Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Air Displacement Plethysmography And Resistance Exercise, Joan Cebrick Grossman, Ronald W. Deitrick

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of resistance exercise (RE) on body composition using air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) within 2 hours of completing RE. Methods: Thirteen university students (9 males and 4 females; 18.8±0.5 yrs; mean ± SD) volunteered for this study. The RE program (55.4±8.7 min) consisted of a combination of upper- and lower-body extremity exercises and abdominal exercises for a total of nine different exercises. Relative body fat (BF) was assessed (1.76+0.4 hr) using ADP before and after the RE along with skinfold (SF) measures, body mass (BM) and respiratory quotient. Results …

Decision Making About Rural Physiotherapy Service Provision Varies With Sector, Size And Rurality, Robyn Adams, Anne Jones, Sophie Lefmann, Lorraine Sheppard

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: Decisions about physiotherapy service provision occur within the context of organisations, locations, and settings. The uniqueness of rural communities means it is important to consider contextual factors when making decisions about rural health services. As literature describing decision making about rural physiotherapy services is limited, this study sought perspectives on service level decision making (SLDM) from a range of stakeholders. The research approach needed to support consideration of both location and the broader health system. Method: A sequential mixed methods approach within a systems theory-case study heuristic provided the framework to explore rural physiotherapy SLDM. The investigation site, a …

Using Our Voices-And Using Our Science, Johanna M. Hinman

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Using Our Voices-and Using Our Science

Legislative Smoking Bans For Reducing Exposure To Secondhand Smoke And Smoking Prevalence: Opportunities For Georgians, Steven S. Coughlin, Jennifer Anderson, Selina A. Smith

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Secondhand smoke, which is also referred to as environmental tobacco smoke and passive smoke, is a known human carcinogen. Secondhand smoke also causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children.

Methods: We summarize studies of secondhand smoke in public places before and after smoking bans, as well as studies of cardiovascular and respiratory disease before and after such bans.

Results: To protect the public from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, smoke-free legislation is an effective public health measure. Smoking bans in public places, which have been implemented in many jurisdictions across the U.S. and in other …

Ebola: Working Through Fear, Brenda Fitzgerald

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Ebola: Working Through Fear

Unveiling The Mysteries Of Palliative Care, Jennifer Currin-Mcculloch, Karen Terry

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Unveiling the Mysteries of Palliative Care

86th Annual Georgia Public Health Association Meeting & Conference Report, Selina A. Smith, Regina Abbott, Christy Sims

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

The 86th annual meeting of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) and joint conference with the Southern Health Association was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 13-14, 2015, with pre-conference (April 12th) and post-conference (April14th) Executive Board meetings. As Georgia’s leading forum for public health researchers, practitioners, and students, the annual meeting of the GPHA brings together participants from across the state to explore recent developments in the field and to exchange techniques, tools, and experiences. Historically, the GPHA conference has been held in Savannah (n=24); Jekyll Island (n=20); Atlanta (n=16); Augusta (n=4); and Gainesville (n=1). There was no annual …

Association Between Air Temperature And Heart Disease Death Rates In Georgia Counties, John Hart

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In this ecological study, global warming theory was tested on a local level, in Georgia. The hypothesis was that warmer counties would be associated with higher death rates.

Methods: Heart disease death rates (HDDR) for 2008-2010 by Georgia county were compared to air temperature, also by county for the same years. Three race categories for HDDR were studied: black, white, and all races. Since there is evidence that living at higher land elevations provides a protective effect against heart disease, land elevation by county was included as a second predictor.

Results: Correlation analyses revealed low strength, statistically significant correlations …

Promoting Policy And Environmental Change In Faith-Based Organizations: Organizational Level Findings From A Mini Grants Program, April Hermstad, Kimberly R. Jacob Arriola, Shauna St. Clair, Sally Honeycutt, Michelle L. Carvalho, Sabrina T. Cherry, Tamara Davis, Sheritta Frazier, Cam Escoffery, Michelle C. Kegler

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: High rates of heart disease, cancer, and stroke exist in rural South Georgia, where Emory’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network provided mini-grants and technical assistance to six faith-based organizations to implement policy and environmental changes to promote healthy eating (HE), physical activity (PA), and tobacco use prevention (TUP). Drawing from a Social Ecological Framework, we hypothesized that church members would perceive an increase in messages, programs, and the availability of facilities to support HE, PA, and TUP over a 1-year period.

Methods: Members (N=258) completed self-administered questionnaires that assessed perceptions of the existing church health promotion environment relative …

Substance Use-Related Brief Interventions With Emergency Department Patients Reduce Mental Health Co-Morbidities, J. Aaron Johnson, Amanda J. Abraham

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Research on screening and brief interventions (SBIs) has shown that, in addition to reducing alcohol use, interventions delivered in healthcare settings can reduce trauma readmissions, hospitalization days, driving offenses, and future healthcare utilization and costs. Mental health co-morbidities often accompany unhealthy alcohol and drug use, but few studies have examined the impact of SBIs on the mental health of patients. The present study determined if SBIs focused on reducing alcohol or drug use affected the mental health status of patients at a six-month follow-up.

Methods: Participants (N=1152) were randomly sampled from patients receiving SBIs for at-risk alcohol or drug …

A Multisite Evaluation Of Pediatric Asthma-Related Treatment In Accordance To The 2007 National Heart, Lung And Blood Institute Expert Panel Report — 3 Guidelines, Emeka Oraka, Brittani Robinson, Trevor Ousley, Francesca Lopez, Leroy Graham

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: To determine if Georgia-based healthcare providers who received continuing education on pediatric asthma as described by 2007 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Expert Panel Report – 3 guidelines demonstrated improvements in asthma-related treatment.

Methods: We used a multi-site, cross-sectional design. Data were collected via surveys administered to healthcare providers and via randomized medical chart abstractions. Chart abstraction occurred at 12 months prior to intervention (n = 149); one month post-intervention (n = 208); and three months post-intervention (n = 123).

Results: Substantial improvements were observed among the providers who used pre/post bronchodilator spirometry (5% at baseline, 12% at …

Spiritual Health: The Often-Overlooked Dimension Of Health, Clarence E. Riley, Peter Imoyera, Oreta Samples, Gregory Green

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Spiritual health, one of the six dimensions of health (physical, social, intellectual, emotional, environmental, and spiritual), is often overlooked and has become less prominent in the literature and in public forums. This once-touted dimension of health is now seldom considered.

Methods: A review revealed that literature on spiritual health is sparse and, when found, is dated.

Results: The existing literature indicates that spiritual health relates to various aspects of well-being, including medical/physical health, mental/psychological health, and educational/intellectual health. It is likely that the decline of consideration of spiritual health is due to the decrease in public discussion of spiritual …

Nonprofit Hospitals And Community Health Needs Assessments, Beth Stephens

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires all hospitals filing as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years. Many Georgia hospitals published their first CHNAs in 2012 and 2013. The goals of this research and policy project were to assess compliance with the new CHNA requirements for nonprofit hospitals, provide recommendations to hospital administrators and policymakers, and encourage hospitals to engage in meaningful ways with community-based organizations and local public health departments in the next round of CHNAs.

Methods: With funding from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Georgia Watch reviewed …

Patient-Centered Outcomes For Gostrong: A Self-Management Diabetes Program In Savannah, Ga, Frances M. Yang, Lizann Roberts, Bionca Davis, Angela Christianson

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: To advance the goal of health improvement for diverse populations with diabetes, a patient-centered approach is foundational.

Methods: Innovative methods were used to initiate and advance an approach to diabetes engagement and self-management. We began with a strategy to understand how patients with diabetes view and interact with the disease via the medical community and moved to program development through patient-centered design and to the development of strategic partnerships and continuous learning from patients, stakeholders, and academic research partners.

Results: The mean age of the participants in the GoStrong™ program (n=106) was 51 ±9.2 (SD) years. There were significant …

Surviving Hiv And Dying For A Smoke: Implications For Tobacco Use Among People Living With Hiv, Rachel Culbreth, Jane Kelly, David Maggio, Pascale M. Wortley, Cherie Drenzek

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy in the mid-nineties, deaths among persons living with HIV (PLWH) have declined nationally. Now a controllable condition, HIV has become a chronic disease, highlighting the importance of tobacco cessation in lowering morbidity and premature mortality. Current smoking is approximately twice as high among PLWH compared with the general population. PLWH who smoke experience higher rates of cardiovascular disease, AIDS-defining illnesses, and cancer than PLWH who do not smoke. Loss of life-years associated with smoking among PLWH is greater than life-years lost from HIV.

Methods: Data on current smoking, derived from the …

E-Cigarette Use Among Undergraduate Liberal Arts And Health Sciences Students: A Study Protocol, Vivian G. Dicks, Rebecca B. Stone

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery operated devices that deliver nicotine as an inhaled vapor. Use of e-cigarettes has gained in popularity since 2007, and their use is often promoted as a safer alternative to tobacco smoking. A concern among public health experts is whether e-cigarettes can be used as an alternative method for tobacco cessation or whether they lead to nicotine dependence and use of other tobacco products. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of use of e-cigarettes among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, but varying results on the association between their use and …

The Role Of Perception In Developing Healthy Lifestyles And Community Engagement, Anne Marie Coleman, Anne Hicks-Coolick, Agnes F. Brown

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department and the Cobb2020 partnership, sponsored by the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnering program, facilitated six focus groups in Cobb County to ascertain residents’ perceptions of healthy behaviors. The purpose of the research was to assist in the development of programs to increase healthy behaviors.

Methods: Purposive sampling was used to choose fifty-eight participants, who were divided into six groups in different geographic locations. The focus group questions concerned healthy living, health communications, and community health. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used to generate themes and categories across and within groups. …

Community-Based Participatory Research Principles For The African American Community, Selina A. Smith, Mary S. Whitehead, Joyce Q. Sheats, Benjamin E. Ansa, Steven S. Coughlin, Daniel S. Blumenthal

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Numerous sets of principles have been developed to guide the conduct of community-based participatory research (CBPR). However, they tend to be written in language that is most appropriate for academics and other research professionals; they may not help lay people from the community understand CBPR.

Methods: Many community members of the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer assisting with the Educational Program to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (EPICS) had little understanding of CBPR. We engaged community members in developing culturally-specific principles for conducting academic-community collaborative research.

Results: We developed a set of CBPR principles intended to resonate with African-American …

The State Of Accreditation Readiness In Georgia: A Case Study, Angela Peden, Gulzar H. Shah, Russell Toal, Dayna S. Alexander, Alesha Wright, Ashton Anderson, Nandi A. Marshall, Scott Uhlich, Jeffery A. Jones

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Georgia’s public health districts first began exploring the idea of national public health accreditation in 2008 when Cobb & Douglas Public Health included accreditation in their strategic plan. In May 2015, Cobb & Douglas Public Health was the first Georgia public health district to achieve national accreditation status. This article discusses the current state of accreditation readiness in Georgia and explores strengths and barriers to accreditation.

Methods: This study utilized a case study approach in order to examine PHAB accreditation efforts in Georgia within a real life context. Data came from three sources: nine Accreditation Readiness Assessments, a PHAB …

Tapping The “Town And Gown” Potential For Correctional Health Research Collaborations, Madison L. Gates, Michelle Staples-Horne, Nancy C. Webb, Ronald L. Braithwaite, Beverly Hastings

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Collaborations between juvenile justice systems (town) and academia (gown) promise to significantly enhance what we understand about high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) found among detained populations, particularly African American young women. However, research related to the sexual health of adolescent detainees has not occurred in proportion to the magnitude of issues found in the population. While there are many challenges to conducting research with this population, there are also lessons learned and best practices from other studies that may provide guidance.

Methods: In 2015, we implemented a pilot project with young women in a detention center to …

Increased Perception Of Mosquito Problems During A Stormwater Restoration Project, Rosmarie Kelly

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

In 2008, a plan for improvement of the McDaniel Branch Watershed was prepared for the city of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management. This included the construction of ponds in a kudzu-covered area at Bowen Circle. There is a perception that wetlands create mosquito problems. In point of fact, most of the vector and nuisance species in Atlanta are either container breeders or floodwater species, and do not breed in ponds. Because there is an average of 5 cases of West Nile virus (WNV) reported in Fulton County per year, most of these near Combined Sewer Overflow streams, county residents are …

Levels And Predictors Of Lhds' Engagement In Community Health Assessment, 2002-2013, Gulzar H. Shah, Kay Lovelace, Daniel F. Linder

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Presentations (2008-2022)

This presentation was given at the Keeneland Conference for Public Health Systems and Services Research.

Characteristics Of Local Health Departments Associated With Their Implementation Of Electronic Health Records And Other Informatics System, Gulzar H. Shah, Jonathon P. Leider, Brian C. Castrucci, Karmen S. Williams, Huabin Luo

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Presentations (2008-2022)

Background: Information technology and information systems (IT/IS) play a critical role in the daily operation of local health departments (LHDs). Assessing LHDs’ informatics capacities is important, especially within the context of broader, system-level health reform efforts.

Research Objective: This study assesses a nationally representative sample of LHDs’ level of adoption of information systems, technology, and the factors associated with adoption/implementation. Specifically, five areas of public health informatics were examined: electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchange (HIE), immunization registry (IR), electronic disease reporting system (EDRS), and electronic lab reporting (ELR).

Data Sets and Sources: Data from NACCHO’s 2013 National Profile …

Factors Driving Local Health Department’S Collaboration With Other Organizations In The Provision Of Personal Healthcare Services, Huabin Luo, Nancy L. Winterbauer, Ashley Tucker, Gulzar H. Shah

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Presentations (2008-2022)

Background: Recent work has highlighted the necessity of integrating primary care services and public health to improve quality and reduce the cost of healthcare.

Research Objectives: To describe levels of partnership between local health departments (LHD) and other organizations in the community in the provision of personal healthcare services; and to assess LHD organizational characteristics and community factors that contribute to partnerships.

Data Sets and Sources: Data were drawn from the 2013 NACCHO Profile Study (Module 1) and the Area Health Resource File. A total of 490 LHDs responded to Module 1, where LHDs were asked to describe the level …

Bios 6332 - Experimental Design In Biostat, Jingjing Yin

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces the methods for analyzing biomedical and health related data using ANOVA methods. The course will involve one-way and two-way ANOVA with fixed or/and random effects and sample size/power calculation. And Logistic and Poisson regression models will also be addressed. The students will learn how to apply SAS procedures PROC POWER, PROC GLM, PROC MIXED, PROC GENMOD and PROC GLIMMIX and interpret the results of analysis. Emphasis will also be placed on the development of critical thinking skills.

Pubh 5520/5520g - Introduction To Public Health, Katie M. Mercer

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to give students a foundation in the core functions of the population-based public health (assessment, policy development and assurance). In addition, this course will examine the 10 essential services of public health within these core functions. Defining effective public health practice and providing knowledge about the technical, social, and political parameters related to public health research and practice are goals for this class. Students will gain an understanding of public health as a broad area of work that applies the benefits of current biomedical, environmental, social, and behavioral knowledge in ways that maximize the health status …

Pubh 4618 - Senior Seminar In Health Education And Promotion, Joanne Chopak-Foss

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Provides senior level Health Education and Promotion majors with a colloquium in which to discuss current issues and topics, with a focus on current health issues, professional employment opportunities, internships, development and growth and current research themes within the profession.

Pubh 4330 - Promotional Strategies For Health Programs, Jamie S. Cromley

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course explores the application of social marketing and communication theory to the development of strategies to enhance health education and promotion programs.

Pubh 4230 A - Maternal And Child Health, Val Malika Reagon

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will review the historical and contemporary maternal and child health trends and issues. The application of health behavior and education theories to understanding the health status of women and their children will be central to the course. Emphasis is on promotion and education efforts designed to improve the health, well­being, and quality of life for women and children globally.

Pubh 4134 - Research Methods And Evaluation, Dziyana Nazaruk

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces the student to research methods used in health education and promotion. In addition, this course examines the rationale and procedure to evaluate health education/promotion programs. The course focuses on several topics including: research design, methods of program evaluation, planning research and evaluation, the politics and ethics of evaluation, measurement, sampling logistics, data analysis, and the development of a student project.