Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Politics Of Vodou: Aids, Access To Health Care And The Use Of Culture In Haiti, Catherine Benoît

Anthropology Faculty Publications

During the past few years, the AIDS campaign in Haiti has been targeting Vodou officiants and organizations. These awareness and training programmes in- form officiants about the transmission and prevention of AIDS, tests for HIV and anti- retroviral drugs, or even try to encourage them to become involved in a medical referral system. These culturalist interventions are grounded in an essentialist concept of culture that can have harmful effects on the targeted groups. The concept of culture underlying such interventions is deconstructed along with the categories of tradi- tional medicine and the ‘tradipractitioner’. An approach to public health is advocated …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 9, November/December 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes: Jefferson’s MPH Program Active at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Meeting in Washington, D.C., an article written by Dr. Plumb "Homelessness—Care, Prevention and Public Policy", announcing new thesis presenters, Jefferson MPH Program Director, Dr. Simmons, Elected President of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), announcing the New MPH Program Coordinator, and the First MPH Faculty and Community Advisory Board Dinner.

Concurrent Panel Session 2: Health Challenges Facing Las Vegas, Carlos Brandenburg, Shawn Gerstenberger, Zaven Khachaturian, John Mcdonald, Dennis Pirages, Thom Reilly, Kathy Silver, Bonnie Sorenson, Carolyn B. Yucha, Maurizio Trevisan

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Moderator: Marcia Turner, NSHE Health Science System Scribe: Candace Griffith, UNLV Department of Sociology Conference white paper & Full summary of panel session, 8 pages

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 8, October 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes a faculty spotlight on Dr. Maio and another article written by Dr. Plumb "Public Health Perspective: Public Health Advocacy—A Perspective and Opportunities" and an update on the Delaware Valley Schweitzer Fellows Program.

Mrsa Prevention And Control In County Correctional Facilities In The Greater Dayton Area, Jeffrey Allen Webb

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Recently there has been an increasing number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases in correctional facilities around the country, including the Greater Dayton area. Considering the potential health impact of MRSA on correctional facilities it is important that facilities have prevention and control protocols in place. This study summarizes the prevention and control preparedness activities of county correctional facilities in the Greater Dayton area. The positive response rates for the control measures were 88.4% for screening, 83.6% for treatment, 80.6% for personal hygiene, 95.4% for environmental control, 80.4% for education and 84.3% for standard precautions. The study also compared rural …

Public Health Citation Patterns: An Analysis Of The American Journal Of Public Health, 2003-2005, Melissa L. Rethlefsen, Lisa C. Wallis

Lisa C. Wallis, MSPH, MS

Environmental Health Information Systems: More Than Just Gigabytes, Christopher R. Cook

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Environmental health professionals are concerned about bites. Animal bites, mosquito bites, and tick bites to name a few. But what about bytes of data? Environmental health information systems (EHIS) are often the "silent partners" in an environmental health (EH) department's daily protection of public health. By Webster's dictionary definition, a silent partner is a cohort that does not have the right to participate in an organization's management process. The purpose of this study was to encourage public health officials to make EHIS full partners in their EH departments. Through the use of five surveys, this study was designed to increase …

Benign Proliferative Epithelial Disorders Of The Breast: A Review Of The Epidemiologic Evidence, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Thomas E. Rohan

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Nearly one in four breast cancers is diagnosed before the age of 50, and many early-stage premalignant lesions are present but not yet diagnosed. Therefore, we review evidence to support the strategy that breast cancer prevention efforts must begin early in life. This study follows the literature review methods and format. Exposures during childhood and adolescence affect a woman’s long-term risk of breast cancer, but have received far less research attention than exposures that occur later in life. Breast tissue undergoes rapid cellular proliferation between menarche and first full-term pregnancy, and risk accumulates rapidly until the terminal differentiation that accompanies …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 7, September 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes an article written by Dr. Plumb on "Public Health Perspective: Community Engagement and Men’s Health—the SHAPE-IT Project" and a recap of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Introduction and Orientation.

Implications In Using Monte Carlo Simulation In Predicting Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Overweight Children And Adolescents, Stephen Matthew Heimbigner

Public Health Theses

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has increased considerably over the last few decades. As a result, increasing numbers of American children are developing multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis. This thesis examines the use of Monte Carlo computer simulation for understanding risk factors associated with childhood overweight. A computer model is presented for predicting cardiovascular risk factors among overweight children and adolescents based on BMI levels. The computer model utilizes probabilities from the 1999 Bogalusa Heart Study authored by David S. Freedman, William H. Dietz, Sathanur …

Examination Of Gender Differences In Baseline Characteristics And 12 Month Death And Rehospitalization Of African American Patients Admitted For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Saadia Khizer

Public Health Theses

Coronary heart disease, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is the nation's leading cause of death. This study examined the characteristics and outcomes of 397 African American (AA) patients within one year of hospitalization due to AMI at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Atlanta. The PREMIER study, a nationwide registry, maintained by John Spertus MD, included data from patient interviews, medical records, and clinical characteristics like diabetes, hypertension, smoking, angina frequency and quality of life was used. Patient characteristics, associated with a major adverse event (MAE) within one-year post AMI were evaluated using SAS. Results showed a trend of higher odds …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 6, July 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes an article written by Dr. James Plumb on "Public Health Perspective: Linking Public Health and Medical Education at Jefferson" along with thesis presenters and other program announcements.

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 5, June 2007

Public Health Link

This issue highlights the newly created joint public health and law programs between Thomas Jefferson University and Widener University as well as an article written by Dr. James Plumb on poverty reduction and health.

Assessing Chronic Disease Management Strategies Through Community Based Participatory Research, Kevin D. Willison

Kevin D Willison

Comprehensive chronic disease management (CDM) strategies aim to improve such aspects as continuity of care, health-related quality of life and, overall population health. Here, consideration is made of how CDM may be enhanced through a more integrated and holistic health care system by incorporating a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach. This has the potential to provide meaningful participation by citizens in public health policy development. That CBPR may garner improved assessment of the effectiveness of existing CDM strategies, as imbedded in such practices as (regulated) complementary/alternative medicine (CAM), public health, and transcultural health care initiatives, should not be overlooked.

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss. 4, May 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes a faculty spotlight on Dr. Simmons and a list of recent Public Health graduates.

A Medical Mission: Healing Wounds, Improving Health, And Discovering Hope In Honduras, Michaela Maynard

Senior Honors Projects

According to the United Nations, less than one-sixth of the world’s population is made up of the industrialized world. In contrast, the developing world, consisting of approximately 125 low and middle-income countries, is home to about 5.1 billion people. It is in these developing counties that there is an insatiable need for improved public health. In January of 2007, I spent a week working in a medical clinic in Guaimaca, Honduras. I witnessed first hand the suffering, poverty, and injustice of one small town. Yet, what struck me the most was that despite the hardships and the lack of basic …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss.3, April 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes a faculty spotlight on Dr. Brawer, a recap of the 4th annual SAPHE awards luncheon and a list of Public Health Thesis presenters.

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss.2, Marchl 2007

Public Health Link

The Dean of Jefferson College of Graduate Studies (JCGS) announced recently that the public health program has been given a new name and will make several other important changes beginning in September of 2007. The public health program is no longer a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) program. It is a Master of Public Health Program and will issue MPH degrees.

Social Determinants Of Health And Disease Working Together, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Quality Assurance Initiative For Emergency Medical Services, Melissa Anne Howell

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Ohio Revised Code 4765.12 mandates the implementation of ongoing peer review and quality assurance (QA) programs for all emergency medical service (EMS) organizations in the State of Ohio. The purpose of implementing QA programs for EMS is to ensure delivery of quality care to the public. Public health core strategies are to assess systems and assure the implementation of policies and processes that improve community health. Involving public health in the development of a QA program provides technical assistance in developing valid methods that can be used to measure the performance of an EMS system. This study will use a …

The Human/Animal Interface: Emergence And Resurgence Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Michael Greger

Transgenesis Collection

Emerging infectious diseases, most of which are considered zoonotic in origin, continue to exact a significant toll on society. The origins of major human infectious diseases are reviewed and the factors underlying disease emergence explored. Anthropogenic changes, largely in land use and agriculture, are implicated in the apparent increased frequency of emergence and reemergence of zoonoses in recent decades. Special emphasis is placed on the pathogen with likely the greatest zoonotic potential, influenzavirus A.

Department Of Family Medicine And Public Health Sciences 2006 Annual Report: Addressing Health Challenges In Michigan, Wayne State University School Of Medicine, Department Of Family Medicine And Public Health Sciences

Annual Reports

2006 annual report includes: Greetings from the Chair, Maryjean Schenk; Introducing New Faculty; Full-time affiliate and Voluntary Faculty; In Memoriam: John B. Waller, Jr.; Master of Public Health Program; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Honors, Awards and Appointments; University Family Physicians; Family Medicine Residency; Occupational and Environmental Health; New Grant Highlights; External Funding; Highlights from 2006 Publications; Peer-reviewed Publications; Editorial and Peer-Review Activities; Undergraduate Medical Education Division; Behavioral Science; Presentations and Professional Meetings; Division of Clinical and Community Translational Research; Trends in Faculty Rank and Scholarship.

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Thomas Jefferson University Mph Public Health Link Newsletter, Vol. 3, Iss.1, January 2007

Public Health Link

This issue includes a faculty spotlight on Dr. James Diamond and MPH program announcements.

Public Health Decision Makers’ Informational Needs And Preferences For Receiving Research Evidence, Maureen Dobbins, Susan Jack, Helen Thomas, Anita Kothari

Anita Kothari

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify decision-makers’ preferences for the transfer and exchange of research knowledge. This article is focused on how the participants define evidence-based decision-making and their preferences for receiving research evidence to integrate into the decision-making process.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 Ontario public health decision-makers from six Ontario public health units in this fundamental qualitative descriptive study. The sample included nine program managers, six directors, and one Medical Officer of Health. Participants were asked to define the term evidence-based decision-making and identify preferred research dissemination strategies. The …

Public Health And Constitutional Law: Recognizing The Relationship, Wendy E. Parmet

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Epidemiology 101: An Overview Of Epidemiology And Its Relevance To U.S. Law, Richard A. Goodman

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Las Vegas: A Sustainable Urban Environment For Health?, Nancy Menzel

Nevada Journal of Public Health

The rapid growth of Las Vegas has resulted in negative consequences for the health of its residents to a level that threatens the area’s sustainability. This article reviews key indicators of population health in Las Vegas through the framework of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy People in Healthy Places and concludes that public health professionals, citizens, businesses, and political leaders must act now to protect and improve population health.

Beyond Compensation: Using Torts To Promote Public Health, Elizabeth A. Weeks

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Planning An Integrated Disease Surveillance And Response System: A Matrix Of Skills And Activities, Helen N. Perry, Sharon M. Mcdonnell, Wondimagegnehu Alemu, Peter Nsubuga

Dartmouth Scholarship

The threat of a global influenza pandemic and the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (2005) highlight the value of well-coordinated, functional disease surveillance systems. The resulting demand for timely information challenges public health leaders to design, develop and implement efficient, flexible and comprehensive systems that integrate staff, resources, and information systems to conduct infectious disease surveillance and response. To understand what resources an integrated disease surveillance and response system would require, we analyzed surveillance requirements for 19 priority infectious diseases targeted for an integrated disease surveillance and response strategy in the WHO African region.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Isolation Order, Public Health Powers, And A Global Crisis, David P. Fidler, Howard Markel, Lawrence O. Gostin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.