Digital Commons Network^™

At The Epicenter Of A Community-Wide Effort To Improve Public Health, Yolanda G. Martinez, Cheri Rufener

Florida Public Health Review

This paper describes the All Into Health Project implemented between 2010 and 2012 as part of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative to address smoking in Orange County, Florida. The All Into Health Project exemplifies what can be accomplished through a combination of leadership and community organization. This demonstration project may inspire initiatives elsewhere that can lead to Florida becoming a comprehensive tobacco- free state.

Health + Equality + School Engagement: Scenarios Usa Reinvents Sex Education, Rafael Mazin, Andrea Lynch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité highlights the experience of Scenarios USA, an innovative nonprofit program that has integrated a gender and rights perspective—and a critical-thinking approach—into sex education curricula, while fostering new pedagogies and greater awareness among teachers. Scenarios USA approaches sexual health not as a stand-alone issue but as intertwined with young people’s overall lives and agency. As such, the organization’s “sex ed” work is part of a broader strategy of fostering self-expression, leadership, and advocacy among youth, especially among those living in marginalized communities. The approach has made Scenarios a vanguard in the field of sexuality education. Scenarios’ experience …

Supporting Girls In Their Transition To Secondary Education: An Exploratory Study Of The Family, School And Community Environments Of Adolescent Girls In Gujarat, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Neeta Shah

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Despite government commitment to universal secondary education in India, few adolescents transition to and successfully complete secondary education. In India, limited efforts have been directed at parents to promote positive attitudes toward education and school completion. Recognizing the need for identifying effective intervention strategies to engage parents and communities to promote secondary education for girls, the Population Council and partners are pilot-testing an intervention to support adolescent girls’ transition to and retention in secondary education. Located in the state of Gujarat, the intervention focuses on girls in the last year of primary school and first year of secondary school and …

Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities For Young Women In Rural Upper Egypt: The Neqdar Nesharek Program, Nada Ramadan, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Khaled El Sayed, Rania Roushdy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

During the 30+ years that the Population Council has been operating in Egypt, Council researchers have examined many facets of young people’s lives, including conducting nationally representative surveys in 1997, 2009, and 2014. This research has documented the marginalization of Egyptian women in the public sphere, including the labor market, as well as gender inequities in mobility and access to schooling. Neqdar Nesharek is a social and economic empowerment program that evolved in response to this research and from the Council’s experience over the last few years working closely with out-of-school girls in Upper Egypt via the Ishraq program. The …

Unicef Nepal Adolescent Development And Participation (Adap) Baseline Study: Final Report, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya, Michelle Chau, Mahesh Puri

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) program is UNICEF Nepal’s endeavor to inform the design and implementation of an evidence-based program for adolescents. This ADAP Baseline Study Final Report documents the first comprehensive study of the lives of adolescents in 15 districts of Nepal with high levels of child deprivation where UNICEF is focusing its intervention. The ADAP Baseline Study is aligned with the National Plan of Action for Holistic Development of Adolescents launched in 2013, and highlights the sociocultural and behavioral aspects of adolescents in six domains: Education and Skills; Livelihoods and Financial Literacy; Enabling and Protective Environment; Gender …

Trafficking Of Minor Girls For Commercial Sexual Exploitation In India: A Synthesis Of Available Evidence, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Sharmistha Basu

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Understanding factors that place minor girls at risk of being trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and the consequences of trafficking for their health and life-course trajectories is limited by the scattered evidence available on these issues. The role of various stakeholders in trafficking, namely, families, traffickers, and brothel owners, and the role of law enforcement agencies in preventing it are also poorly understood. Further, adequate data consolidating the responses of government and nongovernmental organizations to issues related to CSE of minor girls are lacking. There is a need, therefore, to consolidate this scattered body of evidence and to identify …

The Advocate Cafe: A Hand-Up, Not A Hand-Out, Maggie Gandhi, Kelsey Mcglade

Bridging the Gaps Posters 2014

No abstract provided.

Antibiotic Usage In Relation To Resistant Bacterial Infections And Liver And Kidney Cancer Outcomes In South Carolina, Prea Thathiah

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics are one of the most beneficial discoveries in medicine and public health. However, the use, overuse, and misuse of these drugs have led to increases in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections (ARI). Furthermore, previous epidemiological studies have linked antibiotic use to breast cancer, but these studies have not included effects on metabolic organs, such as the liver and kidneys. This dissertation investigates the role of antibiotic use in infections and liver and kidney cancers in the state of South Carolina. Using ecological study methods and Poisson regression to determine relative risk ratios, it was found that antibiotic use is a …

Microbes As Proton Exchange Membranes In Microbial Fuel Cells, Andrew Timothy Stroud

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use proton exchange membranes (PEMs) to deliver protons to the cathode for electricity production. MFCs have been limited to low power generation because of complex ionic media characteristic of MFCs using the conventional Nafion-based PEM with high attraction for the competing ions. Benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFCs) use the marine sediment between the anode, embedded in marine sediment, and cathode, overlying in water, as a PEM. BMFCs have been shown to generate high power densities representing high proton permeability by the marine sediment layer between the anode and cathode. However, there is limited knowledge about this …

A Community-Driven Approach To The Development Of A Digital Decision Aid To Facilitate Informed Decision Making For Prostate Cancer Screening Among African-American Men In Communities Of Faith, Otis Lashaun Owens

Theses and Dissertations

Background: African American (AA) men are significantly more likely to die of prostate cancer (PrCA) than other racial groups. Therefore, it is critical to identify effective strategies for providing information about the risks, benefits, and uncertainties of PrCA screening and the importance of informed decision making (IDM). To assess whether a computer-based IDM decision aid (DA) for PrCA screening would be appropriate for middle-age and older AA men, this formative evaluation study examined participants (1) PrCA risk and screening knowledge, 2) decision-making processes for PrCA screening, and 3) usage of, attitudes toward, and access to interactive communication technologies (ICTs). The …

Obtaining Efficiencies In Food-Borne Illness Protection For Residential, Health Department-Licensed, And Non-Licensed Entities, Ted W. Talley

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Severe storms, natural disasters, and other emergencies resulting in extended periods of power loss can negatively impact public health as the likelihood of food-borne illnesses resulting from the consumption of food products held in refrigerators and freezers at improper temperatures is greatly increased. Additionally, food products used or served during emergency responses present additional challenges as many of the products may have other risk factors often associated with food-borne illness outbreaks. These include food from unsafe sources (food prepared in a facility not subject to regulation or inspection), improper cooking temperatures, preparation on contaminated food contact surfaces, and poor hygienic …

Factors Affecting School Health Scores: Wellsat Scores, School Policy, And The School Environment, Alicia Baker

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

A recent trend in school health intervention has been through policy creation and development. Studies have shown that changes in school health policy can improve student health behaviors, particularly in physical activity and nutrition. This study looked at how potential factors could affect the scores of a school policy assessment tool called the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT). Using a combination of t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression, schools’ strength and comprehensiveness nutrition scores from the WellSAT were analyzed when compared to Free and Reduced Lunch Rates, type of school, and whether schools had separate policies from their school district. …

Evaluating Oral Health Trends In Kentucky, 2006-2012, Briana Michelle Forsythe

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

According to the former US Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, “You’re not healthy without good oral health.” Poor oral health, comprising of the presence of caries and/or periodontal disease, can lead to edentulism, which in turn can yield poor physical health, inability to communicate properly, poor mental health, and a lesser quality of life. In Kentucky, over one quarter of the adult population has lost six or more teeth due to decay or gum disease, a figure 10% higher than the national average. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine: a) Kentucky’s Statewide Oral Health Strategic Plan, implemented …

Sampled University Students' Perceived Risk Of Diabetes & Self-Reported Diabetes Risk Factors, Ajibike R. Shodunke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to measure university students' perceived risk of diabetes and self-reported diabetes risk factors. Informed consent forms and survey questionnaires were distributed to students in randomly sampled courses (n=357), with students aged 18 to 24. Out of the 357 surveys completed, 325 surveys were used for analysis of this study. Forty-eight percent of participants between ages 18 to 24 perceived themselves at minimal risk for developing type II diabetes. Sampled participants reported a mean of 2.25 (type II) diabetes risk factors out of 18 diabetes risk factors. Additionally, there were significant differences ( …

Disability And Women's Health, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Children, adolescents, and women with disabilities experience the same sexual development, pubertal changes, concerns, and desire to reproduce as their typically developing counterparts. However, society has tended to stigmatize women with disabilities as "asexual" and ignore this aspect of their health care. These women are less likely to receive gynecological exams, contraception, and evaluation of sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately, having a disability places women at risk for sexual exploitation and abuse as well as sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, reproductive health care for these women is imperative. A number of barriers to receiving reproductive care exist. However, with proper education and knowledge …

Academic Predictors And Characteristics Of Self-Reported Juvenile Firesetting, Carrie Howell Bowling, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The main purpose of this study was to address gaps in existing research by examining the relationship between academic performance and attention problems with juvenile firesetting. Two datasets from the Achenbach System for Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) were used. The Factor Analysis Dataset (N = 975) was utilized and results indicated that adolescents who report lower academic performance are more likely to set fires. Additionally, adolescents who report a poor attitude toward school are even more likely to set fires. Logistic regressions were run to determine if attention problems predicted firesetting and the findings indicated that attention problems are predictive …

The Effect Of Television Watching On Condom Use Among 9th-12th Graders, Rashidat Mohammed

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

Abstract: At least one out of every three youth will acquire a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) by the time they reach 25 years old. Although this may be caused by a variety of factors, sexually-charged media are believed to play a significant role. In television, there are more sexually inaccurate messages than there are portrayals of sexually responsible behaviors. These messages are not only unrealistic, but they could potentially have negative effects on adolescent sexual behavior. Among these negative effects is failure to use condoms. When used correctly, male condoms are about 98% effective. Recommendations are presented to help address …

Improvement Of Tobacco-Free Policy Enforcement At The University Of Kentucky, Muchen Bai

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

Smoking has been known as the leading preventable cause of death and premature disease in the United States (DHHS, 2014). Every year, cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000, approximately, one in five deaths (DHHS, 2014). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "smoking causes more deaths each year than all of the listed combined: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Illegal drug use, Alcohol use, Motor vehicle injuries, and Firearm-related incidents" (CDC, 2014). Since 1964, 31 Surgeon General's Reports have revealed the causal relationship between health outcomes and tobacco smoke exposure (DHHS, 2014). The report, The Health Consequences of …

Impact Of Routine Immunization Coverage In Controlling Measles And Progressing Toward The Introduction Of Rubella Containing Vaccine: A Comparison Study Between Rwanda And Uganda, Carmen Kupangi Dibaya

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

Despite the existence of safe and effective vaccines, measles and rubella present a major public health problem in many developing countries, disproportionally affecting low-income populations.1-3 Indeed, measles and rubella remain two of the leading causes of death and congenital defects in children worldwide.4-6 In 2008, an estimated 10 million new cases and 164,000 deaths were reported from measles alone.3 During the same time period, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported an estimated 110,000 cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) in developing countries, with the continent of Africa shouldering 38% of the disease burden.7 Measles is a highly …

Medical Student's Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Female Sex Workers And Their Occupational Risk Factors, Jenna T. Nakagawa, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: The tendency for female sex workers to seek health care is highly influenced by physician attitudes and behavior. By identifying medical students' attitudes toward female sex workers and assessing their knowledge of barriers to seeking care, we can focus medical training and advocacy efforts to increase access to care and improve public health outcomes.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, medical students from various countries were invited to participate in an online survey with close-ended questions and Likert scale statements. Responses were quantified and knowledge and attitude scores were assigned based on knowledge of barriers to seeking care and agreement …

Homeless For One Winter Night: A Nursing Student's Perspective, Hannah Alewett

A with Honors Projects

For an A with Honors project for Parkland College, the student reflects on her overnight volunteer experience with CU@Home's One Winter Night, an event to raise funds for the cause of homelessness. As a nursing student, the author also reflects on homelessness from a health care perspective.

An Exploration Of Empowerment, Sexual Violence, And Hiv Among Indian Women, Brigid Kyung-Hwa Cecil

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

Empowerment plays a major role in sexual violence and HIV among women worldwide. Findings on empowerment in relation to domestic violence or HIV are scarce and are conflicting. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between empowerment and HIV status by means of sexual violence, and to compare this relationship between previously married women (N = 2,658) and currently married women (N = 37,539) living in India. The Baron and Kenny mediated regression model was used, involving simple logistic and multiple logistic regression, drawing from the National Family Health Survey 2005-2006 (NFHS-3). Sexual violence was not found …

Factors In Breastfeeding Initiation Among Central Kentucky Wic And Non-Wic Participants, Lila Nicole Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Vital statistics data were statistically analyzed to determine who is breastfeeding in central Kentucky and if factors differ between those in a WIC and non-WIC population. The sample consisted of 479 postpartum women aged 18-44 in central Kentucky. Participants in the study were analyzed as a whole, then divided by their participation in the WIC program (n=304) or non-participation in the WIC program (n=175). Variables recorded in the vital statistics form were analyzed. These variables included age, education level, marital status, and ethnicity of the mother, household income status, and gender, gestational age, and birth weight of the infant. In …

Sex Education Background Of Students At Msu, Mankato Prior To Enrollment At The University, Natalie Mcconkey

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine what key concepts were recalled in high school sex education curricula by students at MSU. The participants in this study were MSU, students enrolled in 2013 spring semester Health and the Environment course. An electronic survey consisting of 43 questions was distributed though the survey program SurveyMonkey. The survey was sent out to 596 MSU students, and data was collected from 39 MSU, M students. Roughly, 73% of the participants reported receiving comprehensive sex education compared to 19% of participants reporting abstinence-only education in high school. The key concepts that received major …

Paludismo, Endemia Rural Venezolana Del Pasado Y Del Presente [Malaria: Rural Endemic Venezuelan Past And Present], Ana G. Angulo, Erika De Pablos, Pedro Navarro, Yetzenia Haro, María Antonia De La Parte, Nathalie Chacon

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

La malaria o paludismo es una enfermedad infecciosa causada por protozoarios del género Plasmodium. La mayoría de los casos los ocasiona el Plasmodium vivax, aunque los de mayor gravedad son a causa de Plasmodium falciparum y Plasmodium knowlesi. Se calcula que durante 2010, en el mundo, se produjeron unos 216 millones de casos de paludismo, de los cuales, aproximadamente 81% (174 millones de casos), se registraron en África. En Venezuela, en el año 2011 se produjeron 45.743 casos. La patogenia está fundamentada en la invasión y rompimiento de manera cíclica de los eritrocitos, lo cual conduce a la generación de …

Evaluation Of Health And Education Impacts Of A Girls’ Safe Spaces Program In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Girmay Medhin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Approximately one in eight of the world’s population is a girl or young woman aged 10–24 and attention is increasingly focusing on the central role of adolescent girls in achieving global health and development goals. Areas of focus by the development field include girls’ education, health, child marriage, and the experience of violence. This study analyzes the educational and health impacts of a program for slum-dwelling girls, including child domestic workers and rural-urban migrants. Established in 2006, Biruh Tesfa (Bright Future) aimed to increase social networks and support for the most marginalized girls in the poorest urban areas of Ethiopia. …

Promoting Parent-Child Interaction And Communication For Healthy Development Of Adolescents: Lessons From A Pilot Project In Rural Bihar, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, K.G. Santhya, Santosh Kumar Singh, Rajib Acharya, Aparajita Gogoi, Vinita Nathani

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

There is a recognition in India’s policies and programs of the need to actively engage parents in enabling their adolescent children to make safe and healthy transitions to adulthood. The Population Council, in partnership with CEDPA India, initiated an intervention project for parents of adolescents aimed at developing and testing a program to foster closer relationships between parents and their adolescent children. The project was formulated on the hypothesis that a program intended to build parenting skills would enable parents to develop closer relationships with their adolescent children and communicate more effectively with them on various concerns, particularly those related …

Expanding The Evidence Base On Comprehensive Care For Survivors Of Sexual Violence In Sub-Saharan Africa, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Expanding the Evidence Base on Comprehensive Care for Survivors of Sexual Violence in sub-Saharan Africa program was a four-year agreement between the Swedish-Norwegian Regional HIV and AIDS Team for Africa, Embassy of Sweden, Lusaka (the S-N Team), and the Population Council. From 2009 to 2013, the program sought to mitigate the impact and incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening the capacities of medical, legal, and justice sectors to care for survivors of such violence. This approach was intended to serve the S-N Team’s larger development objectives of preventing HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa …

Social Accountability: What Are The Lessons For Improving Family Planning And Reproductive Health Programs?, Victoria Boydell, Jill Keesbury

Reproductive Health

The concept of accountability is increasingly important in the family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) field. While much recent discussion has focused on developing global or national-level mechanisms for accountability, less emphasis has been placed on understanding the relevance of “social accountability” approaches for ensuring access to, and quality of, FP/RH services. Social accountability refers to the efforts of citizens and civil society to scrutinize and hold duty bearers (politicians, government officials, and service providers) to account for providing promised services, actions most often at the subnational or community level. In the FP/RH field, this concept builds on a …

Strengthening The Evidence Base On Social Accountability For Improving Family Planning And Reproductive Health Programs, Victoria Boydell, Jill Keesbury, Kelsey Wright

Reproductive Health

The concept of accountability is important in the family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) sector, building on a rich history of community involvement and civil society participation. There are three categories of FP/RH accountability initiatives: tracking donor and government financial commitments, tracking national-level program implementation, and tracking service-delivery outcomes. The third category, often referred to as “social accountability,” includes the efforts of citizens and civil society to scrutinize and hold duty bearers to account for providing promised services, most often at the subnational or community levels. Social accountability is premised on the assumption that increased and targeted citizen and …