Public Health Commons^™

Analysis Of Primary Risk Factors For Oral Cancer From Us States With Increasing Rates, Anthony Bunnell, Nathan Pettit, Nicole Reddout, Kanika Sharma, Susan O'Malley, Michelle Chino, Karl Kingsley

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives

To examine the primary risk factor for oral cancer in the US, smoking and tobacco use, among the specific US states that experienced short-term increases in oral cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods

Population-based data on oral cancer morbidity and mortality in the US were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for analysis of recent trends. Data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure current and former trends of tobacco usage. To comprehensive measures of previous state tobacco use …

The Economic Stimulus: Gauging The Early Effects Of Arra Funding On Health Centers And Medically Underserved Populations And Communities, Peter Shin, Brian K. Bruen, Emily Jones, Leighton C. Ku, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

During times of economic crisis, community health centers and other health care safety net providers become even more vital to the communities they serve. The current downturn, with its high levels of unemployment and enormous impact on family incomes, carries major implications for health insurance coverage. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law on February 17, 2009, provided slightly more than two billion dollars to community health centers for capital improvements, expansion (or retention) of personnel and services, and adoption of health information technology. All of these uses not only support health centers' mission to serve populations …

Smart Density: A More Accurate Method Of Measuring Rural Residential Density For Health-Related Research, Peter M. Owens, Linda Titus-Ernstoff, Lucinda Gibson, Michael L. Beach, Sandy Beauregard, Madeline A. Dalton

Dartmouth Scholarship

Studies involving the built environment have typically relied on US Census data to measure residential density. However, census geographic units are often unsuited to health-related research, especially in rural areas where development is clustered and discontinuous. We evaluated the accuracy of both standard census methods and alternative GIS-based methods to measure rural density.

Traveling Exhibit: The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic was a traveling exhibit that explored the stories of patients from the Willard Psychiatric Center in New York, whose personal belongings were discovered after the institution closed in 1995. The exhibit highlighted the intersection of mental health, poverty, and systemic failures in care. Through a series of public events including panel discussions on homelessness, health equity, and mental health policy, the exhibit aimed to raise awareness and promote dialogue on mental health issues. Curated locally by Laura J. Hall and funded by the New Mexico Humanities Council, it was …

Risky Business: Effectiveness Of State Market-Based Health Programs, Christopher Stream, Nathan Myers

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Since the 1990s, state governments have been leaders of health care reform. Today, approximately 47 million people are without health insurance. As health care costs and uninsurance levels continue to rise, states are pursuing a variety of government- and market-based strategies to address this growing social problem. Health care research has indicated that state-based programs have proven to be successful in extending access to coverage. However, the question remains as to whether the market-based programs have had a positive impact on state health care. Advocates for market-based state health programs argue that the reforms benefit the greater good because they …

Friendship's 3-Tier Healthcare System: An Innovative Approach To Delivering Healthcare To Geographically And Socially Remote Areas, Runa Khan

Social Space

The hardest communities to reach and treat often live in the most remote, harsh landscapes. On the nomadic islands of the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh, poor migratory communities are so cut off from urban centres that medical treatment is virtually unheard of. Runa Khan, Executive Director of Bangladeshi NGO Friendship, shares the difficult and inspired journey to build a mobile healthcare system using hospital ships, mobile clinics and community medics.

Correlates Of Weight Concern And Control In A Hispanic College Student Sample., J. Blow, T. Taylor, Theodore Cooper, C. Redfearn

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Health – Australia, Canada, New Zealand And The United States - Laying Claim To A Future That Embraces Health For Us All., Lisa Jackson Pulver, Melissa R. Haswell, Ian Ring, John Waldon, Wayne Clark, Valorie Whetung, Dianne Kinnon, Catherine Graham, Michelle Chino, Jonathon Lavalley, Christina Compher, Ritu Sadana

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Improving the health of all peoples has been a call across the globe for many decades and unfortunately remains relevant today, particularly given the large disparities in health status of peoples found around the world. Rather than differences in health, or health inequalities, we use a different term, health inequities. This is so as mere differences in health (or "inequalities") can be common in societies and do not necessarily reflect unfair social policies or practices. For example, natural ageing implies older people are more prone to illness. Yet, when differences are systematic, socially produced and unfair, these are considered health …

The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran

Environment Collection

Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been welldocumented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.

Ua12/4 Stall Street Journal, Vol. 2, Wku Health Services

WKU Administration Documents

Broadsides developed by WKU Health Services to convey public health information in students in bathroom stalls. Incomplete run.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Understanding The Hiv Risk And Sexual Health Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Horizons Studies 2001 To 2008, Scott Geibel, Waimar Tun, Placide Tapsoba, Scott E. Kellerman

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Paying The Price For Black Masculinity: Investigating Sexual Behaviors Contributing To Hiv/Aids Infection And Death Of Black Women, Porsche Monic Terry

Theses Digitization Project

According to the Center for Disease Control (2005), African American women account for 64% of the nearly 127,000 women living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The author conducted qualitative interviews with 30 adult Black males with a history of practicing Down Low (DL) sexual behavior-- engaging in homoerotic activities with their female partners. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the DL subculture and to obtain useful information that is crucial to understanding how the DL male's personal struggles with sexuality and masculinity contribute to the disporportionate amount of Black women contracting HIV/AIDS.

Climate Change And Sea Level Rise Initiative (Ccslri), Larry P. Atkinson

CCSLRI Brochures

Brochure of the Old Dominion University Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative (CCSLRI)

Correlates Of Weight Concern And Control In A Hispanic College Student Sample., J. Blow, T. Taylor, Theodore Cooper, C. Redfearn

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Prevention With Positives: How Do We Reach Them In The Community?, Avina Sarna, Jerry Okal, Stanley Luchters, Nzioki King'ola, Scott Geibel

HIV and AIDS

In the past, HIV prevention efforts have focused primarily on developing risk-reduction interventions for those presumed to be HIV-negative and therefore at risk of becoming infected with HIV. In recognition of the need for prevention among people living with HIV (PLHIV), programs have been initiated in Africa, but primarily in clinical settings for those who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is little knowledge about how to reach those PLHIV not on ART, and therefore not in regular contact with the health system or with effective prevention messages. This diagnostic study aimed to address the gap in information on how …

Protecting Hope: Situation Analysis Of Vulnerable Children In Uganda 2009, Sam Kalibala, Lynne Elson

HIV and AIDS

The Government of Uganda has focused attention on the problem of orphaned and other vulnerable children through a number of policies, regulations, and initiatives. In 2004, the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development developed the National OVC Policy, aimed at improving the quality of life for poor and vulnerable children, such as children who have been orphaned, children who are living on the streets, children who are at risk of abuse, and children exposed to situations of armed conflict. However, despite the many efforts to improve the circumstances of vulnerable children in Uganda, policymakers, donors, and program managers still …

Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan

HIV and AIDS

RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.

Pepfar Special Initiative On Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Baseline Report, Lynne Elson, Jill Keesbury

HIV and AIDS

The PEPFAR Special Initiative on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence aims to strengthen services for survivors of sexual violence (SV) though the implementation of a comprehensive model of care in participating PEPFAR partner facilities. This baseline report examines project sites in Uganda and Rwanda and suggests strengthening health services involving training, community and provider awareness and attitudes.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Reducing Hiv-Related Stigma, Horizons Studies 2000 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss, Lisanne Brown, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Access To Antiretroviral Therapy For Hiv Infected Adults And Children In Developing Countries: Horizons Studies, 2002 To 2008, Avina Sarna, Scott E. Kellerman

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Promoting Gender Equity To Fight Hiv, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Implementing Pmtct Programs In Resource-Constrained Settings, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Carolyn Baek, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Improving The Lives Of Orphans And Other Children Affected By Aids, Horizons Studies 1998 To 2007, Katie D. Schenk, Annie P. Michaelis, Tobey C. Nelson, Lisanne Brown, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Who Shares? Managerial Knowledge Transfer Practices In British Columbia's Ministry Of Health Services, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Lock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The British Columbia government's Ministry of Health Services will experience significant loss of operational knowledge from an aging managerial workforce, increased staff turnover, and difficulties in recruitment. The purpose of this study is to provide the ministry's Strategic Human Resources Planning branch staff with a map and description of knowledge transfer practices used by approximately 40 managers within the ministry's Health Sector Information Management/Information Technology division and its Vital Statistics Agency. The study is a mixed-methods case study of knowledge retention and transfer practices founded on a knowledge management and social network theoretical foundation. To understand the ministry's complex nature …

Social Categories And Health Care Outcomes: African American Women And Hiv Survival In The Urban South, Alyson J. O'Daniel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This ethnographic research examines the daily life and institutional conditions under which low-income Black women in urban North Carolina perceived and attended to HIV health-related needs. I focus specifically on the interplay among women’s living conditions, programmatic service needs, and their strategies for navigating the local system of care to explore and refine the categorical label “low income.” I found that there were significant differences among study participants in terms of their monthly incomes and financial resources, housing quality and status, and personal experiences with incarceration and substance abuse. The economic differences among women translated into social differences within the …

From Infanticide To Activism: The Transformation Of Emotions And Identity In Self-Help Movements, Verta Taylor, Lisa A. Leitz

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Taylor and Leitz trace processes of collective identity construction and politicization among women suffering from postpartum psychiatric illness who have been convicted of infanticide. Joining a growing body of research suggesting that self‐help and consumer health movements can be a significant force for change in both the cultural and political arenas, Taylor and Lietz examine one such movement, a pen‐pal network of women incarcerated for committing infanticide. Taylor and Leitz show how a sense of collective identity fostered by the pen‐pal network triggered a profound emotional transformation in participants, allowing them to convert shame and loneliness into pride and solidarity, …

Effect Of Dai Training On Maternal And Neonatal Care: An Operations Research Study, Peter C. Miller, Gul Rashida, Abdul Wajid, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Mahmood, Minhaj Ul Haque

Reproductive Health

This study examines the use of training traditional birth attendants, or "dais" as they are known in Pakistan, to reduce maternal mortality. By training dais to adopt safer routine delivery, newborn care practices, and recognize and refer in case of emergencies, dais can improve maternal and neonatal health. While one group of women met with specially trained dais who received Safe Motherhood Applied Research Training (SMART), a control group met with dais who offered health services only. The objectives of this evaluation were to determine whether dais substantially improved their performance after attending the "SMART dai" training course, to determine …

Increasing Complete Immunization In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the current rate of compliance for recommended schedules of child immunization, identify the barriers and factors facilitating the uptake of full immunization, and identify behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate adoption of this practice. This policy brief identifies a number of barriers to immunization: low risk perception, lack of faith in vaccines, lack of knowledge about vaccines, fear of side effects, lack of family support, and lack of knowledge about location and type of services available. The brief also identifies several facilitating factors and …

Increasing Institutional Delivery And Access To Emergency Obstetric Care Services In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative in rural Uttar Pradesh (UP), India to determine the impact of the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme on the current status of institutional delivery in the region, to understand the facilitating factors and barriers in delivering in a health facility, and to identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of institutional delivery. JSY was launched as an intervention to address the barriers to institutional delivery, through the introduction of community-based women volunteers. The study shows that with the introduction of the JSY the rate of institutional delivery jumped …

Referral Mechanism Improves Uptake Of Art Services For Hiv+ Fp Clients, Population Council

Reproductive Health

An operations research intervention by the Population Council in Kenya aimed to design a referral framework for linking HIV‐positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities. The project also assessed the acceptability and effectiveness in increasing the number of eligible HIV‐positive FP clients receiving HIV care and treatment services. This summary details the effort to improve the linkage between FP services and comprehensive care centers that led to a dramatic increase in the proportions of HIV-positive clients in FP clinics who go on to receive HIV/AIDS treatment and care services at the same facility. Recommendations …