Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of The Impact Of Neighborhood Environments On Alzheimer’S Disease And Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Dementias (Ad/Adrd), Darashagam Nahal

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

There is an increased interest in understanding the impact of neighborhood environments on cognitive functioning, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Surprisingly, there has yet to be a comprehensive review that consolidates the findings from studies conducted in this specific field. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively investigate the influence of eight neighborhood environments on AD/ADRD. The seven key neighborhood environments that are investigated in this study include: i) socioeconomic status, ii) food environments, iii) physical activity resources, iv) social cohesion, v) crime, vi) non-crime safety, and vii) healthcare services. This research conducts a …

Developing An Efficient Regulatory Framework For Safe Street Food In Bangladesh: Lessons From Comparative Analyses With India, Thailand, And New York City, Usa., Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Globally, approximately 2.5 billion individuals consume street food1 daily. Street food is affordable, convenient, and sometimes nutritious, offering diverse and appealing food choices. A World Health Organization (WHO) report in 1996 ascertained that 74% of countries recognized the substantial contribution of street foods to their urban food supply The following parts of the article look into street food's impact on public health and its implications for the lives of people in Bangladesh. Subsequently, it will examine previous initiatives and current endeavors to ensure street food safety and hygiene. Following this literature review, the study will conduct a detailed examination of …

Exploring Influencing Factors On The Adoption Of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During Pandemics: Covid-19 As An Example., Ahmed Abdulmohsen I Alobaydullah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pandemics are associated with loss of life, hospitalizations, and disruption to people’s social and economic lives. As the 2019 pandemic illustrates, COVID-19 can be prevented by pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Recommended measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands, social distancing, and self-quarantine have been proven to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Identifying the factors associated with adherence to NPIs is the first step in understanding which levers of change to pull when designing health promotion interventions such as health communication campaigns. This dissertation explores these factors and proposes a health communication framework during pandemics. Research Questions: …

Socioecological Factors Associated With The Timing Of Prenatal Care Initiation In Kentucky And Beyond: An Exploratory Study., Melissa B. Eggen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Early prenatal care is initiated in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy and is a known contributor to improved short- and long-term outcomes for women and infants. Despite its known benefits, many women do not initiate early prenatal care. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the socioecological factors associated with the timing of prenatal care initiation in the United States and in Kentucky. Methods: Chapter Two of this dissertation used a scoping review methodology to identify barriers and facilitators related to first-trimester prenatal care initiation among women in the United States. Chapter Three of this dissertation used …

Examining The Relationship Between Mass Incarceration, Gender Norms, And Hiv Vulnerability For Formerly-Incarcerated Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Women., Adrienne B. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2018, Black Americans represented 42% of new HIV diagnoses, despite comprising only 13% of the population. Moreover, Black men accounted for three-quarters of new HIV cases in 2016, with Black gay/bisexual men contributing to the majority of incidence among Black Americans. Existing literature suggests that individual behavior alone cannot explain these racial inequities in HIV rates. This study aims to explore the role of the criminal legal system (CLS) as a structural determinant of health, given its historical racial implications that disproportionately affect Black Americans. Additionally, the study examines masculinity’s influence as a predictor of risky sexual behavior. This …

Assessing The Relationship Between Racism In Medicine, Medical Mistrust And Cardiovascular Disease Among Black American Adults., Osayande Agbonlahor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) persists as the leading preventable cause of death and disability among Black Americans in the United States. Structural and psychosocial factors such as racism have been highlighted as a fundamental cause of persistent cardiovascular health disparities in the U.S. This study examined the associations between racism in medicine, medical mistrust and CVD among Black Americans using the Minority Stress Theory as a theoretical framework. This study evaluates the sociodemographic differences in the quality of care received among Black Americans. Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey, 2022 and the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems …

Reimaging Safety After Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration Of Survivors' Experiences With Formal And Informal Crisis Response Networks., Hallie Ruth Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a highly prevalent public health and human rights concern impacting communities across the United States. SV is associated with a myriad of adverse physical, reproductive, sexual, mental, behavioral, financial, and social health outcomes which may be acute or chronic. Health challenges associated with post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder are particularly common among victims and survivors of SV. Engagement in early psychological/psychosocial intervention strategies may prevent or reduce PTSD-related symptomatology after experiencing an SV encounter. Despite the availability of crisis response and support options to support individuals who have experienced SV, significant barriers exist across social …

"They Are Who We Thought They Were": The Influence Of White Supremacist Discourse On Voter Suppression And Black Health., Tanisha Howard Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Political systems in the United States have contributed to health outcomes in the through the historic and legal doctrine related to race and racism, segregation, housing, employment, and education. In recent years, significant attention has been given to theorizing the political determinants of health and what it means in the overall conversation about health equity. The equity implications of the political determinants of health are innumerable because they are the origin point of the structural determinants of health and the primary drivers of the social determinants of health, which span from environmental conditions to food security. The focal determinant of …

Evaluating The Epidemiological, Hormonal, And Psychosocial Sex-Based Differences In Sports-Related Concussion Outcomes, Samantha Kanny

All Dissertations

Sports-related concussions (SRCs) affect approximately 3.8 million athletes in the United States per year. A multitude of risk factors including age, sex, concussion history and prior medical conditions have been observed to significantly increase sports-related concussion symptom burden. Researchers have posited many reasons to explain sex-based differences in SRC outcomes, often categorized by biological characteristics or sociocultural factors, however, females are vastly underrepresented in sports-related concussion research, making it difficult to understand the true mechanisms underlying SRC sex-based differences. The goal of this dissertation is to help fill the current gap in knowledge on sex-based differences in sports-related concussion outcomes. …

Exploring The Nexus: The Influence Of Acculturation And Stress On Infant Outcomes Among Hispanic And Black/African American Adolescents, Mia I. Moreno

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Numerous studies on acculturation and acculturative stress exist; however, findings are inconsistent and overlook an exploration of differences between Hispanic and Black/African American (B/AA) adolescents’ acculturation, stress, and birth outcomes. Despite societal and cultural challenges for both minorities, Hispanic women typically have positive birth outcomes comparable to White women, but B/AA women show an increased risk for negative birth outcomes. Further, minority and adolescent childbearing women frequently receive fewer prenatal care (PNC) visits than recommended which may impact birth outcomes. Therefore, my study sought to compare Hispanic and B/AA women’s birth outcomes assessing acculturation and stress and examine the relationship …

Global Burden Of 288 Causes Of Death And Life Expectancy Decomposition In 204 Countries And Territories And 811 Subnational Locations, 1990–2021: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021, Gbd 2021 Causes Of Death Collaborators, Veincent Christian F. Pepito

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Methods

Long-Term Healthcare Utilisation, Costs And Quality Of Life After Invasive Group B Streptococcus Disease: A Cohort Study In Five Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries, Farah Seedat, Simon Procter, Ziyaad Dangor, Shannon Leahy, Sridhar Santhanam, Hima John, Quique Bassat, Celine Aerts, Amina Abubakar, Carophine Nasambu

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Introduction There are no published data on the long-term impact of invasive group B Streptococcus disease (iGBS) on economic costs or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in low-income and middle-income countries. We assessed the impact of iGBS on healthcare utilisation, costs and HRQoL in Argentina, India, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa.

Methods Inpatient and outpatient visits, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare payments in the 12 months before study enrolment, and health-state utility of children and caregivers (using the EuroQol 5-Dimensions-3-Level) were collected from iGBS survivors and an unexposed cohort matched on site, age at recruitment and sex. We used logistic or Poisson …

How Livelihood Change Affects Food Choice Behaviors In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review, Emma Kenney Mph-Pa, Krystal K. Rampalli, Sharraf Samin, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Ligia I. Reyes, Shiva Bhandari, Morgan Boncyk, Stella Nordhagen, Helen Walls, Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, Amy Ickowitz, Solveig A. Cunningham, Ramya Ambikapathi, Beatrice Ekesa, Mirriam Matita, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd

Faculty Publications

Livelihoods have changed dramatically over the past decade in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). These shifts are happening in tandem with shifts in individual and household food choice behaviors. This scoping review aimed to identify and characterize mechanisms through which livelihood changes could affect food choice behaviors in LMIC, including behaviors relating to food production, acquisition, preparation, distribution, and consumption. A literature search was conducted using 4 databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, AGRICOLA, and Embase. The search was further enhanced by expert solicitations. Studies were included if they measured or focused on a livelihood change, described or assessed a change in ≥1 …

The Importance Of Statewide Policy, Comprehensive Sex Ed, And Adolescent Sexual Health: A Conversation, Cecilia Calise, Serena Russell

Senior Honors Projects

Though the importance of comprehensive sexual health education cannot be overstated, it is currently lacking in much of the United States. Teens and young adults experience significant negative health effects as the result of systems that fail them when it comes to preparing them to make informed decisions, build healthy relationships, and navigate the complexities of sexuality in a safe and supportive environment. This project builds on our past collaborative and original research from the URI course, Sexuality: Health, Wellbeing and Policy, which discusses the significant role that sex education programs play in supplementing non-comprehensive or non-medically accurate curricula, particularly …

Betrayal As A Moderator Of Covid-19 Exposure And Ptsd Symptoms, Karly Sara Weinreb

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been interest in understanding how individuals have fared regarding their mental health symptoms, such as symptoms of PTSD. Prior studies have established a link between COVID-19 and PTSD without considering how COVID-19 may relate to the four PTSD symptom clusters. Further, those who feel betrayed by either an individual or institution tend to have more severe PTSD (Martin et al., 2013). It is possible that individuals felt a level of both interpersonal and institutional betrayal towards other individuals or institutions for exposing them to environments in which there was a risk of …

Species Distribution And Logistic Regression Analysis Of Nosocomial Legionella Detection And Infection In New York State, 2017 – 2023, Roxann Brna

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Healthcare facilities are high-risk areas for legionellosis infections, as they have large, complex potable water systems ideal for Legionella proliferation, and they host susceptible populations. New York State regulation 10 NYCRR § 4-2: Protection Against Legionella in Healthcare Facilities was implemented in July 2016 to reduce healthcare-acquired legionellosis. This regulation mandated environmental surveillance of healthcare facilities’ potable water systems via culture. Data from these environmental reports were paired with data for cases of healthcare-acquired legionellosis infections for the years 2017-2023. Using these data, geographic Legionella species and serogroup distributions were described, and logistic regressions evaluated facility attributes associated with potable …

A Content Analysis Of Tiktok Challenges In The News, Michael Jakakas

ALL - Honors Theses

Social media is a phenomenon that has drastically altered how people receive information about current events, communicate with each other, and consume entertainment. Apps such as TikTok have become widely used by many but have also faced increased scrutiny for the nature of its content including viral challenges where users will post a challenge video doing an activity that often has the potential to lead to injury. This content analysis study looks to analyze how these TikTok challenges are covered by news media by assessing how frequent news coverage of TikTok challenges is and the characteristics of such coverage. The …

Extreme Temperature And Other Environmental Factors On Diabetes Admissions, Donghong Gao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Although total environmental factors have been linked with adverse health outcomes, the impacts of temperature and other total environmental factors on diabetes-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits remain inconclusive.Objective: This dissertation aims to Aim 1) test the associations between extreme heat and diabetes hospitalizations in the summer and its transitional months, identify populations vulnerable to extreme heat’s effects, and examine the modification effects of greenness on the heat-diabetes associations in warm months (Chapters 3 and 4); Aim 2) investigate the associations between extreme cold and diabetes hospitalizations in the winter and its transitional months, identify populations vulnerable to …

Does Appearance Matter? The Relationship Of Perceived Body Size And Physical Appearance On Students' Attraction To Physical Activity At Recess, Danielle Belcher

Master's Theses

Drastic declines in recess physical activity (PA) have been observed within recent years (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2017). Due to recess’ discretionary nature, psychosocial variables associated with PA are predictors of students’ PA levels. Recess is also a time of heightened bullying occurrences (Vaillancourt et al., 2010). Appearance-based bullying is the most common type of victimization that occurs in schools, transpiring more often in children with larger body max indexes (BMI), and possibly altering students’ physical self-perceptions. Physical self-perceptions have been shown to impact PA motivation, however, it is still unknown the extent to which appearance-based bullying, body size, …

Fatty Acid Concentrations In Preterm Infants Fed The Exclusive Human Milk Diet: A Prospective Cohort Study, Lindsay F Holzapfel, Jana P Unger, Pam Gordon, Heeju Yang, Joanne E Cluette-Brown, Laura A Gollins, Amy B Hair, Camilia R Martin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Quantify blood fatty acids and growth outcomes in preterm infants fed the exclusive human milk diet.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 30 infants 24-34 weeks gestation and ≤1250 g fed the exclusive human milk diet. Blood fatty acids were quantified at two time points. Comparisons were made using two-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum.

RESULTS: Donor human milk-fed (n = 12) compared to mother's own milk-fed infants (n = 18) from birth to after 28 days of life, had an increased interval change of linoleic to docosahexaenoic acid ratio (5.5 vs. -1.1 mole percent ratio, p = 0.034). …

Association Of Maternal Body Mass Index And Maternal Morbidity And Mortality, Mara J Dinsmoor, Lynda G Ugwu, Jennifer L Bailit, Uma M Reddy, Ronald J Wapner, Michael W Varner, John M Thorp, Steve N Caritis, Mona Prasad, Alan T N Tita, George R Saade, Yoram Sorokin, Dwight J Rouse, Sean C Blackwell, Jorge E Tolosa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of maternal body mass index (BMI) with a composite of severe maternal outcomes.

Study design: Secondary analysis of a cohort of deliveries on randomly selected days at 25 hospitals from 2008 to 2011. Data on comorbid conditions, intrapartum events, and postpartum course were collected. The reference group (REF, BMI: 18.5-29.9kg/m2), obese (OB; BMI: 30-39.9kg/m2), morbidly obese (MO; BMI: 40-49.9kg/m2), and super morbidly obese (SMO; BMI ≥ 50kg/m2) women were compared. The composite of severe maternal outcomes was defined as death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator use, deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus (DVT/PE), …

Stopping The Bleed At Uri, Emily Lefebre

Senior Honors Projects

The number one cause of preventable death is uncontrolled bleeding from traumatic injury. From the unlikely scenario of a school shooting, to a campus car accident or an injury during a sports or club event, possessing skills to effectively stop a life-threatening bleed becomes a matter of life or death. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) STOP THE BLEED® program is a campaign to teach communities how to respond effectively and efficiently to life-threatening bleeding in emergencies. STOP THE BLEED® aims to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to stop severe bleeding by tourniquet application, …

Protocols For Enhancing The Role And Value Of Spiritual Care Resources In The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Garrett Harper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the assessment of innovative practices in police chaplaincy. The purpose of the project intervention is to develop protocols that can guide police chaplains through an assessment process. The intervention relies on practical theology as exemplified through the ministry of chaplaincy. This ministry comprises police chaplains offering spiritual comfort to persons encountering critical incidents involving violence, accident, or other trauma-intensive events and situations. Adoption of innovations can allow police chaplains to be more effective in fulfilling many outward-focused tasks such as delivery of death notifications. I conclude that: (1) police chaplaincy is amenable to use of protocols to …

Assessing Health Implications Of Monarch Butterfly Populations And Behaviors, Kira Goldman, Kelsey E. Fisher Dr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Pollinator populations have seen massive declines over the past decade due to anthropogenic activity and climate change posing serious threats to the health of humans and ecosystems (Ulyshen & Horn, 2023). As agents responsible for the production of about 35% of micronutrient rich food crops necessary for adequate nutrition to lead healthful lives and prevent nutrition associated diseases, pollinator decline is a public health concern (Aizen et al., 2009). Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) serve as bio indicators for the health of pollinator populations because of their analogous habitat and food resources shared with many other pollinator species, including bees and …

Analysis Of Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns In Pasteurellaceae Family Isolates: A Microbial And Molecular Investigation, Jillian Barron

Honors Scholar Theses

Bacteria in the Pasteurellaceae family are known to cause disease in both human and animal species. Like all species of bacteria, the pathogens in the Pasteurellaceae family evolve and acquire antimicrobial-resistant traits. Antimicrobial resistance of bacteria is a significant public health concern, as treatment of resistant pathogens becomes more difficult, if not impossible, with current medical capabilities. In this project, phenotypic and genotypic analyses were performed on Pasteurellaceae family isolates sourced from the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Phenotypic antibiotic sensitivity patterns of each isolate were assessed against a panel of antibiotics through a Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. Disk diffusion …

Retention, Adherence, And Acceptability Testing Of A Digital Health Intervention In A 3-Group Randomized Controlled Trial For Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Jennifer Kawi, Chao Hsing Yeh, Lauren Grant, Xinran Huang, Hulin Wu, Chunyan Hua, Paul Christo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate a digital health intervention using Auricular Point Acupressure (APA) for chronic musculoskeletal pain in terms of participant retention, adherence, acceptability, and satisfaction. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a global concern and there are persistent challenges in pain management. Despite the value of digital health interventions, these interventions need to be fully evaluated for feasibility.

METHODS: We conducted a 3-group, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial (RCT). After Institutional Review Board approval, we posted recruitment flyers in a university, healthcare clinics, and community settings. Participants were randomized into an in-person + app group (n = 8), virtual + app group (n = …

Spatial Hearing In Simulated Reverberant Classroom Environments, Gabriel Seth Evan Weeldreyer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spatial hearing provides access to auditory spatial cues that promote speech perception in noisy listening situations. However, reverberation degrades auditory spatial cues and limits listeners’ ability to utilize these cues for segregating target speech from competing babble. Hence, spatial unmasking—an intelligibility benefit from a spatial separation between a target and masker—is reduced in reverberant environments as compared to free field. This work tests the hypothesis that interaural decorrelation, the result of increasing reverberation, will broaden the perceived auditory source width with a cascading effect of reduced auditory spatial acuity and subsequently poorer spatial unmasking. To understand the perceptual consequences of …

Seasonal Comparison Of Air Quality Variables And Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide And Particulate Measurement Period In Classrooms, Daud Nosham

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Indoor air quality and thermal environmental variables were measured in 55 classrooms in the mid-western United States spanning a full academic year. The studied air quality and environmental factors included carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, particle counts, air velocity, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone.

Carbon dioxide and Particulate matter concentrations were measured for a four-day measurement period. Then one-day, two-day, and four-day occupied time average concentrations were calculated which were then compared statistically to figure out an appropriate measurement period for these air quality variables. Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon test were used to …

Breaking The Rule Of Silence: Childbirth And Gendered Power In Efuru And The Joys Of Motherhood, Sunday Elliott Uguru

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the thematic preoccupation of childbirth in the formative period of feminist discourse in African literature through a critical study of selected novels of Igbo women of southeastern Nigeria. The novels studied represent the earliest published African texts in English by women. The period under focus falls within the emerging stage of Nigerian literary tradition in its written form with a dominant presence of men. This study investigates the women novelists' perspective toward the failure of male authored works to represent women's childbirth experience. Through a critical reading of Flora Nwapa's Efuru and Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of …

The Sexual Trauma Of The Female Body: Violence Against Women In Contemporary Spanish And Latin American Cultures, Lara Armenteros Garrido

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation focuses on the idea that women’s bodies have a sexual stigma attached to them as a consequence of different forms of heteropatriarcal violence inflicted on them. From violence in public spaces, such as street harassment or the sexual exploitation of women, to the intimacy of the relationship, like intimate partner violence or the orgasm gap, it becomes increasingly difficult for women to escape violence. Through the analysis of films, documentaries, narratives, and the testimonies of women from Spain and Latin America, I argue there is still a lack of adequate sexual and emotional knowledge to help complete agency …