Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hiv/Aids Prevention, Care And Support For Children In Vietnam, Thi Pruitt, Dr. Hala Madanat

Journal of Undergraduate Research

East Asia is the fastest growing region of the world. Its average annual growth income has ranked top-of-the-world for the past three years. In addition to economic development, East Asia is now also the world’s home for some of its fastest growing AIDS epidemics. Approximately 31,000 children under age 15 are living with HIV and AIDS and there were 11,000 new infections in 2005—an average of 30 children infected per day. Not different from its region, between 1990 and 2005, Vietnam has reported 104,111 HIV infected cases. About 12,000 to 15,000 newly infected HIV patients were reported annually. However, due …

Ari Study Report, Cameron Nelson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the breathtaking view of the Andes through my bus window last Friday morning, I thought of the many Bolivian mothers who would bring their sick children into the Senkata Clinic that day. The June temperatures dropped significantly at night, and I wondered how many children would awake that morning with a severe cough and difficulty breathing, signs of pneumonia. Over the past seven weeks, dozens of children affected with acute respiratory infections (ARI) stared at me with huge brown eyes, reflecting extreme poverty, malnutrition, and fear. Their mothers often called me “Doctor” and looked at me as I interviewed …

Effects Of Assistive Robotics On Tantrums In Children With Low-Functioning Autism, Taylor Whitmer, Dr. Bonnie Brinton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent studies, assistive robotics has been useful in increasing joint attention skills between a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other individuals (Acerson, 2011). These data also show a potential change in tantrum behaviors before and after intervention sessions with the robot. Tantrum behaviors, although normal in young, typical developing children, often persist longer in children with ASD as a result of delayed language development (Osterman & Bjorkqvist, 2010). As tantrum behaviors persist, the time available for these children to learn is diminished as the focus of the child becomes the frustration causing the tantrum rather than the …

A Diffusible Mobile Dental Services Model For Prevention-Focused Outreach For Underserved Children In Rural Communities, Nikki Stone, Frances J. Feltner, Willie Bates

Center of Excellence in Rural Health Presentations

Background: In 2006 a mobile dental outreach program began operating full-time at the UK North Fork Valley Community Health Center in Hazard, Kentucky, a federally-qualified health center administered by the University of Kentucky and located at the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health. This program continues to provide preventive dental care to children at forty different elementary schools and Head Start centers in a four county area of southeastern Kentucky located in the heart of rural Appalachia. The counties are Leslie, Knott, Letcher and Perry (LKLP), which are part of the Kentucky River Development District and encompass the LKLP …

Female Literacy: Effects On Women And Children’S Health In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kelsey Perry, Stephanie Fugal

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many NGOs and government agencies around the world are working tirelessly to eradicate poverty, sickness, and illiteracy from developing countries. Recent research has indicated that implementing female literacy programs could help solve both the problems of poor health outcomes and illiteracy.

Intelligence And Social Behaviors Of Children With Language Impairment, Melanie Cobabe, Dr. Martin Fujiki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Teachers and speech pathologists have noted that children with Language Impairment (LI) frequently struggle in social interactions when compared with their typical peers. They have difficulty making friends, entering on-going interactions, and are often viewed negatively by others in their own age group. The purpose of this study was to co-vary intelligence in order to eliminate it as a variable that might impact the differences in social behavior between typical and language impaired children.

Social Problems Of Children With Specific Language Impairment, Michelle H. Hutchings, Dr. Martin Fujiki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a well documented disability among many schoolaged children. Children with SLI exhibit “significant limitations in language functioning that cannot be attributed to deficits in hearing, oral structure and function, or general intelligence” (Leonard, 1987, p. 1). SLI results in disordered patterns of communication and is associated with academic failure. Increasing evidence also shows that children with SLI suffer from significant social difficulties.

The Efficacy Of Social Language Intervention On Children With Specific Language Impairment—A Pilot Study, Sarah Johnson Mueller, Dr. Martin Fujiki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this pilot study, I investigated the efficacy of an experimental social skills intervention program for children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). As there is a limited amount of research related to the treatment of the social skills of these children, it was my hope that such a pilot study would supply important information for future research in this area. For my research, I evaluated whether a specialized social skills intervention program produced improved social interactions in 4 children with SLI. To do this, I studied the behavioral changes of children in both a traditional language intervention group and a …

The Experiences Of Siblings Living With A Child With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Mckenzie Miller, Dr. Barbara Mandleco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Up to 40% of children in the United States require health related services above those needed by other children due to a chronic condition or illness, and as the majority of these children live at home, their presence greatly affects family members living with them (Mandleco, 2009). Although several chronic illnesses are seen in children, type 1 diabetes is one of the most common and the number of new cases is increasing each year (Lowes, Gregory, & Lyne, 2005). With the increasing frequency of this disease, it is critical that health-care providers know the effects it has on the diagnosed …

The Effect Of Robot-Child Interactions On Social Attention And Verbalization Patterns Of Typically Developing Children And Children With Autism Between 4 And 8 Years, Sudha Srinivasan, Anjana Bhat

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

Background: There is anecdotal evidence for the use of robots to facilitate prosocial behaviors such as joint attention and verbalization in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). However, there have been no normative data in typically developing children to evaluate the effects of robot-child interactions on social and communication skills. Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the changes in social attention and verbalization skills of 15 typically developing (TD) children, using a structured 8-session imitation protocol within a robot-adult-child context. We further extended this imitation protocol to two children with ASDs. Methods: Pretest, session1, session 4, session …

Surgical Management Of Traumatic Extra Dural Hematoma In Children: Experiences And Analysis From 24 Consecutively Treated Patients In A Developing Country, Muhammad Babar Khan, Muhammad Riaz, Gohar Javed, Fauzan Alam Hashmi, Maryam Sanaullah, Syed Ijlal Ahmed

Medical College Documents

Background: Children with epidural hematoma (EDH) present differently than adults. The outcome of treatment is also different. We aim to report our experiences with EDH in pediatric age group in terms of mode of injury, presenting features, management, and outcomes. We also aim to identify different prognostic indicators in pediatric patients with EDH.
Methods: We prospectively collected data from 24 consecutively surgically treated pediatric patients. The data collected included presenting features, radiological imaging, details of management, and outcomes. Descriptive analysis was performed and different variables were tested for any statistical significance with Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS).
Results: There were 19 …

Raising Children With Type 1 Diabetes And Celiac Disease: Parental Experiences, Kerri Louise Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine parental experiences and challenges raising children with both T1DM and CD. Twenty-six families, including 30 parents (25 mothers, 4 fathers, and one custodial grandmother), participated in a 30-60 minute audio-recorded interview designed to explore parental experiences raising children with both T1DM and CD. Participants were asked IRB approved open-ended questions about their experiences raising a child with both diseases. Direct quotations best representing categories/sub-categories were identified through selective coding. Analysis revealed seven main themes: Six themes parents are concerned about, including (a) their child's health complications, b) the challenges of …

Interpreting Children's Dreams Through Humanistic Sandtray Therapy, Karrie L. Swan, April A. Schottelkorb

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Children’s dreams often depict waking-life events and experiences. Although dream work therapy for adults is fairly established, recommendations for processing children’s dreams appear fractional. Because of the distinct developmental needs of children, we postulated that sandtray therapy might assist children to express and discover enlarged meanings in dreams. In this article, we present the Sandtray for Interpreting Childhood Dreams (SICD) intervention for the purpose of potentially helping children gain insight into how their dreams may be related to past and present waking-life experiences. An explanation and application of the model is presented, and the developmental rationale for using the SICD …

Effect Of A Voice Recognition System On Paediatric Outpatient Medication Errors, Angela Nyangore Migowa

Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Medication errors have potential to cause harm and death; especially children who are three times more vulnerable than adults. Risk of medication errors is higher in out- patient settings due to a stressful work environment with less familiarity of individual patients. This problem in sub-Saharan Africa is however largely undetermined. A Voice Recognition System that converts verbal messages into text and stores it in a database in a retrievable format could impact on reduction of medication errors. Objectives: The primary objective was to compare medication prescription and dispensing errors in written prescriptions with those from a Voice Recognition System. …

Can Emotion Understanding Be Taught?: Evaluating An Intervention Protocol To Increase Emotion Understanding In Children With Language Impairment, Lucy Brimhall, Dr. Martin Fujiki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Specific language impairment is traditionally defined as a diagnosis referring to “children who have difficulty learning language in the absence of intellectual disability, sensory and physical deficits, severe emotional disturbances, environmental factors, and brain damage” (Kamhi, AG 1998). Recent study of the behavior of children with SLI has revealed that there is a discrepancy between the social communication skills of typically developing children and those with SLI (Brinton & Fujiki, 2004).

Botulism In Children: A Diagnostic Dilemma In Developing Countries, Muhammad Rehan Khan, Prem Kumar, Shahnaz Shahid, Anwarul Haque

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Botulism is a well-known disease of the neuromuscular junction. It is a rare but curable cause of paralysis in paediatric population. In addition to classical clinical signs and symptoms, the diagnosis of botulism requires laboratory confirmation of intoxication by various biological tests. These include demonstration of botulinum toxin in serum or isolation of the Clostridium botulinum from stool/gastric aspirates. However, it is not always possible to confirm intoxication due to unavailability of technical facilities, especially in resource limited countries like Pakistan. Under these circumstances, electrophysiological studies serve as an excellent diagnostic tool. These studies can provide quick diagnosis of botulism …

"Mercy Tape" Unveiled: Provides Better Weight Estimates For Children, Bill Van Kirk

Our Story Continues

Susan Abdel-Rahman, Pharm.D, Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Toxicology, led the Children's Mercy research team that developed the Mercy TAPE, a new device to estimate the weight of pediatric patients ages two months to 16 years.

Accurate weight estimates in resource-restricted settings (lacking the means to weigh a child) are important because they are used to determine appropriate medication dosage, fluid volumes for resuscitation, breathing tube sizes, and more.

Carter, Tim Lee, 1910-1987 (Mss 80), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 80. Correspondence, photographs, audiotapes, film, clippings, general office files, and records of legislative proceedings relating to the political career of Tim Lee Carter, U.S. Representative (Republican) for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, 1965-1981.

Move Montana: An Exercise Program For Children, Adolescents, And Their Families, Deanna Lynn Babb

Dissertations

Despite advances in medical science, the prevalence of obesity in the US has more than doubled in the last three decades, to over 72 million people (CDC, 2009). The purpose of this project was to pilot an exercise program that would increase physical activity in a group of adolescents and one of their parents or guardians. A convenient sample of 10 adults and eight adolescents returned surveys and exercised through the entire eight weeks (N = 18). Ten of the 18 participants (56%), six parents and four adolescents, reported increased frequency of exercise each week throughout the eight week period. …

Analysis Of Contributing Factors To Obesity In Children And Adolescents In Southwest Georgia, Sydney Leigh Worthy

Theses and Dissertations

Today more than 23 million U.S. children and adolescents are either obese or overweight. Hospital costs from obesity-related diseases in youth have increased from $35 million (0.43% of total hospital costs) during 1979 to 1981 to $127 million (1.79% of total costs) during 1997 to 1999. During the Pathway to Med School program, I collaborated with three other students to develop a research project on childhood and adolescent obesity. We conducted surveys at nine different primary care clinics in the southwest Georgia area. Approval was sought by the Institutional Review Board of Phoebe Putney Memorial Health System and Albany Area …

The Impact Of Medicaid Reform On Dental Practice Setting, Barrett W. R. Peters

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess the impact of dental Medicaid reform in Virginia on dental practice settings (private practice, corporate practice and safety net clinics). Methods: This retrospective cohort study of 16.2 million dental claims is from the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which included claims for providers participating in Virginia’s Medicaid program during a 10-year period (2002-2012). The dividing date for the reform was July 1, 2005. The outcome measure was mean claims per participating provider. A Poisson regression model was used to predict the mean number of claims per provider with the following predictors: reform period, practice setting, provider …

Validating Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: A Non-Invasive Assessment Of Skin Carotenoids As A Biomarker Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Children, Sheryl Swain Aguilar

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Background: Adult studies have found a strong correlation between serum carotenoids and skin carotenoids measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS). No published studies have examined correlations between skin and serum carotenoids among children.

Objectives: (1) To validate skin RRS methodology against serum carotenoid measurements by high-performance liquid chromatography and (2) to determine if RRS skin carotenoids can be used as a valid biomarker of total fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among children.

Design: Participants were 45 healthy children age 5-17 who provided 3 blood samples used to assess serum carotenoid concentrations and 3 RRS skin measurements (using a Biophotonic ScannerTM) …

Determinants Of Food Insecurity Among Vulnerable White And Latino Households: Contextualizing The Impact Of Sociodemographic And Household-Level Factors, Alexandra Lund

Master's Theses

Household-level characteristics have been shown to be associated with food insecurity but studies among vulnerable populations are sparse. A food security assessment was developed to determine food security and collect sociodemographic and household level data across San Luis Obispo County. The assessments were administered to vulnerable groups through interviews at multiple sites across the County. Three household characteristics (marital status, number of children in the household and number of workers in the household) were examined in this analysis. A total of 808 surveys were collected, 69% in English and 31% in Spanish. Through ethnicity-stratified sequentially adjusted logistic regression models, the …

A Community-Based Oral Health Self-Care Intervention For Hispanic Families, Pamela C. Hull, Michelle C. Reece, Marian Patton, Janice Williams, Bettina M. Beech, Juan R. Canedo, Roger J. Zoorob

Dental Hygiene Faculty Research

Objectives

A community-based intervention is described that targets oral health self-care practices among Hispanic children in the United States and is being tested in an ongoing trial. Descriptive results of baseline oral health variables are presented.

Methods

As of January 2013, 284 Hispanic children of ages 5–7 enrolled in the Healthy Families Study in Nashville, TN, USA. Families are randomized to one of two culturally appropriate interventions.

Results

At baseline, 69.6 % of children brushed at least twice daily, and 40.6 % brushed before bed daily. One-third of parents did not know if their children’s toothpaste contained fluoride.

Conclusions

This …

Malnutrition And Diseases Affecting The Children Of Uganda, Crystal Brooke Baldwin

Senior Honors Theses

Every day there are children in underdeveloped countries, such as Uganda, who are struggling to survive on minimal food, money, and other resources. These children do not have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a normal childhood because their main focus is on survival. Many of these children will die because of preventable disease and starvation that have resulted from the endless cycle of poverty and lack of education. Those who are lucky enough to survive must fight a daily battle to find the nutrients they need and to combat the diseases they may acquire. It is heartbreaking to …

The Tilar Project: Analyzing Unregulated And Non- Engagement Behaviors During Intervention In Children With Low Functioning Autism, Taylor Whitmer, Dr. Bonnie Brinton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Therapist in the Loop: Assistive Robotics (TiLAR) project is a broad-based research study that seeks to improve joint attention in children with low-functioning autism by using a humanoid robot in concert with traditional intervention. The goal of this project was to monitor the frequency of tantrum and non-engagement behaviors and determine if the interaction with the robot decreased in occurrence over time.

Better Drug Therapy For The Children Of Africa: Current Impediments To Success And Potential Strategies For Improvement, Stuart M. Macleod, Janet K. Finch, William Macharia, Gabriel M. Anabwani

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

A commentary is presented on the urgent need for a comprehensive effort to improve the practice of pediatric therapeutics in Africa. A call for action is addressed to a variety of practitioners internationally, many of whom possess skills that could be fruitfully applied to the improvement of health outcomes for African children. Successful engagement with the many challenges requires the complementary effort of researchers in basic and clinical pharmacology and toxicology, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, clinical pharmacologists, clinical pharmacists, and political leaders and civil servants. While a comprehensive or systematic review of the relevant literature has not been attempted, the authors …

A Review Of “Music And Movement” Therapies For Children With Autism: Embodied Interventions For Multisystem Development, Sudha M. Srinivasan, Anjana N. Bhat

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

The rising incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has led to a surge in the number of children needing autism interventions. This paper is a call to clinicians to diversify autism interventions and to promote the use of embodied music-based approaches to facilitate multisystem development. Approximately 12% of all autism interventions and 45% of all alternative treatment strategies in schools involve music-based activities. Musical training impacts various forms of development including communication, social-emotional, and motor development in children with ASDs and other developmental disorders as well as typically developing children. In this review, we will highlight the multisystem impairments of …

The Measurement Of Auditory Interhemispheric Transfer Time (Ihtt) In Children With Normal Auditory Processing Abilities, Brittany Suzanne Keahey

Doctoral Dissertations

Interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) is the time it takes for information to be transmitted from one hemisphere to the other. The goal of this study was to determine if differences existed in the IHTT of children 6 to 9 years of age with normal auditory processing abilities by the use of an objective measure (auditory late evoked potentials [ALEPs]), specifically waves P1, N1 and P2. It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in IHTT between the groups due to the age range of participants being tested. The 16 participants were divided into two groups based on age and …

What Are The Relations Among Stress Perception, Health Perception And Activity Participation In School-Aged Children?, Allison Caplin

Honors Theses and Capstones

This correlational study examined possible relations among children’s activity patterns, perceived stress, and perceived health. A variety of self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 33 school age children. The Pediatric Activity Sort (PACS) was used to measure activity participation, a health questionnaire was used to assess health, and the Childhood Stress Questionnaire (CSQ) was used to measure perceived stress. Correlations showed no significant relationships between stress level and the amount of reported activity participation. The absence of significant relationships may be due to testing a sample of middle to upper class, Caucasian children, as there was a skewed …