Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Parental Hesitation As A Factor In Delayed Childhood Immunization, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Renea L. Beckstrand, Neil E. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Introduction: One reason for lower immunization rates is that some parents hesitate to have their children immunized. A hesitancy questionnaire was developed to identify reasons parents hesitate in having their children immunized.

Methods: The hesitancy questionnaire was distributed from local pediatric and family practice offices and from the area's county health department. To be eligible, participants needed to be present in the clinic with a child needing a minimum of one immunization that was at least 6 months overdue.

Results: When questioned why their child was overdue for immunizations, the most common response was that participants were confused about the …

Teaching The Teacher Program To Assist Nurse Managers To Educate Nursing Staff In Ecuadorian Hospitals, Sheri P. Palmer, Sondra Heaston

Faculty Publications

Continuing education for hospital staff nurses is a concern worldwide. Current research shows that continuing education among nurses can positively affect patient outcomes (O’Brien, T., Freemantle, N., Oxman, A, et al., 2002. Interactive continuing education workshops or conferences can improve professional practice and patient outcomes. Journal of Evidence Based Nursing. 26 (5)). Seeing a need for improved patient outcomes among hospitals in Ecuador, we conducted a teaching the teacher program to assist nurse managers to carry-out continuing education in their hospital system. This teaching the teacher program was established through the collaboration between one College of Nursing in Utah, USA …

Computerized Visually Presented Story Recall Tasks: Effects On Performance In Dementia, Nidhi Mahendra, Nisha Engineer, Susan Carroll

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Breast Cancer Fatalism: The Role Of Women's Perceptions Of The Health Care System, Allyson G. Hall, Amal J. Khoury, Ellen D.S. Lopez, Nedra Lisovicz, Amanda Avis-Williams, Amal K. Mitra

Faculty Publications

Cancer fatalism, which can be understood as the belief that cancer is a death sentence, has been found to be a deterrent to preventive cancer screening participation. This study examines factors associated with breast cancer fatalism among women. We analyzed data from a 2003 survey of women 40 years of age. The survey collected information about respondents' knowledge and attitudes regarding breast health. Analyses compared the characteristics of women who reported and those who did not report a fatalistic attitude. Women with a fatalistic attitude were more likely to be African American, to have a family history of breast cancer, …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness As A Predictor Of Fatal And Nonfatal Stroke In Asymptomatic Women And Men, Steven P. Hooker, Xuemei Sui, Natalie Colabianchi, John E. Vena, James N. Laditka, Michael J. Lamonte, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose - Prospective data on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and stroke are largely limited to studies in men or do not separately examine risks for fatal and nonfatal stroke. This study examined the association between CRF and fatal and nonfatal stroke in a large cohort of asymptomatic women and men.

Methods - A total of 46,405 men and 15,282 women without known myocardial infarction or stroke at baseline completed a maximal treadmill exercise test between 1970 and 2001. CRF was grouped as quartiles of the sex-specific distribution of maximal metabolic equivalents achieved. Mortality follow-up was through …

Neuroimaging And Recovery Of Language In Aphasia, Cynthia K. Thompson, Dirk B. Den Ouden

Faculty Publications

The use of functional neuroimaging techniques has advanced what is known about the neural mechanisms used to support language processing in aphasia resulting from brain damage. This paper highlights recent findings derived from neuroimaging studies focused on neuroplasticity of language networks, the role of the left and right hemispheres in this process, and studies examining how treatment affects the neurobiology of recovery. We point out variability across studies as well as factors related to this variability, and we emphasize challenges that remain for research.

Weight Regain Is Related To Decreases In Physical Activity During Weight Loss, Xuewen Wang, Mary F. Lyles, Tongjian You, Michael J. Berry, Jack Rejeski, Barbara J. Nicklas

Faculty Publications

Purpose—To examine whether adaptations in physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) during weight loss were associated with future weight regain in overweight/obese, older women.

Research Methods and Procedures—Thirty-four overweight/obese (BMI=25–40 kg/m²), postmenopausal women underwent a 20-week weight loss intervention of hypocaloric diet with (low- or high-intensity) or without treadmill walking (weekly caloric deficit was ~11760 kJ), with a subsequent 12-month follow-up. RMR (via indirect calorimetry), PAEE (by RT3 accelerometer) and body composition (by DXA) were measured before and after intervention. Body weight and self-reported information on physical activity were collected after intervention, …

Does Place Explain Racial Health Disparities? Quantifying The Contribution Of Residential Context To The Black/White Health Gap In The United States, Brian K. Finch, D. Phuong Do, Ricardo Basurto-Davila, Chloe E. Bird, José J. Escarce, Nicole Lurie

Faculty Publications

The persistence of the black health disadvantage has been a puzzling component of health in the United States in spite of general declines in rates of morbidity and mortality over the past century. Studies that have focused on well-established individual-level determinants of health such as socio-economic status and health behaviors have been unable to fully explain these disparities. Recent research has begun to focus on other factors such as racism, discrimination, and segregation. Variation in neighborhood context - socio-demographic composition, social aspects, and built environment - has been postulated as an additional explanation for racial disparities, but few attempts have …

Breast Cancer Survival Among Economically Disadvantaged Women: The Influences Of Delayed Diagnosis And Treatment On Mortality, Emily Rose Smith, Swann Arp Adams, Irene Prabhu Das, Matteo Bottai, Jeanette Fulton, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Breast cancer affects thousands each year in the United States, and disproportionately affects certain subgroups. For example, the incidence of breast cancer in South Carolina is lower in African American compared with European American women by ~12% to 15%, but their mortality rate is twice as high as in European American women. The purpose of the study was to assess factors associated with breast cancer mortality between African American and European American women. Participants (n = 314) in South Carolina's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (SCBCCEDP), which provides breast cancer screening and treatment services, during the years …

Repression Of The Sumo-Specific Protease Senp1 Induces P53-Dependent Premature Senescence In Normal Human Fibroblasts, Kristin E. Yates, Gregory A. Korbel, Michael Shtutman, Igor Roninson, Daniel Dimaio

Faculty Publications

The proliferative lifespan of normal somatic human cells in culture terminates in a permanent growth-arrested state known as replicative senescence. In this study, we show that RNA interference-mediated repression of the genes encoding the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-specific proteases, Senp1, Senp2, and Senp7, induced low passage primary human fibroblasts to senesce rapidly. Following Senp1 repression, we observed a global increase in sumoylated proteins and in the number and size of nuclear SUMO-containing promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. SUMO/PML bodies also increased during replicative senescence. p53 transcriptional activity was enhanced towards known p53 target genes following repression of Senp1, and inhibition of …

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Justice, And The Problem Of Unequal Biological Access, Mark Moller

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Community-Driven Approach To Environmental Exposures: How A Community-Based Participatory Research Program Analyzing Impacts Of Environmental Exposure On Lupus Led To A Toxic Site Cleanup, Julien A. Terrell, Edith M. Williams, Christine M. Murekeyisoni, Robert Watkins, Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter

Faculty Publications

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a mechanism to improve environmental quality in communities primarily inhabited by minorities or low income families. A collaborative partnership between the University at Buffalo and the Toxic Waste Lupus Coalition was formed to investigate the high prevalence of lupus in the area and whether cases of disease were linked to chemicals found at a nearby New York State Superfund site in East Buffalo. The purpose of the study was to use CBPR practices to educate impacted residents and enable their participation in efforts to get a nearby contaminated waste site remediated. Community members were active …

Light-Dependant Biostabilisation Of Sediments By Stromatolite Assemblages, David M. Paterson, Rebecca J. Aspden, Pieter T. Visscher, Mireille Consalvey, Miriam S. Andres, Alan W. Decho, John F. Stolz, R. Pamela Reid

Faculty Publications

For the first time we have investigated the natural ecosystem engineering capacity of stromatolitic microbial assemblages. Stromatolites are laminated sedimentary structures formed by microbial activity and are considered to have dominated the shallows of the Precambrian oceans. Their fossilised remains are the most ancient unambiguous record of early life on earth. Stromatolites can therefore be considered as the first recognisable ecosystems on the planet. However, while many discussions have taken place over their structure and form, we have very little information on their functional ecology and how such assemblages persisted despite strong eternal forcing from wind and waves. The capture …

Cost-Efficient Treatment Options For Uninsured Or Underinsured Patients For Five Common Conditions, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Neil E. Peterson, Joey Wilkinson

Faculty Publications

The nurse practitioner's (NP's) role in providing quality care continues to evolve, concurrent with the ever-evolving health care system. With an influx of uninsured and underinsured patients, NPs must not only provide high-quality health care, they must also address cost-efficient treatment options for patients who cannot afford expensive medications. Familiarity with the cost of medications and prescribing cost-efficient medications are valuable tools NPs can use to encourage patient compliance with a specific care regimen, consequently improving the overall health of uninsured or underinsured individuals. Knowledge of patient assistance programs may also assist NPs in decreasing prescription drug costs for patients. …

Gender Differences In The Risk Of Hiv Infection Among Persons Reporting Abstinence, Monogamy, And Multiple Sexual Partners In Northern Tanzania, Keren Z. Landman, Jan Ostermann, John A. Crump, Anna Mgonja, Meghan K. Mayhood, Dafrosa K. Itemba, Alison C. Tribble, Evaline M. Ndosi, Helen Y. Chu, John F. Shao, John A. Bartlett, Nathan M. Thielman

Faculty Publications

Background: Monogamy, together with abstinence, partner reduction, and condom use, is widely advocated as a key behavioral strategy to prevent HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the association between the number of sexual partners and the risk of HIV seropositivity among men and women presenting for HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) in northern Tanzania.

Methodology/ Principal Findings: Clients presenting for HIV VCT at a community-based AIDS service organization in Moshi, Tanzania were surveyed between November 2003 and December 2007. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for testing, sexual behaviors, and symptoms were collected. Men and women were categorized by …

Exposure To Smoking Imagery In Popular Films And Adolescent Smoking In Mexico, James F. Thrasher, Christine Jackson, Edna Arillo-Santillán, James D. Sargent

Faculty Publications

Background: Exposure to smoking imagery in films in consistently associated with smoking behavior and its psychological antecedents among adolescents in high-income countries, but its association with adolescent smoking in middle-income countries is unknown.

Methods: In 2006, a cross-sectional sample of 3876 Mexican adolescents in secondary school was surveyed on smoking behavior, smoking risk factors, and exposure to 42 popular films that contained smoking. Participants were classified into quartiles of exposure to smoking imagery across all films they reported having seen. Models were estimated to determine associations among quartiles of film-smoking exposure, smoking behavior, and the psychological antecedents of smoking, adjusting …

Association Between Muscular Strength And Mortality In Men: Prospective Cohort Study, Jonatan R. Ruiz, Xuemei Sui, Felipe Lobelo, James R. Morrow Jr., Allen W. Jackson, Michael Sjöström, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine prospectively the association between muscular strength and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in men.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Aerobics center longitudinal study.

Participants: 8762 men aged 20-80.

Main outcome measures: All cause mortality up to 31 December 2003; muscular strength, quantified by combining one repetition maximal measures for leg and bench presses and further categorised as age specific thirds of the combined strength variable; and cardiorespiratory fitness assessed by a maximal exercise test on a treadmill.

Results: During an average follow-up of 18.9 years, 503 deaths occurred (145 cardiovascular disease, 199 cancer). Age …

It's What We're Here For: Nurses Caring For Military Personnel During The Persian Gulf Wars, Patricia Rushton, Lynn Clark Callister, Jared E. Scott

Faculty Publications

Military nursing service during wartime represents significant contributions to a unique type of health care. The purposes of this study were to: (1) generate themes that elucidate combat nursing experiences, (2) honor nurses who served by sharing their stories, and (3) permanently archive accounts of nursing personnel who served during the Persian Gulf Wars during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Eleven military nurses who provided health care to American troops in the Persian Gulf participated in a historical study as part of the ongoing Nurses at War oral history project documenting the experiences of nurses during times of …

Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions Of Size, Frequency, And Magnitude Of Obstacles And Supportive Behaviors In End-Of-Life Care, Renea L. Beckstrand, Michelle D. Smith, Sondra Heaston, A. Elaine Bond

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Emergency nurses care for dying patients daily. The process of dying in an emergency department can be complicated. Research on specific obstacles that impede the delivery of end-of-life care in emergency departments and behaviors that support it is limited.

Methods: A 70-item questionnaire was mailed to randomly selected ENA members. Subjects were asked to rate items on the size, frequency, and manitude of obstacles and supportive behaviors that relate to end-of-life care for ED patients.

Results:

The perceived obstacles with the greatest magnitude were as follows: (a) ED nurses’ work loads being too high to allow adequate time for …

Heart Rate Variability Characteristics In Sedentary Postmenopausal Women Following Six Months Of Exercise Training: The Drew Study, Conrad P. Earnest, Carl J. Lavie, Steven N. Blair, Timothy S. Church

Faculty Publications

Background: Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with a higher risk of mortality. Overall, postmenopausal women have lower levels of HRV than premenopausal women, which may be additionally complicated by lifestyle related behaviors such as physical inactivity and obesity. Though cardiorespiratory exercise training increases HRV, little is known regarding the exercise dose necessary to promote improvement.

Methodology/Principle Findings: Our primary aim was to measure HRV in post-menopausal women following 6-moths of exercise training. We examined supine resting HRV in 373 post-menopausal women (45-75 y) after 6-months of randomly assigned and double-blinded administered exercise training exercise training at 50%, 100% …

Acoustic Characteristics Of English Lexical Stress Produced By Native Mandarin Speakers, Shawn L. Nissen, Yanhong Zhang, Alexander L. Francis

Faculty Publications

Native speakers of Mandarin Chinese have difficulty producing native-like English stress contrasts. Acoustically, English lexical stress is multidimensional, involving manipulation of fundamental frequency (F0), duration, intensity and vowel quality. Errors in any or all of these correlates could interfere with perception of the stress contrast, but it is unknown which correlates are most problematic for Mandarin speakers. This study compares the use of these correlates in the production of lexical stress contrasts by 10 Mandarin and 10 native English speakers. Results showed that Mandarin speakers produced significantly less native-like stress patterns, although they did use all four acoustic correlates to …

Word Recognition Materials For Native Speakers Of Taiwan Mandarin, Shawn L. Nissen, Richard W. Harris, Alycia Dukes

Faculty Publications

Purpose: To select, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate word recognition materials that can be used to measure the speech perception abilities of native speakers of Taiwan Mandarin in quiet. Method: Frequently used bisyllabic words produced by male and female talkers of Taiwan Mandarin were digitally recorded and subsequently evaluated using 20 native listeners with normal hearing at 10 intensity levels (-5 to 40 dB HL) in increments of 5 dB. Results: Using logistic regression, 200 words with the steepest psychometric slopes were divided into 4 lists and 8 half-lists that were relatively equivalent in psychometric function slope. To increase …

Maximal Exercise Electrocardiography Responses And Coronary Heart Disease Mortality Among Men With Diabetes Mellitus, G. William Lyerly, Xuemei Sui, Timothy S. Church, Carl J. Lavie, Gregory A. Hand, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background - An abnormal ECG during maximal exercise testing has been shown to be a powerful predictor of future coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in asymptomatic men. However, little is known about the relationship between exercise ECG responses and CHD risk in men with diabetes mellitus.

Methods and Results - We examined the association between exercise ECG responses and mortality in 2854 men with documented diabetes mellitus (mean age 49.5 years) who completed a maximal treadmill exercise test during the period from 1974 to 2001 and who were without a previous cardiovascular disease (CVD) event at baseline. Mortality due to …

The Changing Role Of Physicians In Disaster Management And Hospital Incident Command, F. Matthew Mihelic, M. David Stockton, Stephen A. Cole, Gregory H. Blake

Faculty Publications

Recent changes in governmental policy toward disaster medicine and hospital incident command foreshadow a significant change in the role that physicians will play in disaster preparedness and response. The distinct discipline of Disaster Medicine has received authoritative recognition and promotion in the recent Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21, and recently established guidelines for incident command within hospitals have included a new position designated as “Medical/Technical Specialist(s)” that will assist the Incident Commander in disaster-related decision-making. This is a multidisciplinary position, and its functions can be filled by one or more individuals. As physician training and competency in Disaster Medicine increases, …

Race Differences In Activity, Fitness, And Bmi In Female Eighth Graders Categorized By Sports Participation Status, John R. Sirard, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Marsha Dowda, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify racial differences in physical activity (PA), fitness, and BMI in female 8th-grade sports participants and nonparticipants. Girls from 31 South Carolina middle schools (N=1,903, 48% White; mean age=13.6 ± 0.63) reported PA and previous year sports-team participation, completed a submaximal fitness test, and had height and weight measured. Sports team participation was positively associated with PA and negatively associated with television viewing and BMI, in a dose-response manner. Compared with Whites, African-Americans reported less PA and more television viewing, and had greater BMI scores. Whereas PA intervention programs that incorporate …

Physical Activity And Neighborhood Resources In High School Girls, Russell R. Pate, Natalie Colabianchi, Dwayne E. Porter, Maria João C. A. Almeida, Felipe Lobelo, Marsha Dowda

Faculty Publications

Background - Physical activity behavior is influenced by a person's physical environment, but few studies have used objective measures to study the influences of the physical environment on physical activity behavior in youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between selected neighborhood physical activity resources and physical activity levels in high school girls.

Methods - Participants were students in schools that had participated in a large physical activity intervention trial. The 3-Day Physical Activity Recall was completed by 1506 12th-grade girls. Data on physical activity facilities and resources in the participating communities were collected using a …

Paripartum Cardiomyopathy: Implications For Nps, Jeffrey A. Goss, A. Elaine Bond, Renea L. Beckstrand, Lynn C. Callister

Faculty Publications

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), the fifth leading cause of death in pregnancy, is often overlooked or misdiagnosed because of vague symptoms and a lack of specific criteria for diagnosis. The authors performed a literature review of articles published between January 2000 and November 2007, and found that early diagnosis via echocardiography and interventions with specific treatment modalities can reduce mortality. Dobutamine stress testing may be prognostic for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Standard heart failure (HF) drug regimens, heart transplantation, and mechanical assist devices are viable treatment modalities, depending on individual needs. Subsequent pregnancies must be followed closely. The authors recommend that …

Peripheral Intravenous Catheters Started In Prehospital And Emergency Department Settings, Ligia Zarate, Barbara Mandleco, Russell Wilshaw, Patricia K. Ravert

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of phlebitis in trauma patients according to where the peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) was inserted in a prehospital setting or in an emergency department setting. Variables investigated also included where the catheter was anatomically placed, the gauge of the catheter, and the patients' Injury Severity Score. The overall phlebitis rate was 5.79%. The rate of phlebitis was 2.92% when started by an RN in the emergency department, 6.09% when started by an intermediate emergency medical technician and 7.78% when started by a paramedic in prehospital setting. There was no significant …

Promoting Physical Activity In Middle School Girls: Trial Of Activity For Adolescent Girls, Larry S. Webber, Diane J. Catellier, Leslie A. Lytle, David M. Murray, Charlotte A. Pratt, Deborah Rohm Young, John P. Elder, Timothy G. Lohman, June Stevens, Jared B. Jobe, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background - Physical activity is important for weight control and good health; however, activity levels decline in the adolescent years, particularly in girls.

Design - Group randomized controlled trial.

Setting/participants - Middle school girls with English-speaking skills and no conditions to prevent participation in physical activity in 36 schools in six geographically diverse areas of the United States. Random, cross-sectional samples were drawn within schools: 6th graders in 2003 (n=1721) and 8th graders in 2005 (n=3504) and 2006 (n=3502).

Intervention - A 2-year study-directed intervention (fall 2003 to spring 2005) targeted schools, community agencies, …

Promoting Self-Confidence In Clinical Nursing Students, Karen M. Lundberg

Faculty Publications

Clinical nursing instructors are continually telling their students that they just need more confidence. But how do students find this needed confidence and how can nursing instructors help them? The author discusses sources and principles of confidence in relationship to teaching behaviors and strategies for increasing self-confidence, such as simulations, peer modeling, story telling, skill review sessions, and journaling.