Public Health Commons^™

Breastfeeding Attitudes And Intentions Among Middle Eastern Women Living In Southern California, Christina Irsilious Fam

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. Breastfeeding is unsurpassed as the preferred method of feeding infants all over the world due to the fact that its benefits far outweigh those of infant formula. Mothers from all cultures prefer breastfeeding, yet with immigration and emigration so widespread from developing countries, women's value systems are changing to adapt to their new surroundings. The United States has experienced a great influx of Middle Easterners; California in particular has a dominant presence of Middle Easterners. Many are faced with obstacles and stresses in acculturation, which may lead to lack of breastfeeding their infants. Few studies are available on Middle …

Relationship Between Nut Consumption And Memory Domains Of Cognitive Function Among Elderly Seventh-Day Adventists, Angeline B. David

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective. To determine the relationship between consumption of all types of nuts, tree nuts, and peanut and peanut butter and specific memory domains of cognitive function in a community-dwelling elderly population.

Design. Cross-sectional analysis using clinic data from the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study and dietary intake data from the Adventist Health Study-2.

Subjects/Methods. Adults aged 50 and older were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT) Short Form and provided self-report frequency and portion sizes of nut consumption, anthropometric measures, and other demographic, lifestyle, and clinic data. CVLT scores were age- and gender-strata specific z-scores normed to a …

The Effect Of Exercise Training Modality On Serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Damon L. Swift, Neil M. Johannsen, Valerie H. Myers, Conrad P. Earnest, Jasper A. J. Smits, Steven N. Blair, Timothy S. Church

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in memory, learning, and neurodegenerative disease. However, the relationship of BDNF with cardiometabolic risk factors is unclear, and the effect of exercise training on BDNF has not been previously explored in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Men and women (N=150) with type 2 diabetes were randomized to an aerobic exercise (aerobic), resistance exercise (resistance), or a combination of both (combination) for 9 months. Serum BDNF levels were evaluated at baseline and follow-up from archived blood samples.

Results: Baseline serum BDNF was not associated with fitness, body composition, anthropometry, glucose control, …

Utilization Of A Metabolic Syndrome Index In Evaluating The Life In Balance Lifestyle Intervention For Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes Among Urban American Indians And Alaska Natives, Hongbin Jin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: A myriad of diabetes prevention programs modeled on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) are carried out worldwide to fight against the current diabetes pandemic. The percentage of weight reduction is a widely used indicator to evaluate diabetes prevention programs. However, weight change alone may not fully reflect the efficacy of lifestyle intervention. A metabolic syndrome index is a promising novel scale for evaluation of diabetes prevention programs because it is a systematic, comprehensive, and stable indicator that reflects the metabolic risk reduction for diabetes and its complications at multiple levels and dimensions.

Methods: A total of 22 overweight and …

Model Provisions For Building A Successful Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: A Case Study For The Western United States, Kathleen Lauckner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been 236 years since Benjamin Franklin voiced his concerns about lead poisoning from the occupational exposures in his printing shop, yet, in 2012 childhood lead poisonings and adult occupational exposures are still serious public health issues in the United States. Lead poisoning is a 100% preventable affliction if the ingestion or inhalation of lead from environmental exposures can be avoided.

The quality of blood lead detection methods and brain function studies have improved dramatically over the last few decades and far more is now known about the adverse health effects from low level (microgram- µg) exposures to lead. …

Assessment Of Satisfaction And Sustainability: The Idaho Healthy Eating, Active Living Network, Kristine E. Balisciano

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been in increased focus, at local, state, and national levels, on addressing health disparities. The purpose of the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Idaho Network is to create an environment that allows all its residents access to healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity. The HEAL Idaho Network initiative seeks to accomplish this goal through an expanding collaborative network of organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals that are concerned about improving the health education and overall well-being of all Idahoans.

The purpose of this study was to assess HEAL member’s levels of satisfaction with the …

Genetic Predictors Of Clinical Outcomes In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients, Xia Pu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the US. Emerging evidence has shown that host genetic factors can interact with environmental exposures to influence patient susceptibility to the diseases as well as clinical outcomes, such as survival and recurrence. We aimed to identify genetic prognostic markers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a major (85%) subtype of lung cancer, and also in other subgroups. With the fast evolution of genotyping technology, genetic association studies have went through candidate gene approach, to pathway-based approach, to the genome wide association study (GWAS). Even in the era of GWAS, pathway-based …

Unintentional Home Injury Risks Among The Elderly In Southern Nevada, Michelle Echauz Ching

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The elderly population (65 years of age and older) is one of the fastest growing populations in the US. A major public health concern involving the elderly population is unintentional injuries in the home. Since elderly adults typically spend the majority of their time in the home, minimizing unintentional home injury hazards is crucial for this population. The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NHHP) program is a grant funded effort that helps to improve the quality and availability of safe and healthy homes in Nevada. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the NHHP program interventions …

Refining The Global Spatial Limits Of Dengue Virus Transmission By Evidence-Based Consensus, Oliver J. Brady, Peter W. Gething, Samir Bhatt, Jane P. Messina, John S. Brownstein, Anne G. Hoen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Dengue is a growing problem both in its geographical spread and in its intensity, and yet current global distribution remains highly uncertain. Challenges in diagnosis and diagnostic methods as well as highly variable national health systems mean no single data source can reliably estimate the distribution of this disease. As such, there is a lack of agreement on national dengue status among international health organisations. Here we bring together all available information on dengue occurrence using a novel approach to produce an evidence consensus map of the disease range that highlights nations with an uncertain dengue status.

Methods/Principle Findings: …

Active Primary Care Physicians In Nebraska: Data Comparison, Supply, And Characteristics, Soumitra S. Bhuyan, Marlene Deras, Jim P. Stimpson

Reports: Center for Health Policy

No abstract provided.

Medicaid Expansion In Nebraska Under The Affordable Care Act, Jim P. Stimpson

Reports: Center for Health Policy

No abstract provided.

Advancing Global Tobacco Control: Exploring Worldwide Youth Attitudes And Behaviors Toward Tobacco Use And Control, Sreenivas Phanikumar Veeranki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the world. The disproportionate increase in tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries needs immediate attention. Many smokers begin smoking as adolescents and are most likely to become permanent smokers. Moreover, youth are highly targeted by tobacco industry strategies. However, a gap exists in literature to understand worldwide youth tobacco use and control. The purpose of this study is to 1) identify factors that influence never-smoking youths‟ smoking susceptibility, 2) explore characteristics that influence youth exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and 3) to delineate key determinants of …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Thinner Solid-State Nanopores, Denis Forbi Tita

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Solid State nanopores that are fabricated by the ion beam sculpting process and electron beam drilling have shown great promise as a sensing device for DNA and protein molecules. Even though biological pores such as the alpha-Haemolysin have been in use for quite some time, the use of solid state Nanopores in single biomolecule detection has been on the rise since the mid 1990s. Solid State nanopores have an advantage over biological pores in that they are more robust, stable, and can be sculpted to any desired size for use in translocation experiments. One of the major challenges in Nanopore …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Dr. Renee Hotchkiss named to the Board of Directors

Identifying And Correcting Health Hazards In The Home: A Pilot Test Among Homes In Clark County, Nevada, Sabrina La Monica

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NVHHP) is collaboration between University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and other public and private housing authorities and health agencies throughout Clark County, Nevada. The primary mission of the NVHHP is to improve the health of Nevada residents, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, by identifying and addressing conditions in the home environment. For this study, a program created by the NVHHP, entitled "Nevada Healthy Homes" (hereafter, Healthy Homes) was piloted. Home health and risk assessments were conducted in 52 homes, with one or more interventions being provided to …

The Potential Environmental Benefits Of Hybrid Rice Varieties, Haxhire Myrteza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With water insufficiency being already a major issue and potential carbon policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Arkansas rice producers may need to undergo some changes in regards to rice cultivar selection. The purpose of this study is to estimate the environmental benefits of cultivating hybrid rice varieties as opposed to conventional and Clearfield rice varieties. To accomplish this goal, water use and GHG emissions were estimated on per acre (ac) and per bushel (bu) basis for most commonly cultivated rice varieties in Arkansas. The study focuses particularly on six main rice stations in the State of Arkansas. The hypothesis …

Relationship Of A Nutrition Intervention Class For Middle School Students On Nutrition Knowledge And Attitudes, Kathy Hood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A pre-test post-test nonequivalent group design was utilized to investigate the role nutrition education has on a student's choice to eat healthy foods. The Nutrition Essentials: Teaching Tools for Healthy Choices nutrition module was used to teach clinically based nutrition. The research used rural Georgia seventh and eighth grade students' to evaluate the effects of nutrition education on the students' nutrition knowledge and attitudes using the SPAN student questionnaire. MANOVA was used to determine if changes occurred between the control and experimental groups. Results of the study showed that the short term study did not improve student nutrition knowledge or …

Missed Opportunities For Diagnosis And Treatment Of Diabetes, Hypertension, And Hypercholesterolemia In A Mexican American Population, Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, 2003-2008, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Kristina Vatcheva, Susan T. Laing, Monir Hossain, M Hossein Rahbar, Craig Hanis, H Shelton Brown, Anne R. Rentfro, Belinda M. Reininger, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction

Diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia are common chronic diseases among Hispanics, a group projected to comprise 30% of the US population by 2050. Mexican Americans are the largest ethnically distinct subgroup among Hispanics. We assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for undiagnosed and untreated diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia among Mexican Americans in Cameron County, Texas.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data collected from 2003 to 2008 in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, a randomly selected, community-recruited cohort of 2,000 Mexican American adults aged 18 or older, to assess prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia; to assess the extent to …

Socio-Economic Determinants Of Out-Of-Pocket Payments On Healthcare In Pakistan, Ashar Muhammad Malik, Syed Iqbal Azam Shah

Community Health Sciences

BACKGROUND:

Out-of-pocket (OOP) payment on healthcare is dominant mode of financing in developing countries. In Pakistan it is 67% of total expenditure on healthcare. Analysis of determinants of OOP health expenditure is a key aspect of equity in healthcare financing. It helps to formulate an effective health policy. Evidence on OOP in Pakistan is sparse. This paper attempts to fill this research gap.

METHODS:

We estimated determinants of OOP payments on healthcare in Pakistan. We used data sets of Pakistan Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) and Pakistan Standard of Living Measurement (PSLM) Survey for the year 2004-05. We developed a …

Carrs Surveillance Study: Design And Methods To Assess Burdens From Multiple Perspectives, Manisha Nair, Mohammed K. Ali, Vamadevan S. Ajay, Roopa Shivashankar, Viswanathan Mohan, Rajendra Pradeepa, Mohan Deepa, Hassan Mehmood Khan, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Zafar Fatmi, Srinath Srinath Reddy, Nikhil Tandon, Km Venkat Narayan, Dorairaj Prabhakaran

Community Health Sciences

Background: Cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) are a growing public health problem, but data on incidence, trends, and costs in developing countries is scarce. Comprehensive and standardised surveillance for non-communicable diseases was recommended at the United Nations High-level meeting in 2011.
Aims: To develop a model surveillance system for CMDs and risk factors that could be adopted for continued assessment of burdens from multiple perspectives in South-Asian countries.
Design: Hybrid model with two cross-sectional serial surveys three years apart to monitor trend, with a three-year prospective follow-up of the first cohort.Sites: Three urban settings (Chennai and New Delhi in India; Karachi in …

A Comparison Of Individual Versus Community Influences On Youth Smoking Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Heather A. Carlos, Ethan M. Berke, Susanne E. Tanski, James Sargent

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objectives: To compare individual with community risk factors for adolescent smoking. Design: A cross-sectional observational study with multivariate analysis.Setting: National telephone survey.Participants: 3646 US adolescents aged 13–18 years in 2007 recruited through a random digit-dial survey.

Ethical Challenges Of Preexposure Prophylaxis For Hiv, Jonathan S. Jay, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

On July 16, 2012, emtricitabine/tenofovir (Truvada) became the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for adults at high risk. While PrEP appears highly effective with consistent adherence, effective implementation poses ethical challenges for the medical and public health community. For PrEP users, it is necessary to maintain adherence, safe sex practices, and routine HIV testing and medical monitoring, to maximize benefits and reduce risks. On a population level, comparative cost-effectiveness should guide priority-setting, while safety measures must address drug resistance concerns without burdening patients' access. Equitable distribution …

How The Supreme Court's Medicaid Decision May Affect Health Centers: An Early Estimate, Katherine J. Hayes, Peter Shin, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

The nation's federally funded health centers are the principal source of primary health care for medically underserved populations. In CY 2011, more than 1,200 health centers, operating in more than 8,500 urban and rural locations, served 20.2 million patients, 36 percent of whom were uninsured and 93 percent of whom had family incomes below twice the federal poverty level. Federal grants provide core support to health centers, but Medicaid represents the largest single health center financing mechanism, accounting for 39 percent of revenues. Medicaid revenue growth allows health centers to preserve their core grant funding to reach uninsured patients while …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Childhood Disparities

Making The Case For Public Health: Estimating Roi And Value, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This presentation describes recent progress and new directions for estimating the value of public health strategies and infrastructure.

Epidemiological Characteristics And Underlying Risk Factors For Mortality During The Autumn 2009 Pandemic Wave In Mexico, Gerardo Chowell, Santiago Echevarria-Zuno, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Mark A. Miller, Irma Fernandez-Garate, Cesar Gonzalez-Bonilla, Víctor H. Borja Aburto

Global Health Faculty Publications

Background

Elucidating the role of the underlying risk factors for severe outcomes of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic could be crucial to define priority risk groups in resource-limited settings in future pandemics.

Methods

We use individual-level clinical data on a large series of ARI (acute respiratory infection) hospitalizations from a prospective surveillance system of the Mexican Social Security medical system to analyze clinical features at presentation, admission delays, selected comorbidities and receipt of seasonal vaccine on the risk of A/H1N1-related death. We considered ARI hospitalizations and inpatient-deaths, and recorded demographic, geographic, and medical information on individual patients during August-December, 2009. …

A Geographical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Infection In Nigeria, 1991-2001, Chinekwu Azuka Obidoa, Robert G. Cromley

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Abstract

Objectives: Within the gradually accumulating literature on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria, investigations concerning the spatial dimensions of the infection are virtually non-existent. An understanding of the spatial dimensions of the epidemic is central in the development and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies. This study is a geographic analysis of HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria from 1991 – 2001. The three objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the geographic pattern of the epidemic, 2) to examine the spatial-temporal trend and diffusion pattern of the epidemic, and 3) to explore the factors associated with the spatial …

Dose-Response Effects Of Exercise Training On The Subjective Sleep Quality Of Postmenopausal Women: Exploratory Analyses Of A Randomised Controlled Trial, Christopher E. Kline, Xuemei Sui, Martica H. Hall, Shawn D. Youngstedt, Steven N. Blair, Conrad P. Earnest, Timothy S. Church

Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate whether a dose-response relationship existed between exercise and subjective sleep quality in postmenopausal women. This objective represents a post hoc assessment that was not previously considered.

Design: Parallel-group randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Clinical exercise physiology laboratory in Dallas, Texas.

Participants: 437 sedentary or overweight/obese postmenopausal women.

Intervention: Participants were randomised to one of four treatments, each of 6 months of duration: a non-exercise control treatment (n=92) or one of three dosages of moderate-intensity exercise (50% of VO_2peak), designed to meet 50% (n=151), 100% (n=99) or 150% (n=95) of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development …

Relationships Of Heat Stress Levels To Heat-Related Disorders And Acute Injury During Deepwater Horizon Cleanup Operations, Michael H. Hiles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Outdoor workers are often subjected to thermal conditions beyond the comfort zone, but to what degree do such conditions affect the health and safety of those workers is still a matter requiring further investigation. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between thermal conditions and (1) heat-related disorders and (2) acute injuries using injury and illness data collected during the BP Deepwater Horizon clean-up operations. Over an eleven month period, 5,485 cases were identified as either heat-related or an acute injury (incident type) and further divided by severity. Daily weather data were used to estimate the wet …

Analysis Of Variable Effects On Presence Of Cryptosporidium Oocysts And Giardia Cysts In Effluent Water From Wastewater Treatment Utilities In Florida From 1998 To 2010, Katherine Jane Barkan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concern of a Cryptosporidium or Giardia waterborne outbreak due to treated wastewater has had water treatment utilities using some of the highest water cleansing technologies available. Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis are severe diarrheal diseases which can lead to death, thus it is important that appropriate steps are taken to assure these parasites are not present in the effluent of treated wastewater. This study examined the results of 863 assays for Giardia and Cryptosporidium on the effluent of wastewater treatment facilities and found that county of collection, watershed of collection, and laboratory analyzing the sample have the most significant impact on …