Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Directory Of Services And Resources To Support Breastfeeding Initiation, Exclusivity, And Longevity In The El Paso Texas Region, Tiffany Nichelle Butler

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human milk is recognized as the ideal food for infants; however, in order for human milk to get to the infants, breastfeeding requires the support of the healthcare system. Among infants born in 2015 in United States, 4 out of 5 started to breastfeed and despite of this high rate, only 22% of mothers exclusively breastfed for 6 months. The decisions to breastfeed are influenced by multiple factors including breastfeeding education and support, hospital practices, and participating in tailored education programs. The Office of the Surgeon General has identified the need for healthcare systems to "guarantee continuity of skilled support …

A Test Of Criteria For Determining "Optimal" Ppor Model Reference Groups: Measuring Excess Infant Deaths In The Border Region, Alexis Nicole Ramos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Infant mortality is one of the strongest indicators of social and economic development in all countries. Understanding infant mortality is critical for understanding the health of nations. Strategies for lowering infant death rates are needed. The Perinatal Periods of Risk Model (PPOR) is an approach that allows communities to determine when infant death and excess death is occurring by categorizing death into four perinatal categories. Excess infant deaths are determined by defining a reference group with the lowest mortality rate, and then comparing the reference group rate to other subgroups. The typical reference group has been defined as white, …

Gender Differences In Initiation Into Methamphetamine Use In A Mexico-U.S. Border City, Amir Gerardo Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: The literature indicates that there are gender differences in drug use patterns but there is minimal information available on initiation into methamphetamine (meth) use by gender, especially on the border region. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, Cd. Juarez and Tijuana have been described as being in a potential state of a meth outbreak due to drug trafficking, substance abuse, migration, violence, and poverty. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to describe current methamphetamine users in Cd. Juarez and their drug using behaviors and identify gender differences in their socio-demographic characteristics, initiation into meth use, recent …

Prevalence Of Risk Factors For Metabolic Syndrome In Uninsured Hispanic Adults From Low Income Communities In El Paso, Texas, Juan Antonio Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of a group of associated risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other related chronic diseases. In the U.S. it is estimated that nearly 35% of the adult population have metabolic syndrome. According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines risk factors for developing MetS include large waistline, high blood pressure, high triglyceride level, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and elevated fasting blood glucose level. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of risk factors for MetS among uninsured, low socioeconomic status adult Hispanics in El Paso, Texas. The study population resided …

Application Of The Water Poverty Index In Border Colonias Of West Texas, Marcelo Korc

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study applied the Water Poverty Index (WPI) in border colonias and other rural areas of west Texas. The colonias are mostly unincorporated communities located primarily in New Mexico and Texas along the border with Mexico and are characterized by high poverty rates and substandard living conditions. In Texas, access to drinking water and sanitation services has been identified as one of the most significant determinants of health in over 350 colonias with about 50 thousand residents.

The WPI is a multidimensional measure that links household welfare with water availability. WPI components were identified and prioritized by a wide range …