Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Training Mothers Recovering From Substance Abuse To Identify And Treat Their Children’S Illnesses, Lela E.A. Strong

Public Health Theses

Parents who abuse drugs and alcohol are at increased risk of child maltreatment, including the neglect of their children’s health. The present research investigates the effectiveness of the SafeCare® Health module in training mothers with a history of substance abuse living in a residential treatment facility to correctly identify and treat their children’s illnesses. Three mothers of children ages 5-years-old and younger participated in the study. Using a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design, the research team examined the participants’ ability to select the most appropriate course of action for addressing their children’s illnesses. Results indicate that parents’ skills increased steadily during …

The Bogota Ciclovia-Recreativa And Cicloruta Programs: Promising Interventions To Promote Physical Activity, And Social Capital In The City Of Bogota, Andrea D. Torres

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Background: The Ciclovia program (60.3 miles of streets temporarily closed to motorized vehicles and open to pedestrians) and the Ciclorutas (186.4 miles bicycle paths network) represent two policy and built environment approaches that have been implemented in Bogota, Colombia to increase access to recreational and physical activity (PA) opportunities and promote active transportation. Both programs have other potential public health outcomes such as quality of life and social capital. Both physical activity and social capital have been demonstrated to be strongly related with health. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the participants from Ciclovia and …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Skin Cancer Using The Health Information National Trends Survey, 2005, Erin Ruoff

Public Health Theses

Background: Skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer yet for certain types of skin cancers, it can be fatal if it goes untreated. While ultraviolet radiation is the main cause of skin cancer, there are several other risk factors, including sunburn history, smoking, environmental pollutants, family history, personal history, and skin color. Practicing sun protection behaviors and receiving regular skin cancer screenings can prevent the cancer from ever developing. This study examines the demographic and socioeconomic status risk factors for skin cancer.

Methods: The Health Information National Trends Survey data was used from 2005. Using this …

An Evaluation Of The Pre-Release Planning Program Of The Georgia Department Of Corrections And A Qualitative Assessment Of Reentry Experiences Of Program Participants, Alison N. Mccullough

Public Health Theses

Higher rates of HIV are seen within correctional systems across the United States. Georgia has one of the largest correctional populations in the country and HIV rates among prisoners are elevated when compared to the state as a whole. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Pre-Release Planning Program of the Georgia Department of Corrections and to identify reentry needs unique to persons living with HIV. This evaluation was informed by the post-release experiences of participants who described their own reentry journeys through semi-structured qualitative interviews. A convenience sample of 45 program participants was recruited to complete a …

A Survey Of Point Of Use Household Water Treatment Options For Rural South India, Kendralyn G. Jeffreys

Public Health Theses

Contaminated drinking water is one of the major health challenges facing people in the developing world. The country of India leads the world in under age five mortality due to diarrheal disease, which is attributed to water and food contamination. While the Indian government has made progress in expanding access to improved water sources in the last decade, the microbiological quality of the water is unpredictable. Point of use household water treatment systems can provide clean drinking water for people who do not have access to a clean water source. This report examines five non-electrical point of use household water …

Changes In Sexual Risk Perception And Risk Taking Among Urban African American Adolescents, Rosa M. Steen

Public Health Theses

Background: Adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 acquire nearly half of all new STDs in the United States, yet they represent only 25% of the sexually active population. Young men and women in this age group have the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, especially in the African American population. Adolescent risk factors include having a history of pregnancy or STDs, being arrested or incarcerated, substance abuse, early sexual debut and having 4 or more lifetime sexual partners. Protective behaviors such as parental involvement, school enrollment, and consistent condom use have been associated with decreased incidence …

Comparison Of Screening Methods For Pre-Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus By Race/Ethnicity And Gender, Ashleigh E. Heath

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Current screening guidelines for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus note that there are discrepancies in diagnosing the disease using the fasting plasma glucose test, oral glucose tolerance test, and HbA1_c in high-risk populations. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of screening methods for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pre-diabetes by race/ethnicity and gender.

METHODS: Secondary analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005-2008) were performed using SPSS 19.0. Screening outcomes were assessed and compared for a sample of n=10,566, NHW, NHB, MA, and Multiracial/other men and women. Analyses included …

Impact Of Insurance Status On Childhood Immunization Uptake, Lindsey M. Webb

Public Health Theses

Economic barriers remain an obstacle to ensuring that children in the United States are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Disparities persist despite programs in place to alleviate them, such as the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines for eligible children. Using data from the 2010 National Immunization Survey, this study addresses whether insurance status has an impact on immunization uptake by investigating associations between vaccine receipt and insurance type, VFC eligibility, and insurance continuity. Logistic regression was performed using possible important factors suggested in the literature. Among children in the national sample, results showed strong associations between up-to-date immunization …