Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of 8 And 12 Hour Non-Rotating Shift Schedules For Security And Protective Services Workers, Zuleyha Aydin

Theses

Shiftwork is a major feature of working life in today’s world. Increasing the workday length is a new trend in alternative work schedules. The features of a shift system operation can have an impact on sleep, alertness, and the well-being of shift workers. The objective of this study is to evaluate security and protective services employees working in non-rotating shift systems of 8- hour and 12-hour schedules. New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Public Safety Department staff was studied to examine how non-rotating shift schedules affect sleep, alertness, and wellness under five different work schedules.

A survey instrument, approved by the …

Intergenerational Financial Exchange And Cognitive Well-Being Among Older Adults In China, Ping Xu

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Although cognitive loss is part of normal aging, it has unfavorable consequences for older individuals, their family, as well as society. The prevalence of mild cognition impairment is expected to go up in China. How to maintain normal cognition for a longer period of time and to delay impair process is an emerging concern for older Chinese adults. Unlike Western countries, China lacks of formal support system. Intergenerational support between older parents and adult children is a predominant resource when they are in need. This study examines how intergenerational financial exchanges between older parents and their adult children is related …

In Liberia: A Silent Health Care Catastrophe Replaces A Viral One, Clarissa Sosin

Capstones

Underfunded and understaffed, the structural issues within the Liberian healthcare system were first exposed during the 2014 Ebola Epidemic when the system collapsed under the pressure. Its failure to respond effectively resulted in the deaths of nearly 5,000 people, the highest fatality rate out of the three countries most affected by the epidemic. Years later, despite efforts to rebuild and strengthen the system, many of the issues still remain.

http://www.clarissasosin.com/liberianhealthcare

Preventing Obesity And Cardiovascular Disease In At-Risk Youth, Allison Patricia Woolf, Nicole Ashley Bauernfeind, Rachel Katharine Civale, Elizabeth Rose Spellman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The literature review that was conducted focuses on exploring the most effective way to prevent development of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) as a late effect of childhood obesity or risk thereof. Our research focused on the 8-10 year old at-risk and obese pediatric populations and whether the use of interactive educational interventions in the community setting can be of use to reduce CVD development and improve overall health status. Our findings determined that interactive educational interventions early in childhood can improve health outcomes for these populations and prevent subsequent development of CVD. We minimized the inclusion of all research whose evidence …

The Gift That Keeps One Living, Scott R. Axelrod

Capstones

This long-form narrative feature article reports on the shortage of living kidney donors and those in desperate need of kidney transplants. It features interviews with doctors, transplant coordinators, patients, living kidney donors, and kidney recipients. The story culminates with my own personal experience as a kidney donor to my late dad over a decade ago. The presentation includes an extensive photo component capturing characters and elements from the story through a series of detailed portraits, photo essays, and infographics.

https://saxelrod718.wixsite.com/livingkidneydonors

Mental Hell, Jesenia De Moya, Hanaa' Tameez, Maritza Villela

Capstones

Mental Hell explores how difficult it is for low-income Latinos in New York City to access mental health care. Through explanations from experts and the personal stories of three Latinas New Yorkers who have gone through the process of trying to get the care they need, the story guides the reader through the many roadblocks this demographic encounters specifically under the insurance of Medicaid.

This is an extremely important topic that affects many New Yorkers, and we believe something needs to be done to make this type of healthcare more accessible for Latinos. New York City has a very high …

Understanding Behavioral Health And Treatment Engagement With Former Users Of Prenatal Substances: A Strengths-Focused Mixed Methods Inquiry, Jennifer G. Benson, Peggy Maclean, Andrew Hsi, Sarah J. Erickson

Psychology ETDs

Accessible services for users of prenatal substances are lacking, and treatment engagement is poor with services that are available. Furthermore, legal consequences are often punitive, which ultimately damages the well-being of mother and child. Milagro and FOCUS are two New Mexico programs that provide comprehensive, coordinated care, including medication-assisted treatment, to former users of prenatal substances during pregnancy (in the Milagro Program) and for three years post-birth (in the FOCUS Program). This mixed methods study explored the lived experiences of women from this complex, high-risk population, using a high-engagement sample of women who utilized services at both Milagro and FOCUS. …

Improving Nurse Proficiency: Breastfeeding And The Opioid-Dependent Mother And Infant Diagnosed With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas), Lauren Mountanos

Master's Projects and Capstones

Management of the opioid-dependent mother-infant dyad is complex. Evidence suggests breastfeeding may decrease the severity of NAS symptoms, delay its onset, and decrease the need for pharmacologic treatment (Macmullen et al., 2014). Therefore, education of nursing staff on the benefits of breastfeeding for opioid-dependent dyads will enable them to safely recommend breastfeeding for long-term health (Pritham, 2013). The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) project, “Improving Nurse Proficiency: Breastfeeding and the Opioid-Dependent Mother and Infant Diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)” aims to globally increase the number of infants diagnosed with NAS discharged on breast milk by 10% by June 30, 2018. …

Ready, Set, Action: Potential Breakthrough Therapy For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Alvin Garlejo

Master's Projects and Capstones

Major depressive disorder is a psychiatric illness that is associated with a variety of debilitating symptoms such as persistent sadness, lack of interest and motivation, lassitude, pessimistic thoughts, and in severe cases, suicidal ideation and behavior. Current psychological and pharmacological treatments have been demonstrated efficacious; however, an ever-growing number of individuals frequently report minimal to no improvement with these treatments; and in some cases, a worsening of symptoms. This inadequacy to treatment is commonly known as treatment-resistant depression. At Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute, Dr. Feifel treats individuals with treatment-resistant depression with advanced treatments such as TMS and ketamine. During my fieldwork …

Lessons Learned From Cuba: Using Healthcare Systems And Stillbirth Rate Example, Ravi Patel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Cuba and the U.S. have different health care systems but similar health outcomes. In 2015 U.S. and Cuba had the same stillbirth rate. Cuba is a prevention-based system that is free for all, while the U.S. is a treatment-based system that uses a fee for service system. Cuba has ratified international laws that hold it accountable for improving health outcomes especially for women and children. The U.S. can learn from Cuba when it comes to improving health outcomes. The U.S. can improve their health outcomes by including more preventative based interventions and ratifying international law that will hold the U.S. …

No More Baby Steps: Preventing Unintended Pregnancies Of Los Angles Minorities And Adolescents, Rachel Bass

Master's Projects and Capstones

Previous studies have identified pregnancy intention to correlate with both maternal and fetal health. Though unintended pregnancy rates are dropping in America, they remain high among minority and young women. Contraceptive usage, a leading protective factor for unintended pregnancies, has been found to vary greatly by age and ethnicity. These two projects aimed to decrease unintended pregnancy rates through increasing patient knowledge of contraceptive options and correct usage. The first project focused on creating a comprehensive, oral contraceptive pill instructional handout for research participants of the birth control pill study. This handout was created through the analysis of compliance errors …

Health Starts In The Home: An Assessment Of Efforts To Improve Occupant Health Through Healthy Building Materials In San Francisco’S Affordable Housing, Staci Hoell

Master's Projects and Capstones

Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, and much of this time is spent at home, surrounded by building materials that typically have added chemicals like flame retardants, highly fluorinated compounds, and antimicrobials. Recent research has linked these chemicals to adverse health outcomes such as asthma, endocrine disruption, cancer, neurodevelopmental issues, and reproductive problems (Bayer et al., n.d.; Green Science Policy Institute). Furthermore, these chronic health conditions disproportionately affect low-income populations. Fortunately, substantial efforts in research, practice, and policy are working to reduce the use of these potentially harmful chemicals in building materials, particularly in San Francisco’s affordable housing sector. …

Relationships Between Complex Pediatric Health Conditions And The Built, Physical And Social Environments, Brittany Corley

Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between human health and the environment is complex and overall poorly understood. The environment has a lasting impact on health, and the processes appear to start at conception. Thus, this dissertation examines the potential relationship between pediatric health and the environment.

The first relationship examined was between the built environment and comorbid Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many publications have reported the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, the link between the built environment and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder symptom severity is poorly understood. …

Public Health Perspectives On Sexual Health And Family Planning, Molly Mccarthy

Theses & Dissertations

Large bodies of evidence document the importance of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the lives of individuals and among populations. Of particular interest are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), due to their potential for long-term health consequences, and unintended pregnancy because of its association with social and economic outcomes for women and families.

This dissertation addressed three distinct but related areas of reproductive health and family planning: counseling for condom use following an STD test, counseling for contraception following a pregnancy test in a clinical setting, and the effect of abortion on having and achieving long-term plans. These topics are …

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

Implementation Of A Fruit And Vegetable Voucher Program In San Francisco, Alexandra Kambur

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic disease has emerged as the predominant public health challenge of the 21st century. Chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity have maintained their top positions as the leading causes of poor health, disability, death, and high health-care expenditures for over a decade. Health and hunger go hand-in-hand. Today over 15 million households in the United States struggle with food insecurity, meaning they do not have sufficient access to food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. The issue of food insecurity in cities like San Francisco, California is exacerbated by the …

Oh Baby! Evaluating The Impact Of Blossom's Natural Childbirth Prep Course On Women's Childbirth Experience, Florence Oxenham

Master's Projects and Capstones

The United States has some of the highest rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among developed countries. Comprehensive childbirth education is an important component of improving maternal health outcomes. This project was a pilot evaluation of a childbirth education course offered by Blossom Birth Services, a community-based non-profit organization providing resources for new and expectant families in the San Francisco Bay Area. A 41-item survey questionnaire was developed and administered to explore the impact of Blossom’s Natural Childbirth Prep course on women’s knowledge, feelings, and sense of self-efficacy regarding childbirth. Likert scales were used and thematic analysis of qualitative data …

A Roadmap For The Journey Home - A Supplemental Tool Guiding Patients From Hospital To Home, Michelle Basco

Master's Projects and Capstones

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have recognized readmission rates as a public health problem. CMS incentivizes hospitals to reduce readmission rates and reduce payments for hospitals with high readmission rates (Berry et al., 2013). Patient education and discharge planning are associated with decreased readmission rates. I gained fieldwork experience at Children’s Health System of Texas in Dallas. Children’s Health, a pediatric non-profit, is the 8th largest pediatric health care provider in the U.S. Prior to discharge patient education occurs on topics related to their diagnosis, plus patients are provided discharge instructions including their diagnosis, medications, and simple instructions for …

The Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Community-Based Mobile Meal Programs For Low-Income Families, Nicholas Vesom

Master's Projects and Capstones

Food disparity is a continuously prevalent issue in the United States despite the presence of programs, such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), to fill gaps in reaching those who are financially inhibited and do not have a sustainable source of nutritionally balanced food. A primary part of the issue that arises is that these types of programs have restrictions on age or only operate during the school year. To assess this issue, the Mountain View Whisman School District (MVWSD), in conjunction with the Stanford University Pediatrics Advocacy Program (SUPAP), initiated …

Carbohydrates And Fungal Toxin Exposure Influence The Vaginal Microbiota, Metabolome, And Reproductive Health Of Women, Stephanie L. Collins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The reproductive health of women is influenced by microorganisms and their metabolites, namely those representing the vaginal microbiota and those producing toxins that are ingested. To manipulate the vaginal microbiota toward a health-associated, Lactobacillusdominant state, an approach adopting prebiotic lactulose was taken. Using batch culture, lactulose supported Lactobacillus maintenance and positively altered metabolites, while not disrupting indigenous L. crispatus epithelial adherence. The vagina also harbours abundant glycogen, but initial assumptions that lactobacilli utilize it were incorrect. I have now shown that glycogen selectively stimulates organisms associated with dysbiosis and L. iners in a self-limiting manner. Other compounds such as environmental …

Obesity And Diabetes: Evaluating The Impact Of Promotores As A Prevention And Intervention Strategy In The Latino Community, Jessica Castaneda

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper aims to examine obesity and diabetes among the Latino population as a health problem. As the largest minority racial group in the U.S, Latino rates of obesity and diabetes are greatly higher than whites. The prevalence of obesity in Latinos is 45% compared to that of whites at 34.5% (CDC, 2015). The disproportionate rates at which Latinos are affected by obesity and diabetes have prompted numerous programs to combat this health problem. Promotores or Latino community health workers have been able to provide the important piece of culturally and linguistically appropriate education for the population. Evidence shows Promotores …

Development And Applications Of A Real-Time Magnetic Electron Energy Spectrometer For Use With Medical Linear Accelerators, Paul Ethan Maggi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose – This work presents a design for a real-time electron energy spectrometer, and provides data analysis methods and characterization of the real-time system. This system is intended for use with medical linear accelerators (linacs). The goal is 1 Hz acquisition of the energy range 4-25 MeV, reconstructed in 0.1 MeV increments.

Methods – Our spectrometer uses a nominal 0.54 T permanent magnet block as the dispersive element and scintillating fibers coupled to a CCD camera as the position sensitive detector. A broad electron beam produced by a linac is collimated by a 6.35 mm dimeter aperture at the entrance …

Community Development Projects In Moldova, Berkend Pura

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) aims to provide relevant information, from a Peace Corps (PC) Volunteer (PCV) standpoint, on a renovation project that was implemented in the village of Vorniceni, Republic of Moldova. At its core, this was a community development project that involved the active participation of the community of Vorniceni, providing local resources and knowledge towards the goal of building a healthier sanitation facility on the second floor of the local kindergarten.

The results of this effort indicate that the involvement of the client (people) is crucial to sucess in implementing projects, and it also shows that …

Antibiotic Resistance In Escherichia Coli Iron Transport Mutants, Madeline Brandt

Honors Projects

Studies previously completed on Escherichia coli mutants suggested the possibility of iron uptake as an influence on the antibiotic resistance seen in different strains. The research focused on the TonB energy transduction system and its contributions to efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance. To test the hypothesis that iron uptake has an influence on antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli, the sensitivity to a variety of antibiotics was evaluated in strains of E. coli lacking genes that relate to the uptake of iron or the efflux system that is necessary for the uptake of iron. To test the efflux systems TolC and TonB …

Beyond The End Line - Putting The Mental Health Of Female Athletes First, Katherine Scholten

Honors Projects

Currently one in five adults are affected by mental illness. Student-athletes are a population that is under diagnosed for mental illness. In the world of college athletics, mental pain is as regular as physical pain. Coaches often push their athletes to suffer in silence for the betterment of the team. The NCAA has recognized the importance of mental health in college athletics, yet there is still much work to be done among universities across the country. This document is to serve as a resource and a guide on the effects of mental health among female student athletes and the best …

Chronic Disease Risk Prediction Models And Their Impacts On Behavioural And Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Patrick Kim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Risk prediction models are tools that predict an individual’s risk of developing a health outcome. They were developed to influence patient management by guiding preventive interventions, with the goal of reducing the incidence of new diseases. Studies examining their impacts are uncommon, and no consensus regarding their effects has been reached. This systematic review sought to determine the impact of risk prediction models for chronic diseases on physician behaviour, patient behaviour, and patient health outcomes. Twenty-two studies were found to be eligible for review. The results demonstrated that: 1) physician behaviour may be positively influenced, though a statistically significant result …

Understanding Public Health Professional Socialization And Professional Identity Formation Experiences, Jennifer M. Freiheit

Theses and Dissertations

Public health is in unstable times with funding decreasing, an exodus of retirees, and a paradigm shift with emergency preparedness and response critically changing the identity of the profession. Public health is at a grave trigger point where if something is not done, the entire field may be in jeopardy of caving in to consolidations, poor succession planning, and a field that cannot work toward the health of the public if they themselves are not operating well. It is commonly accepted that orientation practices exist in public health agencies, but the orientations that currently exist lack transfer to full socialization …

Increasing The Adherence To Updated Clinical Practice Guidelines For Tb Screening Among Hiv Patients Entering A Congregate Setting Utilizing A Clinical Reminder, Domingo Lopez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to update an existing tuberculosis policy for screening HIV-positive individuals entering a south Texas jail to meet current evidence-based guidelines and increase the adherence of jail staff to the updated screening process.

Background and Significance: In 2015, over 700,000 people were jailed in the United States with over 20,000 being HIV-positive. Tuberculosis is highly contagious and spreads through the air. HIV is a virus that targets the immune system. HIV-positive people are 17-22 times more likely to contract tuberculosis. The current screening process at the jail showed a low …

Canines For Disabled Kids, Erin Jerrett, Margarita Mnatsakanyan, Colleen Reynolds, Yin Wang

School of Professional Studies

Canines for Disabled Kids have been working on behalf of children and their families to educate communities and promote service dog partnerships for almost twenty years. Their advocacy with local legislatures, business owners, and community leaders highlighted the difficulties encountered when differentiating service dogs from emotional support/comfort dogs. Service dogs are entitled to access by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while emotional support/comfort dogs are not protected under the federal statute or to the same rights. Canines for Disabled Kids proposed a study to obtain a current count of licensed service dogs in the Commonwealth and investigate the feasibility …

Association Of Childhood Blood Lead Levels With Firearm Violence Perpetration And Victimization, Lindsay Rae Emer

Theses and Dissertations

Over 10,000 Americans are killed in firearm homicides each year, and an additional 40,000 are injured in nonfatal shootings. There is a significant public health need to identify risk factors that can be modified to prevent firearm violence. Environmental lead exposure is a demonstrated neurotoxicant which causes behavior changes that are known to be criminogenic. More recent research has demonstrated that homicides and nonfatal shootings differ by the circumstances that lead to the shootings (i.e. gang, domestic violence, arguments) and aggregating them could lead to biased results. Although studies have found a relationship between childhood lead exposure and criminal behaviors, …