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Implementing Screening To Assess Readiness To Change In Overweight And Obese Patients At A Patient-Centered Medical Home, Jarrod Gant

Doctoral Projects

Obesity is at epidemic levels within the United States (U.S.), but the Southern U.S. has some of the most obese states. Mississippi (MS) is the most obese state in the country (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2018). Factors such as diet, sedentary lifestyle, cultural influences, and socioeconomic status contribute to the state’s citizens being overweight and obese.

Contributing to the state’s obesity is the fact that MS has more people living in poverty than any other state (Center for American Progress [CAP], 2018). Lacking the ability to afford healthy foods and the ability to afford quality healthcare adds to the state’s …

Meeting Overview: Interferon Lambda - Disease Impact And Therapeutic Potential, Thomas R. O'Brien, Howard A. Young, Raymond P. Donnelly, Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson

United States Public Health Resources

A meeting entitled, "Interferon Lambda: Disease Impact and Translational Potential," was held on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, on October 25-26, 2018. To our knowledge, this was the first meeting that focused exclusively on interferon lambda (IFN-λ). The meeting's purpose was to enhance interdisciplinary communication and promote new collaborations. The gathering brought together an international group of scientists from a wide range of disciplines. Sessions included: IFN-λ Biology, Therapy and Genetic Variation; IFN-λ and Hepatitis C Virus Infection; IFN-λ in Other Infections; and IFN-λ - Hepatic Fibrosis and Cancer. The next meeting on IFN-λ …

Mining’S Impact On Environmental And Human Health: A Case Study Of Ramba County’S Gold Mine, Vivika Fernes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project aims to gain a greater understanding of the health implications that Ramba County’s goldmine has on miners, their families, and the environment. While this study observes the community-at-large, inclusive of visiting miners and extended family members of workers, it will focus on women who engage in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Millions of people in the developing word depend on ASGM for their livelihood, evident in this case study in Ramba County. However, while gold is associated with wealth, there is great irony in the fact that those working within the mining industry are being exploited …

Mapping 123 Million Neonatal, Infant And Child Deaths Between 2000 And 2017, Roy Burstein, Simon I. Hay, Veincent Christian F. Pepito, 556 Co-Authors

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that …

Preventing Skin Exposure To Pesticides Among Apple Growers And Factors Influencing Use Of Protective Clothing, Danièle Champoux, Caroline Jolly, Sylvie Beaugrand, Ludovic Tuduri

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Des recherches internationales ont déterminé que la peau constituait la principale voie d’exposition aux pesticides utilisés en agriculture. L’utilisation des équipements de protection individuelle (ÉPI) joue un rôle clé dans la prévention des risques liés à l’exposition. L’utilisation non systématique des ÉPI prescrits est toutefois documentée et constitue une cible prioritaire des interventions pour la réduction de l’exposition aux pesticides. Cette étude approfondit les résultats d’une première enquête auprès des producteurs de pommes en ciblant spécifiquement l’exposition cutanée aux pesticides et l’utilisation des vêtements de protection (VP). Elle a comme objectif de décrire les situations …

Occupational Exposure To Microorganisms When Using Biological Degreasing Stations, Carol-Anne Villeneuve, Geneviève Marchand, Marie Gardette, Jacques Lavoie, Denis Bégin, Maximilien Debia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les fontaines biologiques appelées fontaines de biodégradation ou simplement biofontaines contiennent des dégraissants qui renferment des bactéries dont la tâche est de dégrader, par minéralisation, les salissures hydrocarbonées (huiles et graisses). Les fabricants de dégraissants pour biofontaines affirment que les microorganismes utilisés dans leurs préparations sont inoffensifs puisqu’ils se classent dans le groupe de risque 1; ils se référent alors à la classification des microorganismes en quatre groupes de risque infectieux. Cependant, des auteurs ont identifié plusieurs bactéries du groupe 2 (risque infectieux modéré pour la personne, mais faible pour la communauté) dans les liquides des biofontaines, par exemple Pseudomonas …

Envh 7235– Field Methods In Environmental Health, Marina E. Eremeeva

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces students to an overview of current and accepted field methods for environmental sampling and occupational exposure monitoring.

Envh 7234 – Environmental Toxicology, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces students to concepts associated with the lethal and sub-lethal effects of environmental and occupational stressors on humans and other living organisms.

Pubh 7132 – Scientific Basis Of Public Health, Haresh Rochani Dr.

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course explores the scientific basis of 21st century disease processes including a survey of the origins, natural history, factors influencing individual and community risk. Clinical symptoms of diseases impacting humans, both acute and chronic, as well as epidemiologic trends will be also be discussed. Students will obtain an understanding of scientific mechanisms associated with the disease processes with particular focus on using this information in health-related professions and public health decision-making. As such, emphasis will be placed on the understanding and application of proposing community-based solutions designed to break the cycle of disease.

Pubh-6541-01f - Biostatistics, Haresh Rochani Dr.

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines statistics in public health and related sciences, including sampling, probability, basic discrete and continuous distributions, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, categorical data analysis, regression, and correlation. Emphasis will be on the development of critical thinking skills and health data analysis applications with computer software.

Pubh 6534: Health Policy And Management (Online), Bettye A. Apenteng

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course provides a comprehensive introduction and overview to public health management and administration. The course context is based on managerial decision making and the practical knowledge, tools, processes, and strategies required by organizational management. This course overviews the basics of administration, including public health law, human resources management, budgeting and financing, health information management, performance measurement and improvement, ethics, leadership, communication, media relations, and legislative relations in public health; introduced as processes are strategic planning, program development, and evaluation, budget preparation, and constituency building for collaboration. Emerging areas of public health policy and management are also discussed as contexts …

Pubh 6534: Health Policy And Management, Bettye A. Apenteng

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course provides a comprehensive introduction and overview to public health management and administration. The course context is based on managerial decision making and the practical knowledge, tools, processes, and strategies required by organizational management. This course overviews the basics of administration, including public health law, human resources management, budgeting and financing, health information management, performance measurement and improvement, ethics, leadership, communication, media relations, and legislative relations in public health; introduced as processes are strategic planning, program development, and evaluation, budget preparation, and constituency building for collaboration. Emerging areas of public health policy and management are also discussed as contexts …

Pubh 6532-F – Environmental Health, Asli Aslan

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed for graduate students and provides students with an introduction and overview of the key areas of environmental health. Students will gain an understanding of the interaction of individuals and communities with the environment. Impact of environmental agents on human and ecosystem health will be analyzed. This course will also introduce current topics in environmental health and challenges faced under the changing climate and socio-economic needs and examine recent case studies and their outcomes related to environmental policy and management.

The Role Of Spirituality And 12 Step Groups In Addressing Treatment Fear And Worry Among Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Heather M. Wallace

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a multifarious problem. Because of uncertainty regarding appropriate clinical treatment, as well as the high potential for disfigurement and functional loss resulting in diminished quality of life (QOL), satisfactory patient participation in quality decision-making is critical. Previous research has consistently revealed that older adults frequently defer decisionmaking to their physician and make decisions more quickly than younger adults. Research also suggests that lay health beliefs, past experiences and various strategies of emotional regulation, based on perceptions of the quantity and quality of remaining time till death, may influence the decisionmaking …

Phld 9231 – Health Informatics & Decision Making, Gulzar H. Shah, Kristie Cason Waterfield

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course focuses on the fundamental concepts of managing information as an asset in public health and healthcare delivery contexts. Emphasis will be placed on converting data into information and converting information into decision support models.

Epid 7135-A – Epidemiology Of Infectious Disease, (Isaac) Chun Hai Fung

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the principles and practices of infectious diseases epidemiology with focus on how the presence and control of communicable diseases affects public health locally, nationally and internationally. Topics to be covered include: 1) general principles of infectious diseases epidemiology, including outbreak investigation, surveillance, analysis of infectious diseases data, and laboratory testing of specimens; 2) major modes of infectious disease transmission, including airborne, food and water, zoonotic, insect vector, blood, and sexual transmission; 3) different control strategies for infectious diseases, including infection control, antimicrobial management, immunization, risk factor modification, and screening; …

Pubh 3130- Substance Use And Abuse (Net), Jamie S. Cromley

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will explore legal and illegal drug use in modern society. Issues related to the social, cultural, political, economic impact of drug use will be addressed. The recurrent theme throughout the course will be on prevention. This will include discussions on the best ways to postpone the initiation of substance use and abuse among school aged persons as well as the cessation of use and treatment for abuse among adult populations. Substance use and its abuse effects ALL of us and does NOT discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or income.

Examine Predictors Of Bmi Classification And Perception Of Overweght Status Of Caregivers Of Preschool Children, Beth H. Chopp

Health Services Research Dissertations

Since the 1970’s the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has tripled and now one in five school-aged children is obese (Ogden et al., 2016). The childhood obesity epidemic will have medical, social, economic implications for future generations. Risk factors for childhood obesity include genetics, food intake, and physical activity, maternal health during pregnancy, parental weight, maternal employment and sociodemographic influences. This study examined the relationship between caregiver misperception of their preschoolers’ overweight/obese weight status and possible predictors that may assist in future interventions. The study evaluated NHANES data of 1245 caregivers with a child under age five …

Dietary Advanced Glycation End-Products (Ages) And Breast Cancer Risk And Survival, Omonefe Opeyemi Omofuma

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases including cancer. AGEs are produced endogenously and are also consumed from foods. High amounts of AGEs are found in animal products and processed foods, and AGE formation is accelerated during cooking at high temperatures. Using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO), we assigned and quantified NƐ-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML)-AGE content in food and investigated the association between dietary AGE intake and breast cancer (BrCa) risk. We assessed whether the risk was modified by race/ethnicity, obesity status, fruit and vegetable intake, BrCa invasiveness …

Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Among People With Cardiovascular Diseases In Southeast Georgia, Chimuanya Okoli, Stacy Carswell, Sewuese Akuse, Kelly Sullivan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Proper treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease is essential and can be challenged by non-disclosed use of complementary or alternative treatments. The objective of this study was to assess which demographics were associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and if education affects the use of CAM.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a stratified random sample of residents of Southeastern Georgia. Sampling was stratified by urban/rural residence in order to reach sufficient rural residents. Participants that indicated they had been diagnosed with hypertension or …

Syrian Refugee Mothers In Jordan: Perceived Social Support And Postpartum Depression, Marya Rana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many women suffer from postpartum depression; migrant women experience postpartum depression at rates almost triple that of the general population. This study investigated the associations between perceived social support and postpartum depression among Syrian refugee mothers living in Amman, Jordan. Eleven mothers completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) - Shortened Version. Four of those mothers also participated in individual interviews, and four others were included in a focus group. Multiple recurring themes were identified from the interviews and focus group, including: perceived differences in child and social support in …

Integrative Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches To Treating Depression, Charlotte Tse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), based in the philosophy-religions of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, is more than a purely prescriptive medical system; it is a way of life focused primarily on the principles of prevention rather than the more reactionary direction that pharmacotherapy in the US has taken. Mental illness is expected to account for a quarter of China’s overall health burden by 2020, with depression affecting around 100 million people and nearly 30 percent of young Chinese adults. Conventional antidepressants have a delayed onset and unpredictable therapeutic efficacy in this condition, especially in mild to moderate cases of depression. In …

Intersections Between Health And Disability: A Case Study At Disha Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Finnian Brokaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigated intersections between health and disability by asking the question: how do community perceptions of disability at Disha: A Resource Centre for the Disabled in Jaipur, India relate to health and quality of life for a person with multiple disabilities? This study utilized a case study methodology. The researcher took qualitative interviews from six respondents in the immediate educational and familial support network of a 27-year-old man with multiple disabilities. An interview based, qualitative methodology was important for investigating the complexity of perceptions of multiple disabilities and health as intersecting identities. The responses were analyzed and reflected upon …

Pubh 4231- Health Aspects Of Aging, Jamie S. Cromley

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is intended to familiarize students with promotion of health in an aging population, the notion that aging is a natural part of the lifecycle, community, state and federal health programs and services for the aged. Students will become acquainted with the process of and problems associated with aging in order to effectively manage this important public health issue. Specific health concerns of the elderly including the increase in life expectancy, current life extending research and technology and successful aging will also be examined. Knowledge and understanding of biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging as related to health …

The Intergenerational Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Children’S Emergency Department Utilization And Depression And Anxiety In South Carolina, Eboni E. Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

Adult exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is common in the U.S., with over half of adults reporting exposure to at least one ACE. Childhood trauma is associated with risk factors for premature death, disability, poor physical and mental health, and lower quality of life in adults. Traumatic experiences also influence parenting behaviors later in life, placing offspring at an increased risk of ACE exposure. Few studies have explored the intergenerational effects of ACEs on the health and well-being of offspring. This study sought to identify whether associations existed between caregiver ACE exposures and emergency department (ED) utilization for sick …

Women’S Socio-Economic Empowerment And Uptake Of Hiv Testing In Ethiopia, Dawit Alemu

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Sub-Sahran Africa constitute two-thirds of all people living with HIV in the world. HIV infection rate is high in the continent with women comprising 56% of new HIV infections among adults 15 and older. Women 15 to 24 are the most affected constituting 66 % of new infections occurring among this age group. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender power relations between men and women affect health seeking behavior, particularly HIV testing, among Ethiopian women age15 to 49.

Methods: The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) from 2016 served as the data source for …

Examining Women’S Perceptions Of Maternity Care In Public And Private Sectors Of National Guard Hospitals In Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study, Hanin M. Almahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Every second, a baby is born. The process of birth is a complex one – biologically, medically, and emotionally. In particular, women in labor need both physical and emotional care. They need to be heard, to be comforted, and to be safe.

Women’s satisfaction can be used as a legitimate way to measure the quality of maternity care. Moreover, when health systems practice patient-centered care and listen to women’s concerns and what they want out of their care, it can lead to improvements in their satisfaction. Hospitals in Saudi Arabia are considered to be among the best and most technologically …

Hiv Care Location: An Evaluation Of Single Versus Multi Facility Utilization Of Hiv/Aids Care Services And Patient Health Outcomes And Clinical Indicators In South Carolina, Melanie Gwynn

Theses and Dissertations

Background: On the HIV/AIDS care continuum, the “retention in care” metric does not distinguish between single-facility (SF) or multi-clinic utilization (MC), also described as HIV care location (or type). SF utilization is vital as it has been linked optimal clinical outcomes among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Published research detailing the prevalence of HIV care type and its association with health outcomes/clinical indicators, has been studied only in limited urban settings. Additionally, coinfections such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), have yet to be evaluated as potential predictive factors for HIV care type.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used …

Implementing Mindfulness Practices With Parents Of Young Children In A Low-Socioeconomic Status Neighborhood, Andrew T. Roach, Josephine Mhende, Brian A. Barger, Douglas A. Roberts

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether instruction in mindfulness practices would results in improved self-reported mindfulness and reduced depression, anxiety, and family stress in parents of young children living in a low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhood.

Methods: The study utilized a pretest-posttest group design to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mindfulness Ambassador Council-Interactive curriculum with attendees in a parent support program. Participants (n=15) were recruited from families with young children who received support from a community-based organization in one low-SES neighborhood in Atlanta. Mental health assessments, measures of family stress and parenting competency, and a demographic …

88th Annual Georgia Public Health Association Meeting & Conference Report, Colin K. Smith, Regina Abbott, Eleanora Zhilyak, Christy Sims

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

The 88th Annual Meeting of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 11-12, 2017, with pre-conference (April 10th) and post-conference (April 12th) Executive Board meetings. As Georgia’s leading forum for public health researchers, practitioners, and students, the annual meeting of the GPHA brings together participants from across the state to explore recent developments in the field and to exchange techniques, tools, and experiences. In recent years the venue for the GPHA annual conference has been Atlanta, but in an effort to expand participation across the state the 2018 GPHA Annual Meeting and Conference is …