Public Health Commons^™

Supporting Ourselves: Maintaining Mental Well-Being Through An Hiv+/Aids Support Group In A Rural South African Community, Narda Hernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper primarily explores the importance of the support group for people infected and affected by HIV+/AIDS. At St. Matthew’s Clinic in the rural area of Qoboqobo, I invited women between the ages of 25-49 to freely participate in the focus group discussions. I believe that the health care sector could benefit from these groups, both as formal outreach services and informal support networks. There is a lack of healthcare services in rural areas. Of particular interest, PLWA are continuously encouraged to join an HIV/AIDS support group. This paper aims to explore how people are dealing with stress and HIV/AIDS-related …

Deaf Culture In Mombasa And Hiv/Aids Education, Krystel Viehmann

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ten years ago a crisis was recognized by the Kenyan deaf community when it was realized that the country’s roughly 1 million deaf citizens had received little or no education about the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In Kenya, as elsewhere, the deaf population has formed a community characterized by a common, shared language and experience as a disabled population. The intracacies of this unique culture affect their interactions with the majority hearing community as they have their own customs and ways of interacting with one another that are distinct from the hearing majority. In 2004, the first VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) …

Downward Comparison As An Intervention To Lower Self-Reported Risk-Taking Behaviors, John P. Barile

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research investigated the utility of using first-person editorial-style stories as a means to lower the occurrence of self-reported risk-taking behaviors such as drunk driving and red-light running in undergraduate college students. This study assessed the frequency of risk-taking behaviors of college students before and after a three-week online intervention. Students were randomized into one of three conditions. Two risk taking treatment groups read and rated stories about a college student that had suffered a severe consequence from either drunk driving or red-light running. A third group received non-driving college stories that involved no health risk. The stories were presented …

Scale And Shape Issues In Focused Cluster Power For Count Data, Robin C. Puett, Andrew B. Lawson, Allan B. Clark, Tim E. Aldrich, Dwayne E. Porter, Charles E. Feigley, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Background: Interest in the development of statistical methods for disease cluster detection has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Evaluations of statistical power provide important information for the selection of an appropriate statistical method in environmentally-related disease cluster investigations. Published power evaluations have not yet addressed the use of models for focused cluster detection and have not fully investigated the issues of disease cluster scale and shape. As meteorological and other factors can impact the dispersion of environmental toxicants, it follows that environmental exposures and associated diseases can be dispersed in a variety of spatial patterns. This study simulates …

Development Of Dose Conversion Coefficients For Radionuclides Produced In Spallation Neutron Sources Quarterly Progress Report 1/1/05 – 3/31/05, Phillip W. Patton, Mark Rudin

Transmutation Sciences Physics (TRP)

The research consortium comprised of representatives from several universities and national laboratories has successfully generated internal and external dose conversion coefficients for twenty radionuclides produced in spallation neutron sources. In addition, the group has identified twenty radionuclide that are missing electron capture files and eighteen additional radionuclides missing substantial physical data. The goal for the current year is to develop a methodology that will allow for producing the dose coefficients for these radionuclides with missing data. Methods to obtain these data are being investigated.

Exploring California's Rural Health System: From The Redwood Forests To The Baja Border, Eileen Salinsky, Jessamyn Taylor

National Health Policy Forum

This three day site visit to California explored the state’s rural health system with a particular focus on the financial health of inpatient and outpatient providers and how that affects access to care. The role of telemedicine as a tool for expanding access was explored as well as the special needs of vulnerable populations such as farmworkers. Participants learned how state and federal regulation and payment policies and state budget deficits impact the viability of rural health systems.

Equine Farm Manager Dies From Accidental Overdose Of Xylazine, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Other

On October 6, 2003, a 49-year-old male equine farm manager accidentally died after injecting himself with an unknown quantity of Sedazine (xylazine), a sedative commonly used to sedate horses. After visiting a barn’s storage area at approximately 8:45 am, the farm manager went to his house located on the farm and apparently tried to ease his pain by injecting himself with xylazine. At approximately 9:45 am, a female co-worker saw the farm manager’s dog running unrestrained outside and went to the farm manager’s house to return the dog. Upon entering the house, she found the farm manager lying face down …

Stage At Diagnosis And Cancer Survival For Indigenous Australians In The Northern Territory, John R. Condon, Tony Barnes, Bruce K. Armstrong, Sid Selva-Nayagam, J. Mark Elwood

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To investigate whether Indigenous Australians with cancer have more advanced disease at diagnosis than other Australians, and whether late diagnosis explains lower Indigenous cancer survival rates. Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting and participants: Indigenous and non-Indigenous people diagnosed with cancers of the colon and rectum, lung, breast or cervix and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1991–2000. Main outcome measures: SEER summary stage of cancer at diagnosis (local, regional or distant spread), cause-specific cancer survival rates and relative risk of cancer death.

Results: Diagnosis with advanced disease (regional or distant spread) was more common for Indigenous …

The Travels Of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Jane Pincus

New England Journal of Public Policy

The women’s health book, Our Bodies, Ourselves: A Book by and for Women, was first printed in 1970 by the small, radical New England Free Press. Published by the group of women soon too become the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, it was advertised solely by word of mouth. Successive newsprint editions reached a quarter of a million people in the United States through colleges and an extensive network of “underground” bookstores. The book placed female sexuality firmly within the framework of women’s health and combined vividly experienced medical encounters with available health and medical information. It critiqued prevailing cultural …

Kids On The Move: The Effects Of A Short-Term Physical Activity Program In A Group Of Rural Elementary School Students

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Pioneer In Florida Public Health Nursing: The Work Of Joyce Ely, Rn

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

A Summary Of Florida’S Law Of Quarantine Of Persons And Public Health Law Reform Issues

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

School Health Promotion Activities In Miami-Dade County, Florida

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Fpha President’S Message For The Florida Public Health Review

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

The Florida Public Health Review Celebrates A Birthday- Now What?

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Sex Offenders Under Sexually Violent Predator Laws: How Might Mental Health Professionals Conceptualize The Notion Of Volitional Impairment?, Cynthia Calkins Mercado, Robert F. Schopp, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines the significance of the Supreme Court’s Hendricks and Crane decisions, with focus given to how mental health professionals may conceptualize the notion of volitional impairment. The Hendricks decision authorized postsentence civil commitment for sex offenders having a mental abnormality or personality disorder, rendering them likely to engage in future acts of sexual violence. In the Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Justice Thomas implied that the Kansas Act was legitimized by limiting the class of offenders eligible for this specialized form of commitment to those who are “unable to control” their dangerousness. In Crane, the Court ruled that …

Visit Satisfaction And The Use Of Tailored Health Behavior Communications In Primary Care, Chris N. Sciamanna, Scott P. Novak, Thomas K. Houston, Robert Gramling, Bess H. Marcus

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Though studies suggest that computer-tailored health communications can help patients improve health behaviors, their effect on patient satisfaction, when used in health care settings, has yet to be examined. METHODS: A computer application was developed to provide tailored, printed feedback for patients and physicians about two of the most common adverse health behaviors seen in primary care, smoking and physical inactivity. Ten primary care providers and 150 of their patients were recruited to use the program in the office before their visit. After the visit, patients completed a self-report survey that addressed demographics, computer use history, satisfaction with the …

The Role Of Peer Social Network Factors And Physical Activity In Adolescent Girls, Carolyn C. Voorhees, David Murray, Greg Welk, Amanda Birnbaum, Kurt M. Ribisi, Carolyn C. Johnson, Karin Allor Pfeiffer, Brit Saksvig, Jared B. Jobe

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To study the relationship between peer-related physical activity (PA) social networks and the PA of adolescent girls.

Methods: Cross-sectional, convenience sample of adolescent girls. Mixed-model linear regression analyses to identify significant correlates of self-reported PA while accounting for correlation of girls in the same school.

Results: Younger girls were more active than older girls. Most activity-related peer social network items were related to PA levels. More PA with friends was significantly related to self-reported PA in multivariate analyses.

Conclusions: Frequency of PA with friends was an important correlate of PA among the peer network variables for adolescent girls.

Childhood Overweight: What The Research Tells Us, The Center For Health And Health Care In Schools, School Of Public Health And Health Services, George Washington University Medical Center

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

No abstract provided.

Update - March 2005, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Review and Critique of Statements on Abuse and Family Violence
-- Seventh-day Adventist Statements on Women's Issues
-- Response to "A Statement on Women's Issues"
-- Seventh-day Adventist Statements on Abuse, A Statement on Abuse and Family Violence
-- Seventh-day Adventist Statements on Abuse, A Statement on Family Violence
-- Seventh-day Adventist Statements on Abuse, Statements on Child Sexual Abuse
-- Editorial

Motivated Breast Cancer Screening Behavior And Its Cultural Antecedents, Patricia M. Flynn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discrepancies in breast cancer screening behavior exist among various ethnic groups in the United States (Jacobs & Lauderdale, 2001), with Latino American women reporting particularly low screening rates in comparison to Anglo American women (ACS, 2002). Research indicates that behavior is in part influenced by aspects of culture and relevant psychological processes (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993; Betancourt & Fuentes, 2001). This study was designed to investigate the relations among cultural values, attributions regarding the causes for not screening, related emotions, expectancy that screening leads to early detection and value incentive of early detection as determinants of breast cancer screening intention …

Ethnic Identity And Body Ideal In Adolescent Girls, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescence is a period characterized by physical growth and maturation (Cobb, 1995). This normal biological process moves most American girls away from the thin ideal body shape that is dominant within the United States. Ethnic differences in ideal body size have in fact been found in several studies; but they have been shown based on ethnic group membership, not ethnic identification. The specific relationship of ethnic identity and body ideal for Mexican American, African American, and Anglo American adolescent females has not been clearly defined; Lopez, Blix, and Blix (1995) have hinted at the role of ethnic identification (through the …

Scope Of Services Offered By Critical Access Hospitals: Results Of The 2004 National Cah Survey, David Hartley Phd, Mha, Stephenie L. Loux Ms

Rural Hospitals (Flex Program)

No abstract provided.

Smoke-Free Laws And Indoor Air Pollution In Lexington And Louisville, Ellen J. Hahn, Kiyoung Lee, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Adewale Troutman, Robert W. Powell

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cardiovascular Comorbidities Among Public Health Clinic Patients With Diabetes: The Urban Diabetics Study, Jessica M. Robbins, Chris N. Sciamanna, David A. Webb

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND:We sought to determine the frequency and distribution of cardiovascular comorbidities in a large cohort of low-income patients with diabetes who had received primary care for diabetes at municipal health clinics.

METHODS:Outpatient data from the Philadelphia Health Care Centers was linked with hospital discharge data from all Pennsylvania hospitals and death certificates.

RESULTS:Among 10,095 primary care patients with diabetes, with a mean observation period of 4.6 years (2.8 after diabetes diagnosis), 2,693 (14.3%) were diagnosed with heart disease, including 270 (1.4%) with myocardial infarction and 912 (4.8%) with congestive heart failure. Cerebrovascular disease was diagnosed in 588 patients (3.1%). Over …

Patient Characteristics And Clinical Management Of Patients With Shoulder Pain In U.S. Primary Care Settings: Secondary Data Analysis Of The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, James L. Wofford, Richard J. Mansfield, Raquel S. Watkins

Dartmouth Scholarship

Although shoulder pain is a commonly encountered problem in primary care, there are few studies examining its presenting characteristics and clinical management in this setting. We performed secondary data analysis of 692 office visits for shoulder pain collected through the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (Survey years 1993–2000). Information on demographic characteristics, history and place of injury, and clinical management (physician order of imaging, physiotherapy, and steroid intraarticular injection) were examined.

Kentucky Residential Roofing Falls, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

To prevent falls while working on roofs:

• Always use appropriate guardrail, scaffold, or fall protection systems.
• Both employers and subcontractors should provide comprehensive site-specific fall protection training for their employees.
• Conduct a thorough assessment in and around the work area to identify existing and potential fall hazards prior to the start of work.

Caidas Desde Techos Residenciales En Kentucky, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Falls

Para prevenir caídas mientras trabaja sobre techos:

• Siempre use sistema con baranda de protección, instale un andamio, y haga uso de un sistema contra caídas apropiado.
• Tanto empleadores como subcontratistas deberán proporcionar a sus empleados entrenamiento específico y completo sobre protección contra caídas acorde con el sito de trabajo.
• Conduzca una valoración cuidadosa dentro y alrededor del área de trabajo para identificar cualquier riesgo potencial de caída, antes de iniciar las labores.

The Effect Of Social Desirability And Social Approval On Self-Reports Of Physical Activity, Swann A. Adams, Charles E. Matthews, Cara B. Ebbeling, Charity G. Moore, Joan E. Cunningham, Jeanette Fulton, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to examine social desirability and social approval as sources of error in three self-reported physical activity assessments using objective measures of physical activity as reference measures. In 1997, women (n = 81) living in Worcester, Massachusetts, completed doubly labeled water measurements and wore an activity monitor for 14 days. They also completed seven interviewer-administered 24-hour physical activity recalls (PARs) and two different self-administered 7-day PARs. Measures of the personality traits “social desirability” and “social approval” were regressed on 1) the difference between physical activity energy expenditure estimated from doubly labeled water and each …

Association Between Dietary Carbohydrates And Body Weight, Yunsheng Ma, Barbara Olendzki, David Chiriboga, James R. Hébert, Youfu Li, Wenjun Li, Mary Jane Campbell, Katherine Gendreau, Ira S. Ockene

Faculty Publications

The role of dietary carbohydrates in weight loss has received considerable attention in light of the current obesity epidemic. The authors investigated the association of body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)²) with dietary intake of carbohydrates and with measures of the induced glycemic response, using data from an observational study of 572 healthy adults in central Massachusetts. Anthropometric measurements, 7-day dietary recalls, and physical activity recalls were collected quarterly from each subject throughout a 1-year study period. Data were collected between 1994 and 1998. Longitudinal analyses were conducted, and results were adjusted for other factors related to body …