Public Health Commons^™

Overcoming Disparities In The Treatment Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Christian Gamboa, Tribhuvan Lanka, Elaine Flowers, Nayarith Lopez

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Deaths due to Alzheimer’s have been increasing at an exponential rate for the last 24 years, with an astounding 145% increase between the years 2000-2024. Early detection is key to slowing down the rate of decline. Unfortunately, Latino and African American individuals delay seeking care, which predisposes them to worse outcomes. To date, socioeconomic limitations are the main factors leading to delayed care in Latino and African American communities. A service project was developed with the aim of addressing limitations that result in delays to seeking care within Latino and African American communities.

Methods: A systematic review of available …

Exploring Hypertension Prevalence Among Ill-Housed Individuals In Urban Environments, Lia Summer Goldberg, Sameer Shah, Nikhila Archakam, Murod Khikmatov, Kesha Choksi, Anddee White

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study explores the interrelations of hypertension, homelessness, and access to healthcare in urban ill-housed populations. It was found that conditions such as heart disease and diabetes significantly exacerbate hypertension, which remains highly prevalent due to the population's limited access to consistent medical care. Homelessness further complicates the management of hypertension due to unstable living conditions, making adherence to treatment and follow-up with healthcare providers challenging. Additionally, factors like higher rates of substance abuse and malnutrition among homeless populations contribute to worsening hypertension, which, if untreated, can lead to severe health crises including heart attacks and strokes.

The research underscores …

Pros, Cons, And The Barriers To Implementing A Universal Healthcare System In The United States, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Despite that, it also has worse health outcomes than that of several other countries. The United States is also the only wealthy/developed country without universal healthcare. Universal healthcare, also known as a single-payer healthcare system, refers to the concept that the government finances and governs healthcare for most, if not all residents of the country. The United States currently has a multi-payer system, which means that healthcare is financed through various sources such as the public and private sectors. Purpose: The purpose of this is …

Association Between Cultural Factors And Postpartum Depression, Usha Modukuru

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Postpartum depression (PPD) is present in 17.22% of the world population. The negative physical and psychological impacts of PPD impact not only the mother, but also those around her. This raises the importance of identifying factors contributing to its onset. Studies have shown that PPD prevalence rates vary between non-Western and Western regions of the world. Cultural postpartum practices differed significantly region to region. Search terms including postpartum depression and cultures were used to find peer-reviewed articles, primary surveys, and patient interviews between 2013-2023. Qualitative analyses were performed on the results. Ethnokinship cultures, commonly present in non-Western countries, prioritized social …

Is There An Association Between Living In A Rural Area And The Incidence Of Postoperative Complications Or Hospital Readmissions Following Left Ventricular Assist Device (Lvad) Implantation, Compared To Urban Lvad Recipients?, Samrat Gollapudi, Abhiram Gollapudi, Srinidhi Banala, Sheraj Singh, Bhaumik Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are utilized as a therapeutic option for patients with end-stage heart failure. While LVAD implantation can significantly improve survival rates and quality of life, the procedure is not without risks, and postoperative complications are common. This review aims to investigate whether there is an association between living in a rural area and the incidence of postoperative complications or hospital readmissions following LVAD implantation, compared to urban LVAD recipients.

Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted, examining studies that compared postoperative outcomes between rural and urban LVAD recipients. Data were extracted on adverse …

A Brief Overview Of Food Insecurity In Southern New Jersey, Lisa Ting Huang, Krisha Darji, Jariatou Diallo, Amin Abdul Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Atlantic County, located off the Jersey Shore, faces the highest level of food insecurity in New Jersey, with a rate of 11.2% as of 2021, surpassing the state's overall rate of 8.8%. This situation contributes to health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

The objective of this research is to understand and address the persistence of food insecurity in Atlantic County. Community stakeholders and local physicians were interviewed to identify barriers and disparities contributing to food insecurity.

Methods included a literature review using keywords like "food insecurity" and "southern New Jersey". Proposed interventions suggest collaboration with health centers …

Addressing The Black Maternal Mortality Rate, Kennedy Sanders, Venkateswar Venkataraman, Kate Whelihan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: As of 2021, the Black maternal mortality rate in the United States was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births as compared to the national average of 32.9 and the White American average of 26.61. It has been demonstrated that this discrepancy is not fully explained by socioeconomic status. Doulas are professionals who provide support and guidance throughout pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. Encouraging the use of doulas may be an effective approach to improve the birth experience for Black mothers. Methods: A literature review was performed using PubMed and the following search strings: maternal mortality rate (+race, +race +ethnicity, …

Sunscreen Cost And Its Effect On Skin Cancer In Low-Income Communities: A Systemic Review, John Sauer

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This research examines the pivotal connection between sunscreen affordability and its impact on skin cancer prevalence, especially in low-income communities. Despite universal dermatological recommendations for daily sunscreen use, stringent criteria contribute to elevated prices, averaging around $10 for a 6 oz unit. This financial strain is compounded for families adhering to recommended application rates, leading to significant economic burdens. Outdoor laborers, less likely to follow guidelines, face heightened risks. Government programs' excluding sunscreen costs further exacerbate challenges for low-income communities, contributing to increased skin cancer incidence. This review aims to establish a correlation between sunscreen cost and skin cancer rates, …

Barriers To Healthcare Access Between English And Spanish Speakers In An Underserved Population, Adeena Javed, Dale Johnson, Gerardo J. Rivera-Colón, Nathaniel J. Byrnes, Kristin Bertsch, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• According to the NJ State Department of Health, Atlantic County has higher rates of smoking, respiratory disease, hypercholesterolemia, as well as death rates due to coronary heart disease, HIV, and all cancers compared to the NJ state average1,2.

• With over 20% of Atlantic County's population identifying as Hispanic, Spanish speakers encounter greater obstacles compared to their English-speaking counterparts in accessing healthcare services and improving health outcomes1,2 .

• Existing research indicates that various factors, including health insurance coverage, proximity to healthcare facilities, transportation options, health literacy levels, and trust in the medical profession, significantly influence access to healthcare …

Cut The Pressure: Blood Pressure Screening In A Community Based Setting, Harold Kareem Knight Jr., Katharine Milani

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study addresses the pressing issue of cardiovascular health disparities in African American males through community-based interventions, specifically blood pressure screenings and surveys conducted in a local barbershop setting. Despite a preference among participants for clinical settings, an overwhelming 97.7% expressed high comfort levels in the community-based environment, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in healthcare delivery. With 92.5% indicating willingness to return for future screenings, the study underscores the efficacy of non-traditional settings in fostering healthcare engagement. Findings suggest the potential for broader impact through scalable, community-centric initiatives, offering promising avenues for improving health outcomes in underserved populations.

Dual-Systems And Fuzzy-Trace Theory Predictions Of Covid-19 Risk Taking In Young Adults, Sarah M. Edelson, Valerie F. Reyna, Bridget B. Hayes, David M. N. Garavito

Articles

Risk-reduction behaviors are the first line of defense in viral epidemics. Choosing to not engage in risk-reduction behaviors produced millions of preventable deaths from COVID-19. Understanding why this happens and how to predict it is important for theory development and public policy. We took four approaches to this problem: experimentally varying theory-driven predictors (social rewards, transmission risk, and mandatory/voluntary regulations) in choice scenarios, further probing choices in specific scenarios predicted to elicit risk taking, conducting hierarchical regressions with demographic and theory-driven predictors for both scenario types, and conducting corresponding regressions for self-reported protective behaviors. The sample consisted of 247 young …

A Problem-Based Approach To Racial And Ethnic Inequities In The German Health System, Thomas C. Lane

German Studies Undergraduate Senior Theses

This work is the first comprehensive book-length survey of racial and ethnic inequities in Germany’s health system. It takes a novel approach to understanding health inequities by focusing on the overarching structures which shape them in the German context, using examples from various areas of the health system to clarify their nuances. The Introduction grounds the need for understanding and combating health inequities in Germany’s unique postwar constitutional commitment to human dignity. Next, Chapter 1 outlines the current methods by which inequities are measured in Germany and why they are problematic. Chapter 2 covers current inequities in the provision of …

Female Leaders In Occupational Safety And Health: Perceived Barriers And Potential Interventions, Jacqueline Basham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Limited research exists about the challenges women face working as leaders within the occupational safety and health (OSH) industry. This study aimed to help fill this gap by utilizing key informant interviews to qualitatively analyze what the perceptions of female safety leaders were within OSH related to barriers and interventions to sustain or increase the number of female safety leaders. Both convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods were utilized to recruit female safety leaders to participate in key informant interviews. In order to be eligible for inclusion in the study, participants needed to identify as female, be safety leaders currently …

Developing An Efficient Regulatory Framework For Safe Street Food In Bangladesh: Lessons From Comparative Analyses With India, Thailand, And New York City, Usa., Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Globally, approximately 2.5 billion individuals consume street food1 daily. Street food is affordable, convenient, and sometimes nutritious, offering diverse and appealing food choices. A World Health Organization (WHO) report in 1996 ascertained that 74% of countries recognized the substantial contribution of street foods to their urban food supply The following parts of the article look into street food's impact on public health and its implications for the lives of people in Bangladesh. Subsequently, it will examine previous initiatives and current endeavors to ensure street food safety and hygiene. Following this literature review, the study will conduct a detailed examination of …

Assessing The Relationship Between Racism In Medicine, Medical Mistrust And Cardiovascular Disease Among Black American Adults., Osayande Agbonlahor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) persists as the leading preventable cause of death and disability among Black Americans in the United States. Structural and psychosocial factors such as racism have been highlighted as a fundamental cause of persistent cardiovascular health disparities in the U.S. This study examined the associations between racism in medicine, medical mistrust and CVD among Black Americans using the Minority Stress Theory as a theoretical framework. This study evaluates the sociodemographic differences in the quality of care received among Black Americans. Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey, 2022 and the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems …

Reimaging Safety After Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration Of Survivors' Experiences With Formal And Informal Crisis Response Networks., Hallie Ruth Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a highly prevalent public health and human rights concern impacting communities across the United States. SV is associated with a myriad of adverse physical, reproductive, sexual, mental, behavioral, financial, and social health outcomes which may be acute or chronic. Health challenges associated with post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder are particularly common among victims and survivors of SV. Engagement in early psychological/psychosocial intervention strategies may prevent or reduce PTSD-related symptomatology after experiencing an SV encounter. Despite the availability of crisis response and support options to support individuals who have experienced SV, significant barriers exist across social …

Evaluating The Epidemiological, Hormonal, And Psychosocial Sex-Based Differences In Sports-Related Concussion Outcomes, Samantha Kanny

All Dissertations

Sports-related concussions (SRCs) affect approximately 3.8 million athletes in the United States per year. A multitude of risk factors including age, sex, concussion history and prior medical conditions have been observed to significantly increase sports-related concussion symptom burden. Researchers have posited many reasons to explain sex-based differences in SRC outcomes, often categorized by biological characteristics or sociocultural factors, however, females are vastly underrepresented in sports-related concussion research, making it difficult to understand the true mechanisms underlying SRC sex-based differences. The goal of this dissertation is to help fill the current gap in knowledge on sex-based differences in sports-related concussion outcomes. …

Assessing Barriers To Upward Mobility In The Cape Fear Region, Sabrina T. Cherry, Christopher R. Prentice

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Researchers explore upward mobility to better understand how economic and employment factors drive or undermine social justice and equity in the United States. This scholarship can inform activists and researchers seeking to design solutions that help overcome systemic challenges to upward mobility. Therefore, as an interdisciplinary team of scholars in a public university, we collaborated with community partners to conduct a case study in which we assessed the barriers to—and the drivers of—upward mobility in a medium-sized city in Southeastern North Carolina. We conducted key informant interviews and focus groups with a cross-section of local residents to learn about their …

The Moderating Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Walkability On The Efficacy Of Physical Activity Interventions, Analisa Vavoso, Vincent Berardi, Marc A. Adams

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

To enable physical activity (PA) interventions to better tailor procedures to participant characteristics, we investigated the role of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and walkability on the differential effectiveness of adaptive versus static activity goals (AG vs. SG) and immediate versus delayed (IR vs. DR) reinforcement in a PA trial.

Data was collected as a part of the WalkIT Arizona study, where healthy, inactive adults (n = 512) were instructed to wear an accelerometer daily for one year and were provided with daily goals for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The intersection of goal types (adaptive and static) as well as reinforcement types …

Betrayal As A Moderator Of Covid-19 Exposure And Ptsd Symptoms, Karly Sara Weinreb

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been interest in understanding how individuals have fared regarding their mental health symptoms, such as symptoms of PTSD. Prior studies have established a link between COVID-19 and PTSD without considering how COVID-19 may relate to the four PTSD symptom clusters. Further, those who feel betrayed by either an individual or institution tend to have more severe PTSD (Martin et al., 2013). It is possible that individuals felt a level of both interpersonal and institutional betrayal towards other individuals or institutions for exposing them to environments in which there was a risk of …

Does Appearance Matter? The Relationship Of Perceived Body Size And Physical Appearance On Students' Attraction To Physical Activity At Recess, Danielle Belcher

Master's Theses

Drastic declines in recess physical activity (PA) have been observed within recent years (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2017). Due to recess’ discretionary nature, psychosocial variables associated with PA are predictors of students’ PA levels. Recess is also a time of heightened bullying occurrences (Vaillancourt et al., 2010). Appearance-based bullying is the most common type of victimization that occurs in schools, transpiring more often in children with larger body max indexes (BMI), and possibly altering students’ physical self-perceptions. Physical self-perceptions have been shown to impact PA motivation, however, it is still unknown the extent to which appearance-based bullying, body size, …

Protocols For Enhancing The Role And Value Of Spiritual Care Resources In The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Garrett Harper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the assessment of innovative practices in police chaplaincy. The purpose of the project intervention is to develop protocols that can guide police chaplains through an assessment process. The intervention relies on practical theology as exemplified through the ministry of chaplaincy. This ministry comprises police chaplains offering spiritual comfort to persons encountering critical incidents involving violence, accident, or other trauma-intensive events and situations. Adoption of innovations can allow police chaplains to be more effective in fulfilling many outward-focused tasks such as delivery of death notifications. I conclude that: (1) police chaplaincy is amenable to use of protocols to …

Examining Young Adult E-Cigarette Users By Device Type: A Latent Class Analysis, Mufazzela Tabassum

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Examining Young Adult E-Cigarette Users by Device Type: A Latent Class Analysis

Purpose. This study examined which factors influence the type(s) of e-cigarette devices someone uses and if there are heterogeneous groups of young adult e-cigarette users.

Methods. This study first quantitatively explored if there are heterogeneous groups of e-cigarette users by utilizing data from an online cross-sectional survey. E-cigarette users (n = 595) were able to participate in the survey if they were 18-29 years of age, used an e-cigarette for 1-5 days in the past 30 days, own their own e-cigarette, and live in the United States. Participants …

The Impact Of Policy And Perception On Women’S Health Since 2010, Eryn Busenbark

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This project tackles the complicated relationship between policy and perception of women’s health in the last decade. This was achieved through research on existing literature and semi-structured interviews with five professionals in various areas of women’s health: mental health, public policy, sexual health education, and research. Literature reviews were conducted using University of Nebraska at Omaha Criss Library’s databases, with dozens of articles analyzed. The goal of this research was to gain an understanding of how public opinion and perceptions can sway policy, which has created challenges and consequences for women and their health.

Perceptions Of Metabolic Syndrome Management Utilization In Relation With Patient Characteristics And Health-Related Quality Of Life, Olajide Adekunle

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Challenges in managing MetS include untreated risk factors and ineffective management, resulting in poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A significant factor contributing to these challenges is the underutilization of management services, possibly due to patients' perceptions of disease management resource utilization (PMU). Therefore, understanding patients' PMU is crucial for improving health outcomes. The study investigated PMU, explored PMU predictors, and investigated the impact of PMU and patients’ demographics on HRQoL. Using a cross-sectional design, data on perceptions of healthcare, medication, and pharmacy service utilization, prior experience with pharmacy services, demographics, and HRQoL were collected from adult individuals with obesity …

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …

Breaking The Rule Of Silence: Childbirth And Gendered Power In Efuru And The Joys Of Motherhood, Sunday Elliott Uguru

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the thematic preoccupation of childbirth in the formative period of feminist discourse in African literature through a critical study of selected novels of Igbo women of southeastern Nigeria. The novels studied represent the earliest published African texts in English by women. The period under focus falls within the emerging stage of Nigerian literary tradition in its written form with a dominant presence of men. This study investigates the women novelists' perspective toward the failure of male authored works to represent women's childbirth experience. Through a critical reading of Flora Nwapa's Efuru and Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of …

The Sexual Trauma Of The Female Body: Violence Against Women In Contemporary Spanish And Latin American Cultures, Lara Armenteros Garrido

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation focuses on the idea that women’s bodies have a sexual stigma attached to them as a consequence of different forms of heteropatriarcal violence inflicted on them. From violence in public spaces, such as street harassment or the sexual exploitation of women, to the intimacy of the relationship, like intimate partner violence or the orgasm gap, it becomes increasingly difficult for women to escape violence. Through the analysis of films, documentaries, narratives, and the testimonies of women from Spain and Latin America, I argue there is still a lack of adequate sexual and emotional knowledge to help complete agency …

The Role Of Soft Infrastructure In Developing Sustainable Volunteer-Based Healthcare For Transient Migrants In The El Paso-Ciudad Juárez Border Region, Daniel Avitia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Lived Experience Of Self-Care In Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Holly Berry-Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

The prevalence of prediabetes in adults aged 18 or older was as high as 38% between 2017-2020. Youth-onset T2DM is a more aggressive phenotype than T2DM that occurs later in life. Young adults with T2DM have poorer health outcomes, lose an average of 15 years of life, all resulting in significant economic burden impacting the person. Current self-management interventions do not improve health outcomes in young adults with T2DM.

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to explore the self-care experiences of young adults living with T2DM.

Methods

Existential hermeneutic phenomenology informed the research. Inclusion criteria as follows: adults …