Digital Commons Network^™

Social Ecological Constraints To Park Use In Communities With Proximate Park Access, J. Aaron Hipp, Deepti Adlakha, Ravikumar Chockalingam

Brown School Faculty Publications

Evidence correlates physical activity, psychological restoration, and social health to proximity to parks and sites of recreation. The purpose of this study was to identify perceived constraints to park use in low-income communities facing significant health disparities, but with proximate access to underutilized parks. The authors used a series of focus groups with families, teens, and older adults in neighborhoods with similar demographic distribution and parks over 125 acres in size. Constraints to park use varied across age groups as well as across social ecological levels, with perceived constraints to individuals, user groups, communities, and society. Policies and interventions aimed …

Roe V. Wade At 40, Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

Under the leadership of Chief Justice Warren Burger, who joined it in 1969, the Supreme Court departed from the course taken during the 16-year tenure of his predecessor, Earl Warren. The Burger Court rolled back precedents in criminal procedure and obscenity, while stopping the drive to universalize welfare rights and equalize public schooling expenditures. Roe v. Wade (1973), on the other hand, extended the Warren Court's deepest commitments: sexual liberation, obviously; equality, with respect to both race and class; and even church-state separation, insofar as the Roe Justices identified opposition to abortion with Catholic dogma. These more or less "progressive" …

Association Of Dietary Intake Patterns With Emotion Regulation, Megan Holt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Western dietary patterns, characterized by high intakes of trans fatty acids (TFA’s), are associated with numerous preventable chronic diseases. Conversely, a Mediterranean dietary pattern is known to be favorably associated with health. Recent findings suggest a correlation between Mediterranean dietary patterns and positive affect, and an inverse correlation with negative affect. Trans fatty acid intake is also associated with negative affect. Further, affect disturbances are associated with emotion dysregulation. We have yet to understand the association of diet with emotion regulation after taking affect disturbances into consideration. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of Mediterranean diet …

Is There A Viability-Vulnerability Tradeoff? Sex Differences In Fetal Programming, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff.

METHODS: We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies).

RESULTS: The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental …

Adolescents And Parents' Perceptions Of Best Time For Sex And Sexual Communications From Two Communities In The Eastern And Volta Regions Of Ghana: Implications For Hiv And Aids Education, Emmanuel Asampong, Joseph Osafo, Jeffrey Bingenheimer, Clement Ahiadeke

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background

Adolescents and parents’ differ in their perceptions regarding engaging in sexual activity and protecting themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The views of adolescents and parents from two south-eastern communities in Ghana regarding best time for sex and sexual communications were examined.

Methods

Focus Group interviews were conducted with parents and adolescents (both In-school and Out-of school) from two communities (Somanya and Adidome) in the Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana with epidemiological differentials in HIV infection.

Results

Findings showed parents and adolescents agree that the best timing for sexual activity amongst adolescents is determined by socioeconomic …

Determining Who Responds Better To A Computer Vs. Human-Delivered Physical Activity Intervention: Results From The Community Health Advice By Telephone (Chat) Trial, Eric B. Hekler, Matthew P. Buman, Jennifer Otten, Cynthia M. Castro, Lauren Grieco, Bess Marcus, Robert H. Friedman, Melissa A. Napolitano, Abby C. King

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background

Little research has explored who responds better to an automated vs. human advisor for health behaviors in general, and for physical activity (PA) promotion in particular. The purpose of this study was to explore baseline factors (i.e., demographics, motivation, interpersonal style, and external resources) that moderate intervention efficacy delivered by either a human or automated advisor.

Methods

Data were from the CHAT Trial, a 12-month randomized controlled trial to increase PA among underactive older adults (full trial N = 218) via a human advisor or automated interactive voice response advisor. Trial results indicated significant increases in PA in both …

Trends In Youth Victimization And Well-Being, And Implications For Youth Policy, Lisa M. Jones, David Finkelhor, Rashmi Nair, Michelle Collett

New England Journal of Public Policy

Youth victimization concerns have engaged educators, public health officials, and the media for many years. Cases of child victimization regularly make headlines, and in recent years public concern has focused in particular on sexual abuse, child abductions, online predators, school shootings, bullying, and cyberbullying. But little attention has been given to evidence for substantial declines in child victimizations over the past 20 years. Even for internet victimization, an area of high current public anxiety, trend data do not suggest a growing epidemic but instead find that some types of online victimization have declined over the past decade.

The failure to …

Online Predators: Myth Versus Reality, Janis Wolak, Lindsey Evans, Stephanie Nguyen, Denise A. Hines

New England Journal of Public Policy

Media stories about “online predators” who use the Internet to gain access to young victims often give inaccurate impressions of Internet-initiated sex crimes. Most such crimes involve adult men who use the Internet to meet and seduce adolescents into sexual encounters. Most offenders are open about their ages and sexual motivations. Most are charged with statutory rape (i.e., nonforcible sexual activity with victims who are too young to consent). Internet-initiated sex crimes account for a salient but small proportion of all statutory rape offenses and a relatively low number of the sexual offenses committed against minors overall. Victims are often …

Food Insecurity Among Children In Massachusetts, Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba, Deborah A. Frank, Maya Pilgrim, Maria Buitrago, Anna Voremberg, Harris Rollinger, Denise A. Hines

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article focuses on the prevalence among Massachusetts children and families of food insecurity, inadequate access to enough nutritious food for an active and healthy life. It summarizes research findings on the association of food insecurity with less optimal children’s health and development from the prenatal period through adolescence. Food insecurity also correlates with other material hardships, such as housing and energy insecurity. Data show families’ participation in public nutrition and other assistance program is associated with decreased prevalence of food insecurity and with mitigation of its impact on children’s health and well-being. The article concludes with recommendations for policy …

Assessing The Burden Of Crime And The Criminal Sanction: A Public Health Perspective On Critical Issues In Criminal Justice, Jeremy Travis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Associations Of Smoking Status And Serious Psychological Distress With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Ke-Sheng Wang, Liang Wang, Shimin Zheng, Long-Yang Wu

ETSU Faculty Works

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been a major public health problem due to its high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, while serious psychological distress (SPD) is prevalent among COPD patients. However, no study focusing on the effect of SPD on COPD has been so far conducted, while few studies have focused on the associations of SPD and behavioral factors with COPD by smoking status.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the associations of SPD and behavioral factors (such as smoking and physical activity) with COPD.

Materials and Methods: Weighted logistic regression …

Averting Uncertainty: A Practical Guide To Physical Activity Research In Australian Schools, Jerome N. Rachele, Thomas F. Cuddihy, Tracy L. Washington, Steven M. Mcphail

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Preventative health has become central to contemporary health care, identifying youth physical activity as a key factor in determining health and functioning. Schools offer a unique research setting due to distinctive methodological circumstances. However, school-based researchers face several obstacles in their endeavour to complete successful research investigations; often confronted with complex research designs and methodological procedures that are not easily amenable to school contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical guide for teachers (both teacher educators and teaching practitioners) seeking to conduct physical activity-based research in Australian school settings, as well as discuss research practices. The …

Up North They’Re Talking Sex: A Collaborative And Community Driven Model For Sexual Health Knowledge Mobilization, Karen Edwards, Steve Mitchell Phd, Nancy Gibson Phd, Cecilia Zoe-Martin, Anita Daniels, Jim Martin, Patrick Wansbrough Rn

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

To address high STI rates in their aboriginal communities, the Tłı̨chǫ of the Northwest Territories adopted a collaborative participatory research approach to sexual health based on four key stages of development. First was community initiation and engagement, where local leaders identified a priority need and began community discussions around sexual health. Secondly, identifying that existing government statistics did not provide them with adequate information, the Tlicho Community Services Agency partnered with the University of Alberta and CIETcanda to conduct a baseline study in all four Tlicho communities, designed and administered by community-based researchers. Third, a community action research team (CART) …

Health Disparity And Structural Violence: How Fear Undermines Health Among Immigrants At Risk For Diabetes, Janet Page-Reeves, Joshua D. Niforatos, Shiraz Mishra, Lidia Regino, Andrew Gingerich, Robert Bulten

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Diabetes is a national health problem, and the burden of the disease and its consequences particularly affect Hispanics. While social determinants of health models have improved our conceptualization of how certain contexts and environments influence an individual's ability to make healthy choices, a structural violence framework transcends traditional uni-dimensional analysis. Thus, a structural violence approach is capable of revealing dynamics of social practices that operate across multiple dimensions of people’s lives in ways that may not immediately appear related to health. Working with a Hispanic immigrant community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we demonstrate how structural forces simultaneously directly inhibit access …

Physical Activity And Social Cognitive Theory Outcomes Of An Internet-Enhanced Physical Activity Intervention For African American Female College Students, Rodney P. Joseph, Dorothy W. Pekmezi, Terri Lewis, Gareth R. Dutton, Lori W. Turner, Nefertiti H. Durant

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background. African American women report low levels of physical activity (PA) and are disproportionately burdened by related chronic diseases. This pilot study tested a 6-month theory-based (Social Cognitive Theory, SCT) culturally-relevant website intervention to promote PA among African American female college students.

Materials and Methods. A single group pre-post test design (n=34) was used. PA and associated SCT constructs (outcome expectations, enjoyment, self-regulation, social support) were assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.

Results. The sample was comprised of mostly obese (M BMI= 35.4, SD=6.82) young adults (M age= 21.21 years, SD=2.31). Fifty percent …

Allostatic Load Amplifies The Effect Of Blood Lead Levels On Elevated Blood Pressure Among Middle-Aged U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ami R. Zota, Edmond R. Shenassa, Rachel Morello-Frosch

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Scientists and regulators have sought to understand whether and how physiologic dysregulation due to chronic stress exposure may enhance vulnerability to the adverse health effects of toxicant exposures. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine whether allostatic load (AL), a composite measure of physiologic response to chronic exposure to stress, amplifies the effect of lead exposure on blood pressure among middle-aged adults.

Methods

We analyzed associations between blood lead levels and blood pressure in a nationally representative sample of 8,194 U.S. adults (aged 40-65 years) participating in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 1999--2008. Outcomes were elevated systolic …

What Attributes Of Patients Affect Their Involvement In Safety? A Key Opinion Leaders’ Perspective, Stephen Buetow, Rachel E. Davis, Kathleen Callaghan, Susan Dovey

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about which attributes the patients need when they wish to maximise their capability to partner safely in healthcare. We aimed to identify these attributes from the perspective of key opinion leaders. DESIGN: Delphi study involving indirect group interaction through a structured two-round survey. SETTING: International electronic survey. PARTICIPANTS: 11 (65%) of the 17 invited internationally recognised experts on patient safety completed the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: 50 patient attributes were rated by the Delphi panel for their ability to contribute maximally to safe health care. RESULTS: The panellists agreed that 13 attributes are important for patients who …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Disability And Health-Risk Behaviors, Sophia Miryam Schussler-Fiorenza Rose Md, Phd

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Prenatal Stress, Depression, Cortisol And Preterm Birth: A Review, Kiran Shaikh, Shahirose Premji, Khurshid Khowaja, Suzanne Tough, Ambreen Kazi, Shaneela Khowaj

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Preterm birth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal risk factors such as stress and depression have been associated with preterm birth. Preterm infants are at a higher risk of poor growth and neuro developmental outcomes. The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between maternal stress, depression, cortisol level, and preterm birth. Preterm birth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes with a global prevalence of 9.6% and one of the major contributors to infant mortality and morbidity. The association between psychosocial stress and preterm birth, although examined for more than 25 …

Interaction Between Human Resources Management And Ohs: Preparing Future Managers, Sylvie Gravel, Monique Lortie, Henriette Bilodeau, Jessica Dubé

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs disciplines, dont l’ergonomie, la médecine, la toxicologie, l’andragogie et bien d’autres, ont contribué à l’avancement des connaissances en santé et sécurité au travail (SST). Malgré les avancées scientifiques, un défi demeure, celui de développer les habiletés des gestionnaires et de sensibiliser ces derniers à leur rôle dans la prise en charge des mesures correctrices et préventives en matière de santé et de sécurité. Une équipe de professeurs de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) a proposé de relever ce défi en constituant une banque d’études de cas destinée à l’enseignement aux futurs gestionnaires. Les cas ont été élaborés à …

Examination Of The Pediatric Diabetes Routines Questionnaire In Adolescents: Development Of An Adolescent Self-Report Version And Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Jessica Sima Pierce

Dissertations

Previous literature suggests a positive relationship between general child routines and diabetes treatment adherence. However, research examining routines specific to the diabetes regimen is lacking. Recently, the Pediatric Diabetes Routines Questionnaire (PDRQ) was developed as a parent-report measure of diabetes-specific routines for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Though the PDRQ has provided a means to measure routines specific to the diabetes regimen, limitations exist in regard to its use with adolescents. Thus, the goals of this study were to develop and evaluate a parallel adolescent self-report version (PDRQ: Adolescent; PDRQ:A) of the PDRQ and to examine the psychometric …

Procedural Rates, Economic Costs, And Geographic Variation Of Primary And Revision Lumbar Total Disc Replacement, Anthony J. Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) surgery is a new procedure that treats degenerative disc disease, a remarkably common, disabling, and costly condition. Three distinct studies were conducted to address the longevity, costs, and geographic variation of the lumbar TDR procedure.

These three studies found lumbar TDR to have a revision burden and economic revision burden that has remained consistent since this procedure’s introduction in the
mid-2000s. The economic revision burden made this a lower-cost procedure than lumbar fusion, with a tradeoff in terms of revision burden being higher for lumbar TDR. The overall rate at which this procedure is performed …

Unpacking The Temperament Weight Relationship: The Mediating Role Of Food Preferences, Sarah A. Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the mediating role of possible food preferences on the temperamentweight relationship among 18-month-old toddlers. Parents of 37 typically developing toddlers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). During a lab visit toddlers’ weight and recumbent length were measured and recorded. Toddlers also completed a sequential touching task to examine their ability to categorize a healthy group of foods and an unhealthy group of foods. The only temperament measure found to associate with both child weight status and food categorization was inhibitory control. Toddlers’ food categorization was not found to mediate the relationship between inhibitory control and …

Exercise Participation During Weight Loss On A High Protein – Low Carbohydrate Diet Plan In Females Aged 15-25 Years, Margaret Mobley-Meulman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Obese adults have an increased risk for serious health conditions including high blood pressure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Participation in exercise can help control weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce the incidence of cardiac events, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporotic fractures, gallbladder disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and delay mortality …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among U.S. Radiologic Technology Program Directors, Jesse D. Pennington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this modified replication study is to examine the relationship between the stress levels and the wellness practices of U.S. radiologic technology program directors and to determine if correlations exist between wellness practices and stress levels of the group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. The design of the study was ex post facto correlational. The population of the study was U.S. radiologic technology program directors working in JRCERT accredited programs. The electronic instrument was distributed to 635 program directors through e-mail, with 424 (66.7%) usable returns. Significant associations were …

The 2012 Economic Burden Of Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) In Ecuador: Setting The Agenda For Future Research And Violence Prevention Policies, Maria-Isabel Roldos, Phaedra Corso

Publications and Research

Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread social structural problem that affects a great proportion of Ecuadorian women. IPV is a sexually, psychologically, or physically coercive act against an adult or adolescent woman by a current or former intimate partner. Not-for-profit groups in Ecuador report that 70% of women experience 1 of the forms of IPV sometime during their lifetime, but population-based surveys suggest that 41% of Ecuadorian women are exposed to emotional violence, 31% physical violence, and 12% sexual violence by their spouse or partner over their lifetime. Despite the high prevalence, the response of the Ecuadorian government …

Barriers To Depression Treatment Among Low-Income, Latino Emergency Department Patients, Anjanette A. Wells, Isabel T. Lagomasino M.D., Lawrence A. Palinkas, Jennifer Green, Diana Gonzalez Msw

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objectives. Low-income and Latinos use the emergency department (ED) as a primary source of care. Also, the depression prevalence in ED patients is high, making the ED a compelling venue for depression screening and intervention. This study examined barriers and facilitators to depression treatment among low-income, predominantly Latino ED patients. Methods. We conducted telephone interviews with 24 ED patients (18-62 years of age, 79% female) who dropped out of a depression treatment intervention. Using grounded theory, we analyzed perceptions of depression and treatment, and barriers and facilitators to mental health treatment. Results. Although most patients acknowledged signs of depression, there …

An Overview Of The Predictors Of Depression Among Adult Pakistani Women, Aysha Zahidie, Tanzil Jamali

Community Health Sciences

Diseases of women that are due to their gender specific roles and responsibilities result from cultural and social factors prevalent in the environs. World Health Organization has put special emphasis on research need regarding gender related factors for diseases disproportionately affecting women in developing countries. The objective of this write up was to determine the prevalence of depression and the associated risk factors among adult women in Pakistan. PubMed was searched using key words depression, risk factors, women and Pakistan. Out of 20 initially retrieved articles, 12 were directly related to depression and its risk factors among Pakistani women within …

Successful Aging And Creativity : An Investigation On Functional Status And Psychological Wellbeing In Older Adults, Mirie E. Levy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objectives: While the literature supports the maintenance of functional status as integral to successful aging, the relationship of creativity on functional status has received little attention. Creativity has been associated with health and aging in the research but only a small number of studies have examined creativity interventions to enhance functional status and boost psychological wellbeing.

Methods: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to investigate an 8-week creativity intervention on functional status and psychological wellbeing in older adults. Sample subjects were 92 men and women all over age 60. A series of two-way mixed ANOVAs measured differences between treatment and …

Online Healthy Lifestyle Support In The Perinatal Period: What Do Women Want And Do They Use It?, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Anna Fletcher

Research outputs 2013

Unhealthy weight gain and retention during pregnancy and postpartum is detrimental to mother and child. Although various barriers limit the capacity for perinatal health care providers (PHCPs) to offer healthy lifestyle counselling, they could guide women to appropriate online resources. This paper presents a project designed to provide online information to promote healthy lifestyles in the perinatal period. Focus groups or interviews were held with 116 perinatal women and 76 PHCPs to determine what online information perinatal women and PHCPs want, in what form, and how best it should be presented. The results indicated that women wanted smartphone applications (apps) …