Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Low-Income Residents’ Access To Fresh Produce Through A Local Mobile Pantry, Laura E. Wasson, L. Lanier Nalley, Mechelle Bailey, Laura Hill

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Seeds that Feed (STF) is a mobile food pantry located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. STF receives produce from local farmers to distribute to residents in low-income housing sites throughout Northwest Arkansas. According to Feeding America, food insecurity affected 14.3% Washington County, Arkansas’ population in 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine if STF’s model is an effective way to increase individuals’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables and increase their potential to meet the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Patterns (USDA-FP) for to fruit and vegetable consumption. Twenty-three participants from three sites completed the study. A survey was …

Global Health Experience In Botswana, Sarah Bieser

Posters

Describes experience providing care at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Center of Excellence in Gabarone, Botswana and the Princess Marina Hospital.

Global Health Elective In San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala, Page Pomo

Posters

Future outpatient general pediatrician serving bilingual populations describes working in rural Guatemala and opportunities to practice Spanish language skills.

Level Of Satisfaction Among Food Pantry Clients, Staff/Volunteers, And Directors And Its Association With Client Choice In Food Pantry Layouts, Myranda Dunmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Food insecurity is an issue in rural communities, particularly among food pantry clients. Food pantries may not provide clients with the opportunity to choose their own foods (client choice), and instead may just give a set amount and type of foods. Client choice is important in regards to client health status as well as perceptions of autonomy and quality of life. Although client choice can be promoted in food pantries, it may be difficult to grasp the process of food pantry transitioning and how well changes such as these may be perceived by clients or food pantry personnel. We …

Meaning And Hope In Health Behavior Change: An Examination Of Health Coaching For Individuals With Disabilities, Krys Standley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction:In an effort to expand the reach of health-promotion efforts for people with disabilities, a one-on-one health promotion intervention titled Health My Way was piloted. This intervention incorporated health coaching and health-promotion curriculum designed specifically for people with disabilities.

Purpose:The intervention was evaluated for its effects on health behavior change. Additionally, personal sense of meaning and hope were examined as potential mechanisms of influence in the hypothesized behavior change process.

Methodology:A convergent-parallel mixed-methods research design was used to examine the research questions. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were used to evaluate changes in levels of meaning, hope, and …

Housing Cost Burden And Maternal Stress Among Very Low Income Mothers, Kaycee L. Bills, Stacia Michelle West, Jami Hargrove

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As the affordable housing shortage proliferates, more American households struggle with high housing cost burdens. Grounded in Belsky’s (1984) parenting stress framework, we use a weighted low-income sample from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study of mothers who rent their homes (N=388) to investigate a relationship between housing cost burden, or paying a substantial portion of income toward housing, and higher rates of reported maternal stress. Findings of the linear regression indicate that younger mothers and those paying 30% or more of their income each month toward rent have higher reported maternal stress scores. These findings are discussed with …

Summary Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Status 2018, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet, Millie Harford-Mills, Andrea Macrae, Neil Drew

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This latest Summary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health provides an up-to-date, plain language summary of the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific information on:

• population
• births
• deaths
• common health conditions
• key health risk and protective factors.

The Summary has been prepared by the HealthInfoNet as part of its effort to help 'close the gap' by providing the evidence base to inform practice and policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The Summary aims to make this information available to all people, including those without a specialised knowledge …

Overview Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Status 2018, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status (Overview) aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent indicators of the health and current health status of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The initial sections of the Overview provide information about the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, population, and various measures of population health status. The remaining sections are about selected health conditions and risk and protective factors that contribute to the overall health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These sections comprise an introduction and evidence of the extent of …

Nurses' Perceptions Of Patient Encounters During Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Education, Traci Edwynne Cullins-Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have suggested positive patient-health provider relationships can positively impact patient outcomes. A few focused explicitly on bariatric weight loss surgery (BWLS) professional-patient interactions. This study is significant because BWLS is a recommended tool to combat obesity. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of BWLS education nurses regarding their patient encounters. This mixed methods research study used an online survey combining quantitative Likert scale questions and open-ended qualitative questions, with social cognitive theory as the theoretical foundation. These explored viewpoints relate to their patient relations expressed by a health professional. Health professional beliefs incorporated into …

Thyroid Function Screening & Dysfunction In Patients With Heart Failure: An Examination Of Practice At The University Of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital From 2007-2017, Alexandra Paige Hall

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

Introduction: Heart failure constitutes a global pandemic affecting at least 26 million globally (an estimated 5.7 million of which are Americans), and its burden on our healthcare system is projected to increase.[1] As a result, it is imperative that diagnostics and treatment among that population be evidence based in order to contain costs and optimize patient outcomes. Over the last 20 years, thyroid function screening has been recommended for patients upon initial diagnosis of heart failure by the American College of Cardiology and other professional organizations. However, it remains unclear whether this recommendation is followed by practitioners and how much …

A Comparison Of Pediatric Prevention Policies To Pediatric Health Supervision Codes, Rania Burke

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

The number of policy statements from the AAP presents pediatricians with an increasing amount of advice related to prevention, yet the definition of prevention and well-child visits has not changed for outpatient office visits. Outpatient office visits are the primary means by which preventive care is administered. The objective of this study is to quantify and characterize the prevention policy recommendations that pediatricians are expected to provide patients/guardians beyond the well-child visit. Secondarily, an analysis was completed to demonstrate which prevention policies make recommendations that can be coded for reimbursement as part of a well-child prevention visit.

METHODS The author …

Predictors Of Resilience Among Infants At Risk For Rapid Weight Gain, Alison K. Ventura, Kristen Thompson

Kinesiology and Public Health

Objective: The study objective was to investigate factors associated with resilience to rapid weight gain (RWG) among predominantly bottle-fed infants.

Methods: Data came from 1,353 mothers who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study 2. Mothers completed a prenatal questionnaire and monthly surveys of infant feeding and growth between birth and 12 months. Infants were classified as resilient if they were predominantly bottle fed but did not exhibit RWG between birth and the latter half of infancy (≥ +0.67 change in weight-for-age z score).

Results: Thirty-five percent of the sample (n = 467) was predominantly bottle fed but did …

Designing And Implementing Inclusive Community-Based Health Promotion Intiatives, Cassandra Herman

All ETDs from UAB

Background: People with disabilities (PWDs) have poorer health outcomes, yet are they are underserved by public health initiatives. PWDs face numerous barriers to participation in community-based health programs despite mounting evidence about these barriers along with recommendations and guidelines to become more inclusive of disability. Policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes that are inclusive of PWDs can help create access to health promotion programs for PWDs. Systematically implementing inclusive PSE changes using implementation science principles can support effective and sustainable changes are implemented for each unique community context. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the experiences of public …

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: A Survey To Assess Adults Knowledge, Attitudes, And Consumption Patterns Of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Jeff Schafer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have a direct impact on the general health of the country when looking at the rising obesity levels (CDC, 2017a). The USDA’s dietary guidelines suggest that the daily intake of added sugar should be limited to 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men (Hughes, 2017). However, the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar daily (Hughes, 2017). These extra calories are converted into fat and stored in the body. Data collected throughout the years indicates a rise in the number of Americans living with a weight above healthy recommendations, which is termed, obese. Obesity is …

Physical Activity Environments In Rural Communities: Exploring The Relationship Between Community Perceptions And The Environment, Elizabeth M. Bye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess the physical activity environment, community perceptions of the physical activity environment, and the relationship between these variables in rural and/or underserved communities with high obesity prevalence.
Methods: The Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) was used to assess the programs and policies (PPA), town-wide amenities (TWA), and street segments (SSA) of the physical activity environment and the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS) was used to assess community perception of the physical activity environment within eleven rural and/or underserved communities. Each section of the RALA and RALPESS are further broken down into additional subsections in order …

Wellness Policy Awareness Among School Leaders And The Impact On Written Policy Scores, Mariah Reil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: All schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must possess a written School Wellness Policy (SWP) as mandated by the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010.1 School officials and leaders play a major role in SWP implementation. It is essential to written SWP implementation that school level officials and leaders in the district are aware of the SWP. However, the association between school leader awareness of SWP and policy quality has not yet been studied.
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if school leader awareness of a SWP impacts the written SWP quality. …

Eating Insects: A Community Action Toolkit, Lily X. Chumrau, Charlotte Langner, Freya Sargent, Ellen Sears, Mary Mccormick

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The world’s human population has risen exponentially over the last 100 years and is expected to reach nine billion by 2050. Ensuring food security and resource sustainability is of global concern. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization endorses insect farming as an alternative to cattle, pork, sheep, and poultry industries because of their higher food conversion rate. Insect farming requires less arable land, less water, and produces less greenhouse gases than traditional livestock. The practice of eating insects, known as entomophagy, is not a new idea as two billion people around the world include insects in their diets. Unfortunately, …

A Qualitative Research Synthesis Of Contextual Factors Contributing To Female Overweight And Obesity Over The Life Course In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ifeoma Ozodiegwu, Mary Ann Littleton, Christian Nwabueze, Oluwaseun Famojuro, Megan Quinn, Rick L. Wallace, Hadii M. Mamudu

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective: Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course.

Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ProQuest Central, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched to locate qualitative research articles conducted in SSA countries beginning in the year 2000. After assessment for eligibility and critical appraisal, 17 studies were included in the synthesis. Textual data …

Environmental Influences On Rates Of Osteo- And Rheumatoid Arthritis, Azad Abdulrahman Mohammed

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Epidemiology Of Self-Reported Maternal Depression During Pregnancy And Association With Adverse Birth Outcomes In New York State, 2012-2017, Solita Julianna Jones

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background

Climate Change And Salmonella, New York State, Kevin Taylor Welch

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A study of climate change and Salmonella was conducted, serving as the evidence-based results for action to mitigate adverse Salmonella outcomes for the population of New York State (NYS), and to facilitate dissemination of findings in regard to validated approaches for broader use to mitigate climate change and adverse communicable disease outcomes in a variety of other settings. This study bolsters understanding of dynamic exposures and outcomes for improved and targeted public health approaches to localized climate change and communicable disease outcomes. The approach was developed and refined through continuously validated and calibrated methodology for the enhancement of disease control …

Anxiety Among Women Living With Hiv In Kazakhstan, Kathryn Emily Mishkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research shows that mental illness has an impact on the health and quality of life of women living with HIV. As a result, many countries have adopted integrated care models to provide holistic treatment to women living with HIV. However, some countries, where the HIV burden is particularly high, have been ineffective at addressing the mental health needs of these women, primarily because of a compartmentalized health care structure that limits interaction among sectors. By describing the prevalence of anxiety and comorbid anxiety-depression among women living with HIV in affected areas, there is an opportunity for effective policies to be …

Changes In Fish Consumption Patterns And Knowledge Pre-/Post-Fish Consumption Education By Race In The Capital District Of New York State, Donghong Gao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Examining The Association Between Toxocara Infection And Lung Function In A Nationally Representative Sample Of U.S. Adults Aged 18-79 Years, Tejaswini Chakravarthy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction:

Descriptive And Risk Factor Analysis Of Infantile Cataracts, Marine Nalbandyan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Infantile cataract is a lens opacity diagnosed by 12 months of age. It is a major cause of childhood blindness, with about 200,000 children worldwide being blind because of bilateral cataracts. Blindness has a negative impact on the quality of a child’s life and is associated with increased healthcare costs. While reduction/elimination of childhood blindness is a priority issue in public health, risk factors remain unknown for about two-thirds of infantile cataract cases. The primary aims of this dissertation were to (1) identify, evaluate, and summarize observational studies investigating non-genetic risk factors for infantile cataracts, (2) estimate birth prevalence and …

The Effect Of Maternal Dietary Habits During Pregnancy On Neonate Leptin Methylation Patterns And Gestational Age, Sean Fitzpatrick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The health of a newborn baby is inextricably linked to the health status of its mother and in turn the mother’s diet during pregnancy. Leptin (LEP) is an adipokine hormone involved in metabolism regulation and has been linked fetal development through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Prior work suggests that gestational epigenetic alterations the LEP gene may be sensitive to adverse exposures during pregnancy, which in turn could explain variation in neonate outcomes. However, no prior work has examined this possibility explicitly. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns of mothers during pregnancy and their …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Collaborations Between Local Health Departments And Nonprofit Hospitals For Population Health, Christopher Mierow Maylahn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In 2008, New York’s health commissioner asked LHDs and nonprofit hospitals to collaborate with community partners to conduct community health needs assessments, identify two or three health priorities to focus on, and implement evidence-based strategies to address them. The actions taken as part of the New York State Prevention Agenda mirrored the IRS rules and PHAB recommendations that followed. The dearth of published studies on public health-hospital collaborations and the momentum to understand how communities in New York have responded to the IRS rules and PHAB standards are the impetus for this research.

Right Size Me : Policy Responses To The Obesity Eidemic And Behavioral Change, Wenhui Feng

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Obesity is a critical health and social concern. Almost 40% of American adults are obese, creating more than $300 billion dollars in annual medical costs. While obesity is a public concern that has been on the policy agenda for some time, obesity policies have proven difficult to formulate, adopt and implement in practice. In this dissertation, I explore three obesity-related policies – adoption of obesity prevention policies by local health department, calorie labeling on restaurant menus and food assistance benefits – and find the importance of ideological and political considerations for obesity policies at different stages in the policy process …

Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes In Upstate New York Women & Implications For Practice, Margaret Versteegen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes, or abnormal blood glucose (sugar) metabolism, diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnant, non-diabetic women who are initially noted to experience high blood glucose levels during their pregnancy are considered to have GDM (ADA, 2016b). GDM has significant implications for infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as infant macrosomia, difficult birth requiring cesarean section, and postpartum hemorrhage (Kamana, Shakya, & Zhang, 2015). In the majority of cases, GDM goes away once the baby is born, but around 5-10% of women with GDM go on to have type 2 diabetes …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. In …