Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Factors That Influence The Decision To Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19, Rhea Bhargava, Meghan H. Foos, Brandy M. Gotti, Alexandra L. Mulvenna, Taylor O. Smith, Danielle Cooley, Venkateswar Venkataman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of the vaccine, healthcare workers have been encouraging people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus. However, there is a significant number of people who are vaccine hesitant, or uncertain about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and its booster. Vaccine hesitancy represents a state of opportunity to make positive change; therefore, it is crucial for healthcare workers to identify those who are in this population. When factors contributing to the vaccine hesitancy, including gender, age, ethnicity, education level, and income were studied, it was found that women, those …

Cultural Food Accomodations In South New Jersey, Anahit Stepanyan, Resty Mercado, David Jiang

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

NJ is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, each bringing their own unique customs and traditions. Of these traditions, diet and food are one of the most renowned distinctions and some of the most celebrated.

In response, several Public School districts have made halal and kosher food reforms to accommodate the rise in the Muslim and Jewish student body.

These menu accommodations were made in response to concerns about a lack of halal food options, which negatively impacted Muslim and Jewish students' health and mental well-being and can be recognized as a health disparity disadvantaging Muslim American student …

Challenges To Implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment (Sbirt) For Substance Use In Primary Care Settings At Rowan-Virtua, Alissa Hochman, Kristy Straub, Nancy Chase, Samuel Damiri, Jenna Destefano, Allyson Distel, Sana Farhat

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background and Purpose: Implementing the SBIRT model for substance use in a primary care setting has many benefits including normalizing conversations about alcohol and other substance use into patients’ visits, thereby reducing harm, reducing consumption and its negative impact, and promoting system changes to overcome barriers to treatment access. The full scope of the current SBIRT project involves the recruitment, hiring, training, and integration of health educators in 9 primary care sites throughout South Jersey, as well as a project supervisor serving as implementation lead and liaison to medical and administrative staff at all 9 primary care sites. Initial barriers …

Assessing The Need For Mental Health Screenings In A Student-Run Free Clinic And A Family Medicine Office, Sahil Parikh, Emily Forester, Alisha Basak, Jennifer Walpow, Rebecca Chae, Sahiba Gill, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The US Preventive Services Task Force provides strong evidence that early screening helps identify depression in primary care settings, promotes intervention, and facilitates treatment. The Rowan Community Health Clinic (RCHC) in Lindenwold, NJ is a student-run free clinic who serves patients regardless of patient gender, race, income or insurance status. This study aims to determine if there is a need to build internal infrastructure at RCHC for depression and anxiety management.

Methods: This is an IRB-approved study that began in June 2021. Data was collected from Rowan Community Health Center and Rowan Family Medicine patients. Patients were administered mental …

Differences Between Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use Among Chinese Immigrants, Emily Wang, Heet Patel, Jiexi Hu

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Among Asian-American patients, complementary and alternative medicine is utilized at an exceedingly high rate alongside conventional medicine, due to it being more readily accessible and affordable. It is also a form of medicine that Asian people are more attuned to due to having been used for generations in their culture.1 Surveys conducted by Mackenzie et al., demonstrate that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is reportedly used at a higher rate in females of Asian descent and amongst uninsured patients as well as with patients of a lower educational status. 2 In addition, multiple studies have also demonstrated that patients suffering …

Clinical Practice Workflow Implementation For The Improvement Of Diabetic Metric Compliance, Sugosh Anur, Sohil Khanna, Alison Mancuso, Alexander Kowalski

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Recent guidance suggests the management of screen-detected diabetes can be optimized using multifactorial interventions to improve overall disease burden, patient outcomes, and cost-savings. We explored preventive diabetic care and implemented interventions to increase recommended testing compliance among patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus. This study employed a multi-faceted approach beginning with the distribution of surveys to patients in the Stratford Family Medicine Office in order to gauge their health literacy level pertaining to Diabetes management. Patient electronic medical records were evaluated to determine baseline levels for all laboratory values. Data analysis was completed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences …

The Effectiveness Of Culturally Relevant Obesity Programs On Decreasing Bmi Of Hispanic Children, Cindy Nativi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Obesity epidemic a public health concern in the United States

• significantly increases health burden in affected individuals
• linked to increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer
• childhood obesity linked to earlier onset or presence in adulthood of the same diseases
• crucial to address this disease at the preventative level

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports obesity affects 19.3% of children and adolescents in the United States

• affects all ethnicities, but increased burden on minority populations of low socioeconomic status
• 1 in 5 Hispanic children considered obese

Latinos one of the fastest growing minority populations

• comprise approximately 17% of …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Pediatric Obesity In School-Aged Children, Amaani Faizal, Maryanna Schweininger, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The prevalence of childhood obesity in those aged 2-19 in the United States was 19.3% in 2017-2018. Childhood obesity is a major health concern with growing rates of incidence. Being overweight or obese put children at risk for developing several chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and asthma at a younger age. Studies have shown that higher BMI numbers in childhood added an increased risk of being obese as an adult.

The pathophysiology of developing obesity includes several complex factors ranging from nutrition, physical activity, genetic background and lifestyle preferences. Among children, nutrition and …

Understanding Changes In Mortality With Implementation Of Safe Injection Sites, Shubh Bhambri

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to analyze mortality due to overdose in areas that have implemented supervised injection sites and understand what factors these facilities affect that can lead to a change in outcomes.

Trends In Pediatric Obesity Of School-Aged Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maryanna Schweininger, Amaani Faizal, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been more sedentary due to nationwide school closures resulting in classes being held virtually. Due to restrictions, children could no longer participate in physical education classes and after school activities at the same frequency. The pandemic also placed a disproportionate burden on low-income families thus, potentially amplifying food insecurity. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood obesity.

Income And Its Effects On Health Literacy: A Study Between A Student-Run Free Clinic And A Family Medicine Office, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Thomas Ruta, Rabiye Ayaz, Srujan Dadi, Emily Forester, Olivia Choi, Rachel Fletcher-Slater, Melodi Harfouche, John Cruz, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Rebecca Moore

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

More than 1/3 of people nationwide (80+ million) have limited health literacy, which contributes to poor health outcomes and lifestyle choices. Health literacy is defined as the understanding and application of words, numbers & documents (i.e., medication labels, medical forms). The Rowan Community Health Center (RCHC), located in Lindenwold NJ, is a student-run clinic that wanted to assess the health literacy of our patients in order to further provide better care. RCHC provides cost-free primary care services regardless of income, insurance, or legal status. To assess health literacy, RCHC used the New Vital Signs (NVS) literacy assessment tool to investigate …

The Need For Depression And Anxiety Screenings At A Student-Run Clinic, Shayna Peterzell, Sahil Parikh, Alicia Podwojniak, Vibha Chauhan, Riya Tandra, Emily Forester, Saumil Parikh, Jessica-Sophie Horoschak, Patrick Pearce, Roma Padalkar, Sobiah Khan, Tara Pellegrino

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

General anxiety and major depressive disorder are common and treatable mental health disorders. The US Preventive Services Task Force provides strong evidence that early screening helps identify depression in primary care settings, promotes intervention and facilitates treatment. Many medical offices use validated screening tools, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, to measure symptom severities and further help guide treatment modalities for patients with anxiety and depression, respectively. The Rowan Community Health Clinic (RCHC) in Lindenwold, NJ is a student-run free clinic that serves patients regardless of patient gender, race, income, or insurance status. This study aims to determine if there is a need …

Case Report: Unintentional Edible Thc Ingestion (Gummi Worms) In A Child, James Espinosa, Kelly Hamilton, Alan Lucerna, David Ho, Henry Schuitema

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report the case of a 4 year male who presented to the ED with what his mother described as unusual fatigue and sleepiness. The mother related that family and friends had some to her house for a holiday gathering and that one of the guests had an accessible and open handbag that contained gummi worm THC. The guest observed the child eating the gummi worms and immediately notified the patient’s mother. Poison control was contacted. The child was observed for 6 hours and left the ED in good condition without any specific treatment needed. Awareness of the potential of …

Evaluating Reasons For Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy At A Vaccine Distribution Center In South Jersey, Arghyadeep Sarkar, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

RowanSOM held a student-run vaccine clinic in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite published research stating the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, there were still vaccine-hesitant individuals.

While the CDC reported that hesitancy to receive vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 had decreased, 32.1% of American adults did not intend to get vaccinated as of December 2020.

Understanding reasons for this hesitancy could help create informational ads directed towards people’s concerns.

Evaluating The Relationship And Outcomes Of Ischemic Stroke In Patients With Covid-19 While Also Reviewing Overall Incidence And Mortality Of Stroke In Vulnerable Populations In The Us, Jaime Dougherty

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

COVID-19 has affected the worldwide population since early 2020 and has remained a health issue. Among the various symptoms and outcomes people are encountering when infected with COVID-19, this virus has also been connected to severe vascular insults involving large vessel occlusions.

Current stroke statistics indicate a nearly twice as high risk of stroke in African Americans when compared to whites. This brings into question how social determinants of health are affecting COVID-19 and stroke incidence.

The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and ischemic stroke while advocating for a more robust primary prevention approach …

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Mental Health, Vanessa Pizutelli, Yanil Morales, Christina Copeland, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Adolescence is a crucial period in which adverse childhood experiences, social relationships, and habits can influence mental wellbeing. According to the CDC, the onset of mental illness is 14.5 years old, which is why it is imperative that individuals with mental health conditions receive early intervention. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, research has shown a dramatic decline in adolescent mental health. Specifically in New Jersey, it has been reported that individuals ages 18-23 have the highest levels of stress and depressive symptoms since the start of the pandemic. In light of these findings, it is vital that more …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Phone Call Proactive Naloxone Co-Prescribing Enrollment, Tyler Klecha, David Aloisio, Eshani Choksi, Manasa Gowda, Christina Kanagawa, Charles M. Defendorf

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Opioid use is increasing at never-before-seen rates. As a result, it is imperative that medical facilities educate and provide resources for those who may be at risk of an opioid overdose. With our study, we aimed to see the demographics of our population here at Rowan Medicine and identify associations of those participating in our naloxone co-prescription program. Majority of enrollees in our program were aged 50 or older and identified as Caucasian. A large proportion also reported being unable to work. Given this information, improvements in our naloxone coprescription program may include spreading more awareness of the benefits of …

The Opioid Epidemic & Narcan® Education: Current State Of Narcan® Use, Alicia Podwojniak, Fatimah Seyed-Ali, Akhil Abraham, Archana Salek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objectives:

• Investigate the need for increased naloxone awareness and availability in communities across the state [New Jersey]
• Assess the current advantages and disadvantages of Narcan® use
• Identify the barriers preventing naloxone from becoming a socially accepted treatment
• Develop an education plan to effectively teach target communities about Narcan® training and related resources/centers in that area.

Examining The Relationship Between Adolescent Obesity Rates And School Health Programs In Grades 9-12 In The United States, Joseph Melillo, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

- In the United States, it was found that the prevalence of obese adolescents ages 12-19 was 21.2%.1

- According to a study by Ward et. al published in the New England Journal of Health (NEJH), the researchers estimated 88.2% of obese 19-year-olds would still be obese by the age of 35.2

- The purpose of this study was to evaluate school provided health programs and their impact on BMI values of students within these schools.

- This study aimed to compare health outcomes between different schools across the United States and identify aspects of school programming that can be …

Identifying Motivators For Getting Vaccinated Against Sars-Cov-2 In Those Who Have Been Vaccinated. A Single Center Cross-Sectional Study, Nicole Lacap, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to explore the primary motivations of patients getting vaccinated against SARS-Cov-2 as well as to determine any correlations between demographic information and specific motivators. We hypothesized that generally internal motivators (being in the best interest of oneself) will predominate as the reason for vaccination. The sample consisted of 227 patients vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 at the Rowan Medicine Vaccine Clinic during the month of June 2021. Patients were given an online questionnaire collecting demographic information as well as primary reason for getting vaccinated. Preliminary analysis shows that 63% of participants were motivated by reasons that …

Implementing A Case Management Program At A Free Student-Run Clinic, Shelly Sharma, Mark Conforti, Wali Kamran, Fatou Drame, Mary Kate Heard, Samuel Irungu

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• The Rowan Community Health Center (RCHC) located in Lindenwold, New Jersey, reopened in September of 2019
• Patients come to RCHC for physicals/wellness checks or medical ailments
• Many patients are from underserved communities and may not have a primary care physician or insurance
• Trend in lack of follow up among patients
  • o Leads to discontinuity of care
  • o Unaware if patients are obtaining their prescribed medications, following up with recommended specialists, or if chief complaints/primary diagnosis are improving
• RCHC’s Special Projects Department decided to implement a Case Management program to improve patient follow-up and adherence to care

Breastfeeding Education Support Tool For Baby (Best4baby): Feasibility, Acceptability, And Preliminary Impact Of An Mhealth Supported Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Intervention In Rural India, Parth D. Lalakia, Vanessa L. Short, Roopa M. Bellad, Patricia J. Kelly, Yukiko Washio, Tony Ma, Katie Chang, Niranjana Majantashetti, Umesh S. Charantimath, Frances J. Jaeger, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Richard J. Derman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of an mHealth-supported breastfeeding peer counselor intervention implemented in rural India and the preliminary impact of the intervention on maternal breastfeeding behaviors, including exclusive breastfeeding (EBF).

Methods: In this quasi-experimental pilot study, participants received either the intervention plus usual care (n = 110) or usual care alone (n = 112). The intervention group received nine in-home visits during and after pregnancy from peer counselors who provided education about and support for EBF and other optimal infant feeding practices and were aided with an mHealth tool. The control group received routine prenatal and postnatal health education. …

Adult Knowledge Of Childhood Head Injury Management At Home, Christian Muller, Adarsh Gupta, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Adults are able to recognize concussion warning symptoms; however, they lack the knowledge on how to manage and treat a child’s head injury.

Assessment Of Factors Preventing Adequate Decline In Cervical Cancer Rates Amongst Minority Women In New Jersey, Rosie Wenrich, Jillian Baker

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

• Nationally declining cervical cancer rates are still high amongst minority women in NJ, with Hispanic women being affected the most.

• The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and can lead to cervical cancer

• Administration of the 9-valent HPV vaccine can prevent infection and progression to cancer

• Regular cervical cancer screenings allow for better outcomes

• Various barriers prevent people with a cervix receiving the vaccine

• Various barriers prevent people with a cervix aged >/= 30 from receiving regular cervical cancer screenings

Conclusions

• Improved physician recommendation is required for the …

Barriers To Alternative Narcotic Education And Treatment In Young Adults In New Jersey, Shubh Bhambri

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to determine alternative methods and programs that result in better outcomes for young adults dealing with opioid addiction in New Jersey while identifying potential barriers that prevent the implementation of these programs.

Covid-19 Resources For Speakers Of Other Languages (Covid Resol), Ali Harb, Irvin Santiago-Bautista, Sulleymarie Sanchez

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objectives

• identify barriers to COVID 19 testing and vaccination in NJ Hispanics with limited English proficiency (LEP)
• develop resources targeted towards vaccination for Hispanic NJ residents and communities in Atlantic, Camden, and Cumberland counties
• share evidence based information regarding the COVID 19 pandemic and disease spread prevention

Conclusions

• Barriers to equitable COVID 19 care for NJ Hispanics with LEP may include but is not limited to resource availability in Spanish, misinformation about COVID 19, a lack of understanding about where and how to get tested and/or vaccinated, and transportation accessibility
• Increased efforts for providing equitable access to vaccination and testing …

Association Between Childhood Obesity And Lack Of Healthy Food Access In Urban Food Deserts, Nicholas Averell, Rushali Desai, Archana Menon, Ayushi Naik, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Childhood Obesity: growing epidemic affecting almost 20% of children and adolescents in the United States

● Characterized by BMI greater than 95^th percentile of their age and gender

● Often leads to chronic medical conditions: high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes and heart diseases

● Low socioeconomic status(SES), lack of healthy food access and urban neighborhood

The Impact Of Exercise On Pregnant Women Aged 18-40 And Fetal Development, Jinisha Patwa

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

68% of those who performed minimum level exercise prior to pregnancy stopped completely during early pregnancy.

Women stop exercising during pregnancy due to worries about the impact it may have on the development of the fetus.

Starting moderate-intensity, weight-bearing exercise early in pregnancy increases placental growth rate and volume.

Exercise reduces the risks of excess gestational weight gain and high maternal body weight before pregnancy.

Physical exercise reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Opioid Lifeline Community Service Project, Ekrem Cetinkaya, Cam'ron Klotz, Harvy Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the last decade due to overprescribing, synthetic opioids, and lack of treatment options. Project Opioid Lifeline was created as a mission to combat this issue by equipping the Camden County, NJ population with the necessary information to advocate for themselves and others. This project aims to find and centralize available resources for residents of Camden County by including addiction treatment centers, Narcan training and distribution, and unused medication drop off locations. Over the last nine months, partnerships were formed with community leaders and organizations, such as the Neuromusculoskeletal …

Ring Based Wearable Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer For Body Fat Estimation, Muhammad Usman, Adarsh Gupta, Wei Xue

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction

• Obesity is the most serious public health problem because it is linked to cardiovascular diseases.
• Measuring fat mass is necessary to study the obesity epidemic.
• Fat mass can be estimated by measuring impedance of the human body.

Conclusions

• A novel bioelectrical impedance analyzer for body fat estimation.
• Device validated for 40 healthy human subjects against commercial analyzer.
• Great potential to replace commercial analyzers for wearable real-time body fat monitoring.