Public Health Commons^™

The Association Of Lead With Cataracts And Vision-Related Problems In Perimenopausal Women, Imogene Drakes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Around the world, women are subject to an earlier incidence of cataracts, have a higher risk for cataracts, and also have a higher risk for other vision-related problems than men. Previous research has indicated an association between endogenous lead stored in long bones and cataracts in men over 60 years of age; however, a similar study in women did not reveal an association. This case control study was conducted to investigate whether perimenopausal mobilization of endogenous lead serves as a possible causative factor for women's generalized vision issues and cataract incidence in particular. Secondary data were gathered from 1,416 women …

Mental Health Professionals' Attitude And Perception Of Their Role In Tackling Substance Abuse And Related Disorders In Nigeria, Olubusayo Ruth Akinola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health professionals (MHPs) play a pivotal role in enhancing treatment outcomes for drug-using populations and minimizing their harm to the public. In response to a gap in the literature, this study sought to (a) assess MHPs' attitudes about the use and abuse of substances and their perception of their role in tackling substance abuse and related disorders in Nigeria, (b) identify predictors of perception, and (c) explore regional variations in attitude. Based on the validated drug and drug users' problems perception questionnaire and the substance abuse attitude survey, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a randomized sample of 292 …

Sewer Overflows And The Vector Mosquito Proximity To Human West Nile Virus Infections, Andrea Simone Bowers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

DeKalb and Fulton Counties, which share the metropolitan Atlanta area, have seen an increase in West Nile infected vector mosquitoes; the increase is associated with close proximity to combined sewer overflow facilities. Despite completion of the remediation system in 2008, the mosquito population testing positive for West Nile virus has increased each year from 2010 through 2012. Guided by the Geographical Information System framework and using spatial analysis and regression analyses, this study described and quantified the relationship between sewer system overflows and amplification of vector mosquitoes; an additional goal was to investigate their proximity to human cases of West …

The Impact Of Supply Chain Logistics Performance Index On The Control Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Farouk Adams Umaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) in low- and middle-income countries are still not on target per the World Health Organization's (WHO) elimination goal of 2020. Mass drug administration (MDA) is one of the effective strategies supported by the WHO for the control and subsequent elimination of NTD. This quantitative study explored how supply chain logistic capacity may be hampering MDA coverage in countries in which the diseases are endemic. The study examined secondary data from WHO data bank for MDA coverage, to quantify the relationship between supply chain logistics capacity, as measured by the World Bank's logistics performance index (LPIs), and …

Emergency Medical Service Worker Knowledge Of And Compliance With Occupational Exposures To Infectious Diseases, Debra Ann Wrentz-Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firefighter Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responder personnel are at a high risk for occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne infectious pathogens due to their unpredictable work duties in the pre-hospital environment. Not much is known about the compliance with Universal Precautions (UP) among firefighter EMS responders' personnel with regards to occupational exposures to infectious diseases. The purpose of this cross-sectional research study was to determine the relationship between compliance with UP, knowledge of UP, attitudes towards UP, occupational practices, and occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne pathogens to prevent transmission of infectious disease among firefighter EMS responder personnel in the …

Food Security Status And Life Events Among Households With Children In The Midlands Of South Carolina, Erin Rebekah Drucker

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Food insecurity is a major public health problem in the United States (US) with 14.5% of US households having experienced some level of food insecurity in 2012. Among households with children, 20% experienced low food security in 2012, and in half of these households, both the children and adults were affected. Food insecurity among children can have lifelong negative health and mental effects. Life events are defined as self-­‐reported life changes, which create a strain on resources and an opportunity for food insecurity, Methods: The Midlands Family Study (MFS) was a cross-­‐ sectional study that surveyed households …

Evolution In Action: Climate Change, Biodiversity Dynamics And Emerging Infectious Disease, Eric P. Hoberg, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Climatological variation and ecological perturbation have been pervasive drivers of faunal assembly, structure and diversification for parasites and pathogens through recurrent events of geographical and host colonization at varying spatial and temporal scales of Earth history. Episodic shifts in climate and environmental settings, in conjunction with ecological mechanisms and host switching, are often critical determinants of parasite diversification, a view counter to more than a century of coevolutionary thinking about the nature of complex host–parasite assemblages. Parasites are resource specialists with restricted host ranges, yet shifts onto relatively unrelated hosts are common during phylogenetic diversification of parasite lineages and directly …

Uric Acid Level Is Associated With Postprandial Lipemic Response To A High Saturated Fat Meal, Roy Gail Cutler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hyperlipidemia caused by a diet high in saturated fat can lead to visceral fat weight gain, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Being over-weight from visceral fat has been linked to increased risk of developing most age-related diseases and disability, along with a lower income potential and quality of life. However, researchers are just beginning to understand the biological mechanisms that regulate the conversion of excess calories into visceral fat storage rather than glycogen or muscle. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown a comorbid association between age-related diseases involving hyperlipemia and circulating levels of uric acid, but not a direct association. This study …

The Predictors Of Obesity In Young Adults, Dominic Richard Tarinelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is becoming an increasing health concern for young adults. There have been numerous studies on the potential predictors of obesity. However, few studies have researched the predictors of obesity in young adults. Guided by the health belief model, this quantitative cross sectional study investigated the potential predictors of obesity in young adults. The 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to gather data on the potential predictors of obesity, including physical activity, health care coverage, excessive alcohol consumption, and demographic characteristics on 1,511 young adults, aged 18-34 years, who were living in New York State. Data were analyzed …

Evaluation Of The System Attributes Of Timeliness And Completeness Of The West Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance System' Nationaledss Based System, Rebecca Lee Fahey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite technological advances in public health informatics, the evaluation of infectious

disease surveillance systems data remains incomplete. In this study, a thorough

evaluation was performed of the West Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance System

(WVEDSS, 2007-2010) and the West Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance System NationalEDSS -Based System (WVEDSS-NBS; March 2012 - March 2014) for Category II infectious diseases in West Virginia. The purpose was to identify key areas in the surveillance system process from disease diagnosis to disease prevention that need improvement. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, a quasi-experimental, interrupted, time-series design was used to evaluate the 2 data …

A Staff Development Program: Diabetes And Tb Education And Screening, Relyndo Manalo Salcedo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing body of evidence on the positive association between diabetes and tuberculosis (TB), especially in populations with low socioeconomic status. According to the CDC and the WHO, diabetes is increasingly seen as a global epidemic, one that poses a threat to global TB control. The goal of this DNP project was to develop a program to educate clinical staff on the importance of early identification of diabetic and TB patients. The logic model was chosen as the framework for this project because it allows the planner to rationally observe each stage of a project's development. The program …

Social Ecological Influences Of Wic Programming Behavior Change Of Former Wic Participants, Joyce L. Terrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Special Supplemental Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is one of many United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food subsidy programs that serves 8.6 million participants, deemed nutritionally at risk. WIC is designed to influence nutritional and health behaviors to a population least capable of functioning. The purpose of this study was to identify if participation in WIC's nutrition education activities and restricted use of food subsidy benefits had a post-factorial effect on their nutritional behaviors. This study provides data on Bronfenbrenner's social ecological influences and how it impacts on long-term behavioral change. A quantitative causal-comparative design utilizing a …

Correlation Analysis Of Climatic Variables, Migration And Dengue Cases In Southeast Florida, Brunilda Lugo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dengue fever is a debilitating, viral, mosquito-borne disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas in the world. The majority of dengue cases in the United States were acquired in endemic areas by travelers or immigrants. However, in recent years, autochthonous (locally acquired) dengue cases have been diagnosed in Florida. The purpose of this study was to find an association between potential risk factors and the expansion of dengue fever in the United States. Guided by the eco-bio-social framework, which offers a broad assessment of risk factors for the illness, a retrospective design was used with archival data to correlate changes …

Physicians' Perceptions And Practice Regarding The Prevention Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections In The Icu, Marilyn Keng-Nasang Mbi Feh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) incidence continue to rise despite all prevention efforts. The state of Georgia incidence of CAUTI between 2012 and 2013 showed an increase by 350 cases. The challenge is translating CAUTI prevention knowledge into practice by all physicians. The purpose of this correlational study was to improve the epidemiological understanding of CAUTI. Looking at physicians’ perception and practice of CAUTI preventions was necessary. A total of 336 physicians from the state of Georgia completed a 26-item survey. Additionally, a pilot study was conducted on a small sample of participants. The result of the Cronbach alpha …

Effect Of Placard Grading On Food Safety In Retail Food Facilities, Christopher Ogbonna Ogbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most people have had an episode of foodborne illness at one time or another; however, the majority of those stricken with foodborne illness fails to associate ill health with something consumed within the past 72 hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that foodborne diseases affect 30% of the population in developed countries, and that in developing countries, about 2 million people die yearly due to foodborne illness. Previous researchers have indicated that food handlers with poor personal hygiene are potential sources of infection. Although public health agencies in many countries already regularly inspect food facilities to control potential foodborne …

U.S. Army Enlisted Soldiers' Adherence To Prescribed Malaria Chemoprophylaxis In Afghanistan, Michael Paul Brisson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 13 years, the United States Army has been engaged in armed conflict within Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the United States Army has been forced to evacuate soldiers from the battlefield because of malaria, a parasitic disease that is endemic in Afghanistan. Even though the U.S. Army has adopted an effective chemoprophylaxis protocol, soldiers' adherence to their prescribed medication has been historically low. This research addressed a gap in literature regarding the adherence rates of U.S. Army enlisted soldiers to their prescribed oral malaria chemoprophylaxis. In addition, this research investigated self-reported reasons for soldiers' nonadherence to this medication. The study …

Investigating The Effect Of Arsenic On Chromium(Vi)-Induced Genotoxicity In Human Lung Fibroblasts, Jason Stewart Ms

All Student Scholarship

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compounds are well-established human lung carcinogens. Arsenic (As) is a well documented human carcinogen with long term exposure to AS in drinking water being linked to lung, kidney and liver cancer, among others. Co-exposure studies are now becoming more common as humans are not exposed to just one toxicant at a time. This is the first study to investigate the effects of co-exposure with arsenic and soluble or particulate Cr(Vi) compounds in human lung fibroblasts.

La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica: Investigando Las Preconcepciones Y Generalizaciones, Maya H. Sandalow

CMC Senior Theses

En los Estados Unidos, los latinos suelen tener menos acceso a la educación, el trabajo, y el seguro médico en comparación con los blancos no-latinos, pero aun así el grupo parece superar ciertos obstáculos de la salud. Las estadísticas de la población latina muestran mayor longevidad y otras tasas favorables en comparación con los blancos no-latinos. Los expertos han titulado esta contradicción “La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica”.

Desafortunadamente, la investigación de la paradoja está llena de generalizaciones y presuposiciones erróneas sobre la población latina diversa. Esta tesis investiga los participantes que producen generalizaciones sobre la supuesta paradoja para mostrar que estas …

Social Determinants Of Health Inequality And Life Expectancy Among Women Of Edo State, Nigeria, Daniel Aromeh Odekina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health inequality conflates a huge number of economic, social, and political issues. These issues, together described as social determinants, determine a population's health through influencing health status and life expectancy. The research purpose of this study was to examine how social determinants affected the life expectancy of the women of Edo State, based on secondary data from Nigeria's 2008 demographic and health survey (NDHS). The theories that guided the study were self-efficacy beliefs of the social cognitive theory and physical self-concept of the health belief model. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the associations between socioeconomic status, nutritional status, literacy/educational attainment, …

Impact Of Goodwill Organizations And Community Collaboration On Aids-Orphans' Needs In Nyanza Province, Kenya, Anthonia Nwagbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A number of researchers have explored the toll of AIDS on the children who have become orphans as a result of the disease; others have investigated the roles of aid-giving agencies on the alleviation of the orphans' situation. However, despite researchers' pointing to the germaneness of community and goodwill agency liaison, no study had examined the impact of such collaboration on the resources available to the orphans. To this end, the heads-of-household of 532 AIDS orphans under 18 years old in Kenya's Nyanza province were surveyed to investigate the impact of community-referral on the state of AIDS orphans with regard …

Mining And Hiv/Aids Transmission Among Marampa Mining Communities In Lunsar, Sierra Leone, Alphajoh Cham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was first reported in Sierra Leone in 1987, its prevalence rate has stabilized at 1.5% in the nation's general population. However, concerns exist regarding the potential increase in high-risk populations, particularly among mineworkers and commercial sex workers. The potential spread of HIV/AIDS as a result of labor migration may threaten the mining sector, which has been identified as a critical driver of recent economic growth and development. A gap remains in the literature regarding the contextual factors in mining communities that lead to high rates of HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the purpose of …

Increasing Knowledge About Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency In The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Population, Maureen Ann Wentink Barta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the project was to increase awareness about alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly among those with a familial history of genetic factor AATD; an additional goal was to understand its relationship to COPD. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, with more than half of COPD patients experiencing significant disabilities. Major causes for COPD include smoking, air pollution, secondary smoke, upper respiratory infections, hereditary factors, occupational factors, environmental factors, and socioeconomic factors. Genetic factors, however, also play a significant role in early onset COPD and in those …

Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision: Culture And Sexual Health In Igbo Women In Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Dorothy Ebere Ukoha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced primarily in many African countries as well as some in Asia and the Arab Peninsula; however, it also takes place elsewhere around the globe among those who migrate from countries to which it is indigenous. This study was designed (a) to investigate the prevalence of FGM among the Igbo women in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area in Texas and (b) to understand the factors that support the continuation of the practice and the effects on women's sexual health. Using a quantitative approach to examine a variety of social variables aligning with the ecological framework, …

Differentiating Demographic Factors In Latino Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Carol Lynne Manning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) data suggest that Latinos share a greater burden of disease than do non-Latino Whites with type 2 diabetes. As a result of poor glycemic control, Latinos also suffer consequences such as blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation more often than do other ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic factors of Latinos with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, as measured by a HgbA1c of 7 or less (n = 118) to Latinos not well controlled (n = 105). This cross sectional study used a secondary data set with a sample selected from …

Albumin Levels In Hispanic Dialysis Patients With And Without Type Ii Diabetes, Hector Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Albumin provides the vital scaffolding for growth and tissue repair and supports oncotic blood pressure and hemodynamics. In hemodialysis patients, albumin aids with fluid removal by drawing excess fluid from edematous tissues back into the blood where it can then be removed by a dialyzer. The hyperglycemia seen in dialysis patients with Type II diabetes progressively damages kidney glomeruli, which permits albumin seepage into the urine, thus lowering serum albumin. The conceptual framework underpinning this research is the van't Hoff theory of osmotic pressure. Under this framework, the solute-solvent relationship largely contributes to the osmotic movement of fluid. The purpose …

Sociodemographic Predictors Of Medication Nonadherence Among Latinos Diagnosed With Diabetes Type Ii, Bianca L. Tristan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latinos of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately affected by diabetes Type II complicated by poor adherence to diabetes Type II medications and management programs. Self-management of diabetes Type II is a tool used to teach health education to patients with diabetes. The objective of this retrospective quantitative study was to explore if there are predictors of nonadherence to diabetes Type II medications and programs among Latinos with diabetes Type II. Data from 200 patient records from a community clinic in Fresno County California were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Selected sociodemographic independent variables were age, gender, income, migrant …

Predictors Of Full Childhood Immunization Status In Owerri, Nigeria, Osuala Uzor Kelvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Full (complete) childhood immunization against tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, yellow fever, measles, and the maternal retention of immunization documentation are the most cost-effective interventions against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. The full childhood immunization rate in Nigeria has not reached the expected target level of compliance at 90%. Using the social ecological model, this study investigated the influence of maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and paternal support on full childhood immunization status; it also examined the association between maternal factors and the maternal retention of immunization documentation in Owerri, Nigeria. The hypotheses were that maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and …

The Role Of Sociodemographic Characteristics And Antiretroviral Prophylaxis On Risky Sexual Behavior Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Leonard Obodo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent multicenter, randomized, double blind clinical trials have shown no association between HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and increased sexual risk behavior among high-risk men who have sex with men (MSM). However, little research has been conducted under natural conditions devoid of clinical trial controlled environment to confirm the lack of association between PrEP and increased sexual risk behavior. Also, research has shown conflicting associations between sociodemographic characteristics and sexual risk behavior among MSM. In this cross-sectional, web-based, primary data analysis, MSM who reside in United States of America (USA) and who make use of PrEP for HIV prevention were examined …

Crash Risk Associated With Cellular Phone Use While Driving, Tiffani Ann Fordyce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are inconsistencies in the published literature on the effect of cellular phone use while driving. The objective of this study was to estimate an adjusted nationwide crash rate associated with cell phone use while driving and to compare statewide crash rates prior to and following the implementation of legislation banning cell phone use while driving. Crash rates in nationally representative databases were calculated based on imputed values for cell phone use using the propensity score method. The imputed nationwide crash rate for fatal crashes (1.61 per 100 fatal crashes) and all crashes (1.409 per 100 crashes) represented a 2 …

Examination Of Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Ovarian Cancer Stage Of Diagnosis, Surgery Treatment And Survival: Multilevel Analysis Of 2001-2012 Seer Data, Chen Chen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Context. Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes are major public health concerns. Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Identifying individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer stage of diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival is necessary for reducing and eliminating these disparities.

Objective. The study aims to examine racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer diagnosis, surgery treatment and survival outcomes; to explore individual- and contextual-level factors contributing to these disparities, and to examine the trend of ovarian cancer racial/ethnic disparities from 2001 to 2012.

Methods. The …