Public Health Commons^™

Exploring The Influences Of Culture On Hand-Hygiene Beliefs Of Foreign-Born Healthcare Workers, Sheila Blanche Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe hand-hygiene practices of nonadherent health care workers (HCWs) are a major threat to patient safety and thus continue to be a concern for healthcare leaders and administrators worldwide. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are linked to HCWs' unclean hands, are prevalent throughout global healthcare settings. Global migration in the nursing profession and intercontinental travel among direct patient care providers make it challenging for healthcare leaders to sustain HCWs' adherence to hand-hygiene practices. The purpose of this grounded study was to explore the influence of the cultural beliefs about hand-hygiene practices of foreign-born HCWs. The theory of planned behavior was used …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status And Ethnicity On Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients, Donald Garret Abshier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating respiratory condition that leads to significant medial and financial burdens. For many patients with COPD, multiple socioeconomic factors contribute to health disparities, including income, education, employment status, and race/ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of SES and race/ethnicity on COPD patients. For this cross-sectional study, using secondary data analysis, the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), which discusses five levels of influence, was utilized. Data from over 3,222 participants aged 18 and over, living in Nevada were obtained from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study. …

Melanoma Cancer Survivors: An Online Community Perspective And Prevention Effort, Lisa Marie Chung

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMelanoma cancer is a major public health issue and has been associated with tanning and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Minimal information is known about prevention efforts specific to survivors of melanoma cancer who participate in an online community. Surveys of this community differ from previous research of individuals through nononline research; the online community is more likely to be younger in age, comfortable seeking health information using Internet resources, and more advanced in technological capabilities. The main aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the impact of age, gender, and race on melanoma prevention efforts (health maintenance and skin …

Mental Health Literacy Among Rural And Urban Young Adults In Zambia, Etta Y. Mwambwa-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Misconceptions that negatively influence attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are still prevalent in Zambia. Researchers have reported that young adults are the most impacted population for mental disorders in Zambia. Researchers have also highlighted mental health literacy (MHL) as a useful strategy for influencing positive attitudes and beliefs about mental disorders. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between levels of MHL and attitudes and beliefs about mental illness and health-seeking behaviors of Zambian young adults aged 18 to 24. The study used the health belief theoretical model. A MHL questionnaire was used to …

A Case Of Primary Infertility Treated With Icsi And Tesa, Saumya Raj

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Implementación De Políticas De Prevención Y Control De La Obesidad Infantil En Estados Unidos Y Latinoamérica: Lecciones Para La Investigación Y La Práctica Transfronterizas, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Elizabeth Rhodes, Olga L. Sarmiento, Camila Corvalan, Rachel Sturke, Susan Vorkoper

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Aunque se han hecho avances en el desarrollo y aplicación a gran escala de inter-venciones eficaces contra la obesidad infantil, los retos siguen siendo importantes. Nuestro objetivo era comprender las causas del éxito de Estados Unidos y los países latinoamericanos en la implementación de políticas y programas (PYP) contra la obe-sidad e identificar oportunidades de mejora aplicando los principios de la ciencia de la implementación. Seleccionamos tres estudios de comparación de casos: (1) el etique-tado frontal en los envases de alimentos (México y Chile), (2) los programas de calles abiertas y calles para el juego (Colombia y Estados Unidos) y …

Hand Hygiene For Health Promotion, Phyllis Knight-Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

For many years public health organizations, such as The World Health Organization (WHO) and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have stressed the need for proper hand hygiene. Proper hand hygiene requires a prescribed process to rid the hands of potentially infecting organisms by using soap and water (handwashing) or hand sanitizer (sanitizing). These processes need to be performed at critical times to promote infection prevention. Many studies have shown that hand hygiene is a learned behavior that becomes habitual over time, and behavior change mechanisms in addition to education are needed to affect a long-term change in …

Factors Associated With Lifestyle Modification For Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management And Prevention, Leigh Anne Koonmen

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, affecting roughly 13% of U.S. adults aged 18 years or older. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases and is characterized by the progressive development of insulin resistance leading to sustained elevated blood glucose levels. Management of type 2 diabetes includes risk-reduction strategies and continuous medical care to prevent the development of complications.

Lifestyle is a major contributing factor to morbidity and mortality rates in the United States. Preventative health behaviors, such as engaging in physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and following a healthy …

Increasing Physical Activity In Older Australians To Reduce Falls: A Program Evaluation, Kristy Robson, Nazmul Ahasan, Carly Barnes, Kylie Murphy, Rodney Pope

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: As people age, they are at greater risk of injurious falls. Falling has a significant impact not only on the individual but also the wider community. Undertaking physical activity is effective in reducing the rate of falls in this population. Therefore, providing targeted education during group-based falls prevention programs may increase the awareness and amount of physical activity older people undertake to assist in reducing their risk of falling. Methods: A longitudinal cohort design involving a pre-post intervention survey was conducted over an eight-month period with community-dwelling older adults who participated in a fall-prevention program. Participants were N = …

Reducing Objectification Could Tackle Stigma In The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence From China, Youli Chen, Jiahui Jin, Xiangyang Zhang, Qi Zhang, Weizhen Dong, Chun Chen

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Stigmatization associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is expected to be a complex issue and to extend into the later phases of the pandemic, which impairs social cohesion and relevant individuals' well-being. Identifying contributing factors and learning their roles in the stigmatization process may help tackle the problem. This study quantitatively assessed the severity of stigmatization against three different groups of people: people from major COVID-19 outbreak sites, those who had been quarantined, and healthcare workers; explored the factors associated with stigmatization within the frameworks of self-categorization theory and core social motives; and proposed solutions to resolve stigma. The …

Deep Brain Stimulation For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Real World Experience Post-Fda-Humanitarian Use Device Approval, Lora Kahn, Brianne Sutton, Helena R. Winston, Aviva Abosch, John A. Thompson, Rachel E. Davis

Faculty Publications

While case series have established the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it has been our experience that few OCD patients present without comorbidities that affect outcomes associated with DBS treatment. Here we present our experience with DBS therapy for OCD in patients who all have comorbid disease, together with the results of our programming strategies. For this case series, we assessed five patients who underwent ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) DBS for OCD between 2015 and 2019 at the University of Colorado Hospital. Every patient in this cohort exhibited comorbidities, including substance use disorders, eating …

Validity Of A Four-Item Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale For Assessing Water Issues Related To Health And Well-Being, Sera L. Young, Joshua D. Miller, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Godfred O. Boateng, Zeina Jamaluddine, Torsten B. Neilands

Faculty Publications

We sought to determine whether a shortened version of the 12-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale, which measures water insecurity equivalently in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is valid for broad use. Using data from 9,261 households in 25 LMICs, subsets of candidate items were evaluated on their predictive accuracy, criterion validity, and sensitivity-specificity. A subset with items assessing "worry," "changing plans," "limited drinking water," and "inability to wash hands" because of problems with water (range: 0-12) were highly correlated with full HWISE Scale scores (correlation coefficient: 0.949-0.980) and introduced minimal additional error (root mean square error: 2.13-2.68). Criterion …

Moving Beyond Giving Free Food: Specific Targeting And Tailoring In Response To Child Food Insecurity, Maryah Stella Fram, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Megf10 Deficiency Impairs Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Migration And Muscle Regeneration, Chengcheng Li, Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco, Madhurima Saha, Rachel M. Davis, Kelsey A. Manko, Isabelle Draper, Christina A. Pacak, Peter B. Kang

Faculty Publications

Biallelic loss-of-function MEGF10 mutations lead to MEGF10 myopathy, also known as early onset myopathy with areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia (EMARDD). MEGF10 is expressed in muscle satellite cells, but the contribution of satellite cell dysfunction to MEGF10 myopathy is unclear. Myofibers and satellite cells were isolated and examined from Megf10 and wild-type mice. A separate set of mice underwent repeated intramuscular barium chloride injections. Megf10 muscle satellite cells showed reduced proliferation and migration, while Megf10 mouse skeletal muscles showed impaired regeneration. Megf10 deficiency is associated with impaired muscle regeneration, due in part to defects in satellite cell function. Efforts to …

Association Between Learning Methods And Analgesic Opioid Abuse, Nicole Marie Blanchard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioids are an extremely addictive class of medication used to treat pain; overprescribing practices and chronic misuse has led to an epidemic that continues to grow. The opioid epidemic not only has the potential to cause injury or even death but also has a large impact on the U.S. economy. Research regarding determinants of abuse are needed to improve safeguards for opioid abuse prevention. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if learning capabilities and/or learning medium preference are correlated with analgesic opioid abuse. The social-ecological model was used to evaluate the social levels of influence for abuse …

Physical Distress And Psychological Outcomes: An Examination Of Hurricane Katrina Rebuilders, Danita M. Muse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHurricane Katrina made land fall in New Orleans on August 29, 2005. When Hurricane Katrina came ashore at the mouth of the Mississippi River it struck with such vengeance that the protective levees surrounding the New Orleans area were breached. The purpose of this quantitative research is to broaden the understanding the relationship between two phenomena: physical distress and posttraumatic growth among Hurricane Katrina rebuilders who rebuilt their lives 15 years following a natural disaster along the Gulf Coast. The Conservation of Resources and Self-Efficacy Theory were the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions examined if statistically significant …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Sickle Cell Disease Patients And Parents/Caretakers On Alternative Treatment Options For Pain Management, Elizabeth Hagan Asamoah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is marked by excruciating chronic pain, commonly known as pain crisis. SCD healthcare practitioners (HCPs) have been employing palliative care as a mainstream treatment option to manage SCD pain crises using mainly opioid analgesics for years. Due to the current opioid crisis, however, it has become imperative to explore alternative regimens to manage the pain and associated comorbidities of SCD. Thus, the goals of this study included exploring alternative treatment options for SCD pain crisis management with the intent of decreasing SCD patients’ dependency on opioid-based or related analgesics while reducing the frequency of pain crises …

Cell Phone Use And Adolescent Weight Problems, Florence Kenkor Njang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOverweightinadolescenceincreasestheriskofobesityandmanyadversehealthoutcomeslaterinlife.The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectionalstudy was to investigatetheassociationbetweencell phoneuseandweightstatusinadolescents,ages14 17yearsold,livingintheUnitedStates.Thesocio-ecologicalmodel(SEM)wasusedtoexplainthelinkbetweencellphoneuseandoverweightamongadolescents.Threeresearchquestionswere used to explore(a)therelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentweightstatusaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace;(b)the effectofcellphoneuseonoverweightandnormalweightstatusesamongadolescentsaged 14 17yearsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity;and(c)themodifyingeffectofraceontherelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentoverweightaftercontrollingforageandgender.Secondary data from the2017YouthRiskBehavioralSurveillanceSystemwere analyzed usingbinarylogisticregressiontoanswer theresearchquestions.Highcellphoneusesignificantlyandpositivelypredictedoverweightinadolescentsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace(p<0.001).Afteraccountingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity,highcellphoneusewasasignificantpredictorofoverweight(p<0.001).Similarly,racehadasignificantmodifyingeffectonthepositiveassociationbetweenhighcelluseandoverweightamongadolescents(p<0.001).Thekeypositivesocialchange implication of this studyis the potentialtointegratehealthycellphoneusewithexistingobesitypublichealthinterventionsthatcanreduceoverweightandpositivelyimpactindividuals,families,andcommunities.

African American Females And Herpes Simplex Virus 2: A Basic Interpretive Qualitative Study, Cherlisa Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, African American females are most susceptible to HSV-2 and are often asymptomatically diagnosed. Yet, the perceived benefit of discussing sexual health as well as recognizing a need to discuss HSV-2 with a healthcare provider was an identified gap in the existing research and current study findings. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to understand the experiences of African American females who received an asymptomatic HSV-2 diagnosis. The health belief model constructs guided this study. Outlined through semi-structured interviews were the experiences of seven African American females diagnosed with HSV-2 in Fulton County, GA, as …

Sexual Behaviors Associated With Online Partner-Seeking Among Men Who Have Sex With Men From Small/Midsized Towns Or Rural Areas In Kentucky, Vira Pravosud

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

The HIV epidemic remains one of the most significant public health issues in the United States, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). New avenues for partner-seeking have emerged over the past three decades, including through the Internet, social media, and geosocial networking applications. Consisting of three cross-sectional studies, this dissertation research aimed to determine associations between the use of various online tools for partner-seeking (hereafter collectively referred to as “apps”) and HIV-related sexual behaviors among 252 young adult MSM residing in small/midsized towns or rural areas in Central Kentucky, a group that has been under-represented in the …

Advocates And Researchers Working Together To Improve School Health Education, Joseph Donnelly, Michael Young, Katherine J. Roberts

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This article discusses the need for continued evaluation of health education interventions/curricula and provides tools and resources to facilitate the selection of appropriate, evidencebased interventions/curricula for school health education programs. Methods: We review the literature related to the evaluation of school health education programs, provide a review of the basics for understanding evaluation design and results, and identify resources for selecting effective curricula. Conclusions: There is a need for additional rigorously designed evaluations of school health education programs. School health educators and other advocates for school health education must have a basic understanding of evaluation design and how to …

How Did We Learn About Sex? —— Sex Education And Sexual Health In Chinese Youth, Yujuan Liu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Attitudes toward sexuality among Chinese youth have become more liberal in recent generations, but sex education remains controversial and limited. Due to the lack of awareness of sexual risks, many Chinese youth engage in unprotected sexual activities resulting in unintended pregnancy, abortions, and STIs. Therefore, understanding successful pathways and unique challenges are crucial to develop adequate sex education for youth’s sexual health in China. The current study used semi-structured in-depth interviews and investigated 28 Chinese youths’ experiences of sex education and sexual health. The results mapped out youth’s sex education experiences by age and sources and demonstrated the impacts of …

Targeted Teacher Education To Improve Primary Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Uv And Effective Sun Protection Measures For Children, Joseph J. Scott, Robyn S. Johnston, Natasha Bear, Sonia Gregory, Sally Blane, Mark Strickland, Jill Darby, Elin S. Gray

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers are responsible for children at school during peak ultraviolet (UV) times of the day. It is paramount that teachers have knowledge and understanding of UV to effectively protect themselves and their students. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of a short intervention on preservice teachers’ sun protective behaviours, knowledge and perceived skill to teach sun safety. Participants (n =161; median age=20 years) attended a 45-minute preservice teacher sun safety intervention and completed pre- and post-test surveys. Post-intervention, most participants indicated they felt: i) more informed about the dangers of UV and risks of developing …

The Lived Experiences Of Avoiding Recidivism Among African American Male (First-Time) Former Offenders, Jeff Hines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe United States has a high recidivism rate within its criminal population, especially among men of African American descent. However, within this population, some first-time former offenders have used successful approaches to avoid re-incarceration. The objective of this study was to investigate how these first-time former offenders desist from crime and avoid recidivism. This was a phenomenological study, utilizing the Desistance Theory as a framework, to explore how these men survived the consequences of post-incarceration and remained crime-free. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with six African American male first-time former offenders (age 25 and older) who were not on …

"Who's The Man?" Examining The Relationships Between Black Masculinity, Perceived Social Support, And Sexual Behavior In Black Male College Students, James Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Sexual health disparities in college-aged Black men remains a critical public health issue. Black men are likely to have an earlier sexual debut, acquire sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV at higher rates, and enter fatherhood at earlier ages than their White counterparts. Previous research has identified masculinity and perceived social support as predictors of sexual risk behavior for men in the U.S. However, when exploring masculinity’s influence on sexual behavior, studies that are culturally sensitive to Black men’s experiences and perspectives on manhood are few. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Black masculinity, …

An Exploration Of Depression In African American Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Symptoms, Coping Strategies And The Potential Benefits Of Religiosity, Delores P. Quasie-Woode

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Depressive symptoms in adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) often go unrecognized and untreated. SCD is one of the most common inherited hemoglobin disorders in the United States, affecting 1 in 365 African Americans. Individuals with SCD and co-morbid Depression lead to high hospitalization rates and healthcare utilization. The objective of this study is to explore depressive symptoms and preferred coping strategies among African American Adults with SCD. Furthermore, the aim is to explore the acceptability of religiosity among those who self-identify as religious.

Interviews were conducted with 30 African American adults, recruited during their hematology appointment at the Center …

Demographic Characteristics And Response Preparedness Of Employed Adults To Ebola Virus Disease In Monrovia, Liberia, Beth Ann Sexton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEbola virus disease (EVD) is a deadly disease with no known cure and it caused an outbreak from 2014-2016 in Western Africa. Liberia had the highest morbidity and mortality; its capital city, Monrovia, was the focus of this study. The purpose of this research was to explore the association between sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors (gender, religion, age, occupation, education, and ward) and the use of preventative hygiene measures and understanding of EVD among working Monrovian adults. This population was chosen because 97% of the Monrovian population is employed, and thus serves as a good source for future public health campaigns. …

Educating Nurses To Help Promote Diabetes Self-Care Management In Primary Care, Delphine E. Ikpasaja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has a genetic and lifestyle component, and it affects individuals in various parts of the world. A lack of understanding of the nature of the disease has contributed to the complications experienced by patients with diabetes 2 (DM2), such as an elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) and hyperglycemia. At the clinic where this project took place, patients received an initial teaching but did not get any further support or resources to manage their disease. A four sections of a 30 minutes each was the educational presentation used with staff at the clinic to help them …

Racial Disparities In Hypertension Self-Awareness And Hospitalizations For Hypertension-Related Illnesses Among Adult Arkansans, Chimfumnanya Nwanze-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black individuals in the United States are twice as likely as White individuals to die of cardiovascular diseases. Between 2010 and 2016 in Arkansas (AR), hypertension (HTN) and HTN-related diseases had an age-adjusted death rate of 230.4 deaths per 100,000 population compared to 173.6 deaths per 100,000 population for Whites. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore the potential association between HTN self-awareness and emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization rates for HTN and HTN-related illnesses between Black and White individuals in AR. The socioecological framework was used to explore sociodemographic (SDF) and socioeconomic (SES) factors as …

Health Insurance Coverage, Sociodemographic Factors, And Treatment Completion For Opioid Abusers In Indiana, Ibrahim Samna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many accidental deaths have recently occurred in Indiana due to opioid overdose. The current study sought to assess the association between sociodemographic factors, health insurance, and successful treatment completion for opioids abusers in Indiana based on the existing literature gap. In this study, the dependent variables considered were treatment completion status and opioid abuse. The independent variables included health insurance coverage and sociodemographic factors of education, marital status, employment status, race, gender, and age. I measured both dependent and independent variables as categorical. A cross-sectional and quantitative research approach was used by analyzing data from the 2017-Treatment Episode Data Set …