Public Health Commons^™

Symptom Patterns Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Deaf Trauma Survivors, Melissa Anderson, Amanda Sortwell, Kelly Wolf Craig, Douglas Ziedonis

Melissa L. Anderson

Details about Deaf people’s pattern of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms remain relatively unknown due to inaccessible methods used in most epidemiological research. We conducted semi-structured American Sign Language interviews with 16 trauma-exposed Deaf individuals to explore their PTSD symptom patterns. Half met criteria for current PTSD, a rate higher than the general population. Underlying this disparity may be heightened rates of dissociation and psychogenic amnesia reported by many Deaf trauma survivors. Future research with large samples of Deaf survivors is needed to clarify this hypothesis, and to inform interventions that more accurately target Deaf people’s pattern of trauma symptoms.

Understanding, Experiences, And Reactions To Bullying Experiences In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley

Vicki Bitsika

Most previous studies of bullying in young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have relied on data from adults’ rather than the person with an ASD themselves, thus limiting our understanding of the bullying experience from the child’s perspective. To investigate this issue, 48 high-functioning boys with an ASD, and their mothers, completed an online questionnaire about various aspects of bullying. There were some minor discrepancies between mothers’ and their sons’ reported frequency of bullying. Boys demonstrated an understanding of the behaviour that constitutes bullying that was consistent with the wider literature, enhancing the validity of their responses about …

Making The Blue Zones: Neoliberalism And Nudges In Public Health Promotion, Eric Carter

Eric D. Carter

This paper evaluates the ideological and political origins of a place-based and commercial health promotion effort, the Blue Zones Project (BZP), launched in Iowa in 2011. Through critical discourse analysis, I argue that the BZP does reflect a neoliberalization of public health, but as an "actually existing neoliberalism" it emerges from a specific policy context, including dramatic health sector policy changes due to the national Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare; a media discourse of health crisis for an aging Midwestern population; and an effort to refashion Iowa cities as sites of healthy and active living, to retain and …

Municipal Officials' Participation In Built Environment Policy Development In The United States, Stephenie C. Lemon, Karin V. Goins, Kristin L. Schneider, Ross Brownson, Cheryl A. Valko, Kelly R. Evenson, Amy A. Eyler, Katie M. Heinrich, Jill Litt, Rodney Lyn, Hannah L. Reed, Nancy O'Hara Tompkins, Jay Maddock

Stephenie C. Lemon

Purpose. This study examined municipal officials' participation in built environment policy initiatives focused on land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation. Design. Web-based cross-sectional survey. Setting. Eighty-three municipalities with 50,000 or more residents in eight states. Subjects. Four hundred fifty-three elected and appointed municipal officials. Measures. Outcomes included self-reported participation in land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation policy to increase physical activity. Independent variables included respondent position; perceptions of importance, barriers, and beliefs regarding physical activity and community design and layout; and physical activity partnership participation. Analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models. Results. Compared to other positions, public …

Everyday Life In Southeast Asia, Kathleen Adams

Kathleen M. Adams

This lively survey of the peoples, cultures, and societies of Southeast Asia introduces a region of tremendous geographic, linguistic, historical, and religious diversity. Encompassing both mainland and island countries, these engaging essays describe personhood and identity, family and household organization, nation-states, religion, popular culture and the arts, the legacies of war and recovery, globalization, and the environment. Throughout, the focus is on the daily lives and experiences of ordinary people. Most of the essays are original to this volume, while a few are widely taught classics.

The Impact Of Hiv-Related Stigma On Older And Younger Adults Living With Hiv Disease: Does Age Matter?, Charles A. Emlet, David J. Brennan, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Sergio Rueda, Trevor A. Hart, Sean B. Rourke

Charles Emlet

Meaning Of The Family-Cap Policy For Poor Women: Contraceptive And Fertility Decision-Making, Diana Romero, Hannah Fortune-Greely, Jorge Verea, Debbie Salas-Lopez

Debbie Salas-Lopez MD, MPH

In 1996 the US Congress enacted welfare reform legislation. In addition to new lifetime time limits and work requirements for those receiving cash and other forms of social assistance, the states could impose policies pertaining to reproductive-related behaviors of poor women. One such policy is the so-called “family-cap,” which denies additional income support to poor women who have a baby while receiving cash assistance; 24 states have implemented such policies. The ostensible goal of the policy is to limit fertility among current cash assistance recipients. This pilot study sought to explore whether poor women in a family-cap state (NJ) base …

Cultural Competency In New Jersey: Evolution From Planning To Law, Debbie Salas-Lopez, Linda Holmes, Dawne Mouzon, Maria Soto-Greene

Debbie Salas-Lopez MD, MPH

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Uninsurance Rate: Comparison Of Four Estimation Methods, Jackie Zhang, Renee Hotchkiss, Thomas Wan

Thomas T.H. Wan

Objective: Although high percentage of the uninsured is an important public policy issue, the discrepancies in both state and national estimates of the numbers of uninsured are reported. This study compares four advanced estimation methods for uninsurance, by using Florida Health Insurance Survey data as an example. Design: The four predictive models include decision tree, neural network, general logistic regression, and two-stage logistic regression. Risk factors to uninsurance are identified. Population: The study sample comes from the Florida Health Insurance Study data collected for the Florida Agency of Health Care Administration in 1999, representing the first large-scale study designed exclusively …

Chick Clique: Persuasive Technology To Motivate Teenage Girls To Exercise, Tammy Toscos, Anne Faber, Shunying An, Mona Gandhi

Tammy R Toscos

We are developing a preventative health cell phone application that helps motivate teenage girls to exercise by exploiting their social desire to stay connected with their peers. We targeted girls because they are more likely to become less active throughout adolescence and are more likely to use dangerous techniques for losing weight. The intent of Chick Clique is to provide information at opportune times in order to modify the behaviors of girls and ultimately lead to improved health habits. Our study investigated how collecting, sharing and comparing personal fitness information impacts activity level and health awareness.

“What’S Your Number?” A Survey Of How Parents And Teens Cope With Diabetes In The Context Of Technology Support., Tammy Toscos, Kay Connelly, Yvonne Rogers

Tammy R Toscos

Teenagers make many transitions during adolescence toward adult lifestyles and responsibilities. Teens with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) have the additional burden of assuming responsibility for disease management. The findings reported in this paper represent the perspective of parents and adolescents who are coping with T1D - uncovering various tensions that interfere with the effective use of technology to manage the disease. Predominant themes from a set of semi-structured interviews are used to construct implications for the design of new technology intended to support families coping with T1D.

Using Behavior Change Theory To Understand And Guide Technological Interventions., Tammy Toscos, Kay Connelly

Tammy R Toscos

No abstract provided.

Using Data To Promote Healthy Behavior In Children., Tammy Toscos

Tammy R Toscos

Childhood offers a number of opportunities for parents to shape the health related attitudes and behaviors of their children. The proposed research described in this paper aims to better understand the ways in which a child’s personal health data can be leveraged to educate and provide a transition to healthy adult behaviors. The target population for this project is children with Type 1 Diabetes and their parents but many of the design issues may be relevant to the management of other chronic diseases as well as general health in childhood.

"…Is It Normal To Be This Sore?": Using An Online Forum To Investigate Barriers To Physical Activity., Tammy Toscos, Sunny Consolvo, David Mcdonald

Tammy R Toscos

The importance of regular physical activity to overall health has been well established, yet U.S. adults are leading increasingly sedentary lives. Research suggests that lowering perceived barriers to physical activity is a critical part of interventions that encourage physical activity. In this paper, we describe the top five barriers—two of which have not been reported as principle barriers in the literature—that emerged from our systematic qualitative coding of an online forum used to support a three month healthy lifestyle intervention. Based on our analysis, we identify design considerations for technologies that encourage and support physical activity. Understanding the needs of …

Imagining Possibilities For Healthy Appalachian Communities In An Emerging Postindustrial Landscape, Brian Hoey

Brian A. Hoey, Ph.D.

This paper explores how community might be re-imagined to promote incipient social and economic agendas born increasingly of broad-minded citizen initiatives within the Appalachian region aimed at what is generally understood as “development,” but of a form distinct from the prevailing models of a more industrial age. I would like to ask whether a city like Huntington, West Virginia can emerge as a progressive example of what we might term postindustrial, urban regeneration and perhaps what we might call community healing—specifically through grassroots movement now finding local governmental support in collective attempts to transform this place from one defined primarily …

Need For Newer Experiments In Strengthening Education And Training Human Resource Development For Suicide Prevention, Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

Suicide is a global public health problem and one of the leading causes of premature death for all ages. Studies show that only 25% suicide has been within health care system, we have no information about the rest 75%. To bring more people at risk for suicide is an urgent requirement which makes a strong argument education and awareness.The WHO acknowledged that suicide prevention requires intervention from outside the health sector and calls for an innovative, comprehensive multi-sectorial approach, including both health and non-health sectors, e.g. education, labor, police, justice, religion, law, politics, the media. . Early identification of at-risk …

Enhancing Treatment Participation In Camhs Among Families Of Conduct Problem Children: Effectiveness Study Of A Clinician Training Programme, Bruce Watt, Mark Dadds, Denisse Best, Catherine Daviess

Bruce Watt

Background: The effectiveness of a training programme targeting structural and therapy process strategies to enhance treatment attendance among families of conduct problem children was evaluated across three community mental health clinics. Method: Utilising a staggered multiple-baseline design, referrals prior to clinician training were compared to posttraining referrals (N=221). Results: In comparison to service as usual, children and their families referred after the training initiative had significantly higher treatment attendance (66% vs. 83%) and 79% less likelihood of attrition, though findings were mixed for child's mental health. Conclusions: The findings provide initial support for the effectiveness of the clinician training programme …

Sociodemographic Profile Of Older Adults With Hiv/Aids: Gender And Sexual Orientation Differences, David J. Brennan, Charles A. Emlet, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Sergio Rueda

Charles Emlet

Ant 396: Senior Capstone: The Anthropological Life, John Mazzeo

John Mazzeo, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Mph 512: Applied Community Public Health Research Methods, John Mazzeo

John Mazzeo, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Ant 272: Medical Anthropology, John Mazzeo

John Mazzeo, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Prevention Of Fatal Opioid Overdose, Leo Beletsky

Leo Beletsky

Opioid overdose is a burgeoning public health crisis, accounting for at least 16,000 deaths annually in the United States. Opioid overdose occurs across sex, ethnic, age, and geographic strata and involves both medical and nonmedical opioid use. To date, federal government response has focused primarily on monitoring and securing the drug supply. This Viewpoint suggests various steps necessary to support a more comprehensive approach.

Risky Alcohol Use And Age At Onset Of Regular Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Frontal Lobe Indices, Reward Sensitivity And Rash Impulsiveness, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Penelope Hasking

Mike Lyvers

Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to predisposing traits that may reflect frontal lobe functioning, an idea explored by this study. The study recruited 132 adults of both genders aged 18-68 years who completed an online questionnaire battery. Sensitivity to punishment was the primary variable associated with age of onset for weekly drinking. The relationship between disinhibition and drinking behavior, as assessed by the AUDIT, was partially mediated by sensitivity to reward. The findings of this study suggest that several interrelated and heritable personality and neurobehavioral traits may promote earlier as well as riskier alcohol consumption.

Strengthening The Case Against Functionally Significant Serotonergic Neurotoxicity In Human Mdma (Ecstasy) Users, Michael Lyvers

Mike Lyvers

Extract:Halpern and colleagues [1] have overcome some of the methodological issues raised previously [2] concerning their initial pilot study of ecstasy users [3]. Their latest study [1] found that of 15 neuropsychological tests tapping various cognitive and memory functions reported previously by others to differentiate ecstasy users from controls, only the Revised Strategy Applications Test (RSAT) showed a clear indication of poorer performance in heavy (but not moderate) ecstasy users compared to controls, ecstasy users were selected for low exposure to other illicit drugs and alcohol, whereas in most other studies of this type the influence of potentially confounding associations …

Incidence And Nature Of Anxiety-Depression Comorbidity In Prostate Cancer Patients, Christoper Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: The aim of this study was to measure the incidence of anxiety-depression comorbidity among a sample of prostate cancer (PCa) patients and to investigate the total score, factor score and scale item differences across subgroups defined according to the presence of anxiety and/or depression. Methods: 491 PCa patients who had received their initial diagnosis between 1 and 113 months previously completed a survey of background variables, as well as the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and Depression Scales (SAS, SDS). Results: Incidence of anxiety-depression comorbidity was nearly 16%, and higher than that previously reported in other samples. Although the directional differences …

Bungy Jump Into The Unknown - Women Escaping Domestic Violence, Megan Levy

Megan Levy

What happens to those women coming out of a women’s refuge? Can they live away from Domestic Violence? Do they have parenting skills? To answer these questions a case study methodology combined with theories from Humanistic, Social and Community Psychology was implemented to analyse the contents of the meetings held by the refuge’s Self-Help Group,. This group consisted of 11 women, ages 29 to 48 yo: Five of them still in domestic violence; and the rest escaping DV: two, in the refuge, and four who had left 12 to 36 months ago. The first finding: When a woman is still …

Dialysis Rationing And The Just Allocation Of Resources: A Historical Primer., Teri Browne

Teri Browne

No abstract provided.

'So It's Always A Dance': The Politics Of Gifts And Governance At A Drop-In Centre For Vulnerable Women In London, Ontario, Treena Orchard, Sara Farr, Susan Macphail

Dr. Treena Orchard

No abstract provided.

What's On The Menu? A Review Of The Energy And Nutritional Content Of Us Chain Restaurant Menus., Roland Sturm, Helen Wu

Roland Sturm

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to (i) describe the availability of nutrition information in major chain restaurants, (ii) document the energy and nutrient levels of menu items, (iii) evaluate relationships with restaurant characteristics, menu labelling and trans fat laws, and nutrition information accessibility, and (iv) compare energy and nutrient levels against industry-sponsored and government-issued nutrition criteria. DESIGN: Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis of the energy, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, carbohydrate and protein levels of 28 433 regular and 1833 children's menu items. SETTING: Energy and nutrition information provided on restaurant websites or upon request, and …

Brief Report: Need For Autonomy And Other Perceived Barriers Relating To Adolescents’ Intentions To Seek Professional Mental Health Care., Coralie J. Wilson, Frank P. Deane

Coralie J Wilson

The current study examined the relationship between belief-based barriers to seeking professional mental health care and help-seeking intentions in a sample of 1037 adolescents. From early adolescence to adulthood, for males and females, the need for autonomy was a strong barrier to seeking professional mental health care. Help-seeking fears were weaker in the older age groups. Having lower perceived need for autonomy and believing that prior mental health care was helpful was significantly associated with higher intentions to seek future professional mental health care. Implications for prevention and overcoming barriers to seeking mental health care are suggested.