Digital Commons Network^™

A Minority Perspective On The Public Health Response To The Obesity Epidemic, Rickey L. Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is currently viewed as one of the most important health concerns in the United States. Researchers have minimally investigated perspectives surrounding obesity within the African-American female population. This lack of research presented a gap in knowledge concerning the perceived social, environmental, and cultural influences of obesity within this population. The research questions asked African-American females about their views toward these influences. This research was guided by tenets of the social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model for behavioral change. Thirteen African-American females participated in the interviews. The data collected were reviewed and coded using word frequencies and themes. Findings …

Association Between Age-Related Macular Degeneration And Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Jeffrey A. Nau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic, irreversible disease that robs individuals of vision, quality of life, and independence. It is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized countries. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a condition characterized by repeated episodes of apnea and/or hypopnea, insomnia, short sleep duration, and/or sleep disturbances (snoring, gasping, etc.). Because SDB has been shown to cause chronic hypoxia resulting in oxidative stress on the retina, it has been proposed that SDB may be associated with AMD. Based on the life course theory of chronic disease, this quantitative, cross-sectional study used data from the 2005-2008 National Health …

Moving Public Health Learners To The Skeptical Edge With Information Creation As A Process, Xan Goodman

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Dialectics Of Imagination And Experimentation: Basic Science Research In Developing Countries, Hr Ahmad, Na Khan

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Burden Of Illness And Pharmacoeconomic Evaluation Of Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor In Cystic Fibrosis, Pratyusha Vadagam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: (1) To estimate the burden of illness in cystic fibrosis (CF) using 2010-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, and (2) to conduct a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of lumacaftor/ivacaftor in the treatment of CF.

Methods: The study was conducted in two parts. Part 1 involved a retrospective analysis using individuals in MEPS database with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code of 277.00 for a principal diagnosis of CF. Dependent variables were cumulative and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures and independent variables included patient demographics and clinical characteristics. Unweighted and weighted estimates of expenditure in CF group, …

Workplace Management Knowledge And Support For Employee Breastfeeding Practices, Elizabeth Heimer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Breastfeeding has many benefits to both mother and child. It also happens to have benefits to workplaces who support breastfeeding. Research shows that lack of environmental support of breastfeeding at the workplace may discourage women from exclusively breastfeeding the recommended amount of time of SIX months (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). To investigate the management knowledge and workplace breastfeeding support services, an online survey was sent out employees in management positions at selected workplaces in Faribault, Martin and Watonwan counties in Minnesota. Of the 98 selected participants, only 16 participants completed the survey. The study aimed to discover whether there …

What Are The Most Commonly Used Tools To Screen Depression In Hiv-Infected Gay And Bisexual Men?, Michael Isner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Gay and bisexual men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) comprise a sizable, medically vulnerable population. Depression is the most commonly experienced mental health disorder affecting this group of people, lending itself to a host of risks associated with depression. As screening of depression in this population can be challenging, it is vital that clinicians have the best available tools and guidelines to detect depressive symptomology. This focused, comprehensive review of the literature examined current data describing the clinical instruments used to detect depressive symptoms in HIV-infected gay and bisexual men. The aim of this analysis was to seek out …

Considerations For Prep Introduction To Adolescent Girls And Young Women: Implementation Science Research In Tanzania, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

In collaboration with the National AIDS Control Programme and CSK Research Solutions Ltd., a Tanzania-based research organization, the Population Council is conducting implementation science research in Tanzania to build needed evidence to inform decisionmaking around the introduction of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), ages 15–24. This research will actively engage key stakeholders throughout the study, including gaining their insights on key study questions, interpreting the findings, crafting initial programming recommendations based on findings, and supporting their adoption in Tanzania and beyond. Findings from this study and other observational studies and demonstration trials in progress …

The American Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic: Considerations For Targeted Diabetes Prevention Programs, Dolores Dodson

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Childhood obesity is an identified risk factor for several long-term health issues such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death within the United States. The CDC has implemented an evidence-based program, The National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), to prevent the development of T2DM among individuals with prediabetes. Prediabetes is defined as having elevated glucose levels glycated hemoglobin [A1C] levels between 5.7%-6.5%) that are not elevated enough to meet diabetes diagnosis criteria (A1C levels > 6.5%). The DPP is a lifestyle change program that has …

Prospecting For An Hiv Vaccine, David Brett-Major, T. A. Crowell, N. L. Michael

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sets several challenges for the development of a preventative HIV vaccine. Predictable, protective natural immunity against HIV does not occur and so unlike most other diseases for which vaccines exist, there are few guideposts from natural infection. Nonetheless, six vaccine efficacy trials have occurred. One in particular, the Thai trial called RV144, showed partial protective efficacy and potential ways ahead to a better vaccine approach. This coupled with other lessons from studies of acute infections as well as an increasingly complex knowledge of HIV-related vaccine immunology bring hope that a vaccine solution might be reached for …

Impact Of Simultaneous Exposure To Arboviruses On Infection And Transmission By Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Claudia Rückert, James Weger-Lucarelli, Selene M. Garcia-Luna, Michael C. Young, Alex D. Byas, Reyes A. Murrieta, Joseph R. Fauver, Gregory D. Ebel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The recent emergence of both chikungunya and Zika viruses in the Americas has significantly expanded their distribution and has thus increased the possibility that individuals may become infected by more than one Aedes aegypti-borne virus at a time. Recent clinical data support an increase in the frequency of coinfection in human patients, raising the likelihood that mosquitoes could be exposed to multiple arboviruses during one feeding episode. The impact of coinfection on the ability of relevant vector species to transmit any of these viruses (that is, their vector competence) has not been determined. Thus, we here expose Ae. aegypti mosquitoes …

Screen Time And Sleep Condition Among Selected College Students, Angela Lynn Sargent

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

College students underestimate the value of adequate sleep. The purpose of this research was to measure the relationship between students’ sleep condition and screen time usage one hour prior to bed. The participants in this study were undergraduate students, from ages 18 to 25 years of age, enrolled in spring semester 2017 at a Midwestern University. A 15-item paper survey was distributed to participants for this research (55.7% female; 42.8% male). This research found that sampled undergraduate students’ amount of sleep each night ranged from 4 to 10 hours and averaged 6.9 hours of adequate sleep each night. This finding …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine: Current Mind-Body Practices And Perceptions Of Undergraduate Students, Julia Ann Marie Putz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the practices and perceptions undergraduate students have of complementary and alternative medicine. This study also analyzed the purpose in which students use complementary and alternative medicine. A survey was distributed to 450 students attending undergraduate classes at a large Midwestern university. The survey was developed using A Complementary Alternative Medicine Questionnaire for Young Adults by Patterson and Arthur (2009). This survey consisted of 48 questions addressing demographic information, uses of complementary and alternative medicine, mind-body practices and beliefs of complementary and alternative medicine. There was a total of 307 responses; however,14 were …

The Effect Of Religious Intervention On Depression And Quality Of Life Among Indonesian Elderly: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Bayu Anggileo Pramesona

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of religious intervention on depression and quality of life among Indonesian elderly in nursing homes (NHs). Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with repeated measures. Sixty elderly residents at three NHs in three districts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score of 5 to 11 were recruited and purposively assigned to the religious intervention group (combining 36 sessions of listening to Qur'anic recital and three sessions of attending a sermon by a preacher), n=30) and the control group (treatment as usual/TAU, n=30). The primary outcome was depression, measured by …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

A Neighborhood-Wide Association Study (Nwas): Example Of Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness, Shannon M. Lynch, Nandita Mitra, Michelle Ross, Craig Newcomb, Karl Dailey, Tara Jackson, Charnita M. Zeigler-Johnson, Harold Riethman

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Purpose

Cancer results from complex interactions of multiple variables at the biologic, individual, and social levels. Compared to other levels, social effects that occur geospatially in neighborhoods are not as well-studied, and empiric methods to assess these effects are limited. We propose a novel Neighborhood-Wide Association Study(NWAS), analogous to genome-wide association studies(GWAS), that utilizes high-dimensional computing approaches from biology to comprehensively and empirically identify neighborhood factors associated with disease.

Methods

Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data were linked to U.S. Census data. In a successively more stringent multiphase approach, we evaluated the association between neighborhood (n = 14,663 census variables) and prostate …

Lgbtq-Inclusive Sexuality Education In Montana Public High Schools: An Assessment Of The Needs Of Health Enhancement Teachers, Andrew G. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

BACKGROUND

LGBTQ youth face many unique health challenges. Rates of depression and suicide are exponentially higher for LGBTQ youth than for their heterosexual, cisgender peers. Rates of HIV and STI infection are rising among this demographic. Comprehensive sexuality education has demonstrated the potential to address some of these health challenges. Specifically, it has been shown to delay the onset of sexual intercourse, and to reduce pregnancy and transmission rates of HIV and STIs among youth. Several studies have looked at LGBTQ-inclusive sexuality education from the perspective of LGBTQ students, but few have looked at this issue from the perspective of …

Self Reported Knowledge Of Concussion Symptoms And Management By Middle And High School Club Lacrosse Coaches, Logan Ellis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

TITLE: Self-reported knowledge of concussion symptoms and management by middle and high school club lacrosse coaches

AUTHORS: Logan Ellis

BACKGROUND: With an increase in sport participation across all levels, concussion prevalence has increased as well as reliance on coaches to recognize a concussed player. Little research has been done investigating how effective our current educational materials are with Lacrosse coaches of grades 6-12.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross- Sectional

LEVEL of EVIDENCE: Level 4

METHODS: Self-administered, online survey that included closed ended questions regarding recognition of signs and symptoms, consequences of inappropriate care, perception of own knowledge, …

Évaluation Des Bioaérosols Et Des Composés Gazeux Émis Lors Des Compostages De Résidus Agroalimentaires Et Résidentiels, Geneviève Marchand, Laetitia Bonifait, Marc Veillette, Carole Pépin, Yves Beaudet, Éric Légaré, Jacques Lavoie, Caroline Duchaine, Yves Bernard, Yves Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au cours des dernières années, la conscientisation écologique des populations a stimulé de façon importante l’intérêt qu’elles portent à la protection de l’environnement. Des comportements favorisant le développement durable et permettant la préservation à long terme de l’environnement comme le compostage sont maintenant répandus. De par sa nature, le compostage nécessite l’action des microorganismes. À chaque phase de compostage correspondent des populations de microorganismes caractéristiques et, par conséquent, des émissions de bioaérosols qui leur sont propres. Plusieurs gaz peuvent également être présents dans l’air ambiant lors des activités de compostage. Les travailleurs de ces milieux peuvent donc être …

Relationship Between Assisted Reproductive Technology And Risk Of Stillbirth, Jeani Chang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is an infertility treatment used to assist women to become pregnant. Although the procedure is safe, there are gaps in understanding the association between treatment and adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., stillbirth) in the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stillbirth delivery and ART. The 2 research questions addressed the association between methods of conception (ART versus non-ART) and the delivery of a stillbirth, and the association between multiple gestation pregnancy and risk of stillbirths. Retrospective cohort data from the States Monitoring ART collaborative were analyzed using Pearson's chi squared …

The Association Between Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Systemic Inflammation, And Comorbidity Burden, Tennador Sanderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Dietary habits may have an impact on COPD through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. For this cross-sectional secondary data analysis study, the advanced model of the epidemiology triangle was used as a guide to assess the association between total daily flavonoid intake and COPD diagnosis, COPD severity, systemic inflammation, and comorbidity burden. Data from over 5,100 male and female participants aged 30 and older were obtained from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of COPD was 5.2% according to spirometry data. Multiple …

Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the parenting role of nonresidential fathers of children living in shelters. Special attention was paid to the perceived contributions of these fathers to the overall health and general well-being of their children residing in shelters. Often separations of nonresidential fathers from their children in shelters decreased their contributions to their children's health and well-being. Increased knowledge of these parental roles and contributions can enhance programs and policies to support these fathers in improving the health and well-being of their children. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 demographically diverse nonresidential fathers living in Philadelphia. The …

Pathopoiesis Mechanism Of Smoking And Shared Genes In Pancreatic Cancer, Ulysses Labilles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a significant, unresolved issue because of its complex genetic blueprint and lack of reliable detection markers. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible correlation between tobacco use, gender, and age in the etiopathogenesis of PC and other cancer types with a shared-gene association (CTSG-A). The unified paradigm of cancer causation was used to understand the pathopoiesis mechanism of smoking and shared genes in PC. A cross-sectional study was performed using secondary data from the cancer survivorship module of the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Results of ordinal logistic regression analyses indicated …

Historical Trauma's Impact On Dating Violence And Pregnancy Among Urban Native Americans, Shannon Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans have high rates of teen births and intimate partner violence, though little is known about how historical trauma impacts these experiences. The research that has been conducted on teen pregnancy and violence has been among reservation-based Native Americans; little research has been conducted on the experiences of urban Native Americans. The research question for this study examined the potential impact of historical trauma on the lives of parenting urban Native Americans. This phenomenological study gathered the narrative lived experiences of participants via semistructured interviews. Purposeful random sampling was used to recruit 7 parenting urban Native American teens aged …

How Parenting Behaviors Influence Weight And Health Status Of African American Adolescents, Natasha T. Hourel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an upward trend in obesity among African American (AA) adolescents over the last 2 decades. While parenting characteristics (e.g., styles and practices) are linked to adolescent eating habits and weight status, related research has focused on European American children from 2-parent middle-class households or economically disadvantaged AA children from single mother households. The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to investigate the relationship between parenting characteristics on the weight status of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (n = 325) among a broader population of AA mothers and fathers residing both inside and outside of …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Childhood Retinoblastoma And Cns Tumors In Kentucky, From 1995 Through 2014, Jennifer A. Khoury

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

Childhood cancer poses a significant public health burden, both globally and in the United States (US). The most common childhood cancers affect the brain and central nervous system (CNS). Age-adjusted childhood brain tumor (CBT) incidence rates in Kentucky are larger than in the rest of the US; these rates are also higher in Appalachian Kentucky than in the rest of the state. This study determined if high-rate clusters of either CNS tumor or retinoblastoma existed in Kentucky.

Methods

Data for this study were retrieved from the Kentucky Cancer Registry for the years 1995 through 2014. Cases were individuals between …

Reducing Hiv Risk Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women, And Their Partners Through The Dreams Partnership In Malawi, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Project SOAR is conducting implementation science research in Malawi to build needed evidence to inform decisionmaking about effective programming to reduce HIV risk among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their male partners. Specifically, SOAR is: examining approaches to identify the most at-risk girls, particularly those out of school, and enroll and retain them in DREAMS programming; assessing HIV-risk and health-seeking behaviors before and after AGYW’s engagement in DREAMS interventions; exploring how to reach AGYW’s male sexual partners and increase their uptake of HIV services; and assessing facilitators and barriers to HIV service uptake by men living with HIV. …

A Cost-Effectiveness Study Of The Quadrivalent Hpv6/11/16/18 Vaccination In A Two-Dose Scheme In Girls Of 9-11 Years Old Compared To Bivalent Hpv 16/18 Vaccination In Ecuador And Challenges For Public Health And Screening, Maria-Isabel Roldos, Isabel Espinosa, Amit Kulkarni, Matthew Pillsbury, Andrew Pavelyev, Homero A. Monsanto, Diego Guarin, Miguel Cashat-Cruz

Publications and Research

Abstract

Aims: Assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV6/11/16/18 vaccination as administered in a two-dose scheme to girls between 9 and 11 years old, as compared to the bivalent HPV 16/18 vaccination administered in Ecuador, and to estimate the cost-saving of preventing GW while preventing cervical cancer with both vaccines.

Study Design: We used a previously developed transmission dynamic mathematical model to evaluate the impact of routine vaccination of 9-11 year-old females. The model assumed coverage of 90% for two doses of HPV6/11/16/18 vaccine at international price rates versus HPV16/18 vaccine and costs for genital warts treatment. Other simulation …

An Evaluation Of Mumps Antibody Titers Among Pharmacy Students Before And After A University Mumps Outbreak, Kiley Shelley

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mumps outbreaks continue to transpire across the United States despite the available MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) vaccine and seemingly high vaccination rates. There is limited evidence surrounding the management, impact, and prevention of mumps outbreaks. In particular, there are currently no formal recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) regarding the administration of additional doses of the MMR vaccine during a mumps outbreak. Furthermore, there are unanswered questions of possible waning of vaccine-induced mumps immunity and the impact of a third dose of the MMR vaccine to assist in mumps outbreak control. Existing studies suggest that administration of the …

Association Between Hiv And Violence Among Female Commercial Sex Workers In Ukraine : Analysis Of Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Conducted In 2015-2016, Ganna Momotyuk

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A cross-sectional analysis investigated the association between HIV and violence in female commercial sex workers (FCSW) in Ukraine between 10/2015 and 01/2016. Methods: 3,885 FCSW from a total of 4,300 were questioned about behavioral and social demographics and tested for HIV in mobile testing van. Results: of the 3,885 respondents, 5.89% were HIV positive, and 47.00% had experienced violence. We tested for and found that drug use was an effect modifier for the association between HIV and violence. Analyses were stratified by injecting drug use and no injecting drug use. High risk for HIV was found in the non-IDU stratum …