Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Acceptability Of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Among Adult Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tesfaye Yadete, Kavita Batra, Dale M. Netski, Sabrina Antonio, Michael J. Patros, Johan C. Bester

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Given the emergence of breakthrough infections, new variants, and concerns of waning immunity from the primary COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots emerged as a viable option to shore-up protection against COVID-19. Following the recent authorization of vaccine boosters among vulnerable Americans, this study aims to assess COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy and its associated factors in a nationally representative sample. A web-based 48-item psychometric valid survey was used to measure vaccine literacy, vaccine confidence, trust, and general attitudes towards vaccines. Data were analyzed through Chi-square (with a post hoc contingency table analysis) and independent-sample t-/Welch tests. Among 2138 participants, nearly 62% intended …

Substance Use Among College Students During Covid-19 Times: A Negative Coping Mechanism Of Escapism, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra

Social & Behavioral Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Presence Of Sars-Cov-2 In Environmental Surface And Air Samples From Public Areas In Las Vegas, Kristina Mihajlovski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contaminated surfaces and airborne spread are found to be among the main ways of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. Studies conducted in the hospital setting have shown that SARS-CoV-2 is found on frequently touched surfaces, personal protective equipment, and in air samples of patient isolation rooms. However, few environmental sampling studies have been done in public areas. Taking in consideration that COVID-19 cases may be symptomatic, presymptomatic, and asymptomatic, environmental monitoring may be essential for prompt detection of the virus. The objective of this study was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on environmental surfaces and from air samples …

Factors Influencing Us Residents' Willingness To Engage In Domestic Medical Tourism, Hananeh Derakhshan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Domestic medical tourism is a niche market in the medical tourism industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of different attributes on U.S residents’ willingness to participate in domestic medical tourism. Based on the medical tourism index (MTI) components, a total of fourteen possible attributes that may impact US residents’ willingness to seek out-of-town care were created and participants were asked to rate the importance of each attribute on their willingness to seek out-of-town care on a 10-point Likert scale. Using principal component analysis, the attributes were grouped into three components: (1) quality-of-care, (2) destination attraction, …

Exploring Women’S Oxytocin Responses To Interactions With Their Pet Cats, Elizabeth A. Johnson, Arianna Portillo, Nikki E. Bennett, Peter B. Gray

Anthropology Faculty Research

Background. Extensive research has evaluated the involvement of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in human social behaviors, including parent-infant relationships. Studies have investigated OT’s connection to human attachment to nonhuman animals, with the majority of the literature focusing on domestic dogs (Canis lupis familiaris). Utilizing what is known about OT and its role in maternal-infant and human-dog bonding, we apply these frameworks to the study of human-domestic cat (Felis catus) interactions. Methods. We investigated changes in salivary OT levels in 30 U.S. women of reproductive age before and after two conditions: reading a book (control) and interacting with their pet cat. …

Fidelity Monitoring In The Solution Focused Wellness For Hiv (Sfwh) Intervention For Women, Helen Taylor Yates, Spencer Elise Lee

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

Solution Focused methods are often interpreted by different practitioners with a degree of flexibility and adaptation to specific practice settings (Lehmann & Patton, 2012). This flexibility is one of the features that makes SFBT a very client-centered approach and has been highlighted as one of the key aspects of successful co-construction of desired outcomes with clients (Franklin et al., 2017). This collaborative approach is possible due to SFBT’s utilization of social constructionist principals in the solution-building process (Blundo & Simon, 2015). While encouraging flexibility of implementation of SFBT, identifying the main tenets of the therapy, including specific techniques and mindsets …

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Attendance To Brighter Bites, A School-Based Food Co-Op Nutrition Intervention For Low-Income Families, Melinda R. Rushing, Ru-Jye Chuang, Christine Markham, Shreela V. Sharma

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Participants: The analytic sample included 6,796 participants from five of the six cities in which Brighter Bites was implemented (Houston, Austin, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Southwest Florida).

Main Outcome Measures: Predictor variables included child’s grade, gender, race/ethnicity, parent employment, and government assistance utilization. Outcome variable was a binary measure of attendance: 1=attendance at or above the threshold or 0=attendance below the threshold, where the threshold was operationalized as attending 75% of the distributions.

Analysis: A multi-level logistic regression and bivariate analysis were completed to measure the association between attendance and predictor variables.

Results: Results show, compared to Hispanics, Whites were …

Understanding Disparities In Clinical Trials For Native Hawaiian Men, Gabriela A. Layi, Kevin Cassel, Maile Taualii, Jeffrey L. Berenberg, Erin O. Bantum

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Understanding low rates of participation by minority populations in clinical trials is critical for reducing and eliminating disparities. We examined beliefs and attitudes of Native Hawaiian men related to illness and cancer to better understand their rates of participation in clinical trials. We conducted face-to-face interviews with Native Hawaiian key informants throughout the State of Hawai‘i using quota sampling methods to obtain a range of perspectives about attitudes towards health care seeking to provide insight into low clinical trials participation. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and independently coded by researchers. Thematic analysis guided the extraction of relevant data from the discussions. …

A Scoping Review Of Barriers And Facilitators To Pap Testing In Women With Disabilities And Serious Mental Illnesses: Thirty Years After The Americans With Disabilities Act, Michele S. Lee, Jillian R. Peart, Julie S. Armin, Heather J. Williamson

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Thirty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, promising equal access to health services for people with disabilities and serious mental illness, research on Pap testing continues to uncover health disparities among women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses, including those that identify as an ethnic/racial minority.

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe and present the literature on the barriers and facilitators women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses face with receiving a Pap test using the social ecological model. We also examined the degree to which …

Testing Multi-Theory Model (Mtm) In Explaining Sunscreen Use Among Florida Residents: An Integrative Approach For Sun Protection, Manoj Sharma, Matthew Asare, Erin Largo-Wight, Julie Merten, Mike Binder, Ram Lakhan, Kavita Batra

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Florida residents have the second highest incidence of skin cancer in the nation. Sunscreen usage was found to be the one of the most effective integrative health approaches for reducing risk of skin cancer. Given the limited information on the likelihood of adopting and continuing sunscreen usage behavior, this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the correlates of initiating and sustaining sunscreen usage behavior among Florida dwellers, using the fourth-generation, multi-theory model (MTM) of behavior change. A web-based survey containing 51 questions was emailed to Florida residents aged 18 years or above, who were randomly selected from the state voter file. …

Intergenerational Perceptions And Practices In Breastfeeding And Child Feeding Among Quilombola Women In Goiás State, Brazil, Priscila Olin Silva, Muriel Bauermann Gubert, Amanda Kellen Pereira Da Silva, Lucélia Luiz Pereira, Leonor Maria Pacheco Santos, Gabriela Buccini

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

This exploratory qualitative study aimed to identify sociocultural and intergenerational aspects of perception and practices in child feeding among quilombola women, members of maroon communities in Brazil. A focus group with 12 mothers and another group with four grandmothers of children under five years of age were conducted in a rural quilombola community in the State of Goiás, Brazil. The data were analyzed with thematic content analysis, yielding four central themes and respective subthemes, which were then represented in a socioecological conceptual model with four levels of influence on child feeding as the outcome. Theme 1 dealt with the reasons …

Palliative Care And Life-Sustaining/Local Procedures In Colorectal Cancer In The United States Hospitals: A Ten-Year Perspective, Zahra Mojtahedi, Ja Seol Koo, Ji Yoo, Pearl Kim, Hee-Taik Kang, Jinwook Hwang, Moon Kyung Joo, Jay J. Shen

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, palliative care utilization has been increasing while life-sustaining/local procedures have been declining at the end of life. Palliative care utilization widely varies based on tumor type. Limited information is available on inpatient palliative care in colorectal cancer. Aims: This study investigated inpatient palliative care utilization and its association with patient demographics, hospital charges, and procedures among colorectal cancer patients admitted to US hospitals between 2008 and 2017. Receipt of life-sustaining and local procedures and surgeries were also investigated during the ten years. Methods: Data were extracted from the National inpatient sample (NIS) database containing de-identified information …

Covid-19: Tougher On Women?, Aika Dietz

Research Briefs

Women are receiving the worst effects of the COVID-19 recession.

Forging Resilience To Hiv/Aids: Personal Strengths Of Middle-Aged And Older Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv/Aids, R. Liboro, J. Despres, B. Ranuschio, S. Bell, L. Barnes

Psychology Faculty Research

HIV-positive gay, bisexual, two-spirit, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) have exhibited significant resilience to HIV/AIDS in Canada since the start of the epidemic. Since 2012, most of the research that has been conducted on resilience to HIV/AIDS has utilized quantitative methods and deficits-based approaches, with a preferential focus on the plight of young MSM. In order to address apparent gaps in research on HIV/AIDS resilience, we conducted a community-based participatory research qualitative study that utilized a strengths-based approach to examine the perspectives and lived experiences of HIV-positive, middle-aged and older MSM on their individual attributes that …

Vaccine Hesitancy Within Nevada Counties, June 2021, Kelliann Beavers, Madison Frazee-Bench, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet highlights estimated rates of vaccine hesitancy, vaccination rates, the index of social vulnerability, and the level of concern for 17 Nevada counties as of June, 2021. The data are reported in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) estimates.

A Theory-Based Analysis Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among African Americans In The United States: A Recent Evidence, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra, Ravi Batra

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

African Americans have been disproportionately vaccinated at lower rates, which warrants the development of theory-based interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy in this group. The fourth-generation theories, e.g., multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change, are vital in developing behavioral interventions. Therefore, the current study aims to determine recent trends in COVID-19 vaccination rates and to test the MTM model in predicting the initiation of COVID-19 vaccines among vaccine-hesitant Blacks. A sample of 428 unvaccinated African Americans were recruited through a web-based survey using a 28-item psychometric valid questionnaire. Chi-square, independent-samples-t-test or Welch’s t test, and Pearson’s correlation tests were utilized …

Using Macros In Microsoft Excel To Facilitate Cleaning Of Research Data, Justin Bauzon, Caleb Murphy, Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Retrospective chart review studies may be delayed by inability to export clean clinical data from an electronic medical record (EMR) or data repository. Macros are pre-programmed procedures that can be used in Microsoft Excel to help streamline the process of cleaning clinical datasets. Objectives: To demonstrate how macros may be useful for researchers at community hospitals and smaller academic health centers that lack informatics support. Methods: Using an intrinsic function of our institution’s EMR, vital signs and lab results from 20 individual hospitalizations were exported to a spreadsheet. Two macros were developed to sort through these datasets and output …

Global, Regional, And National Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 For Neonatal And Child Health: All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Findings From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Asma Awan, Numerous Authors, See Full List Below

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 findings for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in children younger than 5 years of age, with multiple scenarios for child mortality in 2030 that include …

Skilled Maneuvering: Evaluation Of A Young Driver Advanced Training Program, Samantha A. Slinkard-Barnum, Laura K. Gryder-Culver, Kavita Batra, Paul J. Chestovich, Deborah A. Kuhls

Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Young drivers (YDs) are disproportionately injured and killed in motor vehicle crashes throughout the United States. Nationally, YDs aged 16 to 20 years constituted nearly 9% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2018. A Nevada Advanced Driver Training (ADT) program for YDs aims to reduce YD traffic injuries and fatalities through four modules taught by professional drivers. The program modules include classroom-based didactic lessons and hands-on driving exercises intended to improve safe driving knowledge and behaviors. The overarching purpose of this study was to determine if theNevada ADT programachieved its objectives for improving safe driving knowledge and behaviors based on …

Dietary Blueberry And Soluble Fiber Improve Serum Antioxidant And Adipokine Biomarkers And Lipid Peroxidation In Pregnant Women With Obesity And At Risk For Gestational Diabetes, Arpita Basu, Jeannette Crew, Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Jefferson W. Kinney, Arnold M. Salazar, Petar Planinic, James M. Alexander

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Pregnancies affected by obesity are at high risk for developing metabolic complications with oxidative stress and adipocyte dysfunction contributing to the underlying pathologies. Few studies have examined the role of dietary interventions, especially those involving antioxidants including polyphenolic flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables on these pathologies in high-risk pregnant women. We conducted an 18 gestation-week randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a dietary intervention comprising of whole blueberries and soluble fiber vs. control (standard prenatal care) on biomarkers of oxidative stress/antioxidant status and adipocyte and hormonal functions in pregnant women with obesity (n = 34). Serum samples …

Protective Factors That Foster Resilience To Hiv/Aids: Insights And Lived Experiences Of Older Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men, Renato M. Liboro, Tammy C. Yates, Sherry Bell, Brandon Ranuschio, George Da Silva, Charles Fehr, Francisco Ibañez-Carrasco, Paul A. Shuper

Psychology Faculty Research

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS health disparities. Research showed that resilience to HIV/AIDS is associated with increased use of relevant health services, lower sexual health risks, and improved mental health outcomes among racially and ethnically diverse gbMSM. As the subpopulation that has historically been impacted by HIV/AIDS the longest, older gbMSM living with HIV/AIDS have inarguably exhibited resilience to HIV/AIDS the most. The qualitative study described in this paper sought to identify and examine protective factors that fostered resilience to HIV/AIDS …

Syndemic Of Opioid Crisis And Covid-19 Pandemic: A Call To Invest In Solutions, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra

Social & Behavioral Health Faculty Publications

Preliminary data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC, 2020] indicated a significant surge in the number of opioid involved deaths amidst COVID-19 pandemic and these trends are concerning, which warrant a collective investment in finding the solutions (Baumgartner & Radley, 2021; Becker & Fiellin, 2020). [...]this editorial aims to reflect on the interaction of the COVID-19 pandemic with the existing opioid crisis and its role in widening the gap of the pre-existing disparities, and discusses implications of practice to protect the health of vulnerable drug-users. Recently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) allowed take-home …

Are Gaming And Gambling Disorders Related? Examining The Roles Of Money, Relative Deprivation, And Upward Mobility, Anthony J. King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Few studies have examined the financial motives and risks involved in modern video games, as well as the psychosocial factors contributing to this type of gaming involvement. Previous research on gambling has shown financial motives alone to be a major risk factor for the development of gambling disorder, with higher levels of personal relative deprivation (PRD) identified as a main contributor to this relationship. Therefore, the present study investigated whether this association applied to US adult video gamers, and if it would predict their problematic gaming behaviors. We hypothesized PRD and gaming disorder severity would have a positive association, with …

Barriers And Facilitators To Promoting Resilience To Hiv/Aids: A Qualitative Study On The Lived Experiences Of Hiv-Positive, Racial And Ethnic Minority, Middle-Aged And Older Men Who Have Sex With Men From Ontario, Canada, Renato M. Liboro, Sherry Bell, Brandon Ranuschio, Lianne Barnes, Jenna Despres, Aruna Sedere, Trinity Puno, Paul A. Shuper

Psychology Faculty Research

Evidence-based research has highlighted the need for exploring factors that support the mental health of men who have sex with men living with HIV/AIDS (MSMLWH), and environmental influences that promote their resilience to HIV/AIDS. This exploratory study utilized a community-based participatory research approach to investigate barriers and facilitators to promoting resilience to HIV/AIDS, specifically among racial and ethnic minority, middle-aged and older MSMLWH, a population that continues to be significantly impacted by HIV/AIDS today. This collaborative, qualitative study recruited participants who identified as racial or ethnic minority MSMLWH, were aged 40 or older, and resided in Ontario, Canada. Participants (n …

Surveillance Of The Incidence And Mortality Of Oral And Pharyngeal, Esophageal, And Lung Cancer In Nevada: Potential Implications Of The Nevada Indoor Clean Air Act, Kevin Foote, David Foote, Karl Kingsley

Dental Medicine Faculty Publications

Reviews of national and state-specific cancer registries have revealed differences in rates of oral, esophageal, and lung cancer incidence and mortality that have implications for public health research and policy. Many significant associations between these types of cancers and major risk factors, such as cigarette usage, may be influenced by public health policy such as smoking restrictions and bans—including the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act (NCIAA) of 2006 (and subsequent modification in 2011). Although evaluation of general and regional advances in public policy have been previously evaluated, no recent studies have focused specifically on the changes to the epidemiology of …

Prevalence Trend And Disparities In Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Us Adults, 2005–2018, Yingke Xu, Qing Wu

Public Health Faculty Publications

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) trends among US adults and disparities in RA patients in recent years have not been well described. We aimed to examine the trend of RA prevalence and disparities among US adults. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the years 2005–2018 were analyzed to examine the self-reported RA prevalence trend. Age-adjusted RA prevalence stratified by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES), as well as associated linear trends, were calculated for both genders. The multivariable adjustment was used to evaluate the association between race, SES, and RA. During 2005–2018, there was no significant linear trend …

Concordance And Patient-Centered Care In Medicaid Enrollees’ Care Experience With Providers, Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen, Neeraj Bhandari

Healthcare Administration & Policy Faculty Publications

Patient-centered care is at the nexus of several overlapping institutional reforms to improve health care system performance. However, we know little regarding Medicaid patients’ experience with their doctors along several key dimensions of patient-centered care, and how their experience compares with Medicare and privately insured patients. We studied 4 outcomes using the 2017 National Health Interview Survey: patient–provider concordance on racial/sexual/cultural identity, respectful provider attitude, solicitation of patient opinion/beliefs during the care encounter, and patient-centered communication (PCC). The primary independent variable was Medicaid enrollee status. We dichotomized responses and ran multivariate logistic regressions for each type of care experience outcome, …

Using The Multi-Theory Model (Mtm) Of Health Behavior Change To Explain The Correlates Of Mammography Screening Among Asian American Women, Manoj Sharma, Chia-Liang Dai, Kavita Batra, Ching-Chen Chen, Jennifer R. Pharr, Courtney Coughenour, Asma Awan, Hannah Catalano

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Globally, breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women. The incidence of breast cancer has been growing among Asian American women. Mammography is a screening procedure that provides early diagnosis for the timely treatment to reduce premature mortality due to breast cancer. However, there are no national data available that summarize the rates of mammography screening among Asian American women. Some small-scale studies have reported low rates of mammography uptake among Asian American women. This cross-sectional study utilized the fourth-generation, multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change to explain the correlates of mammography screening among Asian American women between …

Sociodemographic Inequities In Nurturing Care For Early Childhood Development Across Brazilian Municipalities, Gabriela Buccini, Stefanie Eugênia Dos Anjos Coelho Kubo, Jéssica Pedroso, Juracy Bertoldo, Alberto Sironi, Marcos Ennes Barreto, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Sonia Isoyama Venancio, Muriel Bauermann Gubert

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Providing an enabling nurturing care environment for early childhood development (ECD) that cuts across the five domains of the Nurturing Care Framework (i.e., good health, adequate nutrition, opportunities for early learning, security and safety and responsive caregiving) has become a global priority. Brazil is home to approximately 18.5 million children under 5 years of age, of which 13% are at risk of poor development due to socio-economic inequalities. We explored whether the Early Childhood Friendly Municipal Index (IMAPI) can detect inequities in nurturing care ECD environments across the 5570 Brazilian municipalities. We examined the validity of the IMAPI scores and …

The Intersection Of Hiv, Covid-19 And Systemic Racism, Gary F. Spinner

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic has taken the greatest toll on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Blacks and Latinxs suffer greater disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality from HIV as compared with Whites. Similarly, the Covid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has disproportionately affected Blacks, Latinxs, and Native Americans causing higher rates of infection, more severe disease, and higher rates of mortality as compared with Whites. The pandemic of racism is as ubiquitous as the pandemics of HIV and Covid-19. Its sustaining forces drive wealth inequality, poverty, racially segregated and overcrowded housing, unequal employment opportunities, unequal …