Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Covid-19 Vaccination: Public Health Lessons From A Large Indoor Gathering, Nidhi Manikkoth, Kirthika Venkatesan, Subrahmanya Bhat, Madhavan V Pillai, Nisha Nigil Haroon

Florida Public Health Review

COVID-19 transmission rates among vaccinated persons attending large gatherings have not been reported widely. This research was intended to track the potential incidence of COVID-19 among physicians and their families who attended a large in-person gathering in Atlanta in August 2021. After the successful conclusion of a large-scale indoor gathering, we encouraged all attendees to self-report the incidence of COVID-19 illness. In addition, an online questionnaire was disseminated to collect basic information about age, gender, place of residence, vaccination status including the number of doses, type, and date of each dose as well as behavioral and convention factors that would …

A Comparison Of Diet And Physical Activity Behaviors Of High School Students In Duval County And Nationally: 2019 Yrbs, Bethley Luctama, Sydney Bridges, Kaitlyn Kol, Jack Sparkman, Judith Rodriguez

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Establishing proper physical activity and dietary behaviors during adolescence is crucial because these habits will carry on with the individual into adulthood. Proper physical activity and nutrition reduce the risk of illness and ailments.

Purpose: Identifying physical activity and dietary behaviors of adolescents in Duval County, FL, and the U.S. nationally. This study examines the differences between the Duval County and national samples using gender and grade comparisons.

Methods: The study utilized data from the 2019 Youth Behavior Risk Survey for high school students. Analysis was conducted for eight questions encompassing both physical activity and dietary behaviors to examine …

Homelessness In Urban Communities In The Us: A Scoping Review Utilizing The Socio-Ecological Model, Rolando F. Trejos Saucedo, Carla Y. Salazar Marchan, Lauren Linkowski, Shannon Hall, Lynette Menezes, Karen Liller, Joe Bohn

Florida Public Health Review

Homelessness remains a core element of the current housing stability crisis in the United States, especially in urban communities. Disparities are an important part of the pathway to homelessness, but they alone are not enough to generate and perpetuate homelessness in the US. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze existing literature to provide an evidence-based framework to help inform homeless-related policies, programs, and interventions to improve the quality of life for homeless individuals. This scoping review aims to map the last five years' literature around homelessness in U.S. urban communities by utilizing the socioecological model to analyze system-based implicated factors. …

Florida Healthcare Workers Responses To Covid-19, Kristen K. Hicks-Roof

Showcase of Faculty Scholarly & Creative Activity

These two articles were published to describe the landscape of Florida healthcare professionals' responses to COVID-19. These data were collected in mid-2020 when times were unpredictable. These findings shed a lot of light on how we need to better train healthcare professionals on telehealth, interprofessional collaboration and communication among each other and patients.

Sexual Hookups Via Dating Apps: A Qualitative Study Exploring The Experiences Of Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Florida, Brandon A. Moton, Rima Tawk, Ivette A. López, John Malone, Salimah El- Amin Witherspoon, Sandra G. Suther

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Sexual hookups via social media dating apps have been understudied among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). Purpose: The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the role of dating apps on hookup culture and to describe the sexual experiences among BMSM in Florida. Specifically, this research delves into various sexual hookup themes. Methods: Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with BMSM participants aged 18 to 25 in Florida who self-identified as frequent dating app users. A grounded theory approach was applied to thematically analyze the hookup encounters and the factors that drive these perceptions and experiences …

Analysis Of Step Therapy Reform On Floridians With Autoimmune Conditions, John M. Kirkley Iii, Eren Tatari

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Step therapy is a cost-saving measure employed by insurance companies to reduce rising drug costs; however, studies have indicated this policy has neutral or – in some cases – negative effects on patients. Specifically for indivdiuals with autoimmune diseases, the delay of proper treatment, increased risk of negative, irreversible side effects, and an underdeveloped preferred drug lists harm autoimmune patients because of the disconnect between the heterogeneity of autoimmune disease and the one-size-fits-all approach of step therapy. Objective: To determine the most effective policy for dealing with the harms of step therapy as they currently affect Floridians. Methods: Five …

The Gender Freedom Model: A Framework For Helping Transgender, Non-Binary, And Gender Questioning Clients Transition With More Ease, Rae Mcdaniel, Laurel Meng

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Transgender/non-binary experiences and identities are often represented in academic literature through narratives of distress and are often pathologized through a medical lens. This holds implications for the field of psychotherapy, as interventions aimed to support transgender/nonbinary individuals often focus solely on risk mitigation. This article presents a therapeutic framework that rests on three pillars—Play, Pleasure, and Possibility—as the focal points for reimagining work with transgender/non-binary clients. This model aims to help this population explore gender transition with more ease through building practical skills, cultivating personal and collective pride, and centering pleasure equity.

Dcn Dissertation Proposal: The Impact Of A Pediatric Interdisciplinary Outpatient Feeding Clinic On Preterm Infant Weight Gain And Caregiver Compliance With Feeding Recommendations, Doretta Leung

Dean's Leadership Council Library Research Prize

Early nutrition intervention along with interdisciplinary care is important for premature infants because malnutrition often leads to poor growth in this population.1,2 Poor growth in preterm infants results in subsequent neurocognitive development as there is an association between deficient postnatal growth and poor neurologic outcome up to age 19.1,2 It is important to focus on an infant’s nutrition, feeding, and any gastroenterology concerns after hospital discharge to prevent poor growth. Most importantly, it is essential to have an interdisciplinary care monitoring infant care and outcomes in an outpatient setting; however, this service is lacking in Northeast Florida. The newly developed …

Virtual Supervised Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic. Does Virtual Learning Affect The Quality Of Preparation For The Rd Exam Or Beginning Dietetics Practice?, Shaynee M. Roper

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Covid-19 pandemic has seemingly altered the practice of Dietetics, and its essential supervised practice component of the Dietetic Internship programs. Telehealth, in particular telenutrition, became a necessity of practice for the entire United States and many parts of the world. Medicare and many private insurance companies amended policies for the expansion, inclusion, and provision of MNT via telephone.¹ In addition, numerous Dietetic Interns were forced to complete the supervised practice (SPE) components of ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) accredited programs virtually. The practice of telehealth is not a new concept. Indeed, this area of …

A Two-Day Virtual Workshop On The Micronutrient-Directed Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam For Ghanaian Nutrition Professionals: Examining Perceived Self-Efficacy And Innovation, Leah Anne Qubty

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Micronutrients are key components of various physiological processes. Therefore, in the setting of deficiency, poor health outcomes ensue. In Ghana, micronutrient deficiencies are common and medical resources are limited. The Ghanaian dietetics profession is growing, and this growth is propitiously timed to address micronutrient deficiencies. Biochemical markers of nutrition status are considered the gold standard to detect micronutrient deficiencies, but are costly and require specialized medical equipment. In the absence of available biochemical markers of nutrition status, the micronutrient-directed nutrition-focused physical exam is a viable tool. Nutrition professionals such as Registered Dietitians are qualified to conduct this exam, but feel …

Implementation Of A Transitions Of Care Nutrition Intervention For Malnourished Patients, Nina Rocca

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The topic of Transitions of Care (TOC) has been investigated by physician and nursing professions for years, while only more recently by nutrition professionals. Registered Dietitians are not always involved in TOC planning. RDs can play an important role in TOC by communicating patients’ nutrition information across health care settings, especially for patients with malnutrition. The primary aim was to use a CDC based process evaluation to evaluate if a case management, nursing focused care transitions framework, adapted for a TOC nutrition intervention, can result in a successful intervention implementation. The secondary aim was to use a CDC outcomes evaluation, …

Nutrition Perception, Dietary Intake, And Anthropometric Correlations Between Autism Spectrum Disorder And Typically Developing Adolescents., Kristin M. Berg

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The adolescent’s nutrition perception is reflected in dietary intake and body composition. Obesity is prevalent among adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dietary habits of children with ASD are affected by sensory issues, gastrointestinal factors, and parental provision of diet. This cross-sectional study identifies the relationships among variables for dietary intake, nutrition perception of intake, and anthropometric measurements for adiposity for 19 adolescents, ages 11 to 17, with ASD. Twenty-four children who are typically developing (TD) were assessed to compare all variables for significant differences. Measurements of variables of interest were obtained from the adolescent subjects: a 24-hour recall of …

Interprofessional Education Activities And New Practitioner Competence: Implications For Practice In Nutrition And Dietetics Education, Stephanie N. Petrosky

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) are associated with improved perception, values, attitudes towards collaborative practice, and therefore benefits patients, practitioners, and health care systems. Notable organizations have long promoted standardized guidelines for best practices in interdisciplinary team-based learning to improve patient safety and health outcomes. The state of IPE in nutrition and dietetics practice was recently addressed by the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors (NDEP) practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The authors generated a call to action to engage in IPCP while pushing the boundaries of leadership in teaching, research, and practice. …

The Potential Mediating Effects Of Social Support Network Size And Physical Activity On Cognitive Function And Mortality Risk, Madeline Zipperer

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Low cognitive function has been shown to be an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality. Social support network size and total physical activity volume (TPAV) are two modifiable factors which have been shown to be independently associated with cognitive function and mortality risk. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential mediating effects of social support network size and TPAV on cognitive function and all-cause and CVD-related mortality risk in a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

METHODS: Study sample (N =2,550) included older adult (≥ 60 years of age) participants …

Estimation Of 24-Hour Urinary Creatinine Excretion Through The Development Of A Model And Its Relationship To Outcomes In Hospitalized Critically Ill Veterans, Lynn Diane Hiller

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Muscle mass is highly correlated with patient outcomes. Techniques to identify patients with low muscularity include computed tomography (CT) and bioelectrical impendence analysis (BIA) however disadvantages of cost, exposure to radiation and access make these measurements unavailable to the average dietitian. Urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) and estimation of creatinine height index (CHI) are strongly associated with muscularity and outcomes, however, require a 24-hour urine collection. The postulation that UCE may be predicted from patient variables, through mathematical modeling, would avoid the need for a 24-hour urine collection and may be clinically useful.

Methods: Input variables of age, …

Childhood Food Insecurity: A Program Impact And Evaluation Study Of The Meals On Wheels For Kids Program, Claudia Rivero

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In America, millions of families and children face hunger and food insecurity every day. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than thirty-eight million people experienced hunger in 2020. As many as 13 million children in the United States live in food-insecure homes. Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs. While valuable, barriers to these programs can block food-insecure households with children and prevent access to healthy food. The impact of adverse health and nutritional consequences, of a food-insecure household, will continue to plague our communities until efficient programming connects to those …

Exploring The Health Outcomes And Patient’S Viewpoint Of Pediatric Patients Receiving Medical Nutrition Therapy Visits With In-Person, Telephonic, And Tele-Video Modalities At A Rural Community Health Center, Valerie L. Muehleman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Covid-19 pandemic advanced telephonic (TP) and tele-video (TV) visits for medical nutrition therapy (MNT). This study explored the health outcomes and patient’s viewpoints of MNT by modalities in a community health center (CHC). Participants ranged in age from 1-18 years, diagnosed with overweight/obesity, and received MNT from a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) from January 1, 2019 to August 31, 2021. Health outcomes measured were health goal achievement, BMI percentile, pre/post lipid panel, and A1C%. Show/no-show rates and demographic characteristics of gender, age, race, insurance, county, language, and ethnicity were also compared by the visit modality. Ten interviews in the …

Identification And Characterization Of The Tssk6 Activating Co-Chaperone (Tsacc) Gene In Skeletal Muscle, Tala Shourbagi Tello

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle atrophy is defined as a decrease in muscle size and occurs due to disparate physiological conditions, including aging, immobilization, and corticosteroid exposure. TSSK6 activating co-chaperone (TSACC) was identified as a gene that is significantly upregulated in skeletal muscle in response to denervation. To confirm Tsacc expression in skeletal muscle, the Tsacc cDNA was cloned from cultured myoblast cells leading to the discovery of a novel alternative splice-variant that is 49 amino acids shorter than the known full-length transcript. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmed that Tsacc is expressed in skeletal muscle with expression increasing as muscle cells undergo differentiation. Characterization …

Health Care Capacity Surge Strategies, Jennifer L. Wenhold

Florida Public Health Review

While streamlining emergency powers might offer some advantages, recent events demonstrate how Florida’s Department of Health worked collaboratively to address the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As Florida began experiencing a need for increased health care capacity, Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) officials reviewed health care practitioners’ licensing and regulatory framework to identify mitigation strategies to boost staffing of front-line responders where needed. Florida officials responded quickly to the spread of COVID-19 and adopted health care workforce strategies that were grouped into three categories: (1) those involving licensed practitioners, (2) those involving soon-to-be licensed practitioners, and (3) those …

Provider Perception And Office Practices Of The Initial Prenatal Visit Pre – Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic, Arlin Delgado, Emma Hale, Jay Schulkin, Charles Macri, Kimberly Fryer

Florida Public Health Review

Background Prenatal Care is a critical aspect of women’s health and current literature shows adequate care significantly reduces risk of adverse outcomes. With scientific advancement, the initial prenatal visit is increasingly tasked with more objectives that leave providers with barriers to provide appropriate and adequate care.

Purpose The aim of this survey study was to determine clinical practices of the initial prenatal visit – regarding history taking, counseling, lab work and screening prior to the onset of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Methods A one-time anonymous provider survey was distributed electronically to all obstetrics providers in the Tampa Bay Region in Florida. Descriptive …

Nutrinews: November, 2021, Department Of Nutrition And Dietetics, University Of North Florida

NutriNews

This issue features UNF COVID Corner, Plant Powered Protein: Is it Enough? A Day i the Life of an Iranian Nutrition Student, Plant Power: Vegetarianism Edition, Nutrition Club Spotlight: SNDA, Are Vegans more at Risk for Developing a B12 Deficiency? Here's What you need to know?, Shopping in Season: Beets, Don't Fight the Phytonutrients!, Can athletes be plant-based?

Practical School Nutrition Program May Reduce Food Neophobia, Corinne A. Labyak, Leslie G. Kaplan, Tammie M. Johnson, Meghan Moholland

Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty Research and Scholarship

The study’s purpose was to evaluate an intervention to reduce fruit and vegetable food neophobia and influence attitudes and behaviors among children using a four-month, non-experimental, before-and-after intervention. Participants were children aged 5–11 years in an intervention school (IS) and a control school (CS). Children were offered fruit or vegetable samples weekly utilizing school-specific psychosocial and educational practices to encourage participation. The outcomes of interest included attitudes measured using a written survey-based food neophobia scale (FNS), behavioral observations, and an oral survey. The post-intervention IS FNS score was significantly lower compared to pre-intervention (p = 0.04). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a …

Nutrinews: October, 2021, Department Of Nutrition And Dietetics, University Of North Florida

NutriNews

This issue features UNF COVID corner, Mythbusting: do Probiotic supplements really benefit gut health more than fermented foods?, How Fermented Foods may Improve your health, Fermentation Innovation, Lunch Box: Red cabbage Sauerkraut with ginger, Shopping in Season: Quince, Spotting Nutritional Quackery: Check yourself before you wreck yourself, Probiotics and Performance, Slaying Diet Culture follow up.

Testing Multi-Theory Model (Mtm) In Explaining Sunscreen Use Among Florida Residents: An Integrative Approach For Sun Protection, Manoj Sharma, Matthew Asare, Erin Largo-Wight, Julie Merten, Mike Binder, Ram Lakhan, Kavita Batra

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Florida residents have the second highest incidence of skin cancer in the nation. Sunscreen usage was found to be the one of the most effective integrative health approaches for reducing risk of skin cancer. Given the limited information on the likelihood of adopting and continuing sunscreen usage behavior, this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the correlates of initiating and sustaining sunscreen usage behavior among Florida dwellers, using the fourth-generation, multi-theory model (MTM) of behavior change. A web-based survey containing 51 questions was emailed to Florida residents aged 18 years or above, who were randomly selected from the state voter file. …

Hope2 Addresses Hispanic Health Inequity In Northeast, Fl: A Call To Action To Local And State Officials. A Commentary., Catherine Saenz, Judith C. Rodriguez, Manisha Salinas, Richard O. White Iii

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Nutrinews: September, 2021, Department Of Nutrition And Dietetics, University Of North Florida

NutriNews

This issue features Nutrition Clubs, Diets Don't Work! Here's Why, Lobbying for My Plate, Myth Busting: Intuitive Eating vs. Meal Tracking: Which method works better?, 6 Steps to utilize for a successful semester, A Day in the Life of a College student, Muscadine Grapes: The Forgotten American Fruit

#Selfcare On Instagram: Proactive Mental Health Has Its Moment, Collin Mullis, Luke Nguyen, Calista Pappas

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

While widely used by clinicians, self-care has recently emerged as a trending topic in mainstream and social media. Informal health and support communities have formed on social media sites such as Instagram, which hosts more than one billion monthly users and ranks as the second most popular social networking application in the United States (U.S). This study investigates how the term self-care is portrayed on Instagram. In particular, the researchers were interested in whether or not current portrayals of self-care on Instagram aligned with the health themes previously established in the clinical definitions of self-care. Using the search term #selfcare, …

Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Drinks: Portrayal On Pinterest, Sydney Chamberlain, Jana Mitchell, Davis Major, Lena Elemam, Cassandra Cleland

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Apple cider vinegar has shown great promise for weight loss in controlled lab settings, yet these claims are widely shared on social media and may not yield the same benefits. This study used directed content analysis to examine how apple cider vinegar weight loss drinks were portrayed on Pinterest, a social media website utilized to bookmark online content. Using the search terms “apple cider vinegar weight loss drinks,” researchers sampled every fifth pin to collect 200 relevant pins. A codebook was developed, pilot tested and used to code pins. Of the 200 pins, the majority of pins (66%) positively portrayed …

Thermal Properties Of 18f-Fdg Uptake And Imaging In Positron Emission Tomography Scans Of Cancerous Cells, Carleigh R. Eagle

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans can utilize a radioactive tracer, in this case 2-deoxy2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG), to visualize malignant tumors in cancer patients. The uptake was compared to glucose to understand the difference in thermal properties, which contribute to the ability to image the cancerous cells. The uptake of ¹⁸F-FDG by cancer cells and the imaging process of positron emission tomography were reviewed from a thermodynamic perspective. Gastrointestinal and neurological imaging techniques were reviewed to understand the role of PET imaging in different areas of the human body.

Embodied Injustices: Covid-19, Race, And Epigenetics, Maria Encinosa

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

The co-occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the long-lasting effects of systemic racism has been devastating, and results in vast inequities in infection and mortality rates within communities of color. In this article, I analyze the potential for epigenetic research to operationalize the social science theory of embodiment, which describes how the social and material worlds manifest in our physical bodies. Epigenetic modifications can be triggered by environmental stressors, to which minority populations are more likely to be exposed. In turn, these stressors are linked to disorders that increase COVID-19 susceptibility. Thus, epigenetic modifications provide an avenue by which racialized …