Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bricks And Mortar Of Well-Being: Exploring The Housing-Health Connection, Roshanak Mehdipanah, Lara Weinstein

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Housing is a determinant of health. Increasing housing costs and worsening housing conditions have impacted populations worldwide. This Editorial aims to examine the dynamic connection between housing and health and the role of public health in addressing this relationship for a Collection launched at BMC Public Health on Housing as a determinant of health and well-being.

Education As A Source Of Hope: An Examination Of Teacher Beliefs And The Lack Of Support For Children With Chronic Health Conditions, Marissa Schow

Education | Master's Theses

As survival rates increase, more children with chronic health conditions are returning to K-12 classrooms after receiving medical treatments. Research has shown that many teachers believe that students with chronic health conditions should not have to worry about school while they are going through treatment (Irwin & Elam, 2011; Legislative Alliance for Students with Health Conditions, 2017). Research also suggests that many schools are violating the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 by withdrawing students from the district due to chronic absenteeism (Eaton, 2012; Wilkie, 2012). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and examine the ways …

Knowledge And Misconceptions Among Lebanese Community On Immunizations, Hala Ahmadieh, Tala Safa, Ihab Nahle, Yahya Obeid, Dalal Hariri, Etaf Rawass, Tala Kanaan, Ahmad Sabalbal

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Two centuries ago, immunization practices have become the greatest land mark in medical history as they significantly contributed to a decline in several major infectious diseases worldwide thus decreasing both the mortality and morbidity. Moreover, they have been able to eradicate small pox and eliminate poliomyelitis in most regions of the world. However, in recent years the general opinion towards vaccination began shifting due to the emergence of certain opposing views to it, questioning the vaccine's safety and efficacy. This study aims to shed light on the vaccination status in Lebanon by assessing the knowledge, attitude, awareness, and misconceptions among …

Geographic Variations And The Associated Factors In Adherence To And Persistence With Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy For The Privately Insured Women Aged 18-64 With Breast Cancer In Texas, Junghyun Kim, Man S Kim, Suja S Rajan, Xianglin L Du, Luisa Franzini, Tae Gi Kim, Sharon H Giordano, Robert O Morgan

Journal Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the geographical patterns of adjuvant hormonal therapy adherence and persistence and the associated factors in insured Texan women aged 18-64 with early breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 5-year claims data for the population insured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). Women diagnosed with early breast cancer who were taking tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for adjuvant hormonal therapy with at least one prescription claim were identified. Adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy and persistence with adjuvant hormonal therapy were calculated as outcome measures. Women without a …

Geographic Variations And The Associated Factors In Adherence To And Persistence With Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy For The Privately Insured Women Aged 18-64 With Breast Cancer In Texas, Junghyun Kim, Man S Kim, Suja S Rajan, Xianglin L Du, Luisa Franzini, Tae Gi Kim, Sharon H Giordano, Robert O Morgan

Journal Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the geographical patterns of adjuvant hormonal therapy adherence and persistence and the associated factors in insured Texan women aged 18-64 with early breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 5-year claims data for the population insured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). Women diagnosed with early breast cancer who were taking tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for adjuvant hormonal therapy with at least one prescription claim were identified. Adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy and persistence with adjuvant hormonal therapy were calculated as outcome measures. Women without a …

Enhancing The Quality Of Life For Senior Citizens: A Facilitator’S Guidebook For Mindful Music And Movement, Shannon Sexton

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Music appreciation and enjoyment enhance well-being throughout the lifespan. The challenges and constraints that people experience as they age can lead to lack of access to music, decreased physical activity, and fewer avenues for creative expression. Group music and movement interventions created for older populations offer opportunities for social connection and improved quality of life. Mindful practices add further benefit when combined with these interventions. Current available programs are scarce and most often do not encompass mixed modalities. In addition, the benefits of these programs do not show long-term sustainability. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the effects …

The Relationship Between Evening Screen Time Use And Objectively Measured Sleep Outcomes In U.S. College Students, Donya Sedaghat

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research suggests that elevated levels of screen time in the evening can negatively impact sleep outcomes (sleep duration, quality, and latency). Yet, there is a lack of evidence exploring if this relationship exists in college students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between evening screen time use and objectively measured sleep outcomes in US college students. College students (N = 29) junior or senior standing in a Health Sciences major were recruited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Participants wore accelerometers on their wrist for 24hr/day for seven days to capture sleep duration, efficiency, awakenings, and …

Improving Healthcare For Coptic Egyptian Migrants, Lorena Ayoub

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There is very little known about Coptic Egyptian migrant health in the current literature. Exploring health beliefs and behaviors in regard to seeking medical care is important. Additionally, understanding how the Coptic church plays a role in healthcare is essential as many Coptic individuals believe spirituality influences physical health.

Increasing Patient Education On Proper Antibiotic Stewardship, Arif S. Ahsan

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health issue in the United States. Coinciding with this, patients often inappropriately self-treat infections using antibiotics. Locally, this causes complications in treating patients in an outpatient setting, and nationally, this causes an increased economic burden on the United States healthcare system. A handout was developed for distribution at pharmacies in order to better educate patients on proper antibiotic stewardship, based on information that providers believed to be most important for patients to know.

Alleviating Hidden Hunger: An Infallible Bridge To Improved Health And Nutrition, Jai K. Das, Zahra Ali Padhani

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Coverage Of Us Cancer Center Primary Catchment Areas., Amy E Leader, Christopher Mcnair, Christina Yurick, Matthew Huesser, Elizabeth Schade, Emily E Stimmel, Caryn Lerman, Karen E Knudsen

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Background: Cancer centers are expected to engage communities and reduce the burden of cancer in their catchment areas. However, the extent to which cancer centers adequately reach the entire US population is unknown. Methods: We surveyed all members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (N ¼ 102 cancer centers) to document and map each cancer center’s primary catchment area. Catchment area descriptions were aggregated to the county level. Catchment area coverage scores were calculated for each county and choropleths generated representing coverage across the US. Similar analyses were used to overlay US population density, cancer incidence, and cancer-related mortality …

Transplantability In Burdened Populations: A Regional Analysis Of The Robotic-Assisted Kidney Transplant Impact On Access Given Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors, Earnest James Davis Jr.

Dissertations

Introduction/Background

The social contract of health (SCOH) in America that governs healthcare interactions has listed toward provider organizations and away from the patient. End stage renal disease treatment provides an explicatory case to examine an unbalanced SCOH. The study evaluates whether the robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) technique allows for patients with higher body mass indices and of burdened socioeconomic and sociodemographic status improved access to transplant compared to traditional open kidney transplant (OKT).

Methods

The study set combined extant data for patients transplanted at Chicago from two data sets. Investigators used independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, survival analysis, analysis of frequencies, …

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Glycaemic Control In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Participating In Diabetes Camps, Marcin Sikora, Anna Zwierzchowska, Marzena Jaworska, Magdalena Solich Talanda, Rafal Mikolajczyk, Aleksandra Zebrowska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background:‪Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at high risk of having insufficient physical activity during school days and, thus, the importance of special program in promoting regular physical exercise has been largely emphasized. Therefore, this study examined the levels of physical activity and glycemia control in children with T1D, with particular focus on the relative contributions of regular physical education and physical activity program during the diabetes camp.Material and methods:‪Ninety-eight children suffering from T1D for 3.0 ±1.4 years free of diabetic complications participated in the study. Glycemia, insulin doses and diet were monitored, and physical activity was repeatedly measured …

Incidence Of Overweight And Obesity In Women Aged 20–59 Years From The Świętokrzyskie Region, Andrzej Jopkiewicz, Stanislaw Bogdan Nowak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background:‪The occurrence of overweight and obesity is a complex phenomenon, determined by genetic, metabolic and environmental factors. This is why, despite the continuous progress in treating obesity, it seems justified to indicate its diversification and the need for prevention and for developing a strategy of action at the level of entire populations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of overweight and obesity in women aged 20–59 years according to selected socio-economic factors.Material and methods:‪The study used a combination of nonprobability and random sampling and it encompassed 547 women from the Świętokrzyskie Region. The research methods included …

Paediatric Physical Activity And Health: Moving Towards A Measure Of Quality, Cain C.T. Clark, Claire M. Barnes

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

It is clear that physical activity, holistically, is linked with several positive factors through the life course. There exists a large evidence base for physical activity quantity, yet there has been little integration of physical activity qualities, and whilst qualityis a nebulous term, recent developments in literature suggest it may be a viable measure in the characterisation of physical activity. The purpose of the study was to comprehensively review the development towards a measure of physical activity quality.‪A review of literature was conducted using online databases: Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar. A narrative review was subsequently prepared on …

The Assessment Of The Quality Of Health Related Websites By Students Of Physical Education And Physiotherapy Using The Discern Instrument, Ida Laudanska-Krzeminska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The purpose of the article is to characterise the assessment of the Internet sites by physical education and physiotherapy students using the DISCERN questionnaire. An attempt has also been made to indicate the determinants of the overall final assessment of individual health-related Internet sites from 2005 to 2009. Material/Methods: The survey was carried out in 2005 and 2009 among 376 physical education and physiotherapy students at the University School of Physical Education in Poznan. The students assessed five Polish health-related websites. They used the DISCERN questionnaire to rate the quality of health information and filled in the ME & …

Obesity And Overweight Among Children And Adolescents In The Light Of Health Education Principles, Adam Wiek, Katarzyna Tkacz, Waclaw Mozolewski, Malgorzata E. Kusmierczyk, Sylwester Rybaczek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Pedagogical and educational institutions play an important role in health education. The proposed systemic principles should account for biological, environmental and cultural factors that determine the health of children and adolescents. Young people’s individual needs should constitute the framework of educational policy in the prevention of obesity and overweight. An analysis of health education practice in the Polish educational system indicates that the adopted measures, their practical applications and educational goals are adequate. Despite the above, the proposed systemic solutions are not always deployed or correctly implemented by the responsible institutions at various levels of local or social governance. The …

Effect Of A Combined Exercise Program (Aerobic And Rebound Therapy) With Two Different Ratios On Some Physical And Motor Fitness Indices In Intellectually Disabled Girl, Amir Hossein Haghighi, Fatemeh Mohammadtaghipoor, Mohammadreza Hamedinia, Javad Harati

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: ‪Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are mostly neglected and hardly exercised. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a combined program (aerobic and rebound therapy) with two different ratios on some physical and motor fitness indices in intellectually disabled girls. Material and methods: ‪A total of 24 girls with ID (13–17 years old with an IQ of 50 to 70) were selected and randomly divided into two experimental and one control group. Experimental groups performed a combined aerobic rebound therapy program with two different proportions: (group 1 performed 10 minutes of aerobic exercises and 20 …

Sport And Public Policy In Romania. Case Study: Timisoara, Delia Nadolu

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

The inclusion of physical activities in the weekly routine is undoubtedly a necessary condition for a healthy life. In order for sport to become a habit, it is necessary not only to have an adequate and diversified infrastructure, but also to be valued as such in the personal lifestyle. TIn this article we analyse a series of official data regarding the non-practice of sports activities in Romania (EVS 2017), compared to the European situation (EHIS & ESPA 2014), with a focus on the case study of Timisoara. The expectation of the youth form Timisoara youth (2013), The Strategy for the …

Physical Activity Of School Children And Youth, Leszek Tomaczkowski, Joanna Klonowska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Physical activity is a key element of a healthy lifestyle, especially in relation to children and adolescents. It is crucial for proper physical, psychological and social development. Systematic physical activity tailored to individual needs stimulates development in childhood and adolescence and increases health resources. An insufficient level of physical activity among children and adolescents, in comparison to the needs, is a problem occurring more and more commonly on a global scale. It has been confirmed in numerous research studies.

Uterine Fibroid Prevalence And Health Care Disparities By County. Florida, 2010-2019, Saarah K. Sherifi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Also known as uterine fibroids, leiomyomas occur in 70% of women. A uterine leiomyoma is a benign growth in the muscular wall of the uterus which, if left untreated, can grow, and affect surrounding organs, leading to complications, including hemorrhage and death. Symptomatic women often experience pain and debilitating menstrual cycles which, in turn, result in poor health, poor quality of life, and loss of income. Preventative and treatment services in Florida could benefit from the characteristics of women affected the most by this disease in the state. Thus, we describe the demographic characteristics and estimate the prevalence rate of …

Tackling Access To A Healthier Life, Edom Alemayehu Girma

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity is a known risk factor for complications during childhood and later in adult life. While numerous factors play a role in the prevalence of obesity, this project focused on better intervention for obesity management in the family medicine clinic located in Plattsburgh, NY. Interviews and literature searches were conducted to determine possible strategies to better assist patients in attaining their sustainable weight loss goals and an overall healthier lifestyle.

Availability Of Essential Diagnostics In Ten Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Results From National Health Facility Surveys, Harika Yadav, Devanshi Shah, Shahin Sayed, Susan Horton, Lee F. Schroeder

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Pathology and laboratory medicine diagnostics and diagnostic imaging are crucial to achieving universal health coverage. We analysed Service Provision Assessments (SPAs) from ten low-income and middle-income countries to benchmark diagnostic availability.

Methods: Diagnostic availabilities were determined for Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi, Namibia, Nepal, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, with multiple timepoints for Haiti, Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania. A smaller set of diagnostics were included in the analysis for primary care facilities compared with those expected at hospitals, with 16 evaluated in total. Surveys spanned 2004–18, including 8512 surveyed facilities. Country-specific facility types were mapped to basic primary …

Promoting Wellness For College Athletes Through Mindfulness Meditation, Lisa R. Braatz

Theses and Graduate Projects

The practice of mindfulness meditation may be beneficial for college athlete’s mental health and wellness. College athletes are in a period of significant personal growth and experience high amounts of stress related to athletic performance, academics, and peer relationships. Integrating mindfulness meditation for college athletes has been linked to improving relaxation, concentration, and performance while decreasing fatigue and negative emotions related to fear or anxiety. This scholarly project explores the implementation of four mindfulness meditation sessions on perceptions of stress, mental focus, athletic performance, and presence in female college track and field athletes. The participants were attending an urban college …

Alexithymia And Physical Outcomes In Psychosomatic Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emanuele Maria Merlo

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Backgrounds. Alexithymia is a relevant phenomenon, occurring transversally to healthy subjects and individuals affected by several conditions. Its role is considerable, according to current state of the art several conditions emerged as influenced, maintained and worsened by alexithymic structures and figures. The present study was aimed at highlighting the existing relations, the differences and the directions assumed by alexithymic factors and health status in patients affected by psychosomatic conditions. Methods. The sample consisted of 150 participants, 42 males (28.0%) and 108 females (72.0%), aged 26 to 78 years old with a mean of 42.24 years old (SD = 12.39). Subjects …

Healthcare Altruism And Dysconscious Healthism In The Delivery Of Integrated Healthcare Services To Individuals Who Are Deaf, Hard Of Hearing, And Deafblind, Jaime A.B. Wilson, Michael John Gournaris

JADARA

Healthcare altruism and dysconscious healthism are terms proposed to recognize the barriers to healthcare access faced by not only individuals with hearing loss but also all minority populations. The implications of an integrated healthcare model to provide services to individuals who are d/Deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind (D/HH/DB) are explored. Unique insights are then offered regarding existing barriers to healthcare access and the next steps.

Misty Rhoads Ijzbtt Editorial Welcome, Misty Rhoads

Journal of Transformative Touch

Editorial Welcome to the IJZBTT from the Executive Editor -Dr. Misty Rhoads-

Disparities In Health Care: The Pandemic’S Lessons For Health Lawyers, Danielle Pelfrey Duryea, Nicole Huberfeld, Ruqaiijah Yearby

All Faculty Scholarship

Population-level disparities in health and health care came to the forefront of U.S. public consciousness in 2020. As the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic stratification of COVID-19 infection and death rates emerged with chilling clarity, the Black Lives Matter protests of the summer focused millions of Americans on the complex, structural nature of inequity and its long-lasting effects.

Access to quality health care is a “social determinant of health,” meaning that it is one of the “non-medical factors that influence health outcomes . . . the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set …

The State Of Sleep: What Keeps Vermont Up At Night?, Magalie Carey

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Community Health Interventions To Reduce The Burden Of Radon-Related Lung Cancer, Benjamin Weaver

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. One in seven homes in Vermont has elevated levels of radon, but most patients are unaware of radon as a risk factor for lung cancer or that radon testing and mitigation services are available to them. To promote increased testing and mitigation of radon we screened patients presenting to a Family Medicine practice in Vermont about whether they had had these services done in their home. We also developed a patient education resource for providers to give to patients who had more questions about radon …