Public Health Commons^™

A Systematic Review Of Internet-Based Worksite Wellness Approaches For Cardiovascular Disease Risk Management: Outcomes, Challenges & Opportunities, Ehimen Aneni, Lara Roberson, Arthur Agatston, Theodore Feldman, Maribeth Rouseff, Thinh Tran, Khurram Nasir

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Optimal Virulence Of Malaria‐Targeting Mosquito Pathogens: A Mathematical Study Of Engineered Metarhizium Anisopliae, Bernhard Konrad, Michael R. Lindstrom, Anja Gumpinger, Jielin Zhu, Daniel Coombs

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Metarhizium anisopliae is a naturally occurring fungal pathogen of mosquitoes. Recently, Metarhizium has been engineered to act against malaria by directly killing the disease agent within mosquito vectors and also effectively blocking onward transmission. It has been proposed that efforts should be made to minimize the virulence of the fungal pathogen, in order to slow the development of resistant mosquitoes following an actual deployment.

Results

Two mathematical models were developed and analysed to examine the efficacy of the fungal pathogen. It was found that, in many plausible scenarios, the best effects are achieved with a reduced or minimal pathogen …

Relationship Between Altitude And Lithium In Groundwater In The United States Of America: Results Of A 1992–2003 Study, Rebekah S. Huber, Namkug Kim, Carl E. Renshaw, Perry F. Renshaw, Douglas Kondo

Dartmouth Scholarship

Therapeutic dosages of lithium are known to reduce suicide rates, which has led to investigations of confounding environmental risk factors for suicide such as lithium in groundwater. It has been speculated that this might play a role in the potential relationship between suicide and altitude. A recent study in Austria involving geospatial analysis of lithium in groundwater and suicide found lower levels of lithium at higher altitudes. Since there is no reason to suspect this correlation is universal given variation in geology, the current study set out to investigate the relationship between altitude and lithium in groundwater in the United …

Paper Versus Practice: Occupational Health And Safety Protections And Realities For Temporary Foreign Agricultural Workers In Ontario, Janet Mclaughlin, Jenna Hennebry, Ted Haines

Health Studies

Over 20,000 temporary foreign agricultural workers come to Ontario each year, primarily from Mexico and the Caribbean. Agricultural workers are exposed to a number of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks. This article discusses the various OHS protections available to workers and their limitations, and analyzes the specific challenges that temporary foreign workers face in accessing rights, such as language and cultural barriers, information gaps, and precarious employment and immigration status. It also analyzes the limitations with respect to OHS training and the provision and use of personal protective equipment, arguing that these protections are under-regulated and inconsistent. The article …

The Relationship Between Area Poverty Rate And Site-Specific Cancer Incidence In The United States, Francis P. Boscoe, Christopher J. Johnson, Recinda L. Sherman, David G. Stinchcomb, Ge Lin, Kevin A. Henry

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND

The relationship between socioeconomic status and cancer incidence in the United States has not traditionally been a focus of population-based cancer surveillance systems.

METHODS

Nearly 3 million tumors diagnosed between 2005 and 2009 from 16 states plus Los Angeles were assigned into 1 of 4 groupings based on the poverty rate of the residential census tract at time of diagnosis. The sex-specific risk ratio of the highest-to-lowest poverty category was measured using Poisson regression, adjusting for age and race, for 39 cancer sites.

RESULTS

For all sites combined, there was a negligible association between cancer incidence and poverty; however, …

Assessing Multicultural Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills And Comfort: Medical Education For A Changing World, Seth Vanzant

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objectives: To assess the knowledge, skills, comfort and attitudes pertaining to cultural competency of first and fourth year medical students at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio.

Study Design: The Cross Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) was distributed to first and fourth year medical students. The CCCQ provided demographic information, as well as the students’ perceptions of their cross cultural knowledge, skills, comfort and attitudes. IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data, in an attempt to identify potential predictive factors for higher levels of cultural competency among entry level students, …

Qualitative Analysis On Reintegration Needs Of Formerly Incarcerated Women In Clark County, Ohio, Londa E. Holliday

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

There has been a significant increase in the rate of incarceration among women. Since 1995, women’s incarceration rate has increased by about 203%. With this growing trend it is important to explore the unique needs of women, particularly those that relate to community reintegration. It has been found that women reported their needs differently than men. This study examines some of those needs reported by women in the Clark County Jail through a pilot focus group conducted in January 2012. The women in this study discussed what they felt would be needs they would face once they were released from …

Trends In Access To Water Supply And Sanitation In 31 Major Sub-Saharan African Cities: An Analysis Of Dhs Data From 2000 To 2012, Mike R. Hopewell, Jay P. Graham

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

By 2050, sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) urban population is expected to grow from 414 million to over 1.2 billion. This growth will likely increase challenges to municipalities attempting to provide access to water supply and sanitation (WS&S). This study aims to characterize trends in access to WS&S in SSA cities and identify factors affecting those trends.

Methods

DHS data collected between 2000 and 2012 were used for this analysis of thirty-one cities in SSA. Four categories of household access to WS&S were studied using data from demographic and health surveys – these included: 1) household access to an improved water …

Mixing, Dancing, Moving Through Summer, Kelly J. Flores

Bridging the Gaps Posters 2014

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Responsible Adult: Bridging The Gap From Adolescence To Adulthood, Song Oh, Haley Pearlstein

Bridging the Gaps Posters 2014

No abstract provided.

Feasibility And Acceptability Of An Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention: Results From The Healthy Homes, Healthy Families Pilot Study, Akilah Dulin Keita, Patricia M. Risica, Kelli L. Drenner, Ingrid Adams, Gemma Gorham, Kim M. Gans

Faculty Publications

Background. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based early childhood obesity prevention intervention designed to empower low-income racially/ethnically diverse parents to modify their children’s health behaviors. Methods. We used a prospective design with pre-/posttest evaluation of 50 parent-child pairs (children aged 2 to 5 years) to examine potential changes in dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors among children at baseline and four-month follow-up. Results. 39 (78%) parent-child pairs completed evaluation data at 4-month follow-up. Vegetable intake among children significantly increased at follow-up (0.54 cups at 4 months compared to 0.28 cups at baseline, 𝑃 …

Perceptions Of Neighborhood Safety And Asthma Among Children And Adolescents In Los Angeles: A Multilevel Analysis, M. Camacho-Rivera, I. Kawachi, G. G. Bennett, S. V. Subramanian

Journal Articles

Background: Research examining the impact of neighborhoods on asthma has shown an increased interest in the role of the psychosocial environment. We examined the associations between various measures of neighborhood safety, individual and family characteristics, and asthma outcomes among children in Los Angeles. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression models were used to analyze data on 3,114 children across 65 neighborhoods from Wave 1 of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (2000 to 2002). Primary caregivers reported asthma outcome and all individual covariates; home environmental characteristics were observed by the interviewer. Results: In fully adjusted models, parents who reported their neighborhood …

Associations Between Human Papillomavirus And History Of Cancer Among Us Adults In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2010), B. Liu, E. Taioli

Journal Articles

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an infectious agent that has been associated with human cancer. We have updated the U.S. population sero-prevalence using a large National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) sample of adults from 2003 to 2010, and have analysed the associations between HPV seropositivity and self-reported history of cancer. Methods: Four cross-sectional cycles (2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010) were used, for a total of 12 759 participants who had both cancer history and HPV serum information. Results: The sero-prevalences of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 were 15.0%, 4.8%, 11.5%, and 4.1%, respectively. Females had significantly …

World Trade Center Disaster Exposure-Related Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Responders And Civilians: A Meta-Analysis, B. Liu, L. H. Tarigan, E. J. Bromet, H. Kim

Journal Articles

The World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on September 11, 2001 was an unprecedented traumatic event with long-lasting health consequences among the affected populations in the New York metropolitan area. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the risk of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with specific types of WTC exposures. Meta-analytical findings from 10 studies of 3,271 to 20,294 participants yielded 37 relevant associations. The pooled summary odds ratio (OR) was 2.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.82, 2.32), with substantial heterogeneity linked to exposure classification, cohort type, data source, PTSD assessment instrument/criteria, and lapse time since 9/11. In general, responders (e. …

Hpv-Associated Lung Cancers: An International Pooled Analysis, C. Ragin, D. Gibbs, C. Koriyama, J. Koshiol, J. Sykes, S. W. Hee, J. Yokota, A. Zaravinos, E. Taioli

Journal Articles

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the etiologic risk factor for cervical cancer. Some studies have suggested an association with a subset of lung tumors, but the etiologic link has not been firmly established. We performed an international pooled analysis of cross-sectional studies (27 datasets, n = 3249 patients) to evaluate HPV DNA prevalence in lung cancer and to investigate viral presence according to clinical and demographic characteristics. HPV16/18 were the most commonly detected, but with substantial variation in viral prevalence between geographic regions. The highest prevalence of HPV16/18 was observed in South and Central America, followed by Asia, North America and …

Smokefree Moms: A Qualitative Study For The Development Of A Text-Based Intervention For Smoking Cessation In Pregnant Women, Monika Lin, Lorien C. Abroms

GW Research Days 2014

No abstract provided.

A Pilot Academic-Community Partnership To Advance The D.C. Healthy Schools Act, Nisha Narayanan, Jonathan Tatum, Margarita Ramos, Jessica Kim, Nisha Punatar, Michele L. Mietus-Snyder

GW Research Days 2014

No abstract provided.

Humidity And Gravimetric Equivalency Adjustments For Nephelometer-Based Particulate Matter Measurements Of Emissions From Solid Biomass Fuel In Cookstoves, Sutyajeet Soneja, Chen Chen, James M. Tielsch, Joanne Katz, Scott L. Zeger, William Checkley, Frank C. Curriero, Patrick L. Breysse

Global Health Faculty Publications

Great uncertainty exists around indoor biomass burning exposure-disease relationships due to lack of detailed exposure data in large health outcome studies. Passive nephelometers can be used to estimate high particulate matter (PM) concentrations during cooking in low resource environments. Since passive nephelometers do not have a collection filter they are not subject to sampler overload. Nephelometric concentration readings can be biased due to particle growth in high humid environments and differences in compositional and size dependent aerosol characteristics. This paper explores relative humidity (RH) and gravimetric equivalency adjustment approaches to be used for the

pDR-1000 used to assess indoor PM …

Fusion, 2014, George Washington University, William H. Beaumont Medical Research Honor Society

Fusion

No abstract provided.

A Case Control Study Of Environmental And Occupational Exposures Associated With Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Carriage In Patients Admitted To A Rural Tertiary Care Hospital In A High Density Swine Region, Leah Schinasi, Steve Wing, Kerri L. Augustino, Keith M. Ramsey, Delores L. Nobles, David B. Richardson, Lance B. Price, Maliha Aziz, Pia Macdonald, Jill R. Stewart

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Distinct strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been identified on livestock and livestock workers. Industrial food animal production may be an important environmental reservoir for human carriage of these pathogenic bacteria. The objective of this study was to investigate environmental and occupational exposures associated with nasal carriage of MRSA in patients hospitalized at Vidant Medical Center, a tertiary hospital serving a region with intensive livestock production in eastern North Carolina.

Methods

MRSA nasal carriage was identified via nasal swabs collected within 24 hours of hospital admission. MRSA carriers (cases) were gender and age matched to non-carriers (controls). …

Ending Open Defecation In Rural Tanzania: Which Factors Facilitate Latrine Adoption?, Stephen Sara, Jay P. Graham

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Diarrheal diseases account for 7% of deaths in children under five years of age in Tanzania. Improving sanitation is an essential step towards reducing these deaths. This secondary analysis examined rural Tanzanian households’ sanitation behaviors and attitudes in order to identify barriers and drivers to latrine adoption. The analysis was conducted using results from a cross-sectional study of 1000 households in five rural districts of Tanzania. Motivating factors, perceptions, and constraints surrounding open defecation and latrine adoption were assessed using behavioral change theory. Results showed a significant association between use of improved sanitation and satisfaction with current sanitation facility (OR: …

Neighborhood Factors That Contribute To Alcohol Use And Loneliness In Hiv Positive Patients, Erica Kiernan, Eugene Dunne, Barbara Curbow, William Latimer

Public Health Collection

Background: Neighborhood factors contribute to substance abuse and increased health risk behavior. Alcohol use has adverse consequences as it may interfere with antiretroviral medication adherence. In addition, studies have shown that those who are HIV positive have decreased social network size, limited social support, and social isolation as well as decreased treatment adherence. It is hypothesized that participants with high neighborhood density of alcohol outlets combined with increased feelings of loneliness will be more likely to drink.

Methods: Participants included 85 patients from an HIV treatment clinic in Jacksonville. Interviewer-administered measures included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test …

Later School Start Times In Adolescence: Time For A Change, Paul Kelley, Clark Lee

Homeland Security Publications

This briefing paper summarizes the latest research on the subject of chronic sleep deprivation on education and health in adolescents, explores policy options to address this education and public health issue, and sets forth the recommendation that education start times be adjusted appropriately for U.S adolescents.

Healthy Kids Out Of School: Using Mixed Methods To Develop Principles For Promoting Healthy Eating And Physical Activity In Out-Of-School Settings In The United States., Sarah A. Sliwa, Shanti Sharma, William H. Dietz, Peter R. Dolan, Miriam E. Nelson, Molly B. Newman, Maya Rockeymoore, Christina D. Economos

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION:

Widespread practices supporting availability of healthful foods, beverages, and physical activity in out-of-school-time (OST) settings would further obesity prevention efforts. The objective of this article was to describe principles to guide policy development in support of healthy eating and physical activity practices in out-of-school settings to promote obesity prevention.

METHODS:

The Institute of Medicine's L.E.A.D. framework (Locate Evidence, Evaluate it, Assemble it, and Inform Decisions) was used to identify practices relevant to children's healthful eating in most OST settings: 1) locate and evaluate information from a national survey of children's perceptions of healthful-food access; published research, reports, policies and …

Community Engagement As A Process And An Outcome Of Developing Culturally Grounded Health Communication Interventions: An Example From The Decide Project, Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, Jessica Krok, Phokeng M. Dailey, Linda Kight, Janice L. Krieger

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Community engagement is a process often used in developing effective health communication interventions, especially in traditionally underserved cultural contexts. While the potentially positive outcomes of community engagement are well established, the communication processes that result in engagement with cultural groups are less apparent. The focus on the outcomes of engagement at the expense of describing how engagement occurs makes it difficult for methods to be improved upon and replicated by future studies. The purpose of the current manuscript is to illustrate the process of achieving community engagement through the development of a culturally grounded health communication intervention. We offer practical …

Revisiting The Hispanic Health Paradox: The Relative Contributions Of Nativity, Country Of Origin, And Race/Ethnicity To Childhood Asthma, M. Camacho-Rivera, I. Kawachi, G. G. Bennett, S. V. Subramanian

Journal Articles

This study examined the relationship between race and Hispanic ethnicity, maternal and child nativity, country of origin and asthma among 2,558 non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children across 65 Los Angeles neighborhoods. A series of two-level multilevel models were estimated to examine the independent effects of race, ethnicity, and country of origin on childhood asthma. Lifetime asthma prevalence was reported among 9 % of children, with no significant differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites overall. However, in fully adjusted models, Hispanic children of non-Mexican origin reported higher odds of asthma compared to non-Hispanic white children. A protective nativity effect was also …

Average Values And Racial Differences Of Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio Among A Nationally Representative Sample Of United States Subjects, B. Azab, M. Camacho-Rivera, E. Taioli

Journal Articles

Introduction: Several studies reported the negative impact of elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on outcomes in many surgical and medical conditions. Previous studies used arbitrary NLR cut-off points according to the average of the populations under study. There is no data on the average NLR in the general population. The aim of this study is to explore the average values of NLR and according to race in adult non-institutional United States individuals by using national data. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of aggregated cross-sectional data collected from 2007 to 2010 was analyzed; data extracted included markers of …

Distribution Of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes Among Hiv-Positive And Hiv-Negative Women In Cape Town, South Africa, A. C. Mcdonald, A. I. Tergas, L. Kuhn, L. Denny, T. C. Wright Jr.

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: HIV-positive women are known to be at high-risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its associated cervical pathology. Here, we describe the prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes among HIV-positive and -negative women in South Africa, with and without cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). METHODS: We report data on 1,371 HIV-positive women and 8,050 HIV-negative women, aged 17-65 years, recruited into three sequential studies in Cape Town, South Africa, conducted among women who had no history of cervical cancer screening recruited from the general population. All women were tested for HIV. Cervical samples were tested for high-risk HPV DNA (Hybrid …

Association Between Systemic Inflammatory Markers And Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen In Men Without Prostatic Disease-The 2001-2008 National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, A. C. Mcdonald, M. A. Vira, A. C. Vidal, W. Q. Gan, S. J. Freedland, E. Taioli

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Incidence Of Extended-Spectrum-Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia Coli And Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolates That Test Susceptible To Cephalosporins And Aztreonam By The Revised Clsi Breakpoints, C. S. Mcwilliams, S. Condon, R. M. Schwartz, C. C. Ginocchio

Journal Articles

The incidence of aztreonam and cephalosporin susceptibility, determined using the revised CLSI breakpoints, for extendedspectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates was evaluated. Our analysis showed that results for aztreonam and/or> 1 cephalosporin were reported as susceptible or intermediate for 89.2% of ESBLproducing E coli isolates (569/638 isolates) and 67.7% of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates (155/229 isolates).