Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Medicine + Health Magazine, Spring 2019, George Washington University, School Of Medicine And Health Sciences, Office Of Communications And Marketing

Medicine + Health Magazine

No abstract provided.

Therapist Attitudes Towards Animal Assisted Therapy: A Qualitative Study, Karen Vizaniaris

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Capstone Projects

PURPOSE. To understand the attitudes and perceptions of therapists towards animal assisted therapy (AAT) and towards the barriers and facilitators of implementing AAT into practice. METHOD. This descriptive qualitative studied consisted of ten semi-structured interviews with rehabilitation therapists that were coded for common themes. Data from two Likert-scale questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS. Eight themes emerged from the data including therapists’ attitudes towards animal assisted therapy and their own competence, three core benefits of animal assisted therapy that they identified (increased patient participation, positive emotional/social influence, and contribution to patient-centered goals), and three main barriers towards implementation (scheduling/operations, …

(Video) Latino Immigration And Chronic Disease: A Critical Analysis Of Socioeconomic And Psychological Mediators, Frances Anne Fernando

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

A critical analysis of chronic disease among Latino immigrants demonstrates the interplay between the individual, socioeconomic, and pathophysiological mediators of disease. To identify the major factors involved, a conceptual framework was developed to explain the relationship between Latino immigration to the US and the manifestation of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Mediating factors include: self-efficacy, stress, social support, access to healthcare, pathophysiological risk factors and the familial and cultural environment. As the Latino population is the fastest growing and largest minority group in America, increased support among the identified factors will target interventions with broad health and economic implications for the …

The Effects Of Spiritual Experience And Church Commitment On Mental Health And Work Performance Among A Sample Of South Korean Immigrants In The United States: A Mixed Methods Study, Chulwoo Park, Mark Edberg

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

This sequential mixed methods study measured the effects of spiritual experience and church commitment on mental health and work performance among a sample of South Korean immigrants in the United States. It included the screening survey for assessing level of religious belief and involvement in church activities (quantitative) followed by in-depth qualitative interviews about the relationship between church attachment and mental health as well as work/school performance (qualitative), in order to obtain preliminary findings and generate insights regarding future research. High-active believers who engage in church activities were assigned as Group 1, and inactive/low-active members who still have high-level belief …

Measuring The Effects Of Thc On Human Sperm Parameters Using Biomonitoring Analysis, Roxana Amaya-Fuentes, Heather Young, Courtney Irwin, Jonathan Crites, David Moody, Melissa Perry

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Marijuana is one of the most common substances used in the United States with more men utilizing marijuana compared to women. The effects of marijuana on the brain are well known, however, there is limited research on its effects on human sperm parameters. We examined the association between THC and human sperm parameters in participants in the Washington D.C. area. Our preliminary results suggested that THC was associated with low sperm morphology.

Background: Marijuana has a long history of human usage for medicinal, ceremonial, and religious purposes. As of January 2018, nine states including Washington D.C. have legalized it for …

Associations Between Low-Calorie Sweetener Beverage Consumption And Diet Quality In Children And Adolescents, Yasaman Salahmand, Allison Sylvetsky Meni, Janet Welsh, Jean Figueroa

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

This study aims to investigate the association between LCSB consumption and diet quality in children and adolescents, and to compare the diet quality of LCSB consumers with that of water consumers, consumers, or combined consumers of both LCSBs+SSBs. Dietary data collected from children and adolescents enrolled in The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2016 were used to assess diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) total and subcomponent scores. Consumption of LCSBs or SSB+LCSBs does not appear to improve diet quality compared to water. These findings reinforce recommendations that SSBs should be replaced with water rather than …

Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Nephropathy, Retinopathy, And Neuropathy In Type 1 Diabetes In The Diabetes Control And Complications Trial (Dcct), Victoria Trapani

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Effects of long-term alcohol consumption have not been well studied in populations with diabetes, though regular alcohol consumption is common among American adults and it is estimated that at least 10% of Americans have diabetes. Individuals living with diabetes who are heavy alcohol consumers may be at heightened risk for diabetic complications. Using the well-phenotyped Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) cohort of 1,246 adult subjects with type 1 diabetes, a secondary analysis was conducted to determine if relationships exist between alcohol consumption and nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy at baseline, follow-up year 5, and DCCT closeout. This secondary analysis found …

Isoprene Emission Rates From Extreme Heat Exposure Due To Climatic Changes On Quercus And Populus Tree Genera: A Systematic Review, Isabella Kaser, Susan Anenberg

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

This systematic literature review explores whether isoprene emission rates from common tree species would be exacerbated in a warming world. When isoprene reacts with other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, tropospheric ozone is formed. Ozone is harmful to human health and is shown to decrease lung function among many other negative respiratory effects. If the rates of emissions continue at their current levels, there may be increased rates of asthma-related ED visits and respiratory diseases among the general population.

Fasting Insulin, Glucose, And Hba1c Among Young Adults With Overweight And Obesity, Benjamin Shambon

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

We compared fasting blood glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c using baseline data collected from 460 young adults ages 18-35 enrolled in an ongoing randomized controlled clinical weight-loss trial. The goal was to determine differences within the subject pool for insulin insensitivity and pre-diabetes based on demographics. We further modeled both pancreatic beta cell function and insulin sensitivity using the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Use Of The Adult Myopathy Assessment Tool As A Predictor Of Functional Abilities In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Kimberly Benson, Michael O. Harris-Love, Bryant A. Seamon, Mitchel T. Wallin, Heidi Maloni, Brian Hoover, Marc R. Blackman

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are at greater risk for decreased muscle performance which may lead to decreased functional abilities. The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is commonly used as a disability status rating scale in PwMS. Nevertheless, the EDSS is largely comprised of neurological tests and may not best reflect functional performance. A functional battery such as The Adult Myopathy Assessment Tool (AMAT) may better reflect functional performance. The AMAT was designed to assess both functional strength and endurance in clinical settings. However, the AMAT has not been validated for the assessment of PwMS.

Objective: The purpose …

A Triple Threat: Alcohol Use Disorders In The Presence Of Comorbid Chronic Pain Conditions And Depressive Disorders In The Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, 2001-2003, Chelsea Boyd, Sean Cleary, Scott Quinlan, Debra Bernat

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: Frequently patients with chronic pain conditions have comorbid depressive disorders. The relationship between the diagnoses is often bidirectional, with the effects of one condition exacerbating the effects of the other. Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are also independently associated with both conditions. This study aims to determine the prevalence of alcohol use disorders among patients with comorbid chronic pain conditions and depressive disorders in a nationally representative sample of US adults and ascertain the characteristics of patients with all three diagnoses.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis utilizes data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), 2001-2003. The sample includes respondents who …

"As Parents, How On Earth Are We Going To Handle This Issue": Provider And Parent Views On Sexuality-Related Challenges During Adolescence Among International Hiv-Infected Adoptees In The U.S., Sarah Alger, Cynthia Fair

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

As the number of internationally adopted children with HIV has increased since 2010 in the U.S., more children may have additional educational needs, particularly related to sexuality, as they mature. After conducting 48 hour-long, semi-structured interviews with parents and providers, the qualitative analysis shows that many parents' adoption decisions are driven by faith, which can influence the child's ability to gain vital sexual education given their HIV status. Parents of internationally adopted children with HIV could benefit from the support of healthcare providers to better understand the importance of sexual and reproductive health during adolescence.

Acute Particulate Matter Exposure And Suicide In North East Asia: A Literature Review, Shannon Haines, Lance Price, Amanda Northcross

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

A systematic literature review was conducted on research exploring the relationship between acute exposures to ambient particulate matter and changes in suicide rates in North East Asian countries. From the eight studies analyzed limited evidence was found and additional research about the association is suggested.

A Pilot And Feasibility Study Of Virtual Reality Guided Meditations In First-Year Medical Students, King John Pascual, Benjamin Blatt

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Virtual reality (VR) is a popular technology that places users in an interactive 3D environment. VR has been used to enhance surgery training, rehabilitation of brain injury survivors, and telepsychiatry. Our aim for this study is to assess the perception of first-year medical students on the value of a VR meditation program on stress reduction, both immediate and longer term. We recruited 10 volunteer participants. Each participant completed a guided meditation using a commercially available VR headset paired with a meditation app and oximeter that calculates a heart rate variability (HRV) index. Each meditation was five minutes long and participants …

Occupational Risk Of Migrant Farm Workers In North Carolina: A Systematic Review, Ellie Ginsberg, David Michaels

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Latnix Migrant Farmworkers in North Carolina face a variety of occupational hazards while working in the fields. These hazards include exposure to the natural elements, pesticides, and tobacco. Sub standard housing conditions and lack of comprehensive workers compensation coupled with these hazards create an extremely dangerous working environment for these farmworkers.

Does Food Insecurity Predict Obesity And Educational Achievement: A Systematic Literature Review, Emily Youner, Ami Zota

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

The objective of this study was to determine whether food availability predicts health outcomes among children in the U.S., such as obesity rates and academic performance. Though there was some inconsistency in the findings, based on the Navigation Guide methodology, we concluded that there is inadequate evidence of correlation between food insecurity and obesity rates, yet limited evidence of correlation between food insecurity and educational achievement. Given these findings, further research is warranted to inform policy action to mitigate the effects food insecurity.

Cognitive And Behavioral Effects Of Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure In Primary School Children: A Systematic Review, Dara L. Brown, Matias Attene Ramos

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies evaluating the relationship between nitrogen dioxide emissions and cognitive and behavioral health in children. Eight studies were identified, reviewed, and analyzed according to specific inclusion criteria. The results of the review show that there is strong evidence for an inverse relationship between nitrogen dioxide exposure and cognitive and behavioral health in primary school children. However, further research is needed to confirm the observed associations between nitrogen dioxide exposure and cognitive and behavioral health.

Interaction Between Intellectual Disability And Cerebral Palsy On The Co-Occurrence Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Epilepsy, Prarthana Hareesh, Sean D. Cleary

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Intellectual disability (ID) is possibly a reason for the higher co-occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children with epilepsy. Cerebral Palsy (CP) has also been found to co-occur with ASD (6.9%-hypotonic, 18.4%-spastic subtype) and with epilepsy (41%), but it is unclear if the co-occurrence of ASD and epilepsy varies by the presence of both, ID and CP. The purpose of this study to evaluate effect modification of CP and ID on ASD-epilepsy co-occurrence.

Perceived And Experienced Mental Health Needs Among Puerto Rican Community Responders In The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters, Gabriela Madrid, Amalis Cordova, Carlos Rodriquez-Diaz

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

For the project, I will conduct a secondary data analysis using qualitative interviews that he conducted in the first semester of 2018. I will use the data he collected to describe the perceived mental health of the community responders both on the Island and in the United States. I will also provide recommendations, informed from a literature review, to address the population's needs.

The Social Determinants Of Health For Asthmatic Children In Low-Income Communities, Iesha Reid, Amy Price, Ariel Plante, Carlika Barbee, Jared Moore, Lufthansa Castro

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: Pediatric asthma morbidity is disproportionately concentrated among young children residing in the poorest neighborhoods of Washington, DC. ED visits were concentrated among children residing in Southeast DC. Historically, these geographic disparities in asthma outcomes are linked to socioeconomic disparities.

Objective: Our aim was to conduct a review of nursing interventions that addressed the social determinants of health in asthmatic children living in low-income communities.

Methods: We searched electronic databases CINHAL and PubMed for studies published within the last 5-10 years. A total of nine studies from 2009 through 2014 from the nursing literature were identified using the following criteria: …

Reducing Unnecessary Phlebotomy Testing Using A Clinical Decision Support System, Valerie Strockbine, Cathie E. Guzzetta, Eric Gehrie, Qiuping (Pearl) Zhou

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Overuse of phlebotomy testing offers little to improve patient outcomes but may subject patients to additional morbidity. Low-cost, high-frequency tests are ordered recurrently, unnecessarily, and contribute to the high cost of health care. Reducing unnecessary phlebotomy tests can cut costs without compromising quality. Type and screen tests are active for three days from the date the specimen is collected, yet our blood bank laboratory observed type and screen tests were often unnecessarily ordered in our organization. We set out to determine the effectiveness of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) on reducing unnecessary type and screen tests, estimate the cost …

Developing A Cognition Scale Using Items From Three Federally Mandated Assessments In Post-Acute Care, Jennifer Weaver, Alison M. Cogan, Trudy Mallinson, Leslie Davidson

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

The purpose of this work is to create a cognitive measure detecting change in cognitive deficits for post-acute stroke patients. Many individuals with stroke experience cognitive impairment contributing to ongoing disability. Identifying change in cognitive skills in response to treatment is important for demonstrating the value of rehabilitation services. Yet, the ability of federally mandated post-acute assessments to detect change has not been described. A total of 147 stroke patients in post-acute care receiving rehabilitation services were assessed using 26 cognition items from the federally mandated assessments. Rasch analysis, using the partial credit model, was conducted to evaluate the construct …

An Examination Of The Flipped Classroom's Efficacy On Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Students, Archita Chandra, Genevieve Schmitt, Rohini Ganjoo

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Existing flipped classroom (FC) research focuses on a typical, homogenous student population in terms of age. Research focuses on student satisfaction and perception of the FC to assess if student performance translates to actual perceived learning. Further, a growing number of studies show that outcomes of FC depend on student motivation. This study examines student performance, perception, and satisfaction in the FC in a novel demographic: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical students. These students, who vary widely in age, experience, and prior knowledge of subject matter, are career changers who become full-time students to complete prerequisite coursework for medical school. Students enrolled in …

Nci Multi-Omics Mislabeling Challenge: A Machine Learning Approach, Yeshwant Chillakuru, Arjun Panda, Sindhu Kubendran, Norman Lee

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Sample mislabeling is a pervasive problem in biomedical research, especially large-scale multi-omics studies, contributing to errors and leading to false conclusions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (NCI-CPTA) have launched a data science challenge to address this problem. We developed a novel machine learning based approach that combines traditional machine learning with learning from cancer genomics literature to identify mislabeled tumors in the NCI-CPTA Multi-omics Mislabeling Challenge.

The training data contained a sample of a tumor from 80 different patients, each containing features on gender, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and …

The Innovator - Spring 2019, Allison Litera

Faculty Affairs & Research Newsletters - The Innovator

Newsletter published by the Offices of Faculty Affairs & Research

Pertinacity Spring Volume 5 Issue 10, Courteney L. Benjamin

Pertinacity

Pertinacity is a biannual magazine that features stories and reports on recent Korey Stringer Institute's initiatives.

Dean's Report - Spring 2019, Marina K. Holz

GSBMS Dean’s Report

No abstract provided.

Reliability And Validity Of The Family State And Functioning Assessment Scale, Suchat Supphapitiphon, Napakkawat Buathong, Siriluck Suppapitiporn

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Family significantly influences the health of family members in both positive and negative ways.There are limited instruments in Thailand for assessing family state and functioning on adult patients.Objectives: To examine the validity and reliability of the family state and functioning assessment scale (FSFAS)which was designed to assess the extent one perceived family issues and functioning.Methods: The scale was conducted on 1,200 Thai adults: 800 outpatients attending hospitals and 400participants in the community. Of the sample, 70% were women and the mean age was 50.4 years. The psychometric properties of the scale were examined in terms of construct validity and …

What's Happening: April 1, 2019, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Nursing Students’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Acute Cystitis, Kayla Weber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Acute cystitis (AC) is characterized by a sudden inflammation of the bladder caused by bacteria. The severity of AC ranges from mild to severe and may be recurrent, especially in at-risk populations. Bacteria in the bladder may travel further into the urinary system, causes urinary tract infections (UTI’s) resulting in urosepsis. Hygienic procedures play a large role in decreasing the bacteria that causes AC, so it is important for nursing students to understand and correctly apply the knowledge learned throughout the curriculum. This study focused on the knowledge and understanding nursing students have about AC. To determine this information, a …