Public Health Commons^™

Construction And Mutagenesis Of Ssv1 Mutants In Extreme Viruses, Lou Ann F. O'Connor, Jono Abshier, Kenneth M. Stedman

Student Research Symposium

Archaeal viruses with unique structures such as spindle-shaped virions are found abundantly in extreme environments like geothermal hot springs around the world. Among all spindle-shaped viruses, the model Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Virus 1 (SSV1) is best studied. Creating the lemon-shaped or spindle-shaped virion structure are two proteins, VP1 as the major capsid protein, and VP3 as the minor capsid protein. The primary structure of VP1 consists of a proteolytic cleavage site at position 66 that is believed to be necessary for virus evolution. Recent studies showed that genetic mutation of the amino acid, glutamate (E) at position 66 in VP1 which …

Considering The Historical And Systemic Context, To What Extent Are Cuban Women’S Healthcare And Reproductive Rights Affected By The Privacy And Social Influence Of Cuba Today?, Autumn Cowell

Student Research Symposium

This paper will examine how historical and systemic values continue to frame social influences thus impacting Cuban women’s healthcare and reproductive rights. If the impact of history and systems still affects social influences then Women’s Healthcare and Reproductive Rights may be compromised. This investigation will highlight the potential benefits and risks of historical and systemic values that have affected challenges or changes within Cuban culture. And how these social influences are found within the areas of prevention, intervention, and treatment. This paper hopes to outline how the Cuban government and society are sustaining the protection of Cuban women’s access to …

Knowledge Of Medicaid Expansion To Recent And Undocumented Immigrants Among Oregon Mexican-Origin Latinos: (Work In Progress), Nancy Ledezma, Grace Parra, Alejandra Nunez, Dr. Blair Darney

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background

Recent and undocumented immigrants are explicitly excluded from federal Medicaid and state insurance exchanges. The first phase of Healthier Oregon was implemented in July 2022 and expanded Medicaid (OHP) benefits to undocumented immigrants ages 19-25 or 55 and older. The second phase was implemented in July 2023 and extended benefits to everyone regardless of age. We assessed understanding of Healthier Oregon among Mexican-origin Latinos. We hypothesize that many potentially eligible people may not know about the program, if they qualify, or how to apply.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study in collaboration with the General Consulate of Mexico. Our …

Understanding Variation In Provider Referral Rates To Early Intervention For Children With Developmental Delays, Gabriella Tangkilisan, Zoe Kilmer, Michelle Owens, Benjamin Sanders, Katharine Zuckerman

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background:

Early detection and treatment of developmental disabilities (DD), including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), improves language, IQ, and adaptive outcomes. Guidelines recommend immediate referral to Early Intervention (public developmental therapy services) upon positive ASD/DD screening in infant/toddler well child checks. However, children screening positive for ASD/DD are not always referred for Early Intervention services. This project aimed to understand why pediatricians do and do not refer children with positive DD/ASD screens to early intervention.

Methods:

We conducted qualitative interviews with pediatricians who participated in a randomized trial investigating family navigation for children with autism risk. We determined pediatrician referral rates …

Impact Of Two Shift Schedules On Post-Shift Blood Pressure In Firefighters, Ayeisha H. Haswarey

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background: Firefighters have an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease compared to the general population. Blunted blood pressure (BP) dipping during nocturnal sleep is associated with increased cardiometabolic disease morbidity/mortality. Shift work can alter diurnal BP oscillation, but the extent of alteration by different schedules remains debated. No study to date has examined firefighting shift schedules, necessitating a longitudinal evaluation to begin to understand their implications for cardiometabolic health. Thus, this preliminary analysis compares how two common schedules (24/48 hours on/off vs. 1/3/2/3 days on/off) impact post-shift BP and dipping in 20 firefighters.

Methods: 20 participants (10% female; 25-54 years of …

Transgender And Non-Binary Health In Oregon Under A Single-Payer Health System, Amy (Mick) L. Mcveety (They/She)

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

As the state with the highest percentage of population who identifies as LGBTQ+, Oregon has a duty to provide adequate health protections and services to its transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) residents, particularly given the disparities TGNB individuals face in housing, employment, education, and health. Following recommendations from the Oregon Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care, Oregon should implement a single-payer health care system, with particular attention to:

1. Protecting patient privacy in EHR and other systems, particularly for youth TGNB patients;
2. Expanding the covered gender-affirming services and removing barriers such as cost-sharing and prior authorization, and;
3. Recruiting TGNB providers and …

Gender Affirming Surgery And Pain In Adolescents: Teen And Parent Experiences, Corrin Murphy, Eleanor Battison, University Of Rhode Island, Anna Wilson Phd

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background: Adolescents seeking gender affirming medical care face unique biopsychosocial challenges, including experiences of discrimination and stigma. Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents often undergo gender affirming surgery (GAS). While there is an increase in GAS for TGD adolescents in the U.S., little is known about the pain experiences in the post-surgical period among these youth. There have been no studies to our knowledge that examine the psychological functioning of parents and their ability to handle their child's distress, which may be affected by their child's post-GAS pain experiences. Parental responses to their children’s pain and distress may, in turn, …

The Association Between Acculturation & C-Reactive Protein In U.S. Immigrants: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jessica Kilinski Bs, Rosol Mikail Bs, Kelly M. Reavis Phd, Mph, Deborah Karasek Phd, Mph

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Purpose: Immigrants undergo acculturation as they assimilate to a different culture, potentially leading to immense stress. Our objective was to examine the association between acculturation and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of stress-induced inflammation. We hypothesized that U.S. foreign-born adults 20 years and older with higher degrees of acculturation would have higher CRP levels compared to those with lower acculturation.

Method: We used 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1526 participants to conduct a cross-sectional analysis. We measured acculturation as language spoken at home (categorized as low, moderate, and high) and examined its association with CRP …

Strong Hearts Program: The Results Of A Novel Primary-Care Based Diagnostic And Referral Program For Chagas Disease In East Boston, Ma, Usa, Javier J. Huerta

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Purpose: Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic infection, affects ~300,000 people in the US. Untreated, CD leads to irreversible cardiac morbidity and death in 20-30% of cases, yet

Methods: After provider and community sessions, 14,354 patients were screened at EBNHC from March 2017 - May 2023, following a prespecified protocol. Confirmed Chagas patients were referred to Boston Medical Center for further evaluation. Using chi-squared tests, we analyze diagnostic uptake and prevalence stratified by demographics. Additionally, we abstracted care continuum barriers from Chagas patients' records.

Results: Per quarter, a median of 572 patients were screened (IQR: 393 – 712). …

The Cost Of Healthy Eating, Diana Prychyna, Miriam R. Elman, Joy Kim, Karen F. Miller, Deonni P. Stolldorf, Sean P. Collins, Bory Kea

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Abstract

Background

Each year in the United States, 15-20% of 1 million visits to the Emergency Department for Acute Heart Failure result in home discharge, with patients often experiencing adverse health outcomes within 30 days. The study, Get With the Guidelines in Emergency Department Patients With Heart Failure (GUIDED-HF), utilized ‘Self-Care Coaches’ who meet participants via telehealth calls to discuss self-care maintenance after discharge as a strategy to mitigate adverse health outcomes; and offer provisions of resources, including a cookbook by the American Association for Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN).

During the calls, we observed gaps in self-care for retired older …

Exploring Decolonial And Indigenous Mental Health Framework And Practice To Address Complex Trauma Among Palestinian Youth Living Under Violence Of Settler-Colonialism, Vivian L. Duong, Corrin Murphy

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

The growing settler colonial project of Israel forced indigenous Palestinians to flee from their homeland to further the Zionist movement of establishing a Jewish-majority state. The forced dispossession and displacement of Palestinians at this time was referred to as the Nakba, or catastrophe (Masalha, 2002). From 1947 and 1949, approximately 750,000 Palestinians from a population of 1.9 million were made refugees (Al Jazeera, 2017). Also referred to as the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, Zionists forcibly took over 78 percent of Palestine, destroyed about 530 villages and cities, and killed around 15,000 Palestinians including more than 70 massacres (Al Jazeera, 2017). …

Inequities In Chronic Stress Exposure At The Intersection Of Race, Gender, And Sexual Identity In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Us Adults, Jordan M. Lancaster, Efrain H. Chavez Martinez

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background

Social inequity rooted in systemic oppression is robustly associated with mental and physical health; chronic stress is highlighted as a key mechanism. Limited research examining the association between sexual identity alone and C-reactive protein (CRP) – an upstream biological marker of chronic stress exposure – has yielded mixed results.

Purpose

To examine whether race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity interact to produce unequal levels of CRP.

Methods

Using cross-sectional data from the 2003-2010 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined intersectional (self-reported race*gender*sexual identity) patterns in log-transformed CRP levels using a multivariable linear model among 10,885 …

Employer Voices: Insights On Bolstering Career Development For Graduate Students, Alexandria J. Ashraf Mph, Josh Hodsden Mba, Justin Howe Ba, Danielle Ross Ba, Dalton Wesemann Ba, Lisa K. Marriott Phd

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Title: Employer voices: Insights on Bolstering Career Development for Graduate Students

Alexandria J. Ashraf, MPH; Josh Hodsden, MBA, CPH; Justin Howe, BA; Danielle Ross, BA, CPH; Dalton Wesemann, BA; Lisa K. Marriott, PhD

Background: The development of the public health workforce has become increasingly vital as our world faces current and future challenges. The workforce has gained considerable insight into job skills that enhance responses to emergent needs. Building the foundation for a larger scale study on public health workforce needs, this project established processes for engaging with professionals who have hired recent public health graduates.

Methods: Open-ended questions assessed …

The Use Of Extreme Risk Protection Orders Intended To Prevent Mass Violence In Oregon: A Descriptive Study, Rosol Mikail, Rebecca Valek, Shauna Rakshe, Rebecca Teichman, Susan Defrancesco, Kathleen Carlson

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Purpose: Firearm violence is a critical public health issue in the United States. Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws are an intervention method that have been enacted in many states to prevent firearm violence including mass violence threats. This study examined the characteristics of ERPO petitions filed in Oregon for a 6-year period that involved mass violence threats.

Method: ERPO petitions included in court records obtained through the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network, from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023 were abstracted; a 20% random sample of records was double-coded to ensure interrater reliability. An epidemiologic analysis of cases …

Self-Reported Follow-Up Care Needs Can Be Met In Both Facility And Self-Managed Abortion: Evidence From Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Laura E. Jacobson Mph

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Objective: To understand in-facility follow-up care-seeking behavior among both people who self-managed medication abortions (SMA) and those who obtained facility-managed care in six countries and to explore factors that contribute to meeting individual’s self-reported care needs that are core to person-centered care.

Study Design: We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of 67 in-depth interviews conducted with facility or SMA seekers. We first classified individuals as having their care needs met or not, and whether they sought follow-up care. We then identified predisposing, enabling, or need factors that contributed to having care needs met or not.

Results: A total of n=67 …

Gut Feelings: A Literature Review On The Gut-Brain Axis And Its Potential Influence On Mood, Grace Johnson

University Honors Theses

In recent decades, research on the gut-brain axis has evolved due to an increasing interest in the connection between gut health and mental health. The gut-brain axis presents a new frontier of health for both medical professionals and psychologists as there is expanding evidence illustrating the comorbidity of gut disorders and mood disorders. Due to the complex nature of studying the gut-brain axis and the myriad of influences on mood disorders such as depression, research has yet to find significant results definitively tying the two together. Nonetheless, the current body of literature on the topic provides a promising outlook on …

What Adolescents Say In Text Messages To Motivate Peer Networks To Access Health Care And Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing: Qualitative Thematic Analysis, Marguerita Lightfoot, Chadwick Campbell, Allysha C. Maragh-Bass, Joi Jackson-Morgan, Kelly Taylor

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background:While rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are extremely high among adolescents and young adults in the United States, rates of HIV and STI testing remain low. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones and the saliency of peers for youths, text messaging strategies may successfully promote HIV or STI testing among youths.

Objective:This study aimed to understand the types of messages youths believe were motivating and persuasive when asked to text friends to encourage them to seek HIV or STI testing services at a neighborhood clinic.

Methods:We implemented an adolescent peer-based text messaging intervention to encourage clinic attendance …