Public Health Commons^™

The Feminization Of Hiv: Patriarchy As A Threat To Public Health In Ecuador – A Trans-Feminist Perspective, Fabián Espinosa Ma, Academic Director

Fostering Multicultural Competence and Global Justice: an SIT Symposium

This article attempts to analyze male sexual conduct in Ecuador and its determining role in the feminization of HIV. Male promiscuity, not only tolerated but celebrated by sexist discourse, severely impairs public health initiatives and remains one of the critical issues for both individuals and collectives struggling for structural changes in sexual politics. The exercise of citizenships, sustained by a new constitutional framework, embraces the principle of “subversion from within”, the only significant way of challenging heterosexist imaginaries and practices. This type of activism focuses on the formal and normative political dimension of sex and gender, but also and most …

Comparative Experiential Education In Global Health For Undergraduates: A Platform For Careers And Lifelong Learning In Public Health, Lois Mccloskey Drph, Mph, Onsultant, Founding Program Director, Health And Community, Christopher J. Colvin Phd, Mph, Program Director, Faculty And Country Coordinator, South Africa, Health And Community

Fostering Multicultural Competence and Global Justice: an SIT Symposium

In 2005, the International Honors Program, a longstanding organization that runs comparative study abroad programs, launched its “Health and Community” (HC) Program. The program is offered to upper-level undergraduates from across the US and from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. It travels to four countries in one semester and uses lectures, site visits, case study research and homestay experiences to engage students in critical and comparative thinking about health and illness at both the global and community levels. The interdisciplinary curriculum combines the perspectives of political economy, medical anthropology, and public health and each country program focuses learning around …

Weighing In: A Critical Analysis Of New York City’S Calorie Labeling Law, Josephine Barnett

Publications and Research

The ‘obesity’ epidemic has The health of New York City Residents has been a significant concern of public health officials with the rates of obesity and diabetes ranking eighth of all cities nationally. The New York City (NYC) Board of Health laid the foundation and influenced the legislative efforts of means to address the ‘obesity-diabetes’ epidemic for public health officials consider this to be one of the major health concerns among Americans and particularly NYC residents. The major initiatives implemented by NYC official include: (1) a ban on trans-fat (2) a city registry of those with diabetes, and (3) menu-labeling. …

Warren County, Kentucky Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Analysis, Dr. Ritchie D. Taylor, Dr. Vijay Golla, Jacqueline Brown, Shailesh Advani, Pragati Gole, Rasmi Nair, Bob Myatt

Public Health Faculty Publications

This report presents the results of a Commodity Flow Analysis of Hazardous Materials for I-65 and the William H. Natcher Parkway conducted by Western Kentucky University in partnership with the Warren County (Kentucky) Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Kentucky counties within the study area include Warren, Simpson, Edmonson, Butler, Barren, and Hart. Figure 1 shows the sections of I-65 and Natcher Parkway that run through these counties. The purpose of our report is to give information on patterns of hazardous materials being transported along I-65 and Natcher Parkway as observed from May 24th 2010 to June 18th 2010. A secondary …

Growth, Immune And Viral Responses In Hiv Infected African Children Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study., Philippa M. Musoke, Peter Mudiope, Linda N. Barlow-Mosha, Patrick Ajuna, Danstan Bagenda, Michael M. Mubiru, Thorkild Tylleskar, Mary G. Fowler

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Scale up of paediatric antiretroviral therapy in resource limited settings continues despite limited access to routine laboratory monitoring. We documented the weight and height responses in HIV infected Ugandan children on highly active antiretroviral therapy and determined clinical factors associated with successful treatment outcomes.

METHODS: A prospective cohort of HIV infected children were initiated on HAART and followed for 48 weeks. Body mass index for age z scores(BAZ), weight and height-for-age z scores (WAZ & HAZ) were calculated: CD4 cell % and HIV-1 RNA were measured at baseline and every 12 weeks. Treatment outcomes were classified according to; both …

Adherence To The American College Of Surgeons (Acs) Recommendation On Double Gloving, Hand Free Zone And Blunt Suture Needle Use Among Surgeon Ranks, Akbar Nassiry

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The American College of Surgeons guidelines suggest the use of intact gloves, double gloving, hands-free zone technique to pass sharp instruments, and blunt tip suture needles to protect patients, as well as the surgical team. This study estimates the extent to which these guidelines are followed in a large academic health system. Methods: Over a two-month period in the spring of 2010, 320 general surgical attendings, subspecialty surgical attendings, and surgical resident physicians practicing at a large academic health system, were approached during or after surgical conferences to participate in a cross-sectional study. Nearly 1/3rd completed an anonymous and …

Foreign-Born Semi Driver Dies After Driving Over Embankment, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

One summer morning in 2009, at approximately 11:30 AM, a 41 year-old male, long-haul, semi tractor-trailer driver drove off an interstate highway, over a guardrail, and continued into a wooded ravine. His trailer was empty and he was travelling to pick up a load of retail goods. The trailer disengaged from the tractor, the fuel tanks ruptured, the tractor overturned and caught fire. As the tractor overturned, the driver was ejected. A passing motorist called emergency medical (EMS) services; EMS arrived and found the driver dead at the scene.

To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have …

Chhs August Enewsletter, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Chhs September Enewsletter, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Religiosity, Spirituality And Attendance At Religious Services Among Recreational Drug Users: A Sub-Analysis Of The Drugnet Survey, Sohini Dhar

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study is a sub-analysis ofthe previously collected cross-sectional DRUGNET survey data. The sample included 1,178 current users of illicit drugs and 389 former users. This study was delimited to U.S. citizens, aged 18 years and older, who completed the DRUGNET survey (n =1,567). DRUGNET was a descriptive online survey of self - reported attitudes and behaviors among a group of adult, self - identified drug users (i.e., not drug abusers). The purpose of the sub-analysis was to explore the importance of religion, spirituality, and religious service attendance in the context of an otherwise normal healthy adult life. Moreover, it …

Contextualizing The Health Belief Model And The Social Epidemiology Theories In The Study Of Aids In Malawi, Kumbirai Madondo

All Theses

The association between HIV/AIDS knowledge, risk perception and risky sexual behavior remains a valuable area of study among scholars seeking to understand the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Past research has focused only on either the Health Belief Model or social epidemiology ideas to understand AIDS but never combined the two. The current study is unique and adds to the body of knowledge by making use of both the Health Belief Model and social epidemiology ideas to understand these relationships more clearly and, more importantly, to explore the role that keeping AIDS a secret has in the contexts of risk perception, …

Drive Alive: Teen Seat Belt Survey Program, Katie M. Burkett, Steve Davidson, Carol Cotton, James Barlament, Laurel Loftin, James H. Stephens, Martin Dunbar, Ryan Butterfield

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Publications (2006-2018)

Objective: To increase teen seat belt use among drivers at a rural high school by implementing the Drive Alive Pilot Program (DAPP), a theory-driven intervention built on highway safety best practices.

Methods: The first component of the program was 20 observational teen seat belt surveys conducted by volunteer students in a high school parking lot over a 38-month period before and after the month-long intervention. The survey results were published in the newspaper. The second component was the use of incentives, such as gift cards, to promote teen seat belt use. The third component involved disincentives, such as increased police …

2009 Annual Report Of Child Deaths In Clark County, Nevada, Nevada Institute For Children’S Research And Policy

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

In an effort to identify risk factors and prevent future child deaths, in 1992 the State of Nevada joined many other states in mandating Child Death Review Teams. Since that time, both the law and the regional teams throughout Nevada have evolved to facilitate the growing need for collaborative efforts to identify interventions necessary to reduce the rate of child deaths in Nevada. While the primary legislative focus of Nevada Child Death Review Teams has been on addressing fatalities related to child maltreatment and/or involvement with the child welfare system, the teams have expanded their focus to address risk factors …

Body Image In Middle-Aged Mormon Women: A Comparative Case Study, Janette Olsen

Faculty Publications

Body image is a multifaceted construct developed from perceived experiences and personal and cultural attitudes towards the body. Women are more vulnerable than men to internal and external influences regarding negative body image. A qualitative comparative case study design was utilized to explore how 10 lifelong, middle-aged LDS women, either married (n=5) with children or single, never married (n=5), experienced body image through their perceptions of religiosity and spirituality. The participants lived along the Wasatch Front in Utah and were recruited through known LDS gatekeepers. Each participant completed three in-person interviews and three audio or paper journals, which were transcribed …

Assessing Mississippians’ Preparedness For Disasters Using The Citizen Corps National Survey 2009, Carl Huston Mangum Ii

Dissertations

Disaster preparedness, a shared responsibility of all citizens and disaster agencies, is the most critical component in minimizing risk and damage from disaster. Mississippi has been affected by some of the most devastating disasters in American history, both in terms of physical destruction and human life. The purpose of this study was to assess Mississippians’ disaster preparedness by replicating The 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey (CCNS). The 65 question 2009 CCNS was slightly modified to survey 678 randomly selected Mississippians about the Citizen Corps Personal Disaster Preparedness Model: Demographics, Volunteering, Drills/Exercises, Community Plan, Household Plan, Disaster Supplies, Prevention, Self-efficacy, Reliance, …

The Role Of Unrealistic Optimism In Explaining Preventive Behaviors In High Versus Low Endemic Malaria Settings In Belize, Daniel G. Handysides

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Of all the diseases an individual can encounter in the world, malaria is one of the most destructive. Simple measures like sleeping under a bednet would greatly reduce the burden (Abeku, 2007). When people estimate their risk relative to others, they are most often unrealistically optimistic, which may explain why those at risk often fail to perform behaviors, such as using a bednet that will reduce their risk. However, one study showed that people at high risk for malaria held pessimistic perceptions of their risk for the disease, but the reasons for this finding are unclear (Morrison, Ager, & …

Program Evaluation Of A Community-Based Door-Through-Door Medical Escort Service, Lauren A. Martin

Gerontology Institute Publications

This report summarizes the program evaluation findings of a Boston-based organization’s Medical Escort program. This “door-through-door” service strives to provide medical transportation, physical assistance, and emotional support to elders on their way to the doctor’s office, during medical appointments and on the way back home again. By offering added assistance the program attempts to remove environmental barriers associated with access to health care. This evaluation combines previously collected program statistics with surveys (32) from program volunteers and phone interviews (78) with recipients.

The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And Child Care For Working Mothers In The United States, Patricia Wonch Hill

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Whether or not child care provider characteristics and factors related to the care giving environment impact breastfeeding duration for working mothers has not been systematically studied. In this dissertation, I use Ecological Health Promotion Theory to explore the relationship between child care and breastfeeding through three different analyses. First, I interviewed nine child care providers to assess their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about infant feeding and whether they vary on these factors across individuals and child care licensing types. Second, I conducted a small mail survey of 93 licensed child care providers in order to create a scale measuring attitudes …

Metabolic Syndrome And Risk Of Death From Cancers Of The Digestive System, Charles E. Matthews, Xuemei Sui, Michael J. Lamonte, Swann A. Adams, James R. Hébert, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

We tested the hypothesis that risk of early mortality from cancers of the digestive system will be greater in men with, compared to men without, the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants were 33,230 men who were seen at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas and followed for 14.4 (SD=7.0) yrs. MetS was defined as having at least three of the following risk factors: abdominal obesity, fasting hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, or high fasting glucose level or diabetes. MetS was associated with higher mortality (HR=1.90 [95% Confidence Interval=1.42-2.55]), and there was a graded positive association for the addition …

Perceived Stigma Among Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Treatment: A Prospective Randomised Trial Comparing An M-Dot Strategy With Standard-Of-Care In Kenya, Susan Kaai, Sandra Bullock, Avina Sarna, Matthew Chersich, Stanley Luchters, Scott Geibel, Kishorchandra Mandaliya, Marleen Temmerman, Naomi Rutenberg

Population Health, East Africa

HIV and AIDS remain highly stigmatised. Modified directly observed therapy (m-DOT) supports antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence but little is known about its association with perceived stigma in resource-constrained settings. In 2003, 234 HIV-infected adults enrolled in a two-arm randomised trial comparing a health centre-based m-DOT strategy with standard self-administration of ART. Data on perceived stigma were collected using Berger's HIV stigma scale prior to starting ART and after 12 months. This was a secondary analysis to examine whether perceived stigma was related to treatment delivery. Perceived stigma scores declined after 12 months of treatment from a mean of 44.9 (sd=7.6) …

The Influence Of Perspective And Gender On The Processing Of Narratives, Jeremy A. Houska

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The overarching aim of this research was to examine potential boundary conditions to situation model construction (Experiment 1) and narrative-based persuasion (Experiment 3). Variables such as narrative perspective (i.e., 2nd or 3rd person) and matched characteristics with the reader (i.e., participant-protagonist gender match) were first examined using situation model updating (Experiment 1) and behavioral measures (Experiment 3) as dependent measures. It was expected that situation model updating would be more likely for narratives written in the 2nd person perspective and with a participant-protagonist gender match. It was uncertain, however, for health promotion narratives, whether these manipulations would increase the likelihood …

Examining The Interrater Reliability Of The Comprehensive Inventory Of Mental Health And Recovery And Rehabilitation Services (Cimhrrs), Robert W. Johnson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation is one step in the continuing development, evaluation, and validation of the Comprehensive Inventory of Mental Health and Recovery and Rehabilitation Services (CIMHRRS). The CIMHRRS is an instrument to guide comprehensive assessment of programs that provide integrated services to people with serious mental illness (SMI).

The project described in this dissertation evaluated three key aspects of its performance in real world application: practical feasibility, internal consistency and reliability, and ability to distinguish between different programs. Investigators utilized a combination of principles and methods, associated with psychometric scale development, field methods, and program evaluation. Using a structured site review …

Medicare Physician Fees: The Data Behind The Numbers, Laura A. Dummit

National Health Policy Forum

Medicare’s physician fee schedule distributes nearly $60 billion annually and is a critical determinant of individual physicians’ incomes, beneficiaries' access to health care services, and Medicare spending, as well as the basis for physician fees used by many private payers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relies on data derived from expert judgment and other sources to update the fee schedule. Although CMS’s methods and data for maintaining the fee schedule have improved over the years, concerns remain about medical specialty society involvement and the lack of an effective ”counterweight” to vested interests in establishing and updating the …

The Development And Use Of A Geographic Information System For Evaluating The Association Between Pesticide Exposure And Prostate Cancer, Kristen Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 1 – A Geographic Information System for Evaluating Residential Pesticide Exposure and Prostate Cancer Incidence Agricultural pesticide exposure is hypothesized to be a risk factor for prostate cancer, and such exposures are of particular concern for men living in farming communities where large-scale pesticide applications occur. Prostate cancer incidence data were obtained from the State Health Registry of Iowa for the years 1996 through 2006, and county and census tract level age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated. Historical crop-specific land use records and pesticide sales data for the state of Iowa during 1990 were integrated into a geographic information system …

Tapping The Potential Of The Health Care Workforce: Scope-Of-Practice And Payment Policies For Advanced Practice Nurses And Physician Assistants, Robert Cunningham

National Health Policy Forum

Expanding coverage and increasing delivery of team-based care are likely to entail a growing role in the
health system for advanced practice nurses (APNs), physician assistants (PAs), and other nonphysician clinicians. These professions have already grown rapidly and have increased access to primary and specialty care, especially in rural and other underserved areas. This background paper provides an overview of the role of APNs and PAs. It reviews the primary features of the training and credentialing of these health professions, including the impact of public policies and market forces on their growth and deployment. It describes variations in state scope-of-practice …

Assessing Community Health Center (Chc) Assets And Capabilities For Recruiting And Retaining Physicians: The Chc Community Apgar Questionnaire, David Schmitz, Ed Baker, Ayaka Nukui, Benjamin Tverdy

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Community factors play a key role in the recruitment and retention of physicians. While prior workforce studies often investigated characteristics of the candidate-physician, the initial Critical Access Hospital Community Apgar Questionnaire (CAH CAQ) study identified community factors at critical access hospitals which help determine the success of achieving and maintaining an adequate local physician workforce. The goals of the current study are to identify opportunities for improvement in physician retention and recruitment in Idaho’s Community Health Center (CHC) systems and to develop a better understanding of the community factors in this dynamic process.

Interpretations Of Interpretations: Combining Community-Based Participatory Research And Interpretive Inquiry To Improve Health, Jessica Gregg, Lourdes Centurion, Julio Maldonado, Raquel Aguillon, Rosemary Carmela Celaya-Alston, Stephanie Farquhar

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Latina immigrants from Mexico suffer significantly increased morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer when compared with non-Hispanic White women, largely owing to lack of screening and appropriate treatment. Objectives: To demonstrate that by combining the tools of community-based participatory research (CBPR) with the tools of interpretive inquiry, it is possible to address explicit community concerns surrounding a particular problem such as cervical cancer while also examining what other, perhaps less immediately visible, matters consume the time and attention of community members. Methods: We first briefly discuss and compare CBPR as an approach to research and interpretive inquiry as a …

Download Full Pdf Issue Of Jefferson School Of Population Health Master Of Public Health E-News Public Health Link, Vol. 6, Iss. 2, Summer 2010

Public Health Link

This issue includes a MPH spotlight on JoAnne Fischer, Executive Director of the Maternity Care Coalition (MCC). Other articles include: 13th Annual Health Education Advocacy Summit Student Perspectives, Health Reform Provides Major Benefits to Public Health summary, Food Inspection Opportunity, congratulations to Spring Capstone presenters, and information on 2 symposia: Symposium on Community Based Participatory Research on Chronic Disease Prevention and Symposium on National Public Health Week - One Community at a Time.

Women's Compliance In Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment: The Role Of Children And Mental Health, Cathy Gertrude Cooke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of children and mental illness in women's compliance in a treatment program for substance abuse. Information was retrieved from medical records of female clients ( N=221) who took part in a community-based day treatment program for substance abuse in a large city in southeastern Virginia during a 32-month period. It was anticipated that, as compared to women who resided with minor children, women who did not reside with minor children would have greater treatment success defined as: (1) more days in the treatment program; (2) higher percentage of negative …

Co-Varying Patterns Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors And Their Long-Term Maintenance Among Adolescents, Jihong Liu, Jinseok Kim, Natalie Colabianchi, Andrew Ortaglia, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background: We examined the covarying patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviors among adolescents and their long-term maintenance. Methods: Data came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1995-2002). We used latent class analysis to identify distinct covarying patterns in adolescence. Logistic regression models were used to predict odds of meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendations (≥5 bouts/week) and exceeding screen time guidelines (>2 hours/day) 6 years later based on their adolescent class profile. Results: Five classes for each gender were identified and labeled as low physical activity (PA)/low sedentary behaviors (SED), moderate (Mod) PA/high (HI) SED, Mod …