Virus Diseases Commons^™

Landscape Epidemiology And Machine Learning: A Geospatial Approach To Modeling West Nile Virus Risk In The United States, Sean Gregory Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex interactions between human health and the physical landscape and environment have been recognized, if not fully understood, since the ancient Greeks. Landscape epidemiology, sometimes called spatial epidemiology, is a sub-discipline of medical geography that uses environmental conditions as explanatory variables in the study of disease or other health phenomena. This theory suggests that pathogenic organisms (whether germs or larger vector and host species) are subject to environmental conditions that can be observed on the landscape, and by identifying where such organisms are likely to exist, areas at greatest risk of the disease can be derived. Machine learning is …

Discrimination In Medical Settings And Attitudes Toward Complementary And Alternative Medicine: The Role Of Distrust In Conventional Providers, Tetyana Shippee, Carrie Henning-Smith, Nathan Shippee, Jessie Kemmick Pintor, Kathleen T. Call, Donna Mcalpine, Pamela Jo Johnson

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study examines the relationship between racial/ethnic discrimination in medical settings, distrust in conventional medicine, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among a racially/ethnically diverse sample. We also investigate how this relationship differs by nativity. Data are from a 2008 statewide stratified sample of publicly insured adults in Minnesota (N=2,194). Discrimination was measured as self-reported unfair treatment in medical settings due to race, ethnicity, and/or nationality. Outcomes are trust in conventional providers/medicine and attitudes toward CAM modalities. Discrimination in medical settings was positively associated with 1) distrust in conventional providers and 2) favorable attitudes toward CAM. Foreign-born …

Aids: An Overview, Loretta Mclaughlin

New England Journal of Public Policy

"We stand nakedly in front of a very serious pandemic, as mortal as any pandemic there ever has been," said Halfdan Mahler, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). "I don't know of any greater killer than AIDS, not to speak of its psychological, social and economic maiming. Everything is getting worse and worse with AIDS and all of us have been underestimating it, and I in particular. We're running scared. I cannot imagine a worse health problem in this century." When asked to compare AIDS to other epidemics, such as smallpox, that have infected and killed over the course …

Eastern Equine Encephalitis: An Assessment Of Vermont’S Treatment Plan And The Lack Of Preventative Treatment, Lauren E. Bierman

Writing Across the Curriculum

When an avian host and the Culiseta melanura mosquito meet in fresh water hardwood swamps, the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) is spread to the bird community. When that same bird is bitten by a mosquito that feeds on humans, such as the Aedes, Coquillettidia, and Culex species, the EEE virus has found its bridge vector. EEE is a rare disease in humans; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2010 that the virus affects an average of 6 people per year (Epidemiology & Geographic Distribution section, para 2). In 2010, blood collected from deer …

Implementing Incentive-Based Hiv Interventions In Zambia: The Compact Model, Sam Kalibala, Waimar Tun, Chabu Kangale, Jill Keesbury, Ray Handema, Mwaka Monze

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council received a cooperative agreement from USAID to implement the Community Mobilization for Preventive Action (COMPACT) project, to develop and determine the feasibility of “community compacts” as an innovative approach to prevent HIV in Zambian communities. The aim is to mobilize the communities through a capacity-building process that enables them to identify HIV prevention targets, develop interventions to achieve those targets, and measure the results. This study determined baseline levels of key indicators related to HIV, sexual behaviors, gender-based violence, alcohol abuse, and reproductive health. These baseline measures will be compared with midline and endline levels to assess …

Motivations For Entering Volunteer Service And Factors Affecting Productivity: A Mixed Method Survey Of Steps-Ovc Volunteer Hiv Caregivers In Zambia, Jessica Price, Tina Moyo, Stephanie Topp, Drosin Mulenga, Mardieh Dennis, Mathew Ngunga

HIV and AIDS

This study by the Population Council and the Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative was designed to examine the motivations of individuals volunteering as STEPS-OVC caregivers; to explore their experiences in service, including perceived barriers to carrying out their volunteer work and if, and how, their expectations for volunteering had been met or not; to assess individuals’ intent to continue caregiving; and to ascertain factors associated with volunteer productivity. Two main findings stand out from this study: that communitarian and religious helping values were virtually universal in the study population, and that a majority of the volunteers indicated economic and material interests and …

The Community Mobilization For Preventive Action (Compact) Project In Zambia: A Midline Evaluation, Waimar Tun, Chabu Kangale, Scott Geibel, Meredith Sheehy, Ray Handema, Mwaka Monze

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council and its partner, Project Concern International, implemented the Community Mobilization for Preventive Action (COMPACT) HIV-prevention program in Zambia. The program works with communities to develop “compacts” through a participatory, community-led process, and assists them in working toward reaching HIV-related “benchmarks,” intended to result in a reduction in HIV-related risk behaviors and harmful norms and ultimately contribute over time to the reduction of HIV incidence. This mid-term evaluation in four of six COMPACT communities indicates that COMPACT is improving some HIV-related behaviors and attitudes, particularly those related to gender norms, multiple sex partnerships, and alcohol abuse. The report …

2013 Children’S Legislative Briefing Book, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy, Children’S Advocacy Alliance, Denise Tanata Ashby, Tara Phebus

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

The purpose of this Legislative Briefing Book is to provide a quick snapshot of some of the most pressing issues facing Nevada’s children in order to provide advocates and policymakers with a stepping stone in creating positive changes to improve the lives of Nevada’s children. While this book will not cover every issue facing our children, it is intended to highlight some of those where state policy may have an impact, covering issues in education, health, safety and security, and the juvenile justice system. Diligent efforts need to be made during the 2013 Legislative Session to improve policies, procedures and …

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year Three Outcome Evaluation Report For The Southern Nevada Health District, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy, Southern Nevada Health District, Dawn Davidson, Tara Phebus

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services, the Clark County Department of Family Services, and the City of Las Vegas to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, community centers, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and …

Kalkidan ('Promise'): Addressing Marital Transmission Of Hiv In Ethiopia, Banchiamlack Dessalegn, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This program brief describes a Population Council initiative in three low-income areas of Ethiopia. Kalkidan (Amharic for “Promise”) is a three-year program designed to increase discussion and information-sharing on HIV and related topics between marital partners; to promote HIV prevention and health service utilization within marriage, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV; and to build husbands’ support of their wives, as well as investment in their health and that of their children. Kalkidan recruits and trains community-based mentors to lead parallel discussion groups of husbands and wives, who periodically come together for joint sessions. The Population Council is …

Growing Up In Rural India: An Exploration Into The Lives Of Younger And Older Adolescents In Madhya Pradesh And Uttar Pradesh, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Iram Saeed, Archana Sarkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This technical report describes the situation of adolescents according to a baseline assessment conducted in selected villages in India. The objectives of the assessment were to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of adolescent girls, their adolescent brothers and if married, their husbands, with regard to sexual and reproductive matters, including HIV; their perspectives on adolescent girls’ and boys’ vulnerability to HIV and ways in which it can be mitigated; and the perspectives of parents and other critical adults in the community on the vulnerability of adolescent girls and boys to HIV. Results will be used to: (1) enhance adolescent …

Formative Development Of A Culturally Appropriate Mammography Screening Campaign For Low-Income African-American Women., Kimberly D. Leeks, Ingrid J. Hall, C. Ashani Johnson-Turbes, Ngozi Kamalu, Yasmine Zavahir

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct a formative evaluation of messages and materials to inform the development of a promotional, health campaign designed to increase breast cancer screening awareness and utilization among low-income, uninsured African American women through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) in Savannah and Macon, Georgia (GA). A priority of CDC is to understand why women eligible for screening through the NBCCEDP do not participate in NBCCEDP screening services as well as to identify effective strategies for increasing enrollment among NBCCEDP-eligible women who have never received breast cancer screening. As …

The Effectiveness Of Health Education Materials In Influencing Hiv Testing Behavior: The Unlv-Siphi Study, Rebecca Tsegay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The UNLV-SIPHI (Sexual Health Internet-Based Public Health Intervention) Study focused on HIV prevention by improving HIV testing behavior through the development and dissemination of health education materials. The goal of the UNLV-SIPHI Study was to develop effective, custom-made HIV health education materials that promote the knowledge, intention and practice of HIV testing among UNLV students. The UNLV-SIPHI Study was conducted during Spring 2012 semester in selected UNLV undergraduate classes. An online quasi-randomized-control trial (RCT) was used to measure the difference in HIV testing behavior contributing factors among students exposed to the health education materials. Several nonparametric tests were used to …

Patient Satisfaction In A Statewide Cervical Cancer Screening Program, Christopher R. Cochran, Salome Kapella

Nevada Journal of Public Health

A cross-sectional study of patients participating in the Nevada State Health Division’s Women Health Connection Program (WHC) was conducted to assess patient satisfaction for cervical cancer screening. In this study, 528 WHC program patients provided information regarding their satisfaction with the treatment services they received, accessibility issues, breast and cervical cancer health education and information, and overall program satisfaction. A large majority of patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the program services and clinic personnel. Significant positive correlations were found when comparing satisfaction with services received at the clinic to treatment received by physicians, nurses, and admissions personnel, how …

Effects Of The Master Settlement Agreement On Smoking Among Nevada Teens: A Decade After Implementation And Implications Of Reduced Funding, Christina A. Demopoulos, Christopher R. Cochran

Nevada Journal of Public Health

Background: Tobacco control programs that have adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Best Practices for a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) have been effective in reducing the rates of tobacco use. This paper investigates the effectiveness that Nevada’s tobacco control programs have had on teen tobacco use and rates to date and examines changes to programs given reduced Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) funding.

Methods: Aggregate data from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services/Fund for a Healthy Nevada program was analyzed to determine if the tobacco control programs adapted the CDC’s Best Practices for a CTCP. …

El Dengue En Puerto López La Incidencia Y El Nivel De Conocimiento De La Gente Sobre Las Enfermedades Transmitidas Por Los Mosquitos, Mckenzie Momany

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study took place in Puerto López, Manabí, Ecuador and focuses primarily on the level of knowledge the townspeople have about dengue and how it is transmitted. It also looks at the incidence of dengue in the town and across neighborhoods. In order to carry out this study, I spent a month living in the coastal town of Puerto López and interviewed 50 townspeople – 10 in each of the five neighborhoods of Jonas Gonzalez, Miraflores, Luís Gencón, San Alejo, and the central neighborhood. Interviewees were questioned about their past history of dengue, as well as their knowledge of the …

Refining The Global Spatial Limits Of Dengue Virus Transmission By Evidence-Based Consensus, Oliver J. Brady, Peter W. Gething, Samir Bhatt, Jane P. Messina, John S. Brownstein, Anne G. Hoen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Dengue is a growing problem both in its geographical spread and in its intensity, and yet current global distribution remains highly uncertain. Challenges in diagnosis and diagnostic methods as well as highly variable national health systems mean no single data source can reliably estimate the distribution of this disease. As such, there is a lack of agreement on national dengue status among international health organisations. Here we bring together all available information on dengue occurrence using a novel approach to produce an evidence consensus map of the disease range that highlights nations with an uncertain dengue status.

Methods/Principle Findings: …

Surveillance Of Mosquitoes For Arthropod-Borne Viruses In El Paso, Tx., Stephanie Coronado, Douglas Watts

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

West Nile encephalitis is the only arthropod-borne virus that causes annual cases of human illness in El Paso, Texas. Cases more commonly affect the young and elderly and the illness may range from a mild febrile disease to fatal encephalitis. The primary vector(s) of West Nile virus are Culex species mosquitoes, including Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefaciatus. Further, surveillance is needed to determine the relative importance of these and possibly other mosquito species. More recently, cases of dengue fever and fatal hemorrhagic fever have been occurring in communities along the USA-Mexico border. Dengue has been endemic in Mexico since the …

From Engagement To Action: Assessing Community Readiness For Disparities Mobilization, Linda S. Sprague Martinez, Elmer Freeman, Flavia C. Perea

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

In an effort to engage communities across the state of Massachusetts in tackling health disparities, Critical MASS (CM), in partnership with local researchers piloted a readiness assessment to identify community assets, perceptions of disparities, and interest in partnership. The research process was used to facilitate the development of partnerships between outside organizers, researchers, and community stakeholders. Partnership outcomes included a disparities conference aimed at bringing attention to concerns in the community, and a grant submission aimed at addressing community identified disparities. Despite the successes the partnership faced challenges. Logistics and limited resources hindered partner efforts to sustain the relationship. This …

Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities In Incarcerated Populations, Meghan E. Borysova, Ojmarrh Mitchell, Dawood H. Sultan, Arthur R. Williams

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Alarming disparities in population health and wellness in the United States have led to multi-disciplinary research efforts to create health equity. Identifying disparities, elucidating the etiological bases of disparities, and implementing solutions to eliminate disparities are part of the U.S. national health agenda. Racial and ethnic disparities have been identified throughout the cancer control continuum, in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a multitude of other conditions. The causes of disparities are complex, condition specific, and conjectured to result from combinations of biological and socio-behavioral factors. Racial and ethnic health disparities within the vast incarcerated communities have been excluded from most studies, …

Disparities In Mental Health Utilization Among Persons With Chronic Diseases, Saundra Glover, Keith Elder, Sudha Xirasagar, Jong-Deuk Baek, Crystal Piper, Dayna Campbell

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study used Aday and Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to examine the role of chronic disease and the joint impact of race and chronic disease type on mental health utilization. Using data from Community Tracking Survey Household Survey, we tested the assumption that chronic disease, chronic disease type, and race are related to lower rates of mental health visits when adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. After adjusting for population characteristics, we found that race significantly moderated the impact of chronic disease type on mental health utilization, showing that African Americans with cardiovascular disease were half …

Developing A Preference Assessment Tool For Use Among Minority And Low Literacy Primary Care Patients, Sarah T. Hawley, Maria Jibaja-Weiss, Partha Krishnamurthy, Sally W. Vernon, Natoshia Hebert, Robert Volk

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Incorporating patients’ preferences into healthcare decisions has been identified as one mechanism for reducing health disparities. Some research suggests that providers need to tailor medical recommendations to the preferences of their patients. Yet there are few tools to facilitate clarification of preferences for health services. This paper reports the process of testing an innovative preference elicitation technique—conjoint analysis—among minorities and low literacy patients using the example of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. CRC screening exemplifies preference-sensitive healthcare as there exist several screening options. However, screening rates among minorities are low. Better methods for preference assessment could improve patient-provider communication and increase …

Brief Communications

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

The Hiv/Aids Pandemic In African American Msm: Targets For Intervention, Kelly Neff

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2005 that 46% of African American men who have sex with men (MSM) are HIV positive. This review explores the unique factors that contribute to risky sexual behavior and the spread of HIV within this population, suggesting that the disparate prevalence of HIV among African American MSM is rooted in experiences of stigmatization from multiple sources and lack of social support from society at large as well as from within the African American community. Beliefs in HIV conspiracy myths are also thought to hinder HIV education, awareness and prevention for African …

Transdisciplinary Approaches To Ameliorating Racial Disparities In Prostate Cancer Outcomes, Chanita H. Halbert, Katrina Armstrong, John Holmes, David Fenstermacher, Janet Weiner, Carmen Guerra, J. S. Schwartz, Jerry C. Johnson, Edmund Weisberg, Chantal Montagnet, Benita Weathers, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson, Ernestine Delmoor, Timothy R. Rebbeck

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Though prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cause cancer deaths among men in the US, it ranks first among African American men in terms of incidence, morbidity, and mortality. To address this and other complex health issues, some researchers advocate transdisciplinary research as a framework for analysis; however, few examples exist that indicate how the framework should be applied. This report uses prostate cancer outcomes as a paradigm to describe how such a framework can be used to identify determinants of racial disparities. By integrating diverse scientific disciplines, methods, and analytic approaches from psychology, sociology, epidemiology and genetics, …

A Pilot Self-Care Group Intervention For Low-Income Hiv-Positive Women, Maithe Enriquez, Margaret S. Miles, Jacki Witt, Paul Gore, Nancy Lackey

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This article describes the development of a self-care intervention and examines its efficacy with low-income HIV-positive women (n=34) in the Midwestern United States. Adapted from an individual nurse-led intervention, this effort focused on increasing self-care behaviors through enhancing self-esteem and social support. The investigators used a community-based participatory approach and partnered with three HIV-positive women to adapt and pilot test the new group intervention. A within-group, repeated-measures, pre-/post-test design, together with participant interviews, was used to evaluate the intervention. Mean scores on measures of self-care behaviors, self-esteem, social support and depressive symptoms all changed in the clinically desirable direction. Group …

Health Literacy As A Contributor To Immigrant Health Disparities, Jennifer B. Kimbrough

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The ability to obtain, understand and use the information needed to make wise health choices is known as health literacy. Low health literacy among members of populations with poor reading skills, limited mastery of the English language, members of ethnic or cultural minorities, and immigrants is likely a major contributor to health disparities in the US (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research 1997). A series of focus groups with East-Asian, African, Central and South American immigrants was conducted to better understand the perceptions of immigrants seeking health care services in an urban North Carolina county. Participants’ responses are reported …

Cumulative Risk And A Call For Action In Environmental Justice Communities, H. P. Hynes, Russ Lopez

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Health disparities, social inequalities, and environmental injustice cumulatively affect individual and community vulnerability and overall health; yet health researchers, social scientists and environmental scientists generally study them separately. Cumulative risk assessment in poor, racially segregated, economically isolated and medically underserved communities needs to account for their multiple layers of vulnerability, including greater susceptibility, greater exposure, less preparedness to cope, and less ability to recover in the face of exposure. Recommendations for evidence-based action in environmental justice communities include: reducing pollution in communities of highest burden; building on community resources; redressing inequality when doing community-based research; and creating a screening framework …

Eliminating Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities: Reconsidering Comparative Approaches, Shawn M. Bediako, Derek M. Griffith

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The focus on eliminating racial/ethnic health disparities has brought critical attention to the poor health status of minority populations. Assessing the health outcomes of racial minority groups by comparing them to a racial majority standard is valuable for identifying and monitoring health inequities, but may not be the most effective approach to identifying strategies that can be used to improve minority health outcomes. Health promotion planning models and public health history both suggest that minority health promotion is more likely to be derived from interventions rooted in culturally and historically grounded contextual factors. In this essay, we highlight limitations of …

Rethinking The “Pre” In Pre-Therapy Counseling: No Benefit Of Additional Visits Prior To Therapy On Adherence Or Viremia In Ugandans Initiating Arvs, Mark J. Siedner, Alexander J. Lankowski, Jessica E. Haberer, Annet Kembabazi, Nneka Emenyonu, Alexander C. Tsai, Conrad Muzoora, Elvin H. Geng, Jeffrey N. Martin, David Bangsberg

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Many guidelines recommend adherence counseling prior to initiating antiretrovirals (ARVs), however the additional benefit of pre-therapy counseling visits on early adherence is not known. We sought to assess for a benefit of adherence counseling visits prior to ARV initiation versus adherence counseling during the early treatment period.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients in Mbarara, Uganda. Adults were enrolled upon initiation of ARVs. Our primary exposure of interest was ARV adherence counseling prior to initiating therapy (versus concurrent with initiation of therapy). Our outcomes of interest were: 1) average adherence …