Public Health Commons^™

E-Cigarette Use Among Undergraduate Liberal Arts And Health Sciences Students: A Study Protocol, Vivian G. Dicks, Rebecca B. Stone

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery operated devices that deliver nicotine as an inhaled vapor. Use of e-cigarettes has gained in popularity since 2007, and their use is often promoted as a safer alternative to tobacco smoking. A concern among public health experts is whether e-cigarettes can be used as an alternative method for tobacco cessation or whether they lead to nicotine dependence and use of other tobacco products. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of use of e-cigarettes among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, but varying results on the association between their use and …

Community-Based Participatory Research Principles For The African American Community, Selina A. Smith, Mary S. Whitehead, Joyce Q. Sheats, Benjamin E. Ansa, Steven S. Coughlin, Daniel S. Blumenthal

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Numerous sets of principles have been developed to guide the conduct of community-based participatory research (CBPR). However, they tend to be written in language that is most appropriate for academics and other research professionals; they may not help lay people from the community understand CBPR.

Methods: Many community members of the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer assisting with the Educational Program to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (EPICS) had little understanding of CBPR. We engaged community members in developing culturally-specific principles for conducting academic-community collaborative research.

Results: We developed a set of CBPR principles intended to resonate with African-American …

Immunization Policies For Employees Of Childcare Facilities Within The North Central Health District Of Georgia, Paula Kamara, Brad Lian, Jimmie H. Smith, Judy Mcchargue

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Since the early 1980s, vaccinations have generally been required for children in licensed daycare and school settings. In these settings, vaccinations have reduced disease rates. Adults occupy these settings as well, and ensuring they are vaccinated should also reduce the potential for disease and disease transmission. Yet, there are few vaccination requirements for adults employed at daycare facilities, although such requirements have been recommended (CDC Adult immunization schedule, 2015; ACIP General Recommendations, 2011). The objective of this study was to examine current vaccination policies among childcare facilities within Georgia’s North Central Health District (District 5-2) and the climate for …

Childhood Cancer Incidence In Georgia: Descriptive Epidemiology, Geographic Trends, And Disparities In Insurance Coverage, And Health Care Access, Florence A. Kanu, Sara Wagner Robb, Rosemary Corriero

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Limited research has been conducted concerning childhood cancer (CC) incidence in Georgia, which is a leading cause of death for children in the US. The purpose of this study was to determine if county-level CC incidence rates differed by geography or race and if health care access disparities exist.

Methods: Incidence data were obtained from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry for 2000-2011. Age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 were analyzed by sex, race, and county. Hotspots and coldspots of CC incidence were analyzed using the Getis-Ord GI* statistic. Health care access data for children under 19 were obtained using US …

Trends In Cancer Incidence Rates In Georgia, 1982-2011, Wonsuk Yoo, Steven S. Coughlin, James W. Lillard

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Although data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End results (SEER)-affiliated cancer registry are accessible to the public, there is a shortage of published research describing cancer incidences for White, Black, and other residents in Georgia. The objective of this research is to provide an overview of the trends in incidence of cancer in Georgia.

Methods: Incidence data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 9 program, supported by the National Cancer Institute, spanning the years 1982 to 2011. To assess trends over time, age-adjusted cancer incidence rates relative to the 2000 Standard US population and annual …

The Care Continuum For People Living With Hiv In Georgia: How Can We Raise The Bar?, Jane Kelly, Deepali Rane, C. Drenzek

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Viral suppression (VS) improves quality of life and longevity for people living with HIV (PLWH) and reduces viral transmission, but is achieved by only a minority of PLWH in Georgia.

Methods: By use of the Georgia HIV/AIDS surveillance database, the HIV Care Continuum was stratified by age.

Results: Retention in care and VS generally increased with increasing age, with the exception of adolescents (aged 13-18 years), who had the highest retention and VS. Differences by sex, race and transmission category persisted across age groups. Among persons retained in care, the proportion achieving VS also generally increased with age. Linkage …

Perceptions Of Hiv/Aids Testing Among Urban And Rural African American Church Members, Roblena E. Walker

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to affect African Americans (AA) disproportionately. The purpose of this mixed methods study, guided by the health belief model, was to examine associations linking church and ambient social environment with knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS testing amongst urban and rural AA church members.

Methods: Multiple regressions and t tests were used to compare perceptions of HIV/AIDS testing and knowledge of HIV/AIDS among 236 participants selected from two AA churches located in a large city (n = 122) and in a rural town (n =114) in the Southern U.S.

Results: The …

Reflections On Mental Health Advocacy Across Differing Ecological Levels, Nancy J. Thompson, Robin E. Mcgee, Elizabeth R. Walker, Leslie C. Munoz

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: According to the World Health Organization, mental health advocacy is comprised of a range of actions designed to change aspects of attitudes and structures that impede the achievement of positive mental health in populations.

Methods: According to the World Health Organization, mental health advocacy is comprised of a range of actions designed to change aspects of attitudes and structures that impede the achievement of positive mental health in populations.

Results: We have proposed interventions and advocacy effort for each ecological level. Project UPLIFT, a distance-delivered intervention for mental health is presented as an example of an effort that can …

Epid 7233 - Public Health Surveillance Methods, Jian Zhang

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will provide students with a strong foundation in public health surveillance of both health conditions and risk factors. The course will teach the theory and practice of surveillance supported by many examples of surveillance systems from the developed and developing world. The class will build on and reinforce basic epidemiologic concepts. Students will be given the opportunity to design and evaluate a surveillance system.

Hspm 7030 - Healthcare Marketing And Strategic Planning, Samuel T. Opoku

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course offers an introduction to strategic planning and management in health services organizations. Processes and formats employed in strategic planning and marketing are presented and applied in case studies and a final project. Elements of market assessment, environmental analysis and strategy development are presented and applied to course practices.

Hspm 7131 - Health Organization Theory, Behavior & Management, Samuel T. Opoku

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines the dynamic nature of organizations in the health services field and the implications for leaders and managers within the context of organizations as open systems from an individual, group and system perspective. The course examines principles of strategic leadership/management applied to health care organizations amid a changing environment and focuses on improving organizational efficiency, effectiveness and efficacy through leadership principles.

Pubh 6532 - Environmental Health, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Survey of specific environmental conditions and factors that contribute to the development of health problems in communities. Health effects, policy issues, intervention strategies and control programs for community environmental health protection are discussed.

Hspm 7236d - Health Informatics, Jeffery A. Jones

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course presents the knowledge, infrastructure, functions, and tools of health informatics. It explores technology, planning and management and applications in public health and health care. The emphasis is on conceptual frameworks as well as a deeper level of engagement on system applications. It focuses on the application of health technology, with a particular emphasis on the private/public sector of health management. It is designed to familiarize students with core concepts and issues confronting managers in the health sector associated with planning, implementation and evaluation of information systems. The course provides an overview of the theory, processes and applications of …

Pubh 6533 - Epidemiology (Online), Claire Robb

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides an introduction to many important topics in epidemiology for public health practice, including but not limited to the evolution of the discipline, causal concepts in the natural history of disease, critical features of infectious and chronic diseases, elements of public health screening, basic measures used in epidemiology, design of epidemiologic investigations, consideration of random error and systematic bias, calculation and interpretation of confidence intervals and p values, discussion of confounding and interaction, criteria for evaluation of cause and effect relationships and the implications for ethical public health practice. Students are expected to gain a foundation in epidemiologic …

Pubh 6534 - Health Policy And Management (Online), Bettye A. Apenteng

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course provides a comprehensive introduction and overview to public health management and administration. The course context is based on managerial decision making and the practical knowledge, tools, processes and strategies required by organizational management. This course overviews the basics of administration, including public health law, human resources management, budgeting and financing, health information management, performance measurement and improvement, ethics, leadership, communication, media relations, and legislative relations in public health; introduced as processes are strategic planning, program development and evaluation, budget preparation, and constituency building for collaboration. Emerging areas of public health policy and management are also discussed as contexts …

Pubh 6534 - Health Policy And Management, Katie M. Mercer

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course provides a comprehensive introduction and overview to public health management and administration. The course context is based on managerial decision making and the practical knowledge, tools, processes and strategies required by organizational management. This course overviews the basics of administration, including public health law, human resources management, budgeting and financing, health information management, performance measurement and improvement, ethics, leadership, communication, media relations, and legislative relations in public health; introduced as processes are strategic planning, program development and evaluation, budget preparation, and constituency building for collaboration. Emerging areas of public health policy and management are also discussed as contexts …

Pubh 6535 - Theoretical Perspectives Of The Social And Behavioral Sciences In Public Health (Online), Raymona H. Lawrence

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of social and behavioral sciences as they are applied to public health practice and research. It explores social and behavioral science models, theories, and approaches that inform public health, and its philosophical roots. The course also examines social and behavioral determinants of health equity across the ecological spectrum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students synthesize and utilize information in research and practice. An important contribution of this course is the emphasis on recognizing the contributions of social and behavioral science research and practice …

Pubh 6535 - Theoretical Perspectives Of The Social And Behavioral Sciences In Public Health, Stacy W. Smallwood

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of social and behavioral sciences as they are applied to public health practice and research. It explores social and behavioral science models, theories, and approaches that inform public health, and their philosophical roots. The course also examines social and behavioral determinants of health equity across the ecological spectrum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students synthesize and utilize information in research and practice. An important contribution of this course is the emphasis on recognizing the contributions of social and behavioral science research and practice …

Bios 6541 - Biostatistics, Hani Samawi

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines statistics in public health and related sciences, including sampling, probability, basic discrete and continuous distributions, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, categorical data analysis, regression, and correlation. Emphasis will be on the development of critical thinking skills and health data analysis applications with computer software.

Pubh 7090 A - Selected Topics In Public Health: Advanced Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course covers the use of mathematical and computational approaches to study infectious diseases. We will discuss models that address both the dynamics of infectious disease spread through populations and the dynamics of pathogens inside an infected individual. Students will learn how to build and analyze models for a variety of human and animal diseases. We will look at the impact of interventions on disease outcomes. Students will learn how to interpret results of modeling studies to make informed public health policy decisions.

Pubh 8133 02p - Epidemiologic Methods, Kelly L. Sullivan

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

An advanced epidemiology course designed to reinforce epidemiological concepts, as well as build a foundation for epidemiologic research in public health practice. Specific course content includes observational and experimental epidemiologic research methods. Emphasis will also be placed on appropriate analytic techniques necessary for biostatistical inference.

Pubh 8133 01p - Epidemiologic Methods, Yelena N. Tarasenko

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

An advanced epidemiology course designed to reinforce epidemiological concepts, as well as build a foundation for epidemiologic research in public health practice. Specific course content includes observational and experimental epidemiologic research methods. Emphasis will also be placed on appropriate analytic techniques necessary for biostatistical inference

Pubh 9130 - Professional Seminar In Biostatistics, Robert Vogel

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course focuses on study design and sampling methods as well as data analysis of small and large, national and local health surveys and vital statistics in order to gain experience describing data using effective graphical and numerical methods. Students will use statistical software (SAS) to analyze data originating from various survey designs, including data from experimental designs such as parallel, longitudinal studies that involve several treatment or intervention groups. Students will work in groups on data analysis projects and case studies in order to be exposed to others' expertise in different areas of public health and to learn effective …

Bios 6136 - Topics Of Inference In Biostatistics Ii, Lili Yu

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course will introduce large sample theory, such as law of large numbers and the central limit theorem; sampling distributions of estimators; the basis for inferences derived from hypothesis testing and confidence intervals; and simulation methods. Emphasis will be placed on how these techniques are used in biostatistical problems and applications using examples from the pharmaceutical industry.

Pubh 5520/5520g - Introduction To Public Health, Katie M. Mercer

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to give students a foundation in the core functions of the population-based public health (assessment, policy development and assurance). In addition, this course will examine the 10 essential services of public health within these core functions. Defining effective public health practice and providing knowledge about the technical, social, and political parameters related to public health research and practice are goals for this class. Students will gain an understanding of public health as a broad area of work that applies the benefits of current biomedical, environmental, social, and behavioral knowledge in ways that maximize the health status …

Pubh 4798 - Internship In Health Education And Promotion, Joanne Chopak-Foss

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The internship is designed to be fulltime work in a health-related agency or worksite. This is 600 hours (15 weeks) total on-the-job experience during the regular semester. The duration of the internship is planned to allow the variety of experiences that will provide the most benefit to the student. The student must follow the schedule that is typical of the agency including work hours during the day and any holidays that may fall during the course of the internship. Students may not work or take classes during the course of the internship. All coursework in the degree program MUST be …

Pubh 4330 - Promotional Strategies For Health Programs, Jamie S. Cromley

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course explores the application of social marketing and communication theory to the development of strategies to enhance health education and promotion programs.

Pubh 4134 - Research Methods And Evaluation, Dziyana Nazaruk

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces the student to research methods used in health education and promotion. In addition, this course examines the rationale and procedure to evaluate health education/promotion programs. The course focuses on several topics including: research design, methods of program evaluation, planning research and evaluation, the politics and ethics of evaluation, measurement, sampling logistics, data analysis, and the development of a student project.

Pubh 4133 - Health Promotion Program Planning Ii, Raymona H. Lawrence

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Introduces students to additional theory and application of community-based program planning and evaluation. The second of a two-course sequence, the focus will be on program implementation, evaluation, and reporting of the health promotion plan developed during the prior semester. Students will gain first-hand experience in conducting an evaluation of community health education program.

Pubh 4230 A - Maternal And Child Health, Val Malika Reagon

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will review the historical and contemporary maternal and child health trends and issues. The application of health behavior and education theories to understanding the health status of women and their children will be central to the course. Emphasis is on promotion and education efforts designed to improve the health, well­being, and quality of life for women and children globally.