Public Health Commons^™

Head Start Parent Perspectives On Child Exposure To Secondhand Smoke At Home, Christiana Abani Bekie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) are at risk of developing ear infections, asthma, wheezing, bronchitis, as well as retarded lung growth. Indoor smoking is the main source of children's exposure to SHS. Despite a downward trend in smoking, children from low income families, especially African American and Hispanic children, continue to be exposed to SHS at a higher rate than their wealthier counterparts. This multiple case study explored the perceptions of 15 parents of 3- to 5-year-old children currently enrolled in Head Start regarding children's exposure to SHS. This study relied on the social ecological model, the theory of …

Adult Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of Social Presence In Facilitator-Created Subject- Specific Videos In An Online Nursing Course, Jamie Anne Marcus

Theses and Dissertations

The literature established that online instruction consists of cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Studies on the element of social presence linked text-based delivery of instruction with learners’ feelings of isolation and disengagement. This research findings prompted this facilitator creation of five-to-seven-minute companion videos that aligned and complemented weekly text-based learning modules to ascertain students’ perceptions of these videos as a medium for channeling social presence.

Post-video viewing surveys yielded responses to pragmatic and emotional questions. Pragmatic questions were aimed at the visual impact of professor’s delivery of information. Emotional questions gauged the students’ feelings of connectivity with the facilitator. Triangulated …

Predictors Of Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards Abortion And Their Changes Overtime, Rebecca Elizabeth Morales

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

As new legislation is regularly being introduced to minimize Roe v. Wade’s protection of women’s right to choose in a medical setting, it is imperative to study what predictors may have an impact on abortion attitudes within the demographic of medical students, as well as how these predictors impact one’s willingness to provide the service in the future. The current study then, uses data collected in 2000 and 2015 from a medical school located in Virginia, and in collaboration with a research university in the state to examine what factors are associated with a willingness to provide an abortion, as …

Does Facial Physiognomy In The Context Of Anoccupational Safety And Health Message Predict Outcomes?, Ian Parker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Physiognomy, the practice of looking to another person’s outward facial appearance to unmask the inner character of that person, has had a diverse historical impact within art, medicine, theology, anthropology, law, criminology, political history, psychology, psychiatry, and popular culture, since it was conceptualised in Greece during the 5th and 4th centuries B.C (Physiognomy, 1999-2009, 2009a). Aristotle, the prominent Greek philosopher, penned many chapters on physiognomic properties and touched upon strength/weakness, genius/stupidity, and other trait characteristics and their opposites in so far as such characteristics were associated with facial form (Physiognomy, 2006, 2009b).

In more modern times, facial recognition and evaluation …

Acquisition Of Aquatic Motor Skills Through Children’S Motor Stories, Juan Antonio Moreno Murcia, Elisa Huescar Hernandez, Jose Antonio Richart Parra

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

An increasing interest in the renewal of traditional recreational content and the use of the aquatic environments as educational resources is supported by very few empirical, evidence-based studies that link the two. This quasi-experimental study analyzed the role of stories in influencing perceived motor competence and real motor skills in seventy-eight children ages between 4 and 5 years through the administration of two questionnaires on aquatic motor ability and aquatic motor competence. Differences were found in aquatic motor competence (p < .01) and aquatic motor ability (p < .05) for the experimental group, where higher means values were obtained after the intervention. We present this methodological proposal as a useful educational tool for early childhood stimulation with achievements that go beyond motor progress itself.

Community Development Projects In Moldova, Berkend Pura

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) aims to provide relevant information, from a Peace Corps (PC) Volunteer (PCV) standpoint, on a renovation project that was implemented in the village of Vorniceni, Republic of Moldova. At its core, this was a community development project that involved the active participation of the community of Vorniceni, providing local resources and knowledge towards the goal of building a healthier sanitation facility on the second floor of the local kindergarten.

The results of this effort indicate that the involvement of the client (people) is crucial to sucess in implementing projects, and it also shows that …

Impacts Of Active School Design On Schooltime Sedentary Behavior And Physical Activity: A Pilot Natural Experiment, Jeri Brittin, Leah Frerichs, John R. Sirard, Nancy M. Wells, Beth M. Myers, Jeanette Garcia, Dina Sorensen, Matthew J. Trowbridge, Terry Huang

Interior Design Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

Background Children spend a significant portion of their days in sedentary behavior (SB) and on average fail to engage in adequate physical activity (PA). The school built environment may influence SB and PA, but research is limited. This natural experiment evaluated whether an elementary school designed to promote movement impacted students' school-time SB and PA.

Methods Accelerometers measured SB and PA at pre and post time-points in an intervention group who moved to the new school (n = 21) and in a comparison group experiencing no school environmental change (n = 20). Difference-in-difference (DD) analysis examined SB and PA outcomes …

Journal Conversations: Building The Research Self-Efficacy Of An Aboriginal Early Career Academic, Michelle L. Dickson

The Qualitative Report

This paper shows how I used my research journal mainly as a reflective tool throughout the process of applying for and completing a PhD. Embarking on a PhD can be daunting for anyone and I was challenged by my lack of academic self-efficacy. In the absence of a formal academic mentor my research journal became my confidante, a tool that helped me make progress at times when barriers to research seemed insurmountable. It helped me decrease the cognitive dissonance I was experiencing about issues of subjectivity/objectivity and the positioning of my self in the research. This paper shares research journal …

The Relationship Between Bmi & Mandated Physical Education Requirements Of Elementary Schools, Kathryn Fairlamb

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The physical activity policies of elementary schools in Arkansas and correlations between physical activity requirements and body mass index have been studied. Examination of the policies at the individual school, district, or state level were noted. The statewide BMI database was consulted. Interviews with physical education teachers was conducted to assess policy implementation. Results may provide schools and policy makers with insight on future physical activity policies.

Interns Matter: Maximizing Integration Of Interns Into Community Agencies, Valerie Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Hope Services is a non-profit agency serving individuals with developmental disabilities in six counties. Over the years, there have been many agencies that have formed connections with Hope Services. One of these collaborative partnerships has been with CSU Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) integration of interns through their field placement program. However, recently former Hope Services South District Manager, Greg Dinsmore, witnessed a lack of utilization and integration of interns across all Hope Services agencies. Through firsthand experience as a mentor, he witnessed the benefits of utilizing interns and saw the need for further advocacy and support for the integration of interns …

Spatial-Temporal Distribution Of Mosquito Larval Hot Spots In Papoli, Uganda: A Community-Based Approach To Mosquito Control, Ryan E. Tokarz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mosquito species of the Anopheles gambaie complex are the predominant vectors of malaria transmission throughout sub-Saharan Africa. These mosquitoes tend to be endophilic, as well as anthropophilic, making them prime candidates for disease transmission. Within the same region, related mosquito vectors play a significant role in the transmission of additional human and zoonotic diseases. Furthermore, mosquito nuisance biting is an immense issue that cannot be ignored in terms of its impact on African communities. Depending on the respective factors involved, mosquito control programs throughout the continent have attempted to tackle these issues in a multitude of ways. This research approached …

Teaching For Epidemiological Literacy: Description, Prescription, And Critical Thinking, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers on Science in a Changing World

This working paper describes contrasting ideas for a sequence of topics as presented to students in a graduate course on epidemiological literacy. The premise of the pedagogical approach is that researchers develop their epidemiological thinking and practice over time through interactions with other researchers who have a variety of in-practice commitments, such as to kinds of cases and methods of analysis, and not simply to a philosophical framework for explanation. In descriptively teasing out what epidemiologists do in practice through a topic-by-topic presentation, I am prescriptively encouraging discussants to draw purposefully from across the range of topics and contrasting …

College Students, Experiences On Smart Phone Technology Usage: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study, Fatemeh Jafarzadeh-Kenarsari, Parand Pourghane

The Qualitative Report

Besides many benefits of the cell phone technology, numerous arguments are raised on the different and important negative effects of such a technology. This qualitative content analysis study explored the common usages of smart phone technology, its challenges, and benefits among Iranian college students. Participants were 32 bachelor degree students who were recruited using purposive sampling method with maximum variation. Data were collected through 11 individual semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions (5-8 students in each group). Data analysis was done based on a conventional content analysis approach. Data analysis resulted in 3 main themes and 12 sub-themes. The …

Demystifying Research: Accessing & Understanding Evidence For Clinical Practice, Kimberly A. Murphy, Meredith Poore Harold, Mary Huston

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The demands on clinicians for evidence-based practice (EBP) are great. However, many speech-language pathologists have received little to no training in how to ‘do’ EBP. In this presentation, we aim to describe and provide practical suggestions for two of the steps in EBP—accessing, then reading and interpreting research to inform clinical decision-making. Our goal is to give clinicians the tools and confidence they need to grow into expert clinicians.

Learner Outcome 1: Describe the components of evidence-based practice (EBP)

Learner Outcome 2: Identify ways to access research

Learner Outcome 3: Identify steps in reading and evaluating the …

Ending The Silence On Mental Illness, Anna L. Tamulonis

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

NAMI on Campus at Purdue University is a collegiate branch of the national, grassroots organization called the National Alliance on Mental Illness. As an effort to address the growing need for mental health education, our organization piloted Indiana’s first Ending the Silence program. It is an educational outreach program focused on teaching local junior high and high school students about mental health through an informative and interactive curriculum. There are five volunteers, myself included, who providd this presentation to the local community. The lead presenters share 30 minutes' worth of mental health information, including warning signs of a mental health …

Expanding The Horizon: Global Health Management For Pharmacy Students, Alice C. Chang, Monica L. Miller, Ellen M. Schellhase

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The advancement of global engagement opportunities will promote pharmacy students’ cultural awareness and sensitivity, expose students to treatment of diseases not commonly seen in modern Western medicine, and cultivate future leadership for the growth of global pharmacy practice. At Purdue University College of Pharmacy (PUCOP), limited opportunities exist for student pharmacists. As a result, identifying the needs and expanding student pharmacist access to global engagement experiences are critical to meet the changing needs of the US population. A survey was developed and distributed to 460 students at PUCOP, and 148 of them participated. Of those students, 89.2% were interested in …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviours Of New Zealand Youth In Surf Beach Environments, Stacey M. Willcox-Pidgeon, Bridget Kool, Kevin Moran Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

New Zealand youth are over-represented in drowning statistics yet little is known about their understanding of water safety, especially in surf beach context. This study aimed to ascertain current youth surf safety knowledge, specifically rip current awareness, explore self-reported competencies and confidence when surf swimming, and examine youth behaviour when at the beach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among senior high school students (n = 599) in Auckland, New Zealand. Over half (58%) reported they were unable to swim > 100 m in a pool. Males and students of European-New Zealand and Maori (New Zealand’s indigenous population) heritage were most …

Measuring Australian Children’S Water Safety Knowledge: The National Water Safety Quiz, Amy E. Peden, Richard Charles Franklin, Justin Scarr

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Water safety knowledge levels of Australian children are poorly understood. Royal Life Saving developed an online National Water Safety Quiz (NWSQ) as an interactive means of determining water safety knowledge amongst Australian primary school children (ages 5 to 12 years). Over a period of 8 months, a total of 4,215 children participated in the NWSQ. The NWSQ identified areas of water safety where knowledge was poor including the topics of CPR, swimming, and river safety. Children achieved a better result as they aged. Females out-performed males overall and specifically from ages 10-12 years. Children from independent schools performed better. This …

From Swimming Skill To Water Competence: A Paradigm Shift, Robert Keig Stallman

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This guest editorial leads off and introduces the subsequent scientific review.

Increasing Fitness Engagement Among Ohiohealth Employees, Kristen Goins

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

This presentation focuses on how to increase fitness engagement among the employees of a large medical facility.

Philosophy Bakes No Bread, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

Philosophy Bakes No Bread

Far from baking bread, far from practical applicability, philosophy traditionally sought to explain the world, ideally so. Thus, when Marx argued that it was high time philosophy “change the world,” his was a revolutionary challenge. Today, philosophy is an analytic affair and analytic philosophers seek less to explain the world than to squirrel out arguments or, more descriptively, to resolve the minutiae of this or that name problem. Faced with diminishing student demand, analytic philosophers have taken to urging that everyone from primary school students to scientists be required to study (analytic) philosophy. Just so, applied …

Pololeo Y Protección: Las Barreras De Acceso A Métodos Anticonceptivos Para Adolescentes Vulnerables En La Comuna De Macul, Santiago De Chile / Pololeo Y Protección: Barriers To Access Contraceptive Methods For Vulnerable Adolescents In The District Of Macul, Santiago De Chile, Louisa Boswell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El embarazo adolescente sigue siendo un problema de salud pública al nivel nacional en Chile. Aunque por ley, todos tienen el derecho a una educación sexual y a elegir un método de control de fecundidad, todavía existen casos de embarazos no planificados, particularmente entre adolescentes. Este estudio investigó las barreras que limitan el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos para adolescentes, enfocando primariamente en el sistema público en la Región Metropolitana. Específicamente, la investigación consideró las adolescentes de la comuna de Macul, utilizando muestras de un colegio local y dos centros de salud familiar para hacer conclusiones. La investigadora entrevistó a matronas …

How I Learned To Communicate My Inner Life With Asperger’S: Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Meghan Rice

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Nursing [Career Paper], Tradesha Chatman

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Effects Of A Unilateral Strength And Plyometric Training Program For Division I Soccer Players, Eric Potter

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The current thesis examined the effects of a unilateral strength and plyometric program on power (bilateral and unilateral vertical jumps), speed (20 meter sprint), and agility (Agility T- Test) in collegiate soccer players compared to a traditional bilateral-based training program. Due to the fact that a majority of the research on performance variables in athletes is done using bilateral lifting and plyometric programs, yet most movements in field sports such as sprinting and changing direction are unilateral-based, this specific topic could have value for enhanced performance for athletic populations. The participants included 34 male and female Division-I soccer players who …

The Latex Journey: A Narrative Approach To Exploring Condom Use, Stigma, And Education From The Perspective Of Women In Masxha, Kylie Yocum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although the South African National Department of Health (NDOH) is spending increasing amounts of money on improving their HIV programs (including the rollout of new, scented condoms for their condom distribution program), the rates of condom use at last sexual encounter are declining. This inquiry focused on young women in the neighborhood of Masxha, Cato Manor, and their opinions surrounding how condoms are being used or misused, as well as the gender norms that perpetrate this (mis)use. This inquiry demonstrated the narratives of these young women on factors such as condom acquisition, gendered stigma, and condom education, including the Life …

Ua12/2/1 Healthy Living Guide, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald:

• Alvey, Rebekah. University Provides Methods for Maintaining Sexual Health
• DeLetter, Emily. Juice, Shakes & Salad: How to Eat Healthy Locally
• Waters, Adrianna. A Guide to Better Sleep: How to Avoid College Exhaustion
• Fletcher, Griffin. The Benefits of Salt Caves
• Alvey, Rebekah. 5 Dieting Misconceptions
• Various Recipes to Fit Into Your Student Budget
• Burgess, Kelly. How to (Not) Eat Oatmeal
• Collins, Emma. Women Find Power Through Weightlifting
• Students Weigh In on Staying Healthy In College
• Tasty Treats to Try from Abroad

Student Pharmacists Provide Tobacco Use Prevention Education To Elementary School Children: A Pilot Experience, Jared L. Ostroff, Marissa L. Wolff, Christina Andros, Eric C. Nemec

Physician Associate Studies Faculty Publications

Background and purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe a service learning experience involving tobacco prevention education and to measure the education's effect on the learners' knowledge of tobacco products.

Educational activity and setting: Student pharmacists planned and presented a 40-min tobacco prevention education program using the Tar Wars curriculum to fourth and fifth grade students at three suburban elementary schools in Western Massachusetts. Mean scores on a five-question assessment given to school age children before and after the presentation were compared. A total of 206 elementary school students in ten classrooms participated.

Findings: The average survey score …

A Roundtable On Cross-Sector Collaboration And Resource Alignment For Health Equity: Meeting Summary, Onyemaechi Nweke

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Cross-sector collaboration is a highly recommended strategy to eliminate health inequities nationally and globally. In the federal sector, it is evolving into an important approach for solving complex social problems, as evidenced by its steady proliferation the past few decades. Despite the increased adoption of cross-sector collaboration, it is still not a default strategy or preeminent option for managing complex social problems. In September 2015, the Federal Interagency Health Equity Team (FIHET) hosted a Roundtable event to discuss opportunities and strategies to foster widespread adoption of cross-sector collaboration and resource alignment. The Roundtable featured several expert panelists and participants from …

An Assessment Of Funding And Other Capacity Needs For Health Equity Programming Within State-Level Chronic Disease Programs, Tiffany Pertillar, Ann Pobutsky, Phd, Gail Brandt, Edd, Mph, Marisa New, Otr, Mph, Jamielou Delavan, Ba, Robyn Taylor, Mba, Amishi Shah, Mpa, Ma, Folasaya Adunola, Dds, Mph, Onyemaechi Nweke

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Chronic diseases are an important contributor to morbidity and mortality among racial/ethnic minority, low-income, and other under-resourced populations. Given that state health departments (and their chronic disease programs) play a significant role in providing population and preventive health services, their capacity to promote health equity is an important consideration in national efforts to address chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine capacity needs of state chronic disease programs with respect to promoting health equity.

Methods: In 2015, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) conducted a survey of its members that work within a …