Digital Commons Network^™

Acculturation And Cardiovascular Markers And Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Dorothy Sheu

Public Health Theses

Acculturation may help illuminate the context of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. This systematic review sought to examine the associations between acculturation and atherosclerosis, CHD, and stroke. A search of ten databases in addition to reference lists led to relevant articles. This research limited to quantitative studies conducted among Asian adults in North America, and further selected for those that included measurements of atherosclerosis, CHD, or stroke, to comprise this review. This review included articles of all languages, years published, and publication types. Twenty-nine articles were found that both fit the aforementioned criteria and measured acculturation. Among these …

Characterization Of Bis-(3', 5')-Cyclic Dimeric Adenosine Monophosphate As A Mucosal Adjuvant And Its Relevance In A Model Of Hookworm Pathogenesis, Shawn Terryah

Public Health Theses

Most pathogens invade their human host or establish infection at mucosal surfaces. In contrast to parenteral vaccines, mucosal immunization has the potential to induce a robust immune response at mucosal surfaces capable of blocking the entry and establishment of many pathogens. Despite these advantages, very few mucosal vaccines are licensed for human use, largely because antigens administered by the mucosal route are either poorly or non-immunogenic. A strategy to overcome this problem is co-administering vaccine antigens with a mucosal adjuvant. Recently, bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) was identified as a potential mucosal adjuvant. To evaluate c-di-AMP as a mucosal adjuvant …

An Analysis Of Patterns And Predictors Associated With Patient Compliance Using Group-Based Trajectory Modeling, Kevin Nhat Tran

Public Health Theses

The purpose of the study was to identify differential trajectories of patient compliance in a clinical trial and to determine demographic and health risk factors associated with compliance trajectory membership. The data was obtained from an 18 month, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial looking at the long-term impact of increased dietary protein on bone mass in older men and women. Two hundred and eight subjects were randomized to either a protein treatment or carbohydrate placebo group. Statistical analysis utilized a group-based trajectory modeling framework to identify distinct clusters of individuals who follow similar compliance trajectories over time. Post hoc analysis using multinomial …

Quantifying The Effect Of Nutrition Assistance Program Design, Amanda Sophia Tripp

Public Health Theses

Federal food assistance and nutrition programs share a mission of helping low-income households achieve adequate nutrition, but the benefit structures of the programs differ significantly. The Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) offers vouchers for a limited number of nutritious foods, while the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) has few restrictions on benefit use. The objectives of this research were to compare the composition of grocery purchases among WIC and SNAP households and assess the effect of benefit design on total grocery purchases. To accomplish these objectives, transaction data from a supermarket chain was used to assess store purchases …

Obesity As A Risk Factor For Hospital Acquired Infections In Pediatric Trauma Patients: A Pilot Study, Elyor Vidal

Public Health Theses

Context

The prevalence of obesity among young Americans in the 6 to 19 year old category has tripled since the 1960's. Today, 50% of individuals in this age group are either overweight or obese (Kimm, 2002). Studies have shown that increased percentage of body fat weakens the body's immune system (Falagas, 2009). Moreover, trauma can be an immuno-compromising condition. A study by Brown et al. in 2006 showed that obese pediatric trauma patients had more sepsis (15% vs 4%, P = .007) and wound infection (26% vs. 8%, p = .03), along with other clinical complications.

Objective

This project serves …

Governance Implications Of Global Infectious Disease Epidemics Under Shared Health Governance Scheme. Lessons From Sars, Ruosi Wang

Public Health Theses

The world is becoming flat. With the progress of globalization and world integration, the past century has witnessed a growing number of emerging and reemerging diseases. It has become a common concern the world will face a deadly infectious disease pandemic and the international community needs to set up a functional system to face up the challenge. Over the past decade, outbreaks of SARS, H5N1 and H1N1 pandemic have raised concern among public health officials and the public in general on the need of global and local pandemic control. Infectious agents have been able to take advantage of the dramatic …

Cigarette Smoking And Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk In Xiamen, China, Dongni Ye

Public Health Theses

Recent epidemiologic studies suggest that cigarette smoking may increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet inconsistent dose-response relationships still exist with this association. We examined whether cigarette smoking was associated with HCC risk and explored their dose-response relationship in a case-control study including 590 incident HCC cases and 784 hospital controls in Xiamen, China. Comparisons of HCC cases with hospital controls were conducted for each of the four measures of exposure levels of cigarette smoking - age started smoking, years smoked, cigarettes per day, pack-years in lifetime. After adjustment for demographic factors (sex, age, education, and income level) and …

Effect Of Birth Order Placement On Tendency Toward General Deviance, Nichole Rae Reese

Honors Program Theses

Most of the research conducted on birth order placement has dealt with characteristics such as ambition, responsibility, leadership, athleticism, and so on. I focused my research on the effect of birth order placement on a tendency toward committing general deviant acts. I reviewed and analyzed previous research regarding this topic conducted by researchers and social scientists. I then conducted my own research study by administering a general deviance questionnaire to forty University of Northern Iowa students. After analyzing the survey results using the data analysis program, SPSS, I found that my hypothesis of firstborn individuals committing less general deviant acts …

Palivizumab Dosing And Risk Of Rsv Infection In Premature Children, Michael J. Araas

Public Health Theses

We conducted a retrospective case-control study of children attending the Yale-New Haven Hospital Premature Infant Primary Care Clinic (YNHH-PIPCC). Subjects were prematurely born children under 24 months of age cared for at the YNHH-PIPCC between October 2000 and March 2011. They are eligible to receive monthly passive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization with palivizumab during the RSV season. All cases had laboratory-documented severe RSV disease necessitating hospital admission or outpatient visit. Controls did not have severe RSV disease during the same season as their matched case. Controls were matched to the cases by gestational age and month of birth. Risk …

Fundraising Practices In Connecticut Public Elementary Schools (2009-2010), Sarah Aspinwall

Public Health Theses

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

School environments are key locations to improve children's nutrition and promote physical activity on a national scale. Competitive foods, high in fat and/or sugar, are widely available in schools. Fundraising practices have been identified as a key contributor to the undermining of healthy school environments. In order to develop strong policy initiatives for competitive foods it is necessary to understand current fundraising practices. The purpose of this study is to describe fundraising in Connecticut elementary schools for the 2009-2010 school year.

METHODS

Respondents were solicited from a random sample of the 663 Connecticut public elementary schools, stratified by …

Medical And Family History And The Risk Of Endometrial Cancer, Xiaolu Bi

Public Health Theses

BACKGROUND: Women with a medical history of pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure or other selected medical conditions, as well as a family history of cancer, are assumed to be at increased risk of endometrial cancer. This study was designed to test these assumptions, as evidence for them is lacking. METHODS: We carried out a population-based case-control study in Connecticut between 2004 and 2008, including 668 endometrial cancer cases and 674 controls from eligible residents matched with age. Medical histories and family history of cancers were reported and conditional logistic regression was used to estimate …

Moral Luck And The Ethics Of The Rising Cesarean Rate, Jessica Bolhack

Public Health Theses

One in three pregnant women delivering in the United States will undergo a cesarean section, at a rate of 32.8% and climbing. The cesarean section is associated with considerable excess risk of morbidity and mortality to infant and mother, including a four-fold risk of maternal death relative to vaginal birth. As the gatekeepers of surgical birth, obstetricians have an ethical and scientific imperative to minimize the number of non-indicated cesarean births. And yet, cesarean rates are responsive to fear of malpractice litigation, physician time-constraints, and patient payer-type. These findings, while ethically troublesome, point to a promising new direction for controlling …

Exhibiting Health: Museums As A Venue For Public Health Intervention, Jacqueline Katherine Bruleigh

Public Health Theses

Public health interventions are as broad as the field itself. Through this paper, I will highlight the missed opportunity that museums present as an intervention site for public health. I will then discuss the design, content, challenges, successes, and directions for growth of a specific exhibition (Big Food: Health, Culture, and the Evolution of Eating), as an example of successfully translating public health into the museum context, which could be used as a starting point for further interventions in this underutilized venue.

Blindness And Poverty: An Outreach-Based, Case-Control Study Assessing The Relationship Between Poverty And Visual Impairment From Cataract In Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Western, Volta, And Ashanti Regions Of Ghana, Jonathan Legrand Curtis

Public Health Theses

Background

Blinding cataracts have been linked to poverty, and are the most common form of preventable blindness in the developing world. The WHO has identified cataract surgery as one of the top five potential public health interventions in developing countries; however, studies exploring the initial economic attributes before cataract surgery and subsequent outcomes following the sight-restorative surgery in the developing world have not been undertaken. This study assesses the baseline economic and sociodemographic attributes of a cohort of 267 cataract cases in rural villages throughout southern Ghana and compares them with 100 controls to test whether those with existing cataracts …

Aliphatic Isocyanate Skin Transferability In Automotive Refinishing, Thomas Todd De Vries

Public Health Theses

Isocyanate (NCO) skin contact may contribute to sensitization and the development of isocyanate asthma. Unbound NCO can persist on polyurethane (PU) spray-coated car parts and other surfaces, after appearing dry. Whether human isocyanate skin exposure can result from handling such surfaces remains unclear. To assess NCO transfer potential to human skin from surfaces recently sprayed with aliphatic isocyanate coatings used in collision repair work, quantitative surface and skin wipe sampling for total NCO was performed on test panels sprayed with such coatings and on skin samples obtained from participants who had rubbed the recently dried surfaces. 18 workers in 5 …

Epidemiology And Trends For Vibriosis In Connecticut, 1999-2010, Olivia Ellis

Public Health Theses

Background: Behavior and environment play a significant role in the acquisition of vibriosis. Vibrio data collected over the past twelve years suggests that incidence of vibriosis has increased in Connecticut. Vibriosis is a physician and laboratory reportable illness in Connecticut. Surveillance data was collected by Connecticut FoodNet and Connecticut Department of Public Health staff. These data were analyzed to evaluate the epidemiology and trends in incidence over time.

Methods: Incidence rates were stratified by demographic, geographic, bacteriologic and clinical groups and trends in the incidence and percentage of cases in these groups were analyzed over time. Because risk factors for …

Examining The Effect Of Fda Approval Of Risperdal For Pediatric Use On Prescribing Trends From 2005-2008, Connor Joseph Essick

Public Health Theses

Prior to the 1990s, antipsychotic prescribing to children and adolescents was uncommon, given the scarcity of safety data and the high risk of developing extrapyramidal side effects. The emergence of second generation antipsychotics, changes in the epidemiology of pediatric mental health disorders, and expansion of antipsychotic drug use have facilitated the uptake of pediatric prescribing. The speed at which these drugs are being taken up by this vulnerable population is a concern. From 2002 to 2008, antipsychotic use in pediatric patients increased by 65% from 2.9 million to 4.8 million prescriptions. Until 2006, all atypical antipsychotic prescribing was off-label, as …

Neurotoxic Effects Of Childhood And Adolescent Blood Lead Levels, Fiona Farrar Fordyce

Public Health Theses

Background

Lead has long been established as a potent neurotoxin, childhood being a key period of exposure due to rapid development at that stage in life. While lead is known to cause harmful health effects in the entire population, it is known to particularly damage the developing nervous system in children and potentially interfere with behavioral development. In 2001 a small cohort of children were identified with elevated blood lead level in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Objectives

This study investigated whether 2001 blood lead levels (BLL's) or current (2011) BLL's have had an effect on the behavioral outcomes in this group of …

Intrauterine Exposure To Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) And Childhood Asthma: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Hanae Fujii-Rios

Public Health Theses

Background: Past studies have reported conflicting results regarding the association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of developing childhood asthma.

Objectives: To perform an updated review on past studies investigating the association between prenatal acetaminophen use and the risk of developing asthma within the first ten years of life.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed search (1950-December 1, 2011) to identify studies that investigated the association between intrauterine exposure to acetaminophen and childhood asthma. Inclusion criteria consisted of a study design restricted to prospective cohort studies, primary exposure of acetaminophen intake during pregnancy, and …

Determinants Of Dengue Transmission During Epidemic And Inter-Epidemic Periods In Two Colombian Cities, Yao Fu

Public Health Theses

Dengue fever is an urban disease that has a complex epidemiology consisting of alternating periods of intense epidemics and persistence in endemic locations. No studies have compared the patterns of geographic variation and determinants of dengue transmission in neighborhoods during epidemic and non-epidemic periods. Colombia's individual-based epidemiological surveillance system provides a unique opportunity to study this topic. The goal of this study was to better understand dengue epidemiology in two of the highest dengue fever reporting Colombian cities that vary in climate, Armenia (elevation 1320-1580 m, 21-23 C) and Barranquilla (elevation 5-134m . 27-30 C). We used a novel ecological …

A Pilot Project To Assess The Effect Of Tobacco Smoking On Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility And Severity, Milena Anne Gianfrancesco

Public Health Theses

The field of multiple sclerosis (MS) is in need of a consistent method of measuring smoking to examine its role in disease risk and severity. A pilot study was conducted to examine the association between smoking and disease risk in MS cases (n=26) and controls (n=26). Disease severity within MS patients was assessed through clinical and radiological outcomes. These measures were confirmed within a larger dataset of MS patients (n=512) that additionally contained genotyping information. There were no significant differences in disease risk or severity in the pilot study. Within the larger dataset, clinical score trended toward significance (p=0.13). Stratification …

Mental Health And Social Support Among Hiv-Positive Injection Drug Users And Their Caregivers In China, Martha Claire Greene

Public Health Theses

The burden of HIV/AIDS in China is due to injection drug use. Non-clinical caregivers provide much of the care for HIV patients but are often not included in HIV care or research. The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between the caregiver context and mental health of HIV-positive injection drug users and their caregivers. We interviewed 100 patient and caregiver dyads using quantitative methods. A conceptual model was developed and used as a framework for multivariate linear regression modeling. The strongest predictor of patient mental health was social support, which was largely determined by the caregiver's stigma …

Hunting Park Air Quality: Community, Public Health & Environmental Justice, Ashley L. Hopkins

Public Health Theses

The neighborhood of Hunting Park lies in the northern part of Philadelphia and is home to just over 20,000 people mostly African American and Hispanic. The neighborhood is unique because it is a residential community situated next to industrial facilities such as a construction demolition plant, a bus repair facility, and autobody paint shops as well as heavily traveled transportation corridors. Because of its proximity to these sites, the residents of Hunting Park were concerned about harmful exposures. Thus, with the assistance of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, EPA Region III, and the Hunting Park Stakeholders Group and …

Occupational Exposures Of Healthcare Workers To Pertussis Within A Large Pediatric Care Network: A Retrospective Study, Danica Elizabeth Kuncio

Public Health Theses

Background

Infection control policies have a significant impact on the risk for disease transmission in healthcare settings, and adherence to guidelines dictates their effectiveness. Healthcare worker (HCW) exposure to communicable diseases can occur when guidelines have not been consistently implemented, placing the HCW at risk for infection with subsequent transmission to patients and co-workers. Respiratory pathogens are a common source of healthcare-associated infection, especially in pediatric settings and pertussis has emerged as a particularly important agent that is associated with an increasing number of both community and healthcare-associated outbreaks despite the availability of an effective vaccine. Adults, including HCWs, are …

The Health Status Of Prisoners At Three Rural Haitian Prisons, Katherine Grace Lamonaca

Public Health Theses

Background: Aside from documented high prevalence of infectious disease, little is known about the health status of prisoners in developing countries. In Haiti, prisons typically lack adequate food, clean water, and medical care. Some prisoners, however, may receive additional food from visitors during designated food delivery hours. This study sought to characterize the overall health status of Haitian prisoners as well as to begin to explore the impact of incarceration on health status. We hypothesized that prisoners who had more visitors and shorter lengths of detention would be more likely to have better overall health status, measured by having a …

An Environmental Systems Analysis Of Hydropower And Its Effects Upon Indigenous Settlements In Karnataka, India, Amy Joens

Honors Program Theses

Hydroelectricity is a very common method of energy production. Large dams are constantly being introduced to the river landscape in areas all over the world. There are definite benefits to hydropower, but the drawbacks may be even more evident. As modernization and development expand across developing nations like India, indigenous populations are often subject to the highest ration of negative impacts and consequences. This research explores both the costs and benefits of hydroelectricity, while using specific examples of dam construction projects to analyze aspects of the cumulative effects of a hydropower project. The Kabini Dam in southern Karnataka, India is …

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography As A Noninvasive Method To Assess Damaged And Regenerating Adult Zebrafish Retinas., Travis J. Bailey, Darin H. Davis, Joseph E. Vance, David R. Hyde

Biology

These experiments assessed the ability of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to accurately represent the structural organization of the adult zebrafish retina and reveal the dynamic morphologic changes during either light-induced damage and regeneration of photoreceptors or ouabain-induced inner retinal damage. Retinas of control dark-adapted adult albino zebrafish were compared with retinas subjected to 24 hours of constant intense light and recovered for up to 8 weeks or ouabain-damaged retinas that recovered for up to 3 weeks. Images were captured and the measurements of retinal morphology were made by SD-OCT, and then compared with those obtained by histology of the …

The Secret Life Of The American Teenager And Its Implicit Sexual Consequences: A Content Analysis, Olivia Lynn Egen

Honors Program Theses

My content analysis of The Secret Life of the American Teenager contributes information on the physical consequences of sexual acts to studies already conducted from content analyses of today's popular television shows. It also makes a contribution to the existing research because no one has studied this particular show. Because it is aired on a 'family network', it is specifically geared toward teens in a way other programs that have been studied have not been. The present research centers on the sexual acts of main characters, safe sex practices, types of sexual acts, gender of characters participating in these sexual …

“He’S A Real Dude”: Tributes To Tom Jones, Paul C. Godfrey, Bradley R. Agle

Faculty Publications

Researchers often fail to honor luminaries in their fields of inquiry, at least while they are still alive. What follows is one such tribute, to Dr. Thomas M. Jones, the Boeing Company endowed professor in business management at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Business & Society represents an appropriate outlet for this tribute, given that Tom was the first editor of the journal when the International Association for Business and Society (IABS) assumed editorial control of the Sage Publications journal in 1993.

Me, My Spouse, And My Avatar: The Relationship Between Marital Satisfaction And Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (Mmorpgs), Michelle Ahlstrom, Neil R. Lundberg, Ramon Zabriskie, Dennis Eggett, Gordon B. Lindsay

Faculty Publications

A variety of online support groups exist for “gaming widows” who feel their spousal relationship has been displaced by time spent playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game(s) (MMORPGs). MMORPG research has been presented on youth and adults, however to date, there is no research on married gamers to support or refute the claims of discontented spouses. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the gaming behaviors of couples who play MMORPGs. The sample included 349 couples. Results indicated lower marital satisfaction related to couples’ MMORPG gaming interactions such as quarrelling about gaming, not retiring to …