Public Health Commons^™

The Impact Of Midwifery On Infant And Maternal Outcomes Among Black Mothers, Joann Honoré

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, disparities are prevalent in maternal and fetal outcomes between Black and White mothers in the United States. Researchers have established that using a midwife versus other healthcare practitioners can elicit positive maternal and fetal outcomes for Black mothers. However, no within-race research has been conducted exploring midwifery as an insulating factor against these disparities. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective cohort study was to explore the impact of midwifery on infant and maternal outcomes compared to outcomes associated with other prenatal care models/caregivers among Black mothers in California using secondary data. The ecological model was used …

Lived Experiences Of African American Women Coping With Breast Cancer In Rural Northeastern North Carolina, Denise Germaine Belle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study examined the phenomenology of breast cancer among seven African American female participants who reside in rural, medically underserved communities in Northeastern North Carolina. The aim of this descriptive study was to explore the answers to the overarching question of how African American women with breast cancer self-manage the emotional, physical, financial, and social issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment. The transactional model of stress and coping provided the theoretical framework for examining the role of social reinforcements, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions on the health behavior of African American women with breast cancer in some rural, resource-stricken …

Emergency Encounters: A Cross Sectional Study Of A Rural Emergency Room, Selynto Rodrecca Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is very difficult for certain populations to obtain access to healthcare within the United States, particularly in rural areas. Typically, individuals who live in rural areas are far less healthy than those who live in more urbanized areas. Although there have been some improvements made to ensure there is adequate health care for all, barriers still exist. A few examples of these barriers are socioeconomic status, education, and job status. In this study, adult patients from a rural Southeastern hospital were surveyed via those who came to the emergency room seeking care, and via those who came to the …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Secondary Syringe Exchange (Sse) Among People Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) In Rural Kentucky, Jordan R. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Aim: To describe the prevalence of secondary syringe exchange (SSE) in a sample of syringe service program (SSP) clients in rural Appalachian Kentucky and to identify the correlates of SSE.

Methods: Participants (n=338) completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Only those who reported having ever exchanged syringes at a SSP (n=140) were included in analysis. SSE was measured through self-report of obtaining syringes for someone else at a SSP in the past 6 months. Prevalence and correlates of SSE were examined using bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression.

Results: Overall, 30% of participants reported SSE. Participants in the second [aOR= 3.83; 95% CI: …

Neither “Post-War” Nor Post-Pregnancy Paranoia: How America’S War On Drugs Continues To Perpetuate Disparate Incarceration Outcomes For Pregnant, Substance-Involved Offenders, Becca S. Zimmerman

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the unique interactions between pregnancy, substance involvement, and race as they relate to the War on Drugs and the hyper-incarceration of women. Using ordinary least square regression analyses and data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, I examine if (and how) pregnancy status, drug use, race, and their interactions influence two length of incarceration outcomes: sentence length and amount of time spent in jail between arrest and imprisonment. The results collectively indicate that pregnancy decreases length of incarceration outcomes for those offenders who are not substance-involved but not evenhandedly -- benefitting white …

Understanding Resilience Among Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Meghan Larson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and dysfunction in a child’s home are considered a public health crisis due to their correlation to health disparities and psychosocial problems in adulthood such as substance use, relationships, education, and maintaining employment. However, some individuals are resilient and demonstrate the ability to adapt and function well despite experiencing adverse events. To better understand resilience when ACEs are present, I conducted a basic qualitative research study to explore the lived experiences of individuals in Tennessee with elevated ACE and resilience scores. A purposeful sample of 12 participants who scored high on ratings …

The Predictive Relationship Of Allostatic Load In Asthma, Mohamed Mustafa Hassan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on populations emphasizes the influence of allostatic overload, a marker of biophysical and biochemical stress, in driving adverse health outcomes. Unknown is the impact of allostatic load and its cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory components as they pertain to asthma prevalence in U.S. populations. Specifically, there is a need to understand the nature of the relationship between allostatic load and asthma in light of confounders such as socioeconomic status, race, education, and gender. Using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model as a theoretical underpinning and binary logistic regression as a statistical modality, the predictive relationship between allostatic load and asthma was examined in …

Perspectives Of Key Court Personnel On The Prosecution Of Domestic Violence Cases, Crystal M. Schoeder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a public health and criminal justice problem. Several criminal justice system changes have been made to combat DV, such as mandatory arrest policies, no-drop prosecution policies, and specialized DV courts. Perspectives on these policies, DV, and the criminal justice system have been obtained from the victims, police officers, and victim advocates. However, perspectives from those within the criminal justice court system are missing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to obtain the perspectives of key court personnel in small rural communities regarding the prosecution of DV cases. Narrative policy framework was used …

Food Insecurity In Community College Students In The Central Valley Of California, Leah Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany college students struggle with having enough money to pay for the costs of college and basic necessities, such as adequate food, which leads to food insecurity. Food insecurity results in a more challenging time focusing on studying and less success in school. This study addressed the lack of a profile of a food-insecure California community college student at Hiker’s Community College (HCC; pseudonym) in the Central Valley of California. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the profile of a food-insecure student and to determine relationships between food insecurity and ethnicity, gender, being a first-generation college student, …

The Importance Of Staff Education About Implementing Ketogenic Diet In Prediabetic Patients, Clarissa L. Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes, a chronic disease that can lead to many complications, is one of the leading causes of death. Obesity tends to increase the risk of diabetes. Nutritional therapy can not only control diabetes but also prevent it in some cases by decreasing weight. The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that can prevent and control diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the recommendations of medical providers before and after the presentation of educational content on the ketogenic diet as nutritional therapy in prediabetic and diabetic patients. The practice-focused question addressed whether educating medical staff at a …

Relationship Between Media Coverage And Child Measles Vaccination Uptake, Tanika Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood vaccines have been a source of heated debates between both opponents and proponents of vaccination. Childhood immunizations have proven to be effective and save lives, but antivaccine movements continue. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant difference in child measles vaccine uptake based on provider facility type and census region, after adjusting for age and education of mother, for the years 2003–2012, pre-and-post 2007 media coverage deeming vaccines unsafe, and for the years 2013–2017, pre-and-post exposure to measles at Disneyland in 2014–2015 for children aged 19–35 months. The social ecological …

Prevalence Of Metabolic Risk Factors With Abnormal Obesity Measures Among The Tobagonian Adult Population, Joanne Cruickshank

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn increase of metabolic risk factors is a public health threat to the well-being of the population of Tobago; this increase is poorly documented and understood. According to a review of evidence-based research, studies linked metabolic risk factors to the high prevalence of obesity. However, there was a gap specific to the Tobagonian population. This cross-sectional quantitative study assessed the evidence of metabolic risk factors to determine whether obesity measures correlated with metabolic risk factors among a sample from Tobago. Guided by the social-ecological theory, a self-reported survey was used to collect primary data from 270 participants during a workplace …

An Integrated Approach To Hand Hygiene, Tarsha Renee Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHealthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) threaten the quality and safety of the services provided. HCAIs are infections that occur while a patient is receiving treatment for another condition in any type of healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that approximately one in every 20 inpatients will become infected with an HCAI during their hospital stay. Proper hand hygiene is the most significant intervention in preventing HCAIs. Despite hand hygiene's effectiveness, evidence suggests that only 50% of healthcare workers are compliant with proper hand hygiene techniques. The purpose of this project is to increase nurse’s knowledge the via education. Kotter's eight-step change …

Social Media And Physical Activity Among African American College Women, Carmen Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Among African American (AA) college women, physical activity (PA) is decreasing, with less than 20% participating in moderate-intensity cardio or aerobic exercise. Physical inactivity can lead to increased morbidity and mortality from chronic conditions. There is a need for more research on AA women’s health practices to develop interventions that can lead to sustainable behavior change among this population. More than 70% of AA college women reported using some form of social media (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat) daily. Social networking sites (SNS) in particular can provide health information, advice, and an open forum for individuals with health …

A Comparison Of Health Habits Between Nursing And Non Nursing Majors, Reilly K. Gilmour

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Dual Panics: A Media Analysis Of Narratives On The Role Of Unauthorized Migration In America's Overdose Crisis, Morgan Godvin

University Honors Theses

Background: The realms of drug policy and immigration policy have long been fueled by misinformation, where sensationalism and panics help shore up political support. Most recently, the "border crisis" has been invoked to explain the "overdose crisis" in mass media narratives. Although the increase in migration is being blamed for illicit drug flows, drug importation occurs primarily through legal points-of-entry. The extent and excess visibility of false narratives linking overdose to migration in mainstream media is unknown.

Methods: We used the Media Cloud ecosystem to compile and characterize mainstream media content published between June 2021 and July 2021 regarding the …

The Impact Of The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program On Healthy Days, Health Inequity, And Hospital Community Benefit Spending, Samhita Kadiyala

Scripps Senior Theses

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) program implemented in 2012 to reward acute-care hospitals with incentive payments for the quality of care provided to Medicare patients in inpatient settings. Under this policy, payment adjustments are made based on a variety of factors including clinical quality, patient experience, and cost reductions. This paper uses state-level variation in the implementation of HVBP to ascertain whether the policy led to improvements in Healthy Days (a CDC-designed composite measure of individuals’ self-reported number of physically and mentally “healthy” days per month), health disparities, and community …

Barriers To Purchasing Narcan® In Georgia: A Survey Of Pharmacy Staff, Thomas E. Griner, Sheryl Strasser, Stacie Kershner, Ashli Owen-Smith, Matthew J. Hayat

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In Georgia, recent measures have expanded public access to naloxone-containing products like Narcan® to combat opioid-related overdose deaths. Although laypersons may legally purchase naloxone products without a prescription for use during opioid-related overdose events, barriers may remain.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous telephone survey to investigate three potential barriers to purchasing naloxone (Narcan®) in Georgia: availability, price, and working knowledge of legal requirements among pharmacy representatives. We surveyed pharmacy representatives in select Georgia counties with high volumes or high rates of poisoning deaths compared with other counties. We also compared responses among chain and non-chain representatives. Descriptive statistics are …

Aplasia Cutis Congenital Of Scalp With Right Parietal Encephalocele- A Rare Association With Surgical Apropos, Dr. Anshika Tyagi, Dr. Col.T.S. Vasan

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Premature Ejaculation, Dr.Pogula Anusha, Dr.Pranahit Reddy, Dr. Kishor M

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Neonatal Varicella, Dr. Santosh Gunasekaran, Dr.Deepthi Thandaveshwara, Dr. Keerthana Srinivas

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Fibroid Uterus, Adiyuga Sharath

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Young Adults’ Preferences For Influenza Vaccination Campaign Messages: Implications For Covid-19 Vaccine Intervention Design And Development, Zhaohui Su, Dean Mcdonnell, Jun Wen, Ali Cheshmehzangi, Junaid Ahmad, Edmund Goh, Xiaoshan Li, Sabina Šegalo, Michael Mackert, Yu-Tao Xiang, Peiyu Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Health campaign interventions, particularly those tailored to the target audience’s needs and preferences, can cost-effectively change people’s attitudes and behaviors towards better health decision-making. However, there is limited research on how to best tailor seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns for young adults. Vaccination is vital in protecting young adults and their social circles (vulnerable populations like older adults) from the influenza virus and critical in shaping these emerging adults’ vaccination habits in the long run. However, amid the prevalence of easily-accessible, attention-grabbing, and often malicious false and misinformation (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories), it may be more challenging to develop …

Clinical Test Versus Self-Test For Prediabetes: Outcomes In Diabetes Prevention Based On Mode Of Diagnosis, Debra J. Rich

All Master's Theses

Approximately 34.2 million U.S. adults were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2018 and diabetes prevalence is projected to reach 60.6 million by 2060. A predicted 88 million adults have prediabetes, but only 15.3% have been diagnosed by a medical provider. Approximately 15-30% of the population with prediabetes will develop diabetes within 5 years without lifestyle modification to decrease risk. Reduced incidence of diabetes is an urgent priority for Healthy People 2030 and increased participation in lifestyle change programs is a primary objective. The Diabetes Prevention Program promotes behavior modification to prevent or delay diabetes. Despite evidence to support effective …

Mental Health Risks & Patterns Among On-Campus Resident Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brooke Writer

All Master's Theses

Objective: This study examined the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the mental health and well-being of college students residing in a rural community. Eligible students reported on their mental health statuses, coping strategies, distresses, demographics, and original items to capture students’ experiences. Participants: Participants were 372 undergraduate and graduate student's living in residence halls or on-campus housing enrolled in a public university between January and March 2021. Methods: Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were utilized. Open-text responses about navigating mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic are summarized. Results: Students who identified as LGBTQ+ (pp=0.0022) scored …

Addressing Health-Related Myths In The Culturally Diverse African American Population: A Call To Action, Lucson Joseph

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

African Americans (AAs) experience numerous challenges that socially, economically, and physically affect their communities. Recent studies have found that a diverse array AAs encounter many struggles as they navigate the United States (U.S.) healthcare system to access care and receive healthcare services. AA communities are significantly affected by the burden of chronic diseases. They face considerable barriers to healthcare services that contribute to adverse health outcomes. This paper explains the daily struggles many AAs face within their communities to access and navigate the healthcare system due to culturally held myths and barriers. This paper discusses commonly held myths among Afro-Caribbean …

Parental Awareness Of Early Intervention For Hispanic Children With Communication Disorders, Ruth Crutchfield, Sonya N. Salinas, Roy K. Chen

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Children at risk of delayed speech and language development and speech-language disorders come from a broad range of demographic backgrounds, including ethnicities, sexes, and socioeconomic statuses. A vast body of research in speech-language pathology has demonstrated that early intervention is crucial for helping children acquire the necessary communication skills they need to become effective communicators, successful students, and ultimately accomplished adults. Currently, commercials, billboards, online sources, and personal referrals are the methods most often used to promote awareness of early childhood intervention services. Method: This study aimed to identify whether the current promotional methods used to increase parental awareness …

From The Legal Literature: Covid And The Criminal Law, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Registered Nurses’ Perceptions Of Obesity, Elizabeth Ann Pettifor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States (U.S.) population. Obesity is a risk factor for many health problems that ultimately lead to death or disability. Nurses in the U.S have a higher-than-average rate of overweight and obesity. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative case study was to identify and recommend areas for change in the hospital environment to assist bedside nurses in the U.S to have a healthier lifestyle. Social media was used to conduct a purposeful sampling technique and recruit 10 registered nurses working full time at the bedside in the U.S who struggle with obesity. Semi …

Social Determinants And Academic Success For Online Undergraduates Mediated By Mental Health, Jamie Michelle Claus Getz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSocial determinants of health (SDH) are social and economic systems that directly contribute to health disparities and inequalities. This study examined SDH and their relation to education, also an SDH. The relationship between SDH and online undergraduate achievement, as measured by grade-point average (GPA), was studied. Cumulative inequality is the theoretical framework that guided the study; it underscores the complexity of interaction between personal, social, and environmental stressors in relation to a student’s academic performance. The quantitative survey design allowed for potential relationships between variables to be observed and studied based on the survey responses per self-report from 212 online …