Public Health Commons^™

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 …

Prescient Human Fetuses Thrive, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Fetal detection of adversity is a conserved trait that allows many species to adapt their early developmental trajectories to ensure survival. According to the fetal-programming model, exposure to stressful or hostile conditions in utero is associated with compromised development and a lifelong risk of adverse health outcomes. In a longitudinal study, we examined the consequences of prenatal and postnatal exposure to adversity for infant development. We found increased motor and mental development during the 1st year of life among infants whose mothers experienced congruent levels of depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy, even when the levels of symptoms were relatively …

Bayesian Credible Sets For A Binomial Proportion Based On One-Sample Binary Data Subject To One Type Of Misclassification, Dewi Rahardja, Yan D. Zhao, Hongmei Zhang

Faculty Publications

Interval estimation for the proportion parameter in one-sample misclassified binary data has caught much interest in the literature. Recently, an approximate Bayesian approach has been proposed. This approach is simpler to implement and performs better than existing frequentist approaches. However, because a normal approximation to the marginal posterior density was used in the Bayesian approach, some efficiency may be lost. We develop a closed-form fully Bayesian algorithm which draws a posterior sample of the proportion parameter from the exact marginal posterior distribution. We conducted simulations to show that our fully Bayesian algorithm is easier to implement and has better coverage …

An Assessment Of The Hospitalization Rates And Associated Comorbid Conditions In Secondary Stroke Prevention, Andrea D. Boan

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: An inherent risk from an incident stroke is recurrence. The most effective method to reduce stroke risk is to reduce the incidence of hypertension. Thus, antihypertension therapy has become imperative in the prevention of primary and recurrent stroke. In this dissertation we examine the confounding effects of race and age on recurrent stroke risk and the consistency of secondary prevention treatment regimens. Methods: One-year recurrent stroke risk was determined in relation to race, age, gender, and comorbid hypertension and diabetes by mixed effects regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses among hospitalized patients in South Carolina. A subset of patients were …

Predictors Of Adolescents Attitudes Towards Hepatitis C, Magdalena Sotiroski

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Hepatitis C is referred to as a blood borne virus and transmission is possible when there is blood to bloodcontact. In Australia one person is exposed to hepatitis C every hour of every day. Attempts to increase knowledge and change attitudes towards hepatitis C in the community have been limited, particularly among target groups such as young people. It seems the majority of hepatitis C education and prevention efforts have focused on the provision of information (cognitions) to increase awareness and reduce engagement in risk behaviours (Brown, Perlmutter & McDermott, 2000; Munoz-Plaza, Strauss, Astone, Jarlais & Hagan, 2004). In contrast, …

Knowledge Of The Uv Index Within Western Australia, David Mercovich

Theses : Honours

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and despite the dedicated efforts of preventative campaigns since 1981; this number has increased over the past ten years (Carter & Donovan, 2007). With most skin cancer being attributed to Ultra violet radiation there is a pressing need for proper education, health promotion and preventative means. Previous Western Australian skin UV Index research has yielded findings of moderate awareness. However, there is the association between skin cancer prevalence and the UV Index but a lack of knowledge and application of the UV Index as a means of preventative measures …

Summary Of Research In Speech Pathology, Deborah Hersh

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.

Defining Speech And Language Fluency Profiles Before And After The Onset Of Stuttering: Preliminary Findings, Charn Nang

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.

Complexities In The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer: Discussions, Observations, Research And Public Policy, Hannah V. Gordon

CMC Senior Theses

The impact of the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer presents an interesting case study in public health policy and resource allocation. During the last three decades, thyroid cancer cases have increased by more than 400%. As an illness that affects the lives of hundreds of thousands each year, the human and economic costs will be magnified in the next decade. It is estimated that approximately 13-67% of people will have thyroid nodules during their life of which approximately 5% will be malignant. The standard treatment, a thyroidectomy frequently followed by radioactive 131 iodine treatment, accordingly would seem to be a …

Risk Factors For Homelessness Among Community Mental Health Patients With Severe Mental Illness, Rupert Talmage Van Wormer

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with homelessness, assess the relationship between housing status and consumption of costly publicly funded resources, to identify characteristics associated with service retention, and to evaluate whether length of treatment is associated with better outcomes. The target population was homeless and formerly homeless adults with SMI enrolled in community mental health services at the Downtown Emergency Service Center SAGE mental health program located in Seattle. The sample consisted of 380 SAGE patients who had continuous enrollment in 2005. These patients formed the cohort for the study. Agency records for these …

The Role Of Local Food In Increasing Access To Healthy Food In Indianapolis, Indiana, Anna Hostetter

Capstone Collection

In the United States today, incidents of obesity are on the rise, currently more than one-third, or 35.7% of U.S. adults are considered obese, up from 30.5% in 2000. These startling numbers are causing news institutions and politicians to refer to it as the “obesity epidemic”.

Obesity is linked to multiple health problems including Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and breast cancer (Aronne, L.J., 2002). There are numerous causes of obesity, including genetics, yet high rates of obesity have also been positively linked with a diet high in processed foods and low in fruits and vegetables (Drewnowski, A. …

School Program Planning To Increase Active Transport To School, Brenda Aguilar

McNair Poster Presentations

Studies have shown that active transport is known to increase physical activity of children, decrease traffic congestion and the production of greenhouse gasses. This study examines active transport to school (ATS) [walking, biking, or other self-powered wheels to school] among elementary students. Through the Nevada Moves Day program an increase proportion of elementary students who use ATS was expected.

This study was done at two elementary schools, one being the intervention school that participated in the Nevada Moves Day, and a control school, which did not participate. Data was collected over a three week period. Students using active transport and …

Fruit And Vegetable Intake And Food Store Access: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study In Ypsilanti, Michigan, Jana A. Hirsch, Kausar J. Hafeez, Timothy B. Kaselitz, Jing K. Lu, Hanna N. Oltean, Paul D. Shea, Matthew J. Simpson, Silpa S. Thaivalappil, Lynda D. Lisabeth

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Given declines in supermarkets in Washtenaw County, Michigan (MI), we aim to characterize the relationship between food store access and fruit and vegetable intake in Ypsilanti, MI. A cross-sectional, convenience sample survey was conducted in March 2011 at the Ypsilanti District Library (n=83). Self-reported food store access, perceived food environment, and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed. Linear and logistic regressions were performed between store access, fruit and vegetable intake, and meeting dietary recommendations. Perception was evaluated for effect modification. Adjusting for demographics, each food store within one mile of participants’ homes increased odds of meeting recommended intake by 105% …

Geographical Information Systems Facilitate Child Lead Screening Efforts, Daniel Kruger, Lauren Shirey, Sherry Taylor

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Background: Children at the highest risk for lead poisoning are African American, living in families with low incomes, or are living in housing built prior to 1946. The Greater Flint Lead Safe Children Program (GFLSCP) was designed to increase the proportion of African Americans under 6 years of age who are tested for lead in a State-designated high risk area for childhood lead poisoning. Objective: We used Geographical Information Systems to create maps that facilitate program process and evaluation. Methods: We created maps of neighborhood outreach coverage and lead screening results. We identified areas with higher concentrations of African American …

Evaluating The Recidivism Rates For Parolees Enrolled In M-Coit, A Community Mental Health/ Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Pamela J. Walsh, David Atkinson

Michigan Journal of Public Health

This paper focuses on an evaluation of recidivism rates of parolees with severe and persistent mental illness enrolled in a mental health/ substance abuse treatment program (M-COIT) at a community mental health center in southeastern Michigan. The two partners in the study were a community mental health center located in a city bordering the southern part of Detroit and Eastern Michigan University located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The purpose of the study was to identify the recidivism rates and factors that affected these rates for parolees who participated in the M-COIT Program. This was a retrospective medical record review. The practical …

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Awareness: An Innovative Participatory Intervention, Delbert M. Raymond, Tsu-Yin Wu, Mary J. Richard, Mary J. Mcdonagh

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Among American men and women, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer as well as the third leading cause of cancer death. The importance of CRC screening is supported by improved survival rates associated with early diagnosis. Despite these well known facts, half of eligible adults in the United States have not been tested. This paper reports on a novel intervention utilizing a uniquely designed community-based CRC education program to promote CRC awareness and increase participant’s intention to participate in CRC screening. Trained teams of oncology nurses worked with senior level nursing students who provided a two-tier …

Critical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Communication Messages, Charli Marie Wilson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

For the last thirty years HIV/AIDS has affected the lives of many people in the United States. Since the first introduction of the disease to America, healthcare officials have implemented several methods in various disciplines to prevent new cases. The information in this thesis examines how public health campaigns have contributed to the prevention of HIV. The research method in this thesis assumes a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of three HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns and how these media educate men who have sex with men (MSM) about prevention. The CDA method is useful in identifying consistent emerging themes in the campaigns …

Encounters With Witchcraft, Norman Miller

Dartmouth Scholarship

My first experience with witchcraft in Africa occurred in March 1960 in Mombasa, Kenya, just as I stepped off the gangway of the MS Inchanga following a voyage from India. Next to the ship in a dockside kiosk I saw a newspaper with the headline, “European Geologist Attacked in Gogoland: Witchcraft Suspected.” It was the story of a 22-year-old British geologist, William Hanning, who had been prospecting for minerals in a remote part of nearby Tanzania when by mistake he dug into a burial ground. He was believed to be a witch, disguised as a European, out to steal body …

Somatechnologies Of Body Size Modification: Posthuman Embodiment And Discourses Of Health, Meghan Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on persistent gaps in philosophies of the body: the enduring mindbody divide in accounts of phenomenology, the unfulfilled promises of representing and inhabiting the body in online and virtual spaces, and the difference between health as quantified in medical discourse versus health as lived experience. These tensions are brought to light through the electronic food journal genre where the difficulty in capturing pre-noetic, outsideconsciousness aspects of experience and embodied health are thrown into relief against circulating cultural discourses surrounding health, body size, self-surveillance, and self-care. The electronic food journal genre serves as a space for users to …

Perceived Partner Support In Pregnancy Predicts Lower Maternal And Infant Distress, Lynlee R. Tanner Stapleton, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Erika Westling, Christine Rini, Laura M. Glynn, Calvin J. Hobel, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Maternal postpartum emotional distress is quite common and can pose significant risk to mothers and infants. The current study investigated mothers' relationships with their partners during pregnancy and tested the hypotheses that perception of prenatal partner support is a significant predictor of changes in maternal emotional distress from midpregnancy to postpartum, and contributes to maternal ratings of infant distress to novelty. Using a prospective longitudinal design, 272 adult pregnant women were interviewed regarding their partner support, relationship satisfaction, and interpersonal security (attachment style and willingness to seek out support), and they completed standardized measures of prenatal symptoms of depression and …

Increasing Parity Is Associated With Cumulative Effects On Memory, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if reproductive experience is associated with cumulative effects on human memory performance during pregnancy and if these effects persist into the postpartum period.

METHODS: Verbal recall memory performance was assessed in 254 women four times during pregnancy and at 3 months postpartum. The relation between parity and memory function was evaluated with hierarchical linear modeling and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

RESULTS: The data indicate that the previously documented adverse effects of pregnancy on memory performance are compounded with successive pregnancies. During gestation and postpartum, multiparity was associated with poorer memory function, …

Spina Bifida Subtypes And Sub-Phenotypes By Maternal Race/Ethnicity In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, A J Agopian, Mark A Canfield, Richard S Olney, Philip J Lupo, Tunu Ramadhani, Laura E Mitchell, Gary M Shaw, Cynthia A Moore

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spina bifida refers to a collection of neural tube defects, including myelomeningocele, meningocele, and myelocele (SB(M) ), as well as lipomyelomeningocele and lipomeningocele (SB(L) ). Maternal race/ethnicity has been associated with an increased risk for spina bifida among offspring. to better understand this relationship, we evaluated different spina bifida subtypes (SB(M) vs. SB(L) ) and sub-phenotypes (anatomic level or presence of additional malformations) by maternal race/ethnicity using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This study is a large, multisite, population-based study of nonsyndromic birth defects. Prevalence estimates were obtained using data from spina bifida cases (live births, fetal …

Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Young Women Engaged In Sex Work In Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Prevalence, Genotypes, Risk Factors And Association With Hiv Infection, Marie-Claude Couture, Kimberly Page, Ellen S. Stein, Neth Sansothy, Keo Sichan, John Kaldor, Jennifer L. Evans, Lisa Maher, Joel Palefsky

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Although cervical cancer is the leading cancer in Cambodia, most women receive no routine screening for cervical cancer and few treatment options exist. Moreover, nothing is known regarding the prevalence of cervical HPV or the genotypes present among women in the country. Young sexually active women, especially those with multiple sex partners are at highest risk of HPV infection. We examine the prevalence and genotypes of cervical HPV, as well as the associated risk factors among young women engaged in sex work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 220 young women (15–29 years) engaged …

Distribution/Localization And Relative Quantitation Of C-Terminal Αa-Crystallin Truncation Products Within Lenses Of Icr/F Rats Treated With Dietary Supplemented Genistein, Kyle Anthony Floyd

All ETDs from UAB

The ocular lens functions to focus light coming into the eye onto the retina. Lens development begins in utero, and continues over an individual's lifetime. Lens fiber cells and their proteins are only synthesized once and have no repair mechanisms, so they remain for an individual's lifetime. The α-crystallins, the most abundant lens proteins, act as chaperones to keep damaged/unfolded proteins in-solution. Cataract disease is associated with protein damage, leading to a light scattering opacity. It has been suggested that truncation of αA-crystallin leads to a loss of chaperone function. Cataract disease is the leading cause of blindness in the …

Predictors Of Vaginal Douching Behavior And Sexual Risk Taking Among A Population Of Women In The South: The Influence Of Sexual Concurrency And Partner Incarceration, Keri J. Griffin

All ETDs from UAB

In the United States, adolescent women between the ages of 14 and 19 are estimated to bear the largest burden of sexually transmitted infections. Left untreated, these infections have the potential to result in several adverse reproductive health outcomes. Sexually risky behaviors, including early sexual initiation, sexual partner concurrency, and the use of vaginal douche products increase the risk for the contraction of sexually transmitted infections. Further, having a sexual relationship with a male partner who is known to have other partners or a history of contact with the justice system might put a woman at additional risk. Utilizing a …

The Role Of Cd11c+ Cells In Response To Ozone, Jeffrey David Brand

All ETDs from UAB

Environmental ozone exposure remains a major public health concern with over one-third of the United States population experiencing unhealthful levels. Epidemiological studies indicate exposure increases morbidity in those with pre-existing disease such as asthma, though the biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. CD11c+ cells within the respiratory tract include dendritic cells (DCs), which are the most efficient antigen presenters and play major roles controlling immune responses. In addition, DCs are thought necessary for asthma pathogenesis and exacerbation. Therefore the link between ozone associated asthma morbidity may be DCs. We hypothesize ozone exposure may site specifically alter DC phenotypes, numbers, …

Centering Pregnancy And Adverse Pregnancy Outcome: An Evaluation Of Group Prenatal Care In A Rural Western Kentucky Clinic, Lorie Wayne Chesnut

All ETDs from UAB

CenteringPregnancySmiles [TM] (CPS), a group prenatal care program with an oral health component, has demonstrated promising results in urban communities with primarily low-income minority women. This study examined three questions: 1) Do women who participate in CPS have better birth outcomes than those who participate in traditional prenatal care, even after adjusting for maternal characteristics and risk factors? 2) Is level of exposure to the intervention associated with improved birth outcomes? 3) Do women with dental infection have an increased risk of poor birth outcomes? Data were abstracted from medical records and birth certificates. Birth outcomes for women enrolled in …

Full Scale Calcium Bromide Injection With Subsequent Mercury Oxidation And Removal Within Wet Flue Gas Desulphurization System: Experience At A 700 Mw Coal-Fired Power Facility, Mark Simpson Berry

All ETDs from UAB

The Environmental Protection Agency promulgated the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, which requires that existing power plants reduce mercury emissions to meet an emission rate of 1.2 lb/TBtu on a 30-day rolling average and that new plants meet a 0.0002 lb/GWHr emission rate. This translates to mercury removals greater than 90% for existing units and greater than 99% for new units. Current state-of-the-art technology for the control of mercury emissions uses activated carbon injected upstream of a fabric filter, a costly proposition. For example, a fabric filter, if not already available, would require a $200M capital investment for a …

Evaluation Of The Association Of Low-Level Prenatal Blood Lead Exposure And Auditory Brainstem Response Among Infants, Timothy A. Dignam

All ETDs from UAB

Hearing loss is one of the most common major abnormalities present among infants. Two to four infants per 1,000 are born in the United States with severe-to-profound newborn hearing loss (Chu 2003). Undetected, hearing loss delays speech, language, and cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown that prenatal lead exposure is associated with a variety of neurobehavioral and electrophysiological abnormalities (Abbate 1995, Bellinger 2004, Koller 2004). Studies focusing on hearing have primarily described pediatric cases or occupationally exposed adults where blood lead levels (BLLs) are much higher than currently seen in the United States (Otto 1985; Bleecker 2003; Schwartz 1987). Hearing …

The Impact Of The State Children's Health Insurance Program's Unborn Child Ruling On Foreign-Born Latina Prenatal Care Utilization And Birth Outcomes, 2000-2007, Jonathan Hawthorne Drewry

All ETDs from UAB

In 2002 the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) "unborn child ruling" was established to provide prenatal care (PNC) to low income women otherwise without health insurance. The majority of foreign-born (FB) Latinas otherwise ineligible for PNC should have benefited most from the ruling. In late 2003 six states incorporated the UCR into their state plan amendments, providing a natural experiment for policy analysis. This study used cross-sectional pooled natality data from 2000-2007 to estimate the effect of the UCR on prenatal care utilization (PNCU) and birth outcomes. A differences-in-differences econometrics model was employed using policy enacting and non-enacting states, …