Digital Commons Network^™

White Paper On Engineering Controls For Bioaerosols In Non-Industrial/ Non-Healthcare Settings, Cheri L. Marcham, American Conference Of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

Publications

The list of disease pathogens that can be transmitted in the air is extensive. This list includes the common cold, SARS, measles, Hansen's disease (leprosy), polio, influenza, Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever), and tuberculosis (TB). TB, SARSCoV-1, avian influenza, varicella, and now SARS-CoV-2 all have received public notice due not only to their known or assumed ability to be transmitted in the air rapidly from one individual to another, but also for their virulence. Other bioaerosols that can be transmitted through the air include bacteria, fungal spores and fragments, dust mites, and pollen. This document was developed to address …

Examining Social Vulnerability And The Association With Covid-19 Incidence In Harris County, Texas, Guillermo A Tortolero, Marcia De Oliveira Otto, Ryan Ramphul, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Alison Rector, Michael Brown, Melissa F Peskin, Dania Mofleh, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Studies have investigated the association between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence. However, few studies have examined small geographic units such as census tracts, examined geographic regions with large numbers of Hispanic and Black populations, controlled for testing rates, and incorporated stay-at-home measures into their analyses. Understanding the relationship between social vulnerability and SARS-CoV-2 incidence is critical to understanding the interplay between social determinants and implementing risk mitigation guidelines to curtail the spread of infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and SARS-CoV-2 incidence while controlling for testing rates and …

Patterns And Risk Factors Of Opioid-Suspected Ems Overdose In Houston Metropolitan Area, 2015-2019: A Bayesian Spatiotemporal Analysis, Cici Bauer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Christine Bakos-Block, Kehe Zhang, David Persse, James R Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Opioid-related overdose deaths are the top accidental cause of death in the United States, and development of regional strategies to address this epidemic should begin with a better understanding of where and when overdoses are occurring.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this study, we relied on emergency medical services data to investigate the geographical and temporal patterns in opioid-suspected overdose incidents in one of the largest and most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas (Houston Texas). Using a cross sectional design and Bayesian spatiotemporal models, we identified zip code areas with excessive opioid-suspected incidents, and assessed how the incidence risks were associated …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Technology-Based, Rural Weight Management Int Ervention In Older Adults With Obesity, John A. Batsis, Curtis L. Petersen, Matthew M. Clark, Summer B. Cook, David Kotz, Tyler L. Gooding, Meredith N. Roderka, Rima I. Al-Nimer, Dawna M. Pidgeon, Ann Haedrich, K. C. Wright, Christina Aquila, Todd A. Mackenzie

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background

Older adults with obesity residing in rural areas have reduced access to weight management programs. We determined the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of an integrated technology-based health promotion intervention in rural-living, older adults using remote monitoring and synchronous video-based technology.

Methods

A 6-month, non-randomized, non-blinded, single-arm study was conducted from October 2018 to May 2020 at a community-based aging center of adults aged ≥65 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2. Weekly dietitian visits focusing on behavior therapy and caloric restriction and twice-weekly physical therapist-led group strength, flexibility and balance training classes were delivered using video-conferencing …

Heeding The Call Of Covid-19, David Wiebers, Valery Feigin

Animal Sentience

We are grateful to all of our commentators. They have provided a wide range of valuable perspectives and insights from many fields, revealing a broad interest in the subject matter. Nearly all the commentaries have helped to affirm, refine, expand, amplify, deepen, interpret, elaborate, or apply the messages in the target article. Some have offered critiques and suggestions that help us address certain issues in greater detail, including several points concerning industrialized farming and the wildlife trade. Overall, there is great awareness and strong consensus among commentators that any solution for preventing future pandemics and other related health crises must …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Examine Racial Disparities In Adherence To Surveillance Mammography Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Megan C. Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Annual surveillance mammography is a critical part of routine cancer care for breast cancer (BC) survivors; reducing mortality by 39%. However, disparities exist with regard to adherence to surveillance mammograms among BC survivors; Black women are 44% less likely to adhere than their White counterparts. Despite the existence of this racial disparity for over a decade, little is known about factors that explain reasons for Black BC survivors’ non-adherence. This is because most studies have not evaluated the role of healthcare delivery or psychosocial factors. Guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, the purpose of this mixed methods …

Modeling Substance Use And Mental Disorder Comorbidity Using Latent Variable And Network Approaches, Courtney T. Blondino

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Addressing SUD has been complicated by comorbid mental disorders and co-occurring substance use. Consequently, detailing and addressing SUD and comorbid SUD represent an important goal to improve the health of Americans.

Objective. The research goal of this dissertation was to characterize the comorbidity between substance use, including tobacco use, and mental disorder symptoms measured as negative affect and externalizing symptoms in a population-based sample using latent variable and network approaches.

Methods. Waves 1 – 3 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were used. …

Application Of Data And Geospatial Analysis In Energy And Health Systems, Ali Faghani

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Having sustainable energy and health systems are the main factors in the vision plan of every country. Both of these systems are correlated with a variety of frameworks, including social, physical, technological, political, and economic factors. Therefore, different types of analytics methods can be implemented to develop the required assessments for those who make plans since understanding the effect of such factors individually, also their interactions, and the overall effect is crucial. With this regard, applications of data analysis and geospatial techniques in both energy, and health systems have recently gained attention. The proposed research here deployed advanced data analytics …

Perceived Barriers And Facilitators To Cervical Cancer Screening In Asian American Women, Bouathong Thepsombath

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this systematic review is to explore barriers and facilitators of cervical cancer screening in Asian-American women. Articles selected for review were found using a database search method using select predetermined key terms. The clinical question this review sought to answer is: In Asian-American women (21-65 years of age), how does perception of cervical cancer screening impact screening compliance? Nine articles addressing the topic of interest were included in the review. Emerging themes related to answering the question under study included the health literacy of Asian-American women, modesty, acculturation, income comfortability, and self-efficacy. This review found information that …

Exploring The Hazards Of Scaling Up Clinical Data Analyses: A Drug Side Effect Discovery Case Report, Franck Diaz-Garelli, Todd R Johnson, Mohammad H Rahbar, Elmer V Bernstam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We assessed the scalability of pharmacological signal detection use case from a single-site CDW to a large aggregated clinical data warehouse (single-site database with 754,214 distinct patient IDs vs. multisite database with 49.8M). We aimed to explore whether a larger clinical dataset would provide clearer signals for secondary analyses such as detecting the known relationship between prednisone and weight. We found significant weight gain rate using the single-site data but not from using aggregated data (0.0104 kg/day, p

The Effect Of Quality Of Life On Cardiometabolic Risk Factors In Postmenopausal Women, Chavela Lynn Riotutar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Background: The emergence of cardiometabolic (CMD) indicators for Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) coincides with the decline in estrogen production during menopause and substantially increases development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Quality of life (QOL) encompasses physical, material, and social well-being. Research reveals a correlation between low QOL scores and CMD disease. Menopause significantly increases CMD risk, and may also lower QOL scores. Objective: To investigate the relationship between QOL and CMD risk in postmenopausal women. Method: Cisgender, postmenopausal women (age > 45 years) were recruited through emails to complete the online survey. Data collection included demographics, physical characteristics and activity level, …

Access To Preventive Health Care Services And Effects On Health Outcomes For Hispanic Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Shafa Al-Showk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite elevated prevalence of diabetes among Hispanic, Hispanic older adults face challenges in self-control and management of their glucose levels, and they have less access to preventive health care services. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between access to preventive health care services and Type 2 diabetes outcomes among Hispanic adults aged 65 years and older. The social-ecological model provided the framework for the study. The research question for this study examined the extent to which doctor visits, diabetes education and blood sugar checks correlate with HbA1c levels. Data were collected from 566 …

Social Determinants Of Health Influence On Surgical Morbidity After Colorectal Surgery, Koianka J. Ivanova Trencheva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decreasing surgical morbidity and improving surgical safety is a public health priority. With same-day or early hospital discharge after surgery, knowledge about social determinants of health (SDOH) impact on surgical morbidity is vital for surgical safety improvement. This study’s aim was to evaluate SDOH association with surgery-related morbidity after colorectal surgery in an adult population. This quantitative cross-sectional study used New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) secondary data from 2006 ⁠–2016 on 130,731 patients linked to SDOH. Dependent variables were anastomotic leak (AL), surgical site infection (SSI), Not SSI related, and overall complications (COMPL) within 30 days …

Demographic And Socioeconomic Determinants Of Lassa Fever In Edo State, Nigeria, Faith Ogagaroghene Ireye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Yearly outbreaks of the disease occur in Edo State, Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic and socioeconomic factors that can influence transmission of the disease. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health conceptual framework was used in this research study. This framework describes the relationship between structural and intermediary factors and how they determine health outcomes. To answer the research question of how demographic and socioeconomic factors influence Lassa fever transmission in Edo State, a cross-sectional …

Fetal/Infant Mortality: Understanding Race And Ethnicity, Birthing Location, And Prenatal Care, Chelsea Collum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed whether race and ethnicity, birthing location, the month the mother begins prenatal care, and pregnancy risk level impact fetal/infant mortality. Infant mortality is a gauge by which the efficacy of the healthcare system and the overall health of the country is measured. The United States falls behind most other developed countries in terms of infant mortality rates. The ecological perspective was used as the theoretical framework. The study design was a cross-sectional cohort design using a sample of births and infant deaths from U.S. Vital Statistics data. Binomial logistic regression analyses were carried out to calculate odds …

Analysis Of Malaria-Induced Anemia And Gender Differences Among Children In Nigeria, Temitope Bamgbose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death among children under 5 years old in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Also, public health efforts on malaria prevention have been successful in many regions but remains an issue in SSA. Malaria-induced anemia (MA) is associated with health complications among children. The impact of several sociodemographic factors (age, gender, residential type, and parent’s educational level) and malaria preventive/intervention measures such as mosquito net use and malaria medication use among children under 5 years old in Nigeria were assessed to inform malaria best practices and strategies, prioritize resource allocation, and support existing literature on …

Social Determinants Of Maternal And Neonatal Birth Outcomes Among Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Mona Charbel Kiwan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neonatal and maternal health indicators have been impacted due to Syrian refugees’ displacement in Lebanon and an increase in child marriage rates from 13% in pre-conflict Syria to 41%. Using the causal continuum framework, the retrospective cross-sectional study’s purpose was to examine whether there is a statistically significant association between adverse maternal and birth health outcomes among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and social determinants of health. The sample size drawn from UNHCR database included 48,083 maternal and 4,288 neonatal refugees admitted to the secondary health care in 2018. Pearson chi-square and binomial logistic regression results showed that employed, newcomers mothers …

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Childhood Vaccination Status In Sokoto State, Nigeria, Dauda Milgwe Madubu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immunization remains one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions worldwide. Despite the critical role of vaccines in improving childhood and maternal health, Sokoto state recorded the lowest childhood vaccination completion rate among the 37 states in Nigeria with only 5% of children aged 12-23 months having had full childhood vaccination based on data from the 2018 demographic and health survey. The factors associated with the state’s low childhood vaccination status have not been explored. The study examined the relationship between the sociodemographic factors including parents’ socioeconomic and ethnoreligious factors, place of residence, and children’s biological characteristics and …

Factors Associated With Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Persons With Serious Psychological Distress, Minn A. Oh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Serious psychological distress (SPD) is an important individual and public health concern, but inconsistent results exist in the literature in terms of help-seeking behaviors and health-related outcomes among persons with SPD. The purpose of this study was to address this issue and understand clinical factors, access and quality of care factors, and sociodemographic factors associated with help-seeking behaviors among adults with SPD using the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). CHIS data were collected in 2015 as a part of a two-year cycle (2015-2016) and surveyed 42,089 adults. For multivariable analyses, logistic regression analyses were performed. Participants with chronic health conditions …

Impact Of Case Management On Childhood Lead Exposure In Marion County, Indiana, Maliki Yacouba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently declared that no amount of childhood blood lead level (BLL) is safe. The purpose of this quantitative study with a retrospective cohort design was to evaluate the effectiveness of case management intervention on children diagnosed with elevated BLL (EBLL; ≥ 5 μg/dL) in Marion, County, Indiana. The health belief model was used as the theoretical foundation for the study. A data set of 160 lead exposure case management records was analyzed to find whether: (a) BLL at post-case-management time significantly differ from BLL at baseline (b) BLL at post-case-management time is affected …

Associations Between The Use Of Bed Nets And Malaria Infection On The School Performance Of Juveniles In Ghana, Ans Bumbokuri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of malaria cases are reported yearly in sub-Saharan Africa, events which adversely influence children’s school performance. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the effectiveness of major malaria control policies in reducing malaria cases as a means of improving academic performance among school children in the greater Accra region of Ghana. A secondary data set was obtained from the 2014-2016 data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS). Findings indicated that bed net use and malarial episodes in children of participant recorded a p-value of 0.43 which is a significant association between the variables. The likelihood …

Determinants Of Substance Abuse Among Users With Mental Health Issues In Ogun State, Nigeria, Michael Olusegun Adejimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, about 14.3 million people use drugs without physician prescription and approximately 30% of Nigerians suffer from mental illness, some of which is due to substance abuse. This study examined the associations between (a) socio-demographic factors and substance abuse among users with mental health issues in Ogun State Nigeria, (b) clinical variables and substance abuse among users with mental health issues, (c) negative life events and substance abuse among users with mental health issues, and (d) social supports and substance abuse among users with mental health issues. This study theoretical framework was based on the definition of mental health …

Receiving Positive Hiv Test Results From Home Testing And Suicidality, Nekeisha A. Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited studies have been conducted on whether receiving a positive result from at-home HIV testing correlates with suicidality (suicidal attempt or ideation). Based on the Ajzen theory of planned behavior, this cross-sectional study comprises a surveyed convenience sample of (N = 213) HIV -positive or negative adults who either tested for HIV at home or in-clinic. The purpose of this study was to explore any association between testing positive for HIV using the HIV at-home test kit and (a) suicidal attempt and (b) suicidal ideation; also, to discover any association between (c) HIV-negative and suicidality and (d) all HIV-positives …

Association Between Bisphenols, Acrylamide, Glycidamide, Fast Food, And Obesity: An Obesogenic Perspective, Morgan Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous man-made substances that have the ability to interfere with hormone action and are believed to be a contributing factor to chronic illnesses, including but not limited to obesity. Recent studies have suggested that environmental agents (environmental obesogens), such as food additives, plasticizers, and personal care products are contributors that aid in the altering of hormone receptors and hormone mimicry. Such environmental obesogens have the potential to promote adipogenesis and fat accumulation. In this study, the social-ecological model was used to determine the factors that can influence the increased exposure to obesogenic chemicals at the …

Analyzing Regional Impact Of Caregiving On Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Adults, Myra Callis Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Historically, sparse research efforts have focused on informal caregiving as a possible risk factor for developing chronic illnesses across the United States. Identifying additional subgroups at higher risk of becoming obese could provide insights into where public health practitioners, the health care community, and policy makers can direct limited resources through a more targeted approach. The theoretical foundation for the current project was the social cognitive theory. In this secondary correlational analysis using the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data set, the relationship between …

Determinants Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption For Adults In The Panhandle Of Nebraska, Erin Marie Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption has been documented and is associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Previous studies have revealed that consuming the recommended servings of F/V per day can be influenced by many determinants including healthy eating self-efficacy, cooking confidence, perceived family support, perceived access, perceived quality, and perceived cost of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to examine these determinants of F/V consumption at the individual level of the socioecological model for adults ages 18 years and older residing in the panhandle of Nebraska. The socioecological model (SEM) provided the theoretical framework for …

Contraceptives Use Among Reproductive-Age Women In New Juaben Municipality, Ghana, Phyllis Abrah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research study was an investigation into the factors associated with the use of modern contraceptives among reproductive-age women in the New Juaben Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Reproductive-age women in the Municipality have been found to have a high rate of unplanned pregnancies despite the availability of modern contraceptives. Telephone interviews were conducted with 15 reproductive-age women (20 to 39 years) from the New Juaben Municipality who were recruited voluntarily using purposive sampling technique. The research was based on the health belief model to explore the knowledge, perceived threats, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and cues to …

Age-Of-Consent Policies And Hiv Among Adolescents In Sub-Sahara Africa, Suzanne Marie King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Age of consent policies have recently been identified as a barrier to HIV testing among adolescents in HIV endemic Sub-Sahara Africa. Grounded in the modified social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to determine if these policies were related to HIV testing rates and prevalence. In this quantitative research secondary data sets from the Demographic Health Survey were used. This study included all sexually active respondents aged 18 years or below (N=37,015) and then was further limited by respondents that had HIV test results (N=25,107). Binary logistic regression showed that respondents with lower age of consent had higher …

Examination Of The Efficacy Of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act To Reduce High School Childhood Obesity Rates System, Catrina Lashawn Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid rise in U.S. high school student obesity rates to 20.8% in 2018 presented significant risks to the health and well-being of American children and foreshadowed increased future healthcare costs. To address high school obesity, Congress passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010 that mandated the U.S. Department of Agriculture develop regulations to nutrition to improve the nutrition of school cafeteria breakfasts and lunches. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test for changes between 2009 and 2016 in high school obesity rates attributable to the HHFKA using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data, adjusted for …

Parental Education As A Potential Predictor Of Adolescent Substance Use Status, Haruna Bida Aliyu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescents in the United States commence substance use as early as 12 to 14 years old and as late as 15 to 17 years old. Several factors influence adolescent substance use/abuse status, including environment, boredom, friends, teachers, and parental influence. The influence of parental communication with adolescents about the danger of substance use/abuse (SUA) required further study. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to understand the influence of parental knowledge and communication with adolescents as potential predictors of substance use/abuse status. The social cognitive theory and social determinants of adolescent risky behavior provided the theoretical framework of this …