Digital Commons Network^™

Perception And Attitude About Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening Among Muslim Women In A Midwest University Campus, Tahira Yeasmeen

Open Access Theses

Early detection of breast and cervical cancer through mammograms and Pap smears can improve survival rates. Muslim women in the United States are faced with traditional beliefs and diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds that may affect their knowledge and perceptions about these cancer screening practices. The objective of this study is to determine the overall health status and participation rates, knowledge, and perceptions about, and barriers to, breast and cervical cancer screening among a controlled population of Muslim women. Data were collected from Muslim women residing at or near Purdue University and the Greater Lafayette area via an online questionnaire …

The Nature And Perceived Influence Of Lifestyle Discussions With Older Adults In Primary Care, Shoshana H. Bardach

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

The Nature and Perceived Influence of Lifestyle Discussions with Older Adults in Primary Care Rationale: A healthy diet and physical activity help with disease prevention and disease management and can promote quality of life regardless of the age at which an individual begins engaging in these behaviors. Despite the value of these health behaviors, many older adults do not follow lifestyle recommendations. Given that older adults frequently interact with the healthcare system, primary care providers are well situated to counsel older adults to improve their health behaviors. Unfortunately, we do not know how to most effectively engage in this counseling. …

Exploring The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Everyday Cognitive Function In Older Adults: Within- And Between- Person Variability, Christine Haley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that physical activity may play a role in preserving cognitive function in older adulthood. However, the exact nature, direction, and magnitude of observed associations remain unclear. The current study utilized a microlongitudinal design to repeatedly assess cognitive function and physical activity across five days. Two studies examined relationships between physical activity, physical fitness, and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults. The first study examined associations between baseline performance in a measure of everyday cognition and multiple measures of physical activity and physical fitness. Bivariate analyses revealed that objectively measured physical activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity, repeated chair stand time …

Participation In Immersion Weight Loss Treatment May Benefit, Not Harm, Young Adult Staff Members, Katherine Elizabeth Schaumberg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

American teens and young adults are at risk for developing pathological eating patterns, which can lead to eating disorders and obesity. Despite the success of weight management programs for obese individuals, some researchers caution that participation in an aggressive approach to weight management could promote the development of eating disorders. The current study evaluated the risks of following a weight management program for healthy young adults who served as staff members in immersion treatment of obesity over the course of a summer. Participants included Wellspring staff members (n = 108) along with a comparison group of young adults with similar …

The Role Of Adaptation To Disability And Disease In Public Health, Meghan Mary Connors

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Some patients with chronic disabilities and diseases are able to adapt to their health states and, as a result, rate their quality of life higher than hypothetical patients imagining themselves to be in such states. Due to this phenomenon of adaptation, there is much controversy surrounding the effect of adaptation on patient preferences and the role that these adapted preferences ought to play in health care resource allocation decisions. The process of adaptation affects public health debates about whether we ought to give priority to the worst off in allocation decisions because within traditional public health frameworks, it is unclear …

Risk Factors For Injection Versus Non-Injection Drug Use Among Men In Kermanshah City, Iran In 2005 : An Observational Study, Kamiar Alaei

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Social Interaction And Youth Smoking, Min Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Young people are psychologically immature, and are easy to be influenced by others to engage in risky behaviors. Based on the data from the NLSY79, this dissertation examines how maternal smoking, sibling smoking, and living in urban and rural areas impact on youth smoking decisions.

Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants And Metabolic Diseases, Zafar Zayirovich Aminov

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases that tend to occur together, including diabetes, hypertension, central obesity, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been associated with increased risk of development of several of the components of the MetS.

The Effect Of Work And Family Role Stressors On The Well-Being Of Public Sector Employees In South Korea : Three Comparative Perspectives Of Gender, Role Domain, And Employment Sector, Geunpil Ryu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study aimed to address the main research question of how work and family role stressors effect employees' well-being. In particular, this study addressed four main research topics: (a) whether work and family role stressors are significantly associated with well-being indicators; (b) whether work and family role stressors are related differently to well-being for men and women; (c) whether work and family role stressors have cross-domain effects, and which domain has more predictive power to explain an individual's healthiness; and (d) whether any differences exist between private- and public-sector employees in the relationship between work and family role stressors and …

Does Intimate Partner Violence Affect The Acceptability Of Expedited Partner Therapy?, Suzanne Elizabeth Beck

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Studies have identified associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and elevated risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). An estimated 6% of women in the United States have experienced physical and/or sexual assault inflicted by an intimate partner in the previous year. Of those with an STI, chlamydia is disproportionately reported for women. In 2009, New York State legalized Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) for chlamydial infections; however clinicians are lacking guidance with respect to appropriate use of EPT when IPV is a concern.

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Alcohol Use Among Students At Minnesota State University - Mankato, Ganisher Davlyatov

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of emotional intelligence, gender, fraternity/sorority membership, and residence on alcohol use among undergraduate students enrolled in spring semester, 2013 at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The relationship between emotional intelligence and alcohol use was studied. Moreover, the effect of gender, fraternity/sorority membership, and residence on alcohol use was determined. Participants were 390 students of Minnesota State University, Mankato. A quantitative cross-sectional online survey was conducted to collect data regarding students' emotional intelligence status and alcohol use through Schutte Self Report Intentory (SSRI) for emotional intelligence (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, …

Data Mining And Pattern Discovery Using Exploratory And Visualization Methods For Large Multidimensional Datasets, Hsin-Fang Li

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Oral health problems have been a major public health concern profoundly affecting people’s general health and quality of life. Given that oral health data is composed of several measurable dimensions including clinical measurements, socio-behavioral factors, genetic predispositions, self-reported assessments, and quality of life measures, strategies for analyzing multidimensional data are neither computationally straightforward nor efficient. Researchers face major challenges to identify tools that circumvent the processes of manually probing the data.

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide applications of the proposed methodology on oral health-related data that go beyond identifying risk factors from a single dimension, and to …

Breaking The Silence: Learning About Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health In Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sally Saher, Nora El Nawawi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This collection of research (supported by the Ford Foundation office in Cairo) documents the Population Council’s efforts to build the capacity of young Egyptian researchers to study youth sexual and reproductive health. Understanding the needs of young Egyptians, including their sexual and reproductive health needs, is crucial for developing policies and programs that can help bring about desired changes and improve their health and well-being. Young people must be given accurate information and access to services to protect their sexual and reproductive health and to prepare them for taking on family responsibilities as they get older. This report sets the …

The Contracting World Of Girls At Puberty: Violence And Gender-Divergent Access To The Public Sphere Among Adolescents In South Africa, Kelly Hallman, Nora Kenworthy, Judith A. Diers, Nick Swan, Bashi Devnarain

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper describes a participatory mapping project undertaken with single-sex groups of grade 5 and grade 8–9 children in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. At grade 5, female self-defined community areas were equal to or larger in size than those of males in both sites. However, wide gender divergence in access to the public sphere was found among grade 8–9 children. Although curtailed spatial access, especially in urban areas, is intended to protect post-pubescent girls, grade 8–9 girls reported most spaces in their small navigable areas unsafe. Reducing girls’ access to the public sphere does not …

Plain Language Review Of Physical Activity Among Indigenous Australians, Caitlin Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This review provides information on physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a valuable overview for people working in the area and aims to assists in the development/refinement of policies, strategies and programs. This review of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as a part of our contributions to 'closing the gap' in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians by making relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers …

Alcohol Consumption And Its Correlates Among Residents Of Mining Town, Kitwe, Zambia: 2011 Population Based Survey, Cosmas Zyaambo, Olesegun Babaniyi, Peter Songolo, Adamson S. Muula, Emmanuel Rudatsikira, Seter Siziya

Faculty Publications

Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis and cancers. It has also been associated with risky sexual behaviors, hence, attributed as a factor in the increase of HIV incidence and prevalence. A cross sectional study was conducted using a modified World Health Organizations Global Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) Surveillance Initiative NCD-STEPs 1and 2. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of alcohol consumption. A total of 1627 individuals participated in the survey, of which 42.3% were males. Some 22.3% (36.2% of male and 12.1% of female; p<0.001) participants reported to have consumed alcohol during the 30 days preceding the survey. The factors considered to be associated with alcohol consumption were age, sex and smoking. Compared to respondents age 25-34 years, respondents of age 35-44 years were 38% (AOR = 1.38, 95%CI [1.11, 1.70]) more likely to report having consumed alcohol and those aged 45 years or older were 26% (AOR = 0.74, 95%CI [0.60, 0.93]) less likely to report having consumed alcohol. Female respondents were 47% (AOR = 0.53, 95%CI [0.46, 0.60]) less likely to report consuming alcohol compared to male respondents. Compared to respondents who reported smoking cigarettes, those who did not smoke cigarettes were 51% (AOR = 0.49, 95%CI [0.40, 0.59]) less likely to consume alcohol. The rate of alcohol consumption is high in this mining town. Factors identified in this study as associated with alcohol consumption, i.e., male sex, age, cigarette smoking, should be considered in designing interventions to curtail the level of alcohol consumption.

Self - Inflicted Serious Injuries Among Adolescents In Zambia, Adamson S. Muula, Seter Siziya, Emmanuel Rudatsikira

Faculty Publications

Injuries are a growing cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Data from Southern Africa are limited, possibly because of limited research prioritization of the issue and pre-occupation with communicable diseases. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of, and assess factors associated with, self-inflicted serious injuries among in-school adolescents in Zambia. We used data collected from the 2004 Zambia Global School-Based Health Survey to estimate prevalence of self-inflicted serious injury within the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between selected predictor variables and reported history of having seriously injured oneself. Out …

The American Public’S Perception Of Illegal Steroid Use: A National Survey, 2013, Gary Siperstein, Neil Romano, Gizem Iskenderoglu, Anthony Roman, Floyd J. Fowler Jr., Max Drascher

Center for Social Development and Education Publications

Through the surge of news about doping scandals in the media, it is expected that the public is aware of the magnitude of the problem among professional athletes; however, it is uncertain whether the public is aware that the problem often starts when athletes are younger. To this end, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Taylor Hooton Foundation, and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society partnered with the Center for Social Development and Education and the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston to conduct the most comprehensive national opinion survey to date to …

A Qualitative Study Of An Urban Community Garden: Creating Healthier Neighborhood Environments, Lauren Workman

Theses and Dissertations

Neighborhoods influence population level health; the places where people live, work, and grow are an essential setting for health promotion interventions. In efforts to create healthier neighborhood environments, there is a movement to better understand neighborhood social characteristics. The neighborhood social environment potentially includes social relationships (including trust and cohesion), networks, norms, and the resources that may be generated from relationships. In addition, more work is needed to learn about how people may become engaged in neighborhood initiatives. Community gardens are a 1) potential strategy to promote health at community and individual levels 2) mechanism to involve community members in …

Subjective Health Status And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Women With Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidosis (Rvvc) In Europe And The Usa, Samuel Aballéa, Florent Guelfucci, Julian Wagner, Amine Khemiri, Jean-Paul Dietz, Jack Sobel, Mondher Toumi

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC) is a chronic condition causing discomfort and pain. Health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in RVVC were never previously described using validated questionnaires. The objective of this study is to describe subjective health status and HRQoL and estimate health state utilities among women with RVVC.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among women who reported having suffered four or more yeast infections over the past 12 months, in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and the USA. Index scores were derived from the EQ-5D, a questionnaire providing …

Postnatal Depression In Mexico: Healthcare Provider Conceptualizations And Policies In The Public Health Sector, Jean Marie Sims Place

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlight education and training for healthcare providers and the development of a policy framework as core strategies to address maternal mental health in low- and middle-income countries. This research critically examines these strategies with respect to postnatal depression in Mexico. The research 1) addresses how healthcare providers in Mexico conceptualize postnatal depression, and 2) assesses the policies that exist in Mexico regarding postnatal depression, which will inform the next steps for policy development. The research informs appropriate healthcare provider education and training, as well as the next …

Race, Ethnicity, And Differential Perceptions Of Sexual Victimization (Assault), Kaleea Regina Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pilot study is to ascertain how a sample of female college students perceives a hypothetical victim of a fabricated sexual assault. Participant perceptions of the sexual assault were explored through three distinct parameters: (1) victim responsibility attributes, (2) levels of trauma suffered due to the experience, and (3) levels of social support. This study addressed the two following research questions: (1) how does the hypothetical sexual assault victim's race and ethnicity affect how the study parameters are assessed and (2) how do participants perceive a hypothetical sexual assault victim, when presented in different races and ethnicities, …

Food Environment And Birth Outcomes In South Carolina, Xiaoguang Ma

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of studies examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and birth outcomes. However, the results can be difficult to compare because of the variety of indicators used to characterize the neighborhood. As an important neighborhood characteristic, the food environment is associated with residents' nutrition status, diet quality, and related health outcomes. In addition, the food environment has been found to influence women's diet quality during pregnancy, which is a key factor in predicting birth outcomes. However to date, studies on food environment and birth outcomes are extremely limited.

This study examined the association between food environment (evaluated by …

Promoting Early Childhood Development Through Community Health Worker Interventions: Implementation And Measurement Issues In Rural Pakistan, Zaeem Haq

Theses and Dissertations

Appropriate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation during the first three years of life can have long-lasting effects on a child's health and development. However, not all children in the world receive adequate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation during this period. There has been enormous interest in developing the evidence on the most effective ways of implementing and assessing early childhood development (ECD) promotion interventions in resource poor settings. Despite the interest, the integration of ECD interventions into pre-existing public health programs, and assessment of these interventions in extended family, rural household environment have not been addressed.

The dissertation research presented here was …

Bringing Families Together: Parent-Student Reunification Procedures In School Crisis Planning, Ashleigh Welko

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and review current best practices with regard to parent-student reunification procedures following crises in schools. No national recommendations for school crisis planning exist, resulting in varying degrees of completeness in school planning. Parent-student reunification is one of the most frequently ignored or under-developed aspects of school emergency planning, yet a poorly developed reunification plan has the potential to become an enormous source of chaos in the aftermath of school crisis. Expedient reunification reduces the potential for lasting trauma to both children and their parents. A best practices review of existing literature was …

Adolescents, Obesity, And Motivational Interviewing, Betty J. Cheney

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The United States has seen higher rates of obesity (18.4%) in adolescents in recent years. The impact of obesity can be felt at all levels of public health because of the co-morbidities that correlate to obesity, especially in adolescents. Health outcomes for these future adults are dampened by health behavior decisions made today. Motivational interviewing has demonstrated promising evidence but mixed results when addressing health-related behaviors in adolescents. It is unclear what intervention characteristics are most successful, so more research is required to determine the intervention most appropriate for adolescents to improve health-related behaviors and ultimately improve health outcomes associated …

Fetal Deaths Related To Congenital Anomalies In The State Of Ohio: 2006-2010, Ashley M. Rhoby

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This report analyzes the 2006-2010 fetal death files for the state of Ohio by a variety of maternal and fetal characteristics. The issue of fetal deaths related to congenital anomalies is a growing concern as very few epidemiologic studies have been conducted in order to assess the correlation between maternal factors and the development of congenital anomalies. For this study, maternal demographics, the presence of a congenital anomaly, and maternal risks towards the pregnancy were analyzed. A Chi-Square analysis to test for variance between fetal deaths with and without the presence of a congenital anomaly was conducted. The results showed …

A Case For Gun Violence Prevention In Medical And Public Health Curriculum, Shaun Hamilton

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Gun violence profoundly impacts the landscape of violence in the United States. The costs of gun injuries are, estimated to be $100 billion each year in the United States. Although many physicians and health professionals agree that they have a role to play in the prevention of violence (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2002), there is a distinct disconnect between perceived responsibility and actual practice (Sidelinger, Guerrero, Rodriguez-Frau, & Mirabal-Colon, 2005). Physicians inherently have a role to play in the prevention of violence. The nature of their occupation places them in the “process” of violence in the form of treatment. …

Tackling Overweight And Obesity: Does The Public Health Message Match The Science?, Katherine Hafekost, David Lawrence, Francis Mitrou, Therese O'Sullivan, Stephen Zubrick

Research outputs 2013

Background: Despite the increasing understanding of the mechanisms relating to weight loss and maintenance, there are currently no validated public health interventions that are able to achieve sustained long-term weight loss or to stem the increasing prevalence of obesity in the population. We aimed to examine the models of energy balance underpinning current research about weight-loss intervention from the field of public health, and to determine whether they are consistent with the model provided by basic science. EMBASE was searched for papers published in 2011 on weight-loss interventions. We extracted details of the population, nature of the intervention, and key …

Ngala Healthy You, Healthy Baby: A Personalized Online Program To Support Healthy Weight In Pregnancy And Early Life, Margaret R. Miller, Lydia A. Hearn, Anna Fletcher, Lelia R. Green

Research outputs 2013

Perinatal maternal obesity is common and has significant child and maternal health consequences. Online resources have the potential to engage young mothers to adopt healthier lifestyles during pregnancy and postpartum. Intercept interviews with 53 pregnant women at antenatal clinics and focus groups with 67 new mothers at mothers’ groups and playgroups were conducted to determine preferred types and formats of online information and support. The expressed needs of women were matched to behaviour change theory to guide development of the Healthy You Healthy Baby website and Smartphone application. A mix of factual and practical online information, self-assessment, goal-setting and feedback …