Public Health Commons^™

Predictors That Affect The Caregiver's Health Status And The Role Of Social Support On The Caregiver's Health Status, Hong Wang

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether the caregiver's self-rated health status is affected by the caregiver's demographic characteristics (age, education level, and income), caregiver's stressor (the number of ADL and IADL), mediating variables of the caregiver's appraisal (willingness to help non-family members, level satisfaction with life, and financial burden), of and mediating variable of social support (information and/or advice from other family members or friends). Data were drawn from Chronic Illness and Caregiving, a national telephone survey conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. on behalf of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, and Partnership for Solutions. The sample size of caregivers …

The Relationship Of Attitude, Social Influence, And Self-Efficacy To Diabetes Type Ii Outcomes, Autumn L. Keefer-Ward

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Attitude-Social Influence-Self Efficacy model and its relationship to Type II diabetes outcomes. One hundred-twelve adults ages 55-75 with Type II diabetes were recruited from a physician's office in West Central Indiana. Participants completed instruments that assessed (a) attitude, (b) social influence of the physician, (c) diabetes-specific self-efficacy, and (d) diabetes-specific quality oflife. A measurement of metabolic control was also obtained. Multiple regressions were performed using ( a) quality of life, and (b) metabolic control as criterion variables. Only one subscale of the self-efficacy variable scale, Managing the Psychosocial Aspects of Diabetes, …

People With Disabilities On Tribal Lands: Education, Health Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, And Independent Living, A. Kauffman, M. Whelshula, V. Paternoster, T. Spellman, W. Thompson, A. Walline

Native Health Database Full Text

This project examined research on health, rehabilitation, independent living, and education issues that affect people with disabilities living in Indian Country. The report discusses views and perspectives of American Indialaska Native people with disabilities, tribal leaders, and federal agency representatives identified as productive in meeting the needs of people with disabilities residing in tribal lands. This report also assesses and recommends government-to-government (state to sovereign tribal to U.S. government) improvements in relationships needed for effective coordination across existing federally funded projects/programs. In addition, a Toolkit guide providing resource information was developed for use by consumers, tribal communities, and people at …

Next-Of-Kin Perceptions Of Physician Responsiveness To Symptoms Of Hospitalized Patients Near Death, Joel C. Cantor, Jan Blustein, Matthew J. Carlson, David A. Gould

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many different medical providers visit critically ill patients during a hospitalization, and patients and family members may not feel any physician is truly in charge of care. This study explores whether perceiving that a physician was clearly in charge is associated with reports by surviving next of kin about the responsiveness of physicians to symptoms in hospitalized patients near the end of life. We conducted telephone interviews with surviving next of kin of adult patients (n = 1107) who died in one of five New York City teaching hospitals between April 1998 and June 1999 after a minimum 3-day inpatient …

Dose Coefficients For Radionuclides Produced In A Spallation Neutron Source, John P. Shanahan

Transmutation Sciences Physics (TRP)

Internal and external dose coefficient values have been calculated for 14 anthropogenic radionuclides which are not currently presented in Federal Guidance Reports No. 11, 12, and 13 or Publications 68 and 72 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Internal dose coefficient values are reported for inhalation and ingestion of 1 μm and 5 μm particulates along with the f1 values and absorption types for the adult worker. Internal dose coefficient values are also reported for inhalation and ingestion of 1 μm particulates as well as the f1 values and absorption types for members of the public. Additionally, external dose …

Adjusting For Non-Ignorable Verification Bias In Clinical Studies For Alzheimer’S Disease, Xiao-Hua Zhou, Pete Castelluccio

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

A common problem for comparing the relative accuracy of two screening tests for Alzheimer’s disease (D) in a two-stage design study is verification bias. If the verification bias can be assumed to be ignorable, Zhou and Higgs (2000) have proposed a maximum likelihood approach to compare the relative accuracy of screening tests in a two-stage design study. However, if the verification mechanism also depends on the unobserved disease status, the ignorable assumption does not hold. In this paper, we discuss how to use a profile likelihood approach to compare the relative accuracy of two screening tests for AD without assuming …

Obesity In America: A Growing Threat, Eileen Salinsky, Wakina Scott

National Health Policy Forum

This background paper seeks to clarify the nature and causes of the obesity epidemic in the United States and provides an overview of the associated economic and health costs. The paper summarizes existing federal programs and policies that address obesity and examines new and emerging policy strategies to battle the bulging American silhouette. Topics explored include population-based prevention, federal food- and nutrition-assistance programs, Medicare and Medicaid payment policies, school health initiatives, and publicly funded biomedical research.

Health Beliefs And Parenting Attitudes Influence Breastfeeding Patterns Among Low-Income African-American Women, Phyllis W. Sharpe, Ayman A.E. El-Mohandes, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Michele Kiely, Tessa Walker

Publications and Research

OBJECTIVE: To describe breastfeeding initiation among 210 urban African-American mothers with inadequate prenatal care.

METHODS: This study is a case–control study of postpartum mothers recruited from four large urban hospitals.

RESULTS: Mothers who chose to breastfeed were more educated, employed before birth, married, and using contraception postnatally. Regression model analysis controlling for demographic differences revealed that breastfeeding was significantly associated with a higher perception of severity of illness and higher confidence in the ability of health care to prevent illness. Breastfeeding mothers were less likely to reverse parent– child roles and had a lower perception of hassle from their infant’s …

The Geography Of Medicare: Explaining Differences In Payment And Costs, Nora Super

National Health Policy Forum

This issue brief examines the sources of variation in Medicare payment and costs across different geographic areas and different sites of care. It discusses the payment policies that address variation in the cost of providing care, such as input price adjustments and special payments to hospitals. It also considers differences due to beneficiaries’ health status and in physician practice patterns. Finally, it explores policy options to address Medicare geographic variation.

While Working, Don't Take The Fall!, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

To prevent falls while working:

• Always use appropriate fall protection systems.
• Conduct a thorough assessment in and around the work area to identify existing and potential fall hazards.
• Both employers and subcontractors should provide comprehensive fall protection training for their employees, that is site specific.
• Place warning signs in front of work areas and around perimeters where fall hazards have been identified.
• Don’t place yourself in a potentially hazardous situation. Workers should always stay alert.

Mientras Trabaja, No Se Caiga!, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

Para prevenir caídas durante en trabajo:

• Siempre use el sistema apropiado de caídas. Hacer una evaluación meticulosa dentro y alrededor del área de trabajo, para identificar los riesgos existentes y potenciales de caídas.
• Los empleadores y los subcontratistas deben proveer de un entrenamiento de protección de caídas a sus empleados, en un lugar en especifico.
• Poner señales de alerta enfrente del área de trabajo y alrededor de los perímetros donde el riesgo ha sido identificado.
• No se ubique en una situación de potencialmente riesgoso. Los trabajadores siempre necesitan estar alerta.

Drivers And Riders Need To Work Safely While In And Around Refuse Collection Vehicles, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent refuse collection injuries:

• Employers should provide comprehensive employee safety training programs including identification of hazards posed by other motor vehicles in the area, and by riding on or working near moving refuse collection vehicles.
• Employers and employees should have routine maintenance programs for refuse collection vehicles including proper condition of tires.
• Don’t place yourself in a potentially hazardous situation. Workers should always stay alert.

Tanto Conductores Como Recolectores Necesitan Trabajar Con Seguridad Al Situarse Cerca O Dentro De Vehículos De Recolección De Basura, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

Para prevenir lesiones en la labor de recolección de residuos:

Los empleadores deberán proporcionar programas de entrenamiento de seguridad adaptados a la labor de sus empleados que incluyan la identificación de los riesgos que suponen otros automotores movilizándose en el área, así como el desplazamiento sobre o cerca de vehículos de recolección de residuos en movimiento.

Tanto empleadores como empleados deben asistir a programas de recolección de residuos, con cursos que incluyan el mantenimiento apropiado de las llantas.

Evite exponerse usted mismo a situaciones potencialmente riesgosas. Los trabajadores siempre deben estar atentos.

Study Of The Distribution And Variation Of The Herbicide Atrazine In Finished Drinking Water At A Small Community Water System In Kentucky, Vijay Golla

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the variation in the distribution of the concentration of atrazine, a triazine herbicide used in Kentucky to control weeds primarily in corn fields. Atrazine is known to have carcinogenic properties and is an endocrine disruptor in aquatic species even at low concentrations. Atrazine has the ability to be transported through the environment into water bodies due to its physical and chemical properties favoring its occurrence and distribution. Raw and Finished drinking water samples were collected from the Lewisburg water treatment plant which derives its drinking water supplies from a source water intake namely Spa Lake, which has …

Sibling Death In Childhood: An Evaluation Of The Literature Regarding Inclusion Of Minority Cultures, 1990–2002, Joyce Kay L. Cherry

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

This evaluation seeks to determine the extent to which the professional literature concerning bereaved children in the United States includes African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American children whose siblings have died in childhood.

A literature search identifies 58 articles, published between 1990 and 2002, concerning children under age 19 living in the United States whose siblings have died. Articles are sorted by time frame and classified by type. There are 31 descriptive articles consisting of five literature reviews, five commentaries, five case studies, and 16 narratives; there are 27 research articles. Analysis determines the extent to which race, culture, …

Psychosocial Stress And Cervical Neoplasia Risk, Ann L. Coker, Sharon M. Bond, Margaret M. Madeleine, Kathryn J. Luchok, Lucia Pirisi

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the association between psychosocial stress and preinvasive cervical neoplasia development controlling for HR-HPV infection.

METHODS: This case-control study enrolled low-income women receiving family planning services at health department clinics. There were 59 cases with biopsy confirmed HSIL and 163 with low-grade SIL and 160 controls with normal cervical cytology. A modified SLE scale was used to measure stressful events and the perceived impact of the event in the prior 5 years. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess SIL risk and stressful events scores and by subscales.

RESULTS: After adjusting for age, HR-HPV infection, and lifetime number …

Prediction Of 1976 Diabetes Incidence From 1960 Animal Product Consumption Among California Seventh-Day Adventists, Arnold Vang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in the US has been estimated at more than 16 million individuals (King, 1998). This has led to research into lifestyle practices (Astrup, 2001; Touomilehto, 2001), which has identified several of primary prevention. High fat diet and type 2 diabetes has been attributed to the wellareas known mechanisms of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance (Ferrannini, 1999; Reaven, 1988).

We examined the association between all animal product consumption, specific animal product consumption and diabetes incidence among California Seventh-day Adventists who were cohort members of the Adventist Mortality Study (Kahn, 1984) and the Adventist Health …

On David Koplow's Smallpox: The Fight To Eradicate A Global Scourge, Lisa Donovan, David Alan Sapp

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The world is free from the variola virus, more commonly known to us as the virus responsible for smallpox -- or at least it is almost free from it. Since the World Health Organization's (WHO) successful eradication campaign ended officially on December 9, 1979, smallpox no longer exists in its natural state, yet it does remain in securely isolated freezers in two locations: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention facility in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology near Novosibirsk. In Smallpox: The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scourge, David Koplow …

Breast Cancer - Preventive Care And Screening Patterns Among Hispanic Women In The Rio Grande Valley, Sreelatha Gobburu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Although breast cancer rates are lower among Hispanic women than among white women, Hispanics are more likely to die from this disease. This may be related to the fact that Hispanic women are less likely to practice preventive care methods such as Breast Self Exam (BSE) and Mammography. Cultural beliefs and attitudes about diseases play a significant role in Hispanic health behavior. Access to and availability of medical services, affective reactions towards cancer screening and treatment methods, and socioeconomic and demographic factors are stronger determinants of health care practices of Hispanic women. This study examines screening patterns of Hispanic women …

Exercise And Physical Activity In The Prevention And Treatment Of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Statement From The Council On Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee On Exercise, Rehabilitation, And Prevention) And The Council On Nutrition, Physical Activity, And Metabolism (Subcommittee On Physical Activity), Paul D. Thompson, David Buchner, Ileana L. Piña, Gary J. Balady, Mark A. Williams, Bess H. Marcus, Kathy Berra, Steven N. Blair, Fernando Costa, Barry Franklin, Gerald F. Fletcher, Neil F. Gordon, Russell R. Pate, Beatriz L. Rodriguez, Antronette K. Yancey, Nanette K. Wenger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

41 Year-Old Male Dies After Being Struck In The Head With An Auger, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Other

On October 23, 2002, a 41 year-old male (decedent) died after he was hit in the head with the handle of an auger. He was part of a four-member work crew tying water lines of private residences into a municipal water line. He was injured while backing the auger out of the hole and the handle became tangled with the rotating auger bit which caused the handle to flip up and strike him in the head, twice. After being struck, with co-workers following him trying to convince him to sit down, he walked away from the site until emergency rescue …

21 Year-Old Male Dies When Struck In The Head With A Track Hoe Bucket, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Other

On November 22, 2002, a 21-year-old male laborer died after being hit in the head with the bucket of a track hoe. He was wearing a safety helmet at the time of the incident. There were six to seven workers at the job site when the incident occurred. The work crew was pouring the footing for a retaining wall as part of a bridge for a private runway being built. The concrete form collapsed, trapping one worker and almost trapping two others. The decedent had left to retrieve a shovel to help free the trapped co-worker. As he retrieved the …

Temporal Stability And Geographic Variation In Cumulative Case Fatality Rates And Average Doubling Times Of Sars Epidemics, Alison P. Galvani, Xiudong Lei, Nicholas P. Jewell

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We analyze temporal stability and geographic trends in cumulative case fatality rates and average doubling times of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In part, we account for correlations between case fatality rates and doubling times through differences in control measures. We discuss factors that may alter future estimates of case fatality rates. We also discuss reasons for heterogeneity in doubling times among countries and the implications for the control of SARS in different countries and parameterization of epidemic models.

Filling The Gaps In Physician Communication. The Role Of The Internet Among Primary Care Patients, Chris N. Sciamanna, Melissa Clark, Joseph Diaz, Stephanie Newton

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND:

Millions of people use the Internet as a source for health information yet little is understood about how the use of the Internet for health information is related to the doctor-patient relationship.

OBJECTIVE:

We conducted the present study to understand the association between one’s interest in using the Internet for general and quality-oriented health information and attitudes about one’s communications with health care provider(s).

DESIGN:

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING:

Four community-based primary care practices in Rhode Island.

MEASUREMENTS:

A single self-administered survey included items to measure: interest in using the Internet to look for general and quality-oriented information and a …

Hispanic Worker Dies In Tractor Rollover, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Tractors/Logging

On May 31, 2002, a 25 year-old Hispanic worker (decedent) died when the gasoline-powered tractor he was operating overturned. The incident occurred when the decedent mowed a steep embankment along a rural roadside which caused the tractor to flip over a 3-strand, barbed wire fence, pinning the operator under the seat and tire. A passing motorist noticed the overturned tractor and notified 911, emergency services. Local police and fire departments arrived at the scene, as did a local ambulance. The coroner arrived and declared the tractor operator dead due to asphyxiation and crushing injuries to the chest.

• Tractors should be …

A New Confidence Interval For The Difference Between Two Binomial Proportions Of Paired Data, Xiao-Hua Zhou, Gengsheng Qin

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Motivated by a study on comparing sensitivities and specificities of two diagnostic tests in a paired design when the sample size is small, we first derived an Edgeworth expansion for the studentized difference between two binomial proportions of paired data. The Edgeworth expansion can help us understand why the usual Wald interval for the difference has poor coverage performance in the small sample size. Based on the Edgeworth expansion, we then derived a transformation based confidence interval for the difference. The new interval removes the skewness in the Edgeworth expansion; the new interval is easy to compute, and its coverage …

Commencement Program 2003, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 2003 Events of Commencement

3 | The Academic Procession

4 | Significance of Academic Regalia

5 | The Speakers

12 | The University Honorees

21 | The School Honorees

29 | The Programs

• School of Medicine, 30
• School of Dentistry, 37
• Graduate School, 45
• School of Nursing, 55
• School of Allied Health Professions - Physical Therapy, 60
• School of Allied Health Professions, 68
• School of Public Health, 77

Care Management For Persistent Pain: An Introduction, Christine W. Hartmann, Neil I. Goldfarb, Susan S. Kim, Bhaskar R. Nuthulaganti, Raafat Seifeldin

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Persistent pain is a frequently occurring condition with significant economic, clinical, and humanistic implications, for both individuals and society. Current literature, however, points to unresolved issues with regard to its identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, and a number of suggestions have been made for improving the quality of care for pain sufferers. Because persistent pain shares many of the salient features of other chronic conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, it is reasonable to believe that the adoption of a coordinated approach to care management could substantially improve the quality of care. Several strategiesincluding identification, appropriate referral, education, …

Long-Term Care: Informed By Research, Francis G. Caro

Gerontology Institute Publications

Health services research has contributed to health policy and service developments that have led to major improvements in the quality of long-term care in the United States. This policy brief highlights a few areas in which publicly and privately funded research has informed the long-term care field.

Residency Program At Michael E Debakey Department Of Surgery, Baylor College Of Medicine, F Charles Brunicardi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.