Digital Commons Network^™

Women Refugees & Immigrants: What Utahns Need To Know, Susan R. Madsen, Deborah Lin

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Refugee and immigrant women are an integral part of Utah’s communities, contributing as neighbors, workers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and advocates. They enrich our state through their diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents. Utah has a long tradition of welcoming newcomers, and our communities are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to belong and contribute. At the same time, research shows that many of the challenges facing Utah women and girls disproportionately affect refugee and immigrant women. Understanding the experiences, needs, and contributions of these women is essential to fostering welcoming, supportive communities so that all Utah women and girls can thrive.

Global Trends In School Disaster Preparedness Research: Bibliometric Analysis Impacts On Public Health And Safety, Muhammad Farid, Muhammad Agita Hutomo, Oktomi Wijaya, Dian Ika Puspitasari

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Disasters disrupt daily human activities, arising from natural or artificial triggers, with varying impacts based on community vulnerability and resource capacity. Effective disaster management involves a cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. One of the mitigation measures is to establish school disaster preparedness that integrate education and capacity building.

Objective: The aim of this research is to conduct a bibliometric analysis based on Scopus publications regarding school disaster preparedness.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed on publications indexed in Scopus from 1965 to 2024. Data were processed and visualized using VOSviewer to explore trends in annual outputs, contributing …

Mammography: What Utahns Need To Know, Brie Sparks, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Mammography is a critical preventative health tool that enables early detection of breast cancer and improves the likelihood of successful treatment. In Utah, screening behaviors are shaped by access to care, personal perceptions, healthcare experiences, and broader social and structural factors. Understanding both measurable trends and attitudes toward preventative care provides essential context for improving screening rates. Together, these factors influence how, when, and whether Utah women utilize mammography services, ultimately impacting early detection outcomes across the state.

Applying The Ottawa Charter To Evaluate Health Literacy Outcomes Of The Little Aussie Bugs Course For Australian Early Childhood Educators, Amelia Ruscoe, Elizabeth J. Cook, Eleanor K. O'Brien, Leesa N. Costello, Gillian Kirk, Ros Sambell, Theresa Rayfield, Amanda Devine, Ruth M. Wallace

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Early childhood offers an important opportunity to lay the foundations for lifelong health literacy. The Little Aussie Bugs (LAB) dialogic book series and online professional development (PD) course were designed to support Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) educators to embed health literacy concepts, including hygiene, healthy eating, and oral health, into everyday learning routines. This mixed methods study evaluated the course pilot and examined its contribution through the lens of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion—a framework comprising five interrelated action areas: building healthy public policy; creating supportive environments; strengthening community action; developing personal skills; and reorienting health services. …

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Vaccine Uptake For Measles Outbreaks In Katsina State, Nigeria, Zeenat Kabir Asma'i

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Measles remains a public health concern in Nigeria despite the availability of effective vaccines, yet limited research has comprehensively examined spatiotemporal patterns and contextual determinants of vaccination coverage and measles incidence in Katsina State. Guided by the socioecological model, this quantitative ecological study examined spatiotemporal patterns of measles incidence among children aged 9–59 months of age across 183 wards in 34 local government areas of Katsina State, Nigeria, from 2018 to 2022. Confirmed cases (n = 376) were analyzed using negative binomial regression and spatial methods, including Moran’s I, SaTScan, and geographically weighted regression (GWR). Urban wards had higher incidence …

Rapid Recovery Of Peripheral Oxygen Saturation In Hypoxic Covid-19 Patients With Ivermectin/Doxycycline/Zinc Multidrug Therapy, Sabine Hazan, Adriana C. Vidal, Eleftherios Gkioulekas, Anoja W. Gunaratne, Sibaish Dolai, Robert L. Clancy, Peter A. Mccullough, Thomas J. Borody

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Several combination therapies for the early outpatient treatment of COVID-19 were proposed by independent research groups at the onset of the pandemic during 2020 and 2021. In this observational study, we report on the outcomes of an off-label triple combination therapy, consisting of ivermectin, doxycycline, and zinc, with adjunct vitamin C and D3 supplementation, which was used on high-risk COVID-19 patients. These patients refused an initial recommendation to seek inpatient care, despite a high-risk presentation compounded with one or more comorbidities and/or severe hypoxia. Telemedicine was used to administer personalized treatment to patients at home, who did not have access …

Collaboration Is Key: Improving And Increasing Inclusive Programming Through Partnership, Brandy D James, Elizabeth Sparks, Fiona S Davey, Burris Duncan, Nadine Chau

Journal of Extension

Collaborative partnerships between Cooperative Extension offices and the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities are a key opportunity to assess and improve accessible, inclusive programming for the communities they serve. This article outlines such a partnership between local Extension, the local UCEDD, and the local Network for Down Syndrome. It reviews their collaborative process and the resulting pilot program—-an inclusive cooking class. Evaluations of the program and collaborative process demonstrate that the partners' collaboration enabled organizational capacity building and improved service provision for persons with Down Syndrome.

Building Academic-Community Partnerships To Reduce Rural Health Disparities, Latoya J. O'Neal, Marcia Brown, Biswadeep Dhar, Noemi Reyes, Brittany Blake, John Diaz, Karla Shelnutt

Journal of Extension

Rural health disparities are increasing in the United States. Academic–community partnerships between Extension and faith-based organizations present a unique opportunity to improve health outcomes in rural areas. The main objective of this study was to identify the perceived barriers, needs, and strategies for implementing effective and sustainable health promotion programs through Extension and faith community partnerships. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Extension professionals and faith community leaders (N = 15). Our results suggest that academic–community partnerships could leverage shared needs, resources, and strategies to serve as a model for reducing health disparities among low-income, minoritized adults residing in rural …

Adapting And Delivering An Extension Diabetes Self-Management Support Program To Serve The Hispanic Community, Camden Bryan, Samantha Kanny, Christina Dietz, Danielle Mcfall, Michelle Parisi, Michelle Stancil, Johanna Bruen, Rhonda Matthews, Windsor W Sherrill

Journal of Extension

Expanding Extension education programs to serve the Hispanic community will be important as this population continues to grow. The rate of diabetes is higher among the Hispanic population than the non-Hispanic population; however, the barriers to implementing a health education program and recruiting participants are plentiful. This paper highlights the work conducted by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, in partnership with organizations across South Carolina, to adapt and deliver the Health Extension for Diabetes program to the Hispanic community. It offers insights into effective strategies for program adaptation, recruitment, and delivery that agents can use to overcome barriers and increase …

Behavioral Intentions And Use Of Telehealth Among Afro-Caribbean Immigrants In Florida, Patsy Patricia Lindo-Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have documented the benefits of telehealth in managing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. However, acceptance and use of telehealth among immigrants in the United States were low compared to other users, and little is known about Afro-Caribbean immigrants and their telehealth acceptance and use. Guided by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study explored how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions shape behavioral intentions and telehealth use among Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A generic qualitative design with a purposive sampling strategy was used to interview 17 Afro-Caribbean …

Leadership-Mediated Retention Strategies To Sustain Workforce Capacity And Performance In Public Health, Meredith Winslow Wilkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workforce retention challenges continue to affect public health leaders by contributing to staffing shortages, reduced organizational capacity, and disruptions in service delivery. Public health leaders are concerned with employee turnover because it affects workforce stability, organizational performance, and the ability to meet community health needs. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective workforce retention strategies used by public health leaders to retain skilled staff and strengthen organizational capacity and revenue. The participants were eight public health leaders in the Northeast region of the United States with responsibility for workforce management and …

Caregiving And Mental Health Among Mothers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Makayla Elise Techentine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to reliance on family members or friends to care for the sick, resulting in a burden of informal caregiving stressors and relationship to mental health. Guided by the stress process model, this quantitative, cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between caregiving stressors and the mental health of mothers of children aged 18 years or younger who were serving as informal caregivers. Secondary data from the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 1,772) considered the independent variables related to caregiving stressors, including hours spent caregiving, time since becoming a caregiver, personal care …

Peer-Peer Mentoring In Undergraduate Medical Education (Ume): Scoping Review Of Us-Based Medical Schools, Sakshi Sehgal, Jordon Brinkley, Andrea Kadima, Sydney Wright, Nicole Winston Ms, Pharmd, Edd

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Mentorship plays a formative role in undergraduate medical education (UME) From shaping professional outcomes to developing longitudinal personal relationships, various forms of mentorship can influence student progress meaningfully, particularly for students from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds. Though faculty-student mentorship has been readily investigated, limited knowledge exists regarding peer-peer mentorship structures, particularly within UME in the American medical education model. This scoping review sought to investigate existing peer-peer mentorship models, as well as report on the need for further mentorship within this realm in UME.

Methods: This scoping review employed Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. We conducted a systematic and comprehensive …

The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health In Hydroxyurea Adherence Among Persons With Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Review, Doreen O. Ugwu, Lori L. Vick, Terika Williams, Aurela Nikaj, Seyi Omeh, Benjamin Becerra Dr., Tilicia Mayo-Gamble

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Objective: Georgia has one of the highest prevalences of sickle cell disease (SCD). For Georgians living with SCD, inadequate medication adherence is associated with important clinical outcomes. One important area that is understudied in SCD is the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on medication adherence. A foundational understanding of SDoH is needed to introduce, inform and carry out programs and interventions designed to facilitate hydroxyurea adherence through the state of Georgia.

Method: We conducted a systematic literature review to synthesize the literature on SDoH addressed in studies to improve hydroxyurea adherence in persons with SCD. SDoH were based …

Benefits Of Pet Friendly Work Environments On Physical, Mental, And Social Health Of Office Workers: A Systematic Review, Ahmed Radwan, Jenna Keeman, Tristan Hunzinger, Owen Wilson, Shayla Seymour

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: Pet-friendly workplace initiatives are increasingly common, yet the empirical evidence for benefits to office workers’ physical, mental, and social health is scattered and heterogeneous.

Objective: To synthesize evidence on health-related outcomes associated with pet-friendly work environments for office and desk-based workers, and to appraise the current level of evidence.

Methods: A PRISMA-guided systematic search (2014–2024) was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, OVID, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full texts, extracted data, and appraised study quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklists. Outcomes were coded and synthesized narratively within three domains: physical, mental, …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Community-Based Prenatal Education Program On Maternal Knowledge And Intentions In Utah, Aaron T. Hunt, Jenna Dyckman, Kaylee Cox

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Maternal and infant health in the U.S. has worsened, with rising rates of maternal mortality, gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, and infant mortality. Prenatal education is a proven strategy to improve outcomes, yet many expecting parents rely on unvetted information or lack access to reliable resources. To address this gap, a pilot prenatal education program was implemented through Utah State University Extension to improve knowledge, attitudes, and intentions related to breastfeeding, nutrition, mental health, and other key topics. The program consisted of 3 1-hour, evidence-based workshops incorporating lectures and interactive activities. A retrospective pre-post survey was completed by 28 pregnant participants …

Covid-19 Case Study, Armando Olmeda

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect healthcare systems and public health worldwide. This case study examines COVID-19 from an epidemiological perspective by looking at how the disease spreads, the populations most affected, the major risk factors, and the impact on healthcare systems. It also analyzes key epidemiological measures, including incidence, prevalence, hospitalization, and mortality trends, to better understand how the pandemic has changed over time. The findings show that older adults, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and socially disadvantaged populations continue to experience the greatest burden of disease, with social determinants of health playing an important …

Cyberbullying Perpetration: A Systematic Review Of Global Prevalence, Profiles, Antecedents, Consequences, And Interventions, Ysabel A. Guevarra, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Charlotte K. Y. Lee, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The anonymity afforded by cyberspace enables individuals to engage in harmful online behaviours, most notably cyberbullying perpetration, which has become a pressing social and psychological concern worldwide. Despite extensive research on its antecedents, outcomes and interventions, insights into cyberbullying perpetration remain scattered, highlighting the value of a comprehensive synthesis to capture its multifaceted nature. This systematic review synthesised findings from 54 meta-analyses, comprising 314 effect sizes (Sample size: Range = 3273–1,479,614, Mdn = 46,604) across diverse populations worldwide. Results indicate that approximately one in ten individuals engage in peer cyberbullying, with even higher prevalence in partner-directed forms such as cyber …

Assessing Hpv And Hpv Vaccine Awareness And Perception Amongst Undergraduate Students, Maura Hawkins

Honors Theses

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Vaccination rates remain low among college-aged students despite an effective vaccine being available. This study investigates HPV and HPV vaccination-related knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions among undergraduate students to inform targeted intervention strategies. Participants included undergraduate students (n = 19) who attended one of three focus groups conducted in April 2025 at the University of South Alabama. Structured interview guides explored HPV knowledge, perceived risk and severity, attitudes towards vaccination, autonomy in health decision-making, trust in health information sources, and preferred educational strategies. Discussions were …

Use Of Information Technology Tools In The Area Of Occupational Health And Safety In Polish Workplaces – Results Of A Survey, Dariusz Smoliński

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: The aim of this article is to analyse the level of implementation of digital technologies in the digitalisation of occupational health and safety (OHS) management in Poland and to identify the factors influencing the adoption of digital tools by OHS specialists. The research questions posed are: to what extent do OHS services use software; which organisational factors affect the adoption of digital tools supporting the work of OHS services; and which barriers hinder implementation? The study also sought to assess the differences in the level of digitalisation tool implementation according to the size of workplaces and the professional experience …

A Multifaceted Approach To Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Uptake Among Adolescents Ages 10-14 In A Public Health Clinic, Amy T. Norris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a leading cause of several preventable cancers. Although the HPV vaccine is safe, highly effective, and routinely recommended for adolescents, vaccination rates remain below national targets, particularly in rural and public health settings. Multiple internal and external factors contribute to low HPV vaccination rates in public health settings.

Purpose: The Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project aimed to increase HPV vaccine uptake through the implementation of a multifaceted, evidence-based intervention.

Project Design: Guided by Pender’s Health Promotion Model and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, …

Exploring Primary Care Providers’ Compassionate Care And Their Evidence-Based Practice With Death, Grief, And Loss: Patient Experience And Perspective, Kathryn Krzykala

Dissertations

Research on primary care providers’ (PCPs) education regarding Death, Grief, and Loss (DGL) remains limited. Specifically, data is lacking regarding patients' perceptions and opinions on what they need and expect from their PCPs regarding grief and loss. This exploratory mixed-method study comprised 146 participants who had experienced death and non-death loss. It examined participants' perceptions of 1) PCP compassion, 2) PCP utilization of evidence-based grief and loss practices, 3) their own level of comfort discussing DGL with their PCPs during medical visits, and 4) their personal grief and loss experiences. The findings revealed that PCPs' grief-informed evidence-based treatment, as reflected …

Skin Is In: Promoting Breastfeeding Through Immediate Cesarean Skin-To-Skin, Autumn Spencer

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identify immediate, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact as a standard of care that improves neonatal stability, breastfeeding outcomes, and maternal satisfaction. Despite these recommendations, timely initiation following cesarean birth remains inconsistent. At the project site, skin-to-skin initiation averaged 72 minutes after birth, exceeding the 10-minute benchmark, and exclusive breastfeeding rates were below the national standard of 70%. Contributing barriers included workflow variability, unclear role expectations, and inconsistent communication.

Aim of the Project: The aim of the project was to improve infant and maternal …

Core Sipp Community Collaboration Report, Yvonnie Baik, Mahtab Soleimani, Camille Velarde, Elena E. Martinez, Theresa H. Cruz

Reports & Documents

The New Mexico Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP), in partnership with the University of New Mexico Division of Prevention and Population Sciences, implemented the Community Collaboration Initiative to support community-led, upstream approaches to injury and violence prevention. Five community-based organizations across New Mexico received funding to develop and implement projects addressing shared risk and protective factors identified through advisory group input and community listening sessions. Programs emphasized youth leadership, mentorship, cultural identity, healthy relationships, mental and behavioral wellness, community connectedness, and access to supportive adults and resources.

Across the five projects, 68 youth participated in programming. A retrospective …

Neighbourhood Social Vulnerability And Preterm Birth Risk Among Infants With Trisomy 21: A Statewide Analysis, Fatima R Sheriff, Renata H Benjamin, Qian Xiao, Jenil Patel, Charles Shumate, Alejandra Fernandez, A J Agopian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Residing in socioeconomically vulnerable areas is known to be associated with increased preterm birth (PTB) risk in the general population. However, the relationship between social vulnerability and PTB remains unexplored among infants with trisomy 21, who experience more than twice the PTB rate of the general population.

Objectives: The primary objective was to examine the association between maternal socioeconomic vulnerability, as measured by the SVI, and PTB among infants with trisomy 21.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among infants with trisomy 21 born in Texas (1999-2018). We examined the association between neighbourhood vulnerability, measured by Social Vulnerability …

Pangenome Analysis Of Proteus Mirabilis Reveals Lineage-Specific Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles And Discordant Genotype-Phenotype Correlations, Namrata Deka, Aimee L Brauer, Katherine Connerton, Blake M Hanson, Jennifer N Walker, Chelsie E Armbruster

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) impose a large healthcare burden, with escalating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and treatment failure. Proteus mirabilis is an undercharacterized and challenging UTI pathogen due to intrinsic resistance and biofilm formation. To understand P. mirabilis population genomics, we combined pangenome analysis, in silico AMR prediction, and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) across 1,027 P. mirabilis genomes derived from human urine specimens. This revealed a mosaic pangenome driven by extensive accessory genome plasticity. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) identified 213 MLSTs, with only 7% having ≥10 genomes, highlighting strain diversity. AMR gene profiles were largely lineage-specific, with 25% of genomes …

Why Pronatalism Fails The Planetary Health Test, Celine Delacroix, Marleen Temmerman, Nandita Bajaj, Ann Moore, Phoebe Barnard, William Ripple, William Rees, Michael Gerrard, Diana Coole, Robert Engelman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Road-Traffic-Based Exposure Proxies Against Personal Pm2.5 Measurements In Three Sub-Saharan African Countries, Handsome Nyoni, Terence Mushore, Laura Munthali, Sibusisiwe Makhanya, Laurine Chikoko, Stanley Luchters, Matthew Chersich, Fortunate Machingura, Liberty Makacha, Benjamin Barratt

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Particulate Matter (PM2.5) exposure contributes to the global disease burden, yet its monitoring remains sparse and uneven, with limited ground sensor infrastructure. Road-traffic proxy indicators can provide indirect estimates of PM2.5 where measurements are limited but require context-specific validation. We evaluated three PM2.5 road-traffic-related proxies: (i) population-Weighted Road Network Density (wRND), (ii) Euclidean (straight line) distance from highways (EH), and (iii) Euclidean distance from main roads (EM). We validated these proxies using high-resolution outdoor filtered PM2.5 personal exposure measurements collected over 1 year from 343 postpartum participants in The Gambia, Kenya, and Mozambique. Proxy-PM2.5 associations were assessed using Spearman correlation, …

Neonatal Admissions And Mortality: A Statistical Adjustment Approach Using Birthweight-Specific Curves To Address Bias Due To Underreporting In 65 Hospitals In Four African Countries, Lucas Malla, Siu Wong, Samuel Ngwala, Evelyn Zimba, Msandeni Chiume, Norman Lufesi, Kondwani Kawaza, Honorati Masanja, Josephine Shabani, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background Underreporting of neonatal admissions and deaths – particularly among <  1000 g newborns – compromises the plausibility of in-patient neonatal mortality rate (iNMR) estimates. This limits progress tracking, since 2.3 million neonatal deaths occur annually, and 65 countries are projected to miss the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 target of fewer than 12 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030. Reliable iNMR estimates are essential for national and hospital-level monitoring. This study assessed birthweight-specific adjustment curves developed using simulated data, and extended the approach to routine data from 172,809 neonatal admissions across four African countries in the NEST360 network.

Methods Simulated data were generated using birthweight intervals of 500 g from 500 to 5000 g, with 1000 values per category representing 1000 hospitals. Admissions were drawn from a negative binomial distribution and mortality rates from a beta distribution based on published birthweight-specific iNMRs. Adjustment functions were developed using data from 500 hospitals without underreporting and tested on 500 with induced underreporting. This approach was then extended to real data from 65 NEST360 partnering hospitals. The adjustment functions were derived from 26 hospitals with plausible reporting (iNMR ≥ 700 per …

Pyogenic Liver Abscess Associated With Acute Hepatitis A And Burkholderia Cepacia Sepsis In A Child: A Rare Case Report, Anjali M, Poonam Wade, Snehal Sahebrao Kasbe, Neha Bhongale

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Pyogenic liver abscess is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening infection in children. Although it is usually associated with underlying predisposing conditions, its occurrence in association with acute hepatitis A is infrequently reported.

We report a case of a 4-year-old male child who presented with fever, jaundice, and abdominal distension and was diagnosed with pyogenic liver abscess associated with concurrent hepatitis A infection and Burkholderia cepacia complex sepsis.

This case underscores the need to consider secondary bacterial infection in children with hepatitis A who have persistent fever or an unexpected clinical course despite appropriate supportive care. Although jaundice may initially be …