Occupational Exposure, Biomarker Profiles, And Safety Practices Among Egyptian Pesticide Factory Workers, Mireille M. Hanna

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pesticide factory workers represent a critically understudied occupational population in Egypt, where existing literature has focused predominantly on agricultural field workers and spray teams, leaving the industrial manufacturing workforce virtually uncharacterized. Despite the potential for continuous, year-round, high-intensity mixed chemical exposure in factory settings, no contemporary comprehensive study has examined the multi-system health correlates of pesticide exposure among Egyptian factory workers.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the occupational health correlates of pesticide exposure among factory workers across neurological, hematological, hepatic, renal, endocrine, and reproductive outcomes, and to evaluate the role of exposure intensity, personal protective equipment use, safety …

Living Next Door To Mcdonald’S: A Qualitative Study Of Community Submissions And Resident Realities Pre- And Post Development, Roslyn Giglia, Jacinta Francis, Jana Buckle, Clare Whitton, Ros Sambell, Frith Klug, Lukar Thornton, Siobhan Hickling, Katherine Kent, Gina Trapp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The proliferation of fast-food outlets (FFOs) in residential areas has raised growing concerns about their impact on community health, safety, and wellbeing. This qualitative study examined both pre-development community consultation submissions and post-development resident experiences surrounding the development of a McDonald’s outlet in a newly established suburb on the urban fringe of Perth, Western Australia (WA). Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study analyzed 183 community submissions lodged with the local council prior to development and conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 residents living within 300 m of the outlet after construction. Results: Content analysis revealed strong opposition, with …

Harmonies Of Healing: A Secondary Data Analysis On Music Engagement And Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Theophilus Eben Nartey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional secondary data analysis was to examine the relationship between music engagement and self-reported quality of life among adults aged 60 years and older, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Guided by the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) framework, the study explored whether music engagement significantly predicted perceived well-being in later adulthood while accounting for chronic health conditions. Secondary data from the HRS public-use dataset were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29. The final analytical sample consisted of 1,582 adults aged 60 years or older with complete data on all variables included in the …

Integrating Public Health Into Communication Sciences And Disorders Curriculum, Whitney D. Perkins, Yalanda M. Barner, Jennifer Wiles, Brandi Newkirk-Turner

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is increasingly integrating public health into its practice and research. This is because less than 10% of speech-language pathology and audiology graduate programs are housed within Colleges or Schools of Public Health (PH), reducing the likelihood that students in CSD have the opportunity for coursework and co-curricular activities that integrate PH and CSD. In this paper, we discuss the holistic approach we used to integrate PH into a CSD program at a Historically Black University. The approach was guided by PH and CSD accreditation standards and involved a didactic course, CSD courses …

Fall Risk In Community-Dwelling Adults: A Comparison Of English And Spanish-Speaking Individuals, Jesus D. Gomez

Dissertations, 2020-current

Falls are a leading cause of injury-related mortality among middle-aged and older adults. Although vestibular dysfunction, hearing loss, behavioral factors, and social determinants of health have been associated with increased fall risk, few studies have examined these relationships. Furthermore, limited research in audiology and vestibular science has investigated fall-risk vulnerability among Spanish-speaking individuals.

This study aimed to: (1) estimate the prevalence of fall risk among community-dwelling adults and compare prevalence between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking participants; (2) assess the prevalence of previously undiagnosed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and compare prevalence between language groups; and (3) develop predictive models of fall …

Building Or Breaking Trust In Healthcare Through Patient And Family Engagement In Research And Service Design: The Need For Authentic Engagement Practices, Lisa D. Hawke, Hajar Seiyad, Shoshana Hauer, Charlotte Munro, Natasha Y. Sheikhan

Patient Experience Journal

Trust in the healthcare system is an important driver of public health, but is sometimes lacking among individuals and communities. Patient and family engagement in research and service development is one proposed means of influencing trust. Patients and families can be engaged authentically and meaningfully as partners in the conduct of research and the development of healthcare services. When engagement is conducted following best practices, patients and families have the opportunity to build strong mutual relationships with project leads, hold a share of the power in the discipline, and exercise choice to influence the research and service development agenda. These …

A Modern Playbook For Trust Across The Health Ecosystem, Erin O'Malley

Patient Experience Journal

Public trust in health care delivery, public health, and biomedical innovation is at a historic low. While many place the blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of social media, the reality is that distrust is a deeply rooted structural challenge that has plagued the U.S. for centuries. It is tied to historical movements for medical freedom and centuries of systemic discrimination and earned mistrust among minoritized communities. Today, this crisis is compounded by a lack of shared values and facts and the rising dominance of tribal identity over objective science. The Coalition for Trust in Health & Science …

J Mich Dent Assoc August 2026

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200-plus members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADA Commons.

The August 2026 (Volume 108, No. 8) issue of the Journal is published in print format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions occur every other month beginning with January.

The August 2026 issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association explores clinical, professional, legal, leadership, and public …

Exploring The Motivations And Educational Needs For Undergraduate Nursing Students To Enter Into Critical Care: A Qualitative Study., Christina S. Pradhan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Critical care nursing is a specialty that demands a high level of skill and dedication. In this high-stress, fast-paced environment, nurses must think fast and act decisively with sound clinical judgment and knowledge. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the motivating factors that cause nurses to enter the field of critical care, as well as to explore the ways in which undergraduate nursing studies may be improved to better prepare future critical care nurses. Knowles’ adult learning theory was well suited for nursing students bound for a critical care path. Students at two different baccalaureate …

Brief Of Public Health And Health Law Scholars As Amici Curiae Urging Affirmance In Support Of Plaintiffs-Appellees, Rachel L. Zacharias, Zeinab Bakhet, Kevin Costello, Maya Manian

Amicus Briefs & Court Filings

INTRODUCTION: Physicians’ use of their judgment and expertise to prescribe drugs and devices for purposes other than those approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)—colloquially known as off-label use—is an indispensable feature of modern medicine. The FDA approves drugs as “safe and effective for specific indications.” Christopher M. Wittich, Christopher M. Burkle & William L. Lanier, Ten Common Questions (and Their Answers) About OffLabel Drug Use, 87 Mayo Clinic Procs. 982, 982 (2012). Federal law then generally leaves prescribing decisions, including off-label use of FDA-approved drugs and devices for a patient’s particular indication, to physicians acting under state law …

Longitudinal Genomic Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2 In A University Microcosm Reflects Global Evolutionary Trends, Sankar Prasad Chaki, Melissa M Kahl-Mcdonagh, Benjamin W Neuman, Loni A Taylor, Rebecca S B Fischer, Blake M Hanson, Marlisa S Hardy, Jo Ann Culpepper, Eric Boerwinkle, Kurt A Zuelke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

SARS-CoV-2 transmission has declined, yet ongoing viral evolution continues to pose public health challenges. This study conducted long-term (2020-2024) genomic surveillance within a large and globally diverse university community. Viral genomes obtained from clinical (n = 1,786) and surveillance (n = 888) testing samples were classified under clade, lineage, and variant systems, and compared with global genomic data sets. Local patterns broadly paralleled global evolutionary trends, including the phased emergence of major variants, episodic introductions of new lineages, and shifts in dominant clades. Lineage diversity peaked during fall semesters and was highest among undergraduate-aged individuals, with similar distributions …

Covid-19 Case Study, Armando Olmeda

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect healthcare systems and public health worldwide. This case study examines COVID-19 from an epidemiological perspective by looking at how the disease spreads, the populations most affected, the major risk factors, and the impact on healthcare systems. It also analyzes key epidemiological measures, including incidence, prevalence, hospitalization, and mortality trends, to better understand how the pandemic has changed over time. The findings show that older adults, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and socially disadvantaged populations continue to experience the greatest burden of disease, with social determinants of health playing an important …

The Effect Of Vaccine Mandates On Disease Spread: Evidence From College Covid-19 Mandates, Riley K. Acton, Wenjia Cao, Emily E. Cook, Scott A. Imberman, Michael F. Lovenheim

Research Collection School Of Economics

Nearly 700 4-year U.S. colleges mandated students receive COVID-19 vaccinations in fall 2021. Using data on college policies and county health, we estimate how mandates affect surrounding communities. Event studies from August to November 2021 show that mandates covering all colleges in a county reduced COVID-19 deaths by 5.6 per 100,000 persons, a 4.6% reduction in the U.S. total during this period. Mandates reduced COVID cases by 504 and ICU admissions by 16.2 per 100,000, though we see no statistically significant impact on hospitalizations. Impacts are larger in counties with larger college populations and low estimated ex-ante student vaccination rates.

Application Of Toast Criteria, Comorbidities And Outcomes In Patients With Ischemic Stroke: Multicenter Collaboration In The Dominican Republic, Ryna Then, Maria Muñoz, Cristina Ramos, Marcos Mota, Priscilla Sepulveda, Lisa José, Luis Suazo, Francisco Mendez, Yahaira Franco, Cosme González Villamán, Acela Gonell, Violiza Inoa, Gillian Gordon Perue, Manuel Colomé-Hidalgo, Nadja García

Einstein Health Papers

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is a leading cause of neurological-related death in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has among the highest stroke-related mortality rates in the Americas. We aimed to determine ischemic stroke etiologies, characterize comorbidities, and describe outcomes in the Dominican Republic using the TOAST (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification.

METHODS: We analyzed a multicenter quality registry between January 2022 and October 2024. Statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests with Bonferroni correction, chi-square tests, and Spearman correlation.

RESULTS: The most common stroke subtype was undetermined etiology (54.8%), followed by large artery atherosclerosis (17.2%) and cardioembolism …

Air Pollution And Public Health: Global Evidence And Implications, Mohammed Obaid Al-Mansoori

Al-Bahir

Globally, the issue of air pollution keep being one of most serious challenges that affecting environment and human health, coming from emissions of industries, transport, agriculture and also from the fuel people use in homes, in addition to natural events that make the situation worse. This review try to bring together the available evidences about the sources, types, and the health impacts of the main air pollutants, including the gaseous ones like SO₂, O₃, NO₂, and CO, and the particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅). Exposure for short or long time to these pollutants is linked with many harmful outcomes, such as …

Multidomain Expert Evaluation Of Leading Large Language Models As Providers Of Vaccination And Preventive Medicine Information, Marcello Di Pumpo, Leonardo Villani, Vittorio Maio, Maria Rosaria Gualano, Eleonora Marziali, Lucia De Maio, Rossella Mancini, Stefania Boccia, Walter Ricciardi, Patrizia Laurenti

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions. Large language models (LLMs) show great capability for providing health information. This study compared the performance of ChatGPT 3.5 (G3E), ChatGPT 4o in English (G4E), Claude 3.0 (CDE), Gemini 1.5 (GME), and ChatGPT 4o in Italian (G4I) in delivering information on vaccination and preventive medicine.

STUDY DESIGN: Mixed-method analysis evaluating large language models.

METHODS: Twenty-six expert-designed healthcare scenarios were used to evaluate each model through an adapted DISCERN-based instrument. Four experts independently rated outputs across six domains: Information Reliability, Information Quality, Medical Appropriateness, Impact on Vaccine Hesitancy, Potential for …

The Cannabis Motivation Spectrum: Comparing Medical, Recreational And Dual Intent Users, Addyson Domian, Jacob Borodovsky

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

There is a lack of a standardized definition of “medical” cannabis use in the healthcare industry, which has led to an informal, user-reported definition of medical use. Consequently, individuals who use cannabis for both medical and recreational reasons (dual intent) are not always differentiated from pure medical or pure recreational users. This study compares self-defined medical only and dual intent motivational groups relative to recreational only users to better understand how these groups differ by analyzing sociodemographic and use patterns, clinically relevant factors, and claimed cannabis-related benefits. Using data from the Qualtrics Cannabis Exposure Index survey instrument of 8836 adult …

Five Corridors: A Community Health Needs Assessment Of Horry County, Stephen Borders, Hayley Bilko, Molly Craig, Olivia Guthrie, Ashley Mcconnell, Emily Mcgowan, Anna Quick, Abigail Rike, Makayla Wilson

Public Health

This report presents a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of Horry County, South Carolina. Its central analytical contribution is a five-corridor framework derived from k-means cluster analysis of the county's 76 residential census tracts, drawing on social and economic indicators from the American Community Survey and health estimates from the CDC PLACES program. The analysis organizes the county into five distinct community types — Affluent Coastal Retirement, Moderate Coastal Retirement, Inland Rural/Suburban Transitional, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Hispanic Hospitality Worker — each with a characteristic profile of social and health conditions.

Within this framework, the assessment examines a range of social …

Global Health Financing Of Diagonal Interventions: Building Resilient And Sustainable Health Systems In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lucy Kim

Master in Public Policy Theses

Background: Global health financing has historically prioritized disease-specific “vertical” programs over broader “horizontal” strengthening of general health systems. Vertical programs in HIV have led to unprecedented reductions in mortality worldwide, but HIV remains a significant public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, where vertical strategies have long been criticized for creating fragmented health systems. In response, global health strategies have shifted towards combining vertical investments with broader horizontal activities, commonly referred to as “diagonal” programming. While evidence suggests that diagonal programming has the potential to create more resilient and sustainable health systems, evaluating its value for money is challenging due to …

Beyond The Ban: Chhaupadi Abolition And The Governance Of Menstrual Autonomy In Western Nepal, Nikita Paudel

Master in Public Policy Theses

This thesis examines how two decades of efforts to abolish chhaupadi have shaped the everyday conditions under which women and girls experience menstruation in western Nepal. Chhaupadi, commonly understood as menstrual seclusion, has been addressed through Supreme Court directives, national policy, criminal law, municipal implementation instruments, hut demolition campaigns, public health programming, and rights-based advocacy. Yet the practice has persisted, adapted, and in some cases moved into less visible spaces. Rather than treating this as a simple gap between law and practice, this thesis asks how abolition efforts themselves have become part of the regulatory regime through which menstruation is …

Comparison Of Selected Supply Chain Management Practices Of Three Major Regional/Metropolitan Hospitals, Alan D. Smith

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Bio 340 Final Project: Rural Population Structure And Food Production Interact To Shape Global Undernourishment, Ava Ripanti

Biology Student Scholarship

Ava Ripanti - Environmental Biology '27

Undernourishment remains a major global public health challenge, reflecting the proportion of a population lacking sufficient dietary energy intake. While food availability is central to food security, undernourishment is also shaped by structural and socioeconomic factors such as population distribution and access to resources. Although rural populations are closely tied to agriculture, they often experience higher food insecurity due to limited infrastructure, market access, and healthcare. Prior research emphasizes that broader determinants, particularly inequality and development, are stronger predictors of undernourishment than agricultural output alone, that food insecurity exists in both rural and urban …

Improving Blood Pressure Through A Multimodal Intervention, Kalynn Solomey

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and remains a significant public health concern in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023a). Despite the availability of effective pharmacological therapies, many patients struggle to achieve adequate blood pressure control, highlighting the need for accessible, evidence-based lifestyle interventions. An extensive literature search of five databases provided 11 articles for utilization. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention that included hypertension education, individualized lifestyle counseling, self-measured blood pressure training, and a progressive walking program in reducing systolic blood pressure …

The Meaning Of Physical Activity In The Context Of Health Sciences: A Concept Analysis, Martín G. Farinola

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Physical activity has been defined in numerous ways. Thus, this study aimed to conduct a concept analysis of the existing physical activity definitions in the health sciences literature to evaluate its conceptual precision and assess the need for a revised or novel concept better suited for this domain. The concept analysis was accomplished using tools derived from philosophical semantics. The analysis identified six definitions that explicitly state what physical activity is with sufficient clarity to allow for conceptual examination. The findings indicated that these definitions frequently merge the concept of physical activity with its contextual attributes. To address these semantic …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Childhood Immunization: A Mixed Methods Assessment Of Health Care And Community Health Professionals’ Observations, Jenny Dong

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Childhood immunization has led to significant decreases in the burden of infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Despite these contributions, U.S. childhood vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, and updates to the federal immunization schedule have removed recommendations for several childhood vaccinations. Amid such an uncertain public health landscape, understanding how environmental conditions affect childhood immunization behaviors is crucial for ensuring that children receive the vital protections vaccines offer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the barriers and facilitators of childhood immunization observed by Nebraska health care professionals (HCPs). This study utilized an online questionnaire and …

Public Health Responsible Ai Capability (Ph-Raic) Framework: A Conceptual Model For Integrating Ai Into Public Health Agencies, Arnob Zahid, Ravishankar Sharma, Rezwan Ahmed

All Works

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transitioning from experimental pilots to core public health functions such as disease surveillance, resource planning, and analysis of social and structural determinants of health. Yet, health data collection and stewardship remain fragmented across the globe; some jurisdictions still rely on paper-based systems, while others operate noninteroperable digital systems that can exacerbate inequities. Treating health data as a global good therefore requires governance that enables innovation while protecting rights, safety, and trust. This study aims to develop a conceptual meso-level capability framework that translates responsible AI principles into organizational practices for public health agencies. Methods: We …

University Student Mental Health: Service Utilization, Equity Gaps, And Strategies To Improve Access, Richard Mutua Kilonzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student mental health and access to care are pressing concerns in higher education. This study assesses mental health outcomes and access to campus mental health services at East Tennessee State University. Survey data from the 2023–2024 Healthy Minds Study were analyzed to report the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation across the student population. The study evaluates disparities in these outcomes and barriers to care across student groups, with particular attention to equity-impacted students, especially sexual and gender minority students.

Findings indicate widespread psychological distress alongside persistent barriers, including long wait times, limited-service availability, and stigma-related concerns. These barriers …

Associations Between Smoking Habits And Weight-Related Behaviors Among People Who Smoke In The United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sharifa Alblooshi, Maryam Hassan Dawood, Dana N. Abdelrahim, Marika Lo Monaco, Falak Zeb

All Works

Background: Smoking is one of the leading global public health problems, and is complicated by multiple reasons for its prevalence and associated health problems. An understanding of the influence of smoking activity on weight management is essential to formulate successful health programs. Aim: The objective of the present study was the investigation of the association between smoking habits and weight management among adult people who smoke in the UAE. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 232 participants who completed a 36-item questionnaire assessing their smoking habits and weight management practices. Results: The sample consisted mostly of males (75.4%) aged …

Ai And Algorithmic Literacy Among Health Workers: A Scoping Review Through A Digital Health Literacy Lens, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Carly Wheelans, Devon Haag, Ian Roe, Hsiu Ju Chang, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Faan, Ursula Ellis, Geoffrey Mckee, Sofia Bartlett, Mark Gilbert

Publications

Introduction – Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic systems influence health workers’ access, interpretation, and action on clinical and public health information, positioning them as intermediaries between algorithmically mediated outputs and patients, communities, and decision makers. This study examines how AI and algorithmic literacy are conceptualized and measured among health workers through a digital health literacy (DHL) lens. Methods – Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, Europe PMC, and arXiv for English language sources published between January 2020 and May 2025. Two reviewers screened records and extracted data …

Exploring Systemic Challenges In The Western North Carolina Dental Safety Net: A Qualitative Analysis, Blaire Mirmow, Bill Milner, Nadia Laniado

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Despite statewide growth, rural communities in Western North Carolina (WNC) face persistent barriers to oral health care driven by chronic dental workforce shortages and systemic geographic disparities. Within this Appalachian region, the dental safety net serves as a vital yet strained support system, struggling with limited financial resources and a lack of provider participation that leaves many underserved populations without essential oral health services.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals working within the WNC dental safety net to identify barriers and strategies required to strengthen the delivery of oral health care in high-need rural settings. …