Public Health Commons^™

Retrospective Analysis Of Metabolic Syndrome: Prevalence And Distribution In Executive Population In Urban Pakistan., Niloufer Sultan Ali, Ali Khan Khuwaja, Adnan Ur Rahman, Kashmira Nanji

Department of Family Medicine

Background. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a major public health concern.

Objective. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of MetS, its components, and factors associated with MetS amongst apparently healthy individuals in Pakistan.

Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the executive Clinics of Aga Khan Hospital, Pakistan. Medical records of patients aged ≥18 years visiting the clinics from July 2011 to December 2011 were consecutively reviewed. Records in which either MetS components data or 10% of overall data was missing were excluded. A total of 1329 participants’ records was included in final analysis. Data was …

Recreational Music-Making In Music Pedagogy: A Manifesto For Change, Brandon Keith Wood

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The arts are an essential part of any student’s well rounded education. The future of music in education will depend on its ability to deliver relevant, effective, and measurable outcomes. However, the expectations and performance nature of traditional curricula often foster a sense of musical elitism and ostracizes students that are solely interested in music as a recreational outlet. Incorporating recreational music-making into education can provide opportunities for students to experience self-expression, creativity, social connection, and enjoyment. These values will not only enhance their education, but also lead to acquired skills for use in all areas of their lives. Activities …

Factors Influencing Acceptance Of A Worksite Wellness Program In A Major Urban Healthcare System - A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Deborah A. Ballard

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Abstract

Adults spend a significant portion of their lives at their workplace. Thus the workplace provides an important venue for public health interventions aimed at prevention and wellness. Best practices for workplace wellness programs are continually being refined. Ironically, health care workers are often less healthy than other professionals and face significant barriers to participating in workplace wellness programs. This paper analyzes the experience of a large urban health care system as it instituted a workplace wellness program and offers recommendations to increase participation in healthcare workplace wellness program and create an overall healthier work environment for healthcare workers.

Factors …

A System Dynamics Model For Simulating Ambulatory Health Care Demands, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Mandar Tulpule

VMASC Publications

Introduction: This article demonstrates the utility of the system dynamics approach to model and simulate US demand for ambulatory health care service both for the general population and for specific cohort subpopulations over the 5-year period, from 2003 to 2008. A system dynamics approach that is shown to meaningfully project demand for services has implications for health resource planning and for generating knowledge that is critical to assessing interventions.

Methods: The study uses a cohort-component method in combination with structural modeling to simulate ambulatory health care utilization. Data are drawn from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National …

Analyzing The Effects Of Policy Options To Mitigate The Effect Of Sea Level Rise On The Public Health And Medically Fragile Population: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua Behr, Anna Jeng, Hua Liu, Franceso Longo

VMASC Publications

A critical question related to climate change concerns to how rising sea level will affect underserved populations and medically fragile population in coastal zones and floodplains. As sea levels rise, coastal waters will regain near-tidal areas and co-mingle with human-made pollutants, resulting from decades of industrial and commercial activity. This poses potential threat and risks to public health and the environment. It is critical that decision makers will initiate a process of parsing resources to the mitigation and management of these issues. The purpose of this research is to model the inherent dynamics of this process and understand how near-term …

Prevalence And Correlates For School Truancy Among Pupils In Grades 7-10: Results From The 2004 Zambia Global School-Based Health Survey, Adamson S. Muula, Emmanuel Rudatsikira, Olusegun Babaniyi, Peter Songolo, Seter Siziya

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

There are limited data on the prevalence and associated factors of truancy in southern Africa. Yet truancy should attract the attention of public health professionals, educators and policy makers as it may be associated with adolescent problem behaviours. The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence and determine correlates of school truancy among pupils in Zambia.

Findings

We used data collected in 2004 in the Zambia Global School-based Health Survey. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with truancy. A total of 2257 pupils participated in the survey of whom 53.9% were male. Overall 58.8% …

Effect Of A Physician Uncertainty Reduction Intervention On Blood Pressure In Uncontrolled Hypertensives-A Cluster Randomized Trial, David J. Hyman, Valory N. Pavik, Anthony J. Greisinger, Wenyaw Chan, Jose Bayona, Carol Mansyur, Victor Simjms, James Pool

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Clinical inertia, provider failure to appropriately intensify treatment, is a major contributor to uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). Some clinical inertia may result from physician uncertainty over the patient’s usual BP, adherence, or value of continuing efforts to control BP through lifestyle changes.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that providing physicians with uncertainty reduction tools, including 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring, electronic bottle cap monitoring, and lifestyle assessment and counseling, will lead to improved BP control.

DESIGN: Cluster randomized trial with five intervention clinics (IC) and five usual care clinics (UCC).

SETTING: Six public and 4 private primary care clinics.

PARTICIPANTS: …

The Effect Of Disinfectants, Cleaning, And Drying Practices On Oriental Rugs Flooded With Contaminated River Water: Public Health And Policy Implications, Daniel Bernazzani

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Oriental rugs contaminated with Category 3 floodwater potentially harbor environmental bacteria known to be human pathogens. River water inoculated with three species of gram positive and gram negative environmental bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were used to assess the effectiveness of disinfectant type, cleaning methodology and drying practices by examining the survival rates of bacteria. Rug sections were immersed for one hour in contaminated water, saturated in one of three EPA registered disinfectant products (Phenol, Quaternary chloride, and Thyme oil) or tap water as a control, followed by cleaning and drying. The results showed that all disinfectants reduced …

Delineating Interpersonal Communication Networks: A Study Of The Diffusion Of An Intervention Among Female Entertainment Workers In Shanghai, China, Yiyun Chen, Carl Latkin, David D. Celentano, Xiushi Yang, Xiaoming Li, Guomei Xia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Diffusion of innovation (DOI) is widely cited in the HIV behavior change literature; however there is a dearth of research on the application of DOI in interventions for sex workers. Following a randomized-controlled trial of HIV risk reduction among female entertainment workers (FEWs) in Shanghai, China, we used qualitative approaches to delineate potential interpersonal communication networks and contributing factors that promote diffusion of information in entertainment venues. Results showed that top-down communication networks from the venue owners to the FEWs were efficient for diffusion of information. Mammies/madams, who act as intermediaries between FEWs and clients form an essential part of …

Are Low Wages Risk Factors For Hypertension?, J. Paul Leigh, Juan Du

Economics Faculty Publications

Objective: Socio-economic status (SES) is strongly correlated with hypertension. But SES has several components, including income and correlations in cross-sectional data need not imply SES is a risk factor. This study investigates whether wages-the largest category within income-are risk factors. Methods: We analysed longitudinal, nationally representative US data from four waves (1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The overall sample was restricted to employed persons age 25-65 years, n = 17 295. Separate subsamples were constructed of persons within two age groups (25-44 and 45-65 years) and genders. Hypertension incidence was self-reported based on …

An Analysis Of Laboratory Inspections At The University Of Kentucky, Rachel Eldridge

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Recent news stories about laboratory accidents in which students were severely injured and killed have brought much-needed attention to lab safety. Creating a positive safety climate on college and university campuses is very important in reducing accidents. At the University of Kentucky, all laboratories are inspected once every year, and the results are recorded in a lab inspection database. These data include the department, building, lab classification, type of violation, room number, and the name of the PI (Principal Investigator). I want to analyze inspections to find out whether department and the lab classification are significant in looking at violations. …

Personal Experiences With Long Term Care Services And Supports, Julie Fralich Mba, Mark Richards Ba, Louise Olsen, Vanessa Bell, Jennifer Pratt

Disability & Aging

This report captures, in a direct way, the first hand experiences of older and disabled consumers of long term care services and supports. In addition, it includes the collective experiences of eight Maine communities regarding the long term care service delivery system in our state.

Struggling While Managing Chronic Illness, Amy M. Perkins

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Although research documenting the struggling response to chronic illness would assist nurses in understanding their patients and potentially in the assessment and support of struggling patients, such research is only in the infancy stage. The purpose of this research study was to address the rarity of literature describing and defining the concept of families struggling while managing chronic illness. Using Strauss and Corbin's paradigm model and grounded theory methodology, the researcher analyzed interviews with nine rural families managing chronic illness. The analysis revealed that families managing chronic illness struggled with everyday living, to obtain a diagnosis, with spiritual beliefs, and …

"The Strictest Smoking Ban In The Nation": A Retrospective Case Study Of The Political Factors That Facilitated And Inhibited The Passage Of El Paso's Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, Xochiquetzalli Gamboa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this report is to describe, using archival print media sources, the factors that influenced the passage of the controversial El Paso Clean Indoor Air Ordinance in 2001. Although public health professionals had had more than 50 years of evidence proving the dangers of tobacco consumption, very few municipalities were concerned with implementing bans of any type on indoor smoking in public places ten years ago.

El Paso, TX, made national history when it introduced and approved what was then called "the strictest smoking ban in the nation" (Falgoust, 2004). How was such a progressive measure enacted in …

Employers' Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Workforce Development Of Community Health Workers In El Paso, Texas: A Descriptive Study, Aurora Aguirre Polanco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Workforce studies are necessary for regional economic development and for having a diverse workforce that meets the communities' needs. Workforce studies explore the most salient factors of models aimed at balancing economic forces of supply and demand. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline health workers recognized by both the United States (US) Department of Labor (DOL) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA). CHWs' service is oriented towards health promotion and disease prevention; they deliver public health interventions.

External and internal factors to the US health care system such as health care and wealth disparities, changing …

Constrained Optimal Control For A Multi-Group Discrete Time Influenza Model, Paula Andrea Gonzalez Parra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

During the last decades, mathematical epidemiological models have been used to understand the dynamics of infectious diseases and guide public health policy. In particular, several continuous models have been considered to study single in uenza outbreaks and the impact of dierent control policies. In this dissertation, a discrete time model is introduced in order to study optimal control strategies for in uenza transmission; since epidemiological data is collected on discrete units of time, a discrete formulation is more ecient. From a mathematical point of view, continuous time model are easier to analyze, however, the numerical solution of discrete-time models is …

Disparities In Park Availability, Features, And Characteristics By Social Determinants Of Health Within A U.S.-Mexico Border Urban Area, Amir Kamel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Parks have been shown to be a key feature in the built environment that promote physical activity and positively influence health. However, a number of studies have highlighted that park availability, park features (e.g., park facilities, amenities, and aesthetic features), and park characteristics (e.g., quality/safety concerns of the park and surrounding neighborhood) are not equally distributed across neighborhoods in the U.S, specifically areas of low socioeconomic status and diverse racial/ethnic composition. The overall aim of this study was to examine and describe park availability, park features, and park characteristics, and determine their association with two social determinants of health …

Prevalence And Determinants For Overweight And Obesity Among Residents Of A Mining Township In Kitwe, Zambia, In 2011: A Population-Based Survey, Cosmas Zyaambo, Olesegun Babaniyi, Peter Songolo, Adamson S. Muula, Emmanuel Rudatsikira, Victor M. Mukonka, Seter Siziya

Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity and overweight in Africa have been attributed to demogra- phic and nutritional changes that have resulted from urbanization and sedentary lifestyles and increased caloric intake without much physical activities. This has put populations at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, and cancer. The objective of this study was to deter- mine the prevalence and associated factors for combined overweight and obesity among residents of a mining town, Kitwe, in Zambia.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using a modified WHO glo- bal Non Communicable Diseases Surveillance Initiative STEPs 1 and 2 method of …

Papers Of Martha R. Jones Arc1985-008 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Factors Affecting Non-Urgent Use Of Emergency Department Services By Patients With "Universal" Healthcare, Gregory Smith Feltenberger

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the factors affecting non-urgent utilization of emergency department (ED) services by individuals with "universal" healthcare using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Since Air Force Medical Service beneficiaries have free and unlimited use of the full-range of healthcare services, they are ideally suited for this study. The findings of this research may also apply to other populations with free or low-cost access to healthcare (i.e., universal or single-payer healthcare). Using secondary data extracted from the Air Force Medical Service's electronic health record system at several military hospitals, this study will present …

Creating A Patient Navigation Model To Address Cervical Cancer Disparities In A Rural Hispanic Farmworker Community, Kristen Wells, Maria Rivera, Sara Proctor, Gloria Arroyo, Shalanda A. Bynum, Gwendolyn Quinn, John S. Luque, Marlene Rivera, Dinorah Martinez-Tyson, Cathy Meade

Community Health: Faculty Publications

This report describes the implementation of a pilot patient navigation (PN) program created to address cervical cancer disparities in a predominantly Hispanic agricultural community. Since November 2009, a patient navigator has provided services to patients of Catholic Mobile Medical Services (CMMS). The PN program has resulted in the need for additional clinic sessions to accommodate the demand for preventive care at CMMS.

Ethics Of Clear Health Communication: Applying The Clean Look Approach To Communicate Biobanking Information For Cancer Research, Alexis Koskan, Mariana Arevalo, Gwen Quinn, Shalwea Noel-Thomas, John S. Luque, Kristen Wells, Cathy Meade, Clement K. Gwede

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Cancer innovations, such as biobanking technologies, are continuously evolving to improve our understanding and knowledge about cancer prevention and treatment modalities. However, the public receives little communication about biobanking and is often unaware about this innovation until asked to donate biospecimens. It is the researchers’ ethical duty to provide clear communications about biobanking and biospecimen research. Such information allows the public to understand biobanking processes and facilitates informed decision making about biospecimen donation. The aims of this paper are 1) to examine the importance of clear communication as an ethical imperative when conveying information about cancer innovations and 2) to …

Refinement Of An Educational Toolkit To Promote Cervical Cancer Screening Among Hispanic Farmworker Women In Southeast Georgia, Lisa C. Watson-Johnson, Jigar Bhagatwala, Claudia Reyes-Garcia, Andrea Hinojosa, Mondi Mason, Cathy Meade, John S. Luque

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality continue to affect Hispanic women in the U.S. disproportionately. Our project sought to refine a cervical cancer intervention designed for use by community health workers, or promotoras, in rural southern Georgia. We collaborated with Hispanicpromotoras to refine a Spanish language educational flipchart featuring cervical cancer topic areas for use in screening promotion.

Formative Research On Perceptions Of Biobanking: What Community Members Think, John S. Luque, Gwendolyn P. Quinn, Francisco A. Montel-Ishino, Mariana Arevalo, Shalanda A. Bynum, Shalewa Noel-Thomas, Kristen J. Wells, Clement K. Gwede, Cathy D. Meade, Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network Partners

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Preparing healthy community members with timely communications prior to engaging them in a request to donate biospecimens promises to improve the experience of biobanking participation. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted to assess community member knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and informational needs about cancer-related biospecimen collection in a large metropolitan area in southwest Florida. The study utilized purposive sampling techniques to recruit a total of 95 participants to participate in 12 focus groups, segmented by race/ethnicity and language preference (mixed race, African American only, and Spanish speaking) and age (18–29, 30–54, and 55 and older). Focus group interviews were …

Service Learning In Higher Education Exercise Science Programs, Wendy Bjerke Ph.D.

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Service Learning in Higher Education Exercise Science Programs

ABSTRACT

Research Category

INTRODUCTION: Service Learning (SL) describes teaching methods that incorporate student service activities with specific learning objectives. SL has been applied to allied health higher education programs.

PURPOSE: To determine the applicability of SL to exercise science courses. SL data associated with an undergraduate course in exercise physiology serving a local fire department is examined.

METHODS: Among 90 firefighters, resting heart rate, blood pressure, estimated relative VO2 max, body composition, lower extremity power, upper body strength, flexibility, and perceived stress was assessed pre and post an education and physical …

Agenda-Building Influences On The News Media's Coverage Of The U.S. Food And Drug Administration's Push To Regulate Tobacco, 1993-2009, Caroline D. Foster, James F. Thrasher, Sei-Hill Kim, India Rose, John C. Besley, Ashley Navarro

Faculty Publications

Citing agenda-building theory, this article examines the influence of three key factors on the news media's coverage of the process of placing tobacco and tobacco products under regulation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 1993 and 2009. We analyzed data from a content analysis of 570 news articles from The New York Times and Washington Post and found that the media published significantly more FDA regulation articles during the Clinton administration than during the Bush administration. Our analysis links that imbalance of media coverage to the influence of the president of the United States (Clinton and Bush, during …

Explaining Benefit Utilization Variability In Fmnp In Kentucky: An Application Of Pierre Bourdieu’S Theory, Stephanie M. Holcomb-Kreiner

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Research has demonstrated the crucial role fresh fruit and vegetable consumption plays in maintaining good health. However, most Americans do not consume adequate amounts, and low-income Americans consume the lowest quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) attempts to rectify this situation by providing vouchers to low-income women, children, and elders that can be used only at farmers’ markets for the purchase of locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, FMNP and SFMNP exhibit variable and often low benefit utilization. This variable and often low benefit utilization is …

Human Risk Of Infection With Borrelia Burgdorferi, The Lyme Disease Agent, In Eastern United States, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser, Anne Gatewood Hoen, Paul Cislo, Robert Brinkerhoff, Sarah A. Hamer, Michelle Rowland, Roberto Cortinas, Gwenaël Vourc’H, Forrest S. Melton, Graham J. Hickling, Jean I. Tsao, Jonas Bunikis, Alan G. Barbour, Uriel Kitron, Joseph Piesman, Durland Fish

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The geographic pattern of human risk for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the tick-borne pathogen that causes Lyme disease, was mapped for the eastern United States. The map is based on standardized field sampling in 304 sites of the density of Ixodes scapularis host-seeking nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi, which is closely associated with human infection risk. Risk factors for the presence and density of infected nymphs were used to model a continuous 8 km × 8 km resolution predictive surface of human risk, including confidence intervals for each pixel. Discontinuous Lyme disease risk foci were identified in …

A Community Dietetics Intervention To Improve The Use Of Oral Nutritional Supplements In The Community Setting, Sharon Kennelly

Doctoral

Evaluation of a community dietetics intervention to improve oral nutritional supplement prescribing practices in the community. Background: Healthcare professionals working in the community do not always prescribe oral nutritional supplements (ONS) according to best practice guidelines and expenditure on ONS has increased. The aim of this study was to investigate ONS prescribing practices and to determine the impact of a community dietetics intervention on these practices and expenditure one year later. Methods: At baseline ONS prescribing practices were investigated by patient interview with a community dietitian. The intervention involved an education programme for general medical practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, nurses …

Synthesizing Parasitology With Archaeology In Paleopathology, Karl Reinhard, Adauto Araujo

Karl Reinhard Publications

Parasitology is the study of organisms that are symbiotic with other organisms. In this form of symbiosis, the parasite species by definition benefits from the interaction while the host is harmed to some degree. In actuality, some parasites benefit their hosts. The animals traditionally studied by parasitologists range from protozoa to arthropods, and include all types of internal and external worms. Ticks, fleas, lice, and a variety of insects that transmit parasites are also studied by parasitologists. Recently, a more holistic view of parasitism appeared, including bacteria and viruses. In essence, parasitology is the study of a certain kind of …