Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of Hiv Diversity, Phylodynamics And Drug Resistance In Washington, Dc., Marcos Pérez-Losada, Amanda D Castel, Brittany Lewis, Michael Kharfen, Charles P Cartwright, Bruce Huang, Taylor Maxwell, Alan E Greenberg, Keith A Crandall

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cyberbullying And Self-Perceptions Of Students Associated With Their Academic Performance, Maham Muzamil, Gulzar H. Shah

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing students’ academic achievements in secondary school level (grades 09 and 10). Those factors include students’ self-reported psychological and issues (e.g. being bullied through social media) as well as socioeconomic status. Study participants included610 students at senior secondary level (237 male and 363 female) randomly selected from ten different government schools. The schools were randomly selected from the lists provided by their respective Education District Officer (EDO). The data were collected by researchers with the help of teachers. Participants’ were offered as incentives a drawing for a gift certificate. Bivariate …

The Determinants Of Health: Neighborhood Characteristics, Obesity And The Mental Health Of African-American Adolescent Girls, Roseanne L. Flores

Publications and Research

The present study examined the relationship among neighborhood characteristics, obesity, and the mental health outcomes of a nationally representative sample of African-American adolescent girls between the ages of 12 - 17. Using data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, four questions were extracted to measure neighborhood amenities, neighborhood detractors, body mass index, and experience of depression. Ordinal regressions were calculated to estimate the relationships between all variables. The results indicated that over 25% of African- American girls, ages 12 - 14 were overweight and obese with fewer 15 - 17-year-old girls falling within these categories. African-American girls had …

Influence Of Maternal Breast Milk Ingestion On Acquisition Of The Intestinal Microbiome In Preterm Infants., Katherine E Gregory, Buck S Samuel, Pearl Houghteling, Guru Shan, Frederick M Ausubel, Ruslan I Sadreyev, W Allan Walker

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The initial acquisition and early development of the intestinal microbiome during infancy are important to human health across the lifespan. Mode of birth, antibiotic administration, environment of care, and nutrition have all been shown to play a role in the assembly of the intestinal microbiome during early life. For preterm infants, who are disproportionately at risk of inflammatory intestinal disease (i.e., necrotizing enterocolitis), a unique set of clinical factors influence the establishment of the microbiome. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of nutritional exposures on the intestinal microbiome in a cohort of preterm infants early …

Language Assessment In A Snap: Monitoring Progress Up To 36 Months, Jill Gilkerson, Jeffrey A. Richards, Charles R. Greenwood, Judy K. Montgomery

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

This article describes the development and validation of the Developmental Snapshot, a 52-item parent questionnaire on child language and vocal communication development that can be administered monthly and scored automatically. The Snapshot was created to provide an easily administered monthly progress monitoring tool that enables parents to better recognize language milestones and offers professionals prompt information to fine-tune intervention strategies. Initial items were piloted by 15 families; refinement and further development of the instrument was conducted with parents of 308 typically developing children. Reliability and criterion validity metrics were examined on subsets of approximately 60 children who completed the Snapshot …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health News (2011-2023)

• Georgia Southern Examines urgent Challenges for Local Public Health Informatics
• Dr.Karl E. Peace Receives Notable Book Reviews

Minority College Women’S Views On Condom Negotiation, Tywanda Mclaurin-Jones, Maudry-Beverly Lashley, Vanessa Marshall

Publications and Research

This study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods to (1) investigate the relationship between frequency of condom use and negotiation strategies and (2) evaluate experiences with condom negotiations among sexually active, heterosexual, African American college women. One hundred female students from a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) completed a questionnaire that included the Condom Influence Strategies Scale (CIS) and participated in a focus group. An ANOVA was conducted to compare differences between never, inconsistent, and consistent condom users. Consistent condom users scored higher than never users on the “withholding sex” subscale of the CIS (4.88 vs. 3.55; p < 0.001) as well as endorsed items more strongly on the “direct request” subscale of the CIS (4.63 vs. 3.82, p < 0.05) than never users. A thematic analysis of open discussions identified overarching themes. Similarly, refusing sex and/or having direct communications with partner emerged as primary strategies. Threats to negotiation included deciding the “right timing” of discussion and having a previous history of sexual intercourse without a condom with their partner. Other key concepts that contribute to condom negotiation are the views that condoms are a male’s responsibility and stigma of women who carry condoms.

Phase I Dose-Escalation Trial Of Intravaginal Curcumin In Women For Cervical Dysplasia, Leda Gattoc, Paula M. Frew, Shontell N. Thomas, Kirk A. Easley, Laura Ward, H-H Sherry Chow, Chiemi A. Ura, Lisa Flowers

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: This is a Phase I trial demonstrating safety and tolerability of intravaginal curcumin for future use in women with cervical neoplasia. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of intravaginal curcumin in healthy women. Study design: We conducted a 3+3 dose-escalation Phase I trial in a group of women aged 18–45 years. Thirteen subjects were given one of four doses of curcumin powder (500 mg, 1,000 mg, 1,500 mg, and 2,000 mg) packed in gelatin capsules, which was administered intravaginally daily for 14 days. The primary end point for this study was …

Effects Of Evidence-Based Fall Reduction Programing On The Functional Wellness Of Older Adults In A Senior Living Community: A Clinical Case Study., Andrew Harnish, William Dieter, Albert G. Crawford, Tiffany E E. Shubert

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Older adults at a high risk of falls may be referred to a physical therapist. A physical therapy episode of care is designed for the transition of an older adult from a high fall risk to a moderate to low fall risk. However, these episodes of care are limited in time and duration. There is compelling evidence for the efficacy of group-based exercise classes to address risk, and transitioning an older adult from physical therapy to a group-based program may be an effective way to manage risk through the continuum of care.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Management Department News (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Urgent Challenges for Local Public Health Informatics

Parental Perceptions Of The Social Environment Are Inversely Related To Constraint Of Adolescents' Neighborhood Physical Activity, Maura Kepper, Stephanie Broyles, Richard Scribner, Tung-Sung Tseng, Jovanny Zabaleta, Lauren Griffiths, Melinda Sothern

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The current study examined relationships between the neighborhood social environment (parental perceived collective efficacy (PCE)), constrained behaviors (e.g., avoidance or defensive behaviors) and adolescent offspring neighborhood physical activity in low- versus high-incivility neighborhoods. METHODS: Adolescents ( = 71; 11-18 years (14.2, SD ± 1.6); male = 37 (52%); non-white = 24 (33.8%); low-income = 20 (29%); overweight/obese = 40 (56%)) and their parents/guardians enrolled in the Molecular and Social Determinants of Obesity in Developing Youth study were included in the current study. Questionnaires measured parents'/guardians' PCE, constrained outdoor play practices and offspring neighborhood physical activity. Systematic social observation performed …

Liver Enzymes And Risk Of Ischemic Heart Disease And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Junxi Liu, Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Gabriel M. Leung, C. Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

We used Mendelian randomization to estimate the causal effects of the liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, using genetic variants predicting these liver enzymes at genome wide significance applied to extensively genotyped case-control studies of diabetes (DIAGRAM) and coronary artery disease (CAD)/myocardial infarction (MI) (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D 1000 Genomes). Genetically higher ALT was associated with higher risk of diabetes, odds ratio (OR) 2.99 per 100% change in concentration (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62 to 5.52) but ALP OR 0.92 (95% CI 0.71 to 1.19) and GGT OR 0.88 (95% CI 0.75 …

Tx-004hr Vaginal Estradiol Has Negligible To Very Low Systemic Absorption Of Estradiol., David F Archer, Ginger D Constantine, James A Simon, Harvey Kushner, Philip Mayer, Brian Bernick, Shelli Graham, Sebastian Mirkin, Rejoice Study Group.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of TX-004HR vaginal estradiol softgel capsules when used for treating moderate-to-severe dyspareunia in postmenopausal women with vulvar and vaginal atrophy.

METHODS: A substudy of the REJOICE trial (multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3) evaluated the pharmacokinetics of 4, 10, and 25-μg TX-004HR doses once/d for 2 weeks, followed by twice/wk for 10 weeks. Serum samples obtained at 2, 4, 6, 10, and 24 hours postdose on days 1 and 14, and once on day 84, were analyzed for area under the serum concentration-time curve, tmax, Cmin, Cavg, and Cmax for estradiol, estrone, and estrone conjugates.

RESULTS: …

Alcohol Use And Strenuous Physical Activity In College Students: A Longitudinal Test Of 2 Explanatory Models Of Health Behavior, Heather A. Davis, Elizabeth N. Riley, Gregory T. Smith, Richard S. Milich, Jessica L. Burris

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: To help clarify the effect of gender on the bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students. Participants: Five hundred twenty-four (52% female) college students recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up in April 2009 and April 2011, respectively. Methods: Participants reported their alcohol use and strenuous physical activity on 2 occasions (baseline and follow-up) spaced approximately 1 or 2 years apart. Results: For females, alcohol use quantity at baseline was associated with increased strenuous physical activity at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, and alcohol use frequency at baseline was …

Characteristics Of Medication Advertisements Found In Us Women’S Fashion Magazines, Jennifer Mongiovi, Grace Clarke Hillyer, Corey H. Basch, Danna Ethan, Rodney Hammond

Publications and Research

Background: Although prescriptions are dispensed at discretion of medical professionals, many pharmaceutical companies use direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising to increase sales. Over-the- counter (OTC) medications are similarly marketed.

Methods: We examined the content of advertisements in 38 issues of 9 popular US women’s fashion magazines. We evaluated target audience, health condition, product availability, message appeal, target to females, and mention of potential side effects and benefits.

Results: Sixty total medication advertisements were identified, 58.3% (95% CI: 45.8, 70.8) for prescription products. In magazines targeted to non-Hispanic Whites, >65% of advertisements were for OTC medications whereas 80% (95% CI: 66.7, 94.5) of …

The Carrot And The Stick? Strategies To Improve Compliance With College Campus Tobacco Policies, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Maria Roditis, Stanton A. Glantz

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: Tobacco-free policies are being rapidly adopted nationwide, yet compliance with these policies remains a challenge. This study explored college campus key informants' experiences with tobacco policies, and their perceived benefits, drawbacks, and outcomes. Participants: The sample for this study was 68 key informants representing 16 different California universities with varying tobacco policies (no smoking indoors and within 20 feet of entrances, designated smoking areas, 100% smoke-free, and 100% tobacco-free). Methods: Qualitative, descriptive study. Semistructured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Strategies to improve compliance ranged from a social approach to a …

Burden Of Disease Associated With Lower Levels Of Income Among Us Adults Aged 65 And Older, Erica I. Lubetkin, Haomia Jia

Publications and Research

Background: Persons aged 65 years and older represent a heterogeneous group whose prevalence in the USA is expected to markedly increase. Few investigations have examined the total burden of disease attributable to lower levels of income in a single number that accounts for morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We ascertained respondents’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores and mortality status from the 2003 to 2004, 2005 to 2006, 2007 to 2008 and 2009 to 2010 cohorts of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with mortality follow-up through 31 December 2011. A mapping algorithm based on respondents’ age and answers …

An Assessment Of Data Related To Inspections Of Risk Factors For Public Swimming Pools, Shanita Shack, Maurice Redmond, R. Christopher Rustin

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is mandated to ensure that public swimming pools are safe for those who use them. This mandate is carried out by the DPH and local environmental health professionals through regulations and inspections. In 2015, legislation was introduced proposing to reduce the authority of the DPH to inspect certain pool types (apartments, subdivision, condominiums) and thus reduce regulatory protections in place for swimmers. To ensure that the DPH had current information on the risks associated with pools, the EH team, with assistance from a graduate student, analyzed inspection data to evaluate risk factors …

Cost Effectiveness Of Potential Art Adherence Monitoring Interventions In Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrew N. Phillips, Valentina Cambiano, Fumiyo Nakagawa, Loveleen Bansi-Matharu, Papa Salif Sow, Peter Ehrenkranz, Deborah Ford, Owen Mugurungi, Tsitsi Apollo, Joseph Murungu, David R. Bangsberg, Paul Revill

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background -Interventions based around objective measurement of adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV have potential to improve adherence and to enable differentiation of care such that clinical visits are reduced in those with high adherence. It would be useful to understand the approximate upper limit of cost that could be considered for such interventions of a given effectiveness in order to be cost effective. Such information can guide whether to implement an intervention in the light of a trial showing a certain effectiveness and cost.

Methods - An individual-based model, calibrated to Zimbabwe, which incorporates effects of adherence and resistance …

A Preliminary Examination Of Elevated Blood Lead Levels In A Rural Georgia County, R. Christopher Rustin, Yu Sun, Chris Calhoun, Christy Kuriatnyk

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Rural areas are often viewed as lower risk for lead poisoning and toxic exposures seriously impacting development of the brain and central nervous system; this report examines the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels for children <6 years of age in rural Ben Hill County, GA.

Methods: Lead surveillance data from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) were analyzed using SAS®v-9.3 to calculate the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (≥5ug/dL) among those children in Ben Hill County who had been tested for lead; the results were compared to Georgia and national data.

Results: A preliminary analysis of 2010-2015 screening data for Ben Hill County indicates that 8.73% …

Dna Methylation Signatures Of Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation Are Associated With Complex Diseases, Symen Ligthart, Carola Marzi, Stella Aslibekyan, Michael M. Mendelson, Karen N. Conneely, Toshiko Tanaka, Elena Colicino, Lindsay L. Waite, Roby Joehanes, Weihua Guan, Jennifer A. Brody, Cathy Elks, Riccardo Marioni, Min A. Jhun, Golareh Agha, Jan Bressler, Cavin K. Ward-Caviness, Brian H. Chen, Tianxiao Huan, Kelly Bakulski, Elias L. Salfati, Whi-Empc Investigators, Giovanni Fiorito, Charge Epigenetics Of Coronary Heart Disease, Simone Wahl, Katharina Schramm, Jin Sha, Dena G. Hernandez, Allan C. Just, Jennifer A. Smith, Donna K. Arnett

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation reflects a subclinical immune response implicated in the pathogenesis of complex diseases. Identifying genetic loci where DNA methylation is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation may reveal novel pathways or therapeutic targets for inflammation.

Results: We performed a meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a sensitive marker of low-grade inflammation, in a large European population (n = 8863) and trans-ethnic replication in African Americans (n = 4111). We found differential methylation at 218 CpG sites to be associated with CRP (P < 1.15 × 10^–7) in the discovery panel …

Epidemiology News, Georgia Southern University

Epidemiology News (2012-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Physical Activity Levels of Older Cancer Survivors

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health News (2011-2023)

• Georgia Southern Examines Physical Activity Levels Of Older Cancer Survivors

Wealth And Cardiovascular Health: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Wealth-Related Inequalities In The Awareness, Treatment And Control Of Hypertension In High-, Middle- And Low-Income Countries., Benjamin Palafox, Martin Mckee, Dina Balabanova, Khalid F. Khalid, Alvaro Jr Avezum, Ahmad Bahonar, Noorhassim Noorhassim, Jephat Chifamba, Clara K. Chow, Daniel J. Corsi, Gilles R. Dagenais, Rafael Diaz, Rajeev Gupta, Romaina Iqbal, Manmeet Kaur, Rasha Khatib, Annamarie Kruger, Iolanthe Marike Kruger, Fernando Lanas, Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Fu Minfan, Viswanathan Mohan, Prem K. Mony, Aytekin Oguz, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Pablo Perel, Paul Poirier, Sumathy Rangarajan, Lei Rensheng, Annika Rosengren, Biju Soman, David Stuckler, S. V. Subramania, Koon Teo, Lungiswa P. Tsolekile, Andreas Wielgosz, Peng Yaguang, Karen Yeates, Mo Yongzhen, Khalid Yusoff, Rita Yusuf, Afzalhussein Yusufali, Katarzyna Zatońska, Salim Yusuf

Community Health Sciences

BACKGROUND:

Effective policies to control hypertension require an understanding of its distribution in the population and the barriers people face along the pathway from detection through to treatment and control. One key factor is household wealth, which may enable or limit a household's ability to access health care services and adequately control such a chronic condition. This study aims to describe the scale and patterns of wealth-related inequalities in the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in 21 countries using baseline data from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study.

METHODS:

A cross-section of 163,397 adults aged 35 to 70 …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health News (2011-2023)

• Georgia Southern Senior Honored as ESG Founders Award Winner

Birth Weight And Risk Of Ischemic Heart Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Shi Lin Lin, Albert Martin Li, C. Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Low birth weight is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the association could be confounded by many factors. We used Mendelian randomization to clarify the role of birth weight in ischemic heart disease (IHD) and lipids. We used all 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) independently contributing to birth weight at genome wide significance (p < 5 × 10−8) in separate sample instrumental variable analysis to estimate the effect of birth weight on IHD using the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D 1000 Genomes based GWAS case (n = 60,801)-control (n = 123,504) study and on lipids using GLGC (n = 188,577). Higher genetically predicted birth weight was associated with lower risk of IHD (odds ratio (OR) 0.96 per 100 grams, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93 to 0.99), but the association was not robust to sensitivity analyses excluding SNPs related to height or use of weighted median methods. Genetically predicted birth weight was not associated with low density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglycerides, but was associated with lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol (−0.014 standard deviation, 95% CI −0.027 to −0.0005) and the association was more robust to the sensitivity analyses. Our study does not show strong evidence for an effect of birth weight on IHD and lipids.

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Community Health Department News (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Senior Honored as ESG Founder’s Award Winner

Sneaky Salt Contributes To High Blood Pressure, Rodney Richmond

College of Pharmacy Faculty Research ​and Publications

No abstract provided.

Self-Reported Sleep Apnea And Dementia Risk: Findings From The Prevention Of Alzheimer's Disease With Vitamin E And Selenium Trial, Xiuhua Ding, Richard J. Kryscio, Joshua Turner, Gregory A. Jicha, Gregory E. Cooper, Allison M. Caban-Holt, Frederick A. Schmitt, Erin L. Abner

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between baseline sleep apnea and risk of incident dementia in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease with Vitamin E and Selenium (PREADViSE) study and to explore whether the association depends on apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele status.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis based on data collected during PREADViSE.

SETTING: Participants were assessed at 128 local clinical study sites during the clinical trial phase and later were followed by telephone from a centralized location.

PARTICIPANTS: Men enrolled in PREADViSE (without dementia or other active neurological conditions that affect cognition such as major psychiatric disorders, including depression; N = …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Health Informatics Role In Addressing The Public Health Crisis Of Addiction And Overall Effectiveness Of Treatment, Daniel Del Toro

Applied Research Projects

In recent years, the implementation of Health Information Management (HIM) data systems has had significant positive impacts in nearly all aspects of both health and healthcare delivery. However, during this time, there has also been a dramatic increase in the demand for addiction and mental health treatment. The rising number of individuals requiring mental health treatment for addiction has resulted in its declaration as an urgent public health epidemic by the Department of Health and Human Services. The all-encompassing effects of addiction are prevalent in all areas of society, seen in the form of across-the-board rising healthcare costs, addiction related …