Public Health Commons^™

Patrol Car Swab Sampling For Biological Agents, Haylie Corcho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement personnel have a variety of responsibilities and subsequently, a variety of different exposures. Biological agents are common in the environment and therefore, these exposures are a concern in the profession. There is a gap in research into biological agent exposures in this profession, particularly how it relates to surface contamination and within the officers’ vehicles. There is also a lack of standardized decontamination procedures for patrol vehicles, allowing for the potential persistence of these agents. The purpose of this study is to understand which biological agents are most common in patrol cars, which areas within the vehicles have …

Incidence Of Reportable Exertional Heat Illness During Deepwater Horizon Cleanup, Fisher R. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between incidence of recordable exertional heat illness (EHI) and daily high wet bulb globe temperature (WBGTmax) or daily high Heat Index (HImax). Additionally, the effect of the previous day’s exposure to heat stress was investigated. Illness and injury records were collected during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. All OSHA recordable EHI cases were extracted for study. The highest estimated WBGT and HI on the day of incident were compared to the prior day. The overall incidence of recordable EHIs was 0.74 cases/100 FTE and the incidence for exposures ≥ …

An Assessment Of A Haptic-Based Ergonomic Intervention At An Aerospace Manufacturing Facility, Chase Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of a haptic-based intervention designed to reduce hand motions and, consequently, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among operators in a manufacturing facility. The intervention involved using ergonomic gloves equipped with haptic feedback, intended to encourage proper hand motion and reduce unnecessary movements.

Over a six-month period, data was collected from operators wearing the haptic gloves, focusing on two key metrics: Duty Cycle and Motion Rate. These metrics were chosen to normalize the data, accounting for the variability in duration for each individual operator who wore the device. …

Slip Resistance Evaluation Of 10 Indoor Floor Surfaces, David P. Gilkey, Daniel Autenrieth, Cal Snow, Cody Hays, Sarah Girard, Lorri Birkenbuel

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Slip and fall injuries and fatalities continue to be a signiϐicant problem at work and in the community. Water is the most common contaminant that reduces traction on ϐloors and other walkway surfaces resulting in a slip and fall event. This project investigated 10 common ϐlooring surfaces to assess their slip resistance when dry vs wet and coated vs uncoated. Investigators used the English XL Variable Incidence Tribometer to measure slip resistance under all conditions. Results revealed a signiϐicant (p - value < 0.05) loss of slip resistance when wet vs dry. Investigators also found signiϐicant (p - value < 0.05) increases in traction when using a coating under wet conditions. Researchers support the use of coatings for ϐloors and walkway surfaces that increase traction and reduce the chances of slip and fall events under all conditions.

Seven Attributes Of Risk Assessment, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Key Takeaways:

- Risk assessment matrixes provide a measurement-like tool for characterizing hazard risk by accounting for severity and likelihood. The best matrix format depends on the needs of the organization.

- The many differences between risk matrixes are due to seven attributes: fundamental elements, orientation, size, axes scales, row and column header terms, risk indicators, and cell colors.

- This article focuses on the two-factor model of risk as a function of severity and likelihood. It was developed with the aim of sharing with the occupational safety community an appreciation for risk assessment matrixes beyond what is typically found …

Condiciones Laborales De La Floricultura En Colombia, Alexander Thibado

University Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the laboral conditions and the socioeconomic implications of the Colombian floriculture industry. The proportion of employment opportunities for rural Colombian peasant women is examined and how it challenges traditional gender structures in Colombia and the empowerment of the female workers. Likewise the controversy of domestic violence is addressed and how workshops given in flower farms contribute to its prevention and addressing. In addition, the usage of pesticides in flower production and its significance for the health of the workers is examined, highlighting the associated risks with long-term exposure to chemical pesticides and the importance of protection and …

Exploring The Implementation Of Safety Resilience Assessment In Industries: A Systematic Literature Review, Mufti Wirawan, Fatma Lestari, Zulkifli Djunaidi, Azka Hafia, Agra Mohamad Khaliwa, Muhammad Schehan Al Azhar

Kesmas

Safety Resilience discusses how a work process can run properly not only aims at preventing adverse events, but also increasing work productivity and effectiveness by increasing resilience. The concept of resilience has been widely suggested as safety management due to its ability to support organizations to continue operating even when facing unexpected demands or scale disruptions by improving their day-to-day performance. This study used a systematic literature review to explore the implementation of safety resilience in various industries. The results showed that 50% of articles used the Resilience Assessment Grid instrument to measure safety resilience in the workplace. In brief, …

Exploring The Multifaceted Nature Of Occupational Stress Among Nurses: A Systematic Review, Bala Murali Sundram, Suriya Kumareswaran Vallasamy, Umairah Muhadi

Kesmas

This systematic review examined occupational stress among nurses, its multifaceted nature, and its significant impact on healthcare delivery and nurse well-being globally. This study identified various stressors, including intrinsic job factors, organizational structure, role expectations, interpersonal relationships, and career development. Using the Cooper and Marshall stress model, a thorough literature search was conducted across databases like ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar, focusing on publications from 2010 to 2023. This rigorous approach included diverse research methodologies, emphasizing studies measuring outcomes related to occupational stress and mental health among nurses. A total of 10 studies met …

Analysis Of Factors Affecting Hospital Risk Management In Indonesia: The Sem-Pls Approach, Dihartawan Dihartawan, Fatma Lestari, Baiduri Widanarko, Besral Besral

Kesmas

Healthcare workers, especially those in hospitals, face a variety of complex hazards and exposures. One of the essential aspects of reducing risks and dangers is effective risk management. This study used a cross-sectional approach to survey the implementation of occupational health and safety management systems in Indonesian hospitals and to identify factors predisposing hospital risk management in Indonesia. A purposive sampling method was employed to select 90 hospitals distributed across 10 provinces in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation, and SEM-PLS. A total of 44 hospitals (48.9%) had complete status plenary, and the majority were type C hospitals …

Addressing Farm Safety: Farm Safety Dinner Theaters In The Shenandoah Valley, Tammy Kiser, Michelle Seekford, Jeremy Daubert

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Statistics demonstrate that farm safety and wellness issues affect all ages in the agricultural community. However, an increased proportion of youth and older farm workers comprise the highest rates of farm-related morbidity and mortality. Engaging farmers in increasing safe practices in the agricultural community is an important, ongoing challenge.

Methodology

Farm Safety Dinner Theaters, an initiative created through community-based participatory research (CBPR) at the University of Kentucky, provide a relaxed environment where farmers and their families can identify safety and wellness issues, watch as the actors process these issues, and enjoy a meal. Seeing the situations played out in theater …

Occupational Fatality Surveillance Data: Communication Issues, Misunderstandings, And Misuses, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Every occupational fatality is a tragedy for the person, family, fellow employees, and the employer. Efforts for preventing these deaths involve a multi-faceted approach, one of which is tracking the cases in order to increase understanding of the circumstances involved in the fatal incident. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains an extensive collection of data on occupational fatalities and publishes the information in multi-page spreadsheets. When properly used, fatality data can be useful for setting research priorities and documenting the importance of particular fatality-related subject matter. For justifying research on prevention, the most useful data involves …

Le Coût Des Lésions Psychologiques Liées Au Travail Au Québec, Martin Lebeau, Jaunathan Bilodeau, Marc-Antoine Busque

Portraits statistiques

Cette étude présente une analyse statistique des coûts des lésions psychologiques liées au travail au Québec. Les coûts financiers et humains engendrés par les lésions psychologiques acceptées à la Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), survenues entre 2014 et 2019, ont été évalués à 1,01 milliard de dollars. Cela correspond à un coût annuel moyen de 169 millions de dollars et un coût moyen par lésion de 121 590 $. En dollars constants, les coûts annuels de ces lésions ont augmenté de 195 % sur les six années à l’étude.

Les …

Gender-Based Differences In Stress And Coping Among Farmers: A Cross-Sectional Study With Propensity Score Matching, Anne Montgomery, James B. Dunaway, Stephanie M. Basey, Chris T. Scoggins, Lily R. Baucom

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

This cross-sectional study compares the mental health experiences of male and female farmers, with a particular focus on stress levels, stressors, and coping mechanisms. The research aims to shed light on gender-based differences in stress experiences and coping strategies among agricultural workers. The study involved 1,394 farmers (67.7% male, 32.3% female) from Georgia, USA, who completed an online survey on aspects of mental well-being.

Findings indicate that female farmers were more likely to hold farm manager roles and less likely to be farm owners. Notably, a higher proportion of female farmers were first-generation farmers, indicating potential unique challenges for this …

Improving Healthcare Workers’ Biohazardous Spill Safe Handling Skills, Zeina Mhanna, Ahmad Tassi

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

All healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to biohazardous material. Biohazardous material may come in the form of spills, posing a risk of infection to (HCWs) who are not trained on how to safely handle them. While international guidelines recommend training HCWs on how to safely handle biohazardous spills in order to improve their skills, there are no studies that tackled this recommendation. The aim of this study is to improve HCWs’ biohazardous spill safe handling skills through training, and to evaluate the association between the HCWs’ improvement level and demographical characteristics. The study was conducted in a Southern Lebanese hospital …

Female Leaders In Occupational Safety And Health: Perceived Barriers And Potential Interventions, Jacqueline Basham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Limited research exists about the challenges women face working as leaders within the occupational safety and health (OSH) industry. This study aimed to help fill this gap by utilizing key informant interviews to qualitatively analyze what the perceptions of female safety leaders were within OSH related to barriers and interventions to sustain or increase the number of female safety leaders. Both convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods were utilized to recruit female safety leaders to participate in key informant interviews. In order to be eligible for inclusion in the study, participants needed to identify as female, be safety leaders currently …

Protocols For Enhancing The Role And Value Of Spiritual Care Resources In The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Garrett Harper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the assessment of innovative practices in police chaplaincy. The purpose of the project intervention is to develop protocols that can guide police chaplains through an assessment process. The intervention relies on practical theology as exemplified through the ministry of chaplaincy. This ministry comprises police chaplains offering spiritual comfort to persons encountering critical incidents involving violence, accident, or other trauma-intensive events and situations. Adoption of innovations can allow police chaplains to be more effective in fulfilling many outward-focused tasks such as delivery of death notifications. I conclude that: (1) police chaplaincy is amenable to use of protocols to …

Spatial Hearing In Simulated Reverberant Classroom Environments, Gabriel Seth Evan Weeldreyer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spatial hearing provides access to auditory spatial cues that promote speech perception in noisy listening situations. However, reverberation degrades auditory spatial cues and limits listeners’ ability to utilize these cues for segregating target speech from competing babble. Hence, spatial unmasking—an intelligibility benefit from a spatial separation between a target and masker—is reduced in reverberant environments as compared to free field. This work tests the hypothesis that interaural decorrelation, the result of increasing reverberation, will broaden the perceived auditory source width with a cascading effect of reduced auditory spatial acuity and subsequently poorer spatial unmasking. To understand the perceptual consequences of …

Seasonal Comparison Of Air Quality Variables And Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide And Particulate Measurement Period In Classrooms, Daud Nosham

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Indoor air quality and thermal environmental variables were measured in 55 classrooms in the mid-western United States spanning a full academic year. The studied air quality and environmental factors included carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, particle counts, air velocity, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone.

Carbon dioxide and Particulate matter concentrations were measured for a four-day measurement period. Then one-day, two-day, and four-day occupied time average concentrations were calculated which were then compared statistically to figure out an appropriate measurement period for these air quality variables. Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon test were used to …

Risk Evaluation In Occupational Safety And Health Research: Results From A Benchmarking Exercise Of Federal And Academic Irbs, Sarah A Felknor, Jessica M K Streit, Angela M Morley, John D Piacentino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Research involving working populations can pose unique ethical and risk evaluation challenges. The purpose of this benchmarking project was to assess how federal agencies and academic institutions approach the interpretation and application of key risk evaluation concepts in research involving workers in their places of employment.

METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted to ascertain current practices related to assessing soundness of research design, determining risk reasonableness and research relatedness of risks, and evaluating the risk of noninvasive clinical tests in occupational settings.

RESULTS: There were noteworthy commonalities among the approaches described to review and address critical aspects of risk …

Well-Being Behaviors And Outcomes In Arkansas Teachers: A Qualitative Analysis Of Teachers In Arkansas During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashton Elizabeth Human

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to teachers and emphasized those already existing in the education system. The increased reliance upon technology and lack of administrative support perceived during distance learning led to lower levels of commitment to teaching and increased levels of teacher burnout. Burnout risk is associated with an increased workload, exhaustion from job demands, cynicism toward the professional community and has been shown to have a negative relationship with well-being. Teachers experiencing burnout are unable to establish positive relationships with students, understand students’ needs, stay in contact with trends in the education field, or provide pedagogically …

Fighting Fire And Fumes: Risk Awareness And Protective Practices Among Western Australian Firefighters, Kiam Padamsey, Ruth Wallace, Adelle Liebenberg, Martyn Cross, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: In Western Australia, the issue of bushfires (wildfires) poses a persistent health risk to both volunteer and career forestry firefighters, populations that have been historically understudied. Aims: This descriptive qualitative study aimed to examine firefighters' level of understanding concerning hazardous exposures, their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols and their decontamination practices. Methods: Guided by the socioecological model, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with firefighters representing both volunteer and forestry sectors. Key results: Results indicate a gap in knowledge regarding the health risks associated with bushfire-generated smoke and contaminants among volunteer firefighters. Forestry firefighters, conversely, showed a greater awareness of …

The New Professional: Prioritize Self-Care To Avoid Burnout, Amrita Patel Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this inaugural column, “The New Dentist”, Dr. Amrita Patel shares her journey of recognizing and combating burnout in dentistry. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, boundary-setting, delegation, and seeking support. By prioritizing these strategies, professionals can safeguard their well-being, enhance job satisfaction, and deliver quality patient care without falling victim to burnout's detrimental effects.

Potential Impact Of Annual Vaccination With Reformulated Covid-19 Vaccines: Lessons From The Us Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, Sung-Mok Jung, Sara L Loo, Emily Howerton, Lucie Contamin, Claire P Smith, Erica C Carcelén, Katie Yan, Samantha J Bents, John Levander, Jessi Espino, Joseph C Lemaitre, Koji Sato, Clifton D Mckee, Alison L Hill, Matteo Chinazzi, Jessica T Davis, Kunpeng Mu, Alessandro Vespignani, Erik T Rosenstrom, Sebastian A Rodriguez-Cartes, Julie S Ivy, Maria E Mayorga, Julie L Swann, Guido España, Sean Cavany, Sean M Moore, T Alex Perkins, Shi Chen, Rajib Paul, Daniel Janies, Jean-Claude Thill, Ajitesh Srivastava, Majd Al Aawar, Kaiming Bi, Shraddha Ramdas Bandekar, Anass Bouchnita, Spencer J Fox, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Przemyslaw Porebski, Srini Venkatramanan, Aniruddha Adiga, Benjamin Hurt, Brian Klahn, Joseph Outten, Jiangzhuo Chen, Henning Mortveit, Amanda Wilson, Stefan Hoops, Parantapa Bhattacharya, Dustin Machi, Anil Vullikanti, Bryan Lewis, Madhav Marathe, Harry Hochheiser, Michael C Runge, Katriona Shea, Shaun Truelove, Cécile Viboud, Justin Lessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause significant hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Its continued burden and the impact of annually reformulated vaccines remain unclear. Here, we present projections of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States for the next 2 years under 2 plausible assumptions about immune escape (20% per year and 50% per year) and 3 possible CDC recommendations for the use of annually reformulated vaccines (no recommendation, vaccination for those aged 65 years and over, vaccination for all eligible age groups based on FDA approval).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: The COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub …

Study Protocol: Identifying Transcriptional Regulatory Alterations Of Chronic Effects Of Blast And Disturbed Sleep In United States Veterans, Molly J. Sullan, Kelly A. Stearns-Yoder, Zhaoyu Wang, Andrew J. Hoisington, Adam D. Brenoweth, Walter Carr, Yongchao Ge, Hanga Galfalvy, Fatemah Haghighi, Lisa A. Brenner

Faculty Publications

Injury related to blast exposure dramatically rose during post-911 era military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is among the most common injuries following blast, an exposure that may not result in a definitive physiologic marker (e.g., loss of consciousness). Recent research suggests that exposure to low level blasts and, more specifically repetitive blast exposure (RBE), which may be subconcussive in nature, may also impact long term physiologic and psychological outcomes, though findings have been mixed. For military personnel, blast-related injuries often occur in chaotic settings (e.g., combat), which create challenges in the immediate assessment of …

Association Of Blast Exposure In Military Breaching With Intestinal Permeability Blood Biomarkers Associated With Leaky Gut, Qingkun Liu, Zhaoyu Wang, Shengnan Sun, Jeffrey Nemes, Lisa A. Brenner, Miciej Skotak, Christina R. Lavalle, Yongchao Ge, Walter Carr, Fatemeh Haghighi

Faculty Publications

Injuries and subclinical effects from exposure to blasts are of significant concern in military operational settings, including tactical training, and are associated with self-reported concussion-like symptomology and physiological changes such as increased intestinal permeability (IP), which was investigated in this study. Time-series gene expression and IP biomarker data were generated from “breachers” exposed to controlled, low-level explosive blast during training. Samples from 30 male participants at pre-, post-, and follow-up blast exposure the next day were assayed via RNA-seq and ELISA. A battery of symptom data was also collected at each of these time points that acutely showed elevated symptom …

Risk Assessment Of Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposure For Emergency Responders, Jill A. Ireland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emergency responders face a significant risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens (BBPs), such as HIV and hepatitis, due to the nature of their work environment. This study investigates this issue utilizing a dual approach of data analysis and online surveys to assess exposure rates, risk perceptions, factors that contribute to risk and prevention practices. In addressing issues ranging from personal protective equipment (PPE) usage to levels of concern surrounding blood and bodily fluid contact, the findings underscore the need for tailored safety measures, comprehensive education, and improved prevention strategies.

The examination of 346 worker's compensation exposure claims highlighted a significant …

Interrelationships Among Local Values Of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Heat Index, And Adjusted Temperature, Andrea Giraldo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupational heat stress significantly affects outdoor workers who face challenges due to increased heat exposure. Because of the prevalence of heat illness, it is important to measure heat stress for outdoor workers. Monitoring occupational heat stress most often relies on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure. Heat Index (HI) is a widely used measure to account for air temperature and humidity. Adjusted Temperature (Tadj) considers air temperature, humidity and estimates radiant heat. There is interest in predicting WBGT from HI and HI from WBGT. This study builds on previous USF research by Bernard and Iheanacho and Irvin to evaluate …

Work Ability Among Older Workers In An Agricultural Community In Nan Province, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jate Ratanachina, Wilawan Mormoon

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: There is a global challenge regarding demographic change together with theaging population. Research on work ability among older workers in an agricultural area remains crucial, particularly in Thailand, an aged society country with thirty percent of its working population in the agricultural sector.

Objective: To estimate work ability among older workers in an agricultural community and to determine the relationship between work ability and its associations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of adults aged 40 to 65 was conducted in an agricultural community in Nan province, Thailand, between May and August 2019. The study participants consisted of 345 villagers …

Enhancing Patient Safety In Spain: Streamlining Adverse Event Detection In Occupational Healthcare Records, Diego Moya, Rafael Manzanera, Jordi Ortner, Marta Torres, Joan Carles Serfaty, Carme Sauri, Ma. Lourdes D. Jimenez, Jose Joaquin Mira

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Given the lack of previous studies on adverse events (AEs) in the area of occupational healthcare in Spain, it is very important to begin to understand this phenomenon in order to act on it. The objective was to accurately quantify AE occurring in occupational healthcare in MC Mutual during May 2021.

Methods

We conducted a review of a representative random sample of 250 clinical records to identify AEs through an active search audit, focused on the frequency, type, severity, and preventability of these events, categorized using standardized scales.

Results

We detected seven AEs in the sample of clinical records, …

Personal Dosimeter Testing For High Altitude Air Crew, Seth D. Bacon

Theses and Dissertations

In 2014 the Thermo Scientific N2 electronic personal dosimeter became the aircrews’ sole means to record ionizing radiation dose. The production of this dosimeter was discontinued in July of 2021, motivating the Air Force to seek a flight-certifiable replacement. The Thermo Scientific Trudose NG, Mirion DMC 3000, and Fuji NRF-51 electronic personal dosimeters, as well as the Landauer InLight optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter, were subjected to mixed gamma and fast neutron fields simulating a high-altitude flight environment. Dosimeters are evaluated on their consistency and accuracy in reporting dose and compared to the current N2 dosimeter’s reported dose.