Public Health Commons^™

Wdph 2017 Summer Internship Report, Lauren Meininger

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

In the spring of 2014, the Worcester Division of Public Health, UMass Memorial Health Care, and Clark University’s Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise joined forces to begin developing a partnership that would combine academic resources, student input, and public health needs in the City of Worcester. Founders of this program were motivated to seek and implement innovative interventions for public health issues while simultaneously inspiring a new generation of public health professionals.

Each year, the Academic Health Collaborative of Worcester (AHCW) brings in student interns to work on the pressing public health issues of the moment. Interns work alongside epidemiologists, …

The Association Of Long-Term Exposure To Particulate Matter Air Pollution With Brain Mri Findings: The Aric Study., Melinda C Power, Archana P Lamichhane, Duanping Liao, Xiaohui Xu, Clifford R Jack, Rebecca F Gottesman, Thomas Mosley, James D Stewart, Jeff D Yanosky, Eric A Whitsel

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence links higher particulate matter (PM) air pollution exposure to late-life cognitive impairment. However, few studies have considered associations between direct estimates of long-term past exposures and brain MRI findings indicative of neurodegeneration or cerebrovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to quantify the association between brain MRI findings and PM exposures approximately 5 to 20 y prior to MRI in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

METHODS: ARIC is based in four U.S. sites: Washington County, Maryland; Minneapolis suburbs, Minnesota; Forsyth County, North Carolina; and Jackson, Mississippi. A subset of ARIC participants underwent 3T brain MRI in …

Environmental Health News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Coliphage as a Quality Indicator of Beach Water
• Georgia Southern Reviews Tick-, Flea-, and Louse-Borne Diseases in Nigeria

Prevalence Of Infection-Competent Serogroup 6 Legionella Pneumophila Within Premise Plumbing In Southeast Michigan, Brenda G. Byrne, Sarah Mccolm, Shawn P. Mcelmurry, Paul E. Kilgore, Joanne Sobeck, Rick Sadler, Nancy G. Love, Michele S. Swanson

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Coinciding with major changes to its municipal water system, Flint, MI, endured Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in 2014 and 2015. By sampling premise plumbing in Flint in the fall of 2016, we found that 12% of homes harbored legionellae, a frequency similar to that in residences in neighboring areas. To evaluate the genetic diversity of Legionella pneumophila in Southeast Michigan, we determined the sequence type (ST) and serogroup (SG) of the 18 residential isolates from Flint and Detroit, MI, and the 33 clinical isolates submitted by hospitals in three area counties in 2013 to 2016. Common to one environmental and four …

Policy Determinants Of Physical Activity Across The Life Course: A Dedipac' Umbrella Systematic Literature Review, Anna Puggina, Katina Aleksovska, Christoph Buck, Con Burns, Greet Cardon, Angela Carlin, Simon Chantal, Donatella Ciarapica, Giancarlo Condello, Tara Coppinger, Cristina Cortis, Sara D'Haese, Marieke De Craemer, Andrea Di Blasio, Sylvia Hansen, Licia Iacoviello, Johann Issartel, Pascal Izzicupo, Lina Jaeschke, Martina Kanning, Aileen Kennedy, Fiona Chun Man Ling, Agnes Luzak, Giorgio Napolitano, Julie Anne Nazare, Camille Perchoux, Tobias Pischon, Angela Polito, Alessandra Sannella, Holger Schulz, Rhoda Sohun, Astrid Steinbrecher

Publications

Background Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the policy determinants of physical activity (PA) is inconclusive. This umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) summarizes the current evidence on the policy determinants of PA across the life course, by pooling the results of the available SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs). Methods A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus databases up to April 2016. SLRs and MAs of observational studies investigating the association between policy determinants of PA and having PA as outcome were considered eligible. The extracted data were …

Association Between Environmental Tobacco Smoke And Dental Caries Amongst 5-14 Years Old Children In Karachi, Pakistan., Anna Ali Nayani, Romaina Iqbal, Syed Iqbal Azam, Farhan Raza Khan, Aysha Habib Khan, Naveed Janjua, Azmina Hussain

Community Health Sciences

Objective:To determine the association between environmental tobacco smoke and dental caries.
Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in peri-urban and urban areas of Karachi, from February to August 2014, and comprised children aged 5-14 years. A pre-coded questionnaire for environmental tobacco smoke and food frequency questionnaire for dietary habits were used. Dental examination of children was done to detect caries. Cox-proportional hazard algorithm was used to measure the association of environmental tobacco smoke with dental caries at multivariable level. STATA version 12.0 was used for statistical analysis.
Result:Of the 500 children, 250(50%) each were from peri-urban and urban …

Assessment Of Temperature And Ultraviolet Radiation Effects On Sunburn At An Inland U.S. Beach: A Cohort Study, Jason W. Marion, Jiyoung Lee, James Rosenblum, Timothy J. Buckley

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

Increases in outdoor temperature may lead to increases in sunburn, outdoor exposure, and skin cancer in human populations.

Objective

This study aimed to quantify sunburn incidence and risk for Ohio beachgoers exposed to varying outdoor conditions.

Methods

Sunburn incidence data were obtained through a prospective cohort study at East Fork Lake (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA). Recruitment occurred over 26 weekend days. Beach interviews and follow-up telephone interviews obtained exposure and health information. New sunburns were self-reported 8–9 days post-enrollment. Survey data were paired with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) index and temperature data for statistical analysis.

Results

Among 947 beachgoers, new sunburns …

Long-Term Exposure Of Fine Particulate Matter Causes Hypertension By Impaired Renal D1 Receptor-Mediated Sodium Excretion Via Upregulation Of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase Type 4 Expression In Sprague-Dawley Rats., Xi Lu, Zhengmeng Ye, Shuo Zheng, Hongmei Ren, Jing Zeng, Xinquan Wang, Pedro A Jose, Ken Chen, Chunyu Zeng

Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence supports an important association between air pollution exposure and hypertension. However, the mechanisms are not clear.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Our present study found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) causes hypertension and impairs renal sodium excretion, which might be ascribed to lower D1 receptor expression and higher D1 receptor phosphorylation, accompanied with a higher G-protein-coupled receptor kinase type 4 (GRK4) expression. The in vivo results were confirmed in in vitro studies (ie, PM2.5 increased basal and decreased D1 receptor mediated inhibitory effect on Na+-K+ ATPase activity, decreased D1 receptor expression, and increased D1 receptor phosphorylation …

Using Photovoice As A Tool For Community Engagement To Assess The Environment And Explore Environmental Health Disparities, Heather M. Brandt, Venice E. Haynes, Lashanta J. Rice, Dayna Campbell, Edith Williams, *Sacoby Wilson, Saundra H. Glover

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Photovoice was used as a participatory research method to document perceived local environmental hazards, pollution sources, and potential impact on health among community members to address environmental health disparities. A convenience sample of 16 adults in Orangeburg, South Carolina participated in Photovoice. Photos depicted positive and negative implications of the environment across seven themes: recreation and leisure; food access; hazards and pollution; health, human, and social services; economic issues; beautification; and accommodation and accessibility. Positive and negative photos demonstrated a high level of interest among community members in considering how the environment influences health and health disparities.

Randomized Trial To Reduce Air Particle Levels In Homes Of Smokers And Children, Suzanne C. Hughes, John Belletierre, Benjamin Nguyen, Sandy Liles, Neil E. Klepeis, Penelope J.E. Quintana, Vincent Berardi, Saori Obayashi, Savannah Bradley, C. Richard Hofstetter, Melbourne F. Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Exposure to fine particulate matter in the home from sources such as smoking, cooking, and cleaning may put residents, especially children, at risk for detrimental health effects. A randomized clinical trial was conducted from 2011 to 2016 to determine whether real-time feedback in the home plus brief coaching of parents or guardians could reduce fine particle levels in homes with smokers and children.

Design

A randomized trial with two groups—intervention and control.

Setting/participants

A total of 298 participants from predominantly low-income households with an adult smoker and a child aged <14 years. Participants were recruited during 2012–2015 from multiple sources in San Diego, mainly Women, Infants and Children Program sites.

Intervention

The multicomponent intervention consisted of continuous lights and …

Lebanon: Cholera Outbreak, Muhammad Naqvi

Global Public Health

Lebanon is a country that has always been tangled with the ever looming threat of a growing health crisis. With a failing government and massive influx of refugees, mostly the victim of their war torn economy, it seemed inevitable that sanitation procedures would run short. Now the Lebanese people and government face the challenge of the spread of Cholera, a water-borne disease, within the countries vicinity as a result of mass pollution from the formation of informal settlements as well as the country being a hotbed for political instability. These have resulted in limited success in controlling the outbreak engulfing …

Chile: Air Pollution, Kara Eder

Global Public Health

Chile faces a constant issue of air pollution, reaping respiratory health problems for citizens in urban areas. While the many cases over the past century have increased officials to take action on the issue, the growing infrastructure and economy of the country makes it difficult to regulate harmful emissions. Wood-burning heaters within urban residential areas also contribute to the unhealthy smog. Ingestion of these forms of matter in the air causes respiratory symptoms such as bronchitis and cardiovascular disease. Bans on such heaters and taxes on vehicle emissions were placed in order to prevent the severity of pollutants in the …

Myanmar: Malaria, Michelle Grevengoed

Global Public Health

Myanmar is an underdeveloped country that struggles with the problem of lack of medical access and expensive healthcare. The endemic of Malaria has been going on for several years in this country and many efforts have been made to try and decrease the Public Health issue. However, Myanmar still has the highest number of Malaria-related deaths. The Myanmar government is continuously working at improving the healthcare system to help with the Malaria endemic. However, the poor country still continues to struggle with this issue. The parasite, P. falciparum, has been an ongoing issue since it is resistant to the …

Somalia: Rift Valley Fever, Alyson Meeks

Global Public Health

This walks readers through the basic demographics of Somalia, a country located in the horn of Africa. After learning about the government in Somalia and the problems that the people of the country face, this focuses on the problem of Rift Valley Fever. Rift Valley Fever is a virus that year after year strikes Somalia and surrounding countries. Weather patterns seem to help predict when Rift Valley Fever will be at the highest risk for an outbreak. This outlines the steps the current government and people are trying to take to help prevent outbreaks of RVF. But the solutions currently …

French Polynesia: Chikungunya Virus And Fever, Chase Spicer

Global Public Health

French Polynesia, a country with very a tropical climate, consists of 118 islands in the middle of the ocean and they are all completely controlled by the nation of France. French Polynesia is a very different nation than most in a lot of ways. The aspects and culture of the people who live here are very different because they are mainly only influenced from people of neighboring islands. This place is also very interesting because of the past political corruption that has occurred, the very fluctuating economy and job market, a variety of religious beliefs, and the fact that they …

Tanzania: Hiv/Aids, Francis Faasen

Global Public Health

Tanzania has a lot of issues going on in the community, but HIV/AIDS is the number one issue they are facing. Over 5% of their population has the HIV/Aids virus. There are many interventions that have been tried in Tanzania. In the last year there have been over 50,000 new cases of HIV/Aids in Tanzania. The goal is to main those numbers go down dramatically in the coming years. The two most common interventions are trying to educate this subject at a young age and provide condoms to the population. They tried giving condoms out to the people of Tanzania …

Zika Virus, Monica A. Wong

Global Issues in Public Health

The purpose of this public health brief is to learn about the Zika virus, the epidemiology of it, and possible solutions for the virus. The Zika virus has been present in many places such as Africa, Asia, North America, and so many more. People who live in these affected areas and anyone traveling to these places where Zika has been present is at risk, especially pregnant women or women trying to conceive. While the Zika virus has a low mortality rate, the morbidity rates are higher. Some outcomes may include eye defects, hearing loss, and impaired growth. The Zika virus …

Food Insecurity: United States, Courtney Handzel

Global Issues in Public Health

Food insecurity is a global issue and has caused struggles to millions of people, specifically in the United States. This environmental issue involves not having the resources to obtain adequate food supply. The economic and social influences that affect food insecurity leave vulnerable populations, such as low-income families and minority races, at a greater disadvantage. This issue causes serious health complications to arise too, the most common being diabetes. The increased risk of diabetes due to food insecurity has been studied on several occasions and the results all show the correlation, lack of food security increases the risk of diabetes. …

Regulation Of Radioactive Fracking Waste, Elizabeth Ann Glass Geltman, Nichole Leclair

Publications and Research

Natural gas extracted form shale reached record production totals in 2015 in the United States and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts natural gas production will continue to increase. Wastes from shale gas extraction can contain the radioactive isotopes radium-226 (Ra-226) and radium-228 (Ra-228), which decay further into radon (Rn). Exposure to radon, a form of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. This article explores how states handle the disposal of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) and/or NORM waste from oil and gas operations to …

Risk Perceptions Of Cellphone Use While Driving: Results From A Delphi Survey, Motao Zhu, Toni M. Rudisill, Kimberly J. Rauscher, Danielle M. Davidov, Jing Feng

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Cellphone use while driving has been recognized as a growing and important public health issue by the World Health Organization and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveys typically collect data on overall texting while driving, but do not differentiate between various forms of cellphone use. This study sought to improve the survey indicators when monitoring cellphone use among young drivers. Experts and young drivers were recruited to propose behavioral indicators (cellphone use while driving behaviors) and consequential indicators (safety consequences of cellphone use while driving) in 2016. Subsequently, experts and young drivers selected the top indicators using the …

Organic Barn Dust Inhibits Surfactant Protein D Production Through Protein Kinase-C Alpha Dependent Increase Of Gpr116, David Schneberger, Jane M. Devasure, Shelley A. Kirychuk, Todd A. Wyatt

Journal Articles: Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health

Prolonged exposure to organic barn dusts can lead to chronic inflammation and a broad range of lung problems over time, mediated by innate immune mechanisms. The immune surfactant or collectin surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a crucial multifunctional innate immune receptor. Little work to date has examined the effect of such collectins in response to organic dusts. We provide evidence here that agricultural organic dusts can inhibit mRNA and protein expression of SP-D in a human alveolar epithelial cell line, and an in vivo mouse model. This inhibition was not a result of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or peptidoglycans, the two most …

Socio-Economic Determinants Of Physical Activity Across The Life Course: A "Determinants Of Diet And Physical Activity" (Dedipac) Umbrella Literature Review, Grainne O’Donoghue, Aileen Kennedy, Anna Puggina, Katina Aleksovska, Christoph Buck, Con Burns, Greet Cardon, Angela Carlin, Donatella Ciarapica, Marco Colotto, Giancarlo Condello, Tara Coppinger, Cristina Cortis, Sara D’Haese, Marieke De Craemer, Andrea Di Blasio, Sylvia Hansen, Licia Iacoviello, Johann Issartel, Pascal Izzicupo, Lina Jaeschke, Martina Kanning, Fiona Ling, Agnes Luzak, Giorgio Napolitano, Julie Anne Nazare, Camille Perchoux, Caterina Pesce, Tobias Pischon, Angela Polito, Alessandra Sannella, Holger Schulz

Publications

Background To date, the scientific literature on socioeconomic correlates and determinants of physical activity behaviours has been dispersed throughout a number of systematic reviews, often focusing on one factor (e.g. education or parental income) in one specific age group (e.g. pre-school children or adults). The aim of this umbrella review is to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the scientific literature from previously conducted research by summarising and synthesising the importance and strength of the evidence related to socioeconomic correlates and determinants of PA behaviours across the life course. Methods Medline, Embase, ISI Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus …

Microcephaly, Christianne E. Albers

Global Issues in Public Health

Microcephaly is a noncommunicable condition causing the head of an infant to be smaller than what is typical. Microcephaly can cause delays in developmental milestones and/or can cause other conditions such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, hearing loss and vision problems. Microcephaly is found more frequently in certain populations of the world than others, specifically those with an increased number of cases with Zika virus. Women need to take preventative measures to ensure their unborn child is safe from the Zika virus. The Zika virus is not the only way microcephaly can occur. Many other causes like exposure to …

Genomic Differences Between Nasal Staphylococcus Aureus From Hog Slaughterhouse Workers And Their Communities., Yaqi You, Li Song, Bareng A S Nonyane, Lance B Price, Ellen K Silbergeld

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

New human pathogens can emerge from the livestock-human interface and spread into human populations through many pathways including livestock products. Occupational contact with livestock is a risk factor for exposure to those pathogens and may cause further spreading of those pathogens in the community. The current study used whole genome sequencing to explore nasal Staphylococcus aureus obtained from hog slaughterhouse workers and their community members, all of whom resided in a livestock-dense region in rural North Carolina. Sequence data were analyzed for lineage distribution, pathogenicity-related genomic features, and mobile genetic elements. We observed evidence of nasal S. aureus differences between …

Climate Change: Human Health, The Developing World And The Global Response, Cole James Kriett

Theses and Graduate Projects

Changes to the Earth’s biophysical system will extend and exacerbate the rates of vector-borne infectious disease, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and lung disease, and mental health disorders. Developing nations face the greatest burden of climate sensitive human health impacts while also having the lowest capacity to adapt to these changes. Addressing these global ethical challenges cannot be accomplished without supporting organizations like UNEP or the IPCC. However, these organizations cannot achieve global sustainability alone. Human beings collectively taking responsibility for climate change will be vital to this process.

Modeling Geographic Factors And Assessing Their Accuracy In Identifying Health Disparities In Fayette County, Ian Jones

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The purpose of this capstone is to conduct a review of existing literature to determine the effects of a variety of geographic variables on health and wellness. The student will use their findings to create a visual aid to displaying these geographic factors and their distributions within Fayette County. Furthermore, the student will analyze the intersection of these variables to predict potential pockets of discrepancy within Fayette County. Based on this analysis, the student will propose possible interventions with a basis in current literature. This project will provide the student with the opportunity to conduct a study of existing literature, …

Examining The Issue Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment Among Wastewater Workers Across The Southeast Region Of The United States, Tamara L. Wright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wastewater workers are exposed to different occupational hazards such as chemicals, gases, viruses, and bacteria. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a significant factor that can reduce or increase the probability of an accident from hazardous exposures to chemicals and microbial contaminants. The purpose of this study was to identify wastewater worker’s beliefs and practices on wearing PPE and protections offered by PPE through the integration of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Participants were workers in the wastewater industry, which included wastewater operators, laboratory analysts, maintenance workers, wastewater collection workers, equipment operators, managers, and supervisors (n=272). The instrument was a self-administered …

Improving Public Health Readiness For Sea Level Rise: A New Initiative In Coastal Virginia, Steven M. Becker

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Sea level has been rising around the world, and in recent decades, the rate has been accelerating. Because rising seas have the potential to directly or indirectly affect the health of vast numbers of coastal communities and inhabitants, public health agencies and professionals—in conjunction with other fields—have a pivotal role to play in helping to protect populations, reduce and prevent health impacts, and foster resilience. This article discusses a novel effort that has been undertaken in Coastal Virginia to help prepare the next generation of public health professionals to grapple with sea level rise issues. The effort grew out of …

Extreme Smoke Events: Climate Change And Human Health In Western Montana, Sarah Luth

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Abstract not available.

Climate Change, Resilience, And Population Dynamics In Pakistan: A Case Study Of The 2010 Floods In Mianwali District, Zeba Sathar, Muhammad Khalil, Sabahat Hussain, Maqsood Sadiq, Kiren Khan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2010, Pakistan experienced massive flooding that went on uninterrupted for more than eight weeks, and seriously affected more than 20 million people. This study explores the effects of the floods on one of the most adversely affected districts, Mianwali, in Punjab province. The study focuses on four areas pertaining to resilience: movements and migration processes; shifts in poverty levels and living conditions; changes in livelihood activities; and health-seeking behavior, particularly fertility-related processes. This study highlights the need to include demographic and health information in the analysis of natural disasters. The report marks the beginning of a research agenda that …