Public Health Commons^™

Identifying Influential Observations Through The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Angel De Jesus Davalos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we analyze the performance of adapting the DFBETA statistic for identifying influential observations on the intraclass correlation coefficient under the assumptions of the one-way random effects model. Additionally, we introduce an approach for transforming negative intraclass correlation coefficient estimation values using the method of moments estimator. We apply this method on a data set of repeated blood pressure measurements, after which we will investigate implications of identifying influential observations.

Awareness And Knowledge Of Hiv/Aids Among Female Indian University Students In South India And As Immigrants In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Thenral D. Mangadu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The prevention of HIV/AIDS is a major global public health goal. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 33 million individuals are infected with HIV worldwide and over two million of these cases are from India. The main mode of transmission of HIV in India is heterosexual contact.

In the past decades there has been a steady increase in immigration rates from India to the U.S. Education and marriage are the main reasons for immigration from India to the U.S. In general, the frequently risky sexual and substance use behaviors of college students in …

What Motivates Young Latina Females Along The U.S. Mexico Border Region To Participate In Team Sports?, Dora A. Pichardo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Physical activity gives women and girls an overall better quantity of life and positive health benefits. Statistics indicate lack of participation in physical activity and exercise by the U.S. general population and among the Latino population in particular. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the variables that motivate young Latinas to play and eventually continue to stay involved in team sports. This is a survey correlational study including young Latina females a U.S.-Mexico border community. Statistical analysis included frequencies, means, and Pearson Product Momentum Correlations. Sixty-nine participants (12 to 15 years old) completed the survey. The response …

The Latina/O Mental Health Paradox Or Racial/Ethnic Disparities? Depression Among New Immigrants To The U.S, Sandra Iveth Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Latino/a Mental Health Paradox states that the foreign-born immigrants have better mental health outcomes when compared with native-born groups of various ethno-racial backgrounds, with the gap in mental stress minimizing overtime. The objective of this study is to examine whether Latina/os immigrants suffer an ethno-racial disparity in mental health or if they have favorable mental health outcomes as predicted by the Paradox. Expanding on the Latina/o Mental Health Paradox, rather than comparing Latina/o immigrants with native-born, this study will compare depression among recently legalized Latina/os with recent legalized European immigrants.

Health Risk And Health-Seeking Behaviors Of Migrant And Seasonal Farmworkers On The Us-Mexico Border, Claudia Delilah Saenz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance

The estimated 1–3 million migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) employed in the U.S. play a crucial role in assuring the success of the multi-billion dollar agricultural industry and the nation's access to a safe and nutritious food supply. This predominantly Mexican immigrant occupational group is documented to be at–risk for chronic and infectious disease morbidity and premature mortality but published studies are limited which describe their reproductive/sexual health, mental health, substance abuse, and workplace violence situation. Prior studies are especially scant regarding U.S.–Mexico border MSFW.

Objectives and Hypothesis

The major objective of the pilot study was to …

Atopy In Us-Mexico Border Elementary School Children: A Pilot Study, Julia Laura Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance. Atopy is a hypersensitivity disorder that mainly affects the mucous membranes and the skin. It is reported to be the most prevalent type of clinical allergy syndrome. Persons who have atopy suffer from various combinations of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis and/or eczema. Atopy is defined as an inherited predisposition to generate IgE against common environmental allergens. Atopy is a type I hypersensitivity condition mediated by IgE immune response, while allergy is any excessive immune response to a foreign antigen. Thus, all atopic disorders are allergic response but some allergic conditions are not atopic per se.

The etiology of pediatric …

Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Green Tea, Alejandra Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by an intracellular parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania. The cutaneous form of the disease causes often significant disfigurement, accelerates progression to clinical AIDS and tuberculosis, and is associated with a number of adverse economic, psychosocial, and nutritional consequences. An estimated 350 million persons are at risk for this globally distributed disease and 1.5-2 million new cases occur annually. Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries on five continents. It is distributed throughout most of the Americas ranging from southern Texas to northern Argentina. It is also regarded as a threat to the readiness …

Barbers Against Prostate Cancer: A Feasibility Study For Prostate Cancer Education In An Urban African American Community, John S. Luque, Brian M. Rivers, Maisha Kambon, Ronald Brookins, B. Lee Green, Cathy D. Meade

Community Health: Faculty Publications

The goal of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of training barbers to deliver a brief culturally and literacy appropriate prostate cancer educational intervention to urban African American men. Eight barbers received training to deliver a 2-month educational intervention in the barbershop and completed pre- and posttest training assessments. The training workshops led to a significant increase in mean prostate cancer knowledge scores among the barbers (60% before vs. 79% after; P < 0.05). The barbers also reported positively on the intervention in terms of satisfaction and relative ease of engaging clients. Training barbers to deliver a prostate cancer educational intervention is a feasible strategy for raising prostate cancer awareness of the disease among a priority population.

A Qualitative Study Of Stressors, Stress Symptoms, And Coping Mechanisms Among College Students Using Nominal Group Process, Helen W. Bland, Bridget F. Melton, Stephen Patrick Gonzalez

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: Stress is part of the college experience; however, how students deal with stress can greatly impact their behaviors and health status. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess sources of stress, types of stressors, and coping mechanisms employed among undergraduate students.

Methods: Nominal group process was utilized to obtain information related to study variables and help prioritize the accounts provided by study participants (n = 173).

Results: Participants gave insight into the unique stress faced by this generation (grades, GPA, multitasking, parental expectations), stress symptoms (more psychological in nature), and coping strategies (prayer, talking to mom, …

On The Eigenstructures Of Functional K-Potent Matrices And Their Integral Forms, Yan Wu, Daniel F. Linder

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

In this paper, a functional k-potent matrix satisfies the equation, where k and r are positive integers, and are real numbers. This class of matrices includes idempotent, Nilpotent, and involutary matrices, and more. It turns out that the matrices in this group are best distinguished by their associated eigen-structures. The spectral properties of the matrices are exploited to construct integral k-potent matrices, which have special roles in digital image encryption.

A Study Of The Associations Between Childhood Obesity And Three Forms Of Social Capital, Cynthia Bala-Brusilow

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to expand the understanding of childhood obesity in American children by examining the associations between obesity in children and measures of social capital.

Context: Persons between 2 and 20 years of age are categorized as "obese" if their BMI is in 95th percentile or above for their age and sex using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts. Obesity prevalence has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years in the United States for children. Social capital, in the study of health, can be defined as resources accrued and/or …

The Mediating Role Of Psychological Distress In The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adult Smoking, Tara Wynn Strine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While research has indicated that impaired mental health partially mediates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and alcohol and illicit drug use, little research has examined potential mediators in the relationship between ACEs and smoking, the number one cause of preventable mortality in the United States. Accordingly, this study examined the potential mediating effect of psychological distress on the relationship between ACES and smoking using data from Wave II of the ACE Study, a cross-sectional study completed between June and October of 1997 on a sample of adult health maintenance organization members (N = 7,211). The theoretical underpinnings for …

The Use Of Human Patient Simulators To Enhance The Clinical Decision Making Of Nursing Students, Sharon Kay Powell-Laney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the newest teaching modalities in nursing education is the use of human patient simulators (HPS). An HPS simulation scenario creates a software program vignette in which students interact with a manikin to practice caring for critical patients in a risk-free environment. Although used extensively in schools of nursing, there is little research that examines if these expensive simulators improve the clinical decision-making ability of nursing students. The purpose of this experimental differentiated treatment study was to assess if HPS technology leads to increased clinical decision-making ability and clinical performance more than the teaching modality of a paper and …

Manual Handling Workload And Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Warehouse Personnel, Terrance N. Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD), specifically physical and muscular discomfort in the upper arm, lower arm, thigh, lower leg, wrist, shoulders, back, or neck, are among the most frequently reported workplace injuries in the United States. The dearth of knowledge about the types of workloads that may contribute to the development of WRMSD was the impetus of this research. The study aimed to identify antecedents of WRMSD among warehouse workers in order to reduce WRMSDs and increase productivity as expressed in a systems perspective on industrial health. The research questions examined the prevalence of specific WRMSDs, the relationship of high-risk tasks …

Clinical Recognition Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea In A Population-Based Sample, Mark R. Zellmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which the airway intermittently collapses and obstructs during sleep, is associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and depression. Treatment of OSA attenuates or reverses many of these associated risks. However, most cases of OSA are unrecognized and untreated. The two most recent studies using 1990s data found that only 6.5 - 15.4% of OSA cases, depending on severity, are clinically recognized in mixed gender populations. Based on a conceptual framework of improved physician awareness of OSA, and reduced diagnostic access bias …

The Effects Of Self Management, Education And Their Combination On Glucose Control Among Hispanics Visting A Community Health Clinic, Isela De Baca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to measure the impact of diabetes self-management instruction alone, and in combination with diabetes education, on glucose control among diabetic patients at a local community clinic. The researcher of the study was particularly interested in assessing whether self-management goals and diabetes classes positively influence A1C values in this sample.

For this study, the medical charts of 131 patients at Centro San Vicente Health Clinic, a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in El Paso, Texas were reviewed. In addition to collecting A1c values at pretest (baseline) and at three and six months post intervention, …

Using The Andersen Behavioral Model Of Health Services Use To Examine Adult Uninsured Patient Health Services Use At A Community Health Center, Jewel Shonette Goodman

Health Services Research Dissertations

Prescription medications are essential to the treatment and management of chronic conditions (Smith et al., 2005). Lack of access can result in pain, worsening of the condition and increased risk of additional health problems. Health care expenditures in the United States were reportedly 1.7 trillion in 2003 (Smithetal.,2005) and exceeded" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; line-height: 0; font-size: 16.66px; overflow-wrap: normal; word-spacing: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px; position: relative;">1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded1.7trillionin2003(Smithetal.,2005)andexceeded2.3 trillion in 2008 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010). Prescription medication costs …

Prenatal Beta-Endorphin As An Early Predictor Of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms In Euthymic Women, Ilona S. Yim, Laura M. Glynn, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

After delivery, many women experience symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD), and early identification of women at risk is therefore important. The opioid peptide [beta]-endorphin has been implicated in non-puerperal depression but its role in the development of PPD is unknown.

Traumatic Events, Perceived Stress, And Health In Women With Fibromyalgia And Healthy Controls, Bruce W. Smith, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examined the relationship between trauma, stress and health in 41 women with fibromyalgia (FM) and 44 women who were healthy controls (HC). The participants were assessed for traumatic events, perceived stress and mental and physical health. Perceived stress was related to worse mental and physical health in both groups. Traumatic events were related to worse mental and physical health in the FM group but were unrelated to health in the HC group. Perceived stress partially mediated the effect of traumatic events on mental and physical health in the FM group. Finally, adult abuse partially mediated the effects of …

Table Of Contents

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Prevalence, Transmission, And Prevention Methods Of Salmonellosis From Pet Turtles In Michigan, Karina Ballester, Edwin Vazquez, Mahdi Saeed, Paul C. Bartlett

Michigan Journal of Public Health

The sale and distribution of turtles with a carapace smaller than four inches in diameter was banned by federal law in 1975 on the grounds that such animals were frequently associated with human Salmonella infections. However, the popularity of these small turtles as pets has resurfaced, and in many places in Michigan they are being sold illegally. This study was conducted in Michigan to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in the most popular pet turtle species, Trachemys scripta elegans commonly known as red-eared sliders, and to evaluate the compliance of pet stores with laws concerning the sale of these …

Indigenous And Mestizo Mexican Migrant Farmworkers: A Comparative Mental Health Analysis, William Donlan, Junghee Lee

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mexican-origin migrant farmworkers using: (a) lifetime prevalence of culture-bound syndromes, (b) self-rated emotional/mental health, (c) depression measured by PHQ-9, (d) stress level. Demographic and psychosocial variables were examined by ethnicity and gender using Chi square and independent t-tests. Logistic and linear regression models were constructed for mental health variables. Indigenous participants reported significantly higher stress compared to mestizos, and indigenous women reported significantly higher stress compared to all groups. Prevalence of culture-bound syndromes and mean PHQ-9 severity score was highest for indigenous females. Mean self-rated emotional/mental health was lowest among indigenous females. Controlling for main effects and other interactions, (a) …

Volatile Profiling Reveals Intracellular Metabolic Changes In Aspergillus Parasticus: Vea Regulates Branched Chain Amino Acid And Ethanol Metabolism, Ludmila V. Roze, Anindya Chanda, Maris Laivenieks, Randolph M. Beaudry, Katherine A. Artymovich, Anna V. Koptina, Deena W. Awad, Dina Valeeva, Arthur D. Jones, John E. Linz

Faculty Publications

Background: Filamentous fungi in the genus Aspergillus produce a variety of natural products, including aflatoxin, the most potent naturally occurring carcinogen known. Aflatoxin biosynthesis, one of the most highly characterized secondary metabolic pathways, offers a model system to study secondary metabolism in eukaryotes. To control or customize biosynthesis of natural products we must understand how secondary metabolism integrates into the overall cellular metabolic network. By applying a metabolomics approach we analyzed volatile compounds synthesized by Aspergillus parasiticus in an attempt to define the association of secondary metabolism with other metabolic and cellular processes.

Results: Volatile compounds were examined using solid …

Prolonged Injustice In Urban America, Jametta Magwood, Edith M. Williams, Saundra H. Glover

Faculty Publications

Environmental inequality is the suggestion that the working class, the poor, persons of color, and ultimately the economically disadvantaged are subjected to living conditions that may prove to be hazardous both personally, professionally, and also to the infrastructure of the urban communities that these people inhabit. These injustices affect not only housing but education, quality healthcare access, and access to employment. This article investigates the distinct relationship of environmental inequalities imposed in urban communities that are promoted by a prominent institution: the government. It has been suggested that the government is primarily controlled by individuals who are incapable of identifying …

Lessons From A Life Well-Lived, Harold W. Kohl Iii, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Specialty Care Use In Us Patients With Chronic Diseases, Jessica D. Bellinger, Rahnuma M. Hassan, Patrick A. Rivers, Qiang Cheng, Edith M. Williams, Saundra H. Glover

Faculty Publications

Despite efforts to eliminate health disparities, racial, ethnic, and geographic groups continue lag behind their counterparts in health outcomes in the United States. The purpose of this study is to determine variation in specialty care utilization by chronic disease status. Data were extracted from the Commonwealth Fund 2006 Health Care Quality Survey (n = 2475). A stratified minority sample design was employed to ensure a representative sample. Logistic regression was used in analyses to predict specialty care utilization in the sample. Poor perceived health, minority status, and lack of insurance was associated with reduced specialty care use and chronic disease …

Cesarean And Vbac Rates Among Immigrant Vs. Native-Born Women: A Retrospective Observational Study From Taiwan Cesarean Delivery And Vbac Among Immigrant Women In Taiwan, Jung-Chung Fu, Sudha Xirasagar, Jihong Liu, Janice C. Probst

Faculty Publications

Background:Cultural and ethnic roots impact women’s fertility and delivery preferences This study investigated whether the likelihood of cesarean delivery, primary cesarean, and vaginal delivery after cesarean (VBAC) varies by maternal national origin.

Mehods: We conducted a nation-wide, population-based, observational study using secondary data from Taiwan. De-identified data were obtained on all 392,246 singleton live births (≥500 g; ≥20 weeks) born to native-born Taiwanese, Vietnamese and mainland Chinese-born mothers between January 1 2006 and December 31 2007 from Taiwan’s nation-wide birth certificate data. Our analytic samples consisted of the following: for overall cesarean likelihood 392,246 births, primary cesarean 336,766 (excluding …

Child Health Promotion Research Centre - Research For The Future, Margaret Hall

ECU Research Week

Research for the Future: Overview of Research within the Child Health Promotion Research Centre.

Examining The Impact Of California's Medical Marijuana Program On Public Health, John C. Lamb

CMC Senior Theses

The debate surrounding marijuana legalization has increased its popularity in recent years, as the state of California seriously considers the complete legalization of the substance for those ages 21 and over. This would make California the first government in recorded history to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana on a commercial level. Advocates back the economic positives concerning high tax revenues, but those opposed argue that the dangers associated with public health greatly outweigh any monetary gain. The present study attempts to reveal the possible public health concerns, even potential benefits, caused by marijuana use and its distribution. Specifically, …

A Markov Transition Model To Dementia With Death As A Competing Event, Liou Xu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The research on multi-state Markov transition model is motivated by the nature of the longitudinal data from the Nun Study (Snowdon, 1997), and similar information on the BRAiNS cohort (Salazar, 2004). Our goal is to develop a flexible methodology for handling the categorical longitudinal responses and competing risks time-to-event that characterizes the features of the data for research on dementia. To do so, we treat the survival from death as a continuous variable rather than defining death as a competing absorbing state to dementia. We assume that within each subject the survival component and the Markov process are linked by …