Public Health Commons^™

A Community-Driven Approach To The Development Of A Digital Decision Aid To Facilitate Informed Decision Making For Prostate Cancer Screening Among African-American Men In Communities Of Faith, Otis Lashaun Owens

Theses and Dissertations

Background: African American (AA) men are significantly more likely to die of prostate cancer (PrCA) than other racial groups. Therefore, it is critical to identify effective strategies for providing information about the risks, benefits, and uncertainties of PrCA screening and the importance of informed decision making (IDM). To assess whether a computer-based IDM decision aid (DA) for PrCA screening would be appropriate for middle-age and older AA men, this formative evaluation study examined participants (1) PrCA risk and screening knowledge, 2) decision-making processes for PrCA screening, and 3) usage of, attitudes toward, and access to interactive communication technologies (ICTs). The …

Reducing Child Neglect In Linn County Iowa Utilizing The Public Health Model, Jennifer April Barnett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The issues that arise from child neglect cause a myriad of negative health outcomes. The objective of this thesis is to examine the use of the public health model as a preventive method in decreasing the incidence of child neglect. This study was conducted utilizing a survey that obtained information from 333 parents in Linn County, Iowa. The survey was created to gather social norms related to parenting. The survey gathered data on personal parenting practices and opinions of parenting practices of others within the community. Univariate and bivariate analysis were conducted to report demographics, frequencies in responses and the …

Tick-Bourne Pathogens Of Potential Zoonotic Importance In The Southern African Region, Simbarashe Chitanga, Holly Gaff, Samson Mukaratirwa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The aim of this communication is to provide preliminary information on the tick-borne pathogens of potential zoonotic importance present in southern Africa, mainly focusing on their geographical distribution and host range, and to identify research gaps. The following tick-borne zoonoses have been reported to occur in southern Africa based mainly on case reports: Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever caused by Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus; ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum; babesiosis caused by Babesia microti; relapsing fever caused by Borrelia duttonii and rickettsioses caused by Rickettsia africae, Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia conorii. The …

Dr. Who?: The Science And Culture Of Medical Wear Design, Patricia Duignan

Theses and Dissertations

The multi-million-dollar medical uniform industry has not utilized advancements in garment and textile technology that could positively impact the protection of healthcare professionals and patients. In most cases the uniforms meet basic requirements – they clothe the professional in a recognizable way. Little innovation in design, function and performance, has been applied to these garments. This is particularly evident in the case of the stereotypical white lab coat worn by many physicians, despite evidence indicating that these lab coats may carry contamination and play a role in the spread of deadly bacteria. Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are among the most …

Examining The Effect Of Race On The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Metabolic Syndrome In Women, Leia Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition affecting approximately 8% of the adult U.S. population with rates twice as high in women than men. Increasingly, evidence has suggested a close relationship between PTSD and increased risk of metabolic diseases. However, the literature on PTSD and metabolic disease risk factors has been limited by the lack of investigation of the potential influence of race on this relation. The current study examined the possible effect of race on the relation between PTSD and metabolic risk. Data for this study were provided from sample of that included 50 African American women and …

Public Health Emergencies: What Counts?, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat Ebola Virus Disease that have never been tested in humans, and in scarce supply raise profound ethical challenges. What if good evidence emerged demonstrating safety and efficacy of drugs? What would be an ethical method of allocating scarce beneficial resources? The apparent preference given to foreign aid workers over West Africans provoked a firestorm. In addition to discussing the ethical allocation of scarce drugs, this article also asks a more fundamental question: Why did it take nearly 40 years after the first Ebola outbreak in 1976 to launch clinical trials?

Mesure, Contrôle Et Caractérisation Des Nanoparticules : Procédure Appliquée À L’Usinage Et Au Frottement Mécanique, Victor Songmene, Riad Khettabi, Martin Viens, Jules Kouam, Stéphane Hallé, François Morency, Jacques Masounave, Abdelhakim Djebara

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Alors que les nanotechnologies émergentes ouvrent des voies prometteuses dans plusieurs secteurs d’activité, des études suggèrent que les nanoparticules (NP) qu’elles génèrent pourraient avoir des effets négatifs, notamment sur la santé et sur l’environnement. Celles-ci peuvent être générées lors de la fabrication, de la manutention et de l’assemblage de pièces métalliques ordinaires et de celles à base de nanomatériaux. D’autres activités quotidiennes, telles que le freinage des automobiles, peuvent aussi produire des NP. Il est donc urgent de trouver des moyens de contrôler ces risques. Cependant, les techniques et méthodes usuelles …

Supporting A Return To Work After An Absence For A Mental Health Problem: Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of An Integrated Practices Program, Louise St-Arnaud, Catherine Briand, Marc Corbière, Marie-José Durand, Renée Bourbonnais, Micheline Saint-Jean, Mariève Pelletier, Stéphanie Delisle, Evelyn Kedl

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Les problèmes de santé mentale au travail représentent actuellement l’une des plus importantes causes d’absence au travail, et ce phénomène a connu une croissance marquée au cours des deux dernières décennies. Les travaux entrepris dans le domaine de la réadaptation professionnelle et de la santé mentale au travail ont permis de mettre en évidence l’importance d’une démarche de collaboration entre les acteurs concernés par le processus de retour au travail. Toutefois, si quelques études ont porté précisément sur la réintégration professionnelle de travailleurs déjà insérés en emploi et qui se sont …

Seat Belt Assemblies For Counterbalanced Lift Tructs: Preliminary Study Of Normative And Usability Criteria, Denis Rancourt, Sylvie Beaugrand, Christian Larue, Geneviève Masson

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Depuis l’entrée en vigueur d’un nouvel article du Règlement québécois sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST), les chariots élévateurs en porte-à-faux à grande levée, à poste de conduite au centre non élevable et à conducteur assis doivent être munis d’un dispositif de retenue empêchant le cariste d’être écrasé par la structure du chariot lors d’un renversement. La ceinture de sécurité pelvienne est un des moyens les plus couramment utilisés actuellement pour satisfaire cette exigence. À partir de la consultation des écrits, de l’examen sommaire de quelques ceintures vendues …

Safety Of Workers Behind Heavy Vehicles: Assessment Of Three Types Of Reverse Alarm, Véronique Vaillancourt, Hugues Nélisse, Chantal Laroche, Christian Giguère, Jérôme Boutin, Pascal Laferrière

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Une nouvelle technologie d’alarmes de recul de véhicule lourd a fait récemment son apparition sur le marché. Cette technologie, basée sur l’utilisation d’un signal large-bande (bruit de type « pschitt- pschitt ») serait, selon le manufacturier, plus sécuritaire pour les travailleurs tout en causant moins de nuisance environnementale que l’alarme tonale conventionnelle (bruit de type « beep-beep »). Il demeurait toutefois difficile de se prononcer sur la supériorité de cette technologie puisqu’il existe très peu d’études scientifiques indépendantes et rigoureuses portant sur celle-ci.

Cette étude visait à comparer la nouvelle technologie …

Evaluation Of The Implementation And Impact Of The Prévicap Program, Michèle Rivard, Jean-Louis Denis, André-Pierre Contandriopoulos, Michel Rossignol, Henriette Bilodeau, Geneviève Ste-Marie, Valérie Lederer

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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En 2001, l'IRSST a demandé à l'équipe de recherche du Dr Rivard d'évaluer le programme PRÉVICAP (PRÉVention des situations de handICAP au travail) mis en place dans quatre centres de réadaptation du Québec et impliquant onze directions régionales de la CSST. Ce projet pilote lancé en 2000 était le fruit d'une entente entre la CSST, l'IRSST et le Réseau en réadaptation au travail du Québec (RRTQ). Il a permis la prise en charge PRÉVICAP de 571 travailleurs ayant subi une lésion professionnelle entre 2001 et 2004.

Le programme PRÉVICAP est fondé …

Impact Of Work Environment On Nurses' Job Satisfaction And Well-Being: Improving End-Of-Life Care And Services, Lise Fillion, Manon Truchon, Michel L'Heureux, Céline Gélinas, Marie Bellemare, Lyse Langlois, Jean-François Desbiens, Clémence Dallaire, Réjeanne Dupuis, Geneviève Roch, Marie Anik Robitaille

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Avec le vieillissement de la population, la demande de soins palliatifs (SP) de fin de vie est croissante et les services de santé s’organisent. Au Québec, les SP de fin de vie sont surtout intégrés aux soins curatifs et on retrouve peu d’unités de SP spécialisées. Ces soins s'incorporent alors aux soins à domicile ou à ceux dispensés dans les unités de soins spécialisés en centre hospitalier, comme l’oncologie et les soins critiques. Les infirmières y jouent un rôle majeur. Selon ce choix organisationnel, les infirmières vivent un contexte de travail …

Presses À Injection De Plastique Ayant Des Équipements Périphériques : Sécurité Lors Des Interventions De Maintenance Ou De Production, Yuvin Chinniah, Sabrina Jocelyn, Barthélemy Aucourt, Réal Bourbonnière

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les risques liés à l’interaction entre les presses à injection de plastique et leurs équipements périphériques (ex. : robots, convoyeurs) sont peu connus des gens du milieu et ces risques peuvent mener à des accidents du travail parfois mortels. Cette activité de recherche vise à étudier la sécurité des travailleurs sur des presses à injection de plastique horizontales ayant des équipements périphériques. Elle a pour objectif d’évaluer la sécurité des intervenants dans la zone du moule de ce type de presse, en faisant une identification des risques et une analyse des moyens de réduction de risques pour les tâches …

Disparities In Adverse Childhood Experiences And Sexual Health In The Us: Results From A Nationally Representative Sample, Monique J. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a major public health problem in the US, and have been linked to risky sexual behavior and psychopathology. However, studies examining the link between the wide range of ACEs and sexual health outcomes and behaviors, and the associated mediational role of psychopathology are lacking.

Objectives: The main objectives of this dissertation project were: 1) To determine the association between ACEs and sexual health outcomes and behaviors (early sexual debut, intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, and HIV/STIs); 2) To examine the disparities among selected populations; and 3) To assess the mediational role of psychopathology in …

Stress Management For Cancer Survivors Using A Technologically Adapted Psychosocial Intervention: A Randomized Trial Determining The Effect Of Expressive Writing On Psychoneuroimmunology Based Outcomes, Utkarsh B. Subnis

Theses and Dissertations

Patients with cancer transitioning from completing their final cancer treatments to survivorship are particularly at risk for experiencing psychosocial stress, and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has referred to these cancer patients as “lost in transition.” In this study, patients with cancer in their transition phase after completing their final radiation treatment were defined as cancer survivors (CS). CS must deal with chronic stressors such as the fear of cancer recurrence as well as the resumption of their roles in their family and work lives. Chronic stress impacts the nervous system and increases secretion of stress hormones (e.g. cortisol) from …

Barriers And Facilitators To Infant Feeding Among Low-Income African American Women, Cecilia E. Barbosa

Theses and Dissertations

Objective The purpose of the mixed methods study was to compare barriers and facilitators encountered by low-income African American women who engaged in different infant feeding practices. Methods Using the positive deviance approach and modified Integrated Model as theoretical frameworks, the research began with a qualitative study that informed a survey examining intention, skills, and environmental factors differentiating women’s infant feeding practices. Results Twenty-eight and 190 low-income African American adult women participated in focus groups or interviews and a survey, respectively. In the qualitative study, positive deviants, who breastfed for at least four months, seemed to have stronger breastfeeding intentions, …

Physical Fitness Characteristics Of An Active Firefighter Population Serving An Urban Area, Michael R. Antolini

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Firefighters require a high level of physical fitness in order to meet the demands of their profession. While physical fitness testing is required to join the department, firefighters are not subject to further formal exercise testing throughout the duration of their careers. Active, career firefighters were tested on a variety of physical fitness measures related to body composition, strength, power, and endurance over three testing sessions. 49 firefighters (40.5 ± 8.3 yr, 89.5 ± 13.0 kg, 27.8 ± 3.6 kg/m2) were found to have a resting heart rate of 57.7 ± 8.2 bpm, blood pressure of 121.5 ± 11.9/71.5 ± …

21st-Century U.S. Safety Professional Educational Standards: Establishing Minimum Baccalaureate Graduate Learning Outcomes For Emerging Occupational Health And Safety Professionals, Wayne Edward Hartz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

How can the public be assured of competency in those professing to protect its occupational health and safety (OSH)? Currently, in the U.S. there are 193 higher education OSH programs, 186 with baccalaureate degrees with over 55 different degree titles. This research seeks to define minimum OSH baccalaureate graduate core competencies across all programs by asking: What would employers look for in a portfolio to demonstrate competence in a new OSH graduate? Professional members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) participated as subject matter experts in an anonymous online survey to provide framing data. The ASSE Educational Standards …

Navigating The Health Care Labyrinth: Portraits Of The Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Thomas C. Crawford Phd

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In 2010, an estimated population of the 311,212,863 Americans generated approximately 1,014,688,290 physician office encounters (Moore, 2010). The frequency and number of professional interactions between caregivers and patients/family members in medical office settings equated to a staggering 1,931 visits per minute. Based on the massive volume of interactions that occurred between patients of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic standings that generated an average household income of $49,445 in 2010 (United States Census Bureau, 2010a) with a physician workforce that the Association of American Medical Colleges (2010) captured as being 75% White that earned (primary care specialties) in …

Making Space For Dying: Portraits Of Living With Dying, Elise Lark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In Making Space for Dying: Portraits of Living with Dying, I describe the everyday lived experience of dying and the care culture within freestanding, community-based, end-of-life residences (CBEOLR) utilizing portraiture and arts-based research. I craft four case studies into “portraits,” based on interviews, on-site visits, up-close observation, and field notes. In the person-centered portraits, I reveal the inner landscape of two terminally ill women, with data represented in poetry. In the place-centered portraits, I “map” the social topography of two CBEOLRs to illustrate how lives and care of the dying are emplaced, from the perspectives of community leaders, …

Motherless Mothers: Maternally Bereaved Women In Their Everyday Roles As Mothers, Bethwyn Rowe, Bronwyn A. Harman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Motherless mothers are women who lose their mothers to death prior to having their children, and therefore raise their children without the maternal support and guidance afforded to many women whose mothers are still alive (Edelman, 2006). A qualitative research design was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the everyday experiences faced by motherless mothers. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 motherless mothers. Four major themes emerged including grief, support, absence of knowledge, and changes to self following loss. Results provide insight into the ongoing influence a mother's death can have on a daughter's life and draw distinction …

Messages That Increase Women's Intentions To Abstain From Alcohol During Pregnancy: Results From Quantitative Testing Of Advertising Concepts, Kathryn E. France, Robert J. Donovan, Carol Bower, Elizabeth J. Elliott, Janet M. Payne, Heather D'Antoine, Anne E. Bartu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Public awareness-raising campaigns targeting alcohol use during pregnancy are an important part of preventing prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Despite this, there is little evidence on what specific elements contribute to campaign message effectiveness. This research evaluated three different advertising concepts addressing alcohol and pregnancy: a threat appeal, a positive appeal promoting a self-efficacy message, and a concept that combined the two appeals. The primary aim was to determine the effectiveness of these concepts in increasing women's intentions to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Methods. Women of childbearing age and pregnant women residing in Perth, Western …

Shades Of Grey: The Need For A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Research Investigating Alcohol And Ageing, Celia Wilkinson, Julie Dare

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper calls for an increase in multi-disciplinary research on the issue of alcohol and ageing, to ensure public health interventions reflect the complex and diverse needs of older drinkers. Older people (65+ years) represent a unique segment of the population; compared to adolescents and younger people, they are more likely to have a range of co-morbid conditions and be taking prescribed medication, and are more physiologically vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. This suggests that from a public health perspective, alcohol use by older people is problematic. However, as with younger people, alcohol use is closely associated with socialisation …

Social Engagement, Setting And Alcohol Use Among A Sample Of Older Australians, Julie Dare, Celia Wilkinson, Steve Allsop, Stacey Waters, Sheila Mchale

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The harms associated with risky alcohol consumption have long been researched and recognised in the health field. However, little available research has focused on older people, or extended analysis of alcohol use by this segment of the population beyond a bio-medical perspective. With the rapid ageing of the global population, research that investigates alcohol use amongst older people from a social perspective is important. This article reports on research with a group of older women and men, to identify and explain factors that influence alcohol consumption. In-depth interviews were conducted in Perth, Western Australia with 20 men and 22 women …

Improving Health Professional's Knowledge Of Hepatitis B Using Cartoon Based Learning Tools: A Retrospective Analysis Of Pre And Post Tests, Moira G. Sim, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Toni D. Wain Ms, Eric L. Khong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Hepatitis B serology is complex and a lack of knowledge in interpretation contributes to the inadequate levels of screening and referral for highly effective hepatitis antiviral treatments. This knowledge gap needs to be addressed so that current and future healthcare professionals are more confident in the detection and assessment of hepatitis B to improve the uptake of treatment and reduce long-term complications from the disease. Cartoons have been used effectively as a teaching tool in other settings and were considered as a potentially useful teaching aid in explaining hepatitis B serology. This study examines the impact of cartoons in …