Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Corporate Practices On Health: Implications For Health Policy, Nicholas Freudenberg, Sandro Galea

Publications and Research

Although corporate practices play a substantial role in shaping health and health behavior, public health researchers have rarely systematically studied these practices as a social determinant of health. We consider case studies of three products - trans fat, a food additive and a preservative; Vioxx, a pain killer; and sports utility vehicles - to illustrate the role of corporate policies and practices in the production of health and disease and the implications for health policy. In recent years, public health advocates, researchers, and lawyers have used strategies to reduce the adverse health impact of corporate practices. Systematic analysis of these …

Taming The Mind: Current Mental Health Treatments And Obstacles To Expanding The Western-Model In A Tibetan Exile Community, Dylan Brock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

South Africa’S Unsung “She-Roes”: A Practicum Study Of Npo Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids, Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, Rachel Pryzby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across Africa, the AIDS pandemic has forced HIV+ individuals and orphaned children into the care of elderly women. Though this has occurred in millions of families, little support has been offered for the grandmothers supporting children and grandchildren on a limited income. This study reports on a practicum study at Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA), the first African organization to recognize the important role played by grandmothers in light of HIV/AIDS. The study was conducted in April 2008 at the GAPA center in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the organization’s origin, …

Pediatric Safety And Quality, Susan R. Lacey, Janis B. Smith, Karen Cox

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Excerpt

Pediatric care is complex due to developmental and dependency issues associated with children. How these factors impact the specific processes of care is an area of science in which little is known. We are only beginning to understand the relationship between nurse staffing and adverse events in hospitalized children; effects that may be compounded by inadequate numbers of pediatric nurses. Throughout health care providing safe and high quality patient care continues to provide significant challenges. Efforts to improve the safety and quality of care are resource intensive and take continued commitment not only by those who deliver care, but …

Prenatal Exposure To Wood Fuel Smoke And Low Birth Weight, Amna R. Siddiqui, Ellen B. Gold, Xiaowei Yang, Kiyoung Lee, Kenneth H. Brown, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Maternal exposure to wood fuel smoke may lead to impaired fetal growth due to hypoxia and or oxidative stress from smoke constituents such as carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Objectives: We studied the risk of low birth weight (LBW) and reduced mean birth weight in relation to reported use of wood for cooking during the prenatal period, compared with natural gas (NG).
Methods: We studied a historical cohort of women who had a singleton live birth in the years 2000-2002, from a semirural area of Pakistan. Infant's birth weight was obtained from records, and prenatal records had data for …

Changing School Leadership Philosophies To Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends

Florida Public Health Review

Childhood obesity is a public health crisis in the United States. By the year 2015 an estimated 24 percent of all children will be obese. Children who are obese miss on average 20 percent more school than their healthy-weight classmates. Additionally, there is a higher risk of developing diabetes and having high blood pressure, and for being overweight as an adult. Childhood obesity is not caused by one factor but is instead caused by a multitude of social factors, the increased consumption of fast foods, video games replacing outdoor activities and unhealthy food options in schools, just to name a …

Completing The Recipe For Children's Health: New Variations On Key Ingredients: A Report From The Workshop On June 28, 2007, Jennifer Ryan

National Health Policy Forum

This paper offers a broad overview of the issues surrounding the social and environmental determinants of children’s health. These issues were explored during a discussion convened by the National Health Policy Forum on June 28, 2007, among a group of individuals concerned about the influences beyond medical care on the health of children. The paper considers the policy and financing tensions that exist across programs and populations that make addressing the full range of influences challenging. It also highlights some of the community-based initiatives that have been successful in providing services to children and families, as described during the workshop. …

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Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Promoting Physical Activity In Middle School Girls: Trial Of Activity For Adolescent Girls, Larry S. Webber, Diane J. Catellier, Leslie A. Lytle, David M. Murray, Charlotte A. Pratt, Deborah Rohm Young, John P. Elder, Timothy G. Lohman, June Stevens, Jared B. Jobe, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background - Physical activity is important for weight control and good health; however, activity levels decline in the adolescent years, particularly in girls.

Design - Group randomized controlled trial.

Setting/participants - Middle school girls with English-speaking skills and no conditions to prevent participation in physical activity in 36 schools in six geographically diverse areas of the United States. Random, cross-sectional samples were drawn within schools: 6th graders in 2003 (n=1721) and 8th graders in 2005 (n=3504) and 2006 (n=3502).

Intervention - A 2-year study-directed intervention (fall 2003 to spring 2005) targeted schools, community agencies, …

Birth Weight, Infant Growth, And Childhood Body Mass Index: Hong Kong’S Children Of 1997 Birth Cohort, L. L. Hui, Mary Schooling, Shirley Sze Lee Leung, Kwok Hang Mak, Lai Ming Ho, Tai Hing Lam, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Objective
To investigate the association between birth weight, infant growth rate, and childhood adiposity as a proxy for adult metabolic or cardiovascular risk in a Chinese population with a history of recent and rapid economic development.

Design
Prospective study in a population-representative birth cohort.

Setting
Hong Kong Chinese population.

Participants
Six thousand seventy-five term births (77.5% successful follow-up).

Main Exposures
Birth weight and growth rate (change in the weight z score) at ages 0 to 3 and 3 to 12 months.

Main Outcome Measure: Body mass index (BMI) (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in …

Faktor Prediksi Persepsi Ibu Tentang Diare Pada Balita, Joko Supono

Kesmas

Diare pada balita masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang penting di Indonesia. Persepsi keseriusan penyakit diare yang rendah merupakan kendala upaya menurunkan angka kesakitan diare. Penelitian yang menggunakan desain cross sectional ini bertujuan menguji hubungan antara faktor pengetahuan, pengalaman kontak, dan kepercayaan, dengan persepsi ibu terhadap diare pada balita. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah ibu balita yang bermukim di Kecamatan Bekasi Utara, Jawa barat. Dari hasil penelitian terbukti bahw pengetahuan, pengalaman kontak, dan kepercayaan berhubungan secara bermakna dengan persepsi ibu terhadap diare pada balita. Ibu balita yang berpengetahuan rendah berisiko 2,5 kali untuk berpersepsi diare sebagai penyakit biasa daripada ibu …

Changing Corporate Practices To Reduce Cancer Disparities, Nicholas Freudenberg, Sandro Galea, Marianne Fahs

Publications and Research

While reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer mortality has been identified as a national goal, current policies are unlikely to achieve it. In order to advance the development of policies for the primary prevention of cancer and cancer disparities, we propose that the practices of the tobacco, alcohol, and food industries be considered as modifiable social determinants of health. We review evidence that the practices of these industries in product design, marketing, retail distribution, and pricing contribute to cancer risk behavior, incidence, and disparities, then examine public health strategies designed to reduce health-damaging practices of these industries and encourage …

Childhood Obesity Predicts Adult Metabolic Syndrome: The Fels Longitudinal Study, Shumei S. Sun, Ruohong Liang, Terry T-K Huang, Stephen R. Daniels, Silva Arslanian, Kiang Liu, Gilman D. Grave, Roger M. Siervogel

Publications and Research

Objectives—To determine the age of significant divergence in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in adults with and without the metabolic syndrome, and to provide age- and sexspecific childhood values that predict adult metabolic syndrome.

Study design—Part 1 of this study is a retrospective cohort study of 92 men and 59 women (mean age, 51 years) who had metabolic syndrome and 154 randomly selected adults matched for age and sex who did not have the syndrome. Part 2 is a study of predictive accuracy in a validation sample of 743 participants.

Results—The first appearance of differences …

Infant Feeding Decisions Among Pregnant Black Wic Participants And The Role Of Peer Support, Astrid D. Mickens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the important factors that impact infant feeding decisions among Black women, and to determine whether peer support influences the relationship among theoretical constructs of the social learning theory. A convenience sample of 110 Black pregnant women, ages 18-45, attending Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinics throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties were recruited to participate in the study through the Nutrition Services Department. Eligible participants included pregnant Black WIC clients in any stage of pregnancy.

The survey questions contained information about perceived support, cognitive knowledge, abilities and beliefs regarding breastfeeding. The goal …

Pharmacogenomics: A Primer For Policymakers, Leslie Tucker

National Health Policy Forum

Researchers are exploring how genetic variations among individuals may help explain why a drug can work well in some people and poorly (or not at all) in others, including those who appear to have the same disease. Pharmacogenomics, as this new field is called, aims to help physicians make use of genetic tests to distinguish among patients whose genetic characteristics predispose them to respond in certain ways to certain medicines. If physicians can use this information to quickly and reliably choose the appropriate drug at the most effective dose for each patient, they may produce better patient outcomes and save …

Long Driving Hours And Health Of Truck Drivers, Stephen J. Benstowe

Theses

In recent time, the health of truck drivers has become a concern for regulatory agencies and safety professionals all over the world. Fatal and non-fatal injury rates for truck drivers are among the highest of all occupations. Truck driving is an important and tedious job. Driving for long hours, drivers are confined to a small space, sit with static lower and upper extremities posture, mentally focus and absorb vibrations.

This thesis provides an in-depth review of the literature related to the problems of long distance truck drivers and commercial motor vehicle operators. The Literature suggests that continuous exposure of truck …

Does Economic Development Contribute To Sex Differences In Ischaemic Heart Disease Mortality? Hong Kong As A Natural Experiment Using A Case-Control Study, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Sai Yin Ho, Kwok Hang Mak, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
The male excess risk of premature ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality may be partially due to an unknown macro-environmental influence associated with economic development. We examined whether excess male risk of IHD mortality was higher with birth in an economically developed environment.

Methods
We used multivariable logistic regression in a population-based case-control study of all adult deaths in Hong Kong Chinese in 1998 to compare sex differences in IHD mortality (1,189 deaths in men, 1,035 deaths in women and 20,842 controls) between Hong Kong residents born in economically developed Hong Kong or in contemporaneously undeveloped Guangdong province in China. …

General Health Assessment, Lvea Em District, Kandal Province, Cambodia, Rasy Mar

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Fusion, 2008, George Washington University, William H. Beaumont Medical Research Honor Society

Fusion

No abstract provided.

Physical Activity And Prostate Cancer Mortality In Puerto Rican Men, Carlos J. Crespo, Mario R. Garcia-Palmieri, Ellen Smit, I-Min Lee, Daniel Lee Mcgee, Paola Muti, Nayda R. Figueroa Valle, Farah A. Ramirez-Marrero, Jo L. Freudenheim, Paul Sorlie

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies on the association between physical activity and fatal prostate cancer have produced inconclusive results. The Puerto Rico Heart Health Program was a cohort study of a randomly selected sample of 9824 men age 35 to 79 years at baseline who were followed for mortality until 2002. Multiple examinations collected information on lifestyle, diet, body composition, exercise, urban-rural residence, and smoking habits. Physical activity status was measured using the Framingham Physical Activity Index, an assessment of occupational, leisure-time, and other physical activities measured as usual activity over the course of a 24-hour day. Physical activity was strati- fied into quartiles. …

Childhood Obesity In Minority Populations In The United States, Qi Zhang, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Obesity became a public health crisis in the United States, which affects both adults and children.^1,2,24,25 Approximately 31% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were overweight or obese, and almost 17% were obese in 1999-2004.^3-5,24 Studies suggest that increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have contributed to the rising obesity epidemic among children.^6,21,28 Childhood obesity increased the risk of many diet-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and certain forms of cancers.⁷ It is important to …

An Hsus Report: Human Health Implications Of Non-Therapeutic Antibiotic Use In Animal Agriculture, The Humane Society Of The United States

Impact of Animal Agriculture

For decades, the U.S. meat industry has fed medically important antibiotics to chickens, pigs, and cattle to accelerate their weight gain and prevent disease in the stressful and unhygienic conditions that typify industrialized animal agriculture production facilities. A strong scientific consensus exists, asserting that this practice fosters antibiotic resistance in bacteria to the detriment of human health. In response to this public health threat, the European Union has banned the non-therapeutic feeding of a number of antibiotics of human importance to farm animals. Given these serious concerns as well as recent data that suggest an overall lack of financial benefit, …

Motivations And Reasons For Exercising In Water: Gender And Age Differences In A Sample Of Spanish Exercisers, Juan Antonio Moreno Murcia, Celestina Martínez Galindo, Pablo Marcos Pardo

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purposes of this study were, on the one hand, to relate the reasons for exercising with self-determination and, on the other, to check gender and age differences with a sample of 311 exercisers in water. The data were collected using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire–2 and Motives for Physical Activities Measure–Revised. A positive and significant correlation was seen between self-determination and the reasons for exercise, with self-determination predicting 22% by enjoyment and 8% by fitness/health reasons. Similarly, the multivariate analysis showed that the women had more self-determination than the men and that they also rated fitness/health, social, enjoyment, …

To The Bitter End: Disparities In End-Of-Life Care, Alberto Coustasse, Theresa Quiroz, Sue G. Lurie

Management Faculty Research

Although technological advancements have provided the means to sustain life and provide care regardless of whether the treatment is appropriate and compassionate given the condition of the patient, bioethical, legal, and moral concerns related to disparities in care still arise in the United States. These concerns call into question the necessity to continue life-sustaining or palliative care treatments when patients and/or families are faced with end-of-life decisions. This study will focus on various historical, clinical cultural, and ethical issues that have placed this dilemma into a controversial public spectrum, by using case studies retrieved from referenced literature, which illustrate disparities …

Where's The Kale? Environmental Availability Of Fruits And Vegetables In Two Racially Dissimilar Communities, Edith M. Williams, Bamidele O. Tayo, Beverly Marie Mclean, Ellen Smit, Christopher T. Sempos, Carlos J. Crespo

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Minority communities across the United States have limited numbers of stores that offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, creating major barriers to good eating habits and nutritional practices among minority groups such as African Americans. Factors like environmental availability of healthy food options have not been fully investigated as possible sources of current cross-population differences in disease. The present study examined whether a predominantly African American neighborhood had disproportionately less availability of fruits and vegetables than a predominantly non-Hispanic White neighborhood. Availability was judged on the bases of the types of stores available in each community and the specific …

Surveillance For Health Behaviors Of American Indians And Alaska Natives—Findings From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000–2006, C. Brooke Steele, Cheryll J. Cardinez, Lisa C. Richardson, Lillian Tom-Orme, Kate M. Shaw

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The authors compared estimates for cancer risk factors, use of cancer screening tests, health status indicators, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) in the US and for AI/ANs in 6 Indian Health Service regions.

METHODS. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were aggregated from the years 2000 through 2006 and were used to calculate weighted prevalence estimates by gender for key variables except demographic variables.

RESULTS. Compared with NHWs, AI/ANs had lower prevalence estimates for income, educational attainment, insurance coverage, and access to personal healthcare providers. AI/ANs …

Alcohol Research: A Lifespan Perspective, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

United States Public Health Resources

Contents:
The Embryo and Fetus: Focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Midlife Focus on Detrimental Effects of Drinking and on Treatment Options
Senior Adults and Alcohol: A National Health Issue

Alcohol use and the risk for alcohol-related problems change over the lifespan. College students and young adults, who often drink large quantities of alcohol at one time, are more likely to experience problems such as alcohol poisoning, drunk-driving crashes, and assaults; whereas, older individuals who drink even moderately while taking certain medications run the risk of harmful drug interactions. Additionally, patterns of alcohol use …

Populations Receiving Optimally Fluoridated Public Drinking Water— United States, 1992-2006

United States Public Health Resources

Water fluoridation has been identified by CDC as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The decline in the prevalence and severity of dental caries (tooth decay) in the United States during the past 60 years has been attributed largely to the increased use of fluoride. Community water fluoridation is an equitable and cost-effective method for delivering fluoride to the community. A Healthy People 2010 objective is to increase to 75% the proportion of the U.S. population served by community water systems who receive optimally fluoridated water. To update and revise previous reports on fluoridation in …

Caring For Caregivers: An Hiv/Aids Workplace Intervention For Hospital Staff In Zambia—Evaluation Results, Karusa Kiragu, Mutinta Nyumbu, Thabale J. Ngulube, Panganani Njobvu, Chilufya Mwaba, Arthur Kalimbwe, Spike Bradford

HIV and AIDS

The Horizons Program collaborated on a Caring for Caregivers initiative in Zambia whose objective was to develop and test a risk-reduction workplace program for hospital staff. This was motivated by the recognition that hospital workers are often overlooked in HIV programming, and yet many are infected or affected by HIV. It was also motivated by the fact that hospital staff are heterogeneous, with both clinical and non-clinical staff having varying levels of understanding regarding HIV transmission. Caring for Caregivers was a peer education program targeted at hospital staff and implemented in two hospitals in Zambia, with a combined staff of …

Training Youth Caregivers To Provide Hiv Education And Support To Orphans And Vulnerable Children In South Africa, Tobey C. Nelson, Eka Esu-Williams, Lungile Mchunu, Pinkie Nyamakazi, S'Fiso Mnguni, Katie D. Schenk, Catherine Searle, Jennifer Redner

HIV and AIDS

In KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, in Durban’s peri-urban community of Valley of 1000 Hills, Horizons partnered with Valley Trust to implement and evaluate a program to provide education and support to orphans and vulnerable children. The study utilized a pre-post test design to assess the feasibility and impact of building the capacity of youth aged 18–24 years to provide HIV education and support to in-school orphans and vulnerable children in their communities. The Valley Trust Youth Caregiver Program trained older youth to provide HIV education, homework assistance, and psychosocial support to orphans and vulnerable children aged 11–15 years. The program …