Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Let Kids Sleep: The Role Of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Outreach In Stimulating Brains And Developing Research-Informed Approaches To Community Concerns, Marc Chenard

University Honors Theses

Northwest Noggin (NW Noggin), an all-volunteer neuroscience education outreach non-profit, serves its community by bringing students, artists, scientists and other participants together for artistic collaboration and learning. The outreach takes place in K-12 schools and other institutions (such as museums, coffee shops and correctional facilities) all over the Pacific Northwest. Neuroscience education outreach generates discourse surrounding community concerns through illuminating the brain-centric qualities of issues and by drawing on neuroscience research to create solutions. The neuroscience research-informed perspectives on these concerns stimulate awareness, create momentum towards evidence-based reform, and can result in policy interventions. This thesis details how NW Noggin …

Understanding Mental Health As Public Health, Christi M. Navarro

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

In this interactive workshop, we will utilize a multi-level public health framework to illustrate factors of risk and prevention that influence mental health and well-being. We will discuss shifting the narrative of mental health as an individual issue to the responsibility of society, culture, and environment. Participants will reflect on their role and level of influence in this model as well as their potential for action and positive impact.

Investigating Interpersonal And Community Drivers Of Taenia Solium Prevention To Reduce Acquired Seizure Disorders In Northern Peru: An Analysis Of Social Networks, Social Capital, And Community-Identified Barriers And Facilitators, Angela Gayle Spencer

Dissertations and Theses

Background: In Northern Peru and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide, the Taenia solium parasite causes an estimated 30% of acquired epilepsy -- an entirely preventable disease burden. Sanitation development and pork production regulation would reduce infection risk in endemic communities, but large-scale systemic improvements are not likely to occur in the near future. In the meantime, communities can reduce infection risk by adopting protective behaviors. Social networks can provide role modeling and support for health-promoting behaviors, and deliver social capital in the form of trusting relationships, norms of reciprocity, and information exchange in support of T. solium control. …

Understanding The Consumption Of Antimicrobial Resistance–Related Content On Social Media: Twitter Analysis, Hyunuk Kim, Chris R. Proctor, Dylan Walker, Ronan R. Mccarthy

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in our society. Today, social media can function as an important channel to disseminate information about AMR. The way in which this information is engaged with depends on a number of factors, including the target audience and the content of the social media post.

Objective: The aim of this study is to better understand how AMR-related content is consumed on the social media platform Twitter and to understand some of the drivers of engagement. This is essential to designing effective public health strategies, raising awareness about antimicrobial …

The Physical Activity Of Spanish Speleologists: Accomplishment Of Recommendations And Differences By Sociodemographic Variables, Miquel Pans, Laura Antón-González, Maite Pellicer-Chenoll

International Journal of Speleology

Outdoor adventure activities are becoming more popular due to their potential health benefits, although there is little scientific information on speleology as a physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study is to expand the scientific evidence in this field in two ways: (a) describe the PA performed by speleologists, taking into account the variables of interest such as gender, age, education, speleological level, participation in ‘Alpine’ explorations and body mass index (BMI) and (b) identify how far the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PA recommendations were accomplished (i.e.,150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA or 75 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic). A …

Assessing Boil Water Notices As Health-Risk Communication: Risk Perceptions, Efficacy, And Compliance During Winter Storm Uri, Ashleigh M. Day, Sydney O'Shay, Khairul Islam, Matthew W. Seeger, Shawn P. Mcelmurry

Open Data at Wayne State

Winter Storm Uri was an extreme disaster that impacted much of the United States during February of 2021. Texas and Oklahoma were generally not prepared for such an event and experienced massive power grid failures. This led to cascading risks including water system disruptions and many boil water notices (BWNs). The breakdown of some communication channels and the inability to enact protective actions due to power outages, as well as travel limitations on public roads, complicated both dissemination and implementation. Under these conditions, a non-representative, cross-sectional, survey was collected to assess individuals experience BWNs and how perceived efficacy impacts compliance. …

Wound Care For Unhoused Youth, Diana Altman, Monse Villasenor, Grace Fry, Maddy Johnson, Matthew Messenger

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Wound Care For Unhoused Youth

Introduction

We partnered with a non-profit organization designed to serve the unhoused youth, ages 18-25, who have a day program as well as an overnight shelter. They have 30 beds and reserve 20 of those beds for individuals who are “residents,” who commit to staying for several nights and work towards finding more permanent options. The other 10 beds are for individuals to use for a single night, but these are not always guaranteed, you must sign up to save a spot. The day program has various activities ranging from painting to resume workshops and …

Nutrition In Times Of Crisis: A Qualitative Study In Siargao Island, Philippines, During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gideon Lasco, Vincen Gregory Yu, Julie Madelo Compra, Phetdavanh Leuangvilay, Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, Yunting Zhang, Charina Javier

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Objectives

Despite the public-health significance of both malnutrition and crises, little has been done to explore the convergence of the two domains and develop ways to improve policies and practices, especially in rural communities. This article remedies that knowledge gap by focusing on nutrition-related changes, responses, and practices during crisis situations in Siargao Island, Philippines, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop.

Methods

Forty-six (46) semi-structured interviews were conducted among parents, caregivers, local health workers, and local officials of Del Carmen, Siargao Island. Principles of thematic analysis were applied to data analysis using NVivo 12. Afterwards, the preliminary data were …

Association Between Pediatric Asthma And Adult Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Pcos): A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Uae Healthy Future Study (Uaehfs), Nirmin F. Juber, Abdishakur Abdulle, Abdulla Aljunaibi, Abdulla Alnaeemi, Amar Ahmad, Andrea Leinberger-Jabari, Ayesha S. Al Dhaheri, Eiman Alzaabi, Fatima Mezhal, Fatma Al-Maskari, Fatme Alanouti, Habiba Alsafar, Juma Alkaabi, Laila Abdel Wareth, Mai Aljaber, Marina Kazim, Michael Weitzman, Mohammed Al-Houqani, Mohammed Hag-Ali, Naima Oumeziane, Omar El-Shahawy, Scott Sherman, Syed M. Shah, Tom Loney, Wael Almahmeed, Youssef Idaghdour, Raghib Ali

All Works

Asthma and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked in several possible ways. To date, there has been no study evaluating whether pediatric asthma is an independent risk factor for adult PCOS. Our study aimed to examine the association between pediatric asthma (diagnosed at 0-19 years) and adult PCOS (diagnosed at ≥20 years). We further assessed whether the aforementioned association differed in two phenotypes of adult PCOS which were diagnosed at 20-25 years (young adult PCOS), and at >25 years (older adult PCOS). We also evaluated whether the age of asthma diagnosis (0-10 vs 11-19 years) modified the association between pediatric …

Mapping The Evidence On Assessment Of Fitness To Work At Heights: A Scoping Review Protocol, Lyndsey Swart, Nicolaas Claassen, Tania Buys

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction Falls from height are a leading cause of serious injury and fatality globally. In South Africa, work at heights is regulated by occupational health and safety legislation, which places responsibility on employers to ensure their workers are fit for high-risk work. There is however no formal procedure or consensus on how fitness to work at heights should be assessed. This paper presents an a priori protocol for a scoping review that seeks to identify and map the current evidence base around the assessment of fitness to work at heights. It forms the initial phase of a PhD study aimed …

Review Of Gynaecological Cancer Among Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander People In Australia, Aime Powell, Ami Morseu-Diop, Maya Morton Ninomiya, Uday Narayan Yadav, Emily Phillips, Devendra Raj Singh, Tamara Butler, Emma Allanson, Lisa J. Whop

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Gynaecological cancers bear a significant burden on the health of Australians. Whilst Australia has made great strides in reducing the overall gynaecological cancer burden nationally, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women continue to experience disproportionately high rates of gynaecological cancers.

This review focuses on the social, cultural, and historical contexts that contribute to inequitable gynaecological cancer rates among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women. An in-depth discussion on cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer are described; including the incidence, mortality, survival, and management of these diseases for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women.

It highlights both the persistent barriers …

Protocol For Developing A Personalised Prediction Model For Viral Suppression Among Under-Represented Populations In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction Sustained viral suppression, an indicator of long-term treatment success and mortality reduction, is one of four strategic areas of the 'Ending the HIV Epidemic' federal campaign launched in 2019. Under-represented populations, like racial or ethnic minority populations, sexual and gender minority groups, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, are disproportionately affected by HIV and experience a more striking virological failure. The COVID-19 pandemic might magnify the risk of incomplete viral suppression among under-represented people living with HIV (PLWH) due to interruptions in healthcare access and other worsened socioeconomic and environmental conditions. However, biomedical research rarely includes under-represented populations, resulting in biased …

Developing A Management And Finance Training For Future Public Health Leaders, Kristy T. Hayes, Harry J. Heiman, Peggy A. Honoré

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Public health leaders are increasingly being asked to address adaptive challenges in the context of finite and often limited resources. Budgets and their associated resources create the financial framework within which public health agencies and organizations must operate. Yet, many public health professionals expected to undertake roles requiring this foundational knowledge and skills are not trained in the fundamentals of public finance and are ill-equipped for managing and monitoring funds. Graduate courses in schools of public health most often are focused on health care management and finance or private sector finance. To meet the needs of future public health leaders, …

The Ethical Contribution Of Cultural Diversity As A Social Determinant Of Health, Pooja Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation examines how cultural diversity as a social determinant of health, aligned with human life, human dignity, human rights, and human equity provides an ethical contribution. My explanation of the ethical contribution of cultural diversity as a SDOH refers to a quadrant of topics that expands the approach of the UNESCO Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights. The UNESCO approach addresses cultural diversity in relation to human dignity and human rights. I adopt a quadrant of topics that aligns human dignity with human life and human rights with equity. Aligning these topics in the quadrant (dignity/life and rights/equity) explains …

Adverse Effects Of Early Exposure To Pornography And The Utilization Of Art Therapy, Meghan Potts

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

Pornography is not a new phenomenon in our culture or world. With the expansion of the affordability, accessibility, and anonymity of pornography, demand and consumption rates have also escalated, along with the adverse impact associated with this growth (Coopersmith, 2006 as cited by Dines, 2017). This two-year grant proposal seeks to focus its efforts on serving children, the population being exposed to this widespread phenomenon (Wright, Paul, et al., 2021). The full-time art therapist will carry out trauma-informed prevention and intervention methods to advocate for the mental and physical health of children in individual, relational, and community contexts. This will …

The Threat Of Hospital Wastewater: An Evidence-Based Call To Action, Ann P. Nguyen

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Introduction: Hospital wastewater carries a unique composition of pollutants, a burden that includes high chemical and biological residuals. These pollutants are discharged into sewage treatment plants and natural environments where they contaminate human water sources and larger ecosystems. Water treatment plants are not designed to treat the high loads of biomedical waste and persistent organic compounds found in hospital wastewater and therefore pollutants survive in conventionally treated water. Evidence of contaminated soil, municipal wastewater, surface water, ground water, and even drinking water have been demonstrated in studies conducted around the world highlighting the ubiquity of the problem. Hospital effluent as …

Why Understanding Food Choice Is Crucial To Transform Food Systems For Human And Planetary Health, Krystal K. Rampalli, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Joseph Montoya

Faculty Publications

What, how and why people eat has long been understood to be important for human health, but until recently, has not been recognised as an essential facet of climate change and its effects on planetary health. The global climate change and diet-related health crises occurring are connected to food systems, food environments and consumer food choices. Calls to transform food systems for human and planetary health highlight the importance of understanding individual food choice. Understanding what, how and why people eat the way they do is crucial to successful food systems transformations that achieve both human and planetary health goals. …

Early Childhood Support Specialist Evaluation Report, Emilie Swenson Msw, Rachel Gallo Mph

Children, Youth, & Families

The Early Childhood Support Specialist (ECSS) at MaineHealth builds relationships with families who have children aged birth to three, a timeframe when infants and toddlers are rapidly developing, learning, and benefiting from family and community connections. The ECSS assesses a family’s strengths and needs to understand how that family can be supported and connected. The ECSS connects families to resources, provides referrals, coaches families on children’s social and emotional development, and generally serves as a point of contact to assist families with social, emotional, and medical needs. Ultimately, the intended outcome of this model is to increase family connections, decrease …

Improving Health Outcomes Of Families: An Agency-Wide Database To Support Parental Education, Savannah Williams

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

The purpose of the Doctoral Capstone Project was to increase access to parent and child education in order to improve the health outcomes of families in Arkansas. The agency-wide database is a program that provides access to educational and informative resources to be utilized when working with families. A quality improvement evaluation, paired with critical review of a SWOT analysis, was conducted to enhance understanding of the site’s current resources. Resources within the database were modified, acquired from outside sources, or created utilizing evidence to support content.

Predictors And Barriers To Vaccination Among Older Syrian Refugees In Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of A Multi-Wave Longitudinal Study, Berthe Abi Zeid, Tanya El Khoury, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Marwan F. Alawieh, Zeinab Ramadan, Sirine Anouti, Sawsan Abdulrahim, Stephen J. Mccall

Faculty Publications

Background:

Vaccination is important to prevent morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 among older Syrian refugees. We aimed to elucidate the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Syrian refugees aged 50 years or older in Lebanon and to understand their main reasons for not receiving the vaccine.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional analysis of a five-wave longitudinal study, conducted through telephone interviews between Sept 22, 2020, and March 14, 2022, in Lebanon. For this analysis, data were extracted from wave 3 (Jan 21–April 23, 2021), which included a question on vaccine safety and on whether participants intended to receive the …

A Review Of Adolescent Resiliency And Its Impact On Sexual Health Information And Behavior, Elizabeth Krusing

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

This Thesis reviews current research on adolescent sexual health information and behavior and makes recommendation for future research on protective factors and the use of theoretical frameworks like the IMB model that can inform the development of effective interventions to promote sexual health and well-being among children with high ACEs.

The Negative Influence Of External Stressors On Patient Outcomes: Why Physicians Should Consider More Than Outwardly Presenting Symptom(S), Gianna Meckler '23

Honor Scholar Theses

In this thesis, the influence of external stressors on patient health outcomes in the medical setting will be examined. There is an overwhelming amount of reputable research that suggests that the American healthcare system, at least as it operates now, does not effectively improve patient health outcomes. Simply focusing on outwardly apparent illness or disease does not address the full scope of patient need. Ample evidence will be provided in the form of a comprehensive literature review accompanied by supporting anecdotes from real physicians in hopes of encouraging healthcare professionals to increase the breadth of their considerations when it comes …

Does Antibiotic Awareness Campaigns Exposure Decrease Intention To Demand Antibiotic Treatment? Testing A Structural Model Among Parents In Western Australia, Aaron Lapuz Alejandro, Wei Wei Cheryl Leo, Mieghan Bruce, Kaymart Gimutao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the key public health concerns the world is facing today. The effect of antibiotic awareness campaigns (AACs) on consumer behaviour has been documented in the literature with mixed results. Understanding the mechanism for how AACs affect target populations is vital in designing effective and tailored campaigns. Using structural equation modelling our study examined the relationships among people's exposure to antibiotic awareness campaigns, knowledge of AMR prevention, AMR risk perception, and intention to seek antibiotic treatment. This study also tested the moderating effect of anxiety and societal responsibility on preventing AMR, and on their intention …

The Intersection Of Herbicide Policy, Exposure, And Health At The University Of Connecticut, Katherine Hayward

Honors Scholar Theses

Pesticides play an extremely complicated role in our everyday lives. From the water you use to make your coffee, to the breastmilk your neighbor provides for their child, to the lake your dog swims in, chemical pesticides or their byproducts have been found in nearly every corner of our lives. The chemicals used in synthetic herbicides, a subcategory of pesticides, have far reaching negative impacts on human health, biodiversity, and water quality. Despite there being numerous published studies on the relationships between pesticide exposures and health, there is still ongoing discord and controversy surrounding their role in our lives. After …

A Novel Method For Measuring The Burden Of Breast Cancer In Neighborhoods, Russell K. Mcintire, Hee-Soon Juon, Scott W. Keith, Nicole L. Simone, Dexter Waters, Eleanor Lewis, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Community-based breast cancer prevention efforts often focus on women who live in the same neighborhoods, as they tend to have similar demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and environmental exposures; yet little research describes methods of selecting neighborhoods of focus for community-based cancer prevention interventions. Studies frequently use demographics from census data, or single breast cancer outcomes (e.g., mortality, morbidity) in order to choose neighborhoods of focus for breast cancer interventions, which may not be optimal. This study presents a novel method for measuring the burden of breast cancer among neighborhoods that could be used for selecting neighborhoods of focus. In this …

Review Of: Appalachian Health: Culture, Challenges, And Capacity, Danielle M. Davidov

Journal of Appalachian Health

The Journal of Appalachian Health is committed to reviewing published media that relates to contemporary concepts affecting the health of Appalachia. This is a review of the text Appalachian Health: Culture, Challenges, and Capacity. This book is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in Appalachian history, public health, and health disparities research.

Exploring Inmate Health In Prisons: Health Issues, Interventions, And Suggestions To Improve Care, Jenna Healy

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The United States has the highest number of prisoners per capita at 639 people per 100,0008. There has been a fivefold increase in the number of inmates in the United States prison systems since 197044, and this may be a major contributor to the corrections healthcare system having trouble keeping up with this growth compared to the general population of the United States. According to the World Health Organization, the United States has documented higher mortality rates than many other developed countries. Rates of conditions such as cardiovascular disease have decreased everywhere, but much less in the United States. In …

Increasing Access To Doulas In Oregon: A Delphi Study, Courtney Elizabeth Crane

Dissertations and Theses

Doulas are trained, nonmedical support professionals that provide continuous emotional, informational, physical, and practical support before, during, and after childbirth. Doula care has been shown to reduce the cost of birth-related healthcare, reduce adverse birth outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction and positive birth experience. In 2011 Oregon became the first state to authorize payment expenditures of doula care through Medicaid as a strategy to reduce birth-related health disparities and increase culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare delivery. The intention of the set of policies and administrative rules was to mandate access to doulas and other types of Traditional Health Workers (THWs) …

The Global Fatty Liver Disease-Sustainable Development Goal Country Score For 195 Countries And Territories, Jeffrey V. Lazarus, Hannah Han, Henry E. Mark, Saleh A. Schattenberg, Jörn M. J., Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Et Al.

Faculty Publications

Background & Aims:

Fatty liver disease is highly prevalent, resulting in overarching wellbeing and economic costs. Addressing it requires comprehensive and coordinated multisectoral action. We developed a fatty liver disease-Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) country score to provide insights into country-level preparedness to address fatty liver disease through a whole-of-society lens.

Approach & Results:

We developed two fatty liver disease-SDG score sets. The first included six indicators (child wasting, child overweight, non-communicable disease [NCD] mortality, universal health coverage service coverage index, health worker density, and education attainment), covering 195 countries between 1990-2017. The second included the aforementioned indicators plus an urban …

The Compound Risk Of Heat And Covid-19 In New York City: Riskscapes, Physical And Social Factors, And Interventions, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Juan Camilo Osorio, Natasha Stamler, Maria Dombrov, Rose Winer, Mary Hannah Smith, Reginald Blake, Cynthia Rosenzweig

Publications and Research

Climate change is disrupting the fundamental conditions of human life and exacerbating existing inequity by placing further burdens on communities that are already vulnerable. Risk exposure varies by where people live and work. In this article, we examine the spatial overlap of the compound risks of COVID-19 and extreme heat in New York City. We assess the relationship between socio-demographic and natural, built and social environmental characteristics, and the spatial correspondence of COVID-19 daily case rates across three pandemic waves. We use these data to create a compound risk index combining heat, COVID-19, density and social vulnerability. Our findings demonstrate …