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Download Full Pdf Issue Volume 2, Issue 1 - Msph Newsletter 2006

Public Health Link

This is the first issue of 2006 and it highlights upcoming events and an accreditation update.

Rural Health Research In Progress In The Rural Health Research Centers Program, Maine Rural Health Research Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Books

This book describes the research and policy analysis projects underway in the Rural Health Research Centers Program of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The objective of this program is to produce research and policy analyses that will be useful in the development of national and state policies to assure access to quality physical and behavioral health services for rural Americans.

Working Drivers Killed In Motor Vehicle Collisions Were Not Wearing Safety Belts, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent motor vehicle injuries while working:

• Employers should implement a comprehensive employee driver safety training program.
• Employees should wear seat belts at all times.
• Employees should be aware of distractions and pay attention at all times.

Tag Snp Selection For Finnish Individuals Based On The Ceph Utah Hapmap Database, Cristen J. Willer, Laura J. Scott, Lori L. Bonnycastle

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The pattern and nature of linkage disequilibrium in the human genome is being studied and catalogued as part of the International HapMap Project [2003: Nature 426:789-796]. A key goal of the HapMap Project is to enable identification of tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that capture a substantial portion of common human genetic variability while requiring only a small fraction of SNPs to be genotyped [International HapMap Consortium, 2005: Nature 437:1299-1320]. In the current study, we examined the effectiveness of using the CEU HapMap database to select tag SNPs for a Finnish sample. We selected SNPs in a 17.9-Mb region of …

Do Industrial Back Support Belts Reduce Stress In Asymmetric Lifting?, Ryan Jamor Brown

Theses

The objective of this research is to determine the effects of wearing a back support belt during repetitive asymmetric lifting in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, static lift capacity, body discomfort rating and subjective rating concerning the effectiveness of a back support belt. The type of belt used in this study was of knit nylon and elastic construction designed for industrial use.

Eight female participants lifted a crate from the table to knuckle height at a rate of three lifts per minute for a period of 20 minutes; one set with wearing back support belt and one without back …

The Vaccine Industry: Does It Need A Shot In The Arm?, Eileen Salinsky, Cole Werble

National Health Policy Forum

This paper broadly examines the scientific, regulatory, and economic factors that contribute to constrained vaccine production capacity, periodic vaccine shortages, and perceptions of inadequate investment in new vaccine product development. It describes the vaccine development and production processes and summarizes how regulatory requirements influence these activities. Market dynamics related to vaccine supply and demand are also explored, including an examination of the industry’s cost structure, potential market size, and purchaser price sensitivity. A broad range of policy interventions designed to address shortcomings of the vaccine market are considered.

Gpnn: Power Studies And Applications Of A Neural Network Method For Detecting Gene-Gene Interactions In Studies Of Human Disease, Alison A. Motsinger, Stephen L. Lee, George Mellick, Marylyn D. Ritchie

Dartmouth Scholarship

The identification and characterization of genes that influence the risk of common, complex multifactorial disease primarily through interactions with other genes and environmental factors remains a statistical and computational challenge in genetic epidemiology. We have previously introduced a genetic programming optimized neural network (GPNN) as a method for optimizing the architecture of a neural network to improve the identification of gene combinations associated with disease risk. The goal of this study was to evaluate the power of GPNN for identifying high-order gene-gene interactions. We were also interested in applying GPNN to a real data analysis in Parkinson's disease.

Survey Findings: Children Served By Mainecare, 2005, Catherine Ormond, Deborah Thayer

Disability & Aging

No abstract provided.

Energy Efficiency, R. Steven Konkel

Environmental Health Science Faculty and Staff Research

Using energy efficiently can reduce the cost of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning, which account for a significant part of the overall cost of housing. Energy costs recur month-to-month and are hard to reduce after a home has been designed and built. The development of an energy-efficient home or building must be thought through using a systems approach

Community Participation In Tribal Diabetes Programs, Carolyn Smith-Morris

Anthropology Research

No abstract provided.

Barriers For Latino Immigrants Seeking Health Care Services, Jennier Ng'andu

2006 Latino Health Summit

At the time of the presentation Ms. Ng'andu was Health Policy Analyst, National Council of La Raza.

This presentation was part of a larger track "Immigrants, Refugees, Asylees and the Undocumented: Understanding Laws that Impact their Health and Well-Being"

From the brochure:

Participants will gain a better understanding of the various status types (e.g., immigrants, refugees) of Latinos residing in the United States and learn how these status types impact individual legal rights. Specific areas to be addressed include employment, bad debt and collections, domestic violence, human trafficking, access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services, and access to …

Brochure And Schedule Of Events, Latino Health Summit, Virginia Commonwealth University

2006 Latino Health Summit

Brochure and Schedule of Events, including abstracts for the Latino Health Summit, November 16-17, 2006

Recruitment And Retention Of African Americans With Severe Mental Illness In Community Research, Michelle Hampton, Mary White, Linda Chafetz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Designing Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Benefits, Rachel Sethi, Joanne Jee, Lisa Chimento, D. Richard Mauery

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adherence To Principles Of Motivational Interviewing And Client Within-Session Behavior, Delwyn Catley, Kari Jo Harris, Matthew S. Mayo, Sandra Hall, Kolawole S. Okuyemi, Thuy Boardman, Jasjit S. Ahluwalia

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine whether counselor adherence to Motivational Interviewing (MI) principles was associated with more productive within-session client behavior in a smoking cessation trial for African American smokers. For these analyses 89 baseline counseling sessions of the trial were audiotaped and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC). Counselor adherence indicators included a global subjective rating of MI adherence and the frequency of MI-consistent and MI-inconsistent counselor behaviors described in the MISC. Indicators of productive client behaviors included global subjective ratings of within-session client functioning and counselor-client interaction, as well as the frequency of …

Characteristics Of Social Smoking Among College Students, Kimberly Waters, Kari J. Harris, Sandra Hall, Niaman Nazir, Alex Waigandt

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Social smoking is a newly identified phenomenon in the young adult population that is poorly understood. We investigated differences in social smoking (smoking most commonly while partying or socializing) and other smoking within a convenience sample of college smokers (n = 351) from a large midwestern university. Results revealed that 70% of 351 current (past 30-day) smokers reported social smoking. No significant difference was found in motivation to quit between smoking groups. However, a significant difference was found between groups in confidence to quit, the number of days smoked, and the number of cigarettes smoked on those days. More …

Social Psychology, Calamities, And Sports Law, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines the role of situational pressures, fundamental attribution errors, and legal frameworks in how professional sports actors respond to the threat and occurrence of calamities. Both natural and manmade threats to American health are likely to rise over the next decade. Such threats may include catastrophic weather, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and communicable disease pandemics. In response to these threats, professional sports leagues, professional athletes, fans, and media might engage in unprecedented behavior. Consider, for instance, increasingly-devastating weather patterns, and how they might animate leagues to relocate franchises to cities with more favorable forecasts. The same outcome might …

Pierce Law Participates In Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Ip Management Meeting, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

On April 18, 2006 several members of the greater Pierce Law community participated in an important meeting held at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by The Centre for the Management of Intellectual Property in Health Research and Development (MIHR), the meeting “Intellectual Property Management Strategies to Facilitate Early Access and Global Health Benefits: Case Studies in Pandemic Influenza and Malaria” had the objective of exploring and discussing IP issues which impact the distribution of vaccines to developing countries, a topic of heightened worldwide importance given the potential threat of a global influenza pandemic. In an …

Translation As A Function Of Modality: The Potential Of Brief Interventions, Chudley Werch, Jerry L. Grenard, Jeanpaul Burnett, Julia A. Watkins, Steve Ames, Edessa Jobli

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of brief intervention (BI) as a modality for translating health behavior intervention research into practice. We discuss common definitions of BI, applications within common models of translation research, effects of BI on a range of health behaviors and across various populations, current and potential mechanisms, and uses for dissemination to practice. A number of advantages of BI suggest they are well suited for translating behavioral research. In addition, findings from 13 systematic reviews of BI effects show their potential versatility. Basic research on motivation, decision making, and persuasion may be …

Strengthening Care And Support Services In The Era Of Treatment: Symposium Report, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

Sub-Saharan Africa has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic, with almost 26 million people infected in the region. As international attention continues to focus on sub-Saharan Africa as the region most affected by AIDS, hopeful signs have emerged, such as increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although the availability of ART has greatly increased in South Africa, care and support services continue to play a critical role in the lives of people infected and affected by HIV. In response to a growing call from program managers and researchers in South Africa to engage in a dialogue with policymakers and donors …

Preparedness For Hiv/Aids Service Delivery: The 2005 Kenya Health Workers Survey, National Aids And Std Control Programme, Ministry Of Health Kenya

HIV and AIDS

Kenya is one of the few countries that has succeeded in changing the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and there is strong evidence of a decline in incidence. However, AIDS-related deaths now exceed new infections, and almost nine out of ten Kenyan adults do not know their HIV status. The expansion of HIV services in Kenya, including voluntary counseling and training and prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs, has enabled more Kenyans to learn their status. However, this leaves out many individuals who could benefit from HIV testing and counseling, such as hospital patients. Patients who present to a health-care facility …

Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo

HIV and AIDS

This training manual, developed by the Population Council in collaboration with Instituto PROMUNDO, CORO for Literacy, MAMTA, and DAUD promotes gender equity and addresses masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV. Adapted from the “Program H: Working with Young Men Series” developed in Brazil by Instituto PROMUNDO, it promotes the positive aspects of masculinity, encourages men’s participation in sexual and reproductive health, promotes respect for sexual diversity, and improves understanding of the body and sexuality. In this manual, HIV prevention is addressed within the larger framework of gender roles and relationships. Gender disparity, widely prevalent in Indian society …

An Assessment Of Obese And Non Obese Girls’ Metabolic Rate During Television Viewing, Reading, And Resting., Theodore Cooper, L. Klesges, M. Debon, R. Klesges, M. Shelton

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

General And Smoking Cessation Related Weight Concerns In Veterans., Theodore Cooper, M. Dundon, B. Hoffman, C. Stoever

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Improving The Health Literacy Of Rural Elders: An Interdisciplinary Approach, M. Susan Jones, Marilyn M. Gardner, Janelle A. Peeler, Serena Merry Britt, Marilyn Lewis Graves

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Environmental Justice And The Role Of Social Capital In An Underserved Urban Community, Lorraine Ann Dillon

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate a community's beliefs, attitudes, and experiences regarding their neighborhood's environmental health issues and the ways in which individuals utilize social capital (the degree to which a community collaborates and cooperates) to improve their environmental health. Research correlating social capital with health status shows that the higher the level of social capital in a community, the better the health. An understanding of why some groups exhibit more social capital than others is important in improving the public health system. The study was accomplished by comparing a convenience sample of two specific groups …

Changes In Immunological And Hematological Parameters Of Female Residents Exposed To Volatile Organic Compounds In The City Of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, I-Long Lee, Yang-Yen Gau, Ching-Tzu Yang, Chitsan Lin, Yu-Jue Hong

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the effects, if any, of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air of Kaohsiuug, Taiwan, on certain hematological and immunological parameters of 153 female study participants. The major source of VOCs was vehicle emissions. The participants were selected from three areas, each area at a different distance from a freeway. Results indicated that total concentrations of VOCs and a subgroup of 25 VOCs (VOC₂₅.) ranged from 250 to 335 ppb and 89 to 113 ppb, respectively. The distribution of VOC concentrations did not correlate with distance from the freeway. …

Interim Report In Nevada, Children Run Better Unleaded, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy, The Southern Nevada Health District

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

The purpose of the current document is to highlight the need for this program in the state of Nevada, information regarding the dangers of lead exposure, current and future directions of the program, and necessary improvements for a successful program.

Child Sexual Abuse, Anna Maria Opperman

Graduate Research Papers

Reports of child sexual abuse are increasing in the nation and the state of Iowa. Negative effects of child sexual abuse include low self-esteem, contracting sexually transmitted diseases, promiscuity, pregnancy, psychological disorders, eating disorders, and suicide. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2006), two out of every one thousand children in the country have experienced sexual abuse. The author will describe the types of sexual abuse, the abuse process, characteristics of offenders, and manifestations of child sexual abuse. Possible treatment for victims will also be addressed.

An Hsus Report: Human Health Implications Of Live Hang Of Chickens And Turkeys On Slaughterhouse Workers, The Humane Society Of The United States

Impact of Animal Agriculture

Poultry slaughterhouse workers perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation. Those on the “live hang” line, whose job is to hang conscious birds upside-down on moving shackles, are particularly at risk for developing occupational injuries and illnesses. Eliminating the live hanging of chickens and turkeys would improve both worker safety and animal welfare.