Public Health Commons^™

The Effects Of An Actiped Pedometer Intervention Program On Body Composition And Aerobic Capacity Of Youth In A School System In East Tennessee., Kristie Russell Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if the ActiPed Pedometer Intervention Program would sustain or improve aerobic capacity or body composition scores over a 12-week period for students ages 8-12 in a school system in East Tennessee. Obesity is an epidemic in Tennessee and in the United States. In fact, Tennessee has the 5^th highest obesity rates for youth in the United States. National and State Legislations with physical activity and wellness mandates are being passed at an alarming rate as the need to combat the obesity epidemic is astonishing. The responsibility to decrease the obesity rates …

A Single Case Study Of A Three Year Coordinated School Health Program At A Rural North Mississippi Elementary School, Sandra Lena Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The single case study presents the story of the implementation of a three year Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) at a rural North Mississippi school. The school was recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools, as one of ten selected model Mississippi healthy schools. An awarded grant of one hundred thousand dollars funded the implementation of the CSHP over a three year period. The study examined the impact of the CSHP on the students, staff, and personnel. Two types of data were collected and analyzed including archived documents and interviews conducted with five members of the …

Comparison Of Ammonia And Particulate Matter Air Sample Concentrations At Task-Locations Within Swine Confinement Buildings., Earl Dan Bembry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: A task-associated analysis of ammonia and particulate matter concentrations was conducted on swine farms in breeding and gestation barns. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific tasks performed by workers increase concentrations of ammonia and particulate matter exposure.

Methods: An exploratory, descriptive design was used to determine if swine confinement workers have increased ammonia and particulate matter exposure when performing assigned tasks in breeding and gestation barns. A convenience sample of 8 workers volunteered from among all breeding and gestation workers (n=24). Data collection occurred in the morning at each of the 8 farms …

Weathering The Storm: Climate Change, Vulnerability, And Adaptation In Bangladesh, Justin Guay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world is guaranteed a certain level of climate change due to the emissions already released into the atmosphere. Therefore, adaptation to climate change is necessary. Increases in diarrheal disease and malnutrition due to climate change are analyzed for Bangladesh. Relative risks determined by the World Health Organization, estimates obtained from agricultural models, and migration estimates are utilized to determine the costs associated with each of these diseases, as well as reductions in rice production and increases in urban migration. It is found that climate change will create additional costs for treating each of these diseases that equal .05% of …

Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (Cisd) In Emergency Medical Services (Ems) Personnel., Ginger Lee Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

EMS personnel were examined for Post Traumatic Stress symptoms and the usefulness of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) using the Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC) and a demographics questionnaire. This study revealed that women in this group show higher PTSD symptoms than male coworkers. Level of Training (LOT) of the EMS provider did not demonstrate a significant difference in whether a provider developed PTSD. EMS personnel receiving debriefing actually suffered greater levels of PTSD than those that did not receive debriefing. And 16% of EMS providers in this study suffered from PTSD, while approximately 20% suffered from partial PTSD or …

Wellness Program Effect On The Health Parameters Of Female Employees Aged 25 To 60 Years Of Age Targeting Physical Activity And Nutrition Therapy., Adrienne J. Poag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if the health parameters of female employees would improve, as measured in the posttest data, following the completion of a 12-week employee wellness program. The participants included 17 female employees from the Carter County Health Department located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The principle investigator assessed the changes in the pretests and posttests and analyzed the data using SPSS. The results showed on average an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption and in the number of days exercised per week as well as improved diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels. The employees who experienced …

Exposure To Volatile Organic Compounds And Effect On Neurobehavioral Function., Abhijeet Jagannath Bhanegaonkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data of 1338 respondents from the Priority Toxicant Reference Range Study were analyzed to examine exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Self-reported contact to chemical products and blood concentrations of specific chemicals were analyzed. Neurobehavioral function was assessed by simple reaction time test (SRTT), symbol digit substitution test (SDST), and serial digit learning test (SDLT). Prevalence of exposure to VOC products was, for instance, air freshener/room deodorant - 34.7%, gasoline - 29.2%, finger nail polish - 16.2%, and diesel fuel/ kerosene - 10.6%. The 95th percentiles of blood VOCs (μg/L) were calculated for 41 chemicals including Benzene - 0.476, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane …

Religion And Crime: A Study Of Inmates In State And Federal Prisons In The United States., Dhanalakshmi Thirumalai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent high levels of crime in this country have provided support for the need for public programs that help in reducing crime rates through effective interventions. Spirituality and religion are considered to play a major part in determining an individual's attitude towards committing a crime. This study analyzed if inmates in State and Federal prisons in the US are involved in prison religious activities and personal prayers in order to determine if criminality (measured by offense type) of inmates affects their participation in religious activities. Based on logistic regression analysis, gender, race, and marital status of inmates were found to …

Using An Importance-Performance Analysis Of Summer Students In The Evaluation Of Student Health Services., Candice Cline Duvernois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hitherto, students have not evaluated the importance and performance of services provided by the student health service (SHS) at East Tennessee State University. An evaluation could provide valuable feedback to providers and administration.

In 2001, there were 944 student visits in the summer sessions. Approximately 256 students were offered a survey containing an Importance-Performance scale of which 151 (59.0%) responded. The I-P scale rates the importance students place on healthcare services and the performance of the SHS in delivering services (i.e., patient satisfaction).

Based on mean scores, students reported high importance, high performance on urgent care, pharmacy and patient education. …

An Analysis Of Risk Factors Associated With High Rates Of Cesarean Births In Three Selected Northeast Tennessee Hospitals., Karen Stewart-Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study consists of an analysis of hospital discharge data from three Northeast Tennessee hospitals to identify maternal demographic factors that may be linked to higher rates of cesarean sections in this region of Appalachia. Maternal age, race, insurance status, length of stay, and birth weight were evaluated to identify regional trends in the prevalence of these factors over a two-year period.

There were 1,678 (23.3%) singleton live births by cesarean section of which 7.6% were repeat cesarean section deliveries. Less than one percent of the 7,181 births were vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC) delivery. Overall, insurance and maternal age …

Identifying The Behavior, Attitudes, And Knowledge Of Tobacco Use Among Students Enrolled In Orientation Courses In Six Community Colleges In The Tennessee Board Of Regents System, G. E. Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the behavior, attitudes, and knowledge regarding tobacco use of students enrolled in orientation courses in Tennessee community colleges. The six community colleges selected for the study were members of the Tennessee Board of Regents system that offered mandatory orientation courses. Data were collected by use of the College Tobacco Behavior, Attitude, and Knowledge Survey . A response rate of (72.5%) from 700 students was analyzed. Three research questions guided the study and 17 null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the.05 alpha level of significance. Data were analyzed by using t -tests, …

The Nature, Scope, And Consequences Of Drug And Alcohol Use Of Students Enrolled At Three Southern Appalachian Community Colleges, Jewel D. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the nature, scope, and consequences of drug and alcohol use by students enrolled at three southern Appalachian community colleges: Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in Virginia, Northeast State Technical Community College (NSTCC) in Tennessee, and Southwestern Community College (SCC) in North Carolina. An additional purpose was to use this information to formulate recommendations for new and improved preventive substance-abuse programs. The design for this study was descriptive research. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CORE) was selected as the appropriate instrument for use in this study. The 23-item questionnaire was designed …

Collegiate Activities That Influence Adult Physical Fitness Habits, Linda L. King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive/correlational study analyzed the perception of recent graduates regarding the effectiveness of the college environment at Milligan College in influencing adult fitness habits. Graduates were divided into five activity level groups through a self-report of physical activity. The purposes of the research were to determine if significant differences existed between the dependent variable, activity level, and the independent variables such as: (a) participation in specific college activities, (b) preferences for types of exercise, (c) social influence, (d) influence of a required freshman fitness course, and (e) environmental barriers. A profile of the student most likely to exercise after graduation …

Southern Appalachian Settlement Schools As Early Initiators Of Integrated Services, Eloise H. Jurgens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This historical-descriptive study examined Southern Appalachian settlement schools as early initiators of integrated health and social services with education from the 1900s through the 1970s. Three schools were studied: Hindman Settlement School (KY), Pine Mountain Settlement School (KY) and Crossnore School, Inc. (NC). The purpose of the study was to determine the type and extent of services provided, the relationship of the settlement schools with their respective county public school system, and the transfer, if any, of integrated services from the settlement schools to public schools as the public schools took over educational responsibilities once offered by the settlement schools. …

A Case Study Of An Elementary School-Based Health Clinic, Sheila K. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to perform a qualitative analysis of an elementary school-based health clinic (SBHC). This situational analysis was performed to further understand the impact of accessible primary health care on an elementary school population. Data were collected through 30 participant interviews of parents, educators and medical personnel. Additional data were collected through the clinic files, and a t-test was used to compare the attendance and achievement data of clinic consumers for the clinic year against records from the previous year. The researcher presented information on the steps of SBHC development to include community campaign procedures. The …

Moraxella (Branhamella) Catarrhalis: A Molecular Epidemiology Study, Lyndell R. Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis is the third-most-frequently isolated microorganism associated with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in patients during their stay at the Mountain Home VA Medical Center (MHVAMC). In order to develop a practical, epidemiologically-meaningful typing method for M. (B.) catarrhalis, we tested two methods based on analysis of chromosomal DNA for typeability, reproducibility, and ability to differentiate between unrelated strains (discriminatory power, D). M. (B.) catarrhalis isolants from MHVAMC from 7/1/87-6/30/88 were grown overnight in broth and embedded in agarose. DNA was isolated by standard methods. The DNA was subjected to: (1) restriction endonuclease digestion (with either Bgl II …

Molecular And Cellular Analysis Of Chlamydia Trachomatis: Persistence And Reactivation, Kimberly R. Tau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most prevalent sexually-transmitted infection in the United States. It has been suggested that CT infections can become latent. This has not been substantiated. CT persistence was examined at the molecular and cellular level in vitro and in vivo. Penicillin treatment of CT in vitro results in abnormal inclusions and reduced recovery of infectious CT. Penicillin did not inhibit initial stages of infection, but did downregulate CT rRNA levels after 25 hours post-inoculation (p.i.). DNA amplification was employed to differentiate between a resolved infection and a persistent one. Utilizing a primer pair that amplified a 144 …

Preliminary Epidemiological Interpretation Of The Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Contributing To The Coverage And Participation Rates Of The Vaccination Program In Arssi, Ethiopia, Muchie Kidanu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many immunization programs in developing countries arr now undergoing a period of rapid utilization. Innovative strategies, such as immunization holidays, are being tried. Political commitment and enthusiasm are high. There is a strong desire by health professionals to protect the lives of many children from the untimely death and/or disability resulting from infectious diseases preventable by vaccination.

Evaluation of an immunization program can benefit other elements of the health system, particularly those that are not amenable to objective evaluation as immunization. In this case, immunization can serve as an indicator of the overall performance of the health system. The problems …

Silicious Exposures In The Refractory Brick Industry., William W. Stalker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.