Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

In-House Polymerase Chain Reaction For Affordable And Sustainable Chlamydia Trachomatis Detection In Trinidad And Tobago, Joanne Rampersad, Xiaohui Wang, Helen Gayadeen, Samuel Ramsewak, David Ammons

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Objectives: To provide a preliminary assessment of in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an alternative to the more costly commercial test for detection of asymptomatic infection by Chlamydia trachomatis and to provide much needed demographic data on infection indicators within the Trinidad and Tobago public health care system.

Methods: An inexpensive in-house nested-PCR with an Internal Amplification Control was used to detect C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in urine samples collected from 273 apparently healthy, pregnant women from March-September 2004 in Trinidad, West Indies. Demographic information on participants was collected and subjected to statistical analyses.

Results: C. trachomatis was detected …

Inference On Overlapping Coefficients In Two Exponential Populations, Mohammad F. Al-Saleh, Hani M. Samawi

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

Three measures of overlap, namely Matusita’s measureρ , Morisita’s measure λ and Weitzman’s measure Δ are investigated in this article for two exponential populations with different means. It is well that the estimators of those measures of overlap are biased. The bias is of these estimators depends on the unknown overlap parameters. There are no closed-form, exact formulas, for those estimators variances or their exact sampling distributions. Monte Carlo evaluations are used to study the bias and precision of the proposed overlap measures. Bootstrap method and Taylor series approximation are used to construct confidence intervals for the overlap measures.

Field Assessment Of A Model Tuberculosis Outbreak Response Plan For Low-Incidence Areas, Laura Freimanis Hance, Karen R. Steingart, Christine G. Hahn, Lisa Pascopella, Charles M. Nolan

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: For a regional project in four low-incidence states, we designed a customizable tuberculosis outbreak response plan. Prior to dissemination of the plan, a tuberculosis outbreak occurred, presenting an opportunity to perform a field assessment of the plan. The purpose of the assessment was to ensure that the plan included essential elements to help public health professionals recognize and respond to outbreaks.

Methods: We designed a semi-structured questionnaire and interviewed all key stakeholders involved in the response. We used common themes to assess validity of and identify gaps in the plan. A subset of participants provided structured feedback on the …

Hubungan Perilaku Pemberantasan Sarang Nyamuk Dan Kejadian Demam Berdarah Dengue Di Kota Bandar Lampung, Amrul Hasan

Kesmas

Kasus demam berdarah dengue di Kota Bandar Lampung terus mengalami peningkatan. Pada tahun 2001 incidence rate sebesar 13,56 per 100.000 penduduk, meningkat menjadi 109,8/100.000 penduduk pada tahun 2006 dan akhir Februari 2007 Kota Bandar Lampung dinyatakan Kejadian Luar Biasa (KLB) Demam berdarah dengue lokal. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui hubungan kebiasaan melakukan pemberantasan sarang nyamuk (PSN) dengan kejadian demam berdarah dengue di Kota Bandar Lampung. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain kasus kontrol dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 406 individu terdiri dari 203 kasus dan 203 kontrol. Kasus adalah individu yang menderita DBD yang pernah dirawat di rumah sakit dan dilaporkan ke Dinas Kesehatan …

Analisis Risiko Asupan Oral Pajanan Mangan Dalam Air Terhadap Kesehatan Masyarakat, Taufik Ashar

Kesmas

Mangan yang secara alami dapat ditemukan di air, tanah, dan udara adalah zat nutrisi esensial bagi manusia dan hewan. Asupan yang tidak mencukupi atau yang berlebihan dapat gangguan kesehatan. Pajanan kronik mangan pada dosis yang tinggi dapat mengakibatkan gangguan pada sistem saraf. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui perkiraan risiko kesehatan akibat asupan mangan dari air sumur di wilayah penelitian. Penelitian dengan disain crossectional ini dilakukan terhadap masyarakat di wilayah sekitar TPA Rawakucing yang meliputi masyarakat yang bermukim di dalam kawasan (114 orang), dan di luar kawasan TPA (177 orang). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan rata-rata konsentrasi mangan dalam air sumur di wilayah …

Kualitas Bakteriologis Air Minum Isi Ulang Di Wilayah Kota Bogor, Astri Wulandari Pratiwi

Kesmas

Kebutuhan masyarakat terhadap air minum yang meningkat terutama di perkotaan mendorong tumbuhnya Industri Air Minum Dalam Kemasan (AMDK) dan usaha Depot Air Minum (DAM) isi ulang yang siap melayani masyarakat. Tujuan penelitian ini mengetahui kualitas bakteriologis depot air minum isi ulang di Wilayah Kota Bogor. Jenis penelitian deskriptif, data primer yang digunakan mencakup peralatan yang digunakan pada 27 Depot Air Minum Isi Ulang, pemeriksaan laboratorium total coliform dan E.coli pada air sampel air minum isi ulang, observasi dan data sekunder yang diperoleh dari Dinas Kesehatan Kota Bogor tentang lokasi Depot Air Minum Isi Ulang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sumber air …

Lingkungan Fisik Kamar Tidur Dan Pneumonia Pada Anak Balita Di Puskesmas Kawalu Kota Tasikmalaya, Nur Widodo

Kesmas

Pneumonia masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang penting di Indonesia termasuk di Kota Tasikmalaya. Diperkirakan proporsi penyakit pneumonia bayi adalah 16,4%, dan pada balita adalah 25%. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan kejadian pneumonia pada balita dengan faktor lingkungan fisik kamar tidur dan karakteristik anak. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah case control. Sampel sebanyak 300 responden terdiri dari 150 orang kasus dan 150 orang kontrol. Dari hasil uji multivariat tanpa interaksi, faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi kejadian penyakit pneumonia pada anak balita adalah status gizi dengan nilai B 1,799 dan OR = 6,041 (CI 95%=1,607-22,713). Sedangkan hasil uji interaksi diperoleh …

Parental Smoking As Health-Risk Factors Of Indoor Air Pollution, Rachmadi Purwana

Kesmas

Pengaruh dari kebisaan merokok terhadap gejala gangguan pernapasan telah banyak diteliti. Tulisan ini merupakan bagian dari disertasi doktoral berdasarkan studi potong lintang mengenai kesehatan lingkungan di perumahan kumuh di Jakarta, ibukota Indonesia yang dikenal tinggi polusi udaranya. Studi ini menemukan bahwa di samping faktor-faktor lain, merokok adalah faktor risiko kesehatan untuk gangguan pernapasan pada 263 balita di wilayah penelitian. Anak-anak yang direkrut tidak menunjukkan gejala gangguan pernapasan pada awal observasi dan diikuti selama dua minggu untuk mendeteksi kemunculan gangguan pernapasan. Faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan kondisi fisik perumahan dan aktifitas rumah tangga juga dicatat. Analisis data dilakukan dengan pengendalian konfounder. Cut-off …

Dislipidemia Dan Obesitas Sentral Pada Lanjut Usia Di Kota Padang, Sudijanto Kamso

Kesmas

Data-data di rumah sakit maupun di masyarakat menunjukkan penyakit kardiovaskuler yang terdiri dari penyakit jantung koroner, penyakit jantung hipertensi dan stroke adalah penyebab utama kematian pada kelompok lanjut usia. Penelitian-penelitian menunjukkan bahwa faktor yang dapat menyebabkan timbulnya penyakit kardiovaskuler tersebut adalah gangguan kadar lemak dalam darah (dislipidemia) dan obesitas sentral. Berbagai penelitian dibidang penyakit kardiovaskular telah dilakukan, tetapi data mengenai dislipidemia dan obesitas sentral pada lansia Indonesia masih dirasakan kurang. Tujuan utama penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui prevalensi dislipidemia dan obesitas sentral, serta faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan obesitas sentral pada lansia di Padang, daerah dengan prevalensi penyakit kardiovaskular yang tinggi. …

Analisis Kesehatan Kerja Pembantu Rumah Tangga Di Surabaya, Tri Rini Puji Lestari

Kesmas

Perempuan pembantu rumah tangga (PRT) dipandang sebagai potret buram perempuan saat ini. Keberadaan PRT diselimuti oleh berbagai persoalan struktural seperti kemiskinan, diskriminasi, ideologi patriarki, feodalisme dan kelas. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui kondisi kesehatan kerja PRT di Surabaya. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode kualitatif dengan melakukan wawancara mendalam kepada informan kunci. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kapasitas kerja, beban kerja, dan beban tambahan yang diterima PRT menjadikan PRT disebut sebagai “pekerja yang serba bukan” karena posisi “marginal” dari status sekaligus posisi PRT. Selain itu, sampai saat in, di Surabaya PRT belum mendapat perlindungan hukum. Sebagai gambaran bahwa pekerjaan PRT masih belum …

Pengetahuan Dan Sikap Pemakaian Kontrasepsi Pada Remaja Putri “Gaul” Di Parkir Timur Senayan, Jakarta, Musafaah Musafaah

Kesmas

Banyak remaja yang secara seksual aktif telah melakukan hubungan seks sebelum menikah dan berisiko kehamilan dan penyakit menular seksual. Kesepakatan Kairo 1994, menyatakan bahwa remaja mempunyai kebebasan berpikir dan berhak membuat keputusan tentang kesehatan reproduksi. Itu berarti bahwa remaja berhak terlibat dalam program Keluarga Berencana (KB) dan mendapat pelayanan kontrasepsi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi pengetahuan dan sikap pada remaja putri “gaul” terhadap pemakaian kontrasepsi. Penelitian dengan desain cross sectional ini dilakukan pada remaja putri berumur 15 – 24 tahun yang belum menikah yang biasa nongkrong dan berkumpul pada malam Minggu, di Parkir Timur Senayan, Jakarta Selatan. Sampel diambil dengan …

Depression In The Elderly: Does Family System Play A Role? A Cross-Sectional Study, Ather M. Taqui, Ahmed Itrat, Waris Qidwai, Zeeshan Qadri

Department of Family Medicine

Background

The most common geriatric psychiatric disorder is depression. The role of family systems in depression among the elderly has not been studied extensively. It has been suggested that urbanization promotes nucleation of family systems and a decrease in care and support for the elderly. We conducted this study in Karachi, a large urban city of Pakistan, to determine the relationship between the type of family system and depression. We also determined the prevalence of depression in the elderly, as well as correlation of depression with other important socio-demographic variables.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the premises …

Concurrent Panel Session 2: Health Challenges Facing Las Vegas, Carlos Brandenburg, Shawn Gerstenberger, Zaven Khachaturian, John Mcdonald, Dennis Pirages, Thom Reilly, Kathy Silver, Bonnie Sorenson, Carolyn B. Yucha, Maurizio Trevisan

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Moderator: Marcia Turner, NSHE Health Science System Scribe: Candace Griffith, UNLV Department of Sociology Conference white paper & Full summary of panel session, 8 pages

Reframing School Dropout As A Public Health Issue, Nicholas Freudenberg, Jessica Ruglis

Publications and Research

Good education predicts good health, and disparities in health and in educational achievement are closely linked. Despite these connections, public health professionals rarely make reducing the number of students who drop out of school a priority, although nearly one-third of all students in the United States and half of black, Latino, and American Indian students do not graduate from high school on time. In this article, we summarize knowledge on the health benefits of high school graduation and discuss the pathways by which graduating from high school contributes to good health. We examine strategies for reducing school dropout rates with …

Clinical Skills Day: Preparing Third Year Medical Students For The Rural Rotation, Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, Therese M. Zink, Kathleen D. Brooks, J. Miller

Family Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: In order to prepare third year medical students in the Rural Physician Associate Program for a nine-month community-based continuity care experience in rural Minnesota, USA, a clinical skills day that featured human patient simulators and standardized patients was developed. Patients presenting with common urgent and routine primary-care problems were developed and presented using the objective structured clinical examination for teaching. The goals of the day were to: (1) distinguish urgent from non-urgent clinical presentation; (2) use clinical guidelines for making decisions; (3) communicate effectively in stressful situations; and (4) uncover a significant clinical issue with a different presenting complaint. …

V Is For Voluntary: Uptake Of Hiv Testing And Counseling In Mombasa District, Kenya, Julie Caplow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is a crucial HIV intervention strategy, promoting safe behavior, providing personalized support, and serving as an entry point for care and treatment. Experts agree that knowledge of HIV status should ideally be universal; however, as VCT is a voluntary service, certain challenges arise in promoting its uptake. Though Kenya has made remarkable headway in expanding its VCT provision, setting a leading example for the world, 80% of adult citizens still have never been tested. This project investigates the factors controlling the uptake of VCT in Mombasa district and seeks ways to reach more people with …

Diagnostic Classifications And Resource Utilization Of Decedents Served By The Department Of Veterans Affairs, Sonia A. Duffy, Laurel Copeland, Faith Hopp, Robert J. Zalenski

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Given the volume and cost of inpatient care during the last year of life, there is a critical need to identify patterns of dying as a means of planning end-of-life care services, especially for the growing number of older persons who receive services from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Methods: A retrospective computerized record review was conducted of 20,933 VHA patients who died as inpatients between October 1, 2001 and September 30, 2002. Diagnoses were aggregated into one of five classification patterns of death and analyzed in terms of health care resource utilization (mean number of inpatient days and …

Air Toxics Under The Big Sky – A High School Science Teaching Tool, David Jones, Tony Ward, Diana Vanek, Nancy Marra, Curtis W. Noonan, Garon Smith, Earle Adams

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

A project has been developed between Big Sky High School and The University of Montana (UM) which has brought together high school students and teachers, university scientists, and county environmental health officials in a multilayered research experience focusing on the collection and analysis of specific air toxics, and investigating their relationship to respiratory diseases. The Air Toxics Under the Big Sky project allows students to benefit from an independent experience linking science, research, and local environmental issues. We see this as a long term project which will be built upon and expanded by future students during each new school year …

Download Entire Pdf Prescriptions For Excellence In Health Care-Fall 2007, Issue 1.

Prescriptions for Excellence in Health Care Newsletter Supplement

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Pregnancy And Maternal Mortality In Rural Senegal: An Examination Of The Pregnant Woman’S Experience, Megan Frances Harlow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Much prior research has focused on the problem of maternal mortality in Senegal, the factors that cause it, and the numerical trends that indicate either decline or increase in maternal mortality. Few studies, however, have captured the mentality, attitudes, or beliefs of Senegalese women in rural areas, or the rationality behind their behaviors during pregnancy, which ultimately have implications for the alleged contributors to maternal mortality. I conducted the bulk of my field research in Saraya, a small town in southeastern Senegal. Through study of prenatal consultation records, participant observation in multiple settings, and interviews with healthcare practitioners and recent …

En Busca De Equilibrio: Una Evaluación Del Componente De Salud Intercultural Del Programa Orígenes En La Primera Fase, Sarah Stellberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The social changes of globalization and the loss of socio-cultural identity have contributed to a progressive health deterioration of the Mapuche people in southern Chile. Although traditional Mapuche medical knowledge and practices continue to complement western medicine, neither modern healthcare nor ancestral practices are capable of satisfying all of the health demands the Mapuche population presents. Faced with this situation, Programa Orígenes (Origens Program), financed through a loan from the Interamerican Development Bank and funds from the Chilean Government, has developed an Intercultural Health initiative as a socio-culturally appropriate solution to the healthcare problems within indigenous populations of the country. …

Rural Utility Cooperative (Ruc): Final Evaluation Report, Steven Konkel

Reports

No abstract provided.

Mrsa Prevention And Control In County Correctional Facilities In The Greater Dayton Area, Jeffrey Allen Webb

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Recently there has been an increasing number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases in correctional facilities around the country, including the Greater Dayton area. Considering the potential health impact of MRSA on correctional facilities it is important that facilities have prevention and control protocols in place. This study summarizes the prevention and control preparedness activities of county correctional facilities in the Greater Dayton area. The positive response rates for the control measures were 88.4% for screening, 83.6% for treatment, 80.6% for personal hygiene, 95.4% for environmental control, 80.4% for education and 84.3% for standard precautions. The study also compared rural …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 8, October 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes a faculty spotlight on Dr. Maio and another article written by Dr. Plumb "Public Health Perspective: Public Health Advocacy—A Perspective and Opportunities" and an update on the Delaware Valley Schweitzer Fellows Program.

Chemotherapy And Survival For Patients With Multiple Myeloma: Findings From A Large Nationwide And Population-Based Cohort, Nidhi Rohatgi, Xianglin L. Du, Ann L. Coker, Lemuel L. Moye, Michael Wang, Shenying Fang

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To assess the patterns of chemotherapy use for patients with multiple myeloma and to determine if chemotherapy is effective in prolonging survival outside the clinical trial settings.

Methods: We studied a nationwide and population-based retrospective cohort of 4902 patients ≥65 years of age with stage II or III multiple myeloma from 1992 to 1999, identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results-Medicare data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio of receiving chemotherapy and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of mortality associated with chemotherapy.

Results: Of 4902 patients with stage II …

Long-Term Effects Of A Physical Activity Intervention In High School Girls, Russell R. Pate, Ruth P. Saunders, Rod K. Dishman, Cheryl L. Addy, Marsha Dowda, Dianne S. Ward

Faculty Publications

Background - Physical activity decreases during childhood and adolescence, and physical activity levels are significantly lower in females than males, particularly during adolescence. Schools are attractive settings in which to implement interventions designed to promote physical activity in girls and young women, but few studies have tested the sustained effects of such interventions.

Design - Cross-sectional. Data were collected in 2002-2003 and analyzed in 2006-2007.

Setting/Participants - 1594 adolescent girls in 22 high schools.

Intervention - The intervention, Lifestyle Education for Activity Program (LEAP), was designed to increase physical activity in 9^th grade girls through two channels: changes in …

Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic Load And Ovarian Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Meera Jain, Geoffrey R. Howe, Anthony B. Miller, Thomas E. Rohan

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

There is some evidence that plasma insulin levels might influence ovarian cancer risk. The glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) are measures that allow the carbohydrate content of individual foods to be classified according to their postprandial glycaemic effects and hence their effects on circulating insulin levels. Therefore, we examined ovarian cancer risk in association with GI and GL, and intake of dietary carbohydrate and sugar.

Methods

The study was conducted in a prospective cohort of 49 613 Canadian women enrolled in the National Breast Screening Study (NBSS) who completed a self-administered food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) between 1980 and …

Writing The World: Ursula K. Le Guin And Margaret Atwood’S Literary Contributions To Ecofeminism, Melissa Messer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Along with the philosophical writings of ecofeminism’s greatest proponents and critics, the growth of ecofeminist philosophy has relied heavily on fiction writers. The term ecofeminism was coined in 1975, and the following year ecofeminism found fertile ground for exploration and growth in March Peircy’s science fiction novel, Woman on the Edge of Time (1976). The social, academic, and literary trends leading up to the emergence of ecofeminism, however, began well before 1975. Both Ursula K. Le Guin and Margaret Atwood are speculative fiction authors whose work before and after 1975 examines important ecofeminist topics and contributes to the growth of …

Risk Factors For Hiv Transmission Among Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men In Atlanta, Valerie A. Hepburn, Denyse N. Nanan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

This study assessed and compared demographic factors, psychosocial factors, health seeking behavior, and sexual practices of two convenience samples of Hispanic/Latino gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) in the metropolitan Atlanta region. The aim was to obtain data on emerging HIV/AIDS patterns in this group. Bilingual surveys were conducted in 2000 and 2006 at local gay bars. Discrepancies observed between HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual behaviors in 2000 were replicated in 2006. Contrary to expected improvements due to enhanced HIV/AIDS education and awareness, risk behavior for HIV/STDs increased significantly between 2000 and 2006. These findings should inform …

Health Literacy Levels Among Adult Support Group Members And The General Adult Public : A Focus Group Approach, Daniel R. Czech, June Alberto, A. Barry Joyner

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Health literacy has been identified as lacking in 47% of Americans (The National Academies, 2004). While health literacy reports of studies conducted in the southern section of the United States are available (DeWalt et al., 2004; Kennen et al. 2005), this research team found limited research that provides health literacy levels of the southeast, rural Georgia population. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine and compare health literacy of health-related support group members and non group members in southeast Georgia utilizing a focus group methodology developed by Kreuger (1994). After Institutional Review Board approval at a local university, …