Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pesticide Exposure And Cortical Brain Activation Among Farmworkers In Costa Rica, Carly Hyland

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Previous epidemiological studies have reported associations of pesticide exposure with poor cognitive function and behavioral problems. However, these findings have relied primarily on neuropsychological assessments. Questions remain about the neurobiological effects of pesticide exposure, specifically where in the brain pesticides exert their effects and whether compensatory mechanisms in the brain may have masked pesticide-related associations in studies that relied purely on neuropsychological measures.

Methods: We conducted a functional neuroimaging study in 48 farmworkers from Zarcero County, Costa Rica, in 2016. We measured concentrations of 13 insecticide, fungicide, or herbicide metabolites or parent compounds in urine samples collected during two …

The Pharmacy Community Apgar Questionnaire: A Modified Delphi Technique To Develop A Rural Pharmacist Recruitment And Retention Tool, Daniel R. Terry, Blake Peck, Danny Hills, Jaclyn Bishop, Mark Kirschbaum, Kehinde O. Obamiro, Hoang Phan, Ed Baker, David Schmitz

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: An adequate healthcare workforce remains essential for the health of rural communities. Strategies to address rural health workforce challenges have often centred on the medical and nursing workforce; however, addressing the rural pharmacist workforce also remains critical as they are often the first point of contact for health advice. Initiatives have increased pharmacist supply; however, key issues such as poor attraction, recruitment, and retention to rural areas remain. The aim of this study was to support the recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural areas of Australia through the development of the Pharmacy Community Apgar Questionnaire (PharmCAQ).

Methods …

If Smoking Were Eliminated, Which Us Counties Would Still Have High Rates Of Smoking-Related Cancers?, Douglas J. Myers, David Kriebel

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: to characterize the county variability of the impact of smoking elimination on rates of smoking-related cancers and explore whether common environmental indices predicted which metropolitan counties would experience high rates of smoking-related cancers even after smoking was eliminated. Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data were obtained. County level cancer rates for 257 metropolitan SEER counties, including the observed rates and those predicted after eliminating smoking, were derived via multilevel regression modeling and age standardized to the 2016 SEER population. Associations between the EPA’s Environmental Quality Index (EQI) scores and “Low Benefit” …

Dorsogluteal Intramuscular Injection Depth Needed To Reach Muscle Tissue According To Body Mass Index And Gender: A Systematic Review, Pamela Strohfus, Sara Palma, Chelsea Tindell Wallace

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aims and objective(s)

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the needle length required to reach the dorsogluteal muscle based on body mass index and sex. Our aim was to provide evidence-based recommendations to current intramuscular injection guidelines from the result(s) of this review.

Background

Studies worldwide are documenting reduced medication effectiveness due to improperly placed dorsogluteal intramuscular injections because of incorrect needle length, wrong site selection and/or obesity. Current intramuscular injection guidelines lack specific instructions according to weight or sex. While there are similar concerns with other injectable sites, this review focuses solely on adult dorsogluteal intramuscular …

We’Re In This Together: Student Motivation And Faculty Support In Online Degree Advancement During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristen Mchenry, Thomas J. Wing, Jody Lester

Respiratory Therapy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to identify the motivation for continued learning and degree attainment in online degree advancement (DA) respiratory care students (those with an associate degree pursuing a bachelor’s degree) during a pandemic and the types of support needed for academic success in the online learning environment. The design of the study was convergent mixed-methods descriptive survey research. Items from the Academic Motivation Scale-College Version (AMS-C) were used to assess the construct. Additionally, open-ended questions allowed for narrative responses related to the pandemic pressures, motivation regulation, and faculty support. One hundred twenty-three students completed various components of …

Health Effects Of Pesticide Exposure In Latin American And The Caribbean Populations: A Scoping Review, Carly Hyland

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Multiple epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to pesticides is associated with adverse health outcomes. However, the literature on pesticide-related health effects in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region, an area of intensive agricultural and residential pesticide use, is sparse. We conducted a scoping review to describe the current state of research on the health effects of pesticide exposure in LAC populations with the goal of identifying knowledge gaps and research capacity building needs.

Methods: We searched PubMed and SciELO for epidemiological studies on pesticide exposure and human health in LAC populations published between January 2007 and …

Testing The Pragmatic Effectiveness Of A Consumer-Based Mindfulness Mobile App In The Workplace: Randomized Controlled Trial, Jennifer L. Huberty, Hallie M. Espel-Huynh, Taylor L. Neher, Megan E. Puzia

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Mental health and sleep problems are prevalent in the workforce, corresponding to costly impairment in productivity and increased health care use. Digital mindfulness interventions are efficacious in improving sleep and mental health in the workplace; however, evidence supporting their pragmatic utility, potential for improving productivity, and ability to reduce employer costs is limited.

Objective: This pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the experimental effects of implementing a commercially available mindfulness app—Calm—in employees of a large, multisite employer in the United States. Outcomes included mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress), sleep (insomnia and daytime sleepiness), resilience, productivity impairment …

The Effectiveness Of Facebook As A Social Network Intervention To Increase Physical Activity In Chinese Young Adults, Patrick W.C. Lau, J. J. Wang, Lynda B. Ransdell, Lei Shi

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Facebook, one of the worlds' most popular online social networks, is easy to access and cost-effective. Its use to enhance individual's physical activity (PA) participation should be examined. This research reviews the effectiveness and successful features of Facebook for influencing PA behaviors in young adults (Study 1), and empirically examines the efficacy of the features purported in increase PA via a Facebook intervention (Study 2).

Methods: In Study 1, PubMed, Medline, SPORT Discus, ERIC, and Embase were searched for articles that identified successful features and effectiveness of Facebook PA interventions published between January 2005 and February 2022. In Study …

Change In Students’ Peer Evaluations Of Requirements Elicitation Interviews Across The Pre-Pandemic And Pandemic-Affected Semesters, Dmytro Babik, Iryna Babik

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Successful development of an information system to solve a business problem depends on the analyst’s ability to elicit system requirements from a user. This complex competency could be trained via critical peer evaluation of the requirements elicitation (RE) interviews. In this study, 294 students across four pre-pandemic and two COVID-19 pandemic-affected semesters evaluated recorded sample RE interviews of low and high quality. A piecewise regression modeling was used to examine the change in students’ evaluations separately for the pre-pandemic and pandemic-affected semesters. Current results showed that students exhibited inflated evaluation scores (relative to instructors’ scores) for the high-quality, but not …

The Power Of 20-Minute Naps To Zen Time, Lee Rockwell

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Naps are not just for National Nap Day on March 13^th (SHRM, 2019) and naps aren’t only for toddlers. Approximately 1 in 3 American adults nap, according to previous Pew Research Center data (Everyday Health, 2022). Research has shown that the workplace needs to offer separate time for their employees to take a 20-minute power nap or Zen time. Zen time can be defined as relaxed or feeling peaceful (Zen Definitions, 2022). ‌Some people would consider napping to be lazy. However, it is the opposite. A survey by Mattress Nerd of 2,000 adults showed nappers considered themselves more productive …

Invited Perspective: Eliminating Toxics To Prevent Disease: Asbestos Leads The Way, David Kriebel, Douglas J. Myers

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Countries that have consumed more asbestos have historically had higher mortality rates from asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) than countries with lower asbestos consumption. A research letter in this issue by Rath et al. provides a 15-y update on evidence for this link and uses this evidence to support calls for a worldwide ban on the use of asbestos. We find their results convincing, and we agree with the urgent need to stop producing and using asbestos. For those who might be skeptical of this conclusion or who are considering how much weight to give this evidence, we offer this perspective as …

Optimizing Electronic Medication Prior Authorization: Reducing Prescription Delays, Arnold Butiu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Within the United States, chronic disease in children has doubled over the last 20 years. Many diseases defined as chronic (attention deficit, epilepsy, and diabetes) require daily medication regimens for optimal management. To be covered by insurance, many of these medications require prior authorization (PA) from the patients’ pharmacy benefits policy. Delays in processing and receiving PA orders can lead to worsening disease and inadequate disease management.

In 2014, a pediatric academic medical center in the Midwest found that processing medications from prescription order to PA approval took nurses an average of over 90 hours. In August 2020, the …

Physical Therapist Assistant Training: Documentation Guidelines, Megan A. Mcchristy

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This essay details the development of a training document for physical therapist assistants to improve their documentation and clearly lay out the legal requirements and company expectations of their documentation. The final draft has been finished and is planned to be distributed in Quarter 2 of 2022.

Implementing An Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Plan To Address Unintentional Hospital Falls On A Medical/Surgical Unit, David Haskell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Falling in the hospital setting is a leading cause of death and disability for patients. For many health care organizations, patient fall prevention strategies have become a priority focus to improve patient outcomes and associated costs.

Project Design: The project was designed to implement a quality improvement project on an adult medical/surgical unit, providing educational activities to nursing staff, and applying a standardized fall prevention plan of care “toolkit” for fall prevention interventions.

Results: Audits completed on 863 patient admits to a 36-bed Medical/Surgical unit during the three-month timeframe, showed the implementation of the project resulted in the creation …

Developing A Standardized Process For An Effective, Evidence-Based Fall Management Program To Reduce Falls In A Nursing Home Setting, Katrina K. Little

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Falls among the elderly population, aged 65 years and older, are a significantly growing public health problem. For elderly people residing in residential care facilities and facility administrators, falls are of great concern due to the post-fall associated consequences. Preventing resident falls in long-term care is a priority to reduce injuries and associated costs.

Project Design: This evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) pilot project focused on fall prevention and was conducted on 1 unit (3 long-term care hallways) at a facility that provides both long-term care (LTC) and short-term rehabilitation services in Utah County, Utah. Interventions chosen for the Falls …

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Decrease Burnout In Emergency Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project At An Academic Medical Center, Desireé M. Mccue

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing burnout, categorized by increased emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DE), or decreased personal achievement (PA), is rising in the United States. Emergency Department (ED) nurses at an academic medical center in the western United States experience burnout related to workplace violence and trauma exposure exacerbated by a global pandemic. Burnout can lead to adverse health impacts for nurses, increased institutional costs, and adverse patient outcomes.

Improving mindfulness or awareness of the present can reduce burnout in ED nurses. A mindfulness pilot project was conducted with staff nurses (n=20) and nurse leaders (n=4) in the ED. Participants attended Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction …

A Pilot Program To Improve Patient And Family Experience Scores And Quality Of Care Of The Hispanic Population In An Urban Pediatric Emergency Department., David C. Kruger

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Emergency Department (ED) patients express decreased patient and family experience (PFE) scores when they feel disrespected (such as experiencing long wait times), experience ineffective communication, or have difficulty accessing care. These issues could lead to inequalities and adverse health care outcomes, especially among those of different races and ethnic backgrounds. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the PFE scores and the quality of care of the Hispanic population at a thirty-five-bed emergency department within a freestanding pediatric, academic medical center located in a large urban area.

Rationale: The theoretical framework guiding this QI …

A Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Pilot Using Risk Stratification To Improve Resource Allocation And Reduce Readmissions, Linda Gould

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) impacts 250 million people, is associated with high hospital readmission rates, and costs over $50 billion annually. Purpose: Apply risk stratification identifying higher risk patients to prioritize complex, time-consuming interventions and resources. Methods: Patients hospitalized with COPD were risk stratified using PEARL. Moderate-high risk patients were referred to specialty nurse practitioners, who used real-time interventions and motivational interviewing during intense weekly visits over 30 days targeting self-management, patient-specific risks, and resources. Results: No patients were readmitted or died during the pilot using risk stratification with patient-specific tertiary preventive care to …

Implementing Sexual Health Education For At-Risk High School Students In A Faith-Based Setting: A Pilot Project, Neva R. Fuentes

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are a global issue that persist, causing significant negative health outcomes like cancer, adverse reproductive issues including infertility, and death (CDC, 2019a; Office of Women’s Health [OWH], 2019; WHO, 2019). In the United States, youth ages 15-24 years old make up 50% of the more than 20 million newly diagnosed STI’s each year (CDC, 2019a). Young women, adolescents (Slater & Robinson, 2014), minority populations (Mermelstein & Plax, 2016), and high school dropouts (Anderson & Pörtner, 2014) are even more disproportionately affected. Access to comprehensive health information and vaccines are well documented effective STI prevention methods …

Improving Access And Delivery Of Mental Health Care To Veterans Through A Care Coordination Pilot At A Texas Department Of Veterans Affairs Hospital, Jacqueline Buval

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Mental health (MH) disorders are among the leading cause of disabilities in adults, with an even greater prevalence among Veterans who served in combat. Forty percent of troops returning from combat zones report suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression and 33% report trouble accessing MH care. Access to care is directly influenced by care coordination procedures in health care systems. If care coordination is poor or lacking, patients remain in settings that are inappropriate for their level of care. Implementing a care coordination program can improve care transitions, provide the necessary support for patients to successfully …

Capstone: Burn Surgery Education Module, Sophie J. Weber

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

I chose to solve a training and continuing education problem in my workplace, by creating a manual on burn surgery. This manual will later be turned into a computer education module, but will always be available in a hard copy as a reference material. I had to find an approach that reflected how my peers wanted to be educated and on what education points they felt were the most important to their success in surgery.

Ride The Wave (The Wave Of Recovery): Leisure Time Activities, Donald R. Martin Sr.

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Ride the Wave (The Wave of Recovery) Leisure Time Activities is the title of a leisure time activities booklet that was created by Donnie Martin in partnership with Recovery in Motion (RIM, non-profit organization), as a resource to help reduce occurrences of addiction relapses in the Twin Falls community. The hope is that more recovering addicts will be successful in their recovery and transition into a recovery lifestyle becoming productive members of the Twin Falls community. The leisure time activities booklet is being distributed and edified to recovering addicts in recovery support groups by RIM support group facilitators and by …

Capstone Project: The Spirit Of Play, Brooke W. Spencer

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Play is a powerful tool for self-care for people of all ages, yet most adults don’t use it enough. To help others cultivate more play in their lives, I created a blog called The Spirit of Play Blog. In the blog I discuss the importance of play and ways it can be incorporated into life. The blog also provided readers with a chance to reflect on play in their own lives and challenged them to play more and in new ways.

Eating Through Trauma, Thea R. Jordan

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Ever skipped a meal because you didn't feel hungry? This is likely because the body was not in a state of rest and digest. When our bodies are overloaded with cortisol (stress hormones), and adrenaline we are not able to effectively digest food, leaving us in a heightened state that is deeply disruptive to the nervous system.

Avoiding situations where you will be eating or skipping meals altogether is a simple protection mechanism that the body uses in the event it needs to fight or flight. When the body has been conditioned to be hypervigilant in the event of a …

Brain Trauma, Chase Hatada

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

The present research project centers on the issue of concussions. Concussions largely go unreported in football, across all levels of play. Concussions can vary in their impact, but generally they can cause a myriad of cognitive, physical and emotional problems. The risk of concussions and the impacts on the health of the individual, is largely affected by self reporting of concussions, which is extremely low. The culture of sports is a large part of this issue, a culture of hypermasculinity which supports self sacrifice is dominant in sports. Addressing this problem, the present project surveys individuals on their knowledge of …

Deploying A Validated Postnatal Depression Screening Tool & Guideline To Improve Evidence Based Screening For Postpartum Depression In Ambulatory Care, Debbie Ketchum

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health problem that is potentially disabling and can be life-threatening. It is one of the most common diagnoses for maternal morbidity and mortality, affecting one in ten women in the United States. Currently, there is no universal process for the identification of PPD within the ambulatory clinics in this regional health system caring for obstetrical patients. A quality improvement project was developed and implemented with a pilot group in the ambulatory setting.

Rationale: Without a standard process for screening, patients and their newborns may be at increased risk for detrimental consequences …

How Is Your Mental Health At Walgreens, Kelly Kukla

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

How Is Your Mental Health is based on the mental health of Pharmacy Technicians at a Walgreens near me. Recently there was an incident with the Pharmacy, that tested our staff. What was observed was that these employees were given only a phone number for support and a few days off. Off this observation it was believed this wasn't enough. By conducting a survey for each employee to fill out about their mental health anonymously to tell us how they actually feel while working for Walgreens. With information about how horrible the mental health has been, thee stress they feel, …

Interactions Of Agricultural Pesticide Use Near Home During Pregnancy And Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adolescent Neurobehavioral Development In The Chamacos Study, Carly Hyland

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Studies have documented independent adverse associations between prenatal and early-life exposure to environmental chemicals and social adversity with child neurodevelopment; however, few have considered these exposures jointly. The objective of this analysis is to examine whether associations of pesticide mixtures and adolescent neurobehavioral development are modified by early-life adversity in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) cohort.

Methods: We used linear mixed effects Bayesian Hierarchical Models (BHM) to examine the joint effect of applications of 11 agricultural pesticides within 1 km of maternal homes during pregnancy and youth-reported Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) …

Assessing Burnout And Resiliency In Online Degree Advancement Respiratory Care Students During A Pandemic, Kristen L. Mchenry, Thomas J. Wing, Jody Lester, Lanny Inabnit, Yong Gao

Respiratory Therapy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the presence of burnout in online degree advancement Respiratory Care students during a pandemic and characteristics/strategies of resiliency. Method: The design of the study was quantitative; non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey research. The Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to measure these constructs. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine (129) students completed components of the survey for a response rate of approximately 28%. Relevant findings include a somewhat higher level of depersonalization for those who practice in adult acute care. Emotional exhaustion …

Early Exploration Of One’S Own Body, Exploration Of Objects, And Motor, Language, And Cognitive Development Relate Dynamically Across The First Two Years Of Life, Iryna Babik, James Cole Galloway, Michele A. Lobo

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Early exploratory behaviors have been proposed to facilitate children’s learning, impacting motor, cognitive, language, and social development. This study related the performance of behaviors used to explore oneself to behaviors used to explore objects, and then related both types of exploratory behaviors to motor, language, and cognitive measures longitudinally from 3 through 24 months of age via secondary analysis of an existing dataset. Participants were 52 children (23 full-term, 29 preterm). Previously published results from this dataset documented delays for preterm relative to full-term infants in each assessment. The current results related performance among the assessments throughout the first 2 …