Digital Commons Network^™

Potential Impact Of Advance Directive Law Act 169 On Decisions And Care For Patients At End Of Life: Reflections Of Ethics Consultants, Etienne Phipps, Phd, Richard Allman, Md

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Methodological Issues In The Study Of The Effects Of Hemoglobin Variability, Marshall Joffe, Wei Yang, Steve Brunelli, Harold Feldman

UPenn Biostatistics Working Papers

We consider estimating the effect of hemoglobin variability on mortality in hemodialysis patients. Causal effects can be defined as comparisons of outcomes under different hypothetical interventions. Defining measures of the effect of hemoglobin variability and clinical outcomes is complicated by the fact that hypothetical interventions on variability used to define its effect inevitably involve manipulation of related variables. We propose a model-based definition of the effect of the hemoglobin variability as a parameter for variability in a causal model for the effect of an overall intervention on hemoglobin levels over time. We consider this problem using history-adjusted marginal structural models, …

Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices In Rural Haitian Women, Susan B. Roman

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Is Chronic Wasting Disease (Cwd) In Deer And Elk Affecting Public Health?, Steven C. Nattrass

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Language Use And Sexual Communication Among Xhosa Speakers In Cape Town, South Africa, Demetria Cain

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Importancia De La Referencia Médica En El Diagnóstico De Parasitosis Intestinales Por Métodos Coproparasitológicos [Importance Of Medical Reference In The Diagnosis Of Intestinal Parasitosis Parasitological Methods], Nathalie De Jesús Chacón Fonseca, Rosa Contreras, Wilfredo Márquez, Raquel Salinas, Johanna María Romero

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

La Sección de Geohelmintiasis del Instituto de Medicina Tropical estudia las muestras de heces por examen seriado que incluyen
examen directo, Formol-Tritón-Éter y Baermann. Otras técnicas coproparasitológicas como: Graham, Kinyoun y Kato-Katz, se realizan
por solicitud del médico tratante. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron: valorar la calidad de la referencia médica, el impacto en el
diagnóstico al aplicarse las técnicas coproparasitológicas y la ocurrencia de parasitosis intestinales de los pacientes que asiste a esta
Sección. A cada referencia médica se le colocó una puntuación entre 0 y 12 puntos según la presencia o no de determinados parámetros de
calidad. …

Emotional Stroop Effects: Eating Disorders And Obesity, Kristy Anne Kuehfuss

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study addresses the effects of emotional valence on selective processing of body-shape related words in young women who suffer from anorexia, bulimia, or obesity, and non-clinical controls. Research in the area of emotional Stroop interference has indicated that persons with eating disorders, particularly anorectics, show elevated latencies in naming colors of words related to food or body-shape, in contrast to either neutral words, or to non-clinical control groups. One intriguing issue regarding the emotional Stroop interference among various clinical populations relates to the question of whether the interference is due to the emotionality of the relevant words or to …

Eight Key Household Practices Of Integrated Management Of Childhood Illnesses (Imci) Amongst Mothers Of Children Aged 6 To 59 Months In Gambat, Sindh, Pakistan, Ajmal Agha, Muhammad Younus, Muhammed Masood Kadir, Sajid Ali, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Objective:

To determine Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) regarding eight key integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) suggested practices and the association of these key practices with stunting as outcome.

Methods:

Sampling proportionate to sub-population sizes was employed to ensure representation from all the Union Councils of taluka Gambat-Sindh.

Results:

Low female education and mobility show the status of child's first care provider in a typical rural community. Few women knew about giving more food to a child suffering from diarrhoea. Moreover, very few exclusively breastfed their children for first 4-6 months, got their children completely immunized, washed hands before …

Wellness Program Effect On The Health Parameters Of Female Employees Aged 25 To 60 Years Of Age Targeting Physical Activity And Nutrition Therapy., Adrienne J. Poag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if the health parameters of female employees would improve, as measured in the posttest data, following the completion of a 12-week employee wellness program. The participants included 17 female employees from the Carter County Health Department located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The principle investigator assessed the changes in the pretests and posttests and analyzed the data using SPSS. The results showed on average an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption and in the number of days exercised per week as well as improved diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels. The employees who experienced …

Health Barriers, Health Perceptions, And Cardiovascular Risk Factors Of Adolescent Black American Males, Desmarie Jackson Decuir

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Area of Investigation: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the leading cause of death among Black American adult males. Health behaviors that contribute to CV disease are probably learned during adolescence yet few researchers have studied the factors that influence health promotion behaviors in adolescent Black American males. This study described the health barriers, health perceptions (health self-efficacy and health status), and CV risk factors reported by and the influence of these variables on health promotion behaviors of a sample of Black American adolescent males without known CV disease.

Methods and Procedures: A descriptive correlation study design was used to …

Exercise And Cardiovascular Events - Placing The Risks Into Perspective: A Scientific Statement From The American Heart Association Council On Nutrition, Physical Activity, And Metabolism And The Council On Clinical Cardiology, Paul D. Thompson, Barry A. Franklin, Gary J. Balady, Steven N. Blair, Domenico Corrado, N. A. Mark Estes Iii, Janet E. Fulton, Neil F. Gordon, William L. Haskell, Mark S. Link, Barry J. Maron, Murray A. Mittleman, Antonio Pelliccia, Nanette K. Wenger, Stefan N. Willich, Fernando Costa

Faculty Publications

Habitual physical activity reduces coronary heart disease events, but vigorous activity can also acutely and transiently increase the risk of sudden cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction in susceptible persons. This scientific statement discusses the potential cardiovascular complications of exercise, their pathological substrate, and their incidence and suggests strategies to reduce these complications. Exercise-associated acute cardiac events generally occur in individuals with structural cardiac disease. Hereditary or congenital cardiovascular abnormalities are predominantly responsible for cardiac events among young individuals, whereas atherosclerotic disease is primarily responsible for these events in adults. The absolute rate of exercise-related sudden cardiac death varies with …

Haplotype Association Between Haptoglobin (Hp2) And Hp Promoter Snp (A-61c) May Explain Previous Controversy Of Haptoglobin And Malaria Protection, Sharon E. Cox, Conor Doherty, Sarah H. Atkinson, Chidi V. Nweneka, Anthony J.C. Fulford, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Kirk A. Rockett, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski, Andrew M. Prentice

Faculty Publications

Background.

Malaria is one of the strongest recent selective pressures on the human genome, as evidenced by the high levels of varying haemoglobinopathies in human populations-despite the increased risk of mortality in the homozygous states. Previously, functional polymorphisms of Hp, coded by the co-dominant alleles Hp1 and Hp2, have been variously associated with several infectious diseases, including malaria susceptibility.

Methodology/Principal Findings.

Risk of a clinical malarial episode over the course of a malarial transmission season was assessed using active surveillance in a cohort of Gambian children aged 10-72 months. We report for the first time that the major haplotype for …

Haplotype Association Between Haptoglobin (Hp2) And Hp Promoter Snp (A-61c) May Explain Previous Controversy Of Haptoglobin And Malaria Protection, Sharon E. Cox, Conor Doherty, Sarah H. Atkinson, Chidi V. Nweneka, Anthony J.C. Fulford, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Kirk A. Rockett, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski, Andrew M. Prentice

Faculty Publications

Background

Malaria is one of the strongest recent selective pressures on the human genome, as evidenced by the high levels of varying haemoglobinopathies in human populations–despite the increased risk of mortality in the homozygous states. Previously, functional polymorphisms of Hp, coded by the co-dominant alleles Hp1 and Hp2, have been variously associated with several infectious diseases, including malaria susceptibility.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Risk of a clinical malarial episode over the course of a malarial transmission season was assessed using active surveillance in a cohort of Gambian children aged 10–72 months. We report for the first time that the major haplotype for …

Where The Sky Is High And The Hospital Is Faraway: Strategies For Rural Public Health Education In Yunnan, China, Michael Frick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The young seller sits on a low stool behind a canvas advertising his product and speaks quickly into a microphone headset. Gathered around him, a small crowd watches as he spreads a modest amount of his curative skin potion on the underarm of a willing volunteer. As the vendor dabs the liquid on the local man’s arm, he gestures toward pictures on the canvas to explain and market his medicine, a red liquid stored in small elixir bottles. Several streets away, thirty government health workers dressed in the blue and black uniforms of officialdom unfold a carnival of public health, …

A Case Study Of Pediatric Diarrhea At Murchison District Hospital In Port Shepstone, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, T. Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates pediatric diarrhea in children under 5 years old at Murchison District Hospital in Port Shepstone, South Africa. Hospital Child Pip data was used to determine the number of admissions to the hospital for pediatric diarrhea and its mortality rate. Characteristics of deceased patients including age, malnutrition, and HIV status, were then synthesized with information on patients’ access to clean water and improved sanitation obtained through 20 interviews of mothers of patients as well as caregivers’ infant feeding practices and hygiene practices, such as handwashing with soap. Treatment and prevention of diarrhea was also explored. Murchison’s management of …

Well Child Health Care In Wales: A Change Of Setting, A Shift Of Power, Jennifer Herman

Inquiry Journal 2007

No abstract provided.

Gstm1, Gstt1, Gstp1, And Gsta1 Polymorphisms And Urinary Isothiocyanate Metabolites Following Broccoli Consumption In Humans, Susan E. Steck, Marilie D. Gammon, James R. Hébert, Denise E. Wall, Steven H. Zeisel

Faculty Publications

Isothiocyanates (ITC) are potentially anticarcinogenic phytochemicals formed from the metabolism of glucosinolates and are found in cruciferous vegetables as well as a select number of other foods. ITC are both substrates for and inducers of glutathione S-transferase (GST) phase II metabolizing enzymes involved in carcinogen detoxification as well as effectors of phase I pathways. Previous studies report mixed results on the interaction between cruciferous vegetable intake, GST polymorphisms, and risk of cancer. We conducted a study of 114 healthy human subjects between 18 and 50 y of age to examine the biologic mechanism underlying the associations, specifically, to assess …

Repeatability Of Serial Carotid Intima Media Thickness Scanning On Individual Subjects, Judi Nightingale

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year. In order to improve primary prevention, early risk identification is essential. B-mode ultrasound of the common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) assesses risk of a coronary event early in the process of plaque development. Because IMT changes are so small over time, in order to determine clinically significant versus clinically insignificant changes in IMT over a 12 month time period, a protocol is needed which can detect the least significant difference (LSD) of at least 0.030 mm.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a well-defined …

Relationship Of Fruit And Vegetable Servings And Self-Reported Diabetics In The Southeast And Northeast, Marylen Rimando, Faye Lopez, Haritha Battula

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

According to the American Diabetes Association, most diabetic patients are not consuming the recommended 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits a day. This study examined fruit and vegetable servings of self-reported diabetics (N=35,407) in select southeastern and northeastern states using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2005 data. The estimate for both fruit and vegetable servings and self-reported diabetes was determined using multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographics and geographic region. The results indicated a significant difference between fruit and vegetable servings for diabetics and non-diabetics (p<0.0001). A higher percentage of diabetics in the northeast consumed more than three servings of fruit and vegetables when compared to diabetics in the southeast. Respondents in the northeast were 21% more likely to consume five or more servings of fruit and vegetables and 16% less likely to be diabetic than those in the southeast after adjusting for age, race, sex, and geographic region. In conclusion, diabetics in the northeast consumed more servings of fruit and vegetables than did those in the southeast. Multiple factors influence fruit and vegetable consumption and diabetes and should be considered when developing targeted nutritional interventions. Diabetes educators, nurses, and physicians can encourage diabetic patients to consume more fruit and vegetables and motivate them to continue eating fruit and vegetables.

Food Facilities, Food Service Workers And The Flow Of Food: Food-Borne Illnesses In Taiwan's Preschools, Shu-Chen Lin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined food-borne illnesses in Taiwan's preschools which are a major cause of personal distress and preventable death. They are of particular concern in preschools as very young children are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Previous studies that comprehensively investigated the factors impacting food-borne illnesses in Taiwan were not found in the literature. The development of a universal food safety model is necessary as a means to measure relevant constructs. Application of the model should be able to prevent the occurrence of food-borne illnesses in organizations. This explanatory (correlational) study examined the relationships among food facilities, food service workers, …

Finding The Fastest Way To Her Heart: Linking Clinical And Policy Pathways, Paula Johnson, Brian R. Schuetz, Shelley M. Stark, Dora Tovar

New England Journal of Public Policy

The Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, integrates research, clinical practice, and policy analysis with practical application to emerging women’s health issues. Recently, an interdisciplinary team of practitioners examined pathways to improving women’s heart health. Beginning with the evidence that a heart-healthy diet leads to improved health outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease, the Connors Center team charted a course of intellectual exploration that culminated in a broader community dialogue on how to improve access to healthy and affordable food. Through clinical experiences, research activities, and an ongoing interchange …

Fairfax County's Commitment: A Housing And Health Continuum For Seniors, Judith D. Moore, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

This one-day site visit focused on the range of services made available to seniors by Fairfax County, Virginia, including senior centers, adult day health care, and assisted living and independent housing. Services to low-income residents were emphasized. Participants were introduced to the different agencies and funding streams involved and were able to observe how county officials have acted on a stated commitment to help seniors who wish to age in place, staying in the county and in their own homes rather than in a nursing home or other institution. The day included tours of two Fairfax County multiservice sites, in …

Patient Advocacy Resource Manual, Jeff Hope

Student Organizations

Patient Advocacy began as a freestanding group, formed by medical students who wanted to help homeless men and women with their psychosocial needs, such as finding a job, obtaining health insurance, and joining a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Later, we merged with Jeff HOPE to form an organization that can address all of the needs of our patients. This combination of energies and talents has proven quite beneficial, especially because our patients often need services that are beyond the scope of what the Jeff HOPE medical clinic can provide. Thus, one of our most important responsibilities is to link …

Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine For Weight Control In The United States, Patricia A. Sharpe, Heidi M. Blanck, Joel E. Williams, Barbara E. Ainsworth, Joan M. Conway

Faculty Publications

Objectives: The purpose was to assess the prevalence and correlates of complementary and alternative medicine use for weight control.

Design: A list-assisted random-digit-dialed telephone survey of adults was conducted in the fall of 2002 (n = 11,211). The focus of the study was complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, other than dietary supplements, in the previous 12 months.

Settings/location: The sample of respondents was drawn from the total noninstitutionalized U.S. adult population residing in telephone-equipped locations.

Subjects: The sampling procedures were designed to obtain adequate representation of Hispanic and non-Hispanic black respondents. Data from the total sample of 11,211 …

The Association Between Lifestyle Factors And Inflammatory Markers, Kerry Ann Stonebrook

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels are established risk factors for CVD, inflammation is being evaluated as a potential independent risk factor. A key cytokine regulator of the inflammatory response, interleukin-1 (IL-1), has emerged as playing a particularly important role at the genetic level in determining the degree to which the inflammation pathway is turned on. How an individual’s genetic make-up affects inflammation, CVD risk, and response to lifestyle intervention is an area of research that is in …

Objectively Measured Physical Activity And Fat Mass In A Large Cohort Of Children, Andy R. Ness, Sam D. Leary, Calum Mattocks, Steven N. Blair, John J. Reilly, Jonathan Wells, Sue Ingle, Kate Tilling, George Davey Smith, Chris J. Riddoch

Faculty Publications

Background: Previous studies have been unable to characterise the association between physical activity and obesity, possibly because most relied on inaccurate measures of physical activity and obesity.

Methods and Findings: We carried out a cross sectional analysis on 5,500 12-year-old children enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Total physical activity and minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using the Actigraph accelerometer. Fat mass and obesity (defined as the top decile of fat mass) were measured using the Lunar Prodigy dual x-ray emission absorptiometry scanner. We found strong negative associations between MVPA and …

Seaweed And Soy: Companion Foods In Asian Cuisine And Their Effects On Thyroid Function In American Women, Jane Teas, Lewis E. Braverman, Mindy S. Kurzer, Sam Pino, Thomas G. Hurley, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Seaweeds and soy are two commonly eaten foods in Asia. Both have been reported to affect thyroid function, seaweed because of its iodine content and soy because of its goitrogenic effect. Twenty-five healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 58 years) completed a double-blinded randomized crossover study. Ten capsules (5 g/day) of placebo or seaweed (Alaria exculenta), providing 475 ug of iodine/day, were consumed daily for 7 weeks. A powdered soy protein isolate (Solae Co., St. Louis, MO) providing 2 mg of isoflavones/kg of body weight, was given daily during the last week of each treatment arm. On average, …

Validation Of The Physical Activity Questionnaire For Older Children In Children Of Different Races, Justin B. Moore, John C. Hanes Jr., Paule Barbeau, Bernard Gutin, Roberto P. Treviño, Zenong Yin

Faculty Publications

The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) is a validated self-report measure of physical activity widely used to assess physical activity in children (8-14 years of age). To date, however, the instrument has been validated in largely White Canadian samples. The purpose of the present article is to determine the pscyhometric properties of the PAQ-C for African American, European American, and Hispanic children. Two studies were conducted in which independent samples were administered the PAQ-C, along with varying indices of cardiovascular fitness, fatness, and psychological measures related to physical activity. Results showed that the reliability and validity of the …

Food Insecurity And Subsequent Weight Gain In Women, Sonya J. Jones, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Objective: Cross-sectional data indicate that a relationship between household food insecurity and overweight exists among women in the USA. Cross-sectional data cannot determine if food insecurity leads to overweight as some have hypothesised. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of food insecurity with subsequent weight gain in women using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

Design, setting and subjects:Panel data from the 1999 and 2001 PSID, a nationally representative sample of households, were analysed using multivariate regression procedures.

Results: Average weight gain among all women (n=5595) was 1.1 kg …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, David Ashley, Lori Bachand, Grace Russell, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.