Public Health Commons^™

The Cancer Care Workforce In Nebraska, Aastha Chandak, Fausto R. Loberiza Jr., Marlene Deras, James O. Armitage, Julie M. Vose, Jim P. Stimpson

Reports: Center for Health Policy

Although cancer is the leading cause of death in Nebraska, the adequacy of Nebraska’s cancer care workforce to care for the cancer population is unknown. Therefore, we used workforce survey data for 2008-2012 from the Health Professions Tracking Service to analyze the cancer care workforce supply in Nebraska. We found that from 2008 to 2012, the cancer care workforce for adults outpaced cancer prevalence. We outline several policy options to improve Nebraska’s cancer care workforce capacity, and we consider the effect the Affordable Care Act may have on Nebraska’s cancer care workforce

Barriers To Successful Cervical Cancer Screening In Rural Kwazulu-Natal, Cato Manor, And Cape Town, Amanda Comai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2000, the South African Department of Health produced a nationwide policy intended to combat the growing crisis of cervical cancer. Nearly fifteen years later, however, the disease remains a significant cause of death among certain female populations, especially those who are rural, poor, and HIV-positive. It is undeniable that challenges of access, awareness, resource demand, and stigmatization stand in the way of complete policy enactment.

In this study, I explore in detail the barriers that prevent successful implementation of the policy. My research combines interviews with a variety of individuals and participant observation at the Cancer Association of South …

Schoolgirls’ Experience Of Menstruation Ss Expressed Through Body Mapping In A Quasi-Rural South African Village, Angela Zablotny

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this independent study project was to gain an understanding of menstruation as experienced by school aged girls in a quasi-rural village in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Though a fact of life for roughly half of the world’s population, menstruation continues to be a taboo topic and has implications related to both traditional Zulu beliefs as well as expectations for females in a largely patriarchal society.

The qualitative research method of body mapping was used with teenage girls in an effort to facilitate both reflection and discussion on their lived experiences with their periods. Supplemental interviews …

Injection, Ingestion, & Misconception: Drug Use & Rehabilitation In Indonesia, Elena Silvestrini

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When developing countries begin to work their way towards a more recognizable and first world standpoint, there are always certain social issues that must be worked out and addressed. While Indonesia is still considered a third world country, the nation is developing through its gradually increasing economy and booming tourism industry. As any other nation does in its initial stages of expansion, Indonesia has reached a major turning point in which the social issues that have plagued the country for decades must finally be attended to. Politicians, public officers, and local citizens are speaking out against injustices, inequalities, and concerning …

Quality Of Emergency Departments In Amman Evaluated By The Availability Of Essential Emergency Equipment, Seif Laeth Sari Nasir

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study aims to determine the quality of emergency health care in Jordan by assessing the availability of essential emergency equipment in emergency departments in Amman. This study uses a cross-­‐sectional questionnaire assessing the accessibility of equipment and medication in emergency departments, as well as eliciting the opinions of the participants regarding the future development of the emergency medical sector in Jordan. The questionnaires were distributed to the physician directors of every participating hospital emergency department in Amman, and completed by the physician director excepting two cases, one of which was completed by the head staff nurse, and the …

Eating Disorders: Prevalence, Perceptions, And Treatments In Jordan, Brenda Gable

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the perceptions that young women in Jordan have regarding their bodies and eating disorders, in addition to their opinion regarding media and familial pressures to fit societal norms. The study further examines eating disorders as a mental disorder and the obstacles that individuals face when seeking treatment. This study was implemented by 95 surveys distributed to women in a first aid course at Jordan University and by interviewing professionals in the nutritional, mental health, and educational field. It was found that 86% of surveyed students believed that young women in Jordan struggled with body image and 72% …

Communicating A Healthier Tomorrow An Analysis Of The Integrative Healthcare System In Bhutan And Patient Healthcare Seeking Patterns, Drew Maakestad

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Under Article 9 of the Bhutanese Constitution, all 20 districts of Bhutan have implemented the integration of both modern medicine (allopathic) with traditional medicine (sowa rigpa). They are required to provide both services to all patients, at their request, for free. This report will examine the medical structure that is in place in Bhutan. The intention is to study how Bhutan has implemented both Traditional Bhutanese Medicine with Primary Health Care series, and how this came about. This research will also examine how and why patients utilize the different health services available to them, and how they feel about the …

El Significado Cultural Del Parto: Perspectivas De Mujeres Mapuche, Erin Drake

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study is to understand the cultural meaning of childbirth within Mapuche culture, in order to promote culturally respectful childbirth practices related to intercultural programs of the public health system in Chile. This study focuses on the problem of the institutionalization and medicalization of childbirth in Chile, and how these processes have affected the childbirth experiences of Mapuche women. While there have been many studies on the cultural meaning of childbirth in distinct places of the world, very few studies focus on this theme within Mapuche culture. The few studies that have described Mapuche cultural practices regarding …

Smoking Behaviors Among Pregnant Women: A Romanian Case Study, Katherine Lemasters

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Smoking behavior during pregnancy is one of few preventable factors associated with poor health outcomes for both women and children. The post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe face many challenges in this realm, as tobacco control efforts have not adequately addressed this behavioral health issue that has arisen since 1989. To better inform these efforts in Romania, this study categorizes the determinants of pregnant women’s prior smoking, current smoking, and current smoke exposure by using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. We find that those living with other smokers, exposed to smoke on a daily basis, and experiencing stress during …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Health Through Photovoice In Cato Manor, South Africa, Renee Lamoreau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will investigate how youth in Cato Manor perceive health in their community using photovoice as the primary methodology. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that gives participants the power to answer research questions through imagery. Participants take pictures in response to a question or prompt, and then describe a self-­‐selected number of pictures using the SHOWED process. This study will employ this methodology to answer the following questions: What objects, people, and events do youth associate with health? How do youth in Cato Manor define health and sickness? The following report will summarize the social and physical …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

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

• HPV Vaccine

Assessing The Impact Of Electronic Health Record Systems Implementation On Hospital Patient Perceptions Of Care, Katherine Sofia Palacio Salgar

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The delivery of health care services has been impacted by advances in Knowledge Management Information Systems (KMIS) and Information Technology (IT). The literature reveals that Electronic Health Records Systems (EHRs) are a comprehensive KMIS. There is a wide recognition in the body of knowledge that demonstrates the potential of EHRs to transform all aspects of health care services and, in consequence, the performance of Health Care Delivery Organizations (HCDO). Authors of published research also agree that there is a need for more empirical contributions that demonstrate the impact of EHRs upon HCDO. It is argued that in most cases, studies …

A Potential Source Of Ozone With Concomitant Health Effects In The Hospital Environment, Kevin A. Vrablik Md, Mph, Facoem, Philip G. Lewis Md, Mph, Facoem, Judith Green-Mckenzie Md, Mph, Facoem

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Antibiotics To Promote Growth In Children?, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

The Long, Lonely Job Of Homo Academicus: Focusing The Research Lens On The Professor's Own Schedule, John P. Ziker

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

In this piece, anthropologist John Ziker details the first stage of a study of faculty time allocation based on a self-monitoring survey instrument that uses time allocation reporting, a technique used by anthropologists in the field. The first phase of the study found that respondents—all professors at Boise State—spend a large amount of time in meetings and30 percent of their time doing administrative tasks unrelated to teaching and research. Faculty work well over a 40-hour work week, including putting in time off campus and during the weekends. And they spend a majority of time working alone. —Eds.

Exploring The Energy Link Between Emotion Regulation At Work And Health Behaviors, Ryan Christopher Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the process through which the regulation of emotions at work, also known as emotional labor, depletes self-regulatory resources, specifically energy, and distally impacts health behaviors in the form of less physical activity and more unhealthy eating. Differences in relationships between two forms of emotional labor, surface acting and deep acting, as well as differences between psychological and physical energy depletion, are explored. Additionally, the roles of trait mindfulness and future temporal focus are examined as between-individual differences moderating the proposed relationships.

Multi-level analysis of daily diary data collected from participants (N = 108 participants) over ten …

Pathogenic Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways In Plasmodium Falciparum, Jennifer L. Sedillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plasmodium falciparum is a human intracellular parasite that is the causative agent of a deadly form of malaria. This species alone is responsible for 200 million cases of malaria annually resulting in over 1 million deaths worldwide. The excessive mortality due to P. falciparum infection is due to its ability to cause severe pathogenesis through hyperparasitemia and cytoadherence defined as the ability of infected red blood cells to adhere to host vasculature. Cytoadherence is mediated through the export of parasite proteins to the surface of the infected red blood cell (RBC). Exported proteins have been identified but the pathway for …

Overwintering And Early Season Amplification Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus In The Southeastern United States, Andrea Bingham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a highly pathogenic arbovirus that causes severe disease, with a mortality rate of approximately 30-35% in humans and 80-90% in horses. Studies dating back to the 1930's have identified many of the epidemiological and ecological aspects of the virus. However, there are several aspects of EEEV's transmission cycle that remain unclear. In the northeastern states, transmission is seasonal, peaking in the late summer months, while in Florida there is year-round transmission of EEEV. Recent phylogenetic studies have also suggested that Florida may serve as a reservoir for EEEV; the virus may periodically be introduced …

Grain Truck Driver Killed At Train Crossing, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

On a clear fall Wednesday afternoon, at 3:45 p.m., a 69 year-old driver of a semi-trailer loaded with soybeans was killed when he turned off a two lane state highway and into a farm driveway, directly into the path of an oncoming freight train. The train and truck were both travelling west on parallel pathways; the truck driver was struck on the blind spot of his cab’s passenger side by the train. The truck driver was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the cab. The train finally came to a stop at the next intersection, approximately a half …

Obesity And Dining Out: An Exploration Of Dietary Trends In Urban Malaysia, Sylvia S. Lim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economic growth has spurred rapid urbanization in Malaysia and triggered changes in diet, lifestyle, and disease trends. National studies show that a third of Malaysia's population is overweight/obese while household expenditures on dining out grow. In metropolitan Kuala Lumpur (KL), residents navigate concepts of nutrition, body weight, and health as they dine out. Using the biocultural framework, this study examined links between body weight, diet, income, street food consumption, and nutritional knowledge through the perspectives of consumers and vendors. Altogether, 77 participants were recruited for this three-phase research. In the first phase, a survey was administered to 60 participants recruited …

Multi – Modality Molecular Imaging Of Adoptive Immune Cell Therapy In Breast Cancer, Fatma Youniss

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer treatment by adoptive immune cell therapy (AIT) is a form of immunotherapy that relies on the in vitro activation and/or expansion of immune cells. In this approach, immune cells, particularly CD8+ T lymphocytes, can potentially be harvested from a tumor-bearing patient, then activated and/or expanded in vitro in the presence of cytokines and other growth factors, and then transferred back into the same patient to induce tumor regression. AIT allows the in vitro generation and activation of T-lymphocytes away from the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, thereby providing optimum conditions for potent anti-tumor activity. The overall objective of this study is …

Religiosity, Spirituality, And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults In An Active Living Community, Monica D'Adrianne Solomon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The population of older adults in the United States is steadily rising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a call to reduce mental distress in older adults. Research shows that mental distress is associated with depressive symptoms, which are significantly related to many chronic medical conditions, functional impairment, suicide, and all-cause mortality. Depression is a major public health concern. There is an interest in gerontology research on the buffering role of engagement against depressive symptoms such as volunteering, social activities, and religion. Certain religious beliefs and behaviors contribute to maintaining or improving mental health and research …

National Spending For Long-Term Services And Supports (Ltss), 2012, Carol O'Shaughnessy

National Health Policy Forum

Long-term services and supports (LTSS) for the elderly and younger populations with disabilities are a significant component of national health care spending. In 2012, spending for these services was $219.9 billion (9.3 percent of all U.S. personal health care spending), almost two-thirds of which was paid by the federal-state Medicaid program. This publication presents data on LTSS spending by major public and private sources.

Molecular Evidence For Vector Implication Of Onchocerca Lupi In Los Angeles County, Ca, Shanna June Bolcen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Onchocerca is a genus of roundworm most commonly associated with the human infection onchocerciasis, or river blindness. While typically a zoonotic infection of ungulate populations, canine cases (Onchocerca lupi) have been identified in the United States and Greece. In 2012, Los Angeles County, Veterinary Public Health Program identified 3 cases of Onchocerca spp. infections in domestic canines. Samples from the ensuing blackfly collections were sent to the Global Health Infectious Disease Research Unnasch Laboratory for parasite isolation and vector species identification. Species-specific primers were designed and optimized for O. lupi using a non- specific cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene target (689bp) …

2014 Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar: A Lot On Our Plate; Chronic Health Threats In Massachusetts, Ira S. Ockene M.D., Christina D. Economos Ph.D, Barbara Goldoftas Ph.D, Denise A. Hines Ph.D., Caitlin Alcorn, Jacqueline A. Daigneault, Jordan R. Daley, Maura A. Flanagan, Carsten-Hendrik Rasche, Heather Rios, Julia Tran, Liam Kelly Fleming

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

A Lot on Our Plate: Chronic Health Threats in Massachusetts is the fifth Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar, and is designed to emphasize a family perspective in policymaking on issues related to childhood obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. In general, Family Impact Seminars analyze the consequences an issue, policy, or program may have for families.

Heterogeneity, Not Randomness, Sets Challenges For Quantitative Genetics And Epidemiology: A Response To Davey Smith’S “Gloomy Prospect”, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers on Science in a Changing World

Social epidemiologist Davey Smith (2011) argues that epidemiologists should accept a gloomy prospect: considerable randomness at the individual level means that they should keep their focus on modifiable causes of disease at the population level. The difficulty epidemiology has had in moving from significant population-level risk factors to improved prediction of cases at an individual level is analogous to the lack of success in the search for systematic aspects of the non-shared environmental influences that human quantitative genetics claims overshadow common environmental influences (e.g., the family’s socioeconomic status which siblings have in common). This article responds to the argument and …

Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Hiv-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol For A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Holly Hagan, Joshua Neurer, Ashly E. Jordan, Don C. Des Jarlais, Jennifer Wu, Kirk Dombrowski, Bilal Khan, Ronald Scott Braithwaite, Jason Kessler

Publications and Research

Background: Outbreaks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been reported in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in North America, Europe and Asia. Transmission is believed to be the result of exposure to blood during sexual contact. In those infected with HIV, acute HCV infection is more likely to become chronic, treatment for both HIV and HCV is more complicated and HCV disease progression may be accelerated. There is a need for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize the epidemiology, prevention and methods to control HCV infection in this population.

Methods/design: Eligible studies will include quantitative empirical …

Trends And Costs Of Industry-Related Injuries In The United States [1998 - 2009], Delphine Fontcha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to describe the trend, characteristics, and cost of occupational injuries that occurred in industrial settings across the United States between 1998 and 2009, a cross sectional analysis based on hospital discharge data was conducted. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from the Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project (HCUP)(1) was used. Identification of relevant injuries from the sample was performed using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) code E849.3 (industrial place and premises)(8).

A total of 307,586 (weighted) patients with industrial related injuries were discharged from hospitals in the United States during the period …

Elective Early Term Delivery And Adverse Infant Outcomes In A Population-Based Multiethnic Cohort, Jason Lee Salemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The length of human pregnancy, arguably the most natural of physiological processes, is undergoing subtle but consequential modification in order to adapt to modern societal demands. The gestational age distribution of births in the United States has been shifting to lower gestational ages over the past two decades, parallel to a concomitant rise in obstetrical intervention in pregnancy. The result has been an increase in elective deliveries at 37-38 weeks (early term).

A population-based retrospective cohort study of over 616,000 live-born full-term singleton infants was conducted to investigate the association between elective early term delivery and subsequent infant morbidity, mortality, …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Diabetes and Colorectal Cancer Screening