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Migration, Sexual Behavior And Hiv Diffusion In Kenya, Martin Brockerhoff, Ann E. Biddlecom

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The association of migration with the spread of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is well documented, yet the social and behavioral mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Using data from the 1993 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, this paper examines whether migrants are more likely than nonmigrants to have multiple recent sexual partners and not to use condoms with those partners. Results indicate that migation is a critical factor in high-risk sexual behavior and that its importance varies by gender and by the direction of movement. Independent of marital and cohabitation status, social milieu, awareness of AIDS, and other crucial …

Fertility And Reproductive Preferences In Post-Transitional Societies, John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Conventional theories have little to say about the level at which fertility will stabilize at the end of the transition although it is often assumed that replacement fertility of about 2.1 births per woman will prevail in the long run. However, fertility has dropped below the replacement level in virtually every population that has moved through the demographic transition. If future fertility remains at these low levels populations will decline in size and age rapidly.This paper attempts to contribute to the understanding of levels and trends of post-transitional fertility by examining the causes of discrepancies between reproductive preferences and observed …

The Impact Of Family Planning Household Service Delivery On Women's Status In Bangladesh, James F. Phillips, Mian Bazle Hossain

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Since 1982, the Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Extension Project has compiled longitudinal panel data on rural women’s contact with household service providers who visit homes to discuss family planning and offer services to women on request. This study tests the hypothesis that home-based services reinforce customs of purdah (female seclusion) by sustaining the dependency and isolation of the women served by the program. Results show that household services improve women’s status. This effect is largely attributable to the impact of outreach on effective fertility regulation. Findings do not support the hypothesis that household service delivery is detrimental …

Application Of Hierarchical Monte Carlo Simulation To The Estimation Of Human Exposure To Mercury Via Consumption Of King Mackerel (Scomberomorus Cavalla), W. Leonard Balthis

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Data from mercury poisoning episodes in Japan and Iraq have been used to derive threshold levels for health effects in humans, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a reference dose (RfD) for methylmercury of 0.30 µg/kg/day. It is desirable, therefore, to predict exposures for various populations, and examine these exposures in relation to the established RfD. Given data on mercury concentrations in fish, and rates of fish consumption among human populations, it is possible to calculate exposure in one of several ways. One of the simplest ways involves the use of average values to compute a …

The Effects Of Primary School Quality On The Educational Participation And Attainment Of Kenyan Girls And Boys, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Barbara Mensch, Wesley H. Clark

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In Kenya, adolescent girls fare poorly relative to boys in an educational system characterized by enormous growth, deteriorating quality, and rising costs. Girls are more likely than boys to drop out of school prematurely and are less likely to do well on the primary school leaving exams that come at the end of grade eight. Using data from nearly 600 adolescents aged 12-19 in combination with data collected from 36 primary schools in which those adolescents reside, this paper investigates the effect of school quality on the likelihood of dropping out from primary school in three districts of Kenya. In …

Government And Fertility In Transitional And Post-Transitional Societies, Geoffrey Mcnicoll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Five categories of possible government influence on a nation’s fertility are explored: (1) through publicly funded programs that explicitly seek to affect family-size outcomes (2) through the legal order and system of public administration (3) through measures that affect economic opportunity, social mobility, and gender relations; (4) through public-sector expenditures and transfer payments keyed to age or family status; and (5) through the state’s supplanting of local beliefs and traditions with the symbols of national identity and through the parallel expansion of cultural frames of reference. Aside from the first of these, intentions to influence fertility are either incidental or …

Integrating Rti Service With Primary Health Care, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The reproductive health (RH) movement worldwide has brought reproductive tract infections (RTIs) under sharp focus as an urgent health need of women. While RTIs are preventable or treatable, they are often the cause of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer, fetal loss, low birth-weight infants, infant blindness, and neonatal pneumonia. The adverse health effects of RTIs, particularly STIs, is much higher for women than men. Recent research has demonstrated that RTIs are closely linked to other areas of health care like family planning (FP), safe motherhood, child survival, and HIV prevention. Hence, each could significantly contribute to the reduction and control …

Family Planning Operations Research: A Book Of Readings, James R. Foreit, Tomas Frejka

Reproductive Health

For as long as there have been family planning programs, there has been family planning research. At the theoretical level, researchers examine the effect of fertility on health and socioeconomic development and study the determinants of fertility for individuals and populations. At the policy level, studies explore the role of family planning programs in modifying fertility and health. The development of new contraceptives is accompanied by clinical and pre-introductory trials in program settings. Surveys measure changes in contraceptive use and fertility, and the results are used to make decisions affecting programs. Finally, programs themselves carry out operations research (OR) to …

Towards Safe Womanhood: Supporting Safe Motherhood Initiatives And Women's Participation In Development, Meiwita B. Iskandar

Reproductive Health

Improvement in a woman’s quality of life is a prerequisite for development of human resources, because the quality of children’s physical and mental development is inextricably tied to the health and welfare of women as future mothers. If a mother is well protected during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period, the risk of illness and other problems in fetuses and newborn babies will be reduced. On the other hand, if a woman does not survive the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period, her fetus or newborn will also be threatened. This paper provides a situation analysis of pregnant women, women in …

Improving Quality Of Care In Fp/Rh Of Selected Communities Of Pangasinan Province: An Intervention Study, Zelda C. Zablan, Josefina V. Cabigon, Luzviminda Muego, Marilou P. Costello, Chona R. Echavez

Reproductive Health

This intervention study was designed to improve the quality of family planning (FP) services within the Integrated Family Planning and Maternal Health Program of the Pangasinan Population and Family Planning Program in the Philippines. It addresses high unmet need and studies the feasibility of enhancing quality of services by training service providers in fixed clinics and orienting outreach workers on the method of identifying women who have unmet need for FP. Four municipalities were chosen from the 47 municipalities comprising the province of Pangasinan and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Four indicators were used to match the chosen …

Mummies And Mummification Practices In The Southern And Southwestern United States, Mahmoud Y. El-Najjar, Thomas M. J. Mulinski, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Mummification was not intentional for most North American prehistoric cultures. Natural mummification occurred in the dry areas of North America, where mummies have been recovered from rock shelters, caves, and overhangs. In these places, corpses desiccated and spontaneously mummified. In North America, mummies are recovered from four main regions: the southern and southwestern United States, the Aleutian Islands, and the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. This chapter is limited to a discussion of burial practices and a tabulation of the location of mummies in the southwestern United States with some comments on mummies of the southern United States, including the Ozarks.

Human Dental Microwear Caused By Calcium Oxalate Phytoliths In Prehistoric Diet Of The Lower Pecos Region, Texas, Dennis Danielson, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Recent research demonstrates that silica phytoliths of dietary origin are associated with microwear of human teeth. Previous research has shown that severe enamel microwear and dental wear characterizes Archaic hunter-gatherers in the lower Pecos region of west Texas. Calcium oxalate crystals are especially common in Archaic coprolites. The vast majority are derived from prickly pear and agave, which were the dietary staples in west Texas for 6,000 years. The calcium oxalate phytoliths are harder than enamel. Therefore, calcium oxalate crystals are the most likely source of previously documented dental microwear and wear in the lower Pecos region.Am J Phys Anthropol …

The General Well-Being Of Recreational Drug Users: A Sub-Analysis Of The Drugnet Survey, Jennifer Reneau

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Issues related to substance use/abuse and mental health are significant public health concerns. Substance abuse is considered an individual and community mental health problem. The relationship between substance use and positive mental well-being, however, is less well understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the mental well-being of a sample of occasional, recreational drug users. Drugnet was an on-line survey of recreational drug use by non-deviant adults via the WWW. Volunteer subjects completed the survey over the internet between March and September 1997. Mental health was assessed utilizing the General Well-being Schedule (GWBS). A complete demographic profile of …

Triazine Herbicide Exposure And Breast Cancer Incidence: An Ecologic Study Of Kentucky Counties, Michele A. Kettles, Steven R. Browning, Timothy Scott Prince, Sanford W. Horstman

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The incidence of breast cancer in the United States has steadily increased for the past three decades. Exposure to excess estrogen, in both natural and synthetic forms, has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of this disease. Considerable interest has been focused on organochlorines, such as the triazine herbicides, and their possible role in the initiation or promotion of human breast cancer. To explore this relationship, an ecologic study of Kentucky counties was designed. Exposure to triazines was estimated by use of water contamination data, corn crop production, and pesticide use data. A summary index of triazine …

Books Received And Book Notices, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Book Listing for the Vol 20, No 3 Edition of the Pacific Studies Journal

A Preliminary Analysis Of Health Lifestyles Between International Students And American Students At Western Kentucky University, Mei Zhu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess the lifestyle of international students at Western Kentucky University (WKU) and to compare the lifestyles of international and American students and subgroups of international students. The Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ), was a 26-item personal health lifestyle test, which had six sections (nutrition, exercise, smoking, alcohol and drugs, safety, and stress). The test-retest reliability of LSQ was evaluated by Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) and was .89. During October and November 1997, 55 international students and 64 American students at WKU finished the LSQ. Significant differences were found between the American student group and the …

The Relationship Between Meaning In Life And The Occurrence Of Drug Abuse: An Epidemiological Retrospective Study, Ben Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were …

Contaminants Biologiques Dans Les Centres De Traitement Des Eaux Usées, Jacques Lavoie, Geneviève Marchand, Carole Pépin, Yves Beaudet, Guillaume Lachapelle

Rapports de recherche scientifique

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program 1997, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 1997 Events of Commencement

3 | The Academic Procession

4 | The Speakers

9 | The Honorees

23 | The Zapara Award

Order of Programs

• School of Medicine, 25
• School of Dentistry, 33
• Graduate School, 41
• School of Nursing, 48
• School of Allied Health Professions (Physical Therapy), 53
• School of Allied Health Professions, 59
• School of Public Health, 66

Anthropogenic Electromagnetic Fields And Cancer: A Perspective, Charles Tomljanovic, Maxine Wright-Walters, Jules Stephensky

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors review findings of a recent National Research Council report and conclude that, e.g., until a cancer promotion model can be identified for effective testing, the EMF issue will remain open to debate.

Devolpment Of A Scale To Assess Home Health Care Aides' Ability To Recognize Depression In Older Adults, Tina M. Nerney

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Depression afflicts 20% to 40% of people 65 and older. Depression in older adults is frequent and chronic. The challenge of a hospital stay and the knowledge of having a long term disability may increase the risk for a depressive episode. In today's health care environment older adults are being released from hospitals after a short length of stay and are frequently dependent on home health services for assistance with activities of daily living. Home health care aides are given the responsibility of providing these services to the older adult in the home environment and need to be aware of …

The Influence Of Low Dietary Fat Intake On Incidence And Severity Of Migraine Headache, Zuzana Bic

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Migraine headaches are a common and debilitating syndrome causing untold suffering and loss of productivity. A review of the literature indicates that there are two primary factors involved in triggering these headaches: high levels of blood lipids and high levels of free fatty acids. Under these conditions platelet aggregability is increased, which is associated with decreases in serotonin and heightened prostaglandins levels. These conditions may produce vasodilation, the most immediate precursor to migraine headache. A high fat diet is one factor that may directly affect this process. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of dietary fat intake on …

Vaccine Risk Communication: Lessons From Risk Perception, Decision Making And Environmental Risk Communication Research, Ann Bostrom

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Bostrom reviews the rich variety of empirical findings available to guide risk communication and demonstrates how it can contribute to vaccine risk and safety communication.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure And Mother–Infant Interaction: Implications For Occupational Therapy Intervention, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The literature from multiple disciplines on in utero cocaine exposure and mother–infant interaction and attachment was examined for possible relationships and implications for occupational therapists. Maternal cocaine use and neurobehavioral deficits in neonates prenatally exposed to cocaine may result in interactional difficulties between mother and infant. Knowledge of child development, sensory regulation, and infant cues will enable therapists to assist the mother in creating positive interactive experiences between herself and her child.

Safety Guidelines For Occupational Hazards To The Reproductive System, Laverne Raquel Ogieste

Theses

Most workers are unaware of the hazards to the reproductive system that surround them in the workplace, and therefore, few if any precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary exposures. In this research, safety guidelines were developed in order to eliminate such dangers from occurring or reoccurring.

These guidelines were developed by reviewing case studies of occupational hazards to the reproductive system, including federal laws and regulations related to safety within the workplace. The following forms were also developed in order to formulate suitable safety guidelines for occupational hazards to the reproductive system. They are: an occupational reproductive survey, a reproductive …

Association Between Plasma Homocysteine, Vitamin Status, And Extracranial Carotid-Artery Stenosis In The Framingham Study Population, Jacob Selhub, Paul F. Jacques, Andrew G. Bostrom, Ralph B. D'Agostino, Peter W. F. Wilson, Albert J. Belanger, Daniel H. O'Leary, Philip A. Wolf, David Rush, Ernst J. Schaefer, Irwin H. Rosenberg

United States Public Health Resources

Recent epidemiologic studies suggest that elevated homocysteine concentrations in plasma represent a risk factor for vascular disease and stroke. In the present study, we analyzed plasma samples from the 20th biannual examination of the Framingham Heart Study cohort to determine distribution of plasma homocysteine concentrations, with emphasis on relationships to vitamins that are involved in homocysteine metabolism and prevalence of carotid artery stenosis. Results showed that homocysteine was positively correlated with age. After controlling for age and sex, homocysteine exhibited strong inverse correlation with plasma folate, and weaker correlations with plasma vitamin B₁₂ and pyridoxal- 5' -phosphate. Homocysteine was …

Cystathionine Β-Synthase Deficiency: Metabolic Aspects, S. Harvey Mudd

United States Public Health Resources

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency was first demonstrated in 1964 in an eight-year-old mentally retarded girl with bilaterally dislocated optic lenses who excreted abnormally elevated amounts of homocystine in her urine. Patients with similar metabolic abnormalities and clinical findings had first been discovered 2 years earlier by Carson and her colleagues during a survey of mentally backward children in Northern Ireland. CBS deficiency has proven to be the most frequently encountered of the human genetic diseases causing homocystinuria and severe hyperhomocyst(e)inemia. Worldwide, it is detected with a frequency of about 1: 344,000 by screening programs of the newborn, but this is …

Blood Homocysteine Levels In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes Iii) In The United States: Preliminary Findings By Age And Sex, Irwin H. Rosenberg, Jacob Selhub, Paul F. Jacques, Barbara A. Bowman, Elaine W. Gunter, Clifford L. Johnson, R. S. Murphy

United States Public Health Resources

Evidence from scores of observational studies from many parts of the world have demonstrated an association between elevated blood total homocysteine levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke. These conditions are more prevalent in males than in females in virtually all populations studied, and their prevalence increases with advancing age. A much smaller body of data exists that describes an increasing tendency to higher homocysteine levels with increasing age.

There have been no previous reports of blood homocysteine levels measured in a cross-sectional sample throughout the age spectrum from childhood through the elderly. However, the …

The Etiology Of Neural Tube Defects, J. M. Scott, D. G. Weir, A. Molloy, J. Mcpartlin, Leslie Daly, P. Kirke, M. Conley, J. Lee, J. Mills

United States Public Health Resources

Evidence continues to confirm that periconceptional ingestion of folic acid can prevent neural tube defects, although the basis of this prevention has been unclear. To further elucidate the mechanism by which this occurs, blood samples were collected from more than 50,000 pregnant women and the samples analyzed for red cell folate, plasma folate, plasma vitamin B12, and plasma homocysteine levels. Based on the results, it appears that the beneficial effect of folic acid is in overcoming a metabolic block in a folatedependent enzyme or transport process. It is likely that methionine synthase may be directly or indirectly involved.

The neural …

Sites Other Than Nucleotide 234 Determine Cardiovirulence In Natural Isolates Of Coxsackievirus B3, Nora M. Chapman, Jose R. Romero, Mark A. Pallansch, Steven Tracy

United States Public Health Resources

The genetic site(s) that naturally determine the cardiovirulence phenotype of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) have yet to be mapped. Using two closely related CVB3 strains that differed in terms of cardiovirulence phenotype in mice, we previously reported the difference in phenotype mapped to a single site, nucleotide 234 (nt234) in the 58 non-translated region (NTR) of the CVB3 genome. When nt234 was C, the virus was attenuated and when U, the virus was cardiovirulent. To determine whether this finding was applicable to other strains of CVB3, we examined 13 different naturally occurring CVB3 strains isolated in different years in the United …