Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of E-Cigarettes And Oxidative Stress On Cognitive Function And Adolescent Academics, Alexis A. Kaminsky Jr.

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

Electronic cigarettes are the fastest growing method of tobacco consumption in the United States despite an overall decline in smoking rates. Evidence has shown that enticing flavor and trendy marketing campaigns have increased use among younger consumers. Nicotine use is a risk factor among younger individuals for damage to brain development and cognitive impairment, and electronic cigarettes are no exception. This paper attempts to review and clarify previously observed health impacts of electronic cigarette use among younger individuals, as measured by academic grades and scores. A focus on the effect of oxidative stress on the body and the resulting academic …

Familiarity With Health Principles And Community Engagement: A Dietary Perspective, Jimmy Adil Jr, Carthy Joy Aguillon, Ray Opao, Susa Opao, Arceli Rosario

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Familiarity with the Adventist Health Message relates differently to outreach involvement depending on diet. Among the 5,849 participants, pescatarians and vegetarians showed a stronger positive link between health message awareness and willingness to increase outreach engagement, while vegans and meat-eaters showed no significant effect, suggesting diet may shape health-belief-driven outreach.

Prevalence Of Lifestyle Diseases Among Adult Males And Females In Kihurio Village Tanzania: A Health Assessment., Sozina Stephen Katuli Jr, Nigell Essex, Mathew Masangcay, Godfrey Mhina Kilonzo, Ruth Nyika

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Adults under the age of 70 in Sub-Saharan Africa face a higher probability of death from non-communicable diseases than adults of the same age in the Established Market Economies. A team from Andrews university in collaboration with the health unit of the Northeast Tanzania Conference (NETC), collaboratively conducted a community needs assessment and on lifestyle diseases in Kihurio village in December 2017 and found that over half of the attendee had hypertension. Focus group discussions with the community also listed hypertension and diabetes as one of the major health problems. This study was a follow up to determine the prevalence …

Adventist Health Across Cultures, Katia Reinert

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

No abstract provided.

Inadequate Healthcare For Women In The United States, Grace Loveless

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Barriers to adequate healthcare for women stem from a lack of research on their specific health needs, gender-based biases in healthcare, and harmful societal norms. One key aspect highlighting these disparities is the menstrual cycle—a topic unique to women. Menstrual health, defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, illustrates the urgent need for greater focus on reproductive health. Despite its significance, the dialogue and knowledge about reproductive health remain limited; an issue which is exacerbated by societal attitudes of secrecy and shame. These attitudes create barriers that hinder many women in the United States from accessing …

A Call For Change: Supporting Children With Tourette Syndrome, Matt Reall

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Tourette Syndrome affects 1 in 100 U.S. children but remains widely misunderstood due to stigma, delayed diagnosis, and media misrepresentation. This neurological disorder is characterized by involuntary tics and often co-occurs with ADHD, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Children with Tourette Syndrome face disproportionate challenges in social, academic, and emotional settings—despite having average or above-average intelligence. One-third engage in self-harm, and suicide rates are four times the national average. Peer-education programs like the Tourette Association of America’s Youth Ambassador initiative have shown promise in reducing stigma, but unequal access and weak institutional support limit their impact. This paper calls for early …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Do Minorities Attend Culturally Competent Hospitals? The Case Of Minority-Serving And Safety-Net Hospitals, Rumel Mahmood

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Minorities disproportionately attend minority-serving hospitals (MSHs) and safety-net hospitals (SNHs). This study examines whether MSHs or SNHs are more culturally competent than their counterparts. No research to date has examined the cultural competency of MSHs and SNHs with hospitals outside of these categories. The literature on the determinants of hospital-level cultural competence is sparse, with limited measures used nationally and a robust measure used in a single U.S. state. I calculated a 100-point score of hospital cultural competence from a nationally representative survey of hospitals (N = 849 respondents). Using multilevel regression models, I found that MSHs are culturally …

Self-Powered Rapid Antigen-Specific T-Cell Response Assay For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infections, Bo Ning, Sutapa Chandra, Yongchun Pan, Riti Sharan, Ngan Ha, Sanjay Singh, Alexandra Portillo Varela, Lin Li, Qingli Wu, Alexander Kay, Gugu P Maphalala, Clement Adu-Gyamfi, Santiago Carrero Longlax, Anna M Mandalakas, Smriti Mehra, Christopher J Lyon, Edward A Graviss, Andrew R Dinardo, Tony Hu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) that evaluate an individual’s T-cell activation response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb)-specific peptides serve an important role in diagnosing tuberculosis (TB). However, there are substantial challenges to the use of IGRAs in resource-limited settings. Further, IGRA diagnostic performance can also be compromised in anergic individuals. Here we describe a microfluidic chip-based antigen-specific T-cell response assay (ASTRA) that automates the detection of M.tb-specific T-cell activation responses to facilitate screening for latent M.tb infection and TB. We observe that ASTRA demonstrates high specificity for M.tb infection in independent patient cohorts. Compared with IGRA, ASTRA shows greater …

Peran Unit Pengelola Darah Rumah Sakit Terhadap Peningkatan Kinerja Layanan Transfusi Darah: Tinjauan Literatur Naratif, Adhika Putra Marsaban, Mardiati Nadjib

Jurnal ARSI : Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia

The performance of hospital blood transfusion services is crucial for patient safety and overall operational effectiveness. Blood management, as a vital and limited resource, plays a significant role. Traditional centralized blood management models often face challenges regarding response speed, potential waste, and quality control. As an alternative, Unit Pengelola Darah Rumah Sakit (UPDRS) offers the potential for performance enhancement. This narrative literature review is based on 16 relevant scientific articles identified through a database search (Scopus, Proquest, Wiley, Google Scholar) and a selection process visualized with a PRISMA diagram. Key findings identified significant impacts on cost efficiency, time efficiency (faster …

Factors Contributing To Low Back Pain Among Field Workers In Tanzania, Gerson De Leone, Don Noval, Amany Lorino, Ryan Lorino, Ruth Kajiru Nyika, Sozina Katuli

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Working in rice fields presents challenges to health that have grave consequences beyond back pain. Men and women in Kihurio village engage on a series of rice planting activities that affect the back. This study explores the factors to back problem in Tanzania and thrives to Identify corrective measures.

The Use Of Health And Herbal Products For Covid-19 Self-Prevention And Its Affecting Factors According To Theory Of Planned Behavior, Suppachai Insuk, Supanida Kittirattanasak, Mullika Sirithongkaset, Daranee Chiewchantanakit

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Introduction: Despite the World Health Organization’s recent declaration of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learned from the outbreak remain crucial for future public health responses. In Thailand, the pandemic’s impact led individuals to explore self-protection methods, including potentially ineffective health products. This study examined the prevalence of health and herbal products used for COVID-19 self-prevention, to identify the types of these products in use and to identify factors influencing their utilization.

Methods: A cross-sectional study surveyed 400 Thai participants aged 25–60 who had never contracted COVID-19. The study employed convenience sampling and self-administered online questionnaires based on …

Profiling Of Physical Activity Usage In Selected Urban Green Spaces In Marikina City, Trizsa Jasmin C. Ty, Alberto L. Dimarucut, Camille B. Castro, Danielle Naomi L. Uy

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

Urban Green Spaces (UGS) play an important role in providing opportunities for physical activity in urbanized cities. This observational cross-sectional study aims to profile two selected UGS, namely Marikina River Park and Marikina Heights Park Complex, in Marikina City, in the context of their use for physical activity and recreation. Interviews with two government officials were conducted to collect data on the historical background of the selected parks. Systematic observation, using the System for Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities tool, was conducted to observe park visitors and their physical activity for four days in each park. Each park’s …

Cultural And Structural Barriers Influencing The Mental-Health-Seeking Behaviors Of South Asians In Dallas, Texas, Judith Jose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite being one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States, South Asians experience disproportionately high rates of untreated mental health conditions while reporting low utilization of professional mental health services. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the cultural and structural barriers that influence mental-health-seeking behaviors among South Asians residing in Dallas, Texas. Guided by the health belief model and principles of cultural competency, this research investigated how perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy intersect with cultural stigma, religious beliefs, generational dynamics, and systemic obstacles. Semistructured interviews with 12 South Asian adults revealed seven major …

Associations Between Daytime Sleepiness, Obesity, And Sleep Apnea Severity Among Caribbean Women, Melaine F. Mcleod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep-disordered breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a global health epidemic that is associated with the obesity pandemic and daytime sleepiness. This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to examine associations between daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, obesity measured by body mass index (BMI), and severity of OSA measured by the apnea-hypopnea index among Caribbean women residing in the Cayman Islands. The health belief model served as the theoretical framework to guide this research. Daytime sleepiness and obesity were independent variables; the dependent variable was the severity of OSA, …

The Epidemiology Of Sports And Recreation Related Toe Fractures In The United States, Dogerno Norceide, Gabriel I. Onor, Oluwatomi Akingbola, William Justice, Nana F. Amponsah, Abimbola Okulaja, Ifeanyichukwu Onor, Michael Okoronkwo, Chibuikem Nwizu, David Pedowitz, Md

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the toes are among the most frequently diagnosed lower extremity fractures. In sports, toe fractures may present after diverse mechanisms of injury, varying severity, and varying implications for management. This study aimed to discern trends in toe fractures presenting to US emergency departments (EDs) particularly in association with sports and recreational activities. An additional aim of the study was to identify if rates of toe fracture presentation significantly decreased during the year 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We queried the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to identify toe fractures presented to …

Pneumococcal Colonization Dynamics Among Young Children With And Without Respiratory Symptoms During The First Year Of The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic., Liset Olarte, Brian R. Lee, Dithi Banerjee, Douglas Swanson, Christopher J. Harrison, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 were implemented across the United States in 2020. These public health measures might influence pneumococcal colonization in younger children and their subsequent risk of invasive pneumococcal disease. Our objective was to evaluate pneumococcal colonization rates in children ≤ 5 years of age with and without respiratory symptoms during the first 12 months of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (April 2020 - March 2021).

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study evaluating pneumococcal colonization rates, density and serotype distribution across three study periods (April-July [Period 1], August-November [Period 2] and December-March [Period 3]) after …

Retrospective Study Of Elective Intracranial Tumor Surgery Waiting Time At A National Referral Hospital In Indonesia, Sayyid Abdil Hakam Perkasa, Habibah Nurul Rahmah, Abrar Arham

Jurnal ARSI : Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia

Elective surgery waiting times are a key measure of healthcare system performance and service quality. Long wait times can lower patients’ quality of life, worsen symptoms, reduce treatment effectiveness, and increase financial stress. We aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of elective surgery waiting time for Intracranial Tumors at Mahar Mardjono National Brain Center Hospital in 2023. This study is a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study using data from Electronic Health Records (EHR). The study sample included all elective intracranial tumor surgeries performed in 2023. A total of 371 elective intracranial tumor surgeries were analyzed. The median age of patients was …

Analisis Hubungan Sikap Dan Tuning Dengan Kepatuhan Perawat Dalam Ketepatan Identifikasi Pasien Di Rumah Sakit X Kabupaten Banyuwangi Tahun 2024, Lusyana Putri Kusuma Wardhani, Ica Imelida, Syifa’Ul Lailiyah, Nyoman Anita Damayanti, Dian Santo Prayoga

Jurnal ARSI : Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia

Patient safety is a top priority in healthcare services, including in the prevention of identification errors. Accurate patient identification is one of the Patient Safety Goals mandated by the Joint Commission International (JCI) 2024. The issue addressed in this study is the low compliance of nurses with patient identification procedures at Hospital X in Banyuwangi Regency. This study aims to analyze the relationship between nurses’ attitudes and tuning with compliance in implementing patient identification. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design was used. Data on attitudes and tuning were collected through questionnaires, while compliance data were obtained from direct observations …

Occupation, Displacement, And Violence In The West Bank: A Retrospective Analysis Of Data From 2014-2024, Sarah Aly, Fatima Mossolem, Ayeh Khalil, Tushara Surapaneni, Abd Al-Rahman Traboulsi, Waleed Aldadah, Eleanor Reid, Shakoor Hajat

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has intensified violence in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). This violence escalated after attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent military campaign in Gaza. This study examines the possible impacts of military and land occupation on displacement, injuries, and deaths in the West Bank. This cross-sectional observational study analyses casualties and displacement data in the West Bank and Israel from May 1, 2014, to June 30, 2024. Sources include the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Statista, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Death and …

Core State Injury Prevention Program Listening Sessions Report June 2025 Report, Camille Velarde, Yvonnie Baik, Elena Martinez, Theresa Cruz

Reports & Documents

Background: Injury and violence remain pressing public health challenges in New Mexico, particularly in rural and underserved communities. To inform prevention strategies, the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center partnered with the New Mexico Department of Health and local organizations to conduct community listening sessions focused on upstream approaches addressing shared risk and protective factors.

Methods: Four listening sessions were conducted in 2025 with stakeholders from county health councils and community organizations. Using a rapid qualitative analysis approach, researchers analyzed participant perspectives on local injury and violence concerns, familiarity with upstream frameworks, and communication preferences.

Results: Participants identified overlapping …

Impact Of Military-Related Moves On Spousal Perinatal Depression Screening And Mental Health Services, Chambraia Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal depression, including perinatal depression (PND), poses significant public health risks to women, infants, and families. Although routine PND screening is recommended, limited research has examined screening and referrals among military spouses, an underserved population affected by frequent relocations and deployments. This study examined how permanent change of station (PCS) frequency affects PND screening and referrals to mental health services. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model and the CDC’s social ecological model of health, eight research questions explored associations between PCS frequency, PND screening, referrals, and the moderating roles of military branch and deployment status. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used …

Do Female Patients Experience Worse Outcomes Than Male Patients After Inguinal Hernia Repair? An Analysis Of The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Database, Amrita Iyer, Sunjay Kumar, Martina Rama, Sourav Podder, Li-Ching Huang, Sami Tannouri, Talar Tatarian, Francesco Palazzo

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common general surgery operations. Some evidence suggests that female patients are at greater risk of chronic postoperative pain and hernia recurrence. We investigated rates of chronic inguinal pain and recurrence after inguinal hernia repair in both male and female patients using the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative database.

METHODS: The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative database was queried for patients undergoing elective, unilateral inguinal hernia repair who completed 30-day clinical follow-up and baseline and 1-year European Registry for Abdominal Wall Hernias Survey surveys. Both open and minimally invasive cases were included. …

Trends In The Incidence Of Ovarian Cancer Among Premenopausal And Postmenopausal Women In The United States, 2001 To 2021, Victor Adekanmbi, Abbey B Berenson, Batul Shakir, Christine D Hsu, Thao N Hoang, Itunu O Sokale, Tolulope T Sajobi, Fangjian Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Ovarian cancer remains the deadliest and leading cause of gynecological cancer-associated mortality in the US. The aim of this study was to characterize the trends in the incidence of ovarian cancer between premenopausal and postmenopausal women to inform future targeted interventions.

Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study analyzed data from the US Cancer Statistics (USCS) database, which covered the whole of the US population between 2001 and 2021. Joinpoint regression was used to compute the average annual percentage change (APC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and age-standardized incidence rates per 1,000,000 population.

Results: The results showed that the IR of …

The Relationship Between Prenatal Stressful Life Events And Breastfeeding Initiation Among Mississippi Mothers, Candon Garbo, Katie C. Hall, Disha Jhaveri, Jung Hye S. Lee, Deanna Howington, Mina Qobadi, Mary Wesley

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Early initiation of breastfeeding increases the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding, which can be linked to improving both the mother’s and infant’s health. However, breastfeeding rates in Mississippi continue to be one of the lowest in the United States, with infant mortality and morbidity rates at the highest. Purpose: This study aims to explore the impact SLEs may have on initiating breastfeeding, as research is limited. Methods: Analyzed data from 2016 to 2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) was used to determine a correlation between life stressor experiences during pregnancy and initiation of exclusive breastfeeding with a sample …

Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies Of Mississippi Initial Provider Engagement And Student Feedback Loop Project, Corban Jackson Mph, Jillian Harper-Peavy Lmsw, Imh-E, Starica Harper, Vernesia Wilson Phd, Mph

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background Between 2017 and 2022, 83% of maternal deaths in Mississippi were preventable. Unfortunately, there is a persistent shortage of OB-GYNs in Mississippi, feeding the rise of maternal care deserts and the lapse in collaboration between providers and state maternal health organizations. Purpose Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies of Mississippi, a care management program for high-risk mothers and infants, has partnered with the Mississippi Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health initiative (AIM) to improve maternal health outcomes through building healthcare networks with existing providers. Methods 33 medical students from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine and William Carey University …

A Retrospective Descriptive Study Of Maternal Morbidity Based On Mississippi Poison Control Center Data, Laura Lee S. Beneke, Zariad Saran, Mallory Pullman, Jenna Davis, David Vearrier

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Maternal morbidity and mortality remain significant public health concerns in the United States, but particularly in Mississippi, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. This study analyzes data from the Mississippi Poison Control Center (MPCC) from January 2020 through December 2024 to assess trends in exposures among pregnant women. A total of 168 cases were identified. Exposures were categorized as unintentional, intentional, adverse reactions, or unknown, with unintentional exposures (47.6%) being the most common, often due to medication misuse. Intentional exposures, often linked to suspected self harm (31.5% of cases), represented 39.9% of the total. …

More Than Words: How Communication Shapes Maternal Healthcare Experiences In Mississippi, Brittney Clayborn, Traci Hayes

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Effective communication between healthcare providers and pregnant individuals is a critical factor in shaping maternal healthcare experiences. This study explores the role of provider-patient communication in prenatal and postnatal care among a group of Mississippi mothers, highlighting how communication influences trust, decision-making, and overall satisfaction with care. Using qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews, this case study examines both positive and negative communication experiences, identifying key barriers such as dismissiveness, lack of transparency, and rushed interactions. Findings suggest that when providers engage in clear, compassionate, and culturally competent communication, patients feel more empowered and supported in their care. Conversely, poor …

Maternal Mortality In Mississippi: Enough Is Enough, Daniel P. Edney Md, Facp, Fsam

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

No abstract provided.

State Of Maternal Health, Jaleen Sims Md, Mph, Facog

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

No abstract provided.