Public Health Commons^™

Atv Dynamics And Pediatric Rider Safety, James T. Auxier Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

It has been observed through numerous academic and governmental agency studies that pediatric all-terrain vehicle ridership carries significant risk of injury and death. While no doubt valuable to safety, the post-hoc approach employed in these studies does little to explain the why and how behind the risk factors. Furthermore, there has been no prolonged, widespread, organized, and concerted effort to reconstruct and catalog the details and causes of the large (20,000+) number of ATV-related injuries that occur each year as has been done for road-based motor vehicle accidents. This dissertation takes the opposite approach from a meta-analysis and instead examines …

Tobacco Use And Nicotine Withdrawal Among Patients With Mental Illness, Yazan Daher Al-Mrayat

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

People with mental illness (MI) are disproportionately affected by tobacco use compared to the general population. In fact, it is estimated that people with MI consume approximately 44% of cigarettes smoked in the United States. Moreover, the MI population is at greater risk for the negative social, economic, and health consequences associated with tobacco use and are reported to have 25-year shorter life expectancies than the general population. The impact of tobacco use is further noticeable among patients with MI who require psychiatric hospitalization. Quitting smoking in this population has been linked to fewer discharges against medical advice, better quality …

Antiresorptive Bone Therapy Use In Advanced Lung Cancer And Associated Outcomes, Noor Naffakh

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Background/Rationale: Studies have shown antiresorptive agents decrease skeletal related events in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. However, two prevalence studies have found low utilization rates of antiresorptive therapy in advanced lung cancer. The first study reported a rate of 14.8% during the 1995-2009 time period, while the second study reported a 33% usage rate during the time frame of 2002-2011. We believe these low utilization rates are associated with the poor prognosis of these patients. The prognosis of advanced lung cancer has improved significantly since these trials were conducted, and the utilization of denosumab has not been evaluated. We hypothesize …

Know Before You Play: Associations Between Race, Education, And Hiv Susceptibility, Anfa Mohamed Diiriye

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. This paper analyzes the associations between race, education, and HIV susceptibility, furthering previous research to understand if educational attainment reduces HIV susceptibility and if reduction patterns are similar for Black and White women. The CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth 2015-2017 was used to analyze associations using binary logistic and multiple regression models. HIV susceptibility was operationalized through four measures: condom use, having a partner with concurrent sexual relationships, having had an STD, and age at first sex. Black women were not found to be significantly more susceptible to …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Worksite Wellness Programs, Marilyn S. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Worksite wellness programs are popular employer offerings as of the last few decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major shifts in behavior since these programs have been implemented. The purpose of this study was to see how the pandemic has affected various offerings within a university worksite wellness program.

Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of a university worksite wellness program, and it compares participation in the various offerings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating 2019 participation (pre-pandemic) to 2020 participation (including onset of the pandemic and after). This worksite wellness program, which is available to …

Racial Segregation As A Social Determinant Of Health: Evidence From The State Of Georgia, Simon Medcalfe, Catherine P. Slade, Divesia Lee

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Despite decades of research, determining the causes of racial disparities in health remains a pernicious problem in the public health arena. Challenges include further refining definitions of health as well as expanding frameworks for social determinants of health to include relevant and related predictors. Racial segregation as a social determinant of health is understudied but of growing interest in the discourse on health disparities. This paper explores empirically the relationship between racial segregation and other predictors of social determinants of health and their collective impact on health outcomes defined in both objective and subjective terms.

Methods: Ordinary least squares …

Identifying The Health Needs Of The East North Philadelphia Latino Youth Via Photovoice, Vincent Pepe, Maria F. Arisi, John Mckeegan, Caleb Dafilou, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd, Mches

Phase 1

Introduction: The East North Philadelphia community contains the city’s largest Latino population, most of whom are of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. This community in particular has unique health needs compared to the rest of the city of Philadelphia, with rates of diabetes (22.9%), asthma (28.6%), and poverty (45.5%) exceeding the national and city averages. Documenting the perceived needs of the children living here regarding their built environment will provide insight into the problems onto which the community at large needs to focus. This study aims to determine the priority needs of the community and to empower the youth …

A Photovoice Project With Latino Youth In Easten North Philadelphia, Maria F. Arisi, Vincent Pepe, John Mckeegan, Caleb Dafilou, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction: Eastern North Philadelphia is home to both the highest density Latino population in Philadelphia and some of the poorest health measures of the city. This Latino population is known to face a multitude of barriers to health, such as high rates of poverty, low educational attainment, and language barriers. There is little data showing what the self-identified priority needs of these Latino populations are, and even less showing the needs of Latino youth. Understanding how youth perceive the impact of their social and built environments can bring attention to the issues that the community needs addressed.

Methods: We conducted …

Perceptions Of Physical Activity Engagement Among African American Emerging Adults At Georgia Southern University - Statesboro Campus, Addison Mickens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Physical Activity (PA) is critical to the health and well-being of African American emerging adults, ages 18-25. Research suggests that African American (AA) college students engage in less PA than other racial/ethnic groups. Few studies have examined the relationship between the collegiate built environment (CBE) impact on PA in this population. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) were used to show how the environment facilitates influence on the behavior through physical and social factors affecting the behavior of engaging in PA. Methods: The purpose of this cross-sectional, concurrent multi-method study was to determine barriers …

From The Legal Literature: If The Fetus Is A Person—Is It Relevant? An Argument On The Rights Of Pregnant Women, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Prospects And Challenges Of Population Health With Online And Other Big Data In Africa; Understanding The Link To Improving Healthcare Service Delivery, Rowland Edet, Bolarinwa Afolabi

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Big data analytics offers promises to many health care service challenges and can provide answers to many population health issues. Big data is having a positive impact in almost every sphere of life in more advanced world while developing countries are striving to meet up. Even though healthcare systems in the developed world are recording some breakthroughs due to the application of big data, it is important to research the impact of big data in developing regions of the world, such as Africa and identify its peculiar needs. The purpose of this review was to summarize the challenges faced by …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria: A Mixed Method Analysis, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina, Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa, Julianah Babajide, Juliet Amarachukwu Nwafor

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware of it. The commonly known screening …

Exploring The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Combat Covid-19 And Existing Opportunities For Lmic: A Scoping Review, Maleeha Naseem, Ramsha Akhund, Hajra Arshad, Muhammad Talal Ibrahim

Community Health Sciences

Background: In the face of the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the limited capacity of healthcare systems resulted in an emerging need to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) have a vast potential to exponentially optimize health care research. The use of AI-driven tools in LMIC can help in eradicating health inequalities and decrease the burden on health systems.
Methods: The literature search for this Scoping review was conducted through the PubMed database using keywords: COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Forty-three articles were …

Culturally Competent Interventions To Reduce Sids Rates Among Native American/Alaska Native Nations, Kathleen Hynes

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Environmental factors can increase the risk of SIDS for infants. These environmental factors have been targeted by educational campaigns in the past in an effort to reduce SIDS rates. Such educational campaigns have been effective in reducing SIDS among the white population but not Native American/Alaska Native (NAAN) populations in the United States. This paper aims to study whether educational campaigns that incorporate NAAN traditions and take socioeconomic factors into account will more effectively reduce SIDS rates for these communities.

Methods: To obtain scholarly articles, a literature search was performed using Pubmed, Academic Search Ultimate, and Google scholar. …

Efficacy Of Onabotulinumtoxina (Botox) Injections Compared To Oral Topiramate In Reduction Of Migraines Suffered In Adults, Stephanie Blaha

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Introduction: Migraines are a leading cause of disability in many people worldwide. There are numerous postulations as to their etiology and various medications that treat them. As crippling as migraines are, it is critical that there are therapies to prevent them rather than just treat them acutely. Both OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) and Topiramate have been shown to be beneficial as prophylaxis for migraines. This review aims to determine if, in adults who suffer from chronic migraines [P], OnabotulinumtoxinA injections [I] are more effective than oral Topiramate [C] in reduction of the amount of migraines suffered [O].

Methods: A literature search …

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …

Hivanish: A Program Addressing Hiv Rates In Transgender Sex Workers In Washington D.C., Evangeline Wang

Capstone Showcase

HIVanish: A Program Addressing HIV Rates in Transgender Sex Workers in Washington D.C.

Evangeline Wang

Faculty Advisor: Dr Olorunsaiye

As of 2013 around 16, 500 residents in Washington D.C. were living with HIV. Of the 16,500 residents, 1.5% or 246 cases were among the transgender population. The majority of those cases were among transgender women at 67.5%¹. Gaps remain in addressing HIV among transgender sex workers, most of them on a systemic level. This could be attributed to misclassification of transgender women as men who have sex with men, or systemic neglect². This lack of knowledge …

Sexual Consent In Middle School Sex Health Education: An Analysis Of Health Education Standards In Minnesota, Ashley Parent

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Comprehensive sex education is designed to teach sexual health, reproductive health, human sexual anatomy, safe sex, birth control and sexual abstinence. Consent education focuses on sexually transmitted infection (STI), pregnancy prevention, sexual identity, and the risks of sexual violence (Willis, 2019). This qualitative content analysis and survey will explore consent education in middle schools adopted in Minnesota from the past ten years. The research questions for this study are: is consent a part of sex education? How has consent been taught in 8-10 grades in Minnesota over the past 10 years? What frameworks are being used to teach consent to …

Critical Issues In Health, Janet R. Heller

Open Educational Resources

This is a personal health course for today's college student. Topics cover basic information on mental health, nutrition, substance use disorder, violence prevention, chronic diseases, infectious diseases and reproductive health.

Contents include as OER reading list and a sample outline.

A revised syllabus was added on July 28, 2026. The changes were made to reflect more current information.

A Sexual Health Promotion App For Transgender Women (Trans Women Connected): Development And Usability Study, Christina J. Sun, Kirsten M. Anderson, Tamara Kuhn, Liat Tzvia Mayer, Charles H. Klein

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: HIV severely impacts the transgender communities in the United States, and transgender women have the highest HIV incidence rates among any identified risk group. Guided by formative research with transgender women and by an expert advisory panel of transgender women, we designed a prototype mobile app to promote HIV prevention among transgender women.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test the usability and acceptability of the prototype Trans Women Connected mobile app.

Methods: We engaged in a 3-phase prototype development process. After conducting formative research about the health needs of this population, we outlined a theory-based app framework …

Urban Food Sovereignty: Urgent Need For Agroecology And Systems Thinking In A Post-Covid-19 Future, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to challenges associated with our dominant industrial food system in the U.S. The general public now has more appreciation for farm workers and meatpacking employees, as well as those in grocery stores and in food transportation who are suddenly recognized as essential frontline workers. It apparently takes a crisis for us to focus clearly on the fragility of this system and the lives of people on whom we depend. In this commentary we discuss the definition of food sovereignty, how it manifests in urban areas, and how the COVID-19 pandemic can trigger viable …

Evaluation Of A Concussion Management And Discharge Education Training Module For Emergency Department Nurses, Carmen Frede

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to improve the Emergency Department (ED) nurses’ knowledge on identifying patients at risk for concussions and delivering effective concussion discharge education using an educational training intervention.

Methods: This project used a descriptive, non-randomized pre-post survey design. Participation involved three stages: a pre-education survey to assess baseline concussion education knowledge, an educational intervention consisting of a narrated PowerPoint presentation, and a post-education survey to evaluate knowledge on concussion discharge education. The intervention was delivered online via the UK Canvas educational platform.

Results: The majority of nursing staff participants were female (97%) and had a …

Medicaid's Vital Role In Addressing Health And Economic Emergencies, Nicole Huberfeld, Sidney Watson

All Faculty Scholarship

Medicaid plays an essential role in helping states respond to crises. Medicaid guarantees federal matching funds to states, which helps with unanticipated costs associated with public health emergencies, like COVID-19, and increases in enrollment that inevitably occur during times of economic downturn. Medicaid’s joint federal/state structure, called cooperative federalism, gives states significant flexibility within federal rules that allows states to streamline eligibility and expand benefits, which is especially important during emergencies. Federal emergency declarations give the secretary of Health and Human Services temporary authority to exercise regulatory flexibility to ensure that sufficient health care is available to meet the needs …

Surfacing Contexts Of Violence In Novel Forms Of The Reproductive Justice Framework Through Lessons From Latin America: A Study Of Brutality, Migration And Bodily Autonomy And Progressive Solutions For Use In Public Health, Angelica M. Campos

CMC Senior Theses

In the last 5 years, Latin America has witnessed a tenacious wave of pañuelo verde and #NiUnaMenos activism. Sparked by increasing mortality rates associated with unsafe, clandestine abortions and femicide, the praxes and fundamental elements of these social movements have proven themselves useful not only in garnering international attention on issues relating to bodily autonomy, but in the synthesis of their respective sociopolitical solutions as well. In the United States, similar efforts have been spearheaded by the lauded reproductive justice framework, which has often been credited for centering the plight of women of color in both reproduction and social justice. …

Exploring Factors Influencing Whether Residents Participate In Square Dancing Using Social Cognitive Theory: A Cross-Sectional Survey In Chongqing, China, Feng Peng, Hongjia Yan Bs, Manoj Sharma Phd, Ying Liu Bs, Ying Lu Bs, Shijie Zhu Bs, Peiqian Li Bs, Nianyong Ren Bs, Ting Li Bs, Yong Zhao Md

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Physical inactivity is a worldwide public health problem, and it is a risk factor for several chronic diseases. Square dancing nightly may be an efficient way to promote physical activity among Chinese residents. This study aims to explore factors that affect resident participation in square dancing on the basis of social cognitive theory constructs (outcome expectations, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, self-control, and environment) that may provide a scientific basis for designing interventions to promote physical activity in the future. Forty squares near neighborhood communities in Chongqing were randomly selected. A sample of 1732 residents who came to these squares at 18:00–21:00 …

Effects Of A Single Mutation In Chikungunya Virus Non-Structural Protein On Virus Infection In Aedes Albopictus And Mammalian Cell Lines, Yin Ling Jolene Fu

Student Works (2020-2029)

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has caused large-scale epidemics of fever, rash and arthritis since 2004. This unprecedented re-emergence has been mainly associated with mutations in genes encoding structural envelope proteins, providing increased fitness in the secondary vector Aedes (Ae.) albopictus. In the 2008-2013 CHIKV outbreaks across Southeast Asia, an R82S mutation in non-structural protein 4 (nsP4) emerged early in Malaysia or Singapore and quickly became predominant. To determine whether this nsP4-R82S mutation provides a selective advantage in host cells which may have contributed to the epidemic, the fitness of infectious clone-derived CHIKV with nsP4- 82R and nsP4-82S were compared in Ae. …

Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Unemployed Black And White Older Adults, M. Courtney Hughes, Tamara A. Baker, Hansol Kim

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Objective: Examine health behavior risk rates and disparities in health behavior risks related to race and employment among older adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 and older (150,669 in 2015 and 168,011 in 2016) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Self-reported health behavior risks were measured as well as multiple logistic regression analyses assessing the independent effects of demographic variables on health behavior risks.

Results: Employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than unemployed older adults. Black employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than Black unemployed older adults …

Best Youth Education Methods For Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention, Caitlin F. Walchonski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sexual health education in the United States is inconsistent; information and methods vary from one location to another. Education plays a large role in developing safe sex practices, and despite the sexual education efforts, rates of sexually transmitted infections have risen for five consecutive years in the United States. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine the best methods for educating adolescents to promote behaviors to enhance sexual health. Multiple types of interventions have been studied including cognitive behavioral interventions, comprehensive sexual education, parent and teen dyad education, and abstinence only education. Sexual behavior is influenced by a variety …

Are Maternal Feeding Practices And Mealtime Emotions Associated With Toddlers’ Food Neophobia?A Follow-Up To The Dit-Coombe Hospital Birth Cohort In Ireland, Meijing An, Qianling Zhou, Katherine Younger, Xiyao Liu, John M. Kearney

Articles

This study was conducted to explore the associations between maternal feeding practices,mealtime emotions, as well as maternal food neophobia and toddlers’ food neophobia in Ireland.A follow-up to the Technological University Dublin (DIT)-Coombe Hospital birth cohort wasconducted. Mothers in the original cohort were invited to the present study by telephone calls.Postal questionnaires with stamped addressed envelopes were distributed to those who agreed toparticipate in the study. Toddler food neophobia was assessed by the modified version of the ChildFood Neophobia Scale (CFNS). There were 205 participants included in this study, with a median scoreof child food neophobia of 12. A higher degree …

Diabetes Risk Status And Physical Activity In Pregnant Women: U.S. Brfss 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, Bethany Rand

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: We sought to examine differences in aerobic activity (AA) and muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) by diabetes risk status (DRS) among pregnant women in the United States.

Background: Pregnant women without complications are advised to engage in physical activity (PA) to mitigate adverse outcomes. Differences may exist among pregnant women of diverging diabetes status in meeting national PA recommendations.

Methods: The sample (n=9,597) included pregnant women ages 18-44, who participated in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Levels of DRS were: no diabetes (ND), high risk for diabetes (HRD) due to self-reported gestational diabetes or …