Public Health Commons^™

Workers Killed While Collecting Solid Waste, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent solid waste collection injuries:

• An applicable worker safety program should be established
• Before the solid waste truck is moved, visible hand signal communication between the driver and tipper should be established
• A standard operating procedure (SOP) should be established for stacking dumpsters as a result of a job hazard analysis
• A drug testing program should be incorporated in a worker safety program
• Pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections should be performed
• An ANSI ISEA 107-1999 safety vest should be worn at all times when on duty
• Do not ride on the steps if the truck is going faster than …

Semi Team Driver Dies After Being Ejected From Sleeper Berth, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the fall of 2009, a husband-wife semi driver team traveled south on a four-lane interstate. They were driving a semi-tractor trailer loaded with air freight. It was nighttime; the husband was driving, and the wife was in the sleeper berth. There was an unoccupied car parked on the right shoulder. The husband crossed the fog line on the right, sideswiped the car, traveled through a guardrail, and down an embankment toward a road below the interstate. During the trajectory of the semi-tractor trailer, the unit jackknifed; the trailer detached from the semi then struck the semi, and both the …

Workers Killed While Working With Forklifts, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

To prevent forklift injuries:

• Do not operate a forklift without being certified and trained.
• Forklift operators should wear their safety belts.
• Do not jump from an overturning forklift. Keep your body inside the forklift frame. Ride it out and lean in the opposite direction of the overturn.
• Do not place yourself between two forklifts.
• Do not handle loads that are heavier than the load capacity of the forklift.
• Make sure that the travel path of the forklift is clear from the floor to the height of the load being moved.
• Do not step on elevated loads.
• It is a violation …

Residential Tree Trimmers Killed While Working, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

To prevent tree trimmer injuries:

• Tree trimming or cutting should not be performed without appropriate safety training.
• Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn at all times while removing trees.
• All trees and limbs should be inspected for structural weakness before work commences.
• Safe work procedures should be used for climbing, felling, topping, and pruning trees.
• A jobsite hazard assessment should be performed to identify hazards so that hazards can be controlled for.

Arborist Dies After Fall From Tree, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Falls

A 30-year old arborist was hired by a private resident to remove trees from a yard. At approximately 5:00 PM, the arborist, along with a ground person, arrived at the residence. The arborist donned climbing spurs, and a tree climbing saddle then spoke briefly with the homeowner. With the climbing line and spurs, the arborist climbed the first tree. After trimming limbs from the tree trunk, the arborist began cutting the tree trunk one section at a time. There was a power line near the trees. The arborist was working at the fork of the tree and had cut a …

Team Semi Driver Dies After Rig Is Struck By Impaired Driver, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

During the early hours one fall morning, a husband and wife driving team were traveling west on a divided interstate highway. A concrete barrier separated the four east bound lanes from the four west bound lanes. The wife was driving while the husband was asleep in the sleeper berth. Driving conditions were dark and the pavement dry. They were traveling in the second lane from the median and there was a passenger car to the right of the semi in the third lane from the median traveling next to the front wheel well and bumper. The passenger car driver veered …

Hyperandrogenism And Obesity, Amit M. Deokar, Shawn J. Smith, Amanda J. Goodwin, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This chapter has a two-fold objective. One, ti addresses the association of hyperandrogenism and obesity and the complex metabolic derangements that are part of the problem. Clinical management of these co-morbidities is challenging and complex. Second, this chapter will aid health care providers with the key features to an early diagnosis and intervention to decrease the morbidities in the short as well as long term. Method: Systematic review of articles and information on the topic of interest that were published in the last 15 years. Conclusion: Obesity and hyperandrogenism are integral parts of Metabolic Syndrome/Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)/Hyperandrogenism, Insulin resistance, …

A Policy And Intervention For Overweight Children And Adolescents, Kimberly K. Mcclanahan, Marlene B. Huff, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The global epidemic of childhood and adolescent overweight has become a major public health concern. Not only are these youth more likely to become obese adults, and thus more prone to obesity-related diseases than their non overweight peers, they are also likely to suffer emotional and social effects associated with overweight. Overweight in youth has been linked to depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, negative body image, and stigma. It appears to be bi-directional in nature, with overweight sometimes predicting certain psychological effects and psychosocial issues sometimes predicting overweight. Effective assessment and treatment of psychological and mental health issues in overweight …

Health Promotion And Health Education: Nursing Students’ Perspectives, Kathleen Ann Halcomb

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine student nurses’ perceptions of (1) the role of the nurse in health promotion, and (2) how the concept of health promotion is presented in nursing curricula. Research questions for this study included the following: 1) Can nursing students explain the difference between health education and health promotion? 2) What have nursing students been exposed to within their curriculum regarding health promotion? 3) What health promoting behaviors are nursing faculty role modeling as perceived by nursing students? 4) What is the role of the nurse in implementing health promotion as perceived by nursing …

The Cost Of Medication Errors In The Emergency Department: Implications For Clinical Pharmacy Practice, Benjamin Bowman

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Introduction

The main purpose of this capstone project is to provide an objective analysis of the cost of a medication error in the emergency department. The secondary objective of this analysis is to estimate the cost avoidance impact of providing clinical pharmacy services in the emergency department (ED).

Literature review

Previous literature has described the scope of clinical pharmacy services in the ED and has, to some extent, presented economic outcomes analyses of the impact of these services (Cohen et al., 2009; Lada and Delgado, 2007). According to Cohen et al., the current literature is still lacking a formal pharmacoeconomic …

Community Needs Assessment Of Mayasandra Village, Karnataka, India, Alexander Hernandez Holl

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Educating Adolescents About Puberty: Are We Missing Something?, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Adolescents undergo significant physical and cognitive changes during their pubertal development. These changes contribute to and impact their future development. Educating adolescents at an early age about their expected development decreases the possible anxiety associated with this period of life and also helps adolescents make better choices in regards to their sexuality. In order to assess the degree of education regarding pubertal development and sexuality, we conducted a survey of late adolescents (median age 19 years) and parents of adolescents. A total of 409 adolescents (237 females, 172 males) and 124 parents completed the survey. 14.4% of teens (36.6% of …

A Markov Transition Model To Dementia With Death As A Competing Event, Liou Xu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The research on multi-state Markov transition model is motivated by the nature of the longitudinal data from the Nun Study (Snowdon, 1997), and similar information on the BRAiNS cohort (Salazar, 2004). Our goal is to develop a flexible methodology for handling the categorical longitudinal responses and competing risks time-to-event that characterizes the features of the data for research on dementia. To do so, we treat the survival from death as a continuous variable rather than defining death as a competing absorbing state to dementia. We assume that within each subject the survival component and the Markov process are linked by …

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 …

Immigrant Granite Installer Killed After Falling With Homemade Construction Box, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Falls

On a summer day in 2009, a 50-year-old granite installer and his two sons were working alone at a construction site when the granite installer fell out of a second story window and was killed. The three granite installers worked for a subcontractor hired to install granite vanity tops and sinks in a newly constructed hotel. Work had commenced at 7:00 AM that morning. They were installing the second set of ten vanities for the day. All ten vanities, with back and side splash pieces, had been loaded onto a homemade three-sided construction box and lifted via a forklift to …

Truck Drivers Killed After Exiting Semi Tractors And Being Struck By Other Semi Tractors In Distribution Center, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent truck driver injuries while traversing distribution facilities:

• Drivers of yard tractors should ensure that a clear path is visible before moving the vehicle. Truck drivers should not approach such vehicles on foot until acknowledgment of contact has been made between both drivers.
• Do not enter behind the trailer until other vehicle drivers behind have come to a complete stop and parked the vehicle.
• Always wear reflective vests while traversing a distribution facility.
• Employers should develop and implement a comprehensive safety plan that addresses truck driver pedestrian traffic in freight distribution facilities.
• All air lines and electrical connections should …

Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Among Texas Women, Ann L. Coker, Christopher P. Desimone, Katherine S. Eggleston, Arica L. White, Melanie Williams

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: The aim of this work was to determine whether minority women are more likely to die of cervical cancer. A population-based cohort study was performed using Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) data from 1998 to 2002.

Methods: A total of 5,166 women with cervical cancer were identified during 1998–2002 through the TCR. Measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and urbanization were created using census block group-level data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of dying from cervical cancer by race, and Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for cervical cancer-specific survival analysis.

Results: After adjusting for age, SES, …

Workers Killed While Working With Granite, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

To prevent injuries while working with granite:

• A job hazard analysis should be conducted each day before work commences.
• Employees should be trained in proper material handling procedures that include handling and transport of granite slabs.
• Use slab carts or slab racks to transport granite slabs and use tie-downs to secure the granite slabs to the forklift.
• Work should only be performed when the general contractor has a competent person on the job site.

Workers Killed While Working With Granite, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

To prevent injuries while working with granite:

• A job hazard analysis should be conducted each day before work commences.
• Employees should be trained in proper material handling procedures that include handling and transport of granite slabs.
• Use slab carts or slab racks to transport granite slabs and use tie-downs to secure the granite slabs to the forklift.
• Work should only be performed when the general contractor has a competent person on the job site.

Bridging The Care Continuum: Patient Information Needs For Specialist Referrals., Carol L. Ireson, Svetla Slavova, Carol L. Steltenkamp, F. Douglas Scutchfield

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Information transfer is critical in the primary care to specialist referral process and has been examined extensively in the US and other countries, yet there has been little attention to the patient's perspective of the information transfer process. This cross-sectional study examined the quality of the information received by patients with a chronic condition from the referring and specialist physician in the specialist referral process and the relationship of the quality of information received to trust in the physicians.

METHODS: Structured telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of 250 patients who had experienced a referral to a …

Workers Electrocuted While Working In Elevated Buckets, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent worker electrocutions while working near over-head power lines:

• Employers should implement and enforce a formal written electrical safety training program that includes work around overhead lines.
• An observer should be designated by the employer to perform an electrical hazard
• evaluation prior to commencing new work activities.
• A hazard assessment of the job site and route of travel, including aerial and ground hazards and obstacles, within the job site should be performed by a competent person before work commences.

Solid Waste Driver Dies After Single Vehicle Rollover, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

On the morning of a fall day in 2008, a 59 year-old male solid waste worker (Driver 1) entered the cab of a company solid waste truck parked in his driveway and drove to a restaurant a few miles away. After leaving the restaurant, the driver was observed weaving by another solid waste driver (Driver 2) at least two times in the northbound lane of a two-lane state highway. After he had driven 1.8 miles in a little over 2 minutes away from the restaurant, the driver entered a right-hand curve in the highway. While in the curve, the driver …

Opportunities For Comparative Research In Public Health Pbrns : A Baseline Analysis Of Local Practice Settings, Glen P. Mays, Sharla A. Smith, Elaine B. Wootten, Sylvia J. Porchia

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This analysis describes the organizational and operational characteristics of local public health agencies participating in an initial cohort of five (5) public health PBRNs in the U.S. We examine variation in practice settings within and between PBRNs; compare practice settings to state and national norms; and identify opportunities for comparative research that can be conducted through PBRNs.

Cancer Information-Seeking Experiences: The Implications Of Hispanic Ethnicity And Spanish Language, Robin C. Vanderpool, Julie Kornfeld, Lila Finney Rutten, Linda Squiers

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Strategies to support cancer information-seeking among Hispanics are needed.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) to explore cancer information-seeking experiences among respondents according to ethnicity and language of interview.

RESULTS: Over 80% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics had never looked for cancer information. Compared to English-speaking respondents, Spanish-speaking Hispanics who sought cancer information indicated their search took a lot of effort (67%), was hard to understand (54%), and frustrating (42%). Spanish-speaking Hispanics noted minimal confidence in obtaining cancer information.

CONCLUSIONS: Language and cultural differences must be considered in the design, implementation, and dissemination of …

Bridging The Gaps: Biomedicine, Complementary And Alternative Medicine In A Holistic Approach, Hatim A. Omar, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The 4^th international conference on holistic health and medicine was held during September 24-26, 2008 in Lexington, Kentucky in the United States of America. This conference brought many participants from 23 countries, both mainstream health care providers as well as holistic health practitioners to address the latest in knowledge and research, and in turn to find ways to collaborate and work together to provide the best possible care for their patients and clients. These conferences are held to build bridges between the various fractions of medicine and health care providers. The scientific program included plenary sessions, keynotes, workshops and …

Driver Of A Semi-Tractor Pulling Twin Trailers Fatally Injured In Single Vehicle Crash, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the spring of 2008, a 40-year-old tractor-trailer driver died after his vehicle left the interstate highway, crashed, and was engulfed in flames. The tractor drifted over the fog line and rumble strip onto the right shoulder, began to skid and left the highway. The tractor slid through the grass beside the roadway, struck a concrete culvert, sideswiped a small tree and then hit a large tree head-on. The tractor and trailers then skidded back down the embankment toward the highway where the entire unit came to rest. The tractor and lead trailer overturned onto the driver’s side. The second …

Coal Truck Driver Dies In Rollover After Tire On Trailer Fails, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the fall of 2006, a twenty-three year old male tractor-trailer driver who was hauling coal, died when a rear outer tire on the trailer failed. After the tire failed, the trailer slipped off the right side of the road, overturned, and went over an embankment. The trailer remained attached to the tractor as both went over the embankment, flipping the entire unit upside down. A witness called emergency medical services who arrived and called the county coroner. The coroner arrived and declared the driver dead at the scene. It was determined by Kentucky State Police that the driver was …

Public Health Systems And Services Research: Dataset Development, Dissemination, And Use, F. Douglas Scutchfield, Nikki Lawhorn, Rick Ingram, Debra Joy Pérez, Rick Brewer, Michelyn Bhandari

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Public health systems and services research (PHSSR) is defined as "a field of study that examines the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services within communities and the impact of those services." PHSSR is a relatively young field and suffers from a paucity of research resources. In this article, we describe the development and utility of a data resource, housed on the Health Services and Sciences Research Resources website maintained by the National Library of Medicine, which provides easy access to instruments, indices, and datasets that are relevant to PHSSR researchers. We also investigate efforts to promote the use …

Semi-Truck Driver Dies After Striking A Bridge Abutment, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

At approximately 11:45 PM on a spring night in 2008, a semi-tractor driver accompanied by a driver trainee began his route from a warehouse loading dock in Kentucky. The driver departed with a single axle day cab pulling a 28’ refrigerated trailer loaded with detergent, refrigerated and frozen foods.

An hour later, the semi driver was driving in the right hand northbound lane on a four-lane interstate when he came upon a crash scene. A southbound mini-van had been struck by another vehicle, crossed the median, and had come to rest across the right hand northbound lane. To avoid striking …

Early Activities For Public Health Pbrns, Glen P. Mays

UKCPHSSR Research Briefs and Reports

Launching a successful public health practice-based research network requires a planned approach to developing the necessary infrastructure, relationships, and scientific direction.