Public Health Commons^™

Chhs January 2012 E-Newsletter, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Best Practice For Casualty Simulation - Role-Playing Actor, High Fidelity Mannequin Simulation, Or Virtual Reality?, Robert Sarlay

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: The purpose of this systemic review of the literature is to determine the best practice with regards to simulating casualties during a disaster response exercise.

Methods: MEDLINE was searched from 1950 till present for the key terms of disaster, simulation, and emergency preparedness. Articles were included which met the following criteria: English language, human subjects, original research using any research design (with or without intervention), and primary focus of disaster preparedness using simulation, virtual reality, or role playing actors.

Results: Of the 386 articles reviewed only 18 met inclusion criteria. The literature is primarily descriptive in nature with regards …

Trends In Maternal And Infant Health: An Analysis Of Births In Montgomery County, Ohio, 2000-2010, Abby Burns

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The demographic characteristics of women who give birth are continually changing. Age, education, use of assisted reproductive technology, BMI before pregnancy, and weight gain during pregnancy are maternal factors that play a role in maternal and fetal health. Other factors including induction, route of delivery, calculated gestational age, and birthweight help determine and identify complications of pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to analyze trends of maternal demographics, risk factors, and birth outcomes associated with poor health outcomes. This research is a secondary analysis of Ohio Natality Statistical Files collected by the Ohio Department of Health, Center for Vital …

State Policies For Health Education In Public Schools, Lynda K. Vu

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: Federal and state governmental activities have significantly influenced schools’ health education practices over the past 50 years. Evaluation of these initiatives in the scientific literature has enhanced development of health education and influenced the creation of the National Health Education Standards (NHES). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts periodic surveys to evaluate the impact of state and local policies on school health education programs and practices.

Objectives: This research project reviews and analyzes state health education policies for the 50 states plus the District of Columbia with regard to the recommendations of the NHES. It also …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Lung Cancer In Montgomery County, Ohio, Catherine Klose

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: Lung cancer statistics are alarming, especially when it is considered by many to largely be a preventable disease. Lung cancers are the leading cause of all cancer deaths, more than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer combined. Cancers of the bronchus and lung make up the greatest percentage of the newly diagnosed cancers reported to the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS). The stage of diagnosis of lung and bronchus cancers is an important determinant of survival. Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. Race and gender disparities also exist with lung cancer, and socioeconomic factors have …

Factors That Influence Immunization Status Among A Sample Of University Students, Abigail Marie Miller

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to gather demographic information about the sample population as well as information on their attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors in relation to immunizations, vaccine-preventable diseases, and the immunization policies for entrance into California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).

Ua12/4 Stall Street Journal, Vol. 4, Wku Health Services

WKU Administration Documents

Broadsides developed by WKU Health Services to convey public health information in students in bathroom stalls. Incomplete run.

Using First Nations Children's Perceptions Of Food And Activity To Inform An Obesity Prevention Strategy, Ashlee-Ann E. Pigford, Noreen D. Willows, Nicholas L. Holt, Amanda S. Newton, Geoff D.C. Ball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Management Of Type 2 Diabetes, Susan Harch, David Reeve, Carole Reeve

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: This article describes the evaluation of a new model of partnership care using an audit cycle.

Results: Statistically significant improvements in foot examination, body mass index, urine albumin creatinine ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides and visual acuity measurements were observed. Significant increases in the proportion of patients achieving cholesterol and triglycerides therapeutic targets occurred. Most other outcome indicators demonstrated a nonsignificant improvement, which may be due to the short time interval in the audit for potential change.

Conclusion: A dedicated chronic disease team and a clinical information system to coordinate culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary chronic disease care enables effective management of …

Growing Up Our Way : The First Year Of Life In Remote Aboriginal Australia, Sue Kruske, Suzanne Belton, Molly Wardaguga, Conceptual Narjic

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

In this study, we attempted to explore the experiences and beliefs of Aboriginal families as they cared for their children in the first year of life. We collected family stories concerning child rearing, development, behavior, health, and wellbeing between each infant’s birth and first birthday. We found significant differences in parenting behaviors and childrearing practices between Aboriginal groups and mainstream Australians. Aboriginal parents perceived their children to be autonomous individuals with responsibilities toward a large family group. The children were active agents in determining their own needs, highly prized, and included in all aspects of community life. Concurrent with poverty, …

Culture Ontogeny: Lifespan Development Of Religion And The Ethics Of Spiritual Counselling, Glen Milstein, Amy Manierre

Publications and Research

The counsellor has an ethical obligation to treat the whole person. Humans are cultural beings and the foundation of most cultures is religion. Religion and culture are received from our early relation~ ships and modified through later relationships across the lifespan. The paper introduces the term "culture ontogeny" to emphasize that this is a biological process wherein abstract ideas of culture and religion become material in the developing neurophysiology of each brain. A framework and methods are offered to examine the changing roles of religion in clients' emotional self~ structure, inclusive of those who describe themselves as spiritual, not religious. …

Influence Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On The Development Of The Patient Centered Medical Home, Anjali Rao

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model of care incorporates many public health concepts. Some supporters of PCMH regard the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as legislation that will invigorate PCMH progress across the country. This policy analysis intends to understand the influence of the ACA on the development of PCMH. The policy analysis compares relevant sections of the ACA with core PCMH concepts agreed upon by major medical professional organizations. The evaluative framework uses a “traffic light” system to rate each section of the ACA based on the accuracy of the section as compared to PCMH criteria, and denotes whether …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Nursing Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods. We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between …

Assessing And Improving Self-Reporting Of Male Circumcision In Zambia And Swaziland, Paul C. Hewett, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Louis Apicella

HIV and AIDS

The Male Circumcision (MC) Partnership was established with the support of the Gates Foundation and PEPFAR to scale up MC services in Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian government. The MC Partnership is a five-year project led by Population Services International (Society for Family Health, Zambia), in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International (MSI), and the Population Council. The ultimate objective of this study is to provide researchers and program managers with evidence-based recommendations for the collection of self-reported data on MC status through an assessment of different methods to describe and explain MC. Specifically, the study assessed tools for …

Perceptions Of Risk Associated With Unintended Pregnancy And Sexually Transmitted Infections Among University Women Attending Minnesota State University, Mankato, Jessica Maria Seide

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections are preventable, yet there is still a high occurrence of both among university women. This study evaluated perceptions of risk associated with unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among selected university women aged 18-25. This study identified whether women's perceptions of risk affected their decision to take certain precautions to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. This study also examined whether there was a relationship between perceptions of risk associated with unintended pregnancies and perceptions of risk associated with sexually transmitted infections and some of the variables that are associated with that relationship. This …

Mothers' Health And Health Behaviors That Influence Childhod Obesity Maternal Bmi And Infant Feeding Methods, Mohamed Abdullah Alammari

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The rate of childhood obesity in America continues to climb. Many medical experts believe that childhood obesity can develop as early as prenatal development in the uterus, and infancy. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between mothers' health and health behaviors (maternal BMI and infant feeding methods) and childhood obesity. We conducted and analyzed a sample of 307 mothers and their children (307) to examine each mother's maternal BMI and her child or children's BMI. We also examined mothers' feeding methods (bottle vs. breastfeeding).The result of this research did not match with the review of literature. …

The Relationship Between Disordered Eating Behaviors And Exercise Addiction Among Selected University Students At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Haley Wasko

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

College students are faced with many difficult decisions as they begin to gain independence and adjust to new responsibilities. Some of these decisions may include changes in eating behaviors and exercise patterns. Such changes may lead to unhealthy weight control behaviors such as disordered eating or excessive exercise. The combination of controlling eating and exercise behaviors may be especially detrimental and prevalent in college students. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not there was a relationship between disordered eating and exercise addiction among university students at Minnesota State University, Mankato. A 50-item survey was used to …

Effective Pedometer Programs: Determining The Motivational Factors Primarily Responsible For The Physical Activity Increases Being Made By Participants, Britne Engelking

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem: Adults continue to get inadequate amounts of physical activity (Flegal et al., 2010; WCRF/AICR, 2009). Pedometer programs being implemented have effectively motivated the participants to increase their physical activity outputs; however, researchers have been unable to determine the features responsible for the physical activity increases. Procedures: Participants were given pedometers to measure their physical activity outputs. The participants collected baseline data for one week. The experimental group was administered three competitive incentive interventions. Their data was compared to their baseline step data and step data collected from a control group. The data analysis was done using …

Adapting The Pprnet Trip Qi Model To Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening In Primary Care: A Feasibility Study, Katherine Attassi

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The value of using colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) as a preventative tool in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) is well established; however, mobilizing patients to participate in one of the CRCS methods remains an issue. Research to engage patients more actively in CRCS has shown that health care providers have the most influence on patient participation. This dissertation first examines the various provider-directed interventions proven to increase CRCS in the primary care setting. Next, the detailed theoretical and methodological processes are examined based on the previous research from the first article. The PPRNet TRIP QI Model was chosen based …

Understanding Underinsurance In Ohio, Meaghan Ebetino

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of underinsurance in the state of Ohio.

Study Design: The investigators created the dependent variables Underinsured, Financial Stress, and Harder to get Health Care using the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey (OFHS). The sample used for this study included 29,778 respondents, who were adults less than 65 years old and who were continuously insured for the past 12 months.

Results: The study categorized twenty-two percent of the sample respondents as underinsured because they were not able to obtain or delayed needed medical care because of an inability to pay in …

Pregnancy Management Strategies And Childbirth Experiences Of Internally Displaced Women In Barranquilla, Colombia, Bre Bolivar

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This ethnographic study aims to illuminate the experiences of pregnant and new mothers in poor areas of Colombia with respect to pregnancy and childbirth. Ethnographic observations including key informant qualitative interviews were performed by the primary investigator in four different neighborhoods in and around the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, over the course of 3 months. A total of 24 women were interviewed, and additional interviews were held with Colombian medical students, religious workers and not-for-profit healthcare leaders. I seek to better understand the perspectives of these internally displaced women in terms of contraception use including the sense of necessity of …

Effect Of Air Pollution On Daily Morbidity In Karachi, Pakistan, Haider Khwaja, Zafar Fatmi, Daniel Malashock, Zafar Aminov, Ambreen Kazi, Azhar Siddique, Jahanzeb Qureshi Qureshi, David Carpenter

Community Health Sciences

Levels of daily particulates (PM2.5) were monitored at two sites in Karachi, Pakistan. One site (Korangi) is an industrial and residential neighborhood, while the other (Tibet Center) is a commercial and residential area near a major highway. Monitoring was done daily for a period of six weeks during spring, summer, fall and winter. Particulate levels were extraordinarily high, with the great majority of days falling into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or “very unhealthy” categories. The mean PM2.5 levels in Karachi exceeded the WHO’s 24 h air quality guideline almost every day and often by a factor of greater than …

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Relationship Between Physical Activity And Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents, Joshua Ganz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem: Low levels of physical activity levels may have a relationship with depressive characteristics. Understanding if there is a relationship between physical activity and depressive traits in the adolescent population may contribute to effective ways to reduce depressive traits and increase physical activity. Procedure: Survey research was used to collect data about adolescents' demographic characteristics, physical activity levels, and depressive characteristics. Participants were selected from the adolescent school population. The sample was taken from a Minnesota public high school by using an entire tenth-grade population from a local school. Of the 75 students being used for sample …

Health Care Providers' Intention To Provide Culturally Competent Health Care To Somali Based Upon The Indirect Measures Of The Integrated Behavioral Model, Amanda Kaye Ciesinski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess health care providers' intention to provide culturally competent health care to Somali based upon the constructs of the Integrated Behavioral Model by indirect measures. Using ZoomerangTM data collection systems, data were collected on a non-random and purposive sample. Every physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant in a non-administrative role at a rural primary care clinic located in Minnesota was recruited by email. A sample of thirty-one health care providers was used in this study. The survey was divided into four main scales based on the constructs of the Integrated Behavioral Model. …

Formative Research On Hpv Vaccine Acceptability With Latina Farmworkers, John S. Luque, Heide Castañeda, Dinorah Martinez Tyson, Natalia Vargas, Meade

Community Health: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and benefits to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in a low-income, Latina farmworker population in central Florida. This study reports on formative qualitative research conducted on perceptions of benefits, barriers, costs, place, and promotion related to the HPV vaccine from surveys and interviews with a sample of 46 low-income, Latina farm workers and 19 health care workers serving this population. It was found that Latina farmworkers hold many misperceptions about the HPV vaccine and the potential links between HPV infection and cervical cancer. In addition, it was observed that HPV vaccination …

Evidence-Based Hazmat Medical Surveillance, Michael D. Jacobson

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: Hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams are tasked with neutralizing substances that pose a dire threat to human health. As a result, communities invest substantially in medical surveillance to protect first responders. Yet, little is known as to the actual exposures, consequent injuries, and cost-effectiveness of medical surveillance.

Objective: The purposes of this study were: 1) Determine actual HAZMAT threats. 2) In light of these threats, evaluate current regulatory requirements, recommendations and practices for their basis in evidence.

Methods: National HAZMAT data was analyzed for trends and compared with local response records from 2008 through 2011. Regulations applicable to medical surveillance …

Rights Of Ohio Mothers: Best Practices For The Pediatric Patient With A Life-Threatening Illness, Kelly Peekstok

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and review current best practices with regards to a minor’s refusal of life-sustaining medical treatment. The policies of other developed countries and states within the United States serve as a guide for developing evidence-based guidelines for Ohio healthcare professionals. Four specific cases were identified and then analyzed. The results showed that in three of the four cases, the wishes of the minor were followed. While each case contains its own set of complexities, creating a developmental guideline for healthcare organizations will ensure protection of the minor’s capacity to make autonomous decisions.

The Efficacy Of Abstinence Only Education, Jennie Watt Mcadams

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and unplanned teen pregnancies cost the United States billions of dollars every year in various forms of government aid. Why are the numbers of teenage incidences of these health indicators higher than almost every other industrialized nation? Why are the youth in the United States so far behind their peers in sexual health? This paper proposes that one cause is that government funding goes to abstinence only education curriculum which is taught in many schools across the nation. These curricula many times do not teach youth about sexual protection or health and other times contain false information. If …

Chronic Disease Prevalence Of A Refugee Population In Dayton, Oh, Sandeep Palakodeti

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Introduction: This study aimed to understand the chronic disease burden of anemia, cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, overweight/obesity, stroke, and tobacco use in the domestic as well as a refugee population. It also aimed to examine the current literature on appropriate screening for those conditions.

Methods: 348 refugee screening intake exams from Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County were analyzed for presence of the conditions stated. Screening intake recommendations from the CDC, the Minnesota Public Health Department, the Canadian Collaboration for Immigrant and Refugee Health, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services were examined and compared in order …