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Exploring The Impact Of Mental Health On Infant Growth In Urban West Bengal, India :: A Retrospective Cohort Study Exploring The Association Of Mental Health Status Of Parents With A Deterioration In Weight For Age Z Score (As An Indicator Of Under-Nutrition) Of Children Under The Age Of 4 In A Cohort Living In An Impoverished Urban Community In West Bengal, India, Noah E.C. Levinson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Underweight malnutrition is considered the underlying contributing factor in 45% of all child deaths worldwide. Employing a retrospective cohort study design, we explored the association of mental illness symptoms of parents with a deterioration in weight for age z score (as an indicator of under-nutrition) of their children under the age of 4 in a cohort living in an impoverished urban community in West Bengal, India. Results, inconsistent with other studies, indicate that the association is not statistically significant among the studied population. The likely explanation is the intensive, multi-faceted nutrition interventions of Calcutta Kids, an organization working for many …

How Existing Environmental Laws Respond To Climate Change And Its Mitigation, Justin Gundlach

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Existing environmental laws interact with public health priorities and with aspects of the changing climate in numerous and varied ways. This chapter does not attempt to catalogue those interactions, but instead focuses on two that are especially important and illustrative of the operation and limitations of existing environmental laws vis-à-vis climate change-driven challenges. The first interaction is between pollution levels boosted by climate change and pollution control laws that employ health-based standards to determine pollution limits. The second is between a wider array of existing laws and the effects of climate change mitigation measures on public health. Examining these interactions …

Up In Smoke: Using In-School Tobacco Education And Media Literacy To Reduce Smoking Initation Among 7th Grade Students In A Suburban Setting, Cynthia Ford Pulley

Dissertations

ABSTRACT Purpose The uptake of smoking by youth under the age of 18 increases the likelihood that they will become lifetime smokers. The CDC recommends best practices regarding tobacco prevention. Among them are Community Policies for tobacco-free zones, community initiatives, anti-tobacco media campaigns, and access to quit-smoking resources. The last of these best practices is a recommendation to provide education in the schools. The subject of this research was the implementation of an in-school tobacco curriculum based on Media Literacy, which provides youth the ability to critically evaluate media messages that equate the “cool” smoking habit with beauty, confidence and …

Results From Australia’S 2016 Report Card On Physical Activity For Children And Youth, Natasha K. Schranz, Timothy Olds, Roslyn Boyd, John Evans, Sjaan R. Gomersall, Louise Hardy, Kylie Hesketh, David R. Lubans, Nicola D. Ridgers, Leon Straker, Stewart Vella, Jenny Ziviani, Grant Tomkinson

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Background:

Two years on from the inaugural Active Healthy Kids Australia (AHKA) Physical Activity Report Card, there has been little to no change with the majority of Australian children still insufficiently active. Methods:

The 2016 AHKA Report Card was developed using the best available national- and state-based physical activity data, which were evaluated by the AHKA Research Working Group using predetermined weighting criteria and benchmarks to assign letter grades to the 12 Report Card indicators. Results:

In comparison with 2014, Overall Physical Activity Levels was again assigned a D- with Organized Sport and Physical Activity Participation increasing to a …

Aligning Delivery & Financing Systems To Build A Culture Of Health, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Systems for Action research program uses strong social science methods to discover ways of aligning medical, public health, and social service systems in ways that improve health and wellbeing. This session profiles several of the studies now underway through this new program.

Continuous Care In Complex Contexts: Access To Health Services For Noncommunicable Diseases Among Syrian Refugee Women In Jordanian Host Communities, Jennifer Ostrowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how, when and where Syrian refugee women living in a host community in central Jordan access health services related to noncommunicable diseases. Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but can be effectively managed through timely treatment. Examining access to care for these diseases in the context of humanitarian emergencies, such as war and displacement, is particularly important because they require continuous care, which may be interrupted during emergencies, and because they can cause acute complications, which may be exacerbated by emergencies (WHO, 2016).

Previous studies indicate a high burden of NCDs among …

Pubh 6535 - Theoretical Perspectives Of The Social And Behavioral Sciences In Public Health, Stacy W. Smallwood

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

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of social and behavioral sciences as they are applied to public health practice and research. It explores social and behavioral science models, theories, and approaches that inform public health, and their philosophical roots. The course also examines social and behavioral determinants of health equity across the ecological spectrum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students synthesize and utilize information in research and practice. An important contribution of this course is the emphasis on recognizing the contributions of social and behavioral science research and practice …

Chbe 9335a - Global Health And Preparedness, Andrew Hansen

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

This course will focus on global public health and preparedness for domestic and global emergencies. Students will explore patterns of health and disease around the world, and compare them to public health issues in the United States. An ecological framework will be employed to illustrate the complex political, social, economic, and environmental determinants of global health inequity. Concepts from the social sciences, epidemiology, health systems, and policymaking will be incorporated. The course will emphasize issues related to humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters both globally and domestically, and the need to build public health infrastructure and preparedness to mitigate them.

Hspm 7135a - Public Health Policy Development & Evaluation, Jeffery A. Jones

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

This course introduces students to health policy development, analysis and management by examining issues in the health sector. It fosters an appreciation of the complexity of policy problems and provides the basic tools used in public health policy design, implementation and evaluation.

Pubh 6535 - Theoretical Perspectives Of The Social And Behavioral Sciences In Public Health (Online), Stacy W. Smallwood

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

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of social and behavioral sciences as they are applied to public health practice and research. It explores social and behavioral science models, theories, and approaches that inform public health, and their philosophical roots. The course also examines social and behavioral determinants of health equity across the ecological spectrum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students synthesize and utilize information in research and practice. An important contribution of this course is the emphasis on recognizing the contributions of social and behavioral science research and practice …

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 …

Howard N. Jacobson Oral History Interview, Howard N. Jacobson

Florida Public Health Oral History Project

Charles Mahan records an oral history on Howard N. Jacobson, M.D. from notes taken on weekly visits to him at his home in Plant City in the first five months of the year 2015. Mahan speaks on Jacobson’s education in Minnesota and his subsequent service in the Navy, as well as many of Jacobson’s accomplishments and life history. Particular notes of interest are Jacobson’s fondest memories in the Chicago Maternity Center, his time spent at Harvard, and Jacobson’s observations on many medical approaches to various conditions from cancer prevention to autism.

Why Media Representations Of Corporations Matter For Public Health Policy: A Scoping Review, Heide Weishaar, Lori Dorfman, Nicholas Freudenberg, Benjamin Hawkins, Katherine Smith, Oliver Razumi, Shona Hilton

Publications and Research

Background: Media representations play a crucial role in informing public and policy opinions about the causes of, and solutions to, ill-health. This paper reviews studies analysing media coverage of non-communicable disease (NCD) debates, focusing on how the industries marketing commodities that increase NCD risk are represented.

Methods: A scoping review identified 61 studies providing information on media representations of NCD risks, NCD policies and tobacco, alcohol, processed food and soft drinks industries. The data were narratively synthesized to describe the sample, media depictions of industries, and corporate and public health attempts to frame the media debates.

Results: …

Transforming Public Health Delivery Systems For Population Health Improvement, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

A growing body of empirical research documents the health and economic benefits of multi-sector health improvement initiatives. In this session we share research that points to the delivery system features --including institutions, infrastructure, and incentives -- that lead to effective population health improvement strategies.

Preventive Health Care Among Immigrant Sudanese Women In The Greater Hartford Area Of Connecticut, Fawatih Y. Mohamed-Abouh

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Have You Counted The Ingredients On Your Child's Lunch Tray?: An Economic Analysis Of Sustainability Initiatives Within The School Lunch Program, Vanessa R. Scalora

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

In 2010, President Obama signed the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, establishing a monetary incentive for schools that served meals following a more rigorous nutritional requirement than standard guidelines. This act is a step in the right direction towards placing more importance on school lunches, however America’s lunchroom practices continue to be environmentally unsustainable, and students absorb this message. The production and transportation of processed cafeteria food contributes to climate change, its packaging is polluting, and its consumption contributes to obesity. The use of premade foods and sales from vending machines increase as lunch times grow ever shorter. In addition, …

Intersystem Implications Of The Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease: Advancing Health Promotion In The 21st Century, Michael D. Barnes, Thomas L. Heaton, Michael C. Goates, Justin M. Packer

Faculty Publications

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory and life course theory (LCT) are emerging fields of research that have significant implications for the public health and health promotion professions. Using a DOHaD/LCT perspective, social determinants of health (SDH) take on new critical meaning by which health promotion professionals can implement DOHaD/LCT guided interventions, including recommended policies. Through these interventions, public health could further address the sources of worldwide chronic disease epidemics and reduce such disease rates substantially if related policy, programs, and interdisciplinary and multi-sector collaboration are emphasized. Additional characteristics of the most effective interventions involve context-specific adaptation …

Access To Groundwater And Link To The Impact On Quality Of Life: A Look At The Past, Present And Future Public Health Needs In Mzimba District, Malawi., R. C.G. Chidya, R. H. Holm, M. Tembo, B. Cole, P. Workneh, J. Kanyama

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Imagine a world where you have to get up at 4am to walk for two hours in the dark to fetch water. This remains true in Malawi, where it is said that the Millennium Development Goals have been met. This research aimed at understanding the impact access to groundwater has on people's ‘Being’, ‘Belonging’ and ‘Becoming,’ as well as on people's capabilities and on their quality of life in Mzimba District, Malawi. Being, Belonging and Becoming define three life domains. Being reveals ‘who one is,’ Belonging reflects ‘connections with one's environments’ and Becoming relates to ‘achieving personal goals, hopes and …

Conceptual Model Of Weight Management In Overweight And Obese African-American Females, Suzanne M. Sutton, Gayenell S. Magwood Phd, Rn, Faha, Faan, Lynne S. Nemeth, Carolyn M. Jenkins

Publications

PROBLEM: Weight management of overweight and obese (OWO) African-American females (AAFs) is a poorly defined concept, leading to ineffective treatment of overweight and obesity, prevention of health sequelae, and risk reduction. METHODS: A conceptual model of the phenomenon of weight management in OWO AAFs was developed through dimensional analysis of the literature. Constructs were identified and sorted into the dimensions of perspective, context, conditions, process, and consequences and integrated into an explanatory matrix. FINDINGS: Through dimensional analysis, weight management in OWO AAFs was characterized as a multidimensional concept, defined from the perspective of weight loss in community-dwelling AAFs. Behaviors associated …

Assessing The Health Impact Of Transnational Corporations: Its Importance And A Framework, Frances E. Baum, David M. Sanders, Matt Fisher, Julia Anaf, Nicholas Freudenberg, Sharon Friel, Ronald Labontée, Leslie London, Carlos Monteiro, Alex Scott-Samuel, Amit Sen

Publications and Research

Background: The adverse health and equity impacts of transnational corporations’ (TNCs) practices have become central public health concerns as TNCs increasingly dominate global trade and investment and shape national economies. Despite this, methodologies have been lacking with which to study the health equity impacts of individual corporations and thus to inform actions to mitigate or reverse negative and increase positive impacts.

Methods: This paper reports on a framework designed to conduct corporate health impact assessment (CHIA), developed at a meeting held at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in May 2015.

Results: On the basis of the deliberations …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Georgia Southern study shows dangerous disconnect between doctors and parents of overweight children

Rural Health Inequities And The Role Of Cooperative Extension, Lauri Andress, Cindy Fitch

Journal of Extension

Health inequities affect communities through adverse health outcomes, lost productivity, and increased health care costs. They arise from unequal distribution of social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born and live. Health outcomes, tied to behaviors and health care, also are rooted in location and social status. Cooperative Extension provides culturally appropriate programs that touch the places where individuals and families live. A history of promoting democracy through education makes Extension uniquely positioned to address health inequities and foster greater equality among groups that experience hardships as a result of differences in social, economic, and environmental determinants of …

The Germ Of Death Itself: A Study Of Tuberculosis And Community Education In Ghana, Brittany T. Peterson

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Background: Tuberculosis remains a significant threat to global public health, despite advancements in treatment and detection in recent decades. Treatment regimens are unpleasant and time-consuming, particularly when the disease-causing strain is partially or completely drug-resistant. Approximately one-third of the global population is currently infected with tuberculosis, but the majority of these cases are dormant and non-contagious. These dormant cases are more difficult to diagnose, but if the immune system is compromised, as in the case of HIV/AIDS, the individual will transition to an active and contagious case of tuberculosis. Resistant strains are increasing around the world, making treatment of a …

Social And Scientific Implications Of Genetic Testing In The Digital Age, Yaruska A. Ordinola

Senior Honors Projects

From Mendel’s law of inheritance in the 19th century through Watson and Crick’s revolutionary observations of the double helix in the 20th century, genetics has been a fascinating and continuing topic of discussion in the field of science (Collins & McKusick, 2001). Major studies like the Human Genome Project (HGP), initiated in 1990 and completed in 2003, provided a starting point from which scientists could more thoroughly investigate the human condition on a genetic level. Arising from this study, personal genomics is considered a blooming field in genetics- in which rapidly developing technological advances are able to provide easier and …

The Effect Of Cultural Beliefs And Customs On Nutritional Attitudes And Food Choices Of Asian Populations Living With Chronic Diseases In The Anchorage Metropolitan Area, Alison Armour

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

A chronic disease is a non-infectious, gradually occurring illness that worsens and lasts over a lengthy period (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). According to the WHO, the number of individuals with chronic disease is increasing worldwide. The rise in numbers is especially dramatic in Asian populations as they make the transition from traditional to Western diets. Studies have shown that chronic disease can be prevented or managed by rejecting the Western diet of processed, refined, high fat foods and adopting a healthier diet. However, little is known about the effect of culture and customs on attitudes towards nutrition. This study …

Integrating Correctional And Community Health Care: An Innovative Approach For Clinical Learning In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program., Mary T. Bouchaud, Beth Ann Swan

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

PROBLEM: With an evolving focus on primary, community-based, and patient-centered care rather than acute, hospital-centric, disease-focused care, and recognition of the importance of coordinating care and managing transitions across providers and settings of care, registered nurses need to be prepared from a different and broader knowledge base and skills set. A culture change among nurse educators and administrators and in nursing education is needed to prepare competent registered nurses capable of practicing from a health promotion, disease prevention, community- and population-focused construct in caring for a population of patients who are presenting health problems and conditions that persist across decades …

Tobacco, Alcohol, And Processed Food Industries – Why Do Public Health Practitioners View Them So Differently?, Katherine Smith, Lori Dorfman, Nicholas Freudenberg, Benjamin Hawkins, Shona Hilton, Oliver Razum, Heide Weishaar

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter 2016), Brad A. Myrstol, Barbara Armstrong

Vols 31-36 (2014-2019)

The Winter 2016 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on approaches to evidence-based criminal justice reform and recidivism reduction in Alaska, and an initiatve to make Alaska and national public health data available online.

Informed Alaskans Initiative: Public Health Data In Alaska, Barbara Armstrong

Vols 31-36 (2014-2019)

This article describes the national and state public health data made available online through the Alaska Division of Public Health's Informed Alaskans Initiative.

Intellectual Property And Public Health - A White Paper, Ryan Vacca, James Ming Chen, Jay Dratler Jr., Tom Folsom, Timothy Hall, Yaniv Heled, Frank Pasquale, Elizabeth Reilly, Jeff Samuels, Katherine J. Strandburg, Kara W. Swanson, Andrew W. Torrance, Katharine Van Tassel

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

On October 26, 2012, The University of Akron School of Law's Center for Intellectual Property and Technology hosted its Sixth Annual IP Scholars Forum. In attendance were thirteen legal scholars with expertise and an interest in IP and public health who met to discuss problems and potential solutions at the intersection of these fields. This report summarizes this discussion by describing the problems raised, areas of agreement and disagreement between the participants, suggestions and solutions made by participants, and the subsequent evaluations of these suggestions and solutions.

Led by the moderator, participants at the Forum focused generally on three broad …