Public Health Commons^™

Violence During Pregnancy Among Young Married Women In Nepal, Prakrity Silwal

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Measurement Of Readiness For Tennessee Hospitals To Implement “Meaningful Use” Criteria Resulting From The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act, 2009, Kathryn Wallin Wilhoit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law. This legislation provided for monetary rewards for those acute-care hospitals that meet "meaningful use" computerization and reporting criteria.

The study used a descriptive, nonexperimental design to answer three research questions (1) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) member hospitals; (2) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the rural THA member hospitals; and (3) Is there a difference in the readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria between rural and urban THA member …

An Early Assessment Of The Potential Impact Of Texas' "Affiliation" Regulation On Access To Care For Low-Income Women, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

This analysis provides an initial assessment of the implications for low-income women of Texas' "affiliation regulation," which would bar Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clinics from participating in the Texas Women's Health Program (WHP). In 2010, more than 183,000 women were enrolled in the WHP, which provides health screening, family planning and birth control to low-income women, and nearly 106,000 received care through the program. In our analysis of WHP provider data, we find:

• Planned Parenthood (PPFA) clinics are by far the dominant source of care under the WHP. In FY 2010, PPFA clinics accounted for approximately 49 percent …

Revised: An Early Assessment Of The Potential Impact Of Texas’ “Affiliation” Regulation On Access To Care For Low-Income Women, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

No abstract provided.

Performance Changes During A Weeklong High Altitude Training Camp In Lowlander Youth Athletes, Jay R. Hydren

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Antecedents, Process, And Consequences Of Female Sterilization For Low-Income Women In Mumbai, Marie A. Brault

Master's Theses

Surgical sterilization is the primary method of family planning among low-income women in India; the result of limited knowledge and poor access to family planning alternatives. To understand the dynamics of sterilization, 37 in-depth interviews were conducted with sterilized women from the study community, as well as key informant interviews with community men, providers and government officials. The results indicate that sterilization decisions are made after exceeding ideal family size, that the procedures for sterilization frequently do not follow official protocol, but that for the most part women are highly positive about being free of the risk of unwanted conception.

The End Of Nowhere: The History Of Tuberculosis In Ri, Emma G. Sconyers

Senior Honors Projects

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one third of the word's current population had been infected with tuberculosis. Prior to the 1940's TB was considered an incurable, chronic affliction. Historically, many people were forcibly detained in tuberculosis sanatoria to lessen the spread of the disease; my great granfather being one of them. In 1939, without warning, he was taken from his pregnant, jobless wife and one-year-old daughter, who were left to fend for themselves for two years without government planning or assistance. He spent those two years at Wallum Lake Sanitorium in northern Rhode Island, a place my great-grandmother's …

A Mathematical Model For Dengue Fever In A Virgin Environment, Jason K. Bowman

Senior Honors Projects

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The disease was named in 1779 and the first recorded epidemic of it occurred simultaneously on three continents within the following decade. Dengue is characterized by flu-like symptoms and, while its symptoms are generally reported as quite unpleasant, is rarely fatal. However, in some cases patients can contract a more serious form of the disease, known as Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, which is far more dangerous. The World Health Organization estimates that today over 2.5 billion people are at risk for Dengue (over 40% of the …

A Comparison Of Autonomous Regulation And Negative Self-Evaluative Emotions As Predictors Of Smoking Behavior Change Among College Students, Hyoung S. Lee, Delwyn Catley, Kari J. Harris

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

This study compared autonomous self-regulation and negative self-evaluative emotions as predictors of smoking behavior change in college student smokers (N=303) in a smoking cessation intervention study. Although the two constructs were moderately correlated, latent growth curve modeling revealed that only autonomous regulation, but not negative self-evaluative emotions, was negatively related to the number of days smoked. Results suggest that the two variables tap different aspects of motivation to change smoking behaviors, and that autonomous regulation predicts smoking behavior change better than negative self-evaluative emotions.

Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models To Incorporate Chemical And Non-Chemical Stressors Into Cumulative Risk Assessment: A Case Study Of Pesticide Exposures, Susan C. Wason, Thomas J. Smith, Melissa J. Perry, Jonathan I. Levy

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Cumulative risk assessment has been proposed as an approach to evaluate the health risks associated with simultaneous exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) models can allow for the inclusion and evaluation of multiple stressors, including non-chemical stressors, but studies have not leveraged PBPK/PD models to jointly consider these disparate exposures in a cumulative risk context. In this study, we focused on exposures to organophosphate (OP) pesticides for children in urban low-income environments, where these children would be simultaneously exposed to other pesticides (including pyrethroids) and non-chemical stressors that may modify the effects of these exposures …

Multiple Peer Group Self-Identification And Adolescent Tobacco Use, C. Anderson Johnson, Juliana L. Fuqua, Peggy E. Gallaher, Jennifer B. Unger, Dennis R. Trinidad, Steve Sussman, Enrique Ortega

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Associations between peer group self-identification and smoking were examined among 2,698 ethnically diverse middle school students in Los Angeles who self-identified with groups such as Rockers, Skaters, and Gamers. The sample was 47.1% male, 54.7% Latino, 25.4% Asian, 10.8% White, 9.1% Other ethnicity, and 59.3% children of immigrant parents. Multiple group self identification was common: 84% identified with two or more groups and 65% identified with three or more groups. Logistic regression analyses indicated that as students endorsed more high risk groups, the greater their risk of tobacco use. A classification tree analysis identified risk groups based on interactions among …

Baseline Serum Prolactin In Drug-Naive, Firstepisode Schizophrenia And Outcome At Five Years: Is It A Predictive Factor?, Amresh Srivastava, Megan Johnston, Yves Bureau, Nilesh Shah

Data and Test Instruments

Objective: Serum prolactin is influenced by antipsychotic use but its relationships with psychopathology and general functioning are not clear. This study aimed to assess these relationships. Design: Serum prolactin levels were measured in patients with schizophrenia before being treated with antipsychotics and at various follow-up points. Setting: The study was conducted in a nongovernmental psychiatric treatment center in Mumbai, India. Participants: The participants included 30 male and 30 female drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 31 control participants. Measurements: The severity of psychopathology at baseline, three weeks, six weeks, and five years following treatment was assessed using a modified Brief Psychiatric …

The Prevalence Of Essential Hypertension In Kasigau, Kenya, Lindsay Williams

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a widespread chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) which is on the rise in developing countries. Evidence based on extensive research studies on risk factors for NCDs suggests that they could be easily significantly decreased by simply controlling their risk factors. Although high blood pressure has been recognized as a leading risk factor for CVD, little research has been done to document the prevalence and incidence of essential hypertension (EH) in lower socioeconomic developing countries. One such country is Kenya. It was found in our research study that Kasigau …

The Evaluation Of Water Quality And Weather Patterns As Indicators For Escherichia Coli In Slaters Creek Watershed In Millersville, Tennessee, Jacqueline Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Water quality sampling was conducted in conjunction with the city of Millersville, Tennessee in order to assess levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Slaters Creek. The city of Millersville is under a storm water National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that requires compliance monitoring. In the past, monitoring of E. coli has resulted in noncompliance with state water quality regulations. A water quality assessment, including E. coli and water quality parameters, was conducted to determine if E. coli levels varied between dates within the study area. Statistical methods were utilized to determine if variations existed between the sampling …

Fire Safety In 17 Irish Nursing Homes, John Moore, Victor Hrymak

Reports

Fire risk assessments were carried out in 17 Nursing Homes in Ireland. The results show that fire safety management needed to be improved. The recommendations include the need for improved training, management and regulation for fire safety in nursing homes.

Immunizations For Adults And Children, Lynne J. Goebel, Nancy B. Norton, Maurice A. Mufson

Internal Medicine

Vaccines represent the most important medical advance of the twentieth century. The time has passed when large numbers of children and adults suffered serious, life threatening illness from viruses including poliovirus, measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B virus and varicella zoster virus or faced lifelong disability or death from bacterial infections including Hemophilus influenzae, meningococcus and pneumococcus, all infections that can be prevented now by effective vaccines.

Fostering Aging In Place: "Healthy Naturally Occurring Retirement Community" (H-Norc) Qualities In A Southwest Ohio Suburb, Laura A. Previll

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This community assessment uses the concept of “H-NORCs” or Healthy Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities as a framework to analyze supports for aging (Masotti, Johnson-Masotti, Fick, & MacLeod, 2006) in Kettering, Ohio -- a first tier suburb of Dayton where the proportion of people over the age of 60 was 23.8% in 2010. In this study, I used focus groups and interviews to collect qualitative data on five H-NORC attributes: (1) economic policies that benefit seniors; (2) types of transportation support for seniors; (3) neighborhood design for physical activity; (4) opportunities for social integration and sense of belonging; and (5) health …

Evaluation Of Pneumonia Virus Of Mice As A Possible Human Pathogen, Linda G. Brock, Ruth A. Karron, Christine D. Krempl, Peter L. Collins, Ursula J. Buchholz

United States Public Health Resources

Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), a relative of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), causes respiratory disease in mice. There is serologic evidence suggesting widespread exposure of humans to PVM. To investigate replication in primates, African green monkeys (AGM) and rhesus macaques (n=4) were inoculated with PVM by the respiratory route. Virus was shed intermittently at low levels by a subset of animals, suggesting poor permissiveness. PVM efficiently replicated in cultured human cells and inhibited the type I interferon (IFN) response in these cells. This suggests that poor replication in nonhuman primates was not due to a general nonpermissiveness …

Genome-Wide Mirnaprofiling Of Mantle Cell Lymphoma Reveals A Distinct Subgroup With Poor Prognosis, Javeed Iqbal, Yulei Shen, Yanyan Liu, Kai Fu, Elaine S. Jaffe, Cuiling Liu, Zhongfeng Liu, Cynthia M. Lachel, Karen Deffenbacher, Timothy C. Greiner, Julie M. Vose, Sharathkumar Bhagavathi, Louis M. Staudt, Lisa Rimsza, Andreas Rosenwald, German Ott, Jan Delabie, Elias Campo, Rita M. Braziel, James R. Cook, Raymond R. Tubbs, Randy D. Gascoyne, James O. Armitage, Dennis D. Weisenburger, Timothy W. Mckeithan, Wing C. Chan

United States Public Health Resources

miRNA deregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Using a high-throughput quantitative real-time PCR platform, we performed miRNA profiling on cyclin D1–positive MCL (n = 30) and cyclin D1–negative MCL (n =7) and compared them with small lymphocytic leukemia/ lymphoma (n =12), aggressive B-cell lymphomas (n =138), normal B-cell subsets, and stromal cells.We identified a 19-miRNA classifier that included 6 up-regulated miRNAs and 13 down regulated miRNA that was able to distinguish MCL from other aggressive lymphomas. Some of the up-regulated miRNAs are highly expressed in naive B cells. This miRNAclassifier …

Effectiveness Of Supported Employment For Veterans With Spinal Cord Injuries: Results From A Randomized Multisite Study, Lisa Ottomanelli, Lance L. Goetz, Alina Suris, Charles Mcgeough, Patricia L. Sinnott, Rich Toscano, Scott D. Barnett, Daisha J. Cipher, Lisa M. Lind, Thomas M. Dixon, Sally Ann Holmes, Anthony J. Kerrigan, Florian P. Thomas

United States Public Health Resources

Ottomanelli L, Goetz LL, Suris A, McGeough C, Sinnott PL, Toscano R, Barnett SD, Cipher DJ, Lind LM, Dixon TM, Holmes SA, Kerrigan AJ, Thomas FP. Effectiveness of supported employment for veterans with spinal cord injuries: results from a randomized multisite study.

Objective: To examine whether supported employment (SE) is more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in returning veterans to competitive employment after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled, multisite trial of SE versus TAU for vocational issues with 12 months of follow-up data.

Setting: SCI centers in the Veterans Health Administration.

Participants: …

Prioritization Of Biomarker Targets In Human Umbilical Cord Blood: Identification Of Proteins In Infant Blood Serving As Validated Biomarkers In Adults, Nicole Hansmeier, Tzu-Chiao Chao, Lynn R. Goldman, Frank R. Witter, Rolf U. Halden

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Early diagnosis represents one of the best lines of defense in the fight against a wide array of human diseases. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is one of the first easily available diagnostic biofluids and can inform about the health status of newborns. However, compared with adult blood, its diagnostic potential remains largely untapped.

Objectives: Our goal was to accelerate biomarker research on UCB by exploring its detectable protein content and providing a priority list of potential biomarkers based on known proteins involved in disease pathways.

Methods: We explored cord blood serum proteins by profiling a UCB pool of 12 …

Securing South Africa's Future Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids As A Model For Social Development Change, Savannah Lynn Eck

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Focusing on the role of elder women in South Africa as a lens to understand the central connections among HIV/ AIDS, poverty and Human Security provides a distinct approach to analyze women's contributions to community development and social change. Drawing from the theories of Gender and Development and Human Security, this research aims to highlight HIV/ AIDS as a social and political security issue, while underscoring the vitality of the inclusion of women in the processes of peace building, reconciliation, education and social development. Furthermore, the influential role of elder women in South Africa will serve as a model in …

Aptamer-Based Spr Biosensor For Detection Of Avian Influenza Virus, Hua Bai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid and specific detection of avian influenza (AI) virus is urgently needed with the concerns over the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in animal and human infection. Aptamers are artificial oligonucleic acid that can specifically bind to target molecules. They show comparable affinity for target virus and better thermal stability than monoclonal antibodies. Those advantages make aptamers promising candidates in diagnostic and detection applications. The goal of this research was to use DNA&ndashaptamer as the specific recognition element in a portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for detection of AI H5N1 virus in poultry.

A SPR biosensor was …

Using The Framingham Risk Score To Evaluate Immigrant Effect On Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Mexican Americans, Jennifer J. Salinas, Bassent Abdelbary, Jeffrey Wilson, Monir Hossain, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B. Mccormick

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

Background—This study uses the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) for 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) to evaluate differences between Mexican American immigrants and the U.S.-born population. Methods and Results—Data from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (N=1,559). Average total risk scores were generated by age group for each gender. Regression analysis was conducted adjusting for covariates and interaction effects. Both women and men in the CCHC sample who were long-term immigrant residents (mean FRS scores women 4.2 with p<.001 vs. men 4.0 with p<.001) or born in the U.S. (mean FRS scores women 4.6 with p<.001 vs. men 3.3 with p<.001) had significantly higher risk scores than immigrants who had only been in this country for less than 10 years. The interaction model indicates that differences between immigrant and native-born Mexican Americans are most greatly felt at lowest levels of socioeconomic status for men in the CCHC. Conclusions—This study suggests that in terms of immigrant advantage in CVD risk, on whom, where, and how the comparisons are being made have important implications for the degree of difference observed.

The Manufacture Of Lifestyle: The Role Of Corporations In Unhealthy Living, Nicholas Freudenberg

Publications and Research

Recently, researchers have debated two views on the connection between lifestyle and health. In the first, health-related lifestyles including tobacco and alcohol use, diet, and physical activity are seen as primary influences on health. In the second, social stratification is the dominant influence with lifestyles simply markers of social status. Neither approach leads to interventions that can reverse the world's most serious health problems. This article proposes that corporate practices are a dominant influence on the lifestyles that shape patterns of health and disease. Modifying business practices that promote unhealthy lifestyles is a promising strategy for improving population health. Corporations …

A Study Of The Link Between Partial Sleep Deprivation And Obesity, Jennifer Pacheco

Honors College Theses

Obesity has become a major health problem with increasing prevalence and is related to multiple medical consequences, such as increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and cancer (Hasler et al., 2004). Due to the limited availability of effective treatment of weight problems, it is necessary to identify potential risk factors for obesity. One factor that has received increased attention is chronic partial sleep deprivation (<7 hours of sleep a night). The decrease in average sleep duration over the past three to four decades has occurred simultaneously with the increase in the prevalence of obesity. Chronic partial sleep deprivation could be a possible risk factor for obesity, but current understanding of the processes linking sleep deprivation to obesity is incomplete. The research will focus on examining the possible pathways through which partial sleep deprivation contributes to the development of obesity: alterations in metabolic pathways and waking behavior, including eating behavior and physical inactivity. The hypothesis behind the proposed study is that increasing sleep duration in obese individuals who experience partial sleep deprivation will lead to a decreased BMI. Research addressing the possible pathways and targeting the amount of sleep will benefit individuals in preventing and/or treating obesity.

Hidden Violence Is Silent Rape: Sexual And Gender-Based Violence In Refugees, Asylum Seekers And Undocumented Migrants In Belgium And The Netherlands, Ines Keygnaert, Nicole Vettenbu, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Although women, young people and refugees are vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) worldwide, little evidence exists concerning SGBV against refugees in Europe. Using community-based participatory research, 223 in-depth interviews were conducted with refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands. Responses were analysed using framework analysis. The majority of the respondents were either personally victimised or knew of a close peer being victimised since their arrival in the European Union. A total of 332 experiences of SGBV were reported, mostly afflicted on them by (ex-)partners or asylum professionals. More than half of the reported violent …

The Efficacy Of An Audio Program And Discussion Guide In Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding In Cameroon, Africa, Kathryn R. Reinsma

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: In the Northwest Region of Cameroon, approximately 90% of women initiate breastfeeding; however, only 34% continue exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months (Kakute, et al., 2005; WHO, 2008). Entertainment-education is a mass-media communication strategy of placing educational information into media such as television programs, movies, and radio programs (Siegel & Lotenberg, 2007). This form of behavioral change communication has proven effective in addressing health-related issues in developing countries.

Purpose: The aim was to design an audio program and discussion guide to test the hypothesis that an audio program and discussion guide improves exclusive breastfeeding knowledge, beliefs, benefits, self-efficacy, …

Rural Implications Of Geographic Rating Of Health Insurance Premiums, Andrew F. Coburn Phd, Erika C. Ziller Phd, Zachariah T. Croll Ba, Elizabeth Kilbreth Phd

Access / Insurance

This brief examines how and to what extent states allow health plans to vary premiums by geographic rating area and, using insurance data from selected states, assesses the direction and magnitude of variations in rural and urban geographic rating factors. The authors conclude with a discussion of strategies that federal and state policymakers might use to help ensure that premium variations based on geography are justified. KEY POINTS: There is no clear pattern of geographic rating factors favoring rural or urban areas. This lack of a clear pattern suggests that health plans may use geographic rating for business purposes other …

Modeling The Effects Of Substance Dependence On General Self-Reported Health Using Nominal Regression, Taylor Moseley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this research project was to produce a model of the effects of drug dependence on general self-rated health. Due to power issues, two additional models, one for cocaine and one for heroin, were required. The models used data from the 2005-2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The result of this effort was a ranking of the effects of drug dependence on general health for individuals and for the study population. The model controlled for infectious, chronic and mental illness as well as sociodemographic variables. Significantly increased odds ratios were found for alcohol, marijuana, analgesics, and …