Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cigar Crisis: The Need For Community Based Practices, Christopher D. Watson

Public Health Theses

Considerable evidence exists that little cigars and cigarillos are popular among young adults and that the prevalence is higher among African American young adults.1,2,4 Two brands of little cigars appear most appealing to young smokers - Swisher Sweets and Black and Mild.2,3 This cigar product have been designed by the tobacco industry to appeal specifically for African Americans. In a survey of tobacco use among freshman at a historically black university, there were high rates of little cigar use.4 Little cigar sales have also benefited from the high visibility offered by many celebrities quoted and photographed with cigars, and the …

Effectiveness Of A Pre-Release Planning Program For Hiv-Positive Offenders Exiting Georgia Prisons: A Qualitative Evaluation Approach, Claire A. Willeford

Public Health Theses

Background: Two-year nationwide prison recidivism rates stand at over 60%, and minorities and the poor are at greatest risk both of first-time incarceration and of offending repeatedly over time. Initiatives that may address prison inmates’ lack of resources and increase their success in their communities after release are now an important topic in the study of criminal justice policy. Over the course of the past two decades, the public health concern of HIV/AIDS has increasingly become a part of this discourse on re-entry, as the disease disproportionately affects minority communities both in and outside of prisons. Affected reentrants face not …

Elevated Bmi-Associated Characteristics Of Patients With Invasive Mrsa Infection In The Atlanta, Georgia Metro Area, 2005-2008, Lauren R. Lorentzson

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: National obesity rates are leading to higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes, increasing the number of people at risk of invasive infections with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (iMRSA) upon onset of ESRD and hemodialysis. However, an association between adiposity and risk of iMRSA has not been researched. AIM: The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of an iMRSA cohort in the Atlanta metro area between 2005-2008; to examine BMI-related health outcomes within the cohort; and to compare proportions of BMI categories in this cohort to BRFSS data. METHODS: Surveillance data collected by the CDC EIP …

The Effect Of Different Interfaces On Aerosol Delivery In Simulated Spontaneously Breathing Adult With Tracheostomy, Alaa Ahmed Bugis

Respiratory Therapy Theses

Background: The delivery of an aerosol via a tracheostomy tube has been previously described with both a tracheostomy collar and a T-piece, but not with a Wright mask, or aerosol mask. The primary purpose of this study was to quantify lung doses using different interfaces: tracheostomy collar, Wright mask, and aerosol mask. The secondary purposes were to compare albuterol delivery between an opened vs. a closed fenestration hole and also to determine the effect of inspiratory time:expiratory time (I:E) ratio on aerosol delivery.

Methods: A teaching mannequin (Medical Plastic Labs, Gatesville, TX) with a tracheostomy opening was used. Two of …

A Geographical Examination Of Social, Behavioral, And Demographic Determinants Association With Hepatitis C Viral Infection In The State Of Georgia, Terran A. Terrell

Public Health Theses

Background: Approximately 170 million persons are infected with the hepatitis C viral infection (HCV), globally. Of this number, 3.2 – 4 million persons in the U. S. are infected with HCV. Although previous research has indicated a decrease in the rates of Hepatitis C in the U.S. approximately 12,000 deaths occur annually from those who suffer from chronic liver disease, as a result of being chronic carriers of HCV. Being a recipient of blood transfusions prior to 1992, intravenous drug users (IDUs), or persons with multiple sex partners are associated with increased risk for HCV infection. IDUs constitute the largest …

Comparison Of Albuterol Delivery Between High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation And Conventional Mechanical Ventilation In A Simulated Adult Lung Model Using Different Compliance Levels, Waleed A. Alzahrani

Respiratory Therapy Theses

COMPARISON OF ALBUTEROL DELIVERY BETWEEN HIGH FREQUENCY OSCILLATORY VENTILATION AND CONVENTIONAL MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN A SIMULATED ADULT LUNG MODEL USING DIFFERENT COMPLIANCE LEVELS By Waleed A. Alzahrani, BSRT BACKGROUND: Delivery of aerosol by pMDI has been described with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) but not with high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). The purpose of this study was to compare aerosol delivery to a simulated 75 kg adult with low compliance during both CMV and HFOV. Since actuation of pMDI with inspiration is not feasible with HFOV, we investigated the impact of actuation timing only during CMV. METHOD: CMV (Respironics Esprit) and …

A Systematic Review Examining The Added Value Of Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Interventions For Preventive Chemotherapy Programs On Reducing The Prevalence Of Trachoma, Anyess R. Travers

Public Health Theses

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is a leading cause of avoidable blindness. Currently, trachoma is endemic in 57 countries, infects approximately 84 million people globally, and continues to threaten over 10 % of the world’s population with the risk of blindness. Caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, blindness due to trachoma is caused by repeated eye infection resulting in the inflammation of the upper eyelid eventually leading the upper lid to pull inward scratching and tearing the cornea causing it to become opaque resulting in loss of vision. The World Health Organization recommends eliminating trachoma as a public health problem using the SAFE …

A Proposal For Enhancing And Measuring Infant-Directed Maternal Utterances And Incidental Teaching Within The Safecare® Parent-Infant Interaction Module, Megan O. Smith

Public Health Theses

Child maltreatment is a serious and pervasive public health problem in the United States. In 2008, there were 772,000 children who were substantiated victims of maltreatment and 1,740 children died as a result of maltreatment. Approximately 33 percent of maltreatment victims were under the age of four. Among numerous other negative sequelae, children who have been maltreated have an elevated incidence of language delay and poor cognitive functioning, both strong predictors of literacy skills and later academic achievement. Further, maternal language input is critical to a child’s cognitive development and language acquisition. Maltreating mothers provide their children with far less …

Personal Factors, Perceptions, Influences And Their Relationship With Adherence Behaviors In Patients With Diabetes, Glenn E. Hagerstrom

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Problem and significance: Adherence to health-promoting behaviors in a diabetes self-care regimen is essential for individuals with diabetes and can assist providers and individuals with diabetes management. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between personal factors (age, length of diabetes diagnosis, perceived health status, weight), perceived barriers to action (number of barrier days), interpersonal influences (social support), situational influences (depressive symptoms), and patient adherence to health-promoting behaviors (blood glucose monitoring, diet, and exercise) and health outcomes ( A1c and body mass index) in a diabetes self-care regimen.

Methods: A descriptive correlational analysis was performed using baseline …

The Relationship Of Personal Characteristics, Behavorial Capability, Environmental Factors, And Hypertension Medication Adherence In African American Adults With Metabolic Syndrome, Karen Andrea Armstrong

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Disparities in medication adherence (MA) associated with African American (AA) adults may be related to a dynamic interplay between personal factors, behavioral capability, and environmental factors. The purpose of the study was to examine this relationship in AA adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). A cross-sectional, correlational analysis was conducted from baseline data from a larger intervention study. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory were used to predict MA. The sample of 91 AA adults with MetS was primarily middle-aged (age range 45-70 years old; M 53, SD 6.3), female (79%), relatively well-educated, and married. Despite being on antihypertensive medications, 53% …

The Effects Of Pattern Recognition Based Simulation Scenarios On Symptom Recognition Of Myocardial Infarction, Critical Thinking, Clinical Decision-Making, And Clinical Judgment In Nursing Students, Susan A. Walsh

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

In the United States nearly 1 million annual new and recurrent myocardial infarctions (MI) occur with 10% of patients hospitalized with MI having unrecognized ischemic symptoms. Inexperienced nurses are expected to accurately interpret cardiac symptom cues, possibly without ever having experienced care of patients with MI, yet have been shown to be less able to classify symptom cues and reach accurate conclusions than experienced nurses. The purpose of this study was to test an educational intervention using theories of pattern recognition to develop CT in MI and improve nursing students’ clinical decision-making and clinical judgment using high fidelity patient simulation. …

A Spatial And Health Burden Analysis Of Census Tract 85: Implications For Prevention And Intervention, Allison C. Edwards

Public Health Theses

New regulations requiring not-for-profit hospitals to provide documented evidence of charitable care and community benefits provide a unique opportunity for strategic and targeted investment within the given community of the hospital. And with a growing number of uninsured and underserved in the US, the need for tactical community benefits is increasing exponentially. The purpose of this capstone is to pool together the relevant resources and data necessary to guide and inform the decision making process involved in creating prevention and intervention programs tailored specifically to census tract 85. Utilizing several different forms of demographic and health data including Census, Online …

In Reply, Monica H. Swahn, Meltem Alemdar, Daniel J. Whitaker

Public Health Faculty Publications

A reply to a letter to the editor regarding their article:

Swahn MH, Alemdar M, Whitaker DJ. 2009. Nonreciprocal and Reciprocal Dating Violence and Injury Occurrence Among Urban Youth. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 11(3):264-268.

An Examination Of Known Tuberculosis Risk Factors And Their Correlation Across The United States, David Young

Public Health Theses

Background: Globally tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of mortality. There is scientific evidence of sociodemographic, behavioral and health risk factors associated with TB infection and TB disease. In the United States (US), there is a low endemicity of TB and a goal of TB elimination. Objective: The primary objective of the study was to examine the correlation of TB risk factors at the state level in the US to obtain insights specific to the state of TB in the US. The risk factors examined were diabetes rates, smoking rates, alcohol abuse rates, AIDS rates, foreign-born vs. US-born, …

Characteristics And Etiology Of Moderate-To-Severe Diarrhea Of Acute, Prolonged Acute, And Persistent Duration Among Children Less Than 5 Years Old In Rural Western Kenya, 2008-2010, Katharine A. Schilling

Public Health Theses

Worldwide, diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. Data on diarrhea of extended duration is limited. We described the characteristics associated with acute, prolonged acute and persistent diarrhea in Kenyan children less than 5 years of age participating in the Global Enterics Multicenter Study. Children presenting at a clinic were enrolled if they met the case definition for acute moderate-to-severe diarrhea defined as >3 loose stools in the last 24 hrs, within 7 days of illness onset, with >1 of the following: sunken eyes, skin tenting, dysentery, IV rehydration, or hospitalization. To …

A Survey Of Georgia Adult Protective Services Staff Regarding Elder Abuse Laws And Policies: Determining Training Needs, Judith Kerr

Public Health Theses

Abstract Background: The aging population is a rapidly growing demographic. Isolation and limited autonomy render many of the elderly vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. As the population grows, so does the need for Adult Protective Services (APS). This study was conducted to examine current knowledge of Georgia older adult protection laws and to identify training opportunities to better prepare the APS workforce in cases detection and intervention. Methods: A primary survey was developed in partnership with the Georgia Division of Aging Services’ leadership to identify key training priority issues APS caseworkers and investigators. A 47-item, electronic questionnaire was delivered …

An Analysis Of Household-Reported Health Status And Socio-Demographic Characteristics Associated With Adolescent Influenza Vaccination Rates In The United States: 2008 National Immunization Survey-Teen, Lindy Liu

Public Health Theses

Background: Influenza is a highly contagious but preventable acute respiratory illness associated with high morbidity. Seasonal influenza affects approximately 20% to 40% of children and adolescents. Annual influenza vaccination is an effective approach to prevent illness but recent studies suggests that adolescents are underutilizing important preventive health services and that influenza vaccination coverage in high risk adolescents is also suboptimal. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between household reported health status and socio-demographic characteristics of U.S. adolescents who reported receiving an influenza vaccination.

Methods: Data from the 2008 National Immunization Survey were assessed examining various demographic …

Delivery Of Asthma Management Services By A Federally Qualified Health Center In An Urban Setting, Tyra T. Buckley

Public Health Theses

As a chronic disease, asthma presents a significant public health challenge nationally and in Georgia. In 2007, over 22 million people, including over 9 million children, had asthma in the United States. In Georgia, 230,000, or 10% of children have asthma, which is more prevalent among children less than 18 years of age than among adults. While asthma affects people of all ages and socioeconomic status, low income and minority populations have the highest asthma morbidity. This has proven to be the case with residents of Neighborhood Planning Unit V (NPU-V), a low-income minority community located in southeast Atlanta. Children …

Creating A Tobacco-Free Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility: A Toolkit For Designing An Effective Intervention, Carrie F. Whitney

Public Health Theses

Individuals with a substance addiction and/or mental illness use tobacco at rates much higher than the general population. Approximately 21% of the U.S. population smokes, yet 40%-80% of substance abuse and mental health patients smoke and consume more than 44% of all the cigarettes sold in the United States each year. As a result, these individuals experience increased tobacco related morbidity and mortality. Tobacco use is common and accepted within this population, and has become a norm even within treatment programs. Only 30%-40% of treatment facilities offer smoking cessation resources, and many organizations are hesitant to address cessation or to …

An Examination Of Foodborne Outbreaks Of Salmonella Enteritidis In The United States, 1973-2008, Ashton P. Wright

Public Health Theses

Salmonella is a common enteric pathogen and is the most frequently reported bacterial infection in the United States. The two most commonly reported serotypes causing human illness in the United States are Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis (SE). The incidence and number of foodborne outbreaks of SE started to increase in the 1970s and by 1994, SE was the most common Salmonella serotype reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SE has been most commonly associated with consumption of shell eggs. Outbreak reports were obtained from the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) and analyzed. …

Rotary/Usaid Alliance: Monitoring And Evaluation Plan For Allianza Agua Segura Para Los Niños (Safe Water For Children), Christine E. Stauber

Public Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Writing And Publishing: The Librarian’S Handbook. Edited By Carol Smallwood., Sharon Leslie

University Library Faculty Publications

This is a book review of Writing and Publishing: The Librarian’s Handbook, edited by Carol Smallwood

Review Of Understanding Healthcare Information By Lyn Robinson, Sharon Leslie

University Library Faculty Publications

This is a review of Understanding Healthcare Information by Lyn Robinson

An After School Program To Reduce Teen Violence, Recidivism, And Prepare Teens For The Workplace In Douglas County, Georgia, Christina E. Crane

Public Health Theses

Violence is a leading cause of death and injury for juveniles and is projected to increase in the state of Georgia. Many if not most of these violent acts occur while teens are unsupervised between after school and when guardians return from work. After school programs have been proven effective in improving academic preparation and social skills while also providing adequate supervision. An additional and important component in reducing violence and other high-risk opportunities is related to workplace readiness. However, a review of existing programs concludes that there are currently no programs that contain all three components of academic preparation, …

Understanding The Health Beliefs Of First Time Mothers Who Request An Elective Cesarean Versus Mothers Who Request A Vaginal Delivery, Deborah T. Macmillan

Nursing Dissertations (PhD)

Little is known about how the decision for elective cesarean section comes about in the clinical environment. A prospective longitudinal study based on the Health Belief Model was conducted about first time mothers’ decision making processes and their health beliefs which led to their satisfaction with their decision about their mode of delivery. A convenience sample of 144 nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies and no medical indications requiring a cesarean delivery were recruited using internet based informational notices and with flyers. Women (n = 127) planning a vaginal delivery (VDMR) represented 88.2% of the sample and women (n = 17) …

Examining The Impact Of Development, Tobacco Taxation, And Tobacco Prices On Global Adult Male Smoking Prevalence, Michael Brandon Talley

Public Health Theses

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Nevertheless, the global tobacco epidemic continues to spread throughout much of the world, particularly in developing countries. Previous research suggests that smoking status may be associated with a variety of social, economic, and cultural factors. This study examines the impact of development, tobacco taxation, and tobacco prices on estimates of global adult male smoking prevalence. Data for this study was obtained from the United Nations’ Human Development Indices: A Statistical Update, 2008 and the World Health Organization’s Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009: Implementing Smoke-free Environments. Global …

The Health Workers Crises In Cameroon, Adidja Amani

Public Health Theses

The physician’s crisis in Cameroon has reached an alarming stage and has the potential to worsen existing health problems including the attainment of millennium development goals. This report emphasized the challenges faced by Cameroonian physicians, and recommended alternative solutions to the current government health workers policies. The report was done through a review of articles and documents covering the topic. At the center of the physician’s crises in Cameroon is the discrepancy between financial, social and professional expectations and what the government offers. The analysis showed that, there is a general dissatisfaction, despite some corrective measures implemented by the government. …

Using Benchmarking Methodology To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of In-Home Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Pcit), Jessica R. Valente

Public Health Theses

Benchmarking offers community practitioners more systematic judgments about research effectiveness when control groups are not feasible, while also providing a standard for program transportability from clinical to community settings. The purpose of the current study was to outline the necessary decisions, calculations, and strengths and limitations of applying benchmarking methodologies to a behavioral parent training (BPT) program, a field in which benchmarking remains relatively underutilized. The implementation of in-home Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based practice shown to be successful in reducing child maltreatment and neglect, was evaluated as a case study of the application of benchmarking. Of those parents …

An Exploratory Examination Of Afghan Women Socio Economic Status (Ses) And Child Health Indicator, Zakia Maroof

Public Health Theses

In this study we used the data from Afghanistan Health Survey 2006. For this study, 8278 households were randomly selected in which 8281 women aged 10-49 years were interviewed by survey teams using a structured questionnaire. The information was also collected for all children aged 5 years or less from all these households. The sample includes 7843 (13.8%) children under the age of 5 years old. Literacy of mothers (ability to read), age of mother at marriage, number of children, exposure to mass media (listening to radio or watching TV) were the independent variables and BCG vaccination, initiation of breastfeeding …

Nonreciprocal And Reciprocal Dating Violence And Injury Occurrence Among Urban Youth, Monica Swahn, Meltem Alemdar, Daniel J. Whitaker

Public Health Faculty Publications

Objective: Dating violence is a significant health problem among youth that leads to adverse health outcomes, including injuries. Reciprocal violence (perpetrated by both partners) is associated with increased injury in adults, but very little is known about the prevalence and context for reciprocal violence, as well as injury rates, among youth. We sought to determine the prevalence and scope of reciprocal dating violence and injury occurrence among urban youth in a high-risk community.

Methods: Analyses were based on data from the Youth Violence Survey, conducted in 2004, and administered to over 80% of public school students in grades 7, 9, …