Public Health Commons^™

Selecting Valid Questionnaires For A Longitudinal Study Of African-American College Student Health, Matthew Collins

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Purpose: To create a modular public health questionnaire that can be used to conduct longitudinal academic research in the areas of sleep habits, dietary habits, cardiovascular disease risk, and physical activity and sedentary behavior in an African American collegiate population. Methods: A literature search for questionnaires used in collegiate studies was conducted separately for each category via PubMed. Valid questionnaires were identified and critically reviewed.

Results: Questionnaires recommended for use were the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Rate Your Plate Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. For the category of cardiovascular disease risk, no calculators provide a result for …

Analysis Of Barriers To The Successful Prevention And Management Of Pediatric Obesity And Their Relationship To Care At Community Health Centers, Rebecca Beesley, Nicole Craker

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Despite international attention, pediatric obesity continues to burden healthcare. Much research has been done to identify barriers to the successful reduction of childhood overweight and obesity, however, a more condensed and accessible compilation of these barriers was lacking. A literature review was done to identify the barriers healthcare providers perceive to the prevention and management of pediatric obesity. It was performed in Fall of 2013 from the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, and SocIndex. Two independent reviewers selected relevant articles, developed a coding template, and extracted themes. Barriers to the prevention and management of pediatric obesity fell into three …

Factors Associated With Risky Sexual Behavior Among Unmarried Most-At-Risk Young People In Cambodia, Siyan Yi, Sovannary Tuot, Kunthearith Yung, Sanh Kim, Chhorvann Chhea, Vonthanak Saphonn

Background: Recent surveys suggest that adolescents and young adults in Southeast Asian nations are at great risks of sexual reproductive health issues. This study explored factors associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB) among unmarried most-at-risk young people in Cambodia. Methods: A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select 1,204 boys and 1,166 girls aged 10-24 from 252 hotspots in the capital city and seven provinces. A five-item scale was constructed to measure RSB. All variables were entered simultaneously in multivariate logistic regression models if they were significantly associated with RSB in bivariate analyses. Results: Of total, …

The Sustainable Action Against Hiv And Aids In Communities (Sahacom): Impacts On Health And Quality Of Life Of People Living With Hiv In Cambodia, Siyan Yi, Pheak Chhoun, Samantha Brant, Kelley Kita, Samedy Suong, Kouland Thin, Sovannary Tuot

This study evaluated the impacts of the Sustainable Action against HIV and AIDS in Communities (SAHACOM) Project on health and quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV). Outcome indicators from baseline documentation (2010) were compared to those obtained at midterm (2012) and end line (2014). Results showed that HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15–24 attending antenatal care decreased from 0.5% at baseline to 0.3% at midterm and end line. Proportion of PLHIV who were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) 12 months after the initiation of the treatment increased from 85% at baseline and midterm to 89.5% at end …

Do Hiv-Positive Women Receive Depression Treatment That Meets Best Practice Guidelines?, J. A. Cook, J. K. Burke-Miller, D. D. Grey, J. Cocohoba, C. L. Liu, R. M. Schwartz, E. T. Golub, K. Anastos, P. J. Steigman, M. H. Cohen

Journal Articles

This study addressed whether psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatment of depressed HIV+ women met standards defined in the best practice literature, and tested hypothesized predictors of standard-concordant care. 1,352 HIV-positive women in the multi-center Women's Interagency HIV Study were queried about depressive symptoms and mental health service utilization using standards published by the American Psychiatric Association and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to define adequate depression treatment. We identified those who: (1) reported clinically significant depressive symptoms (CSDS) using Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale scores of a parts per thousand yen16; or (2) had lifetime diagnoses of major depressive …

Comparative Definitions For Moderate-Severe Ischemia In Stress Nuclear, Echocardiography, And Magnetic Resonance Imaging, L. J. Shaw, D. S. Berman, M. H. Picard, G. W. Stone, R. Senior, J. K. Min, R. Hachamovitch, M. Scherrer-Crosbie, J. H. Mieres, P. S. Douglas, +19 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

The lack of standardized reporting of the magnitude of ischemia on noninvasive imaging contributes to variability in translating the severity of ischemia across stress imaging modalities. We identified the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) death or myocardial infarction (MI) associated with >= 10% ischemic myocardium on stress nuclear imaging as the risk threshold for stress echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance. A narrative review revealed that >= 10% ischemic myocardium on stress nuclear imaging was associated with a median rate of CAD death or MI of 4.9%/year (interquartile range: 3.75% to 5.3%). For stress echocardiography, >= 3 newly dysfunctional segments …

Knowledge And Prevention Practices Before Breast Cancer Diagnosis In A Cross-Sectional Study Among Survivors: Impact On Patients' Involvement In The Decision Making Process, E. Taioli, G. R. Joseph, L. Robertson, S. Eckstein, C. Ragin

Journal Articles

Disparities exist in breast cancer knowledge and education, which tend to influence symptom interpretation and decision to seek screening/care. The present project describes a cohort of women's experiences, knowledge, and health behavior prior to and after a diagnosis of breast cancer. It also studies how knowledge and demographic factors are associated with level of involvement participants had in the treatment of their breast cancer. Women > 18 years who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer within 10 years were recruited in Pittsburgh, PA, through the Healthy People Cohort Registry, a database of volunteers from the community, and Brooklyn, NY, …

Masters Of Public Health Overview, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

The Central Pennsylvania Affordable Care Act Project, Brandn Green

Technical Reports

We work in rural Central Pennsylvania to inform people about the Affordable Care Act and to provide application assistance for the Health Insurance Exchange. Central Pennsylvania is rural areas about 100 miles in diameter with many towns of 3,000 to 10,000 people and a few small cities. There are no navigator organizations and only one small organization—a small free clinic—is registered to sponsor individuals to become trained as Certified Assistance Counselors. -- introduction

Estimating Population Treatment Effects From A Survey Sub-Sample, Kara E. Rudolph, Ivan Diaz, Michael Rosenblum, Elizabeth A. Stuart

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

We consider the problem of estimating an average treatment effect for a target population from a survey sub-sample. Our motivating example is generalizing a treatment effect estimated in a sub-sample of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement to the population of U.S. adolescents. To address this problem, we evaluate easy-to-implement methods that account for both non-random treatment assignment and a non-random two-stage selection mechanism. We compare the performance of a Horvitz-Thompson estimator using inverse probability weighting (IPW) and two double robust estimators in a variety of scenarios. We demonstrate that the two double robust estimators generally outperform IPW in …

Leveraging Practice-Based Research Networks To Accelerate Implementation And Diffusion Of Chronic Kidney Disease Guidelines In Primary Care Practices: A Prospective Cohort Study, James W. Mold, Cheryl B. Aspy, Paul D. Smith, Therese M. Zink, Lyndee Knox, Paula Darby Lipman, Margot Krauss, D. Robert Harris, Chester Fox, Leif I. Solberg, Rachel Cohen

Family Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Four practice-based research networks (PBRNs) participated in a study to determine whether networks could increase dissemination, implementation, and diffusion of evidence-based treatment guidelines for chronic kidney disease by leveraging early adopter practices.

Methods

Motivated practices from four PBRNs received baseline and periodic performance feedback, academic detailing, and weekly practice facilitation for 6 months during wave I of the study. Each wave I practice then recruited two additional practices (wave II), which received performance feedback and academic detailing and participated in monthly local learning collaboratives led by the wave I clinicians. They received only monthly practice facilitation. The primary outcomes …

Long-Term Exposure To Traffic-Related Air Pollution And Progression Of Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis: A Prospective Cohort Study, W. Q. Gan, R. W. Allen, M. Brauer, H. W. Davies, G. B. J. Mancini, S. A. Lear

Journal Articles

Objectives Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and coronary heart disease (CHD). Atherosclerosis is the principal pathological process responsible for CHD events, but effects of traffic-related air pollution on progression of atherosclerosis are not clear. This study aimed to investigate associations between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and progression of carotid artery atherosclerosis. Setting Healthy volunteers in metropolitan Vancouver, Canada. Participants and outcome measures 509 participants aged 30-65years were recruited and followed for approximately 5years. At baseline and end of follow-up, participants underwent carotid artery ultrasound examinations to assess atherosclerosis severity, including carotid …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Gender-Based Violence Among Hiv-Infected And Hiv-Uninfected Women In Three Us Cities, R. M. Schwartz, K. M. Weber, G. E. Schechter, N. C. Connors, Y. Gousse, M. A. Young, M. H. Cohen

Journal Articles

Gender-based violence (GBV) is common among women with and at risk for HIV, yet little is known about the GBV associated psychological factors that could be modifiable through behavioral interventions. The current study examined the associations between some of these psychological factors (i.e., hopelessness, consideration of future consequences, self esteem), mental health symptoms, substance abuse, and GBV among a sample of 736 HIV-infected and sociodemographically similar uninfected participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Results indicated high rates of lifetime GBV among the sample (58%), as well as high rates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) (22.2%). HIV-infected women were …

High-Risk Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infections Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Women In The Bahamas, D. N. Dames, E. Blackman, R. Butler, E. Taioli, S. Eckstein, K. Devarajan, A. Griffith-Bowe, P. Gomez, C. Ragin

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: High-risk (HR) HPV genotypes other than 16 and 18 have been detected in a significant proportion of immunocompromised females. We aim to evaluate the frequency of HR HPV genotypes in a population of HIV-positive Caribbean women. METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven consecutive, non-pregnant, HIV-positive females >/=18 years were recruited in this study. Each participant received a vaginal examination, PAP smear, and completed a questionnaire. DNA was extracted for HPV testing in 86 patients. RESULTS: Mean age was 39.1 years for women positive for HR HPV and 43.1 years for women negative for HR HPV (P value = 0.040). 78% (130/167) …

A Qualitative Study Of Rural Primary Care Clinician Views On Remote Monitoring Technologies, Melinda M. Davis, Jillian M. Currey, Sonya Howk, Molly R. Desordi, Linda Boise, Lyle J. Fagnan, Nancy Vuckovic

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Remote monitoring technologies (RMTs) may improve the quality of care, reduce access barriers, and help control medical costs. Despite the role of primary care clinicians as potential key users of RMTs, few studies explore their views. This study explores rural primary care clinician interest and the resources necessary to incorporate RMTs into routine practice.

Methods: We conducted 15 in-depth interviews with rural primary care clinician members of the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN) from November 2011 to April 2012. Our multidisciplinary team used thematic analysis to identify emergent themes and a cross-case comparative analysis to explore variation by …

Dimensions Of Religiousness And Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Church-Going Latinas, Jennifer D. Allen, John E. Perez, Claudia R. Pischke, Laura S. Tom, Alan Juarez, Hosffman Ospino, Elizabeth Gonzalez-Suarez

Psychology

Churches are a promising setting through which to reach Latinas with cancer control efforts. A better understanding of the dimensions of religiousness that impact health behaviors could inform efforts to tailor cancer control programs for this setting. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between dimensions of religiousness with adherence to cancer screening recommendations among church-going Latinas. Female Spanish-speaking members, aged 18 and older from a Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 78), were interviewed about cancer screening behaviors and dimensions of religiousness. We examined adherence to individual cancer screening tests (mammography, Pap test, and colonoscopy), …

Text 4 Health: Addressing Consumer Health Information Needs Via Text Reference Service, Van M. Ta Park

Faculty Publications

This study seeks to provide empirical evidence about how health-related questions are answered in text reference service in order to further the understanding of how to best use texting as a reference service venue to fulfill people’s health information needs. Two hundred health reference transactions from My Info Quest, the first nation-wide collaborative text reference service, were analyzed identify the types of questions, length of transactions, question-answering behavior, and information sources used in the transactions. Findings indicate that texting-based health reference transactions are usually brief, and cover a wide variety of topics. The most popular questions are those seeking general …

Strategies Employed By Inner-City Activists To Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems And Advance Social Justice, Laurie Drabble, Denise Herd

Faculty Publications

This study explored strategies employed by activists engaged in efforts to change policies and laws related to selling and promoting alcoholic beverages based on in-depth interviews with 184 social activists in seven U.S. major cities. Nine strategies aimed at improving local conditions and influencing policy were described by activists across regional contexts. Grassroots mobilization was central to all other strategies, which included the creation or enforcement of laws, meeting with elected officials, media advocacy, working with police/law enforcement, education and training, direct action, changing community norms, and negotiating with store owners.

State Responses To Alcohol Use And Pregnancy: Findings From The Alcohol Policy Information System, Laurie Drabble, Sue Thomas, Lisa O'Connor, Sarah Roberts

Faculty Publications

This article describes U.S. state policies related to alcohol use during pregnancy, using data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Policy Information System. Specifically, this study examines trends in policies enacted by states over time and types of policies enacted across states in the United States, with a focus on whether laws were supportive or punitive toward women. Findings revealed substantial variability in characteristics of policies (19 primarily supportive, 12 primarily punitive, 12 with a mixed approach, and 8 with no policies). Findings underscore the need to examine possible consequences of policies, especially of punitive policies …

Comment On “The Effect Of Same-Sex Marriage Laws On Different-Sex Marriage: Evidence From The Netherlands”, Alexis Dinno

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the recent Demography article titled “The Effect of Same-Sex Marriage Laws on Different-Sex Marriage: Evidence From the Netherlands,” Trandafir attempted to answer the question, Are rates of opposite sex marriage affected by legal recognition of same sex marriages? The results of his approach to statistical inference—looking for evidence of a difference in rates of opposite-sex marriage—provide an absence of evidence of such effects. However, the validity of his conclusion of no causal relationship between same-sex marriage laws and rates of opposite-sex marriage is threatened by the fact that Trandafir did not also look for equivalence in rates of opposite-sex …

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasitic Infections Among Children Under Five Years Of Age With Emphasis On Schistosoma Mansoni In Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate, Ethiopia, Yirgalem G/Hiwot, Abraham Degarege, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Intestinal parasite infections are major public health problems of children in developing countries causing undernutrition, anemia, intestinal obstruction and mental and physical growth retardation. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal helminthic infections among children under five years of age with emphasis on Schistosoma mansoni in Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional parasitological survey was conducted in under-five children living in Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate Ethiopia, April, 2013. Stool samples were collected and examined for intestinal parasites using single Kato-Katz and single Sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF) solution concentration methods. Out of 374 children examined using single …

Baseline Survey Of Nigerian Media Coverage Of Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health And Hiv And Aids Related Issues, January 1st–December 31st, 2012, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

To promote more informed public dialogue on youth vulnerabilities, responses to HIV/AIDS, and positive changes in relevant policies and programs via learning and advocacy interventions at the state and national levels in Nigeria, the Population Council commissioned a study of the print and electronic media’s coverage of HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health–related issues among youth aged 15–24 years in Nigeria for the period January 1 to December 31, 2012. The study entailed a content analysis of four national and two regional newspapers, and an online forum that is one of the most frequently visited social media sites in Nigeria. …

Child Weight And Feeding Patterns In An Old Order Mennonite Community, Dawn M. Garrett Wright, Maria E. Main, M. Susan Jones

Nursing Faculty Publications

Feeding practices in some religious communities may decrease childhood obesity. However, there is limited research in these communities to assess maternal perceptions of their children’s weight and feeding patterns. The purpose of this study was to ascertain Old Order Mennonite mothers’ perceptions of their children’s body weight and to examine feeding patterns for their children. Sample: Participants for this descriptive, correlational study were recruited from an Old Order Mennonite community in south central Kentucky. Sampling was achieved using a snowball sampling strategy and the use of a community insider. Methods: Body Mass Index was measured for mothers and child participants, …

Day-To-Day Fluctuation Of Point-Of-Care Circulating Cathodic Antigen Test Scores And Faecal Egg Counts In Children Infected With Schistosoma Mansoni In Ethiopia, Abraham Degarege, Mengistu Legesse, Girmay Medhin, Tilahun Teklehaymanot, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Determining the variation of circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) in urine and egg counts variation in stool between days in Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infected individuals is vital to decide whether or not to rely on a single-sample test for diagnosis of Schistosomiasis. In this study, the magnitude of day-to-day variation in urine-CCA test scores and in faecal egg counts was evaluated in school children in Ethiopia.

METHODS: A total of 620 school children (age 8 to 12 years) were examined for S. mansoni infection using double Kato-Katz and single urine-CCA cassette methods (batch 32727) on three consecutive days.

RESULTS: …

Documentation Of Hiv Prevention Research And Programmatic Learnings From India—Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles And Key Highlights: 2013-2014 (Volume 2), Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Over the past decade (2001–11), there has been a steady decline in adult HIV prevalence in India as a result of evidence-based, intensive, and scaled HIV-prevention programs. Findings from the implementation of programs have been widely documented and have been published both as reports and peer-reviewed journal articles. In “Documentation of HIV Prevention Research and Programmatic Learnings from India,” Volume 2, we bring together recent articles published in peer-reviewed journals on the lessons learned from the HIV-prevention program in India. The document is divided into four thematic sections, and research highlights are presented at the start of each section. This …

Representative Robin L. Kelly Letter To Congress Re: Hr 4395, The Action For Dental Health Act Of 2014, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

Associations Between U.S. Adult Obesity And State And County Economic Conditions In The Recession, Qi Zhang, Rajan Lamichhane, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study examines the association between state and county unemployment rates and individuals' body weight status during the latest recession in the U.S. We used the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data in 2007, 2009 and 2011, which were collected from 722,692 American adults aged 18 or older. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥25, and ≥30, respectively. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were applied to assess the association between BMI, risks of overweight and obesity, and state and county unemployment rates. State unemployment rates were negatively associated with individual BMI across years, while …

Hot Yoga Establishments In Local Communities Serving Pregnant Women: A Pilot Study On The Health Implications Of Its Practice And Environmental Conditions, Viann N. Nguyen-Feng, Steven L. Feng, Shilpa Babbar, Nicole Calloway Rankins, James D. Blando

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Hot yoga establishments have been increasing in popularity in local communities. Studios may support participation among pregnant women though no clinical studies currently exist that examine prenatal hot yoga effects. The pilot study described in this article aimed to assess the spread of prenatal hot yoga and to provide information on the environmental conditions and practices of those who engage in hot yoga within a local community. A thermal environment meter was used to measure ambient air conditions during three 90-minute hot yoga classes. Mothers who practiced prenatal hot yoga were more likely than non-hot yoga practitioners to have someone …

Culture, Caregiving, And Health: Exploring The Influence Of Culture On Family Caregiver Experiences, Jennifer Pharr, Carolee Dodge Francis, Christine Terry, Michele Clark

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Ethnic minorities are expected to experience a greater demand for family caregiving than non-Latino Whites due to their projected population growth. Although the consensus of researchers on caregiving and culture finds that the caregiving experience differs significantly among cultural/ethnic groups, the question remains as to how cultural values and norms influence the caregiver experiences. We conducted an interpretative, phenomenological qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts from four groups (African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and European American) for cultural influences on caregiving. Data were collected in Nevada between December 7, 2009, and August 20, 2010. Thirty-five caregivers participated in this …

State Zoonotic Disease Program Structure In The United States: Implications For Local Public Health, Dustin W. Ratliff

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess to current status of zoonotic disease biosurveillance in the United States.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 53 state zoonotic disease program representatives in the United States and Puerto Rico. The questionnaire assessed the structure of zoonotic disease biosurveillance in the respective states, current biosurveillance activities such as testing arthropods for pathogens, information provided to local public health on zoonotic disease, and opinions of the current state of zoonotic disease surveillance. A website assessment was conducted to identify fact sheets that are provided by states on vectors of diseases of public …