Health Information Technology Commons^™

Using Information Technology To Model Hand-Washing Behavior And To Improve Policies Impacting Elementary School Absenteeism Due To Influenza, Galina V. Miller

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation revealed several problems on the analysis of in?uenza propagation by indicating how agent-based modeling can be employed to measure the e?ectiveness of control measures and assist in improving health policy to decrease absenteeism among elementary students. The primary question posed was as following: “What is the e?ect of hand hygiene on the possible incidence rates among school children?” After creating an agent-based model representing the in?uenza transmission dynamic, the incidence rates were calculated based on the hand-washing success rates. The statistical results from the simulation model were displayed in graphical format.

Finally, the author addressed the issue of …

Gpu-Accelerated Influenza Simulations For Operational Modeling, Peter Holvenstot

Masters Theses

Simulations of influenza spread are useful for decision-making during public-health emergencies. Policy-makers use models to predict disease spread and estimate the effects of various intervention strategies. Effective modeling of targeted intervention strategies requires accurate modeling of individual-level behavior and transmission. However, this greatly increases the computational costs of these agent-based models. In addition, if the models are used as an outbreak progresses, some operational decisions must occur rapidly in order to contain the spread of the disease.

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are a type of specialized processor used to drive graphical displays. Many recent devices also allow users to write …

Girls' Perception Of Physical Environmental Factors And Transportation: Reliability And Association With Physical Activity And Active Transport To School, Kelly R. Evenson, Amanda Birnbaum, Ariane L. Bedimo-Rung, James Sallis, Carolyn C. Voorhees, Kimberly Ring, John P. Elder

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

Preliminary evidence suggests that the physical environment and transportation are associated with youth physical activity levels. Only a few studies have examined the association of physical environmental factors on walking and bicycling to school. Therefore, the purpose of this study was (1) to examine the test-retest reliability of a survey designed for youth to assess perceptions of physical environmental factors (e.g. safety, aesthetics, facilities near the home) and transportation, and (2) to describe the associations of these perceptions with both physical activity and active transport to school.

Methods

Test and retest surveys, administered a median of 12 days later, …