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Covid-19 Vaccine Policies, & Vaccine Hesitancy: Improving Vaccine Uptake Together With One Respectful Voice, Emmanuela Nwaonumah, Emilee Larson, Danielle Soler Lopes, Bettye Apenteng

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Jiann-Ping Hsu College Of Public Health Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Message from the Dean: Stuart H. Tedders, PhD
• One-On-One: Marshall in Conversation with Aslan
• Alumni Feature: Improving the Body Art Industry
• Truth is Better than Fiction
• An Invisible Danger
• New Development Council
• The Period Equity Movement
• Averitt Award Winner and Together United
• Our Students Around the World
• Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Center for Addiction Recovery Making an impact: Scholarship recipient named
• Karl E. Peace Center for Biostatistics and Survey Research Working together: Biostatistics collaborations
• Center for Public Health Practice and Research Improving Health Outcomes
• Faculty and Students
• Office of Practice and Research
• College
• Photos

Alzheimer's Disease Research Progress In Australia: The Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium In Sydney, Claire E. Sexton, Kaarin J. Anstey, Filippo Baldacci, C. J. Barnum, Anna M. Barron, Kaj Blennow, Henry Brodaty, Samantha Burnham, Fanny M. Elahi, Jürgen Götz, Yun-Hee Jeon, Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, Susan M. Landau, Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Simon M. Laws, Darren M. Lipnicki, Hanzhang Lu, Colin L. Masters, Wendy Moyle, Akinori Nakamura, Giulio Maria Pasinetti, Naren Rao, Christopher Rowe, Perminder S. Sachdev, Peter R. Schofield, Einar M. Sigurdsson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Alzheimer's Association International Conference held its sixth Satellite Symposium in Sydney, Australia in 2019, highlighting the leadership of Australian researchers in advancing the understanding of and treatment developments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. This leadership includes the Australian Imaging, Biomarker, and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL), which has fueled the identification and development of many biomarkers and novel therapeutics. Two multimodal lifestyle intervention studies have been launched in Australia; and Australian researchers have played leadership roles in other global studies in diverse populations. Australian researchers have also played an instrumental role in efforts to understand mechanisms …

Barriers To Hiv Related Services Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) In Rural Georgia, Jordan D. Helms, Alvin Tran, Neal Carnes, Eric J. Nehl

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the Southeastern United States are at high risk of contracting HIV, and those in rural communities experience challenges in accessing HIV prevention and treatment.

Methods: Seven health care workers and 17 MSM in rural health care districts participated in semi-structured interviews. A theory-informed thematic analysis approach was used to summarize and compare perspectives between health care workers and MSM participants.

Results: Stigma, insufficient resources, and social structures of rural life emerged as barriers to accessing HIV-related services

Conclusions: Overcoming these barriers are necessary to reduce HIV infection …

Factors Associated With Mask Use In New York City Neighborhood Parks During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Audit Study, Lisa Hitch, Marie A. Sillice, Hanish Kodali, Katarzyna E. Wyka, Javier Otero Peña, Terry Tk Huang

Publications and Research

Background: Mask use is a cost-effective measure to decrease COVID-19 transmission. Mask mandates intend to increase mask compliance but are often ambiguous when it comes to public outdoor spaces.

Methods: We used a field audit study to examine mask use in New York City neighborhood parks during COVID-19. 1453 park visitors were observed in 13 parks during July–August 2020 using a modified and validated park use audit tool (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) that included items on general and proper mask use (i.e., mask covering both nose and mouth). Generalized estimating equation regression was used to determine …

African American Women’S Body Image Perceptions And The Built Environment, Andrea Denise Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American (AA) women have a 54.8% overall obesity rate in the United States. This quantitative cross-sectional study’s aim was to determine what factors may have an impact on body image perceptions of AA women in Alabama and New Jersey. A gap in research this study addressed is sociodemographic and geographic differences that may impact obesity rates among AA women. The theoretical framework used for this study was the social cognitive theory. Secondary data were obtained from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Linear regression (LR) analyses results showed that none of the sociodemographic variables (education level, employment status, …

Examining The Spatial Relationship Between Maternal Morbidity, Access To Health Care, And Community Characteristics In West Virginia, Sarah E. Woolard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Maternal-related morbidity rates in the United States have risen almost three fold since the early 1990’s. Issues related to rurality, socioeconomic disparities, and pre-existing health conditions increase the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes and introduce barriers to accessing advanced maternal health care. West Virginia (WV) has higher maternal morbidity rates than many other states in the United States (US), and is considered to be driven by all 55 counties being classified as Appalachian, possessing the highest prenatal smoking rate in the US, and having disparities in access to health care. Despite this, no previous studies have evaluated maternal morbidity in …

Exposure To Malaria Awareness Messages And Preventive Health Behaviors Among Informal Workers In Ghana, Nora Larkai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a global health issue that is most prevalent in Sub-Saharan countries such as Ghana. In the past, various studies have examined the use of malaria messages and malaria prevalence; however, very few Ghanaian studies focus explicitly on using various types of malaria-related messaging modalities and the impact of these messaging systems on lessening malaria contraction among the informal sectors. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between exposure to malaria awareness messages, place of residence, and preventive health behaviors controlling for sex, occupation group, marital status, and educational level among Ghanaian informal workers. This study …

Factors That Influence Seeking Prostate Cancer Preventive Care In African Immigrants, Millicent N. Seilenga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractProstate cancer is a major public health problem, being the second leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men, but mortality can be prevented with the use of early detection strategies. African American men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as compared to Hispanic and White men. African immigrant men as compared to African American men born in the United States have higher mortality rates of prostate cancer due to not seeking preventive care. However, little is known about the factors that prevent African immigrant men living in the United States from seeking prostate cancer …

Antipsychotic Medication Administration In Oregon Assisted Living/Residential Care Settings: Analyzing An Action Situation, Sarah Dys

Dissertations and Theses

Antipsychotic medication use (APU) in assisted living and residential care (AL/RC) settings is an under-studied and controversial health policy issue. APU in older adults with dementia is associated with an increased risk of falls, hospitalizations, and early mortality. I operationalize the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework using a situational analysis approach, an extension of grounded theory methods, to explore the APU in Oregon AL/RC settings. Regulatory deficiency citations, Oregon AL/RC population data, and semi-structured interviews suggest that staff role clarity, organizational characteristics, and perceived agency influence decision-making around APU. AL/RC providers and caregivers are forced to simultaneously balance and prioritize …

The Potential Of Mental Health Policy Implementation: Methods And Applications, Meagan Renee Pilar

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness affects roughly 20% of the world in some capacity and can be debilitating. Though a large emphasis has historically been placed on individual-level interventions (e.g., therapy or medication), mental health policies present an opportunity to intervene on a large scale, with the potential to enhance impact and equity. This dissertation contributes to the mental health policy research literature in three main ways—(1) exploring factors affecting policymakers’ overall support of mental health policies; (2) assessing the use and quality of quantitative and qualitative methods within this field; and (3) exploring implementation determinants and outcomes, as well as strategies used …

New Orleans During A Pandemic: Engaging African American Community Stakeholders On Covid-19 Information, Prevention, Testing And Vaccination, Anthony Thompson

XULAneXUS

This case study examines how the Louisiana Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (LA-CEAL) worked to engage African American residents in New Orleans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on research interviews with Black physicians, pharmacists, and community health providers, along with field notes collected during 12 months of project assistance, the study addresses four research questions concerning African American hesitancy toward COVID-19 treatment and vaccination, strategies for community engagement, clinical trial recruitment, and inclusive research practices during a pandemic. Findings indicate that vaccine hesitancy and research mistrust among Black New Orleanians are rooted in a long history of scientific racism …

Hospital Effluents And Wastewaters Treatment Plants: A Source Of Oxytetracycline And Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria In Seafood, Bozena Mccarthy, Samuel Obeng Apori, Michelle Giltrap, Abhijnan Bhat, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC, AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although, OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, …

Policy Implications Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Food Security In Rural America: Evidence From Appalachia, Kathryn M. Cardarelli, Emily M. Dewitt, Rachel Gillespie, Rachel Hogg-Graham, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Janet T. Mullins

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Rural communities are disproportionally affected by food insecurity, making them vulnerable to the consequences of supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While access to food was initially diminished due to food supply disruptions, little is known about the mechanisms through which federal emergency assistance programs impacted food access in rural populations. Through a series of five focus groups in spring 2021, we examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access in a rural Appalachian community in Kentucky. Data were analyzed using a Grounded Theory Approach. Findings revealed the following four primary themes: food scarcity in grocery stores; …

Assessing Acceptability Of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Among Adult Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tesfaye Yadete, Kavita Batra, Dale M. Netski, Sabrina Antonio, Michael J. Patros, Johan C. Bester

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Given the emergence of breakthrough infections, new variants, and concerns of waning immunity from the primary COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots emerged as a viable option to shore-up protection against COVID-19. Following the recent authorization of vaccine boosters among vulnerable Americans, this study aims to assess COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy and its associated factors in a nationally representative sample. A web-based 48-item psychometric valid survey was used to measure vaccine literacy, vaccine confidence, trust, and general attitudes towards vaccines. Data were analyzed through Chi-square (with a post hoc contingency table analysis) and independent-sample t-/Welch tests. Among 2138 participants, nearly 62% intended …

"These Jests Of God": Arrowsmith And Tropical Medicine’S Racial Ecology, James Fitz Gerald

English and Media Studies Faculty Publications

This essay examines Sinclair Lewis's Arrowsmith (1925) through the ethical and ecological contingencies of U.S. tropical medicine in the early twentieth century. With an eye kept on the novel's well-known "St. Hubert " chapters, the essay elaborates the dangerous compromises that even the most well-intentioned medical professionals make in the name of scientific progress. The novel, I argue, summons and yet moves beyond the traditional outbreak narrative to unravel the various political, economic, and cultural strands of U.S. imperial medicine. The novel's platform for applied sanitary science helps me revisit famed public health campaigns, particularly those from Cuba and Panama, …

The Physiological Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet On Cardiovascular Health, Jenevieve Petray

Nursing | Senior Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly more prevalent in today’s society and is attributed to an alarming percentage of American hospitalizations and deaths. Americans are unhealthier than ever before, and the main contributor is the Western diet. Diet is a double-edged sword that can offer benefits or detriments to one’s health. CVD encompasses numerous diagnoses originating from various underlying physiological alterations. These alterations are downstream effects of increased body weight and BMI, increased cholesterol levels, decreased insulin sensitivity and increased arterial plaque buildup. Research shows that a plant-based diet has the potential to manage and reverse all fundamental physiological alterations that …

Planning For Evacuation And Sheltering Of Vulnerable & Medically Fragile Populations During The Post-Vaccine Period Of A Compound Hurricane-Pandemic Threat: After-Action Report (Aar) Summarizing Results Of A Workshop Hosted On September 27, 2021, Wie Yusuf, Converge Covid-19 Working Group, Old Dominion University, University Of South Florida

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

From the Executive Summary:

The CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group’s Workshop on Planning for Evacuation and Sheltering of Vulnerable and Medically Fragile Populations during the Post-vaccine Period of a Compound Hurricane-Pandemic Threat was held virtually on September 27, 2021. The 137 workshop participants represented federal, state, and local governments, the nonprofit sector and advocacy organizations, businesses, and academic institutions. Participants primarily represented functional areas of emergency management, planning, and public health. Geographically, the workshop participants came from 20 states, primarily along the Eastern seaboard plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

Parks And The Pandemic: A Scoping Review Of Research On Green Infrastructure Use And Health Outcomes During Covid-19, Megan Heckert, Amanda Bristowe

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

Green infrastructure (GI) has long been known to impact human health, and many academics have used past research to argue for the potential importance of GI as a mechanism for maintaining or improving health within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping review addresses the question: What evidence, if any, have researchers found of a relationship between green infrastructure use and health during the COVID-19 pandemic? Specifically, evaluating the (a) association of GI use with COVID-19 disease outcomes and (b) association of GI use with other health outcomes as impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-two studies were identified that …

Does Precise Case Disclosure Limit Precautionary Behavior? Evidence From Covid-19 In Singapore, Aljoscha Janssen, Matthew H. Shapiro

Research Collection School Of Economics

Limiting the spread of contagious diseases can involve both government-managed and voluntary efforts. Governments have a number of policy options beyond direct intervention that can shape individuals’ responses to a pandemic and its associated costs. During its first wave of COVID-19 cases, Singapore was among a few countries that attempted to adjust behavior through the announcement of detailed case information. Singapore's Ministry of Health maintained and shared precise, daily information detailing local travel behavior and residences of COVID-19 cases. We use this policy along with device-level cellphone data to quantify how local and national COVID-19 case announcements trigger differential behavioral …

Performance Of A Validated Spontaneous Preterm Delivery Predictor In South Asian And Sub-Saharan African Women: A Nested Case Control Study, Rasheda Khanam, Tracy C. Fleischer, Nansi Boghossian, Imran Nisar, Usha Dhingra, Sayedur Rahman, Angela C. Fox, Muhammad Iiyas, Arup Dutta, Nurun Naher, Ashoka D. Polpitiya, Usma Mehmood, Saikat Deb, Aziz Ahmed Choudhury, Md Bahadur Badsha, Karim Muhammad, Said Mohammed Ali, Salahuddin Ahmed, Durlin E. Hickok, Najeeha Iqbal, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Objectives

To address the disproportionate burden of preterm birth (PTB) in low- and middle-income countries, this study aimed to (1) verify the performance of the United States-validated spontaneous PTB (sPTB) predictor, comprised of the IBP4/SHBG protein ratio, in subjects from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania enrolled in the Alliance for Maternal and Newborn Health Improvement (AMANHI) biorepository study, and (2) discover biomarkers that improve performance of IBP4/SHBG in the AMANHI cohort.

Study design

The performance of the IBP4/SHBG biomarker was first evaluated in a nested case control validation study, then utilized in a follow-on discovery study performed on the same samples. …

Exclusive Breastfeeding And Professionals From The Family Health Strategy, Marialda Moreira Christoffel, Ana Leticia Monteiro Gomes, Cássia Leoneuza Augusto Julio, Julia Florentino De Barros, Elisa Da Conceição Rodrigues, Fernanda Garcia Bezerra Góes, Ana Maria Linares

Nursing Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: to analyze the perception of health professionals about exclusive breastfeeding in Family Health Strategy units in the city of Macaé.

METHODS: qualitative study carried out in four units of the Family Health Strategy in the city of Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. Thirty health professionals were interviewed from March to May 2019. Textual contents were processed in the IRaMuTeQ^® software by the Descending Hierarchical Classification.

RESULTS: professionals use different strategies for actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in prenatal consultations, but social and cultural determinants are important issues that interfere in this process, the involvement of the family …

Is Living In A Region With High Groundwater Arsenic Contamination Associated With Adverse Reproductive Health Outcomes? An Analysis Using Nationally Representative Data From India, Jessie Pinchoff, Brent Monseur, Sapna Desai, Katelyn Koons, Ruben Alvero, Michelle J Hindin

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Exposure to groundwater arsenic via drinking water is common in certain geographies, such as parts of India, and causes a range of negative health effects, potentially including adverse reproductive health outcomes.

Methods: We conducted an ecological analysis of self-reported rates of stillbirth, recurrent pregnancy loss, and infertility in relation to groundwater arsenic levels in India. We used a gridded, modeled dataset of the probability of groundwater arsenic exceeding 10 μg/L (World Health Organization drinking water limit) to calculate mean probabilities at the district level (n = 599 districts). A spatial integration approach was used to merge these estimates with …

Challenges For Estimating The Global Prevalence Of Micronutrient Deficiencies And Related Disease Burden: A Case Study Of The Global Burden Of Disease Study, Sonja Y. Hess, Alexander C. Mclain, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Ashkan Afshin, Nicholas J. Kassebaum, Saskia J. Osendarp, Reed Atkin, Rahul Rawat, Kenneth H. Brown

Faculty Publications

Information on the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is needed to determine related disease burden; underpin evidence-based advocacy; and design, deliver, and monitor safe, effective interventions. Assessing the global prevalence of deficiency requires a valid micronutrient status biomarker with an appropriate cutoff to define deficiency and relevant data from representative surveys across multiple locations and years. The Global Burden of Disease Study includes prevalence estimates for iodine, iron, zinc, and vitamin A deficiencies, for which recommended biomarkers and appropriate deficiency cutoffs exist. Because representative survey data are lacking, only retinol concentration is used to model vitamin A deficiency, and proxy indicators …

Conflict, Extremism, Resilience And Peace In South Asia; Can Covid-19 Provide A Bridge For Peace And Rapprochement?, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Arun Mitra, Afsah Salman, Fawad Akbari, Suraya Dalil, Fyezah Jehan, Mushtaque Chowdhury, Saroj Jayasinghe, Purnima Menon, Samiran Nundy

Institute for Global Health and Development

Abstract, issue, and pagination are not provided by the author/publisher

Distance From Healthcare Facilities Is Associated With Increased Morbidity Of Acute Infection In Pediatric Patients In Matiari, Pakistan, Elise Corden, Saman Hasan Siddiqui, Yash Sharma, Sheraz Ahmed, Fayyaz Umrani, Najeeb Rahman, Rafey Ali, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Syed Asad Ali, Sana Syed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

The relationship between environmental factors and child health is not well understood in rural Pakistan. This study characterized the environmental factors related to the morbidity of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), diarrhea, and growth using geographical information systems (GIS) technology. Anthropometric, address and disease prevalence data were collected through the SEEM (Study of Environmental Enteropathy and Malnutrition) study in Matiari, Pakistan. Publicly available map data were used to compile coordinates of healthcare facilities. A Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to calculate the correlation between distance from healthcare facilities and participant growth and morbidity. Other continuous variables influencing these …

Factors Affecting Retention In The Philippine National Rural Physician Deployment Program From 2012 To 2019: A Mixed Methods Study, Erika Louise L. Flores, Edric Matthew R. Manahan, Miguel Paulo B. Lacanilao, Isabella Ma. Beatriz T. Ladaw, Mico Martin B. Mallillin, Nikolai Thadeus Q. Mappatao, Juan Alfonso Leonardia, Veincent Christian F. Pepito

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

To address the maldistribution of healthcare providers and the shortage of physicians in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the Philippines, the Philippine National Rural Physician Deployment Program, or more commonly known as the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) program was established in 1993. However, as of 2011, only 18% of the DTTBs chose to stay in their assigned municipalities after their two-year deployment, termed retention. This study aims to identify the individual, local, work, national, and international factors affecting the retention of DTTBs in their assigned communities after their two-year deployment.

Methods

A descriptive, mixed-methods, explanatory design was …

Differences By School Location In Summer And School Monthly Weight Change: Findings From A Nationally Representative Sample, Ethan T. Hunt, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D., Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Robert Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To examine changes in accelerations of Body Mass Index (BMI), age-and-sex specific body mass index (zBMI), and 95th percentile of BMI (%BMIp95) during the summer months and school year by school location designation (i.e., urban, suburban, exurban). This study utilized the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011.

Methods: Of the 18,174 children in the ECLS-K:2011 dataset, I restricted participants to those with at least two consecutive measures that occurred August/September or April/May. Mixed-effect regression analyses estimated differences in monthly change in BMI, zBMI, and %BMIp95 between the summer and school year while accounting for the ECLS-K complex …

Long-Term Effects Of In Utero Exposure To “The Year Without A Summer”, Hamid Noghanibehambari, Farzaneh Noghani, Nahid Tavassoli, Mostafa Toranji

Economic and Business Review

This paper uses the aftermath of the great Tambora eruption in 1815 as a natural experiment to explore the long-term effects of a nutritional shock during prenatal development. The volcanic explosion of Tambora formed substantial ash columns which hampered sunlight, cooled down the surface temperature, reduced the length of the growing season, and led to a severe harvest failure during summer and winter of 1816 in Europe and northeastern states of America. US decennial census 1850 provides evidence that cohorts in utero during the climate anomaly revealed lower literacy rates, lower labor force participation rates, a fewer number of own …

Utilization Of Psychotherapeutic Interventions By Pediatric Psychosocial Providers, Cynthia Fair, Amanda Thompson, Marie Barnett, Stacy R. Flowers, June Burke, Lori Wiener

Family Medicine Faculty Publications

One of the Standards of Psychosocial Care for Children with Cancer and their Families recommends that all youth with cancer and their family members have access to psychotherapeutic interventions and support throughout the cancer trajectory. This study was created to identify the psychosocial interventions and services provided to children with cancer and their family members, to ascertain whether there are differences in interventions provided by age of the patient and stage of treatment, and to learn about barriers to psychosocial service provision. An online survey was disseminated to psychosocial providers through the listservs of national and international professional organizations. The …