Digital Commons Network^™

The Mercury Connection: Autism And Childhood Vaccines, Sarah Rossi

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

A literature survey of government and private studies have found that Thimerosal not to be a cause of auism. The reliance on limited, flawed and outdated studies on the effect of ethyl-mercury suggest that more research is needed to understand the effects of ethyl-mercury and particularly Thimerosal. In the meantime efforts should be increased to remove Thimerosal from vaccines world-wide.

Role Of Place Of Residence On Drinking And Driving Among Students In A Hispanic Serving University

Florida Public Health Review

This study describes the role of place of residence on drinking and driving among students in a large Hispanic- serving institution. The National College Health Assessment survey was administered during the fall of 2004. 1130 randomly selected students completed this anonymous questionnaire. Hispanic students were less likely to drive after drinking compared to non-Hispanic white students, but Hispanic students were more likely to live with parents (55%) compared with non-Hispanic white students (22%). After adjusting for the place of residence, there were no significant differences in drinking and driving between Hispanics and non-Hispanic white students. Therefore, in part, lower levels …

“We’Re Talking About Sex”: Young Adults And Sexual Health In Northern Ireland, Caroline Erin Morris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Health Compromising Behaviors By Gender Among Florida Adolescents

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

South Africa’S Unsung “She-Roes”: A Practicum Study Of Npo Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids, Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, Rachel Pryzby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across Africa, the AIDS pandemic has forced HIV+ individuals and orphaned children into the care of elderly women. Though this has occurred in millions of families, little support has been offered for the grandmothers supporting children and grandchildren on a limited income. This study reports on a practicum study at Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA), the first African organization to recognize the important role played by grandmothers in light of HIV/AIDS. The study was conducted in April 2008 at the GAPA center in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the organization’s origin, …

Competition And Collaboration, Chicago-Style, Laura A. Dummit, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum sponsored a site visit to Chicago, Illinois, March 16-18, 2008 to consider how competition and collaboration have shaped Chicago?s health care market. Chicago is a study of contrasts between wealth and poverty and between large, internationally known facilities and struggling community hospitals. The stressed state of the county health system concerned all of the stakeholders and may be an impetus for increased cooperation among the haves and the have nots. No longer waiting for state health reform efforts, key players were working to shore up needed providers and develop a more equitable distribution of resources, …

Mental Health And Business Professionals’ Employment-Related Perceptions Of Individuals With Psychological Disorders, Kevan Mock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mental health and business professionals’ employment-related perceptions of 6 psychological disorders (i.e. alcoholism, insomnia, major depression, social phobia, post- traumatic stress disorder, obesity) were examined. The 33 professionals (n = 18 mental health; n = 15 business) evaluated each disorder on 18 employment-related dimensions (e.g. employability, productivity, trainability). Specifically, they evaluated the perceived likelihood of each of the 18 employment-related dimensions being associated with each of the 6 psychological disorders (1 = not likely; 5 = highly likely). Perceptions of the 33 mental health and business professionals were compared with the perceptions of college students (n = 106) obtained in …

The Relationship Between Agency Characteristics And Quality Of Home Care, Dawn M. Dalby, John P. Hirdes

Kinesiology and Physical Education Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT. Background. This project assessed the relationship between home care quality indicators HCQIs) and agency characteristics. Methods. Twelve agencies completed a mailed survey on a variety of characteristics, including size of their caseload and for-profit (FP) status of contracted service providers. The HCQIs were derived from standardized assessments completed voluntarily for home care clients in Ontario and in Manitoba, Canada. Results. The average caseload was 121.3 clients per case manager, and over 40% of nursing, personal support and therapy providers were considered FP. For individual HCQIs, few correlations were statistically significant. An overall summary measure of quality was …

A Primer On The Implementation Of Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. [Review Of The Book Cognitive Behavioral Therapy In Groups]., T. Taylor, Theodore Cooper

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Migration/Mobility And Vulnerability To Hiv Among Male Migrant Workers: Maharashtra 2007-08, K. Anil Kumar, Shalini Bharat, Niranjan Saggurti, Ravi K. Verma, Anrudh K. Jain, Saumya Ramarao, Kanchan Mukherjee, Ajay Kumar Singh, Suvakanta N. Swain

HIV and AIDS

HIV prevalence in Maharashtra is one of the highest among Indian states. The specific objectives of this study were: to understand the patterns and drivers of migration/mobility of men who migrate for the purpose of work in the state of Maharashtra; to describe the characteristics of vulnerable subpopulations among migrant men; and to examine the determinants of high-risk sexual behavior among the subpopulations of migrant men with particular emphasis on the role of mobility in determining the sexual risk behavior. The present study clearly demonstrates that these male migrants, married or otherwise, retain strong connectivity to their native villages, but …

Ic107: Program: 11th Biennial Symposium On Minorities, The Medically Underserved & Cancer. Charting A New Course Together, Quality Health Care For All, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

Program details the events, speakers, attendees, and discussions during the 11th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved & Cancer presented by Intercultural Cancer Council and jointly sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine. The symposium took place April 3-6, 2008 at the OMNI Shoreham in Washington, DC. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Fostering A Healthy Body Image: Prevention And Intervention With Adolescent Eating Disorders, Michelle Giles, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Eating disorders are among the most frequently seen chronic illnesses found in adolescent females. In this paper, we discuss school-based prevention and intervention efforts that seek to reduce the impact of this serious illness. School counselors play a key role in the prevention of eating disorders and can provide support even when not directly involved in psychological or medical treatment. Because of their ability to play a leadership role in school-based prevention of eating disorders, school counselors are essential in facilitating a collaborative approach to the prevention of and intervention in eating disorders and their associated risk factors.

Social Impact: Connecting Individual Health And Public Health: Bringing Together The Science And Practice Of Social Work, Public Health, And Medicine To Tackle Pressing Health Problems, Judy H. Watts

Social Impact Publication

Cascades of biomedical discoveries in recent years promise to transform the way we think about our individual and collective health needs. Yet despite this progress, the national health care landscape is clouded. In addition to universally feared afflictions such as cancer and neurodegenerative disease, obesity is epidemic. Twenty-one million people in the United States suffer from diabetes and its complications such as heart disease and stroke. Other concerns range from the high incidence of cigarette smoking among teens to widespread anxiety and depression among adults and youth.

Social Impact: Perspectives With Melissa Jonson-Reid And Brett Drake: Changing The Role Of Child Welfare, Betsy Rogers, Geoff Story

Social Impact Publication

"A public health approach would help move child welfare from assessing and preventing an action to thinking about how to support healthy families..."

Physicians' Communication With Older Patients, Particularly Older African American Women, About Sexual Health And Sexual Risk Behaviors For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)*, Regina Vaughn Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS is rising among people age 50 and older in the U.S. but primary care physicians may not be talking to their older patients about sexual health and high-risk sexual behaviors nor routinely testing them for HIV/AIDS. Do primary care physicians in Arkansas obtain sexual histories on their older patients? Are primary care physicians in Arkansas knowledgeable enough about HIV to impart risk-reduction information to their older patients? These are but two of the questions this research seeks to answer. Contrary to what the medical or general population believes, many older persons remain sexually active throughout their lifetime. The problem …

Racial Differences In Birth Outcomes: The Role Of General, Pregnancy, And Racism Stress, Tyan Parker Dominguez, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Laura M. Glynn, Calvin J. Hobel, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: This study examined the role of psychosocial stress in racial differences in birth outcomes.

Design: Maternal health, sociodemographic factors, and 3 forms of stress (general stress, pregnancy stress, and perceived racism) were assessed prospectively in a sample of 51 African American and 73 non-Hispanic White pregnant women.

Main Outcome Measures: The outcomes of interest were birth weight and gestational age at delivery. Only predictive models of birth weight were tested as the groups did not differ significantly in gestational age.

Results: Perceived racism and indicators of general stress were correlated with birth weight and tested in regression analyses. In …

Stress And Blood Pressure During Pregnancy: Racial Differences And Associations With Birthweight, Clayton J. Hilmert, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Tyan Parker Dominguez, Cleopatra M. Abdou, Calvin J. Hobel, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: To extend findings that African American women report greater stress during pregnancy, have higher blood pressure (BP), and are twice as likely to have low birthweight infants relative to white women. This study examines a) racial differences in associations between stress and BP during pregnancy, and b) the combined effects of stress and BP on infant birthweight in a sample of 170 African American and white women.

METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal study of pregnant women was conducted in which measures of BP, stress, and other relevant variables were collected. Multiple measures of systolic and diastolic BP were taken at …

Increased Hiv Risk Associated With Criminal Justice Involvement Among Men On Methadone, Matthew Epperson, Nabila El-Bassel, Louisa Gilbert, E. Roberto Orellana, Mingway Chang

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper examines the relationship between HIV risk and criminal justice involvement among a random sample of 356 men enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment programs in New York City. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations between measures of criminal justice involvement and participant HIV risk, controlling for socio-demographic variables. A lifetime history of incarceration was significantly associated with being HIV positive (Adjusted OR = 5.08). Recent arrest was associated with unprotected vaginal sex and having multiple female sexual partners. Sex trading was associated with both arrest and incarceration, and the strongest association was found between …

Barriers To Medicare Hospice Utilization: A Qualitative Study Of Maine's Medicare Hospice Providers, Judith B. Tupper Dhed, Ches, Cpps

Disability & Aging

This report, prepared for the Maine Hospice Council and funded by the Carpenter Foundation, presents findings of a qualitative study of barriers to hospice utilization. This study includes the perspectives of all 26 Medicare certified hospice providers in Maine. Significant findings of the qualitative study include: A continuing need to educate the general public about hospice and the Medicare benefit. Maine health care providers have low referral rates to the hospice programs and often misunderstand the regulations and guidelines of the hospice benefit. The referral process to hospice programs is based on fragile systems of communication, fraught with potential miscues, …

Diagnostic Classifications And Resource Utilization Of Decedents Served By The Department Of Veterans Affairs, Sonia A. Duffy, Laurel Copeland, Faith Hopp, Robert J. Zalenski

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Given the volume and cost of inpatient care during the last year of life, there is a critical need to identify patterns of dying as a means of planning end-of-life care services, especially for the growing number of older persons who receive services from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Methods: A retrospective computerized record review was conducted of 20,933 VHA patients who died as inpatients between October 1, 2001 and September 30, 2002. Diagnoses were aggregated into one of five classification patterns of death and analyzed in terms of health care resource utilization (mean number of inpatient days and …

Children's Behavioral Health Services In Baltimore: Walking The Continuum, Jennifer Ryan

National Health Policy Forum

This site visit explored the range of behavioral health services available for children in the city of Baltimore and in the state more broadly. Like many states, the policy community in Maryland has been working hard to meet the challenges of providing an effective continuum of care in the context of complex financing incentives and an overburdened educational and public health care system. Several promising practices have emerged, including the Wraparound practice model that offers individualized, comprehensive services and natural supports to achieve a positive set of outcomes for the child and family. The wraparound model incorporates both traditional services …

Community-Based Long-Term Care: Wisconsin Stays Ahead, Judith D. Moore, Carol O'Shaughnessy, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

This report describes a site visit to Wisconsin in August 2007 that focused on the use of home and community-based services, both public and private, to delay or avoid the need for institutional care. Wisconsin was chosen because it has long been a leader among states in developing such services for the elderly and persons with disabilities. At the time of the visit, a managed long-term care program, Family Care, was operating on a pilot basis in five counties. The Partnership Program, a four-site demonstration integrating acute and long-term care for the dual eligible population (both frail elderly and younger …

Parent Derogation And Family Bonding Among African American And Non-Hispanic White Males During Middle School

Florida Public Health Review

The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal relationships between parent derogation and family bonding in a sample of African American and non-Hispanic White males during middle school. While statistically controlling race, regression analyses indicated that parent derogation levels reported in sixth, seventh and eighth grades were statistically highly significant predictors of eighth grade family bonding. However, sixth grade parent derogation was not as strong a predictor as seventh grade parent derogation, and seventh grade was not as strong a predictor as eighth grade parent derogation. These results suggest that improving parent-child communication patterns at any point during middle …

The Kentucky Plan Revisited: Lessons Learned From An Innovative Doctoral Education Program., Joel M. Lee, F. Douglas Scutchfield, Raymond Hill

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

In the first doctoral education special issue of the Journal of Health Administration Education, the authors presented the University of Kentucky College of Public Health's plans for an innovative new Doctor of Public Health (Dr. P.H.) degree. The degree as designed, prepares graduates for professional practice, and included extensive supervised field experience as part of the academic training linking theory with practice. Based upon the interest that the Kentucky Dr.P.H. degree program received, the authors will share the experience of the degree's initial years of operation through a "lessons learned" paper. As the program evolved there have been many lessons …

The Health Implications Of Violence Against Women: Untangling The Complexities Of Actual And Chronic Effects: Part Two, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program 2007, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 2006 Events of Commencement

3 | The Academic Procession

4 | Significance of Academic Regalia

5 | The Good Samaritan

6 | The Speakers

13 | The University Honorees

21 | The School Honorees

33 | The Program

• School of Medicine, 34
• School of Pharmacy, 45
• School of Dentistry, 50
• School of Science and Technology and School of Religion, 60
• School of Nursing, 68
• School of Allied Health Professions - Physical Therapy, 75
• School of Allied Health Professions, 82
• School of Public Health, 91

Competition And Collaboration: The Spirit Of St. Louis, Laura A. Dummit, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The National Health Policy Forum sponsored a site visit to St. Louis, Missouri, on April 3-5, 2007, to consider the relationships between hospitals and physicians—and the degree of alignment in their financial, organizational, and policy goals—as a foundation for a new round of discussions on how to reform the health care system. St. Louis offered an interesting venue for these investigations because it is home to two major medical schools, three large hospital systems, and a physician community dominated by small practices. Site visit participants were able to converse with community, business, medical school, hospital, and physician leaders to learn …

Building Community Research Capacity: Process Evaluation Of Community Training And Education In A Community-Based Participatory Research Program Serving A Predominately Puerto Rican Community, Laurene M. Tumiel-Berhalter, Victoria Mclaughlin-Diaz, John Vena, Carlos J. Crespo

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Education and training build community research capacity and have impact on improvements of health outcomes.

Objectives: This manuscript describes the training and educational approaches to building research capacity that were utilized in a community-based participatory research program serving a Puerto Rican population and identifies barriers and strategies for overcoming them.

Methods: A process evaluation identified a multitiered approach to training and education that was critical to reaching the broad community.

Results: This approach included four major categories providing a continuum of education and training opportunities: networking, methods training, on-the-job experience, and community education. Participation in these opportunities supported the …

Defining Programmatic Access To Healthcare For People With Disabilities, Nancy R. Mudrick, Silvia Yee

Social Work - All Scholarship

People with disabilities face disability-related barriers that affect their receipt of health care. These often are discussed in terms of three categories: financial, structural, and programmatic barriers. Financial barriers may involve the lack of insurance, inability to pay for care, or coverage limitations for such items as durable medical equipment and medication. Structural barriers primarily arise from the architectural characteristics of health care delivery settings, such as parking location, building entrances, stairs and ramps, and bathrooms. Programmatic barriers are barriers involving the processes used to deliver health care. This category is the least understood, yet an important factor for access …

Clinicians’ Perception Of Inmates’ Satisfaction With Mental Health Services, Jerry B. Daniel, Wynne S. Korr

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

A growing body of literature addresses the mental health needs of prison inmates; however, very little research has examined mental health services among this population. Based on the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (Andersen Model), the current study examined clinicians’ perception of inmates’ satisfaction with mental health services. The study’s main objective was to identify the effect of three major groups of predictor variables (predisposing, enabling, and need) on clinicians’ perception with inmates’ satisfaction with mental health services. The study utilized an exploratory, survey methodology. Although only a few variables were found to be statistically significant in the multivariate …