 participants from the 12 villages of Kibera. It revealed that, of those interviewed, 34% are unable to name an STI other than HIV/AIDS and 99% are unaware of any of the syndromes associated with STIs. This demonstrated a clear need for STI Awareness and education, and thus an informative brochure on STIs was created, to be distributed during …

Lamu Sensitive Aid: Barriers To Distribution, Acceptance, And Use Of Malaria Prevention In Lamu District, Kelan Stoy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

his study examines how organizations work locally to distribute malaria aid and education for malaria prevention. Additionally, it analyzes the effectiveness this aid has in improving malaria preventative techniques used by the people of Lamu District. This effectiveness was compared in the contexts of several regions of the district to further understand differences in rural and urban settings. Information was gathered using a variety of interviews with organizations and prominent community leaders to gauge their ideas on malaria in Lamu and strategies used to prevent it, and informal field interviews to observe different communities’ perspectives on malaria and also their …

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Quality Health Information On The Internet: Developing A Diabetes Pathfinder For The Chinese Population, Ana D. Cleveland, Jodi Philbrick, Xuequn Pan, Xinyu Yu, Jiangping Chen, Marty O'Neill, Lisa Smith

Faculty Publications

A Web-based bilingual diabetes information pathfinder was created to help the Chinese population access quality health information on the Internet as part of a collaborative outreach project in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A survey was conducted to identify the demographics, Internet usage, health information needs, and preferences for training sessions of the Chinese population. Breast cancer, diabetes, and hepatitis B were the top three diseases of interest. The process of developing the pathfinder is described from start to finish, and it can serve as a model for the development of others. Pathfinder training sessions also were held. Taylor & Francis …

Identifying Publication Outlets In Occupational Health Psychology: An Opinion Survey, Maria Karanika-Murray, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Leigh Schmitt

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

How To Build A Health Clinic: Disease Burden, Health Seeking Behavior And Clinic Structures In The Kibera Slums, Samuel Mcgowan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study seeks to determine a model for a health clinic to be run by the Kibera School for Girls in the Katwekera village of Nairobi’s Kibera slums. The study examines the disease burden of the school’s initial target population, the health-seeking behavior of the community, and current clinic structures in Kibera. Using these methodological tactics, the study suggests the Kibera School for Girls should start a small, locally-run clinic that offers basic primary health care to a target population of about 5,000 Kibera residents.

The Birds & The Bees Of The West Usambaras: Family Planning & Population Of Sagara & Kizanda Villages, Melissa Neville

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My study in the West Usambaras took place November 2009. The main objectives of the study were to identify the principle family planning methods of women in Sagara and Kizanda villages, why those specific methods were used, and how they may be changing over time. The study also focused on the population growth and fertility rates of the two villages. I predicted that fertility rates were high and constant, and that most women would use traditional methods of birth control, with only a few choosing to use medication available at the local health clinic or dispensary. My predictions turned out …

Breastfeeding: A Landmark In Global Public Health, Melissa Tinling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the study of public health and the discipline of global health, what is the meaning of the term “global public health”? The author, Melissa Tinling, defines the concept and gives an illustration through the model of the global effort to increase breastfeeding prevalence. Using the WHO and UNICEF joint Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding as the central framework, the responsibilities of the global, international, national, and local levels are depicted within the context of Geneva, Switzerland. The author identifies the ethical considerations implicated in the application of the global public health strategy to breastfeeding.

Social And Economic Determinants Of Infant Ill Health In 159 Georgia Counties: A Comparison Study, Angela Peden, Alison Scott, John G. Peden

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) are important causes of infant morbidity in Georgia and the United States. Georgia county-level data were used to explore the relationships between prematurity and LBW and two social and economic determinants of health: race and poverty status. Spearman rank correlations and Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used. Prematurity and LBW were positively associated with poverty status and the presence of large African American populations. While causation cannot be inferred from correlative data, this analysis highlights the need to consider the role of social and economic factors in infant morbidity. It also highlights …

Suicide Attempts Among Latinas Who Experienced Early Sex Were Largely Mediated By Substance Abuse, Patria Rojas, Sunny Kim, Mario De La Rosa, Wayway M. Hlaing, Theophille Niyonsenga

Florida Public Health Review

The purpose of this study was to describe the role of substance abuse as a mediating factor between early sexual experiences and suicide attempts among adult Latinas. In our study participants (n=158), nearly 15% had attempted suicide and 39% experienced their first sexual encounter at an age of 15 or younger (referred to hereafter as “early sex”). Latinas who experienced early sex were more likely to attempt suicide [OR=2.4, p<0.05], and this relationship was largely mediated by substance abuse. An early sexual debut may indicate an environmental adversity on the child that calls for long term intervention for prevention of substance abuse as well as promotion of psychological well-being later in life.

Quality Of Life Estimation With Structural Equation Modeling In School Aged Children With Asthma, Sheniz Moonie, Xuan Huang, David A. Sterling

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Significant increases in childhood asthma prevalence and mortality has prompted federal and regulatory agencies to work towards a national framework to address childhood asthma. Quality of life is an important component of chronic disease, and the evaluation of healthcare outcomes. There is little discussion in the literature regarding the implications of QoL as a theoretical construct. This study determined the effect of asthma on the QoL of our study population and caregiver’s missed workdays on the child’s QoL scores. A negative relationship was found between the child’s QoL and the caregiver’s missed workdays due to their child’s asthma. The use …

Impact Of Ambient Air Pollution On Survival Of Renal Transplant Recipients, Rhonda Kristine Hwang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is increasing evidence that ambient air pollution is associated with coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. This research has focused on the general public and less so on possible sensitive subgroups even though these may have even greater susceptibility to adverse effects of ambient air pollution. With highly prevalent traditional as well as nontraditional risk factors, renal transplant recipients may potentially be a sensitive subgroup. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of between long-term exposure to air pollution on the risk of CHD mortality among renal transplant recipients. This cohort study includes 32,239 adult, …

Senate Bill 42: Implementation And Impact On Physical Activity In Middle Schools, Cristina S. Barroso, Steven H. Kelder, Andrew E. Springer, Carolyn L. Smith, Nalini Ranjit, Christopher Ledingham, Deanna M. Hoelscher

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Purpose

In 2005, the Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill 42 (SB42), which required public middle school students (grades 6–8) to participate in 30 minutes of daily structured physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess awareness of and adherence to SB42 in Texas middle schools, and to assess the impact of SB42 on the frequency and quality of structured physical activity.

Methods

Key informant (school principals, physical education [PE] instructors, nurses, or designated personnel) telephone interviews on the implementation of SB42 were conducted from a statewide representative sample of public middle schools (n = 112). Direct observation, …

Study Of The Four Factor Theory Of Women’S Sexual Function, Julie M. Merrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tiefer, Hall, and Tavris (2002) described factors comprising four categories of female sexual function. They suggested that unique factors need to be examined to understand sexual function in women. Socio-cultural, political, or economic factors, partner and relationship factors, psychological factors, and medical factors were described as aspects of women’s lives that can be the source of sexual dysfunction. In a previous study, Merrell (2007) utilized Tiefer et al’s (2002) four factor model of sexual functioning to examine female sexual functioning looking specifically at body shame, relationship satisfaction, positive and negative affect, sexual self-schema, and overall health. Based on the results …

Patient/Physician Communication In Type 2 Diabetes-Related Health Behavior Change, Barbara Marie Thomas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adult type 2 diabetes is an increasing problem in the United States and affected over 16 million Americans in 2004. Most patients are treated in primary care settings and managed medically, but controlling insulin resistance through activity and diet is considered the greatest challenge for the next 30 years (Katen, et al., 2007). Understanding how physicians and patients communicate about health behaviors is necessary for developing the most effective strategies for facilitating health behavior change in this population. In the current study, adults with type 2 diabetes (n= 87) from the Loma Linda University Diabetes Treatment Center (LLUDTC), …

Health Center Data Warehouses: Opportunities And Challenges For Quality Improvement, A. Seiji Hayashi, Emily Jones, David M. Stevens, Peter Shin, Brad Finnegan, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

This Policy Research Brief reports on a pilot effort to leverage the growing presence of health center data warehouses to advance health care quality improvement through data sharing and exchange. This project builds on a partnership between the Michigan Primary Care Association and The George Washington University's Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative that centers on developing approaches to using existing health center data for quality improvement.

Survival Of Shigella Flexneri In Swimming Pool Water, Monique Gomez, Helen J. Wing

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Shigellosis is a disease caused by the pathogenic bacterium Shigella flexneri. The bacterium causes bloody diarrheadiarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. Infections can be and may cause fatal. . The disease may also cause bloody diarrhea and intense intestinal crampings. In the United States, there have been many outbreaks of shigellosis have been traced back to associated with inadequately disinfectedchlorinated public swimming pools and wading pools. These outbreaks of sShigellosis are most commonly seen among small children who play in these pools. . My goal is to determine how well Shigella survives in freshly chlorinated pool water and in pool water …

Birth Weight As A Risk Factor For Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis Of 18 Epidemiologic Studies, Xiaohui Xu, Amy B. Dailey, Mary Peoples-Sheps, Evelyn O. Talbott, Ning Li, Jeffrey Roth

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Birth weight has been identified as a birth-related factor associated with the risk of breast cancer. However, the evidence is inconsistent.

Methods: To investigate the association between birth weight and breast cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis of published studies between 1996 and 2008. Eighteen studies encompassing 16,424 breast cancer cases were included in the meta-analysis. Data were combined using a fixed-effect or random-effect model depending on the heterogeneity across studies.

Results: Women with their own birth weight >4000 g or 8.5 lb had a higher risk for developing breast cancer than those with birth weight(OR¼1.20, 95% CI 1.08, 1.34). …

Effect Of California Mission Fig Consumption On Levels Of C-Reactive Protein And Antioxidant Levels, Rasha Abdrabou

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th …

The Effects Of Physical Activity And Nutrient Intake On The Risk Of Hip Fracture : Results From The Adventist Health Study-2, Wen-Ling Liao

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This is a two year of follow up study of Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). We assessed the association between physical activity, nutrient intake and risk of hip fracture among peri- and post menopausal Caucasian women using unconditional logistic regression models. All subjects completed a lifestyle questionnaire which including information of physical activity and frequency and portion size of food intake at enrollment into the study (2002-2007). The “Bi-Annual Hospitalization History” questionnaire which included a question about hip fractures due to minor trauma/falls was sent to subjects approximately two years after enrollment, with a response rat of 82.84%. In this cohort, …

Sedentary Behavior And Obesity In A Large Cohort Of Children, Jonathan A. Mitchell, Calum Mattocks, Andy R. Ness, Sam D. Leary, Russell R. Pate, Marsha Dowda, Steven N. Blair, Chris Riddoch

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sedentary behavior and obesity among 12-year-old children, while adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and other potential confounding variables.

Cross-sectional analyses were carried out with data from 5434 children who participated in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Fat mass was derived using dual x-ray emission absorptiometry (DXA), and height and weight measurements were used to calculate body mass index (BMI; kg/m²). The children wore an accelerometer for seven days. The cut points for sedentary behavior and MVPA were ≤199 cpm and ≥3600 cpm, …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On The Sexual Perceptions And Practices Of Adolescents In Trinidad And Tobago, Vanessa Jones

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the fastest spreading infectious diseases in the Caribbean, and is second only to Sub-Sahara Africa in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost twin island republic in the Caribbean. In 1999, the 5^th leading cause of death among individuals ages 15-34 in Trinidad and Tobago was HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS (2006), the prevalence rate of HIV in Trinidad and Tobago is 2.6%.

Purpose. Currently, there is no standardized HIV/AIDS education program in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Since HIV/AIDS is …

The Medicare Drug Benefit: Update On The Low-Income Subsidy, Mary Ellen Stahlman

National Health Policy Forum

The Medicare drug benefit (Medicare "Part D"), provides federal subsidies to pay premiums and cost sharing for low-income beneficiaries—almost 10 million in 2009. Yet there are several policy issues concerning these low-income beneficiaries under Part D. First, over 2 million individuals who may qualify for the subsidies have not enrolled. Second, in some states, low-income beneficiaries have little choice of plans (while non-low-income beneficiaries have dozens of choices), unless they pay out-of-pocket for premium amounts above what the subsidy covers. And third, millions of those who have enrolled in the benefit face the prospect each year of switching drug plans …

Association Between Community Health Center And Rural Health Clinic Presence And County-Level Hospitalization Rates For Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: An Analysis Across Eight Us States, Janice C. Probst, James N. Laditka, Sarah B. Laditka

Faculty Publications

Background: Federally qualified community health centers (CHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) are intended to provide access to care for vulnerable populations. While some research has explored the effects of CHCs on population health, little information exists regarding RHC effects. We sought to clarify the contribution that CHCs and RHCs may make to the accessibility of primary health care, as measured by county-level rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions.

Methods: We conducted an ecologic analysis of the relationship between facility presence and county-level hospitalization rates, using 2002 discharge data from eight states within the US (579 counties). …

Food Insecurity Among Homeless And Marginally Housed Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids In San Francisco, Sheri D. Weiser, David R. Bangsberg, Susan Kegeles, Kathleen Ragland, Margot B. Kushel, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Food insecurity is a risk factor for both HIV transmission and worse HIV clinical outcomes. We examined the prevalence of and factors associated with food insecurity among homeless and marginally housed HIV-infected individuals in San Francisco recruited from the Research on Access to Care in the Homeless Cohort. We used multiple logistic regression to determine socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with food insecurity, which was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Among 250 participants, over half (53.6%) were food insecure. Higher odds of food insecurity was associated with being white, low CD4 counts, recent crack use, lack of …

Hp Newsletter June 2009 Download Full Pdf

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.