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Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Management Department News (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Urgent Challenges for Local Public Health Informatics

Probiotic Yoghourt For Health, Nutrition And Women's Empowerment In Kenya: A Community-Based Approach, Ellena Andoniou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The dissertation aims to examine the impacts of probiotic yoghourt on health, nutrition and women’s empowerment within the context of HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Mixed methods that combine quantiative and qualitative approaches are used to understand the effects of probiotic yoghourt on the health, nutrition and quality of life for men and women. Results of the quantiative analysis (n=227) demonstrated that the probiotic yoghourt confers a variety of health benefits – physiological (fewer urogenital conditions and digestive problems; reduced dependence on medical treatment), and psychological (perceived improvements with bodily appearance, felt an increased meaningfulness with life). Results of the qualitative analysis …

Health Educators’ Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Implementation Of School-Based Sexual Education, Kari Ellis

Honors Theses

Mississippi is one of the leading states in both teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection rates. In an effort to limit these rates, Mississippi passed House Bill 999 in 2011. This bill mandated sexual education in public schools throughout the state. However, since the passage of the bill there have been many factors that impact the way this curriculum is taught. To better understand these factors, how they affect educators, and how schools are addressing them, this study surveyed educators who taught some form of sex-related education curriculum from 2011 to 2016. The findings show that educators believe many factors …

Gathering Steam In Health Care: A Student History, Michael J. Leach

The STEAM Journal

In this reflection, I demonstrate STEAM in health care by outlining my 15 years as a university student engaged in formal education, extracurricular learning, research, and employment.

Health And Health Care In Kentucky: Variations By Region And Metro/Micro/Rural Status, Tyrone F. Borders, Keith Branham

Institute for Rural Health Policy Reports

Health policy makers and health system managers frequently make decisions to allocate and organize resources according to differences in unmet needs across geographic areas. This report describes, compares, and contrasts key health, health behavior, and health care access indicators by region and metropolitan status in Kentucky.

Valuing And Financing Multi-Sector Population Health Initiatives, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Large-scale multi-sector health improvement initiatives can be difficult to initiate and sustain over time due to uncertainties about their health and economic impact. This presentation reviews research on multi-sector population health initiatives, and examines several alternative approaches for sustainable financing.

Policy Brief: Expanding Food Benefits For Immigrants: Charting A Policy Agenda For New York City, Anabel Perez-Jimenez, Nicholas Freudenberg

Publications and Research

This policy brief explores the eligibility of various categories of New York City’s immigrant populations, from those who have become citizens to permanent residents (Green Card holders) to those who lack legal immigration status, for SNAP, WIC and School Food, the nation’s main food benefit programs. We also examine factors that facilitate or block immigrants’ enrollment in these programs. Our larger goals are to encourage more systematic study of immigrant access to food benefits and identify opportunities for improving access. We hope to widen a public conversation among immigrants and their organizations, food security groups, food justice advocates and policy …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health News (2011-2023)

• Georgia Southern Partnered on a Study to Examine Challenges and Innovations in Surveying the governmental public health workforce
• Georgia Southern Partners to Examine E-Waste Management in the United States
• Georgia Southern Collaborates with UNCG to examine strategies of an LHD to Build and use information systems
• Georgia Southern Partners to examine a multiagency approach to reducing west Nile Virus
• Georgia Southern Examines control of the public health IT Physical Infrastructure

Smart Health Monitoring System: A Human-Centered Design, Dolzodmaa Davaasuren, Jordy Timothy, Askar Zhapbassov, Tahmeed Rafee, Prim Boonwisut, Raymond Tanudaja

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Dolzodmaa Davaasuren, Jordy Timothy, Askar Zhapbassov, Tahmeed Rafee, Prim Boonwisut, and Raymond Tanudjaja are fourth-year students in industrial engineering at Purdue University. They all share a common interest in the health care industry. In this article they describe how they developed a health monitoring device prototype within the course titled Work Analysis and Design II (IE 486).

Health Departments’ Engagement In Emergency Preparedness Activities: The Influence Of Health Informatics Capacity, Gulzar H. Shah, Bobbie J. Newell, Ruth E. Whitworth

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background: Local health departments (LHDs) operate in a complex and dynamic public health landscape, with changing demands on their emergency response capacities. Informatics capacities might play an instrumental role in aiding LHDs emergency preparedness. This study aimed to explore the extent to which LHDs’ informatics capacities are associated with their activity level in emergency preparedness and to identify which health informatics capacities are associated with improved emergency preparedness.

Methods: We used the 2013 National Profile of LHDs study to perform Poisson regression of emergency preparedness activities.

Results: Only 38.3% of LHDs participated in full-scale exercises or drills for an emergency …

Training African Refugee Interpreters For Health Related Research, Terri Soelberg, Michal Temkin-Martínez, Mikal Smith, Pamela Springer

English Literature Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes an approach to training African refugee interpreters for their role in health-related research. A study was proposed to evaluate the self-reported health of African Refugees in Boise, Idaho. Collaboration with a community advisory board revealed that targeted communities had members who spoke at least one of five main languages, many of whom had limited access to formal education. Interpreters were recruited from the refugee communities, and had either worked for and/or received training through one of two local hospitals. Few of the interpreters had experience serving in that role in the context of a research study. A …

Transforming Public Health Delivery Systems For Population Health Improvement, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

A growing body of empirical research documents the health and economic benefits of multi-sector health improvement initiatives. In this session we share research that points to the delivery system features --including institutions, infrastructure, and incentives -- that lead to effective population health improvement strategies.

Aspartame: An Investigation Of The Use Of Artificial Sweeteners, Carlson John, Alvin Page, Bsc

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in many foods and beverages. Aspartame is two hundred times sweeter than regular sugar. Many people prefer to use artificial sweeteners like aspartame as it does not affect blood sugar in the same way as natural sweeteners, does not promote tooth decay, and has been shown to be beneficial in weight control. However, it has also been linked with the development or aggravation of diabetes mellitus, convulsions, headaches, depression, hypertension, arthritis, and other medical conditions. We hypothesize that natural sweeteners are healthier than artificial sweeteners, like Splenda.

Artificial sweeteners …

Social Connectedness, Social Support And The Health Of Older Adults: A Comparison Of Immigrant And Native-Born Canadians, Natalie Iciaszczyk

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Considerable research exists on the influence of social relationships for health in old age. However, few studies have compared the associations of social connectedness and social support with the health of older adults. Using data from the CCHS-Healthy Aging, this study examines how these constructs are related to the self-reported health status of immigrant and native-born adults aged 65+. Results show that social connectedness and social support are differently associated with health in later life; whereas connectedness is linked to better health, social support is negatively related with health once levels of social connectedness are considered. Furthermore, these associations hold …

‘Project Spraoi’: A Randomized Control Trial To Improve Nutrition And Physical Activity In School Children, Tara Coppinger, Seán Lacey, Cian O'Neill, Con Burns

Publications

Background

Recent evidence predicts that by 2030, Ireland will have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Consequently, there are concerns that health problems associated with this condition will present in childhood. Studies have shown that interventions based on increasing physical activity (PA) levels, reducing sedentary lifestyles and improving nutritional habits all pose protective mechanisms against obesity and its related disorders in youth. Yet, to date, there are no interventions being delivered in Ireland that concurrently target PA, nutritional habits and sedentary time amongst school children.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement and evaluate an intervention that …

Radiography Students: Factors Contributing To Their Stress And Methods Of Coping, Kayla A. Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students experience high levels of stress, especially those in health care programs. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to Tennessee radiography student stress levels and the methods by which they cope with stress. Additionally, do demographic factors affect radiography student stress levels? The research was conducted February 4 to March 30, 2016. A survey was distributed to students in a radiography program at two and four year colleges in Tennessee. Participants were asked questions on factors that influence their stress levels, coping strategies, and health issues experienced in the past year. Descriptive statistics, independent …

Comprehensive Public Health Delivery Systems: Using Foundational Capabilities To Achieve Health Impact And Equity, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Achieving health equity requires building more comprehensive systems. Using data from a nationally representative cohort of U.S. communities, this session will explore the characteristics of Comprehensive Public Health Delivery Systems, the structures and processes needed to build such systems, and the health and economic benefits attributable to these systems.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare innovative ways to structure local health departments that maximize resources to enhance service delivery to the community.
• Discuss ways local health departments can build strategic alliances to implement successful collaborations that address health threats in the community.

Differences In Health-Related Behaviors And Attitudes Between Urban, Rural, And Isolated Households In Western West Virginia, Michael Newsome Phd, Tim Hazelett, Monika Sawhney Phd, Msw

Michael Newsome

This study uses data from a 2013 survey of 275 randomly sampled households across nine counties in western West Virginia to examine the significant differences between the health behaviors and attitudes of rural and isolated populations. The results show that age, education, and income are significant factors in explaining differences in health-related behaviors and attitudes for all urban, rural and isolated respondents. However, after controlling for socio-demographic differences, isolation is found to have only a few significant effects, and some of the effects run counter to stereotypes of isolated populations. Rural respondents are significantly more likely than isolated respondents to …

Differences In Health-Related Behaviors And Attitudes Between Urban, Rural, And Isolated Households In Western West Virginia, Michael Newsome Phd, Tim Hazelett, Monika Sawhney Phd, Msw

Monika Sawhney

This study uses data from a 2013 survey of 275 randomly sampled households across nine counties in western West Virginia to examine the significant differences between the health behaviors and attitudes of rural and isolated populations. The results show that age, education, and income are significant factors in explaining differences in health-related behaviors and attitudes for all urban, rural and isolated respondents. However, after controlling for socio-demographic differences, isolation is found to have only a few significant effects, and some of the effects run counter to stereotypes of isolated populations. Rural respondents are significantly more likely than isolated respondents to …

Lasting Impression, Summer 2016, College Of Dental Medicine

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Medical Needs Of The Hispanic Community In Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, Kim Bélanger-Giguère, Jose Pino, Brad Lian

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Little is known about the health concerns and issues among the Hispanic community in growing, mid-sized cities, such as Macon, Georgia.

Methods: A questionnaire on general health-related issues was given to a sample of 125 Hispanic participants.

Results: The top health concerns of the Hispanic community were diabetes, obesity, and dental hygiene; the most common factors preventing Hispanics from receiving medical treatment were the lack of insurance, language barriers, and copayments or deductibles being too high.

Conclusions: Lack of higher education and the inability to communicate effectively in English may be manifested as difficulties in finding proper information about …

Examining Infant Health Outcomes Impacted By South Carolina's Regionalized System Of Perinatal Care, Michael Grady Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal regionalization systems have been shown to reduce the risk of neonatal mortality when very low birth weight infants are delivered in Level III hospitals with neonatal intensive care units, sub-specialist staffing, and adequate experience caring for high-risk pregnancies and neonates. However, studies to date examining the association between delivery in Level III hospitals and neonatal mortality have not accounted for censoring due to fetal deaths. Furthermore, studies of perinatal regionalization to date have not adequately assessed the association between delivery hospital level of care and the infant’s hospital length of stay. This dissertation examined 8,594 very low birth weight …

Environmental And Community Health In South San Diego County: A Behavior Analysis Of Recreational Ocean Users Along Imperial Beach, California, Trista Brophy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Garbage & sewage runoff into the Pacific Ocean at the shoreline along the U.S./Mexico Border region poses serious health and environmental threats. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current beach users’ behavioral factors that may be linked to illness prevalence from Coronado Island to the U.S./Mexico border at Imperial Beach in San Diego County. It is a continuation of a study completed by Wildcoast and Imperial Beach Clinic in 2011. The study tried to answer the following two major questions: How have the number of illnesses reported by users along South San Diego County beaches changed in …

Integrating Delivery And Financing Systems Across Sectors To Build A Culture Of Health, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The delivery and financing systems for medical care, public health, and social and community services are powerful determinants of health and wellbeing for families and communities across the U.S. Unfortunately, these systems interact in complex and often poorly understood ways through fragmented funding streams, organizational relationships, information flows, and governance and decision-making structures. This session will feature new studies underway through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Systems for Action (S4A) Research Program to test multi-sector strategies for integrating delivery and financing systems to improve population health.

Featured speakers:

David Meltzer, MD, PhD, University of Chicago Urban Labs. Expanding a Comprehensive …

Impeding Access To Quality Patient Care And Patient Rights: How Myriad Genetics' Gene Patents Are Unknowingly Killing Cancer Patients And How To Calm The Ripple Effect, Marisa Noelle Pins

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engaging in physical activity can help older adults to take part in community activities, maintain relationships, and initiate new friendships, thus preventing loneliness and depression. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate whether participation in physical activity improved depressive symptoms in 15 older adults at a local senior center. Pender’s health promotion model was used to determine nursing and behavioral science views on components that affect health behavior. The Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale (EBBS) survey was evaluated before implementation of the walking program to measure the benefits of and barriers to exercise. The EBBS results showed that …

Summer Dehydration, Rodney Richmond

College of Pharmacy Faculty Research ​and Publications

No abstract provided.

Why-The-United-States-Needs-A-National-Birth-Cohort-Study.Pdf, Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román

Ezekiel J Dixon-Román

Traveling With Stowaways: The Human Microbiome And Travel, Alisha N. Hughes

Global Honors Theses

The human microbiome is a research field that is fairly new and thus, not yet fully understood. However, past research has revealed that the human host and the microorganisms interact with each other. To comprehend how influential the connection between host and its stowaways is, the following text will first offer general information on the human microbiome, before moving on to a pilot case study proposal. With the use of similar case studies, this proposal aims to investigate how the human microbiome changes when the host travels and analyzes the changes and their affects on the individual’s health. The paper’s …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Management Department News (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Receives $510,000 Grant from the Georgia Department of Community Health