Public Health Commons^™

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 37. What About Wallace On Vaccination . . . ?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Best known for his natural history studies on evolution and biogeography, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) had a significant second career as a social critic. One of his most controversial stances was his position on (smallpox) vaccination. Anti-vaxxers of the present frequently bring up his name as a resource for their side, but the situation is not so easily reducible to that.

The Impact Of Prenatal Yoga On Hip Mobility And Delivery Outcomes, Zoe Avery

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Yoga has been shown to decrease lumbar pain, improve maternal mental health, and improve delivery outcomes. While there are many well-established benefits of yoga, the mechanism by which yoga elicits these improvements is unclear. One potential mechanism that has not been studied is through improvements in hip mobility. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the effect of prenatal yoga on hip mobility. The secondary aim was to determine the relationship between hip mobility and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Hip mobility via hip internal and external range of motion and hip flexor muscle length was measured in pregnant females …

Biocultural Mobility: The Impact Of Osteoarthritis On Rural Kentuckians, Alexandria Anderson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic degenerative joint disease that results in joint pain and loss of joint function, and it is rising in prevalence alongside an aging population. OA has a complex etiology, with various biological, mechanical, and sociocultural factors affecting its acquisition and progression. Like most diseases, OA has a differential prevalence among populations; it is disproportionally more common in underserved communities, including rural areas. This thesis presents (1) a study comparing selected OA treatment type and patient travel time, (2) a study comparing OA comorbidity amount and rurality, and (3) a discussion of exploratory interdisciplinary methods in …

Exploring The Role Of Bingocize® Workshops In Enhancing Health And Well-Being In Older Adults, Kaitlyn Gray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As the population of older adults grows, the need for better health and well-being also grows, making it necessary to implement effective strategies for healthy aging to improve the length and quality of life of older adults (CDC, 2024). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Bingocize^® Workshop in improving the physical health of older adults. Bingocize^®, a unique program combining bingo with exercise, is designed to increase physical activity. Eleven (11) participants aged 68.55 ± 6.235 attended a ten-week workshop, two times per week focusing on physical exercises tailored to their abilities. The primary objective was …

Mccormack, Joseph Nathaniel, 1847-1922 And Arthur Thomas Mccormack, 1872-1943, Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3738. Arrest warrants issued by the Bowling Green, Kentucky Police Court charging Dr. J. N. McCormack, then Secretary of the State Board of Health, and Dr. A. T. McCormack with permitting a “nuisance, source of filth & cause of sickness” by erecting a privy over an open drain or sewer to serve the McCormack Building on State Street. Includes a letter, 29 September 1907, from Dr. J. N. McCormack to Governor J. C. W. Beckham requesting a pardon and describing his ongoing efforts to dispose of waste …

Evaluating Stormwater Erosion Prevention And Sediment Control Best Management Practices Using High-Resolution Rainfall Monitoring And Field-Based Assessment Tools, Brittany Pekara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Advancing stormwater management methods and technology is critical as runoff from impermeable surfaces increases with urbanization and development. Stormwater runoff is highly susceptible to contamination from non-point source pollution and causing flood impacts following rain events, which varies spatially and temporally in an urban landscape. To counteract the impacts of contamination and drainage issues, Best Management Practices (BMPs) are implemented to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff; however, the unpredictable nature of storm events can make methods for effectively monitoring impacts difficult in trying to capture first flush inputs, flood threats, and sedimentation sources. This research utilizes a highresolution rainfall …

Perceptions And Visual Awareness Of Urban Karst Flooding To Inform Preparedness Planning And Management Actions, Grace Hermann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Awareness and perception of flooding can heavily affect how an individual or community prepares for flooding. Flood awareness can be affected by factors like past flood experience and demographics. Flood experience and demographics can affect flood awareness differently based on factors including the types and cause of flooding. Flooding in karst landscapes can vary from other types of flooding and neither perception nor awareness of karst flooding has been directly studied before. This study explored both expert and non-expert flood awareness and perception and flood policies in a karst landscape through interviews with experts, surveys, and cognitive mapping activities. The …

Development And Application Of The Sinkhole Hazard Risk Index To Inform Karst Policy And Mitigation Planning, Meghan Puente

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sinkholes are geologic hazards that occur in karst landscapes and can be highly destructive and costly. Sinkhole mitigation plans and development policies are nonexistent at the federal level within the United States and vary significantly at the state level. The lack of a unified standard for sinkhole mitigation planning is partly due to a lack of available data and resources needed to assess sinkhole risk. While there are established sinkhole assessments within the literature, they focus more on the detection and prediction of sinkholes rather than a holistic approach to risk assessment. The goal of this study is to create …

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 …

Faith Community Nursing: Ministering To God's People In Ukraine Through Lamentation, Pam Dandre

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

None

The Effect Of The Covid Pandemic On Parish Nursing In The Uk, Helen Wordsworth

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

This article describes the impact that the Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 had on the work of UK Parish Nurses and the churches with which they worked. It explains how they adapted to the restrictions imposed by the government, changing the nature of the interventions they were able to make. It concludes that the resilience, flexibility, and creativity of the Parish nurses and of their national umbrella organisation, Parish Nursing Ministries UK, have enabled the emergence of a growing and vibrant ministry.

Creating A Best Practice Model For Reopening Parish Nurse Sites Post-Pandemic, Mary Lynne Knighten Dnp, Rn, Nea-Bc

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to the healthcare delivery system. Parish nurses, faith community nurses, and congregational nurses found their practice frequently adapting to comply with government issued restrictions and the changing needs of the community. QueensCare Health & Faith Partnership (QHFP), a parish nurse program which is part of QueensCare, a non-profit public benefit corporation, and St. Dominic Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California designed a replicable model for safely reopening parish nurse sites. QHFP provides supportive healthcare services and case management services at no charge to underserved and vulnerable populations in cooperation with numerous churches, temples, …

Guest Editorial, Phyllis Ann Solari-Twadell Phd, Rn, Mpa, Faan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

None

Lipid Genetics In Pregnant Women: Maneuvering The Challenges Of Using Degraded Samples, Kylee Meece

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The results of this project will explore a novel approach to lipid metabolism in pregnant women by exploring the relationship between maternal gene expression of genes critical for fat metabolism, protein expression, and maternal and neonatal outcomes. The study will also examine gene expression in lean pregnant women compared to obese pregnant women, shedding light into the adverse pathology of obesity during pregnancy. These findings may uncover a mechanism related to gene-expression that connects unfavorable maternal fat metabolism to inflammation and/or insulin resistance, which may help to uncover future targets for interventions.

The analysis of lipid gene expression requires the …

Food Accessibility Struggles For College Students With Dietary Restrictions, Ella Schleuning

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

College is a time when many students experience independence for the first time in their lives. This is the first time they have had to do their laundry on their own, keep their room clean, and maybe most importantly, they are responsible for figuring out where they are going to eat every day, for every meal. The focus of this study is on food accessibility struggles for college students, specifically looking at Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) food on-campus, as well as students with dietary restrictions.

Since college is the first-time students are responsible for their own meals, it can often …

Building Strength Through Collaboration: What Faith Community Nurses Need To Know, Marcia A. Potter

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

This article is a practical guide and viewpoint narrative that offers definitions, justifications for, process steps, and a how-to checklist for Faith Community Nurses considering collaboration between multiple agencies outside of their own. The author offers simple guidelines and how-to advice on securing success, avoiding risks, and preventing costly misunderstandings between cooperating agencies when combining resources.

Bibliography, Kim Riddle

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of presentations and research by Kim (Bourne) Riddle.

Ua61/3 Health & Human Services Dean's Office, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Unprocessed records created by and about the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services.

Bibliography, Maria E. Main

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Eve Main.

Program Evaluation Of Faith Community Nursing Cardiovascular Education Intervention, Jennifer Cummings

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Many cardiovascular risk factors are modifiable. Community engagement by Faith Community Nurses in church settings can help patients reduce risk.

Problem/Purpose: Faith Community Nurses at a Philadelphia church identified a need for cardiovascular lifestyle risk modification education and planned this as the inaugural topic of its new health outreach program. The project purpose was to evaluate effectiveness of the program in increasing knowledge of cardiovascular risk modification, increasing level of readiness to make self-identified lifestyle changes, and to evaluate the program format as a potential model …

Advance Care Planning In Faith Communities: A Quality Improvement Project, Lorie Hacker, Jan Gaddis, Jessica Grimm, Catherine Chung

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

This quality improvement project examined the impact of providing an advance care planning training tool to faith community nurses in the community setting on advance care planning knowledge, self-efficacy, and implementation of advance care planning outreach and advance directive completion. The pre- and post-intervention frequencies measure and paired-t test survey design resulted in clinically significant improvements in knowledge, and self-efficacy of advance care planning among faith community nurses. A fifty-fold increase was seen in advance care planning outreach activities among the group from pre- to post-intervention. The limitations of the project included small sample size and short implementation timing. However, …

Monkeypox: Facts For Faith Community Nurses, Melissa K. Travelsted

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Faith community nurses provide services to diverse populations and should be aware of the recent monkeypox outbreak. The 2022 outbreak is dissimilar from previous as cases are occurring in non-endemic countries with no travel connections to endemic countries. Cases in the United States are mostly identified in the gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Symptoms of monkeypox begin with flu-like symptoms progressing to a sequential rash (macule, papule, vesicles, pustules, scabs). The distinguishing characteristic of monkeypox from other Orthopoxviruses is lymphadenopathy. There is no FDA approved treatment for monkeypox as most cases are mild and self-limiting, …

Ua3/10 President's Messages - Spring Semester, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

President's Message emails sent by Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff during spring semester, 2022.

• Budget
• Commencement
• Commons at Helm Library
• Compensation Analysis
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 – Masks
• End of Semester
• Enrollment / Recruitment
• Scholarship Celebration
• Semester Kickoff
• Student Retention

Ua12/2/1 Up Next On The Hill, Vol. 97, No. 6, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period Feb. 14 to March 21, 2022.

• Collins, Michael. I Went to School There? University Plan Marks New Era of Campus for Next Generation of Students
• Trickett-Wile, Arthur & Jake Jones. Like Farmer, Like Son – Alex Burke
• Stover, D.J. Gun Violence Hasn’t Left, from a Survivor of Marshall County
• Lanuzza, Izzy. International Bonds Key to WKU Tennis Success

Eng 300: Trying To Make The Words Flow: Flow Interactions With Environment & Behavior In Writing & Studying Contexts, Connor Flick

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Ua25 Covid-19 Communications, Wku Finance & Administration

WKU Administration Documents

Official emails sent to faculty & staff regarding issues involved with Covid-19 Coronavirus from 2020 through 2022.

• WKU COVID-19 Grading Policy, 3/24/2020
• Signage Requests
• Steps to Help Keep Everyone Safe
• Latest Information on Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution, 2/25/2021
• Update on Covid 19 Guidance from Centers for Disease Control, 3/12/2021
• Human Resources / Business Services
• Fraudulent Unemployment Compensation Claims, 3/1/2021
• COVID Vaccines Available on Campus, 4/2021
• COVID 19 Vaccination Update, 7/28/2021
• Fall Semester Covid Message, 8/13/2021
• WKU Covid Vaccination Reporting, 8/20/2021
• Update on Proposed OSHA Rule for Covid 19 Vaccinations in the Workplace, 11/4/2021
• COVID-19, 10/21/2021
• Fall Covid Update, 8/3/2022

Understanding The Mental And Emotional Impacts Of Being A Caregiver Of Socially Isolated Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chloe Kerrick

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The mental health and emotional wellbeing of individuals has declined in many ways over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some groups have seen more drastic changes in their mental health and emotional wellbeing, especially those working in healthcare. While nearly all healthcare facility workers have experienced an increased burden brought about by the pandemic, long-term care facility workers have been tasked with caring for clients that, for periods of time, experienced complete social isolation. This project will attempt to answer the question of how caring for a group of socially isolated residents over an extended period has affected the …

A Pilot Study: An Evaluation Of Accessibility Of Resources For Parents Of D/Deaf/Hoh Children In Ky/Tn, Amara Danturthi

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Most parents of d/Deaf/Hoh children are not Deaf, making it imperative for easy access to diverse strategies to ensure smooth communication between them and their child. Parents make the paramount decision of what their child’s first language should be, therefore, access to current information on communication strategies is crucial in this journey. Many families fall on resources sometimes from sources in different formats to understand what may work best for them. The accessibility and availability of these resources are a crucial component in the parent’s decision-making process. Due to the unique dynamics between hearing parents and d/Deaf/Hoh children, this pilot …

Rurality And Its Effects On Prenatal Care In Southcentral Kentucky, Kylee Eilers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Despite ongoing efforts to increase positive healthcare outcomes for prenatal care in rural Kentucky, there continues to be limited access to adequate and quality resources. Research questions for this research project explored the prenatal care resources for Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren counties, compared healthcare disparities that exist in those counties with other rural regions of Kentucky, and identified limitations of such prenatal care resources in successfully achieving positive care outcomes. In addition to evaluation of applicable online resources through organizations local to the region, some healthcare professional and representatives were interviewed to find …

The Impact Of Faith Community Nursing Programs For Chronic Disease Screening And Management In Vulnerable Populations: A Comprehensive Review Of The Literature, Gabri Warren

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Faith Community Nursing (FCN) programs in the United States (U.S.) emerged in the 1980's; however, the intertwining of health promotion in religious institutions has been present for millennia. Today, challenges facing healthcare are prompting health care providers to find creative and cost-effective methods of providing care. Determining whether FCN positively impacts the health of individuals with limited access to healthcare services would encourage healthcare providers to collaborate with the specialty, reinforcing the benefit of their service. An integrative literature review was conducted to identify studies measuring the impact of FCN on the health outcomes of individuals with hypertension (Baig, Mangione, …