Public Health Commons^™

Clinical And Hematological Correlates Of Common Viral Respiratory Infections In Patients With Acute Illness In Iraq, Israa Habeeb Naser

Journal of Bioresource Management

Background: Acute viral respiratory infections are considered as the leading causes of illness and hospitalization worldwide. Influenza virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Adenovirus are general respiratory pathogens linked with significant clinical problems in Iraq. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of common respiratory viral infections and their clinical and hematological associations between Iraqi patients with acute-illness.

Methods: This a cross-sectional study was done on 160 patients showing acute febrile and/or respiratory-symptoms. Viral detection for Influenza virus, RSV and Adenovirus was performed using rapid-antigen and ELISA assays. Hematological tests including total leukocyte count (TLC), differential leukocyte count, hemoglobin and …

Bacteriophage Therapy For Antibiotic-Resistant Infections, Shiva Pariyar

Best Integrated Writing

Pariyar examines bacteriophage therapy as a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating multidrug-resistant infections, highlighting its targeted mechanism, ability to disrupt biofilms, and synergy with antibiotics. While challenges such as regulation, immune response, and limited clinical trials remain, the study argues that advances in biotechnology and global collaboration position phage therapy as a future cornerstone in combating antimicrobial resistance.

Exploring The Impact Of Education On Cardiovascular Health In Women: Sex Disparities, Symptom Recognition And Attribution, And Preventive Measures, Sydney Totten

Best Integrated Writing

Totten examines sex disparities in cardiovascular disease among women, emphasizing gaps in symptom recognition, treatment, and health education. Through a literature review and educational intervention, it demonstrates that targeted, nurse-led education can significantly improve women’s understanding of risk factors, symptoms, and disease management, ultimately supporting better health outcomes.

Child Poverty And Nutritional Health In Rural And Non-Rural Ohio Counties, Viraj Chegu, Macy Puthoff

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Child poverty is an ongoing issue in the United States, placing children at a risk of nutritional deficits. While community interventions and reduced price school lunch programs have improved food insecurity outcomes for children, there is limited knowledge of how these programs can alleviate potential health problems in rural versus urban areas. Thus, this project aims to compare various variables such as food environment index, food insecurity, and enrollment in reduced price school lunch among counties in Ohio of different poverty levels as well as whether the counties are rural or nonrural. Methods: Factors such as food insecurity, food environment …

Childhood Factors That Affect Adult Obesity In Ohio And Mississippi, Rhea Lal, Danielle Wolford

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Over 40% of adults in the United States struggle with obesity. While several social determinants of health have been tied to obesity, only limited research on the effect of childhood education, food environments, and physical activity resources on a state-wide level has been conducted. It is imperative that we identify connections between obesity, associated comorbidities, education, and SDoH as these will inform improvements in national social structures and healthcare systems. States Ohio (OH) and Mississippi (MS) differ in high school completion rates, food access, and exercise opportunities yet both states continue to experience rising adult obesity rates. This study analyzed …

Investigation Of Educational And Social Factors Affecting Health Outcomes In The United States, Maxx Cadmus, Saiprashanthi Thota

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Although increasing levels of educational attainment has been linked to stronger health outcomes in the United States, the mechanism behind this relationship and quantifiable relationship warrants further investigation. It is hypothesized that increasing level of educational achievement leads to improved job placement, higher wages, and improved health literacy, which directly contribute towards stronger health outcomes. The objective of this study was to further investigate the link between education and health outcomes through a variety of social and environmental parameters as reported in the County Health Rankings (CHR) dataset. Healthy counties were categorized as those that received a ranking of 5 …

Investigating The Relationship Between Drug Overdose Deaths, Excessive Alcohol Drinking, And Adult Smoking In Urban And Rural Ohio Counties In 2025, Sumin Byoun, Anne Griffin

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Deaths from drug overdoses have been increasing each year. Ohio ranks among states with the highest number of drug overdose deaths per year. There is a gap in the literature regarding discussions of how excessive alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking rates may predict drug overdose death rates in a community. First, this study investigates differences in excessive drinking, adult smoking, and drug overdose deaths between urban and rural counties in Ohio. Second, this study explores whether excessive drinking and smoking behaviors can predict drug overdose death rates in urban and rural Ohio counties. Data exclusive to Ohio counties was obtained …

Understanding The Impacts Of Food Insecurity On Education Outcomes In Ohio, Maria El Biri, Sreya Tummalapalli

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Food insecurity has been a growing concern in the United States, and prior research has shown how food insecurity in youth can correspond to negative psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, there are known disparities with access to food based on living in rural or urban counties. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine how differences in food security can impact youth educational outcomes in Ohio. Methods: Data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps were obtained on variables such as access to healthy foods, food insecurity, high school graduation rates, average grade performance, and percentage of the population living in …

Infant Mortality In Ohio, Isabella Bacon, Alexis Jackson

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Introduction: Infant mortality continues to occur at alarming rates that differ among various groups and states. Despite this, there has been a lack of intersectional examination of risk- and protective-factors. Methods: We examine how smoking status, education level, primary care to population ratio, teen birth rates, and urban vs rural status impact infant mortality rates in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Indiana using County Health Rankings data. Results: Ohio was shown to have no significant difference between urban and rural infant mortality rates; however,  risk-and-protective factors did differ. In urban counties, high school completion, teen birth rates, and primary care ratios …

Primary Care Access And Preventable Hospitalizations: A Multi-Variable Analysis Of Medicare Populations In California (2022–2025), Mariam Shenouda, Suchetha Shashi

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Based on prior literature, limited access to primary care has been linked to higher preventable hospitalization rate. Particularly, rural communities often face physician shortages, contributing to disparities in health outcomes. Objective: To understand the relationship between primary care access and preventable hospitalization rates among medicare populations in California. Methods: The data was gathered from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps for 56 California counties, excluding Sierra and Alpine. This study used unpaired t-tests to determine the difference in the PCP ratio and preventable hospitalization rate between rural and urban counties in California in 2025. A paired t-test was performed to …

Factors Affecting Percentage Of Low Birth Weight In Ohio, Maureen Schmid, Mira Krishnan

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

A multitude of environmental factors correlate to negative outcomes on maternal and fetal health such as low birth weight. While studies reveal that housing quality, air pollution, and stress contribute to negative birth outcomes, it is unclear which housing factors have the greatest impact and how rural, suburban, and urban settings in the U.S. differ. The objective of this study was to delve into how environmental factors such as housing quality and community type impact low birth weight in Ohio. This study used publicly available data from County Health Rankings and Roadmaps to examine how different housing conditions correlate to …

Exploring Demographic Factors Relating To Low Birth Weight In Rural Vs Urban Ohio, Meghan Curran, Jessica Terrell

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Although medical advancements have improved the outcomes for infants born with low birth weight (LBW), these interventions are very expensive and low birth weight still was attributed to 16.1% of infant deaths in the United States in 20201. By understanding the factors that influence the incidence of low birth weight in the United States, preventative measures can be implemented to reduce the need for costly interventions and enhance infant health outcomes. In this study, we focused on 38 counties in Ohio that had either 75% or greater rural regions or 30% or less rural regions. Additionally, we focused on four …

An Evaluation Of Virtual Supervision Effectiveness Within Department Of Veterans Affairs (Va) Health Professionals Training Programs, Linda M. Kawentel, John P. Donnelly, Kaylee W. Burgan, Gezan M. Yahya, Joanna S. Doredla, Jessica L. Johnson, Kimberly Falco, Marjorie A. Bowman, John Byrne, Nicholas W. Bowersox

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background Limited information exists on whether virtual training is equivalent to traditional in-person training in supporting the development of clinical providers. Methods A multi-site evaluation using survey methods was conducted with a multidisciplinary group of health professions trainees and supervisors within the Veterans Health Administration to assess the equivalence of two supervision modalities – exclusively in-person supervision and supervision incorporating at least some virtual supervision – on trainee clinical competency development, trainee preparedness to respond to patient emergencies, and effective trainee/supervisor working relationships. Results Trainees who experienced some virtual supervision rated their clinical competency levels as higher than trainees with …

Telehealth And Virtual Supervision Practices For Health Professions Education In The Department Of Veterans Affairs, Nancy D. Harada, Kimberly Falco, Marjorie Bowman, John M. Byrne

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background Telehealth and virtual supervision practices in health professions clinical education has grown rapidly, including in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which oversees the largest interprofessional training effort in the United States. Telehealth is the provision of healthcare that is provided remotely through telecommunication technology, and virtual supervision is clinical supervision of health professions trainees (HPTs) that occurs through telecommunication technology. In this study we evaluate participation in telehealth and virtual supervision for physician, nursing, and associated health HPTs, and describe prevalent themes concerning HPT perceptions of telehealth and virtual supervision. Methods The survey study cohort included 10,865 HPTs …

Vaginismus: Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment Options, Heather Thomas

Best Integrated Writing

This paper provides a current review of the diagnosis, causes, and treatment outcomes for vaginismus. Of particular interest are predisposing factors, like a lack of sex education and a sexually restrictive upbringing, for the development of this disorder. Controversies surrounding US-based diagnostic criteria for female sexual dysfunction are also reviewed, and up-to-date and novel treatment options, like vaginal Botox injections, are described.

Priority Competencies For Designated Education Officers In The Veterans Health Administration, Duane R. Bidwell, Anita Samuel, Ronald M. Cervero, Steven J. Durning, Sherri L. Stephan, Erin L. Patel, Marjorie A. Bowman, Holly S. Meyer

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Designated Education Officers (DEOs) at Veteran Health Administration (VHA) hospitals are senior educational leaders tasked with oversight of all clinical training at a particular facility. They prioritize dozens of tasks and responsibilities each day, from educational policy and strategy to staff management, financial planning, onboarding of trainees, and facility planning and management. Clarifying priority competencies for the role can help executives recruit, appoint, and evaluate capable personnel and promote effective, efficient performance. Using a federally developed method of competency analysis, researchers consulted a panel of subject-matter experts to identify priority competencies for DEOs, using data from a 2013 study that …

Use Of Ai In Family Medicine Publications: A Joint Editorial From Journal Editors, Sarina Schrager, Dean A. Seehusen, Sumi M. Sexton, Caroline Richardson, Jon Neher, Nicholas Pimlott, Marjorie A. Bowman, José E. Rodríguez, Christopher P. Morley, Li Li, James Domdera

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

There are multiple guidelines from publishers and organizations on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in publishing.1–5 However, none are specific to family medicine. Most journals have some basic AI use recommendations for authors, but more explicit direction is needed, as not all AI tools are the same.

The Wright Brothers And Their Genetic Susceptibility To Typhoid Fever, John D. Bullock, H Bradford Hawley

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Importance: Typhoid fever gravely sickened Orville Wright in 1896 and the disease killed his older brother, Wilbur, in 1912. The occurrence of typhoid fever among other Wright family members has never been explored.

Objective: To investigate the number of cases of typhoid fever in the Wright brothers’ family and determine if they had a predisposition to typhoid fever that might have had a genetic basis.

Methods: Biographical information concerning the Wright brothers was examined and a family tree was constructed. Using an estimated untreated case fatality rate of 20%, typhoid fever mortality data from decennial U.S. censuses (1850-1920) was converted …

Beyond The Numbers: A Qualitative Exploration Of Patient Perspectives On Postpartum Care And Maternal Mortality, Kristen A. Waters

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Introduction

Montgomery County faces one of Ohio's highest maternal mortality rates, with notable disparities by race. Despite their importance in reducing maternal deaths, up to 40% of women nationwide do not attend a postpartum care (PPC) visit. While well researched guidelines exist regarding the content and timing of PPC visits, there is a lack of patient perspective on this topic, specifically in the Black-identifying population in an area with a significant burden of maternal mortality.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews and focus group sessions were conducted with 31 participants of maternal health community events in Dayton, OH. Participants were asked their opinions …

Long Commute Time And Association With Physical And Mental Health Variables, Nate Hopper, Gitty Goldstein, Meytal Guller

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Commuting to work or school is a common choice influenced by financial, social, or personal reasons, and it is important to ascertain whether this choice comes with negative health detriments. Using the county health data from 2016 and 2023 publicly available on the County Health Ranking and Roadmaps website, we conducted a retrospective review to see what health outcomes may be associated with a long commute. We looked at six different states, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. We found a very weak correlation between commute and insufficient sleep, median household income, physical inactivity, mental stress, and diabetes. …

Investigating The Relationship Between Adult Obesity And Various Socio-Economic Factors In Ohio, Medhavi Anand, Nicholas Gural

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Obesity continues to be a significant concern in the United States for decades. While several advancements in the field of medicine have been established over the years, obesity has been a serious issue in the adult population in terms of its resources and cost. Objective: The aim is to direct and explore how obesity is linked to various factors such as median household income, access to exercise opportunities, excessive drinking and diabetes prevalence in the state of Ohio.
Methods: Data was collected from the County Health Rankings website from the years 2016 and 2023. Data analytics were done using …

From Stress To Social Context: Examining The Drivers Of Excessive Drinking, Esha Kulkarni, Rudra Gandhi

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Investigating different variables and the impact they have on excessive drinking can help us enhance our population’s overall quality of life. Our research examined key variables, including social associations, unemployment, education level, rural residency, mental health, physical distress, and access to mental health providers.
In Ohio, excessive drinking rates increased significantly between 2016 and 2023, coinciding with a decline in social association rates. A moderate positive correlation was identified between excessive drinking and educational attainment (r = .480, p < .001), suggesting increased alcohol use in more educated populations. Unexpectedly, a weak negative correlation emerged between unemployment and excessive drinking, challenging conventional assumptions. Additionally, the prevalence of frequent poor mental health in Ohio rose remarkably between 2016 and 2023, underscoring the growing burden of mental health challenges. Interestingly, no significant correlations were found between excessive drinking and rural residency or the availability of mental health providers. Lastly, a significant 37% of the variance in excessive drinking was explained by frequent physical distress, highlighting alcohol's potential role as a coping mechanism.
These results underscore the multifaceted nature of excessive drinking and its ties to societal and individual stressors. Addressing these issues through …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Rates Of Uninsurance As A Marker For Community Health In The State Of Ohio, Ashni Patel, Bayley Mcritchie

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: Previous studies have shown a correlation between rates of uninsurance and worse health outcomes. However, the efficacy of utilizing uninsurance rates as a marker for community health has not been clearly shown. Therefore, this study investigates how rates of uninsurance in Ohio correlate with worse health outcomes, as well as how Ohio counties utilize health insurance.
Methods: County Health Rankings was used look at rates of uninsurance among adults and children in Ohio along with diabetes prevalence, preventable hospitalizations, and premature death. T-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson and Spearman correlations were utilized to determine the effects of uninsurance rates on …

Residential Segregation And Mental Health Outcomes In Ohio In 2023, Wasequddin Mohammed, Hannah Qin

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: This paper explores causational and correlational relationships between residential segregation and mental health outcomes for 88 counties within Ohio. Alongside mental health outcomes, additional variables evaluated include access to mental health and primary care.
Objective: To determine relationships between residential segregation index and mental health outcomes in Ohio between 2016-2023.
Methods: Data will be obtained from County Health Rankings and Roadmap. Inclusion criteria specify counties within Ohio with data obtained from 2016 and 2023. All data points provided within the selected variables located in County Health Rankings and Roadmap will be included. Variables included are residential segregation, mental health …

Examining The Relationship Between Teen Pregnancy And Educational Outcomes In Ohio, Andrea Szep, Maryyam Durrani

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between educational outcomes,school funding, and teen birth rates in Ohio counties between 2020 and 2024. Methods: Usingdata from County Health Rankings, we performed regression, correlation, and paired t-testanalyses through the SPSS software. Results: The results of our tests showed significantnegative correlations between markers of educational success, including high school graduationrates math and reading standardized test scores, and teen birth rates in both 2020 and 2024.Between 2020 and 2024, the teen birth rate decreased in the state of Ohio, and in 2024, publicschool funding was able to predict 14.8% of …

An Analysis Of Comprehensive Sex Education As A Means Of Reducing Teenage Pregnancy Rates, Ben Hiett, Adriana Parella

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Teenage pregnancy rates have been declining since the 1990s, yet teenage pregnancy remains a pressing public health concern given its associated negative maternal and infant complications. Many experts and advocates have placed an increasing emphasis on school programs that provide teenagers with comprehensive education on healthy sexual functioning, safe sex practices, and effective contraceptive use, pointing to them as a means of reducing unplanned teen pregnancies. However, there is still some debate regarding the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education compared to more limited programs that focus primarily on promoting abstinence. Using data from County Health Rankings and SIECUS, we compared …

Analyzing Contributing Factors To Obesity Rates In Ohio, Lillian Davis, Zach Hurley

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Obesity, along with its comorbidities, has been significantly increasing worldwide for the pastfew decades. Our objective in this report is to investigate several factors that may be contributingto obesity rates in Ohio, specifically physical inactivity, access to healthy foods, and living in arural/urban county. Using data from the Ohio County Health Rankings for 2016 and 2023, wewere able to analyze the differences in obesity rates between rural and urban Ohio counties(RQ1), compare how access to healthy foods have changed over time in Ohio (RQ2), determinewhether there is a correlation between obesity and access to healthy foods for Ohio counties(RQ4), and …

Maternal Health Predictors In Ohio, Sritha Donepudi, Humza Khan

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Ohio has continued to have a maternal mortality rate higher than the average which has posed the question of how geographic location, socioeconomic status, and demographics affect these rates.
Objective: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between variables affecting maternal mortality rates in Ohio such as teen birth rates and primary care physician access with where one lives between Rural and Urban areas and their household income in order to provide more information for future research.
Methods: This paper utilized County Health Rankings and statistical and correlation analysis with SPSS to analyze rates across counties in Ohio.
Results: …

The Intersection Of Broadband And Health: Exploring Rural-Urban Disparities In Colorado, Hunter Anderson, Kristen Paradine

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Modern healthcare infrastructure and progression depend on robust and reliable broadband access. Many areas of the U.S., however, still face limited access which exacerbates access to care and healthcare inequities. These trends can be observed in rural counties across the country, where resource constraints and reduced access to infrastructure remain limited. The correlation however between different health outcomes and broadband access in Colorado has not been widely explored in literature.
This study examines the relationship between broadband availability and different healthcare outcomes for rural and urban counties of Colorado by utilizing data from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps for …

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors That Affect High School Graduation In California, Anisha Mandava, Joseph Pedregon

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

High school graduation is an essential milestone that indicates success later in life. In particular, high school students in California may encounter many obstacles that hinder their opportunity to acquire a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. So, what are these obstacles that students encounter on their journey through high school education? Here we seek to identify whether intrinsic factors, like disconnected youth and educational scores, or extrinsic factors, like segregation, funding, and food insecurity, have a larger impact on the student to reach high school completion. In our study, we utilized data from County Health Rankings for statistical analysis. …