Digital Commons Network^™

What Do Parents In Mississippi Really Think About Sex Education In School?: Results Of A State-Level Survey, Colleen Mckee, Kathleen Ragsdale, Linda H. Southward

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose: Despite broad public support for comprehensive sex education, its implementation remains controversial in the United States, especially in states such as Mississippi that have been identified as politically conservative. This study examined parental opinions regarding the implementation of age-appropriate sex-related education (SRE) (i.e., abstinence-plus education) in Mississippi public schools.

Methods: Data were used from the first state-level survey of a randomized sample of parents (N = 3,600) of public school students in Mississippi. The sample was relatively equally distributed between non-Hispanic whites (52.8%) and African Americans (48.2%). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine parental support for …

Mi Cuerpo, Nuestra Responsabilidad: Using Photovoice To Describe The Assets And Barriers To Sexual And Reproductive Health Among Latinos In North Carolina, Barbara Baquero, Shira Goldman, Florence Siman, Sadiya Muqueeth, Laura Villa-Torres, Eugenia Eng, Scott D. Rhodes

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Latinos in North Carolina experience disparities in sexual and reproductive health. To identify and explore assets for and barriers to sexual and reproductive health in the Latino community, an academic-community partnership engaged community health workers (CHW) in Photovoice, a participatory qualitative research methodology. Five sessions were completed in which CHW agreed on photo assignments and discussed the photos. Themes included the role of men, cultural taboos, and the effect of undocumented immigrant status on access to resources. Findings were presented at a community forum. Building on the strengths of CHW to reduce barriers to sexual and reproductive health is a …

Hiv And Sti Risk For Young Blacks In High Prevalence Areas: Implications For Health Equity In Communities Hosting Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Tanya Telfair Leblanc, Madeline Y. Sutton, Peter Thomas, Wayne A. Duffus

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background

Every year, thousands of young, black, high school graduates who are seeking higher education, attend one of the 105 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) located primarily in the south and east. The objective of the research was to examine the geographic proximity of HBCUs to areas of high HIV and STI disease burden among college age people to assess infectivity of potential sex partners in the areas surrounding HBCUs.

Methods

We examined the 14 states reporting the greatest HIV diagnoses burden among persons age 20-24 years old and STI burden among persons age 15 to 24 years old …

To Test Or Not To Test: Barriers And Solutions To Testing African American College Students For Hiv At A Historically Black College/University, Naomi M. Hall-Byers, Jennifer Peterson, Malynnda Johnson

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Young African Americans are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The purpose was to identify reasons that African American college students at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) identified as barriers to HIV testing, and how these barriers can be removed. Fifty-seven heterosexual-identified undergraduate students (ages 18-25) attending an HBCU in the southeastern US participated in the study. Latent content analytic techniques were used to code the transcripts for themes and categories, and representative quotations were used in the findings. Qualitative data indicates three main themes used to avoid testing and three themes to encourage testing. Students were forthcoming …

Practice-Based Learning: Opportunities And Implications For Stem Education, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This presentation examines how practice-based research strategies have been used to produce new knowledge and stimulate learning about how to improve the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services. I consider how practice-based research strategies can be adapted to advance knowledge and practice related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and application.

Rationale, Design, And Cohort Enrolment Of A Prospective Observational Study Of The Clinical Performance Of The New Contraceptive Implant (Femplant) In Pakistan, Syed Khurram Azmat, Waqas Hameed, Anja Lendvay, Babar Tasneem Shaikh, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ahmed Siddiqui, Sajid Brohi, Asif Karim, Muhammad Ishaque, Wajahat Hussain

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: The use of hormonal implants has gained positive traction in family planning programs in recent times. Compared to other popular methods, such as long-term reversible intrauterine devices, the use of hormonal implants as a family planning method has distinct advantages in terms of long-term efficiency and better user compliance and availability. This paper presents a study protocol to document and evaluate the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of Femplant (contraceptive implant) in Pakistan during the first year of its use among married women of reproductive age (18-44 years) at clinics in two provinces of Pakistan (Sindh and Punjab).
Materials and …

Application Of The Breastfeeding Personal Efficacy Beliefs Inventory And Acknowledgment Of Barriers For Improving Breastfeeding Initiation Rates In An Urban Population, Diwata Bose, Callie Cox Bauer, Kiley A. Bernhard, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Introduction: Breastfeeding (BF) is recognized as the preferred method of infant nutrition by American Academy of Pediatricians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the World Health Organization. Despite the benefits of BF, in 1998 only 69% of new mothers in the United States initiated BF and 29% continued to breastfeed at 6 months.

Objective: To assess perceived breastfeeding confidence (BFC) and determine barriers in regards to BF in an urban population.

Methods: The Breastfeeding Personal Efficacy Beliefs Inventory (BPEBI) was used to determine perceived BFC. The survey was distributed to 271 women during prenatal appointments at an urban Milwaukee …

Bedbugs Biting Back? A Multifactorial Consideration Of Bedbug Resurgence, Vanessa L. Abejuela-Matt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Bedbugs, previously thought to be eradicated during the mid-20th century, have reemerged in the new millennium with unforeseen furor. Affected patients and families frequently present in primary care settings, not only with complaints of pruritus or rash, but with anxiety and shame regarding the condition. Changes in eradication techniques and resistance, as well as lack of reporting – from both patients and lodging institutions – have hindered control. The increased mobility of goods and the human population has provided further avenues for bedbug spread. While current literature thoroughly describes the clinical presentation of bedbugs and the increasingly problematic effects on …

Hispanic Health Initiative: Creating A Sustainable Health Fair For An Immigrant Community, Chaz Arnold

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Previous demographic and social interest research conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky has prompted concern for access to quality healthcare for immigrant populations, specifically for the Hispanic community. The missions of the preliminary investigation and subsequent implementation of a sustainable health fair for the Spanish-speaking community were to assess the primary health concerns that many Hispanics face and offer long-term solutions to collectively resolve these health issues. Preliminary investigation involved researching population-specific health statistics in order to quantify prevalence of certain conditions which were, in turn, prioritized in terms of necessity to address. Further research reflected personal concern from the target …

Exploring Obstacles To Perinatal Care-Seeking Behavior In Women Of Rural Odisha, India Using A Community Based Participatory Research Approach, Sarah Law, Runjhun Bhatia

Senior Theses

This project resulted from collaboration between USC student organization GlobeMed and the Alternative for Rural Movement (ARM), a non-governmental organization in Odisha, India. Rajendra Rana, the head of ARM, expressed the need to delineate the factors underlying the tendency of rural Odishan women to deliver with unskilled birth attendants as opposed to institutionally. A literature review was conducted to explore possible economic, cultural, and social factors. During five weeks in Odisha, discussions with women's groups, community health workers, and ARM staff members built on the literature review. A preliminary survey and plan for its dissemination were developed. The community based …

Human Disease - Unintended Globalization, Christopher J. Dellana

Celebration

Before man was exchanging goods and ideas, he was exchanging germs. As such, the spread of infectious disease constitutes the first truly global phenomenon and, therefore, marks the beginnings—primitive though they may have been—of what today we have finally termed ‘globalization.’ The global spread of disease, then, proves that globalization is not new and that its origins were the result of a different narrative than the ones we read from globalization theorists; it further demonstrates that the modern conception of the phenomenon is only now so well recognized because the accelerated and efficient processes that inform its daily activities have …

The Effects Of Education On Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge, Lauren A. Ostrowski-Winkler

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for adults in the United States. The three main risk factors for the development of CVD include hypertension, high cholesterol, and tobacco use; these factors are largely prevented or reduced through lifestyle modifications. Researchers indicate that knowledge of CVD mortality has been linked with individual action to reduce one’s CVD risk. Researchers have also indicated that segments of our underserved society, particularly those with the highest CVD mortality rates, are also the least knowledgeable about CVD and their own personal risk. These risk factors were a concern within the …

Physical Activity And Nutritional Behavior Of Overweight College Students Trying To Lose Weight 2014, Santino Vallejos M.S.

Master's Theses

Although there are numerous benefits to increased physical activity and proper dietary behaviors, the decreased participation in physical activity and poor dietary behaviors has emerged as a significant problem within the college student population. The focus of this research study was to identify the relationship between physical activity and dietary behavior to weight loss behaviors within an undergraduate student sample of a small, comprehensive northeastern university. College-aged students (age range: 17 to 27 years old) completed the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment II (NCHA) during the years 2009 and 2012. According to the results, there were …

Coal Ash And Children's Sleep : A Community-Based Study., Clara G. Sears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kentucky is the fifth largest producer of coal ash, a by-product of coal combustion. The small spherical coal ash particles contain heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Coal ash is currently classified as nonhazardous by the EPA, which allows it to be stored in open-air impoundments near low-income communities. The primary object of the study is to determine the prevalence of sleep disruptive behaviors in children exposed to coal ash, compared to a group of demographically similar non-exposed children. Parents or guardians from five neighborhoods surrounding a coal ash storage facility, and one non-exposed community, participated in a …

Validity And Reliability Testing Of The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) Taste And Smell Protocol, Mallory Honda

Honors Scholar Theses

The NHANES 2011–2014 protocol includes a taste and smell questionnaire (CSQ) in the home interview followed by brief olfactory and taste assessment in mobile exam centers. The CSQ asks self-reported taste and smell ability, and selected symptoms, comorbidities, and treatment for chemosensory disorders. In the taste assessment, participants rate intensities of 1 M NaCl and 1mM quinine hydrochloride applied to the tongue tip and these plus 0.32M NaCl sampled with the whole mouth. Smell function is assessed with two 4-item, scratch-and-sniff tests (Pocket Tests^TM (PT), Sensonics, Inc.) to classify normosmia and olfactory dysfunction from microsmia to anosmia. We examined …

Increasing Victimization Through Fetal Abuse Redefinition, Margaret Kelly

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

"Nursing Contamination: Wearing Scrubs In Public", Kemble Green

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nurses are frequently seen in public in their “scrubs,” which could mean that contaminated clothing is being brought into the community, thereby posing an infection risk. The purpose of this study is to investigate if and which contaminants are present on the fabrics and the actions nurses are taking to eliminate contamination risks.

Eleven scrub tops were worn on hospital units over one twelve-hour shift. The contaminated scrubs and three control tops were then swabbed and used to inoculate agar plates. After incubation, colonies were counted, streaked onto nutrient and Mannitol-salt agar for isolation, and incubated. Using API Staph strips …

The Johnson City Community Health Center: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Center's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats In Johnson City, Tennessee, Enrique A. Cruz Enriquez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Johnson City Community Health Center is one of over 1200 community health centers serving over 22 million patients across the United States. Community health centers primarily serve patients with low income or without health insurance, but most serve all the members of their communities. These centers provide many services and treat health problems in a holistic manner in order to improve the health of their communities and also allow the members of those communities to progress. The Johnson City Community Health Center is compared to successful CHCs from across the nation to determine if it has characteristics to be …

A Content And Visual Analysis Of Promotional Pieces Used To Promote The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, Amy Hughes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A communications campaign was developed for a commodity promotion board in the southern region of the United States with promotional pieces produced and disseminated by a third-party communications group to reach the general public, soybean producers, and animal agriculture producers target audiences through key themes and messages. A systematic, content-driven approach assessed the potential impact on perceptions of individuals. This study utilized a content and visual analysis based on semiotic theory to analyze creative pieces and focus groups to assess content quality and impact.

Many of the creative pieces displayed too many themes, and the themes did not accurately represent …

Effects On Pinniped Immune Response Upon In Vitro Exposure To The Perfluorinated Compounds, Pfos And Pfoa, Elizabeth J. Meiman

Honors Scholar Theses

This study investigated the effects of environmental toxicants on the immune system of two pinniped species, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata). The toxicants included two perfluorinated compounds (PFC), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), compounds commonly found in a wide variety of household consumer products, including Scotchguard and Teflon. Although corporations such as 3M curtailed the use of these chemicals in the past decade, concentrations of these chemicals are increasing in the arctic aquatic ecosystem and have been measured in the tissues and blood of arctic pinnipeds. However, the effects of …

Translation, Cultural Adaptation And Field-Testing Of The Thinking Healthy Program For Vietnam, Jane Fisher, Hau Nguyen, Priya Mannava, Ha Tran, Thao Dam, Tran Huong, Thach Tran, Kelly Durrant, Atif Rahman, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Depression and anxiety are prevalent among women in low- and lower-middle income countries who are pregnant or have recently given birth. There is promising evidence that culturally-adapted, evidence-informed, perinatal psycho-educational programs implemented in local communities are effective in reducing mental health problems. The Thinking Healthy Program (THP) has proved effective in Pakistan. The aims were to adapt the THP for rural Vietnam; establish the program’s comprehensibility, acceptability and salience for universal use, and investigate whether administration to small groups of women might be of equivalent effectiveness to administration in home visits to individual women.

Methods: The THP …

Knowledge, Attitude And Practices Regarding Hiv/Aids Among Adult Fishermen In Coastal Areas Of Karachi., Mubashir Zafar, Nighat Nisar, Masood Kadir, Zafar Fatmi, Zeeshan Ahmed, Kashif Shafique

Community Health Sciences

BACKGROUND:

Migrant populations are at high risk of Human Immuno Deficiency Virus infection (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Studies of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and practices among fishermen in developing countries have shown gaps in knowledge and fear of contagion with ambivalent attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and inconsistent universal precautions adherence. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among adult fishermen in a coastal area of Karachi, Pakistan.

METHODS:

Community based cross sectional study was conducted among fishermen in coastal area of Karachi from June to September 2012. A total of 297 adult …

Drinking Water In The Developing World: Sources Of Fecal Contamination In Pitcher Pump Systems And Measurement Alternatives, Meghan Wahlstrom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been reported that globally we have achieved Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Target 7C, to halve the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water; however, there is a major flaw with this statement. While Target 7C calls for access to `safe' drinking water, what is actually being measured and reported is access to an `improved' water source. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that they must use this proxy measure because the methods for water quality testing are too expensive and logistically complicated, but by doing so, they may be over reporting safe water coverage.

This …

An Exploratory Study Of Generational Differences In Health Information Seeking And Smoking Behaviors In Bulgaria, Iva Stoyneva

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

Smoking is a serious global public health threat that causes more than 6 million deaths annually (WHO, 2013). Smoking is also the single, most preventable cause of death (CDC, 2014). According to a recent study, Bulgaria was ranked as one of onlyl 1 countries in the world, in which half of the adult male population smokes, as well as one of 11 countries in which more than one-quarter of the adult female population smokes. Research suggests that the most significant predictors of smoking behavior in Bulgaria were age and geographic location (Balabanova, Bobak & McKee, 1998). Contributing to these finings, …

The Prevalence Of Smoking In Nursing Students, Jennifer Trotter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tobacco use is one of the most preventable sources of death and disease, and yet remains a worldwide problem. With the rising costs of healthcare, the focus of efforts to control them has honed in on lifestyle behaviors that contribute to the escalating costs. Within the scope of this scrutiny, the prevention or cessation of smoking and tobacco usage has become a global priority and a major focal point of worldwide anti-tobacco initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified cessation interventions by health care professionals as a crucial factor in successful patient smoking cessation, and studies have shown that …

Global Health And The Law, Lawrence O. Gostin, Devi Sridhar

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The last two decades have brought revolutionary changes in global health, driven by popular concern over AIDS, novel influenzas, and maternal mortality. Given the rapid globalization that is a defining feature of today’s world, the need for a robust system of global health law has never been greater. Global health law has been defined as the legal norms, processes, and institutions designed primarily to attain the highest possible standard of physical and mental health for the world’s population. Global health law is not an organized legal system, with a unified treaty monitoring body, such as the World Trade Organization. There …

Impact Of Healthy Lifestyle Choices On Smoking Behavior Among College Students Who Smoke Cigarettes, Mitchell Jenkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact certain healthy lifestyle choices had on smoking behavior among college students who smoke cigarettes. Even with continued reduction in prevalence, cigarette smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in America. With that in mind, it is important to continue to identify factors that relate to decreased tobacco usage. Secondary data from the American College Health Association's bi-yearly National College Health Assessment was used for this study. This assessment/survey encompasses college students' habits, behaviors, and perceptions regarding prevalent health topics. The sample for this study consisted of 14,515 college students who identified themselves as …

The Impact Of Body Image On Women In Later Life: Effects On Quality Of Life And Body Perception, Rachel L. Avants

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physical, mental, and emotional changes can occur throughout the aging process, making it important to treat different age groups as separate populations when researching body image. Yet, very few instruments have been validated for middle-aged and older adults. An online survey was used to perform a validation of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI) and examine demographic relationships, with a sample of 947 women, ages 40-79, from across the United States. A principal component analysis (PCA) and convergent validity supported the use of the BIQLI for women ages 40 to 79. A one-factor model was validated for comparing …

Power To The People? An Evaluation Of State-Level Environmental Justice Policies, Angela Michelle Hines

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Communities of color in America lacking economical, educational, and political power have been largely invisible in the process of making major policy decisions. This is lack of access to decision-making venues has been viewed by many as the reason behind marginalized populations bearing the brunt of many societal burdens. The Environmental Justice Movement legitimized the claims of inadequate access to the decision-making process concerning environmental conditions in which African-Americans lived and worked. Through the use of disruptive actions reminiscent of those used throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the plight of communities plagued by the daily presence of hazardous waste gained …

Strategies For Prevention Of Road Traffic Injuries (Rtis) In Pakistan: Situational Analysis., Adeel Ahmed Khan, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are one of the leading causes of death among productive age group. Using systems approach framework (SAF), current preventive strategies for RTI control were reviewed in Pakistan. A review of the literature was done using four international search engines. Only ten studies on preventive strategies for RTI stemming from Pakistan were found. The first Road Traffic Injuries Research Network (RTIRN) surveillance system for road traffic injuries was established in urban city (Karachi) in Pakistan has shown promise for injury control and should be scaled up to other cities. Enforcement of traffic laws on seat-belt and helmet …