Public Health Commons^™

Ten Questions Concerning The Built Environment And Mental Health, Andrew J. Hoisington, Kelly A. Stearns-Yoder, Steven J. Schuldt, Cody J. Beemer, Juan P. Maestre, Kerry A. Kinney, Teodor T. Postolache, Christopher A. Lowry, Lisa A. Brenner

Faculty Publications

Most people spend the majority of their lives indoors. Research over the last thirty years has focused on investigating the mechanisms through which specific elements of the built environment, such as indoor air quality, influence the physical health of occupants. However, similar effort has not been expended in regard to mental health, a significant public health concern. One in five Americans has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the past year, and, in the United States, the number of suicide deaths are similar to the number of deaths due to breast cancer. Increases in mental health disorders in …

Public Health Policy: An Ethical Analysis Of Quarantine, Dina Alqahtani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a public health measure quarantine has both historical and contemporary significance both in the United States and abroad. On the surface it represents a low-cost, low-tech way in which the spread of disease can be mitigated as its core requirement is that those who may have been exposed to an infectious agent are kept away from those who have not been exposed to that agent for enough time to determine whether or not infection has been spread. This has been utilized for centuries with both limited questions and scattered, inconsistent, or impossible to achieve oversight and goals. In understanding …

An Industrial Hygiene Assessment Of Lead In Potable Water Outlets At Rowan University, Tyra Thomas, Rosemary Roberto, Thomas Boyle

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) discovered lead in the water of a number of buildings on the Glassboro campus. This finding triggered the need for a comprehensive study to determine if lead was in the drinking water on the main campus.

Rowan University then partnered with an independent consultant to create a Lead Sampling Plan, collect water samples and to find a certified laboratory to provide water sample analysis.

A comprehensive plumbing survey of the campus also took place to determine how water is supplied to campus and how it is distributed to and throughout each building. …

Longitudinal Homogenization Of The Microbiome Between Both Occupants And The Built Environment In A Cohort Of United States Air Force Cadets, Anukriti Sharma, Miles Richardson, Lauren Cralle, Christopher E. Stamper, Juan P. Maestre, Kelly A. Stearns-Yoder, Teodor T. Postolache, Katherine L. Bates, Kerry A. Kinney, Lisa A. Brenner, Christopher A. Lowry, Jack A. Gilbert, Andrew J. Hoisington

Faculty Publications

The microbiome of the built environment has important implications for human health and wellbeing; however, bidirectional exchange of microbes between occupants and surfaces can be confounded by lifestyle, architecture, and external environmental exposures. Here, we present a longitudinal study of United States Air Force Academy cadets (n = 34), which have substantial homogeneity in lifestyle, diet, and age, all factors that influence the human microbiome. We characterized bacterial communities associated with (1) skin and gut samples from roommate pairs, (2) four built environment sample locations inside the pairs’ dormitory rooms, (3) four built environment sample locations within shared spaces …

Analyzing Trends And Patterns In Adverse Birth Outcomes In Massachusetts From 2000-2014, Madeleine Haynes

Sustainability and Social Justice

This study explores spatio-temporal trends and patterns in adverse birth outcomes (ABO) in the state of Massachusetts from 2000-2014. ABO include low birth weight (< 2500 g) and preterm deliveries (gestational age < 37 weeks). This research evaluates if there are areas in Massachusetts that have experienced statistically significant increases or decreases in ABO throughout the study period. Birth data was obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and only singleton, live births were included for the analysis. The data were aggregated to census tracts, and the total number of births and the number of ABOs were calculated for each census tract for each year. In total, 1478 census tracts were included in this analysis. Births to non-Hispanic black mothers and births to non-Hispanic white mothers were separated to evaluate if trends in ABO are similar regardless of race as previous literature has identified a much higher rate of ABO in births to non-Hispanic black women. Trends and patterns of ABO were evaluated using the Space Time Cube and the Mann-Kendall statistic and a multivariate regression was conducted to identify potential correlations between socioeconomic factors and prevalence of ABO. Results of this study can be used to identify areas that are experiencing an increase in ABO to potentially allow for more effective, targeted intervention methods.

Intersex Wildlife As Sentinels For Human Health And Endocrine Disruption Near Superfund Sites: A Systematic Review, Olivia Anderson, Melissa Perry

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Fish and wildlife are often used as sentinels for human health. This systematic review examines one aspect of wildlife health, intersex (both ovarian and testicular tissue) animals and their prevalence or severity near Superfund sites (EPA designated toxic waste sites). The body of evidence demonstrates some evidence of this indicator and more research is needed, specifically a meta-analysis that is outside the scope of this study.

Florida Red Tide Exposure: Analyzing The Respiratory Effects Experienced By The Gulf Coast Population, Katrina Zdanowicz, Cindy Liu

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: Florida red tide occurs in the Gulf of Mexico annually and has been linked to complaints of negative respiratory symptoms. Little is known about the exact association and long term effects of the exposure. Objectives: We applied the Navigation Guide to conduct a systematic review of the existing body of literature on Florida red tide exposure and respiratory effects. Methods: We applied inclusion criteria to studies found through searches of 5 scientific databases. Included studies were analyzed for risk of bias and overall strength and quality of evidence. Included studies provided self-reported symptoms and quantitative measurements of pulmonary function …

Something’S In The Water: A Look At How Creativity And Innovation Can Prevent Future Water Crises, Tristan Holiday-Nowden

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness and create a level of consciousness about water, unlike anything we have seen in the past. This project presents a synthesis of current writings and ideologies from the fields of Environmental Science and Water Research. As well as think pieces and informative news articles from various publications.

To illustrate the damaging effects of water contamination, water pollution, and water scarcity; Flint, Michigan will serve as a case study. After diagnosing and defining the problem using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework. This project will explore the challenge and look at the …

Initiation Of A Roundtable Meeting To Determine Safety Hazards And Provide Education To Range Bison Herd Workers, Lucia Finocchiaro

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This capstone project serves as an important piece of greater project studying bison handling. Bison production is both a growing and dangerous industry. As a new enterprise in many parts of the country and on tribal lands, significant numbers of untrained employees may be hired. This project undertakes methods to better understand the risks associated with bison handling and to thereby improve handling procedures and increase safety. Herd managers (from tribal and non-tribal sites), researchers, safety experts, and stakeholders were brought together for a roundtable meeting in Omaha. This meeting was designed to provide stakeholders a forum to discuss common …

Identification Of Bird-Associated Nonpoint Sources Of Microbial Contamination In Sediments, Savannah D. Mullins

Honors College Theses

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as Enterococci, are commonly used to monitor the microbial contamination of recreational beach waters based on standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment and sand may also harbor FIB and reintroduce these bacteria to the water column. Enterococci may be originated from various non-point sources such as humans and wildlife. Recent literature has shown that avian feces also harbor high concentrations of Enterococci. The purpose of this study is identify the relationship between Enterococci and avian-associated markers in sediments. Sediment samples were collected monthly from four sites at Kings Ferry Beach in …

Hour-Level Resolution On Consumption Pattern Of Substance Abuse, Jarrett Mauk, Rhiannon Huffines, Brittney Nelson, Tara Croft, Bikram Subedi

Scholars Week

Conventional survey-based approaches of determining the consumption statistics of drugs in communities are suffered from non-response biases, and typically underestimate the actual consumption. Time and cost-intensive conventional approaches, therefore, can’t be utilized to determine high-resolution temporal variability in drug consumption. In this study, the temporal trend of consumption of 10 illicit and 26 prescribed neuropsychiatric drugs was determined at hour-level resolution utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology. The hourly composite raw wastewater (every 10 minutes) samples were collected for three consecutive days in a typical week (total of 72 samples), analyzed for target drug residues using UPLC-MS/MS, and back-calculated the consumption rate of …

Preventing Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis In Salmonid Fish Along The Columbia River Basin, Whitney L. Wright

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family and causes infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) disease in many salmonid species during the juvenile or “fry” stage of life. IHNV is endemic to Western North America and occurs in the Columbia River Basin, where Steelhead and Chinook salmon are the most abundant IHNV-vulnerable species. IHNV can cause an epidemic in wild or farmed stocks, killing 90-95 percent of the fish it infects. Transmission is currently understood to occur by direct exposure through the gills, and the virus is shed typically from asymptomatic or clinically ill carrier adults at …

Interrupted Progress: Water And Sanitation In Haiti, Emily Bauer

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Haiti has faced damaging environmental and social impacts, which have interrupted progress towards clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities for its over 10 million people. Natural disasters, disease outbreak, political corruption and economic instability have contributed to poor health and social outcomes for the small, island nation. This study used the most recent data from the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Programme (WHO/UNICEF JMP) to assess national trends in water source and sanitation facility improvements from 1990-2015. WHO/UNICEF JMP defines water improvements as piped or non-piped protected water, and sanitation improvements as networked, flushed …

Measuring The Effects Of Thc On Human Sperm Parameters Using Biomonitoring Analysis, Roxana Amaya-Fuentes, Heather Young, Courtney Irwin, Jonathan Crites, David Moody, Melissa Perry

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Marijuana is one of the most common substances used in the United States with more men utilizing marijuana compared to women. The effects of marijuana on the brain are well known, however, there is limited research on its effects on human sperm parameters. We examined the association between THC and human sperm parameters in participants in the Washington D.C. area. Our preliminary results suggested that THC was associated with low sperm morphology.

Background: Marijuana has a long history of human usage for medicinal, ceremonial, and religious purposes. As of January 2018, nine states including Washington D.C. have legalized it for …

Isoprene Emission Rates From Extreme Heat Exposure Due To Climatic Changes On Quercus And Populus Tree Genera: A Systematic Review, Isabella Kaser, Susan Anenberg

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

This systematic literature review explores whether isoprene emission rates from common tree species would be exacerbated in a warming world. When isoprene reacts with other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, tropospheric ozone is formed. Ozone is harmful to human health and is shown to decrease lung function among many other negative respiratory effects. If the rates of emissions continue at their current levels, there may be increased rates of asthma-related ED visits and respiratory diseases among the general population.

Acute Particulate Matter Exposure And Suicide In North East Asia: A Literature Review, Shannon Haines, Lance Price, Amanda Northcross

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

A systematic literature review was conducted on research exploring the relationship between acute exposures to ambient particulate matter and changes in suicide rates in North East Asian countries. From the eight studies analyzed limited evidence was found and additional research about the association is suggested.

Occupational Risk Of Migrant Farm Workers In North Carolina: A Systematic Review, Ellie Ginsberg, David Michaels

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Latnix Migrant Farmworkers in North Carolina face a variety of occupational hazards while working in the fields. These hazards include exposure to the natural elements, pesticides, and tobacco. Sub standard housing conditions and lack of comprehensive workers compensation coupled with these hazards create an extremely dangerous working environment for these farmworkers.

Does Food Insecurity Predict Obesity And Educational Achievement: A Systematic Literature Review, Emily Youner, Ami Zota

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

The objective of this study was to determine whether food availability predicts health outcomes among children in the U.S., such as obesity rates and academic performance. Though there was some inconsistency in the findings, based on the Navigation Guide methodology, we concluded that there is inadequate evidence of correlation between food insecurity and obesity rates, yet limited evidence of correlation between food insecurity and educational achievement. Given these findings, further research is warranted to inform policy action to mitigate the effects food insecurity.

Cognitive And Behavioral Effects Of Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure In Primary School Children: A Systematic Review, Dara L. Brown, Matias Attene Ramos

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies evaluating the relationship between nitrogen dioxide emissions and cognitive and behavioral health in children. Eight studies were identified, reviewed, and analyzed according to specific inclusion criteria. The results of the review show that there is strong evidence for an inverse relationship between nitrogen dioxide exposure and cognitive and behavioral health in primary school children. However, further research is needed to confirm the observed associations between nitrogen dioxide exposure and cognitive and behavioral health.

Asthma-Related Health Outcomes In New Jersey After A Natural Disaster Event, My Ngoc Thuy Nguyen

Health Services Research Dissertations

The occurrence of a natural disaster event such as a hurricane may further hinder the asthma management of asthmatic individuals. Unmanaged asthma has led to increased work absenteeism, preventable emergency department visits, costly hospitalizations and possibly death in severe cases. To improve asthma management in asthmatic adults in New Jersey (NJ) following a natural disaster event, this study examined whether predisposing, enabling and need factors are predictors for asthma exacerbation and asthma-related health care utilization in New Jersey. A retrospective secondary analysis of New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (NJBRFSS) data and New Jersey Asthma Call Back Survey (NJACBS) …

Ecological Determinants Of Respiratory Health: Examining Associations Between Asthma Emergency Department Visits, Diesel Particulate Matter, And Public Parks And Open Space In Los Angeles, California, Jason A. Douglas, Reginald S. Archer, Serena E. Alexander

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Los Angeles County (LAC) low-income communities of color experience uneven asthma rates, evidenced by asthma emergency department visits (AEDV). This has partly been attributed to inequitable exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM). Promisingly, public parks and open space (PPOS) contribute to DPM mitigation. However, low-income communities of color with limited access to PPOS may be deprived of associated public health benefits. Therefore, this novel study investigates the AEDV, DPM, PPOS nexus to address this public health dilemma and inform public policy in at-risk communities. Optimized Hotspot Analysis was used to examine geographic clustering of AEDVs, DPM, and PPOS at the …

Yielding To The Necessities Of A Great Public Industry: Denial And Concealment Of The Harmful Health Effects Of Coal Mining, Caitlyn Greene, Patrick Charles Mcginley

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

In the mid-nineteenth century, coal mined in Central Appalachia began to flow into industrial markets. Those mines and the coal they produced provided jobs, put food on family tables in coalfield households, and even provided housing for hundreds of thousands of coal miners and their families. The bounty from America’s expanding coalfields fueled the Industrial Revolution and powered the nation’s steel mills, factories,steamboats, and railroads. It powered America’s defense through two World Wars and later military conflicts. Coal-fired power plants generated more than half of the electricity used in the United States in the latter quarter of the twentieth century. …

Electronic Cigarettes In The Indoor Environment, Cheryl Marcham

Publications

This presentation covers the development of electronic cigarettes and presents statistics related to their manufacture and use. Also included are facts about how addictive the products are, especially to young people, who are particularly vulnerable to addiction. The FDA has begun work to end sales of e-cigarette products to minors. Included in the presentation are formulae for the various vaping products, which are not healthy for users or people in their vicinity. Telephone calls to poison call centers increased drastically from 2010 to 2014.

An Iterative Process For Training Design And Implementation Increased Health Workers' Knowledge For Taking Nutrition Behavior Change To Scale, Wendy Gonzalez, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Armando García-Guerra, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Alejandría Villa De La Vega, Laura Quezada, Cynthia Rosas, Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes, Amira Hernández

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The shortage of skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers is a major barrier to scaling up nutrition interventions and services. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the process for developing and implementing a training of health personnel for the delivery of the Integrated Strategy for Attention to Nutrition (EsIAN), an evidence-based strategy for promoting infant and young child feeding through primary health care in Mexico. The specific objective is to provide a case study and highlight challenges, as well as elements to successfully mitigate these, and discuss potential applications of findings beyond the Mexican context. Methods: The …

Feeling Green: The Benefits Of Green Space On Urbanites' Mental Health, Kathryn A. Hoagland

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This investigation intends to determine the best methods for incorporating public green space into dense urban areas, for the betterment of residents' mental health. Data from studies showing differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression in urban and rural areas are discussed alongside data from studies looking at the effect that certain types of green space might have on mental health. While there is no exact consensus on the extent to which nature has positive effects on mental health there is enough of a correlation to argue for the implementation of public green spaces in urban design, in order …

Influence Of Decentralization And Type Of Patient On Loss To Follow-Up Among Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients In Indonesia From 2014 To 2015, Noerfitri Noerfitri, R. Sutiawan, Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, Pratiwi Ayuningtyas Hartono

Kesmas

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) patients have a greater risk of loss to follow-up (LTFU) than drug-sensitive TB patients, due to their longer treatment duration. This study aimed to determine the influence of decentralization and patient type on LTFU among multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients in Indonesia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at all MDR-TB treatment healthcare facilities in Indonesia from 014 to 2015. Using total sampling technique, 961 patients were examined and sampled. Of these patients, 86.03% were decentralized. Patients were classified into types as follows: 35.17% were “relapse” patients, 5.52% were “new,” 13.94% were classified as “after LTFU” patients, 23.10% …

Knowledge And Practice In Household Waste Management, Agnes Fitria Widiyanto, Suratman Suratman, Nisrina Alifah, Tri Murniati, Oktafiani Catur Pratiwi

Kesmas

Declining environmental quality is one of population caused by household consumption behavior. Some of the highest contaminant contributions are domestic waste, waste, and company waste. Waste contamination will lead to dead fish, decreased water quality and disease transmission. Community approach can be done to solve the waste problem, especially at the household level. This study uses quantitative methods to analyze the effect of intervention and waste management training on changes in household waste management knowledge and practices. This type of research uses quasi experiment with one group of pre and post test design. The results showed that there was an …

Exclusive Breastfeeding And Decrease Of Upper Respiratory Infection Incidence Among Infants Aged 6-12 Months In Kampar District, Riau Province, Musfardi Rustam, Renti Mahkota, Nasrin Kodim

Kesmas

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of infants and toddlers in developing countries. The high infant morbidity and mortality rates in Indonesia are associated with the low exclusive breastfeeding ability. Breast milk is a natural drink for newborns in the first month of life that is beneficial not only for the babies, but also for mothers. The aim of study was to determine exclusive breastfeeding and decrease in incidence of URI among infants aged 6-12 months. This study was conducted by using case control design. Samples were taken by using cluster random sampling. Subject …

The Consumption Of Fresh Vegetables From Street Food And Sanitation Of Street Stalls At Four Locations In Bogor City, Donna Fujie Rahaditha Utami, Winiati P. Rahayu, Lilis Nuraida

Kesmas

The consumption of fresh vegetables at the stalls needs serious attention. This research aimed to estimate the exposure probability due to fresh vegetables consumption of street food consumers, to measure sanitation level of street stalls that serving fresh vegetables, and to recommend a mentoring program for the stalls at four locations in Bogor City. This research was conducted at 16 stalls located at four locations in Bogor City. The number of respondents surveyed was 293 people and determined by stratified sampling method. Food frequency questionnaire was used as a tool in the survey. The survey showed that men consumed more …

Relationship Model For Occupational Safety And Health Climate To Prevent Needlestick Injuries For Nurses, Ketut Ima Ismara, Adi Heru Husodo, Yayi Suryo Prabandari, Widodo Hariyono

Kesmas

The risk of accidents and disease transmission when working at hospitals is quite high, especially in Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze the relationship model between the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) climate and behavior intention in OSH performance to prevent needlestick injuries (NSI) based on a theory of planned behavior. A mixed approach using qualitative and quantitative methods was applied. Data were obtained from Structural Equation Model questionnaires, observation, and documentation, and interviews were analyzed qualitatively. The population was 1,042 nurses at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta. The sample consisted of 289 respondents determined by purposive random sampling …