Public Health Commons^™

Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge, Awareness, Perceived Risk, And Hormonal Contraceptive Use Among Female College Students, Amanda Kathryn Hutcheson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for men and women of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Over the past 20 years, women have experienced greater levels of CVD mortality compared to men, and specific risk factors for CVD have been identified that are unique to women, including the use of hormonal contraceptives (Corrao et al., 1990; roger et al., 2011). However, previous research has not addressed knowledge of CVD among college-aged hormonal contraceptive users. Therefore, this cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, awareness, and perceived risk of CVD …

Certified Personal Trainers And Physicians: An Evaluation Of Consumer Preference, Influence, And Decision Making On Intent To Use A Weight-Loss Medication, Linda Lemgruber Lobb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In health-related behavioral decision-making, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) posits that attitudes toward a behavior are the function of three metrics: beliefs and strengths of beliefs toward the behavior, subjective norms around the behavior and locus of control for the individual (Ajzen, 1988). The purpose of this research was to identify the extent to which consumers would accept the recommendation of taking weight-loss medications, based on the source of the recommendation. Research shows that the source of knowledge for information plays a significant role in health-related decision-making of consumers (Pornpitakpan, 2004). In comparison to traditional weight-loss methods such as …

Pilot Study Of Safe Sisters: A Sexual Assault Prevention Program For Sorority Women, Alicia Pugh Cambron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence is a serious problem that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities (CDC, 2014). Approximately one in five women will become a victim of sexual violence at some point in their lifetime (RAINN, 2009). College women are at a greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women in the general population (Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000). During an academic school year, approximately three percent of college women became a victim of sexual violence (Tijaden & Thoennes, 1998). Sorority women are four times more likely to experience sexual violence …

Who Done It? Rurality Vs. Ses As Critical Factors In Evaluating The Prevalence Of Child Psychosocial Concerns In Primary Care, Robert M. Tolliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of child psychosocial concerns in rural primary care, hypothesized to be greater than national averages due to lacking mental health services in rural areas. This study was an examination of the role of SES, various definitions of “rural,” and the interaction of SES and rurality, in predicting parent-reported child psychosocial concerns in Appalachian primary care clinics. Caregivers presenting with their child at one of 8 pediatric primary care sites (n=2,672) were recruited to complete a measure assessing demographics and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). Results showed that while rural status …

Health Service Utilization And Stigma Among Hiv-Positive Men-Who-Have-Sex-With Men (Msm) In Rural Appalachia, Roger L. Blackwell Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Health Service Utilization and Stigma among

HIV-Positive Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men (MSM) in Rural Appalachia

by

Roger Lee Blackwell

The world has now entered the third decade of the AIDS epidemic. Men-who-have-sex-with-men continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The United States still struggles in its response to this ongoing crisis in many areas: disease prevention, treatment, and HIV related stigma, prejudice and discrimination. Much of the information reported on MSM living with HIV has come from urban population centers, but only a few studies have focused on HIV positive MSM living in rural areas. Therefore, the overall aim of this dissertation …

Exercise Participation During Weight Loss On A High Protein – Low Carbohydrate Diet Plan In Females Aged 15-25 Years, Margaret Mobley-Meulman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Obese adults have an increased risk for serious health conditions including high blood pressure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Participation in exercise can help control weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce the incidence of cardiac events, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporotic fractures, gallbladder disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and delay mortality …

Unpacking The Temperament Weight Relationship: The Mediating Role Of Food Preferences, Sarah A. Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the mediating role of possible food preferences on the temperamentweight relationship among 18-month-old toddlers. Parents of 37 typically developing toddlers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). During a lab visit toddlers’ weight and recumbent length were measured and recorded. Toddlers also completed a sequential touching task to examine their ability to categorize a healthy group of foods and an unhealthy group of foods. The only temperament measure found to associate with both child weight status and food categorization was inhibitory control. Toddlers’ food categorization was not found to mediate the relationship between inhibitory control and …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among U.S. Radiologic Technology Program Directors, Jesse D. Pennington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this modified replication study is to examine the relationship between the stress levels and the wellness practices of U.S. radiologic technology program directors and to determine if correlations exist between wellness practices and stress levels of the group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. The design of the study was ex post facto correlational. The population of the study was U.S. radiologic technology program directors working in JRCERT accredited programs. The electronic instrument was distributed to 635 program directors through e-mail, with 424 (66.7%) usable returns. Significant associations were …

Preventing Skin Cancer In Adolescent Girls Through Intervention With Their Mothers, Mary K. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indoor tanning (IT) before the age of 35 increases one’s risk for melanoma by 75%, and epidemiological data show a 6.1% annual increase in the incidence of melanomas in white women younger than age 44 in the US. Population-based studies reveal that 15% of adolescents and 8% to 14% of their primary caregivers have engaged in IT in the past year.

The compelling case for IT being a significant risk factor for melanoma, together with the high rates of IT in teen girls and their mothers, provided a strong rationale for conducting an antitanning intervention directed at mother-daughter dyads. This …

Examining Stage At Diagnosis And Survival In Three Cancers With Definitive Screening Guidelines For Average-Risk Adults: The Role Of Marital Status, David J. Blackley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year there are more than 350 000 new cases and nearly 100 000 deaths attributed to colorectal, female breast, and cervical cancer in the United States. Screening tests can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these cancers. Patient marital status has been associated with health outcomes, but no study has focused on the relationship of marriage with disease stage and survival for the 3 cancers with established screening guidance. It is critical to identify special populations that may be at risk for poor cancer outcomes.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of marital status with …

Cardiovascular Disease Among Diabetic Women With Bilateral Oophorectomy., Duke Appiah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women and the risk is increased threefold in diabetics. In postmenopausal diabetics, the ovary responds to hyperinsulinemia by increasing secretion of testosterone precursors which increases the risk of CVD. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-2010) and the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures were used to test the hypothesis that a history of bilateral oophorectomy -surgical removal of both ovaries-would decrease the risk of CVD among postmenopausal diabetic women due to reduced androgen levels. Logistic regression, discrete time logit model, B-Spline regression and Cox proportional hazards models were …

Mental Health Outcomes Of First Generation College Students: Is Generational Status Associated With Increased Risk For Depression And Anxiety?, James L. Pease

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were differences in mental health outcomes between first generation college students and non-first generation college students. The sample (n = 6,449) consisted of undergraduate students, aged 18-22, in bachelor's degree programs, and was drawn from 15 colleges and universities throughout the United States. Acculturative stress was used as a theoretical framework for why first generation college students (pioneers) may screen higher in prevalence and severity of mental health outcomes. The particular mental health outcomes examined in this study were the prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety. The results …

A Process Evaluation Of The Brief Alcohol Screening Intervention For College Students Program At The University Of Mississippi, Tiffany Bouldin Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol misuse by students is a prevalent public health problem on college campuses across the nation. Underage drinking and binge drinking are two distinct forms of alcohol misuse that are comamong college students and often result in negative consequences for the students, the universities, and the surrounding communities. As a result, there is an increasing need for universities to provide targeted intervention programs for students who misuse alcohol. Furthermore, it is important that the selected interventions are capable of successful implementation on campus. The University of Mississippi currently utilizes the brief alcohol screening intervention for college students (basics) program for …

The Effects Of Whole Body Vibration On Muscle Recovery And Performance, Nicole Dabbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Facilitating muscle recovery in trained individuals is essential, as it allows for a quicker return to activity without reduction in performance. Many proposed modalities have been studied but have not shown consistent effectiveness. A relatively new modality, whole-body vibration (WBV) has been shown to increase strength and power outcomes and recently has been shown to decrease perceived pain associated with muscle soreness. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of WBV following exercise induced muscle damage over a period of 72 hours in recreationally trained females. Participants were randomly selected into either the control group or …

Using A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach To Address Individual And Community Health In Charleston, Ms. The Initial Step: A Formative Needs Assessment, Catherine Dane Woodyard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this formative study was to use a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to conduct a comprehensive health needs assessment (CHNA) in Charleston, Mississippi (MS) to determine perceived needs of the community and identify priority health issues. A second purpose was to provide methodological and scholarly contributions to the existing literature regarding CBPR and CHNAs. The target population was residents living in Charleston, MS (N=2,193). Eighty-five residents participated in the study. This was a five-part study including: (1) Key informant interviews (n=11), (2) Focus groups (n=8), (3) Assessment of the built environment, (4) Assessment of the nutrition environment, …

Actual And Perceived Sexual Behaviors In College Students, Tabitha Denise Flowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare college students' actual sexual behaviors and their perceptions of sexual behaviors among their peers. The analyses consisted of 65,036 participant's ages 18 to 24, with a mean age of 20.20 years (sdâ±1.55) who completed the American college health association's national college health assessment in 2008. The dependent variables were the normative gap of: number of partners, sexual activity, and condom usage. Three one-way anovas with bonferroni post hoc analyses were used to determine differences between the dependent variables and the following independent variables: age, sexual orientation, and living arrangement. Anovas were used …

Evaluation Of Heat Stress In Migrant Farmworkers, Stephen L. Mcqueen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rate of heat-related fatalities in crop production workers is almost 20 times that of other industries. Heat stress was investigated in migrant tomato workers in July, 2012, using measurements of body temperature, heart rates, body weight loss, evaluation of the thermal environment, and survey data. Using occupational safety criteria, these workers were found to work in an environment that should require protective measures to prevent heat strain. Increases in body temperature, heart rate, and physiological strain correlated with heat exposure. One third of workers had body weight percentage losses that indicated dehydration. However, working in hot environments appears to …

Advancing Global Tobacco Control: Exploring Worldwide Youth Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Tobacco Use And Control, Sreenivas Phanikumar Veeranki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the world. The disproportionate increase in tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries needs immediate attention. Many smokers begin smoking as adolescents and are most likely to become permanent smokers. Moreover, youth are highly targeted by tobacco industry strategies. However, a gap exists in literature to understand worldwide youth tobacco use and control. The purpose of this study is to 1) identify factors that influence never-smoking youths‟ smoking susceptibility, 2) explore characteristics that influence youth exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and 3) to delineate key determinants of …

Healthcare Technology: A Strategic Approach To Medical Device Management, Chad A. Kinley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The constant evolution of medical technology has increased the demand for managing medical devices to ensure safety and effectiveness. In this paper I will investigate how biomedical engineering has addressed the issue of equipment management and identifies strategies to successfully maintain an inventory of medical devices. Through research, on-the-job experience, and in-depth discussions with various biomedical engineering managers, I have been able to document possible equipment strategies and best practices for managing medical devices. There is really no "one size fits all" to medical equipment management due to the various clinical environments, but there are many aspects that remain necessary …

A Measurement Of Readiness For Tennessee Hospitals To Implement “Meaningful Use” Criteria Resulting From The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act, 2009, Kathryn Wallin Wilhoit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law. This legislation provided for monetary rewards for those acute-care hospitals that meet "meaningful use" computerization and reporting criteria.

The study used a descriptive, nonexperimental design to answer three research questions (1) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) member hospitals; (2) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the rural THA member hospitals; and (3) Is there a difference in the readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria between rural and urban THA member …

Somatechnologies Of Body Size Modification: Posthuman Embodiment And Discourses Of Health, Meghan Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on persistent gaps in philosophies of the body: the enduring mindbody divide in accounts of phenomenology, the unfulfilled promises of representing and inhabiting the body in online and virtual spaces, and the difference between health as quantified in medical discourse versus health as lived experience. These tensions are brought to light through the electronic food journal genre where the difficulty in capturing pre-noetic, outsideconsciousness aspects of experience and embodied health are thrown into relief against circulating cultural discourses surrounding health, body size, self-surveillance, and self-care. The electronic food journal genre serves as a space for users to …

Genome-Wide Association Analysis Of Major Depressive Disorder And Its Related Phenotypes., Nagesh Ramarao Aragam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex and chronic disease that ranks fourth as cause of disability worldwide. Thirteen to 14 million adults in the U.S. are believed to have MDD and an estimated 75% attempt suicide making MDD a major public health problem. Recently several genome-wide association (GWA) studies of MDD have been reported; however, few GWA studies focus on the analysis for MDD related phenotypes such as neuroticism and age at onset of MDD. The purpose of this study is to determine risk factors for MDD, identify genome-wide genetic variants affecting neuroticism and age at onset as quantitative …

Effect Of Gender On The Association Of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms With Bipolar Disorder, Jerald Eric Mullersman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bipolar disorder is a relatively common form of mental illness that depends strongly on genetic inheritance for expression. The author of this study has sought to evaluate whether the gender of subjects influences which genetic variants are associated with the disease. A portion of the cases from a previously published study were analyzed using PLINK software and the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms was evaluated separately for all cases, for female subjects alone, and for male subjects alone. The results obtained for male subjects alone reached higher levels of statistical significance than when both genders were evaluated together or when female …

Evaluation Of A Quality Management Initiative And Hiv Ambulatory Services Performance In Thailand, Meemon Natthani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The accomplishment of pilot implementation of the HIVQUAL-T model, an innovative HIV care quality management tool, has led to an authoritative decision to scale up the use of the model nationwide in Thailand. However, the level of implementing this model varies across target hospitals. Some hospitals have fully adopted the model by conducting quality improvement (QI) activities following performance measurement (PM) results while others have partially adopted only PM or have not used this model at all. The differential level of implementation could be a contributing factor accounting for discrepancies in the quality of care across different HIV ambulatory care …

The Role Of Policy And The Built Environment On Children's In-School Physical Activity In The Mississippi Delta, Abigail Gamble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School environments provide an ideal setting for children to develop and adopt active living behaviors as a way of life. The primary purpose of this investigation was to describe state, district and school level policy regarding in-school physical activity, the school built environment and in-school physical activity of children ages 6 through 11 years in the Mississippi delta. A mixed-methods approach was used to garner a rich understanding of how current policy and the built environment influence in-school physical activity and weight status. Eleven public schools in three districts representing two counties in the Mississippi delta participated in this investigation. …

Professional Preparation Of Secondary Health Education Teachers In Mississippi, Ensley Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the professional preparation of secondary health education teachers in Mississippi. All four-year institutions of higher learning were contacted to determine the requirements for an approved program in order to obtain a supplemental endorsement in health, to compare the similarities and differences, and to determine the extent to which the approved programs reflect the ten content areas of the Mississippi Comprehensive Health Framework. This study also examined the status of secondary school health education programs in Mississippi by utilizing selected data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease …

Perceptions Of Maternal Stress And Neonatal Patient Outcomes In A Single Private Room Versus Open Room Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Environment., Lisa M. Smithgall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Limited clinical evidence exists regarding whether the single private room Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment of care delivery has a positive, negative, or neutral impact on health outcomes for the high risk neonate and on maternal stress as compared to the open room design. The study purpose was to examine whether a difference exists in health outcomes in the open room versus single private room NICU environment. The factors considered were weight gain, ventilator days, hospital length of stay, incidence and grade of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), the number of parental visits, and perceptions of maternal stress. Infants hospitalized in …

Mathematical Modeling, Simulation, And Time Series Analysis Of Seasonal Epidemics., Eric Shu Numfor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal and non-seasonal Susceptible-Exposed-Infective-Recovered-Susceptible (SEIRS) models are formulated and analyzed. It is proved that the disease-free steady state of the non-seasonal model is locally asymptotically stable if R_v < 1, and disease invades if R_v > 1. For the seasonal SEIRS model, it is shown that the disease-free periodic solution is locally asymptotically stable when R̅_v < 1, and I(t) is persistent with sustained oscillations when R̅_v > 1. Numerical simulations indicate that the orbit representing I(t) decays when R̅_v < 1 < R_v. The seasonal SEIRS model with routine and pulse vaccination is simulated, and results depict an unsustained decrease …

Our Health Matters: Promoting The Health Of Sexual Minority Women In The New Media Landscape, Brenda Kane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The shifts occurring in the mediascape and the field of public health offer new opportunities for promoting the health and wellness of sexual minority women. As a population that has historically been underserved by the healthcare system, sexual minority women face multiple barriers to achieving positive health outcomes. They are often less likely to access preventive healthcare services and more likely to engage in risky behaviors that are detrimental to health than heterosexual women. Despite the significant health disparities among sexual minority women, studying this population has not been a priority in health research and there is little research-based evidence …

Rural Versus Urban: Tennessee Health Administrators' Strategies On Recruitment And Retention For Allied Health Professionals., Derek Ray Slagle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing interest in understanding recruitment, retention, and turnover of allied health professionals considering employment trends and workforce mobility, an increased need to understand the healthcare delivery system, and the dynamic nature of the allied health workforce especially for rural areas. A survey was sent to allied health administrators across a variety of allied health disciplines from the state of Tennessee hospitals in order to gauge opinions on retention and recruitment strategies. Overall successful strategies for recruitment and retention of allied health professionals were reported as well as differences between urban and rural areas, differences among allied health …