Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Complexity, Cofactors, And The Failure Of Aids Policy In Africa, Eileen Stillwaggon

Economics Faculty Publications

Global AIDS policy still treats HIV as an exceptional case, abstracting from the context in which infection occurs. Policy is based on a simplistic theory of HIV causation, and evaluated using outdated tools of health economics. Recent calls for a health systems strategy – preventing and treating HIV within a programme of comprehensive health care – have not yet influenced the silo approach of AIDS policy.

Evidence continues to accumulate, showing that multiple factors, such as malnutrition, malaria and helminthes, increase the risk of sexual and vertical transmission of HIV. Moreover, complementary interventions that reduce viral load, improve immune response, …

How Does One Become Spiritual? The Spiritual Modeling Inventory Of Life Environments (Smile), Doug Oman, Carl E. Thoresen, Crystal L. Park, Philip R. Shaver, Ralph W. Hood, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

We report psychometric properties, correlates and underlying theory of the Spiritual Modeling Index of Life Environments (SMILE), a measure of perceptions of spiritual models, defined as everyday and prominent people who have functioned for respondents as exemplars of spiritual qualities, such as compassion, self-control, or faith. Demographic, spiritual, and personality correlates were examined in an ethnically diverse sample of college students from California, Connecticut, and Tennessee (N=1010). A summary measure of model influence was constructed from perceived models within family, school, religious organization, and among prominent individuals from both tradition and media. The SMILE, based on concepts from Bandura's (1986) …

Neuropsychological Effects Of The Traumatic Stress Response In Sexually Abused Adolescents Throughout Treatment, Kathryn R. Wilson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem in our society that has long-term detrimental consequences to the development of the affected child such as future brain growth and functioning. The alteration of the biochemical stress response system in the brain that changes an individual’s ability to respond efficiently and efficaciously to future stressors is conceptualized as the traumatic stress response. The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of the traumatic stress response on sexually abused adolescents’ through a two-tiered study of neuropsychological functioning throughout treatment. It was determined that there are measurable differences in neuropsychological processing in sexually …

A Comparison Of Two Theoretical Models Of Procedural Justice In The Context Of Child Protection Proceedings, Twila Wingrove

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this study, the researcher tested two theoretical models of justice in the context of child protection proceedings. Participants read a case file describing a hypothetical child neglect case. The file included the court petition, the caseworker’s court report, a summary of the protective custody hearing, and the judge’s final order. Within the case file, the researcher manipulated four variables: procedural treatment, interpersonal treatment, severity of child neglect, and assigned role (judge or parent). Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a four-factor model of justice judgments best fit the data. Consistent with the organizational justice approach (Colquitt, 2001) the …

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: July 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from July 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: July 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from July 3, 17 and 31, 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Efficient Parameter Estimation In Longitudinal Data Analysis Using A Hybrid Gee Method, Denis H. Y. Leung, You Gan Wang, Min Zhu

Research Collection School Of Economics

The method of generalized estimating equations (GEEs) provides consistent estimates of the regression parameters in a marginal regression model for longitudinal data, even when the working correlation model is misspecified (Liang and Zeger, 1986). However, the efficiency of a GEE estimate can be seriously affected by the choice of the working correlation model. This study addresses this problem by proposing a hybrid method that combines multiple GEEs based on different working correlation models, using the empirical likelihood method (Qin and Lawless, 1994). Analyses show that this hybrid method is more efficient than a GEE using a misspecified working correlation model. …

Opportunities For Comparative Research In Public Health Pbrns : A Baseline Analysis Of Local Practice Settings, Glen P. Mays, Sharla A. Smith, Elaine B. Wootten, Sylvia J. Porchia

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This analysis describes the organizational and operational characteristics of local public health agencies participating in an initial cohort of five (5) public health PBRNs in the U.S. We examine variation in practice settings within and between PBRNs; compare practice settings to state and national norms; and identify opportunities for comparative research that can be conducted through PBRNs.

War And Hiv In Latin America, Shawn Smallman

International & Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Conflict has shaped the HIV pandemic from its inception, from the spread of HIV-1 in Central Africa, to the diffusion of HIV-2 from Portuguese Africa to the globe. At the same time, the relationship between HIV and conflict has been non-linear and poorly understood. Nancy Mock and her colleagues have been almost the only scholars to propose a model to understand this relationship. Their work suggests that several key variables (such as the time scale of the conflict, the characteristics of the parties involved, and the geographic scale of the fighting) explain wide variations in how warfare appears to have …

Ethnicity Matters: The Socioeconomic Gradient In Health Among Asian Americans, Emily S. Ihara

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and health status among Asian Americans using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based random-digit-dial survey with race-ethnic supplemental samples. Multivariate logistic regression analyses show that the inverse relationship between socioeconomic position and health status is similar for Asian Americans when measured as an aggregate group compared to Whites. However, when specific Asian American ethnic groups are examined, the relationship varies greatly. For example, among Chinese Americans and Vietnamese Americans, education is a significant predictor of poor health status, but household income is more significant among Korean Americans. …

A Study Of Bus Stop Accessibility: Public Health Students Working In Partnership With The Center For Independent Living, Ellen D.S. López, Susan F. Fesperman, Staci H. Graff, Stephanie Schropp, Sarah T. Catalanotto, Allysha C. Robinson, Zaynab I. Major

Florida Public Health Review

Over 54 million U.S. citizens report living with at least one disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act stipulates legislation that prohibits the discrimination of persons on the basis of disability. Rather than riding the bus in areas that offer a fixed-route bus system, individuals with disabilities often rely on expensive and limited paratransit services, or on family and friends. It has been proposed that with improvements in bus accessibility, riders with disabilities could use the fixed-route system more often and increase their options for independence and community participation. During their 2008 spring semester, participants in the University of Florida College …

Cancer Health Education Preferences Among Miami-Dade County Construction Workers, Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, David J. Lee, Lora E. Fleming, Lourdes Loubriel, Syed M. Ahmed, Aracely Alicea-Clark, John Davis Clark Iii, Evelyn P. Davila

Florida Public Health Review

Construction work is a high-risk, transient occupation. Worksite outreach programs for cancer risk assessment are highly warranted because workers are exposed to both occupational and environmental carcinogens. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a paired cancer risk assessment and cancer prevention intervention using “lunch trucks” among construction worksites as the delivery mechanism. Among the 57 completed questionnaires from construction workers on a Miami-Dade County construction high-rise apartment building site, there were 50 (88%) males and 29 (51%) white Hispanics. Over 54% of the construction workers were current smokers of cigarettes, 3.5% chewed tobacco, and 19.3% smoked cigars. Of …

Health Literacy And Treatment Adherence In Hispanic Hiv-Infected Patients, Maria L. Alcaide, José G. Castro

Florida Public Health Review

This study examined health literacy in Hispanic HIV infected patients attending two large public clinics in Miami, Florida and assessed its association with adherence to antiretroviral medications. We performed a cross-sectional study. Eligible participants were enrolled from the Jackson Memorial Hospital HIV outpatient clinic and the University of Miami AIDS clinical research facility. Data were derived from socio-demographic information, the adult AIDS clinical trial group (AACTG) adherence questionnaire, the short test of functional literacy in adults (STOHFLA), and information about HIV clinical stages. Questionnaires were completed by study participants or by the study coordinator in their preferred language and the …

Confidence Intervals For The Ratio Of Two Exponential Means With Applications To Quality Control, James Albert Polcer,Iii

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

We considered the problem of statistical quality control based on the ratio of two population means. We restrict the discussion for two exponential rates, which are commonly used for modeling failure times of components, machines, or systems. Closed form expressions via the moment generation function (MGF) technique will be presented, and numerical examples will be shown using engineering data sets.

The Determinants Of First Nation And Inuit Health: A Critical Population Health Approach, Chantelle A.M. Richmond, Nancy A. Ross

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Environmental dispossession disproportionately affects the health of Canada’s Aboriginal population, yet little is known about how its effects are sustained over time. We use a critical population health approach to explore the determinants of health in rural and remote First Nation and Inuit communities, and to conceptualize the pathways by which environmental dispossession affects these health determinants. We draw from narrative analysis of interviews with 26 Community Health Representa- tives (CHRs) from First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. CHRs identified six health determinants: balance, life control, education, material resources, social resources, and environmental/ cultural connections. CHRs articulated the role …

Aisr Connections, Fall 2009 (2009-2010 Orientation Issue)

The AC's Research Support Newsletter (Formerly AISR Connections)

No abstract provided.

A Psychoeducational Group Intervention For Fibromyalgia Patients, Derek O. Bacchus

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the effect of a multidisciplinary psychoeducational treatment group on Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) pain, depression, catastrophizing, and quality of life. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment—Abbreviated Version were used to assess these constructs in 15 participants. The sample was composed entirely of female participants and was predominantly middle aged, which is typical of the FMS population. Two separate groups of FMS patients—seven in Group 1, eight in Group 2—completed a 10-week psychoeducational intervention where they were presented with …

Clergy Stress: Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Hong Kong, Singapore, And Taiwan, Onn Liang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This research utilized an expanded ABC-X model of family stress, one that incorporated the culture and boundary ambiguity constructs of the contextual approach as a paradigm to examine the outcomes of job-related stress experienced by the Seventh-day Adventist pastors in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. All together 89 Adventist pastors or 86.4% of the total pastoral workforce in the three regions participated in the 52 self-administered questionnaire survey. In addition, two focus groups made up of 15 pastors in Taiwan were utilized to generate descriptive data related to pastors and their families in the context of stressful situations. This research …

Attitudes And Beliefs That Predict Taiwanese Older Adults' Intentions To Attend Strength And Balance Training Programs, Shih-Fan Lin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The rate of participation in the strength and balance training (SBT) program, an effective fall prevention intervention, is very low among older adults. To increase older adults' participations in SBT programs, this study involved an observational and cross-sectional study design to understand factors that affect Taiwanese older adults' intention to attend SBT programs utilizing the theory of planned behavior. Questionnaires that measured constructs of the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) were collected from 221 community-dwelling Taiwanese elderly women between the age of 55 and 94. Simple correlations and multiple …

The Effects Of A Psychoneuroimmunology Based Lifestyle Intervention In Modifying The Progression Of Major Depression In Clinically Depressed Adults, Ruth A. Tanyi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chronic stress can lead to poorly controlled upsurges of cortisol and dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby contributing to major depression. Hence, researchers have begun to examine the effects of individual psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) interventions and their impact on modifying stress and depression. However, there is a lack of studies that have examined the composite effect(s) of a PNI-based lifestyle intervention and major depression. Thus, this randomized interventional study examined the composite effect(s) of a PNI-based lifestyle intervention: combined progressive muscle relaxation and spiritual guided imagery and humor as an adjunct therapy to modifying the progression of depression. Participants were …

Accuracy Of A Rationally-Derived Method For Predicting Failure In Residential Treatment, Jennifer Pester Grattan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recent studies of adult mental health treatment have used patient-focused research methods to improve outcomes, by tracking treatment response and comparing it with expected recovery patterns. One such line of research has used rationally-derived and empirically-derived methods to analyze data gathered by the OQ-45 and identify patients who are not responding as expected to treatment. This allows for adjustment of treatment, which results in improved outcomes and lower overall costs.

Similar but less extensive research has provided evidence that these approaches may also improve outcomes in outpatient treatment for children and adolescents. These approaches might be particularly useful in residential …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: June 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from June 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: June 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from June 6 and 19, 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Joint Attention In Young Children With Autism, Sabrina Jara

Honors Scholar Theses

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are classified as pervasive developmental disorders characterized by social, communicative, and behavioral impairments. According to formal and informal reports, children with ASD present with receptive and expressive language delay. Joint attention (JA: the behavior that occurs when two individuals focus on the same object or event) has been identified as a possible marker of delayed language development in children with ASD. In this study, the JA behaviors in children with ASD were contrasted with initially language-matched typically developing (TYP) children across three visits.

Measures of language, the frequency, duration, and source of initiation of JA episodes, …

History Of Maltreatment And Psychiatric Impairment In Children In Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Kerry Gagnon

Honors Scholar Theses

There is increasing evidence that childhood victimization and attachment disruptions impact a child’s development. In this study, children and adolescents from an outpatient psychiatric clinic were assessed, measuring history of trauma, history of out-of-home placement, initial diagnoses, and CBCL internalizing and externalizing problem scores. Multiple regression analyses showed that both violent abuse trauma (physical/sexual abuse) and victim trauma (physical abuse/sexual abuse/witnessing domestic violence/witnessing community violence) are prevalent among patients with externalizing severity problems; concluding that diagnosis alone may not account for a history of victimization, but externalizing problem severity does. Overall, the study is consistent with past literature that it …

Diagnosing The Prodromal State Of Alzheimer's Disease, Jennifer Bartkowiak

Honors Scholar Theses

Mild Cognitive Impairment- Amnestic Subtype (MCIa) is a putative prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) characterized by focal deficits in episodic verbal memory. Less is known about relative deficits in visuospatial learning, although there is ample evidence indicating involvement of the hippocampus in visuospatial learning, as well as hippocampal degeneration in early AD. The aim of this study was to better characterize the components of working memory dysfunction in people with MCIa to increase the ability to reliably diagnose this disease. Fifty-six elderly adults diagnosed with MCIa and 94 healthy elderly completed a hidden maze learning task. Results indicated similar …

The Treatment Action Campaign's First Decade: Success Achieved?, Jung Cho

Honors Scholar Theses

South Africa is known to have the largest HIV epidemic in the world with 5.7 million people currently living with HIV, according to UNAIDS. In light of the crisis, South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has led the social movement for increased treatment access for people living with HIV through lobbying the government, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and grassroots campaigning. Since it's founding a decade ago, TAC has been highly acclaimed both regionally and internationally for its success. In order to determine the success of this social movement organization, social movement theories, such as mobilization potential, external political opportunity structure, and …

To Vaccinate, Or Not? Health Care Providers And The Hpv Controversy, Nicole Elizabeth Hanbury

Honors Scholar Theses

Gardasil® – the vaccine was first thought to be a medical breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but it quickly became plagued with controversy. Despite wide media coverage, little attention has been paid to today’s health care professionals who are ultimately responsible for prescribing the vaccine, and who may be the most knowledgeable about it. The present study seeks to expand on previous literature by investigating health care providers’ current beliefs and practices with the human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization. It is essential that more recent research be performed in order to encompass current views of the vaccine, post FDA-approval.

Data …

Assessment Of English Language Learners Seeking A Graduate Degree In Speech Language Pathology, Lisa Anne Prushko

Honors Scholar Theses

A shortage of bilingual/bicultural speech language pathologists may reflect a problem with recruitment and retention of bilingual/bicultural students. The purpose of the present study was to survey graduate training programs in speech language pathology to determine typical policies and practices concerning students who apply and are admitted as ELLs. With a growing number of ELL children needing services from a bilingual SLP, it seems that little is being done to address the issue. The problem may be with the reluctance of programs to not only accept ELL students, but there also seems to be a disinclination for any sort of …