Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Identifying Critical Aging Care Challenges And Opportunities In High-Income Countries: A Cross-Country Comparison Of Denmark, Germany, And The United States, Cassandra Martin

Capstone Collection

Despite the rapid growth in the aging population in the United States, insufficient resources and attention are invested in improving the support systems this population relies on. This discussion explored the question of how the United States as a high-income country fails to operate an aging care support infrastructure that has comparable comprehensiveness, availability, affordability, and overall quality to other high-income countries. Comparing financing structures, long-term care models, and various aging care supports is important for answering this question. This paper approached exploring this question by analyzing specified indicators from publicly available data across the United States, Germany, and Denmark. …

Disability And Healthcare Access In Morocco: Social And Cultural Influences, Christa Shipman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I stepped into the SIT Multiculturalism and Human Rights program as a pre-physical therapy student with experience working and volunteering in the disability rights arena. Striking personal encounters with Moroccans combined with these past experiences drew me to investigate how social and cultural factors influence access to healthcare for people with disabilities. I hypothesized that access to medical care is limited by social or cultural mindsets, perceptions, or beliefs for those in my target population. This subject is relevant to Morocco as a developing country and as a society with, in some cases, fixed social dynamics, while in other areas …

Exploring Mobility Help-Seeking Behavior Among People With Physical Disabilities: A Case Study Of Jaipur Foot, Alex Podell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

It is estimated that as many as 90 million people living in India experience some sort of disability (The World Bank, 2007). As India’s population keeps growing and aging, not only will the medical aspects, but also the societal impacts of disability need to be brought to the forefront of discussion, developmental strategy, and policy implementation. This study sought to analyze factors influencing the process of seeking help from formal and informal sources for people with physical disabilities. Data was collected from 10 people with physical disabilities receiving a variety of mobility aids from the NGO, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata …

Trust, Access, And Adaptation To Needs: The Role Of Community-Based Promoters In Health Insurance Delivery In Gujarat, India, Lauryn Stafford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The research question this study addresses is: How do community-based promoters contribute to the delivery and utilization of health insurance among marginalized populations in India? To address this question, the successes and difficulties experienced by VimoSEWA community-based insurance promoters, called aagewans, were investigated through field visits and personal interviews in Ahmedabad and nearby rural districts in Gujarat. VimoSEWA’s insurance delivery model is an appropriate topic of investigation for this study because its beneficiaries are self-employed women with limited prior access to financial protection. Both aagewans and insurance members were interviewed during this study to develop a comprehensive understanding of the …

Articulación Y Apoyo Del Programa De Los Agentes Sanitarios De Mendoza: De La Teoría A La Práctica / Coordination And Support In Mendoza’S Community Health Worker Program: From Theory To Practice, Kelly Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Desde que fue publicada la resolución de la Alma-Ata, varios sistemas de salud al nivel mundial han implementado programas de agentes sanitarios para ayudar en el cumplimiento de la estrategia de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) y el aseguramiento de la salud como derecho humano. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, varios investigadores identificaron obstáculos comunes que enfrentan los agentes sanitarios en el alcance de sus tareas como resultado de la falta de apoyo que reciben por el sistema de salud. En forma sucesiva, dicha falta de apoyo ocasionó daño potencial para su capacidad de contribuir …

Sex Work And Compromised Health: Health Conditions And The Barriers To Accessing Treatment Services In Pelourinho, Salvador, Amelia Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex workers remain one of the most marginalized populations in Brazilian society, both coming from and living within realities defined by poverty and poor health. Through partnership with Força Feminina – an organization located in Salvador, dedicated to aiding local sex workers– I explored the day-to-day health complications sex workers encounter and the impact these problems have on quality of life. I then questioned how discrimination and stigma impact a woman’s willingness to prioritize her health and seek out healthcare services. To pursue these questions, I utilized participant observation, interviews with 4 staff members – a pastoral educator, financial coordinator, …

Las Condiciones De Vida De Los Usuarios Adultos Mayores Del Hospital Makewe / The Living Conditions Of Elderly Users Of Makewe Hospital, Taylor Selembo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Life conditions are a fundamental aspect of the health of senior citizens, as these are the factors that determine their quality of life and capacity to satisfy their needs. Life conditions are dependent on the particular social, political, economic, and geographic context of the region. This study intends to answer the following question: How are the life conditions of senior citizens belonging to Hospital Makewe, located in the IX region of Chile? This quali-quantitative study utilized observation, surveys (n = 40) and interviews (n = 15) in order to accomplish the main objective. The main objective was to describe senior …

Capacity Building Of Health Workforce: Investigation Of Training Process For Community Health Volunteers (Chvs) Serving Refugee Populations In Host Communities, As Perceived By Participants And Trainers, Jerusalem Hadush

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The health system in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which hosts 1.4 million refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic—more than 636,000 of whom are registered with UNHCR—is over-extended (UNHCR, 2016). Non-governmental organizations fill gaps in service delivery by injecting health personnel to deliver care, however, nationals and refugees must be integrated in the response to ensure sustainable health care delivery (UNHCR Handbook for Emergencies, 2007). Leveraging the capacities of lay citizens and refugees by task shifting and training CHVs can alleviate the increased health burden. Research into training programs is significant because the quality of training is directly related to …

The Impact Of Antenatal Care On Maternal Mental Health In Rural Maharashtra, Cameron Barker

India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community

This study seeks to understand the major mental health concerns experienced by pregnant women and recent mothers in rural villages in Maharashtra and how these concerns are impacted by different elements of holistic antenatal and postnatal care. The risk factors that may lead to poor maternal mental health are strongly tied to social factors and vary from community to community. Unfortunately, in most developing countries mental health takes a back seat to other health issues deemed more pressing. This is especially true for female specific illnesses, given that the overall health of women and girl children is often neglected. The …

The Perception Of Menstruation And Treatment Of Menstrual Ailments Among Tibetan Women In Mcleod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, Kara Spafford

India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community

Despite recent incorporation of quality of life assessments into goal setting, menstrual ailments are still left out of public health initiatives in developing countries. Due to lack of studies on perceptions of menstruation and treatment options for menstrual ailments, the specific health needs of Tibetan women are not met. The present study seeks to determine how Tibetan women are influenced by societal views of menstruation and to explore access to treatment for menstrual problems in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh. A total of thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted among Tibetan doctors at Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astronomy Institute) and Tibetan women …

How Social Determinants Of Health, Health-Seeking Behaviors, And Treatment Adherence Influence And Interact With Endemic Levels Of Pulmonary Tb And Mdr-Tb In Urban Rajasthan, Michelle Kagei

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tuberculosis, the worlds most deadly infectious disease, remains as one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in modern-day India. The country has the highest burden of both tuberculosis as well as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a more recently emerging menace. This study focuses on the social determinants of health pertaining to tuberculosis, identifying and discussing “at-risk” groups in the population of urban Rajasthan. Jaipur was chosen as the field study location because of the city’s extensive levels of healthcare institutions and facilities. In order to identify common patient demographics as well as issues regarding treatment adherence, medical records and interviews …

Processes, Practices And Politics In The Treatment Centers For Addictions And Problematic Consumptions: An Analysis Of The Perspectives And Practices Of The Professionals In A Treatment Center In The Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires, Chiara Lawrence

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contextual Information: Historically in Argentina, as well as globally, the politics regarding the use of “drugs” have been prohibitionist and treatment centers have implemented these politics with models of abstinence. More recently, the need for both the politics and the treatment to prioritize the rights and health of the drug uses has become more widely recognized in both social and political contexts, as much as among professionals in treatment centers. New laws have been passed proposing the implementation of harm reduction strategies in the treatment of addictions and problematic drug use. In the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires there are …

El Rol Del Parto Mapuche En El Mundo De La Medicina Moderna / The Role Of Mapuche Birth In A World Of Modern Medicine, Nita Chai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: Is there existing demand for Mapuche birth practices and what are the barriers to incorporating them in the Chilean healthcare system? Objective: Analyze the current role of Mapuche birth practicesby determining what is the demand from the Mapuche for their use, describing the quality of communication between Mapuche women andmodern professionals, and identifying the perspectives of modern professionals on Mapuche birth practices. Background: Childbirth is an integral process for the human race. For many indigenous communities, the arrival of a new life holds cultural significance that is recognized through ceremonies during or after childbirth. Chile has implemented health …

Deconstructing Unmade Examining The Capacity Of Ayurveda To Address India’S Mental Health Crisis, Cassie Sutten Coats

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though India does not have a credible, widespread system in place to recognize and focus on issues of mental health, especially in allopathic treatments, it is imperative to evaluate the existing practices and approaches in regards to mental health alongside the impact that these approaches may have on Indian society. In contrast to Westernized systems of medicine, the traditional Indian system of Ayurveda inherently addresses issues in mental health due to the holistic approach through mind-body medicine. This study evaluates the enormous potential that exists within Ayurvedic philosophy to provide adequate, culturally congruent, treatments and care in mental health, and …

Investigating Barriers To Early Cancer Detection For Rural Indian Women: A Qualitative Analysis Of Cancer Outreach In Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Blair Burnett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines barriers to early detection for women’s specific cancers in rural India in and around Dehradun, Uttarakhand, within the framework of existing health outreach programs from tertiary hospitals in the state. The burden of cancer mortality within India is disproportionately affecting women living in rural populations considering the current health education and health care infrastructure in place. Barriers of knowledge, access to knowledge, economic condition, geography, and cultural norms are all examined within this study in the context of early cancer detection. National Indian health policy is currently framed to address the burden of cancer within India; however, …

Effect Of Females In Leadership Roles On Menstrual Sanitation In Rural Jamkhed, India, Kirsten Hughes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introduction: Menstruation is integral to puberty and maturation of adolescent girls. Education about menstruation and menstrual hygiene effects a woman’s physical and psychosocial health through the majority of her life.

Purpose: This study seeks to answer the following questions: Who is providing information to girls before or after their first menstruation? Is this information timely, appropriate and accurate? Is the information effective enough to see changes in menstrual practices through a family and community? In answering these questions, the study attempts to determine the pathways of communications regarding menstruation and menstrual health in the Jamkhed area of the Ahmednagar district …

Ulaanbaatar’S Ger District Issues: Changes And Attitudes, David Engel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Several of Ulaanbaatar’s current issues are directly related to Ulaanbaatar’s sprawling Ger District. The Ger District is home to approximately 736,000 residents, 61% of Ulaanbaatar’s population (Galimbyek, 2015). The significant growth in Ulaanbaatar is shown by its 52.8% of residents who were born outside of the city, the majority of migrants moving into the Ger District due to a lack of housing. (Chilkhaasuren & Baasankhuu, 2012). The development of Ulaanbaatar has not kept up with the rapid growth leading to inadequate infrastructure in much of the Ger District. In turn, inadequate infrastructure has lead to high pollution levels, negatively affecting …

Babies First: Ensuring Proper Infant Nutrition During Emergencies, Abigail M. Alonso

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for an infant, living in all regions and cultures. Recommendations apply across the board, from developed nations to refugee camps, from women with HIV to those with time constraints regarding feeding. There also exists a complex relationship between corporations that provide BMS and the NGOs working to promote breastfeeding in emergency situations amongst vulnerable populations.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to expose breastfeeding promotion, using the Dadaab camps in Northeastern Kenya as a case study of IYCF programs and support of breastfeeding among low-literacy populations with an emphasis on women …

Evaluating The Effectivesness Of Information Sources Regarding Hiv Among Gold Miners In Quảng Nam, Noah Landesberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Young migrant males in strenuous manual labor environments represent a high-­‐risk population for the transmission of HIV/AIDS. In Vietnam, gold miners are representative of this high-­‐risk population. Phước Sơn district, Quảng Nam province is home to much of Vietnam’s mining activity and has a comparatively high rate of HIV. Previous studies have been done on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Quảng Nam as well as related knowledge and practices. This analysis of a 2014 questionnaire examines the effects of varying information sources on HIV/AIDS knowledge. The sample of workers was mostly male and between 25 and 49 years old. Migrants made up …

Promoción De La Salud En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires: Un Estudio Sobre El Trabajo De Los Promotores De Salud Y Las Percepciones De Su Rol En La Comunidad. / Health Promotion In The City Of Buenos Aires: A Study Of The Work Of Community Health Workers And Perceptions Of Their Role In The Community, Elizabeth Sherwin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contextual information: At the global level, inequities exist with respect to access and quality of healthcare. Primary Health Care is a strategy to respond to these inequities. It adopts an integral concept of health that includes no only illness but also the wellbeing of a person affected by many environmental factors. It is a strategy that aims to improve access to medical care and health information through health promotion and has the goal of giving the population more control over their health. Community health workers, people from the same neighborhood in which they work promoting health, are recognized on the …

Government Efforts And Personal Opinion Explain The Medicalization Of Pregnancy And Childbirth Through Time In Lower Mustang, Nepal, Ruth Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The way that women approach pregnancy and childbirth in rural Nepal has seen an amazing change in the past twenty to thirty years. The medicalization of this entire process, from pre-­‐ to post-­‐natal care, comes with government efforts for the increased education of women about family planning, nutrition, hygiene, and the proposed benefits of institutional versus in-­‐home delivery. In 9 villages of Lower Mustang, interviews conducted with Government Health Post workers, Female Health Volunteers, and women of different ages sought to discern personal experience and opinion about pregnancy and childbirth from the perspective of both local women and those with …

La Atención De Mujeres Con Complicaciones Post-Aborto En Un Hospital Público Del Partido De La Matanza: La Perspectiva De Los Profesionales De La Salud / The Perspective Of Health Professionals On The Quality Oftreatment For Women With Complications Post-Abortion Ina Public Hospital In La Matanza, Hannah Collins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: In Argentina, abortion is illegal under all circumstances except for when a woman has been raped, has a mental disability or her life is in danger. There are approximately 500,000 abortions practiced each year in Argentina, and the majority is performed in an unsafe manner, which can result in complications that require medical attention. In 2010, over 50,000 women were hospitalized because of complications post-abortion. These complications can include hemorrhages, infections, or other toxic illnesses. After the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 they identified post-abortion care as a worldwide problem. Subsequently, Argentina created a guide for …

La Cesárea Y El Parto Natural: Las Opiniones De Profesionales De La Salud En La Provincia De Buenos Aires / Cesarean Section And Natural Birth: The Opinions Of Health Provinces In The Province Of Buenos Aires, Jacqueline Chipkin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introduction: The ways in which women of society give birth have the power to influence maternal-infant health and shape the economy of the healthcare system. Today, the rates of cesarean sections are increasing throughout the world. In Argentina, on average, more than 35% of pregnant women received cesarean sections in 2008, with large differences observed in the rates between the public and private health sectors. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that healthcare systems should only employ a cesarean section if labor cannot progress safely. According to this standard, the organization estimates that cesarean sections should only be utilized …

Exploring Barriers: An Analysis Of Access To Effective Tuberculosis Care In Cape Town, Yvonne Okaka

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My independent study project (ISP) examines factors that hinder access to tuberculosis (TB) healthcare and its effective implementation in Cape Town. In order to expand research on the topic, important barriers will be examined and explained. This project is relevant due to the high prevalence and mortality rates of tuberculosis in South Africa, as well as the fact that an overwhelming emphasis on HIV can lead to overlooking the serious nature of TB as a public healthcare issue. It is hoped that this study will provide more insight into improving access to TB care, and be a resource for those …

How To Plan A Birthday Party: An Allopathy Enthusiast's Guide To Integrating The Values Of Traditional Medicine Into Childbirth, Emily Baumgaertner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Unbiased literature regarding the strengths of traditional birth attendants is lacking. While many international organizations have published data regarding the improving success rates of allopathic interventions, there has been no acknowledgement or discussion of the qualities that keep traditional birth attendants in practice. This study has aimed to identify the distinct values of traditional medicine that contrast most allopathic healthcare practices. Through informal interviews with three traditional birth attendants and one allopathic provider in the rural region of Andasibe, Madagascar, the researcher unearthed some of the key differences between these practices' patient care before, during, and after childbirth. Results suggest …

Grappling With Gatekeepers: Addressing Gender Hindrances To Mhealth, Jack O’Rourke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was conducted in order to understand the social and economic problems associated with Ugandan women’s usage of mobile phones and the ways in which different mHealth groups are approaching these problems. Seeing how these different groups approach this issue added new information and analysis to a relatively unexplored topic

The qualitative methodology undertaken was two pronged. First, single sex focus groups in rural Mukono District were assembled. Men, women without phones and women and with phones were all talked to in Luganda with the use of a translator. In addition to these focus groups in rural Mukono District, …

Quality Of Emergency Departments In Amman Evaluated By The Availability Of Essential Emergency Equipment, Seif Laeth Sari Nasir

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study aims to determine the quality of emergency health care in Jordan by assessing the availability of essential emergency equipment in emergency departments in Amman. This study uses a cross-­‐sectional questionnaire assessing the accessibility of equipment and medication in emergency departments, as well as eliciting the opinions of the participants regarding the future development of the emergency medical sector in Jordan. The questionnaires were distributed to the physician directors of every participating hospital emergency department in Amman, and completed by the physician director excepting two cases, one of which was completed by the head staff nurse, and the …

Cleft Lip And Palate In India: Determining The Socioeconomic Factors That Influence Quality Of Life And Treatment Received, With A Focus In Rural Nainital District, Uttarakhand State, Ellery Ward

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that range in severity, and may cause serious physical and social challenges to those who are born with them. This project sought to determine the socioeconomic factors that influence the lives of people with cleft lip and or cleft palate in India, and the treatment, or lack thereof, which they receive. Specific focus was given to the rural and mountainous area of Nainital district in Uttarakhand state. This study was carried out with the assistance of the Aarohi organization located in the Satoli village in Nainital district. Interviews with one plastic surgeon …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Health Through Photovoice In Cato Manor, South Africa, Renee Lamoreau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will investigate how youth in Cato Manor perceive health in their community using photovoice as the primary methodology. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that gives participants the power to answer research questions through imagery. Participants take pictures in response to a question or prompt, and then describe a self-­‐selected number of pictures using the SHOWED process. This study will employ this methodology to answer the following questions: What objects, people, and events do youth associate with health? How do youth in Cato Manor define health and sickness? The following report will summarize the social and physical …

La Opinión Pública Sobre El Aborto En Chile: Conceptos Públicos De Moralidad Y De Derechos De Las Mujeres En Relación Con Aborto, Sarah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Abortion legislation in Chile is among the most restrictive in the world, with abortion being illegal without exception. However, while abortion remains completely illegal in Chile, there are an estimated 125,000-175,000 clandestine abortions being carried out each year. Illegal abortions account for about 30% of maternal deaths in Chile. It is important to understand public opinions on abortion in order to understand this discrepancy between legislation and reality.

Research Objectives:What is the public opinion of Chileans on the legal and moral status of abortion in Chile? Do Chileans relate the topic of abortion to the theme of women’s …