Chronic Lower Back Pain Among Women In India: Evidence-Based Approach To Risk Factors And Interventions, Aelita Matosova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent issue worldwide, affecting about 1.71 billion people, with a significant proportion being women. CLBP is a major health concern in India, particularly among women, which were 80% reported experiencing this condition. Several factors, such as personal beliefs, sociocultural norms, restricted healthcare access, repetitive movements, and psychological aspects, contribute to this high prevalence leading to severe health and economic implications, including reduced work productivity and income. Although there have been several reports on prevalence and risk factors of CLBP, to our knowledge, there has not been enough work focusing on evidence-based interventions to …

‘Safe Couch, Safe House’ Program (Scshp): Reducing Exposure To Toxic Flame Retardants For Children In A Low-Income Public Housing At Hunters View, Bayview-Hunters Point, San Francisco., Aliza Khan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Since the 1970s, flame retardants have been used extensively in consumer goods, including furniture, textile, and electronics, to meet California’s flammability standards. (Gibson et al.,2019) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), once the most widely used flame retardants being used in consumer products, were phased out from use in manufacturing as evidence emerged about PBDEs persistence and toxicity. (Hoffman et al.,2017) PBDEs were replaced by Organophosphate Flame Retardants (OPFRs), which has proven to be a case of ‘regrettable substitution’ as exposure to OPFRs is ubiquitous and pervasive in humans due to their volatility and propensity to leach from products into the environment. …

A Public Health Educational Campaign For Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (Suid) Intervention, Elia G. Peralta Landeros

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: The rate of infant mortality serves as a crucial indicator of the overall health of society (CDC, 2022). The five leading causes of infant mortality are birth defects, preterm birth, sudden infant death syndrome, injuries, and maternal pregnancy complications. The prevalence of infant mortality varies across states, with eastern states and minority-ethnicity infants having higher prevalence. This thesis proposes utilizing the Safe to Sleep framework to introduce Giving Breath, a public health education campaign that introduced breastfeeding as an intervention to Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).

Methods:

1. Analyze current and new policies' impact on women's rights to breastfeed …

Meet Me In The Middle: A Scoping Review On Understanding Adolescent Needs In Climate Communication, Gwendolyn Monica Hoff Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The greatest effects of climate change are likely to be felt by youth. Young people are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their critical developmental stage and lack of power, and they experience both higher severity and prevalence of mental health issues related to climate change. Strong emotions have long been recognized as potential catalysts for action, or they may lead to paralyzing feelings of being overwhelmed. Climate communication is a critical tool to spark climate concern and encourage action. Activism, in turn, may help youth manage their anxiety about climate change. This scoping review examines emerging evidence on …

Building Sustainable Environmental Activism Programs For Youth, Aminah Habib

Master's Projects and Capstones

As the negative impacts of climate change become more and more common across the United States, many youth are experiencing eco-anxiety or other negative mental health impacts due to the state of the environment. Engaging with activism has been named as a potential mitigator of the negative impacts of climate change among youth, but the relationship between activism and youth well-being is an emerging area of research. To explore this relationship, this scoping review explored and synthesized available literature to inform the next steps. In addition to the community-level and society-level contributions that come from youth activism, there are also …

Standardizing Perinatal Mental Health Interventions: A Guide For The U.S., Maile Lauren Robles

Master's Projects and Capstones

The term perinatal individual refers to women and other individuals who are pregnant or who have been pregnant within the last 12 months. Every year, in the United States there are 700 pregnancy-related deaths and 10% are due to mental health causes including death by suicide. Mental health conditions including but not limited to anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder affect one in five perinatal individuals throughout the United States. This increases perinatal morbidity, hospitalization costs, and economic burden nationwide.

After 43 days postpartum, mental health conditions are the second leading cause of death. The United States …

Child Health In Darfur, Sudan: Addressing The Effects Of Armed Conflict On Children's Health In Darfur, Judith Natukunda

Master's Projects and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Background: For 19 years, the Darfur region of Sudan has experienced unending civil unrest and war, resulting in more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million displaced persons. The war led to severe food insecurity, clean and safe drinking water shortages, high disease prevalence, destruction of infrastructure, and a broken health care system. Despite the interventions by the global community and various humanitarian agencies, over 2.8 million people are still displaced and living in IDP camps across Darfur. Over 300,000 children are living in neighboring Chad. The armed conflict led to high levels of child malnutrition, a high …

No One Should Have To Give Birth Alone: An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Community-Based Doula Programs Serving Ethnic Minorities In San Francisco, Maria Margaret Nelson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Adverse birth outcomes for both the parent and the child disproportionately affect people of color. Evidence demonstrates that one of the ways to mitigate these negative consequences is through the utilization of a doula, a trained birth companion that is not a medical provider but whose role it is to physically and emotionally support the patient through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Community-based doula programs, where the doula is of the same cultural background as the client, are particularly effective in improving birth outcomes in communities of color by providing culturally competent care and helping to navigate a healthcare system that …

The Child Care Crisis: Through The Social Ecological Lens, Jocelyne Saldana

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Objective - Working mothers face mental strain when returning to work due to the challenges of the current child care system. It is unclear how the instability of the child care sector impacts the mental health of working mothers.

Methods - The systematic review of literature was conducted to identify existing evidence to determine the influence access to quality, dependable, and affordable child care has on maternal mental health outcomes in working mothers. Multiple databases were used including PubMed and Scopus.

Results - Subsidized programs help reduce the cost of child care, however, income eligibility criteria makes it difficult …

Ask Your Doctor About: Prescribing Activism For Eco-Anxiety In Adolescents, Lexi Nutkiewicz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Climate change is an ongoing public health crisis. Efforts to protect future generations' physical and mental health are more urgent than ever. Youth, in particular, are experiencing eco-anxiety, a specific form of anxiety relating to stress or distress caused by environmental changes and one’s knowledge of them due to the climate crisis. This scoping review provides a better understanding of the value of youth climate change activism as a strategy to mitigate eco-anxiety. This review evaluates the current definitions of eco-anxiety, the risk factors for eco-anxiety among adolescents, and considers the benefits and drawbacks of youth activism. To identify relevant …

Utilizing Training And Educational Materials To Increase Hand Hygiene Compliance Of Healthcare Providers Participating In Cesarean Sections, Christopher Natividad

Master's Projects and Capstones

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are one of the most common complications of Cesarean section (C-section) procedures. The incidence of SSIs after C-section procedures at Hospital X has increased in each of the past three years. The Labor and Delivery (L&D) unit at Hospital X performs approximately 4,500 C-sections each year. Observation of these procedures illustrated a lack of adhesion to hand hygiene policies and protocols. This quality improvement project involved informing staff members of the poor hand hygiene compliance rates, and re-educating them regarding proper hand hygiene behavior using flyers, emails, and addressing them at shift change. Data collection focused …

Reducing The Postpartum Readmission Rate With Standardized Discharge Teaching, Darlene Day-Herzog

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Hospital readmission rates are one of the quality metrics that matter for hospital reimbursements. In a large Northern California healthcare system, the postpartum readmission rate is often above the national average.

Context: The hospital designated as the main location for high-risk deliveries within a 30-mile radius has an Acute Care Obstetric postpartum population where twenty percent of the patients are at an increased risk for readmission.

Interventions: The project implemented the use of a standardized discharge teaching script and educational materials to be used by nursing staff throughout the patient’s hospital stay to see if multimodal standardization leads to …

Perinatal Substance Use Screenings In Marin County: A Brief Overview Of Screening Protocols And Identifying Gaps In Care, Breanna Wiliams

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction

Perinatal substance use continues to be a major public health issue in women’s health. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of substance use screenings in care and assess how well the existing services in Marin County are serving the needs of pregnant and parenting women and identifying the gaps and/or weaknesses in current practice.

Methods

Data for this study was collected via semi-structured interviews with five professionals that worked at the local community clinic, hospital and a non-profit agency. Some questions were slightly modified to be configured toward the participant’s specific profession.

Results

Results from …

Black Pregnancy Matters: Racial Reproductive Bias In African American Maternal Mortality, Juhi Khemani

Master's Projects and Capstones

This semester-long research project uncovers how racial biases demonstrated in the reproductive health field, and specifically before, during, and after childbirth, affect the rate of maternal mortality and morbidity for African American mothers in the United States. The rate of maternal mortality for this specific racial group is four times greater as compared to Caucasian women and this discrepancy will be investigated and analyzed throughout this capstone thesis. Interviews were conducted with key figures in the obstetric and gynecological field as well as with Black mothers themselves in an effort to uncover what factors, aside from medical anomalies, are leading …

Oh Baby! Evaluating The Impact Of Blossom's Natural Childbirth Prep Course On Women's Childbirth Experience, Florence Oxenham

Master's Projects and Capstones

The United States has some of the highest rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among developed countries. Comprehensive childbirth education is an important component of improving maternal health outcomes. This project was a pilot evaluation of a childbirth education course offered by Blossom Birth Services, a community-based non-profit organization providing resources for new and expectant families in the San Francisco Bay Area. A 41-item survey questionnaire was developed and administered to explore the impact of Blossom’s Natural Childbirth Prep course on women’s knowledge, feelings, and sense of self-efficacy regarding childbirth. Likert scales were used and thematic analysis of qualitative data …

Off To The Breast Start: Barriers To Exclusive Breastfeeding, Yasmin Mcbryde

Master's Projects and Capstones

Breastfeeding is a beneficial way to provide food for the healthy growth and development of infants. Breastfeeding also provides many health benefits for mothers. Review of evidence based data indicates that breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months is one of the healthiest and most natural sustenance for a baby. Unfortunately, there are many barriers that prevent mothers from breastfeeding for the recommended duration. The aim of this project is to assess the level of influence that cultural upbringing has on breastfeeding in public. I administered surveys to women and men for data collection. The findings indicate that participants have strong and …

Paying It Forward: Training Doulas As A Form Of Reintegration And Support For Communities Of Color, Sandra E. Luna-Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

As part of the birth justice movement in Alameda County, Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC) is committed to support, empower and care for birthing members of the community. RLBC works to empower people of color with education and tools to have healthy babies and positive birth experiences regardless of their: gender, size, sexuality, orientation, culture or family structure. Healthy families begin with healthy communities and with that in mind, RLBC decided to tackle two major public health issues at once: recidivism and poor birth outcomes in communities of color. Doula training is not just an intervention to improve birth …

Inside The Juvenile Justice System, Megan Phalon

Master's Projects and Capstones

The United States of America is known for freedom and integrity and being a nation that stands for justice and equality for all. Within the United States there are systems in place to better the people and communities in order to provide safety and order. However, just as any nation, there is a struggle with violent behavior and tendencies among adults and adolescents. Within the last three decades, the United States has created a correctional system that specifically targets adolescents, and that acknowledges the differences between adult and juvenile development and deviant behavior. Within this literature review, academic databases were …

Doula Support As A Means To Improve Birth Outcomes For Minority Women, Christina Bao Ngoc Thich

Master's Projects and Capstones

Ethnic minorities such as African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Laotions, Hmongs, and Alaskan Natives have higher rates of cesarean delivery, pre-term birth, fetal demise, perinatal laceration, and congenital abnormalities than their white counterparts. Continuous labor support by way of doula care has been recommended for all pregnant women as a means to prevent adverse birth outcomes. Despite this, the population most in need of such support in unable to access doula services due to low socioeconomic status, availability of services, and cultural inaccessibility. This paper focuses on my capstone experience with UCSF and Roots of Labor Birth Collective as we …

Unicef Kid Power: Empowering Kids To Get Active And Save Lives, Emily L. Gudaitis

Master's Projects and Capstones

UNICEF Kid Power is a program aimed at increasing U.S. children’s activity levels by tapping into children’s intrinsic desire to do good. Through their activity levels, kids earn points, which unlocks funding from partners that will support treatment for a malnourished child. This one-of-a-kind program was implemented in the Bay Area in Spring 2016 with 7,800 youth participants. The attached paper is a summary of a 300-hour fieldwork experience at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF assisting with the UNICEF Kid Power implementation in the Bay Area. The fieldwork included program implementation and evaluation, presentations at participating schools in the area, …

The Complexity Of Non-Profit Administration In Global Development: A Case-Study On Neonatal Mortality, Paul D. Glantz

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 2015, 5.9 million children died with 44% of those deaths occurring in the most vulnerable period of life: the neonatal period (first 28 days of life). Because this is such a pervasive problem, in order to meet the United Nation’s third Sustainable Development Goal of reducing the global neonatal mortality rate down from 27 to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births, there needs to be more evidence-based, effective interventions. Thrive Networks addresses newborn mortality by improving facility-based care in low-resource settings via intensive training and lifesaving medical equipment built to operate in these conditions. Despite all of the evidence …

The Role Of Public Libraries In Addressing Food Insecurity: A Model For Community Feeding, Monica De La Cruz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Food insecurity is a serious problem in the United States. Not having enough food to eat can negatively impact children more severely than adults. Children who are food insecure are more likely to suffer from a range of physical, mental, and developmental delays in growth. There is prior evidence that the effects of food insecurity in children can be ameliorated through national feeding programs, like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides daily lunch at school for eligible low-income children. Though these types of programs are considered successful in addressing food insecurity within the community, the lack of these …

Addressing Health Disparities In Refugees, Claire E. Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

I completed the required 300 hours of my fieldwork internship at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Oakland, CA. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a non-profit international organization that responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and aids displaced individuals in rebuilding their lives in new countries by providing support in health care, finance, education, infrastructure, and resettlement.

I worked as a Health Access/Intensive Case management Intern. As a Health Access Program Intern, it was my job to ensure that refugees coming to the United States had a place to seek medical care, advice, and preventative services. In order …

Improving Birth Outcomes: Women’S Oral Health Project, Dilem Polat

Master's Projects and Capstones

Improving Birth Outcomes: Women’s Oral Health Project is a new project housed within the Child Health and Disability Prevention, CHDP Program. The main goal of the project is to improve the birth outcomes of high-risk pregnant women and their children, by educating participants within the Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Section at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The educational component will focus on the importance of oral health and the impact of oral disease on perinatal health. Following the educational component, referrals for appropriate dentists will be provided for participants to they may begin improving their oral health. …

Childhood Obesity Fieldwork Summary Report: The Food Education Project, Maria De Rosario Vasquez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Childhood Obesity and diabetes is on the rise and the health risk for developing various diseases is a major public health issue. This paper examines the public health issue on childhood obesity and diabetes. This paper explains the importance and magnitude of this problem by providing statistics, research efforts, educational efforts and the importance of preventing childhood obesity and diabetes. The paper will summarize, explain observations and provide insight on fieldwork completed through a project called The Food Education Project. The project focuses on addressing the major public health problem through educating children and adolescents on health, nutrition, food and …

County Of San Mateo Adolescent Report 2014-2015 Youth And Adults Working Together For A Healthy Future, Vanessa D. Bolton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to highlight my fieldwork experience with the County of San Mateo Health System’s Health Policy and Planning Unit. Under the guidance of a Community Health Planner, my scope of work was within the area of school wellness, ranging from an adolescent report publication to researching breakfast in the classroom models to attending district wellness policy meetings. The San Mateo County Adolescent Report took precedence over most of the school wellness projects and initiatives because it was seeking to identify the needs of the County’s youth using evidence from various data sources and to develop …

Fieldwork Summary Report: Reducing Repeat Teenage Pregnancy Through Program Planning And Evaluation, Winnie Y. Chan

Master's Projects and Capstones

This fieldwork summary report provides a synthesis of both my overall fieldwork experience at TAPP, Felton Institute’s Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program, and my Master of Public Health knowledge and skill sets. Since researching the huge social and economic impact that teenage pregnancy and parenting has not only on the teens and their children, but also the society at large, I strived to highlight prevention aspects to reduce repeat unwanted teenage pregnancy. So, I chose to intern at TAPP, focused my fieldwork project mainly on program development and evaluation, along with other aspects of improving wellness.

I begin this report …