Digital Commons Network^™

All 4 Hardin County Freshman!, Cortney Lynn Gandy

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

Within this application for funding the Lincoln Trail Health Department proposes an evidenced based intervention for implementation into two high schools in the Hardin County with the long term goals of decreasing the rate of sexually transmitted infections in the county. The LTHD based in Elizabethtown, Kentucky services six counties in central Kentucky. The community health needs assessment and community health improvement plans for the county highlighted the problem of sexually transmitted infections in the community. The Centers for Disease Control also produces data about the higher rate of STIs in Hardin county in respect to Kentucky and the US …

Compliance And Treatment Failure Of Hepatitis C With Direct-Acting Antivirals: A 2-Year Retrospective, Observational Study In Kentucky Medicaid Patients, Juequan Nie

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

Background: New generation Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection have been on the market for more than 3 years since late 2013. Whether these medications cure patients at the rates claimed in clinical trials is not clear. Furthermore, as compliance is known to affect treatment outcomes, DAAs compliance rate is worth studying.

Methods: We analyzed the association of social-demographic, DAA use, enrollment with Kentucky Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and comorbidities, and DAA compliance in 1128 Kentucky Medicaid members treated with DAAs between August 07, 2014 and August 06, 2016.

Results: Age, MCOs, liver fibrosis …

Smart Moves Bright Bodies: A Rural Adaptation To Combat Obesity Among African-American Teenagers In Wilcox And Lowndes Counties, Alabama, Nicole D. Fields

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

Obesity is a significant problem in the United States; however, it is a burgeoning epidemic among youth in the United States. As of 2016, Alabama is the second-most obese state in the nation¹ and 16% of Alabama adolescents are obese². While obesity is a significant problem across all ethnic groups, minorities bear a disproportionate burden in Alabama: one in five African-American adolescents is obese². This disproportionate burden is demonstrated in two Alabama counties: Wilcox and Lowndes. Both counties are predominately African-American and rank in the bottom ten counties, statewide, for overall health outcomes^9,14. …

Revamp It: Utilization Of Socioecological Approach To Combat Adolescent Obesity In Knott County, Kentucky, Jonathan Wang

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

The Kentucky River District Health Department proposes the implementation of REVAMP IT in four selected elementary schools in Knott County, Kentucky to improve subjective attitudes towards various aspects of health knowledge, physical activity, social support, and screen-time, as well as reduce biometrically measured television time and increased step count. REVAMP IT is an evidence-based program that utilizes the socioecological model of Public Health to target aspects of the individual, relational, and community level to facilitate changes from multiple aspects. Screen-time and physical activity goals will be individually set by students, and Knott County Elementary School teachers will be responsible for …

Using Structural Equation Modeling To Predict Orofacial Pain-Related Outcomes, Marcia Vanessa Rojas-Ramirez

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

Objectives: To test if the structure of a proposed theoretical model comprised of specific observed variables clustered to measure three latent variables of anxiety, depression, and fatigue exhibited good global fit with the observed data and had adequate reliability using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A secondary objective was to use structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the direct effect of the latent variables of depression, anxiety, and fatigue on orofacial pain outcomes.

Methods: Subjects were evaluated and treated at an orofacial pain clinic between 2009 and 2014. Those who completed a battery of psychosocial and pain-related questionnaires were …

Use Of Clonidine In Sedation Dentistry, Asma Kumar

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

Background:

Clonidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist which has been used to treat hypertension for over 40 years. In October 2008, clonidine was approved by the FDA for use as a premedication agent prior to sedation. The overall goal of this study is to determine if clonidine can be used as a pre- operative sedative agent in moderate sedation dentistry and if so, what should be considered a safe level.

The following specific aims were established for this study:

1. To determine whether patients receiving clonidine required less intravenous medications.
2. To determine if clonidine can lower blood pressure and pulse to …