Public Health Commons^™

Beyond The Sentimental Cliche: How Local Communities Impact Residents And Shape Public Opinion, Kate Brunk

Theses and Dissertations

The Trump administration has recently established a rule that will prohibit abortion services providers from receiving Title X funds for the non-abortion family planning services they provide. Little public opinion research has focused on family planning and reproductive health topics outside of abortion. I find statistically significant experimental evidence that increasing perceptions of local need for a local reproductive health clinic caused subjects to be more supportive of federal reproductive health funding for local clinics. I did not find statistically significant correlational evidence that objective measures of poor reproductive health at the county level influence public opinion on federal reproductive …

A Data Collection Program For Reducing Ipv In Lgbtq+ Communities, Alexandra Michel, Nicholas Cheke, Lourdes Gonzalez, Rachel Greim

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Sexual and gender minority populations are not currently being accurately tracked or counted in most domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) surveillance programs in Oregon. However, research indicates that LGBTQ+ populations experience IPV at rates comparable or even higher than heterosexual populations. Additionally, distrust of law enforcement and services designed around heterosexual experiences of IPV further reduce the ability of LGBTQ+ populations, particularly transgender women, to access IPV services. We propose that through the use of a PRECEED-PROCEED model, a program could be developed to more accurately collect sexual orientation and gender identity data by IPV service providers …

Take Control: A Proposed Mental Health Treatment Program To Be Implemented In Youth Correctional Facilities Around Oregon Based On The Evidence-Based Target Program, Zoey S. Rochefort

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

70% of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems exhibit symptoms of one or more mental health disorders and are not receiving adequate treatment. Currently, in Oregon, there is no mental health-screening requirement for youth admitted into detention centers or correctional facilities. Though this doesn’t mean kids never get diagnosed, it does mean there is a large delay in time before treatment begins where they could be receiving care. The Take Control program is working to mitigate wasted time and improve mental health treatment for youth inmates through a seven-step treatment program that provides youth with steps and strategies …

Impact Of Medicaid Coverage Expansion Under The Affordable Care Act On Mammography And Pap Tests Utilization Among Low-Income Women, Abeer G. Alharbi, M. Mahmud Khan, Ronnie Horner, Heather M. Brandt, Cole Garrett Chapman

Faculty Publications

Introduction The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the coverage of Medicaid to include entire population with income below 138% of federal poverty line. It remains unclear whether this policy change has improved access to and utilization of health care, particularly use of mammography and Pap tests among poor women.

Methods We used a difference-in-difference (DID) design to estimate the impact of Medicaid expansion on mammography and Pap tests utilization among low-income women. Expansion states are the treatment group and non-expansion states are the control group. The years 2012–13 are the pre-expansion period and 2015–16 are the post-expansion period for the …

Impact Of Removing Cost Sharing Under The Affordable Care Act (Aca) On Mammography And Pap Test Use, Abeer Alharbi, M. Mahmud Khan, Ronnie Horner, Heather M. Brandt, Cole Garrett Chapman

Faculty Publications

Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA) required private insurers and Medicare to cover recommended preventive services without any cost sharing to improve utilization of these services. This study is an attempt to identify the impact of removing cost sharing on mammography and pap test utilization rates.

Methods Counterfactual analysis was used to predict what would have been the screening rates in post-ACA if ACA was not there. This was done by estimating a model that examines determinants of dependent variable for the pre-ACA year (pre-ACA year is 2009). The estimated model was then used to predict the dependent variable for …

Creating Oral Health Awareness: Happy Teeth Make Healthy Teeth, Roseanna M. Torres, Dirien Santos, Tatyana Aksaeva, Hanna Jo, Nastassia Liaushun, Anty Lam

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

An Apple A Day Keeps Diabetes At Bay: Incentivizing Participation In Diabetes Self-Management Education With Fruit & Vegetable Vouchers, Angie Mejia, Mary Katherine A. Schutt, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Diabetes is an urgent public health problem in the U.S., with 30.3 million people currently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This research brief describes the results of a 12-month, diabetes self-management education and fruit and vegetable purchase assistance intervention designed to improve diabetes self-management knowledge and health outcomes among adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Findings suggest that small incentives for fruit and vegetable purchases are associated with higher educational program attendance, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and decreased weight and blood sugar among low-income adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Measuring Emotional Response To A Planting Activity For Staff At An Urban Office Setting: A Pilot Study, Amy E. Wagenfeld, Sandra Schefkind, Nancy Hock

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Interaction with occupation-centered activities, such as gardening, is associated with improved mental health. With limited evidence supporting the effects of short-term nature-based interventions on employees’ emotional states, the purpose of this research was to understand the impact of a one-time, short-term nature-based intervention on the emotional state of employees at an urban office building.

Method: This pretest/posttest design study used a visual analogue emoticon assessment tool, the Interaction with Nature scale, to measure differences in the participants’ emotional states before and after participating in a planting activity. Twenty-two participants engaged in the study. Each participant potted a …

Healthy Hedgehogs After School Program, Sophie Johnson

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

No abstract provided.

Parent Perceptions Of A Novel Health Intervention For Neurodiverse Youth, Casey Hewett, Amanda Staiano, James Slavet, Chelsea Hendrick, Phillip Nauta, Adam Lowe, Pedro Calado, Linda Bandini, Aviva Must, Carol Curtin, Adam Barsela, Kaitlin Arsenault, April Bowling

Health Sciences Student Work

Background: Children with all types of disabilities are more likely to be inactive due to a variety of factors. Children with neurodevelopmental challenges such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression face unique barriers to exercise, including increased demands on parenting resources. Thus there is a critical need for interventions understand parental perspectives and address such barriers in neurodiverse youth. The aim of this study was to explore parental perceptions of a novel exergaming and virtual health coaching intervention targeting neurodiverse youth, including barriers and facilitators of their children’s engagement, in order to …

The “Mindful Mcquade Initiative” Barriers To Using The Bikes In Mcquade Library, Robyn Lebowitz

Health Sciences Student Work

INRODUCTION: The mindful McQuade Initiative was created to bring mindful practices to Merrimack students, faculty, and staff One of the many activities the library offers as part of the Mindful McQuade Initiative is use of exercise bikes as study breaks. The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers to using the “Mindful McQuade” bikes in the McQuade library. METHODS: We recruited Merrimack students, faculty and staff to complete the study survey. Study investigators handed out flyers with details about the study and how to access the online survey as well as flyers posted to at a variety of …

Perspectives On Addressing Food Insecurity On College Campuses, Through Administrators Eyes: Best Practices And Challenges, Tashanna Brown

Health Sciences Student Work

Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (Barrett, 2010). These foods also must meet dietary needs to help promote a healthy life (Barrett, 2010). Institutions such as Bunker Hill community college, California State University Long Beach, and multiple other colleges and Universities have taken steps to address food insecurity (FI) on campus. More information is required to determine how to address FI on campus. The purpose of the …

The Impact Of Nutritional Changes On Dietary Inflammatory Index: New Soul Study, Callie Mclean

Senior Theses

The Impact of Nutritional Changes on Dietary Inflammatory Index: NEWSoul

Callie McLean; Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, PhD, MS, RD; Michael Wirth, PhD; Anthony Crimarco, MS

Background: Historically, a soul food diet consisted of mainly plant-based foods in West Africa and evolved to a mostly meat-based diet in the Southeastern United States. As a result, many soul foods today often exceed the recommended dietary guidelines for saturated fats and cholesterol. This is important to consider for dietary interventions focusing on African American populations, since they are at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease and chronic illness compared to all other ethnic groups. One …

Health On The Move: Health-Seeking Behavior Of Changpa Nomads In Ladakh, India, Maya Lubeck-Schricker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this study is to understand the health-seeking behavior of Changpa nomads in the Changthang region of Ladakh, India including what health issues these communities face, what they do when they fall sick, any preventative health behavior they implement, as well as the health infrastructure available to them. Very little literature exists on the health seeking-behavior of people in South Asia in general, much less among nondominant lifestyles such as that of nomadic or semi-nomadic people. As such, this research hopes to move towards closing that knowledge gap by conducting and analyzing 26 in depth semi-structured interviews and …

Z4, A Slow Puncture: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Language, Embodiment, And Meaning-Making, Charlotte Rose Samuels

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In my ISP, I explored language as it relates to the ways in which people living in Cato Manor make sense of HIV/AIDS in their community. With 7.1-7.2 million people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in South Africa, individuals across the country are either infected or affected by illness. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the province with the highest rate of HIV, is also the province that was surveyed with the disproportionately highest internal stigma rates for PLWHIV. High prevalence of HIV, particularly in KZN, calls for a constant contextualization of life in the presence of illness.

Throughout the world, metaphor and symbolism is …

Cancer Management In Kenya - Awareness And The Struggles Patients Face To Access Treatment, Care & Support, Ashley Nmoh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The amount of cancer cases in Africa, and Kenya specifically, are rising at an alarming rate. This study was conducted to determine the challenges that patients with cancer in Kenya face to access treatment, care and support. Thirty-nine cancer patients were interviewed and thirty cancer patients filled out a questionnaire about their experiences of having cancer in Kenya. In addition, twenty key informants were interviewed including doctors, caregivers, cancer NGO executives, a researcher, a psychologist, a National Health Insurance Fund official and a director from the Ministry of Health. A breast cancer awareness survey was also administered to fifty-nine women …

Randomized Pilot Trial For A Community-Based Group Stretching Exercise Program For Chronic Low Back Pain, Marc Brodsky, Ann Hansen, Wendy Bjerke

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Background: Authors of meta-analyses concluded that exercise therapy appears to be slightly effective at decreasing pain and improving function in adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP), particularly in health-care populations. Similar to health-care settings, community organizations provide wellness and lifestyle modification programs. Different versions of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Y’s Way to a Healthy Back program were offered from 1974 to 2004. Champions of the YMCA program and authors of the pilot study designed a Healthy Back Curriculum to update and reintroduce the program. Objective: The research aim of this randomized pilot trial was to investigate the …

Identifying Challenges Different Provider Group Encounter In Managing Opioid Use Disorder, Chinonye Anumaka

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) describes opioid use disorder (OUD) also known as opioid addiction as the problematic pattern of opioid use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. In 2016, about 2.1 million people were diagnosed of OUD in the US. In Maine, York County has the third highest drug overdose response and had 166 deaths occurring between 2012-2016. York County is a designated medically underserved area and has a shortage of provider workforce and limited treatment infrastructure. To further understand the challenges providers in York County encounter in managing patients with OUD, 6 focus groups was …

Exploring Mobility Help-Seeking Behavior Among People With Physical Disabilities: A Case Study Of Jaipur Foot, Alex Podell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

It is estimated that as many as 90 million people living in India experience some sort of disability (The World Bank, 2007). As India’s population keeps growing and aging, not only will the medical aspects, but also the societal impacts of disability need to be brought to the forefront of discussion, developmental strategy, and policy implementation. This study sought to analyze factors influencing the process of seeking help from formal and informal sources for people with physical disabilities. Data was collected from 10 people with physical disabilities receiving a variety of mobility aids from the NGO, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata …

Role Of Resources For Care In Improving Care Behaviors, Children’S Nutritional Status And Early Childhood Development In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Sulochana Basnet

Theses and Dissertations

Poor child growth and suboptimal early childhood development are global health problems. Provision of appropriate care may help to achieve optimum child growth and development. Maternal resources for care such as education, knowledge, health, autonomy, reasonable workload, and social support may be needed to provide appropriate care behaviors, and improve children’s nutritional status, and early childhood development. The overall goal of this research was to understand the role of resources for care in improving care behaviors, child nutritional status, and early childhood development. The baseline Alive & Thrive household surveys from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia were used. We examined the …

Parenting And Child Self-Regulation As Mechanisms For The Relationship Of Household Food Insecurity With Child Dietary Behavior, Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity is both a nutritional problem and a stressful life experience of adults and children in households dealing with food shortage. Potential mechanisms of the associations between food insecurity and adverse outcomes in children’s health and development are through parenting and child self-regulation.

Objectives: We investigated parenting and child self-regulation as potential mechanisms for the relationship of food insecurity with child dietary behaviors with two specific aims. Specific aim 1 was to understand how food insecurity and its change over time relate to parenting in early childhood. Specific aim 2 was to understand the relationship of parenting in …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Academic Pressure And Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Use Among University Of South Carolina Undergraduate Students, Arslan Valimohamed

Senior Theses

One hundred and six undergraduate students of the University of South Carolina were surveyed to understand misuse of prescription stimulants and how perceived academic pressure may play a role in this behavior. Overall, the survey revealed that 33.0% of participants reported illicit use of prescription stimulants in the last 30 days, and 52.8% reported illicitly using prescription stimulants at least once during their time in college. Data from the survey responses indicated that students perceiving academic pressure were more likely to have misused prescription stimulants at least once during their time in college, but only if these students also reported …

Asthma-Related Health Outcomes In New Jersey After A Natural Disaster Event, My Ngoc Thuy Nguyen

Health Services Research Dissertations

The occurrence of a natural disaster event such as a hurricane may further hinder the asthma management of asthmatic individuals. Unmanaged asthma has led to increased work absenteeism, preventable emergency department visits, costly hospitalizations and possibly death in severe cases. To improve asthma management in asthmatic adults in New Jersey (NJ) following a natural disaster event, this study examined whether predisposing, enabling and need factors are predictors for asthma exacerbation and asthma-related health care utilization in New Jersey. A retrospective secondary analysis of New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (NJBRFSS) data and New Jersey Asthma Call Back Survey (NJACBS) …

Elevating Communities Into Self-Sufficiency Through Federally-Funded Health Partnerships, Nalleli Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: This qualitative study is to identify programing that encourages increased self-sufficiency in SNAP recipients. The goal was to identify themes related to successful self-sufficiency programming at federally-funded health centers/health programs (HCHPs). The study also investigated the role of social determinants of health in relation to achieving self-sufficiency.

Method: A series of 45-minute to 1-hour-long interviews were conducted to explore the perspectives of seven total staff at seven federally-funded HCHPs across the U.S. western region. Using Nvivo, a qualitative data analysis software, responses were categorized into six themes: patient-centered care, one-stop-shop/integrated care model, community partnerships, organizational and staff support, leadership …

Are Family Planning Vouchers Effective In Increasing Use, Improving Equity And Reaching The Underserved? An Evaluation Of A Voucher Program In Pakistan, Moazzam Ali, Syed Khurram Azmat, Hasan Bin Hamza, Md Mizanur Rahman, Waqas Hameed

Community Health Sciences

Background: Low modern contraceptive prevalence rate and high unmet need in Pakistan aggravates the vulnerabilities of unintended pregnancies and births contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of a free, single-purpose voucher approach in increasing the uptake, use and better targeting of modern contraceptives among women from the lowest two wealth quintiles in rural and urban communities of Punjab province, Pakistan.
Methods: A quasi-interventional study with pre- and post-phases was implemented across an intervention (Chakwal) and a control district (Bhakkar) in Punjab province (August 2012-January 2015). To detect a 15% increase in modern contraceptive …

Host Country Responses To Non-Communicable Diseases Amongst Syrian Refugees: A Review, Chaza Akik, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Sandra Mesmar, Miriam Rabkin, Wafaa M. El-Sadr, Fouad M. Fouad

Faculty Publications

Background:

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have hosted large refugee populations, with a high pre-conflict burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Objectives:

We aimed to describe the ways in which these three host country health systems have provided NCD services to Syrian refugees over time, and to highlight the successes and challenges they encountered.

Methods:

We conducted a descriptive review of the academic and grey literature, published between March 2011 and March 2017, using PubMed and Google searches complemented with documents provided by relevant stakeholders.

Results:

Forty-one articles and reports met our search …

Improving The Quality Of Consumer Health Information On Wikipedia: Case Series., Shira Schecter Weiner, Jill S. Horbacewicz, Lane Rasberry, Yocheved Bensinger-Brody

The School of Health Sciences Publications and Research

BACKGROUND: Wikipedia is one of the most consulted health resources in the world. Since the public is using health information from Wikipedia to make health care decisions, improving the quality of that health information is in the public interest. The open editable content design of Wikipedia and quality control processes in place provide an opportunity to add high-value, evidence-based information and take an active role in improving the health care information infrastructure.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this project was to enhance Wikipedia health pages using high-quality, current research findings and track the persistence of those edits and number of page …

Food Insecurity And Violence In A Prospective Cohort Of Women At Risk For Or Living With Hiv In The U.S., Amy A. Conroy, Mardge H. Cohen, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Alexander C. Tsai, Tracey E. Wilson, Eryka L. Wentz, Adaora A. Adimora, Daniel Merenstein, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Lisa Metsch, Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Adebola Adedimeji, Janet M. Turan, Phyllis C. Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Background Food insecurity and violence are two major public health issues facing U.S. women. The link between food insecurity and violence has received little attention, particularly regarding the temporal ordering of events. The present study used data from the Women’s Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study to investigate the longitudinal association of food insecurity and violence in a cohort of women at risk for or living with HIV.

Methods Study participants completed six assessments from 2013–16 on food insecurity (operationalized as marginal, low, and very low food security) and violence (sexual or physical, and psychological). We used multi-level logistic regression, controlling …

Social Emotional Learning Through Depression Education In A High School Setting, Antonette Minniti

Theses and Dissertations

Education on depression is an important part of social emotional learning. Lacking emotion regulation skills tend to lead to larger problems, such as academic struggles, disconnect from peers, strife at home and trouble in interpersonal relationships. Research in depression education or educational programs connected to mental health literacy are minimal, especially at the high school level. The purpose of this research will focus on examining the impact of one depression education program, John Hopkins Hospital’s Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP). ADAP is a three-day program that informs students about the facts of depression, how it is treated, and what to …

Bone Marrow Drive: Will Linfield Be The Match?, Ashley Filler

Student Engagement Posters

Ashley Filler discusses student engagement at Linfield College with regard to organizing a bone marrow registration drive.