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Hepatitis C Screening And Treatment Of Prisoners: Analysis Of Policy And Practice In Kentucky, Charity Faith Kranz

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

INTRODUCTION

The United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are currently overwhelmed by a triad of complex epidemics—incarceration, opioid overdose deaths secondary to substance use disorders, and hepatitis C. Research has suggested hepatitis C screening and treatment of prisoners may be a cost-effective strategy to address the hepatitis C epidemic. Since Kentucky has been particularly impacted by these interrelated health threats, further exploration of hepatitis C in Kentucky prison populations and their potential role in addressing these epidemics is warranted.

Primary Objective

The main goal of this research was to examine hepatitis C screening and treatment policy and practice within …

Breathe Easy Mississippi, Christian Rashad Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Asthma disproportionately affects rural minority children and is the leading reason for all school absences in our nation. Breathe Easy Mississippi is a multi-level intervention designed to improve long term control of asthma in youth. Breathe Easy Mississippi components include: 1) Home Visits by asthma counselors to identify asthma triggers and remediate the child’s environment, and 2) School Based Curriculum (Asthma Education) to promote ideal asthma management knowledge and foster more effective relationships between children, parents, healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals. Breathe Easy Mississippi will be implemented in a total of six schools that make up the entire elementary school district …

Implementing The Alive! Behavioral Intervention Program In Phillips County, Arkansas, Raeschell Williams

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Arkansas Department of Health proposes implementing the Alive! behavioral intervention program in Phillips County, Arkansas to decrease the prevalence of obesity in this community. Alive!, A Lifestyle Intervention Via Email, is an evidence-bases, email-derived, worksite intervention focused on reducing saturated fats, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and increasing physical activity. As an email-based program, participants will receive weekly emails tailored to their individual goals with reminder emails delivered during the week with small-step goals to help the participant achieve their larger goal. As the country with the highest prevalence of obesity and second highest prevalence of obesity in 2014, …

Filling The Gap In Obesity Prevention: Implementation Of The General’S Activity Program (Gap) In Carroll County, Kentucky, Brent Emerson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

As obesity rates continue to rise, there is a significant need for public health programs that are able to effectively increase physical activity at the community level. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of negative health outcomes associated with obesity including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer while also strengthening muscles, improving mental health and mood, and increasing average life expectancy. Previous research has supported that one way to increase physical activity at the community level is through social marketing of state and local parks. Through the promotion of parks, community residents are able …

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (Soar): Beginning To Now, Samantha Zarycki

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction

Appalachian Kentucky has been and is currently facing difficult times including low employment rates, low education rates and less-than-favorable healthcare and health status for the people of the region (Estep, 2014). There have been multiple government and non-government agencies who have implemented interventions with the purpose of lifting up the region. Shaping Our Appalachian Region, or SOAR, is a bipartisan organization which began in 2013, and was established for the purpose of caring for the region.

Methods

A qualitative data analysis using confidential interviews with six people involved with SOAR was used for this project. Using the deductive approach …

Planet Health: A School-Based Health Promotion Program, Jane Katherine Landon

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD) proposes implementation of Planet Health, a school-based intervention aimed at increasing healthful nutrition and fitness behaviors in middle- and high-school aged students. Planet Health’s core messaging (increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing physical activity, decreasing screen time, decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage and trans-fat intake) contributes to our long-term goal of decreasing childhood obesity in our service area. Planet Health will be offered to 3 counties in our service area (Lee, Letcher and Wolfe) with planned expansion to all counties in the KRDHD service area within 5 years of the original pilot. This project will …

A Comprehensive Multi-Level Approach To Increasing Hpv Vaccination Rates In Rural Kentucky, Jim Weygandt

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The Graves County Health Department (GCHD) proposes implementation of a multi-level approach to increase Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in Graves County, KY. The approach utilizes multiple evidence-based strategies, including Assessment, Feedback, Incentive, Exchange (AFIX), Vaccines for Children (VFC), Kentucky Immunization Registry (KIR), Comprehensive Clinic Assessment Application (CoCASA), and vaccines per protocol. This proposed project utilizes family medicine and pediatric clinics, pharmacies, and school nurses to deliver the intervention to the target population, which includes 11-12-year-old adolescents residing in Graves County. The objectives of this HPV vaccination-focused intervention align with Healthy People 2020 goals and objectives, the 2012-2013 President’s Cancer …

Community Based Sexual Education In Hamilton County Ohio, Jennifer Winbigler

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

This project proposes the implementation of a community-based sexual education program in Hamilton County Ohio. The proposed program is Focus on Youth + ImPACT. FOY + ImPACT is an evidenced based intervention focused on providing knowledge and skill based education to both youth (during FOY sessions) and parents (during the ImPACT session). The educational program will be implemented at three sites: the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati, Lighthouse Youth Services, and Caracole. Each site was selected for its current infrastructure conducive to youth programming. This included ease of access to youth as well as experience in the provision …

A Population-Based Survival Analysis Of Mesothelioma And Smoking In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Peter Van Wie

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive cancers in the United States and around the world, with a grim 5-year survival rate of only 8%. After diagnosis there is little that can be done to stop the progression of the disease. Smoking has been negatively associated with mesothelioma survival. This may be due to several factors including increased oxidative stress or sequestration of tobacco-related carcinogenic compounds by asbestos fibers trapped in the lung. This study investigated the association between smoking and mesothelioma survival in the Kentucky population. It examines the risk of living in the low socioeconomic region of Appalachian …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Childhood Retinoblastoma And Cns Tumors In Kentucky, From 1995 Through 2014, Jennifer A. Khoury

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

Childhood cancer poses a significant public health burden, both globally and in the United States (US). The most common childhood cancers affect the brain and central nervous system (CNS). Age-adjusted childhood brain tumor (CBT) incidence rates in Kentucky are larger than in the rest of the US; these rates are also higher in Appalachian Kentucky than in the rest of the state. This study determined if high-rate clusters of either CNS tumor or retinoblastoma existed in Kentucky.

Methods

Data for this study were retrieved from the Kentucky Cancer Registry for the years 1995 through 2014. Cases were individuals between …