Public Health Commons^™

Cohort Of Birth Modifies The Association Between Fto Genotype And Bmi, James Niels Rosenquist, Steven F. Lehrer, A. James O'Malley, Alan M. Zaslavsky, Jordan W. Smoller, Nicholas A. Christakis

Dartmouth Scholarship

A substantial body of research has explored the relative roles of genetic and environmental factors on phenotype expression in humans. Recent research has also sought to identify gene-environment (or g-by-e) interactions, with mixed success. One potential reason for these mixed results may relate to the fact that genetic effects might be modified by changes in the environment over time. For example, the noted rise of obesity in the United States in the latter part of the 20th century might reflect an interaction between genetic variation and changing environmental conditions that together affect the penetrance of genetic influences. To evaluate this …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Nonparametric Test of Symmetry
• State law Mandates
• Barbeshops for Prostate Cancer Education

In Vivo Cigarette Smoke Exposure Decreases Ccl20, Slpi, And Bd-1 Secretion By Human Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells, James Jukosky, Benoit J. Gosselin, Leah Foley, Tenzin Dechen, Steven Fiering, Mardi A. Crane-Godreau

Dartmouth Scholarship

Smokers and individuals exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke have a higher risk of developing chronic sinus and bronchial infections. This suggests that cigarette smoke (CS) has adverse effects on immune defenses against pathogens. Epithelial cells are important in airway innate immunity and are the first line of defense against infection. Airway epithelial cells not only form a physical barrier but also respond to the presence of microbes by secreting antimicrobials, cytokines, and chemokines. These molecules can lyse infectious microorganisms and/or provide signals critical to the initiation of adaptive immune responses. We examined the effects of CS on antimicrobial secretions of …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

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

• State Law Mandates

Relative Value Units (Rvus), Sally Coberly

National Health Policy Forum

This publication reviews Medicare's relative value units (RVUs), which are assigned to each physician service to represent the resources required to provide the service relative to all other physician services. Three types of resources are included: physician work, that is, the physician time and effort; practice expenses, such as clinical staff and equipment; and professional liability insurance. Each service's RVUs are multiplied by a common dollar conversion factor to determine the Medicare payment.

Evaluating Obesity Prevention Efforts: What Have We Learned? Highlights From A Conversation Of Funders And Evaluators, Sumner M. Redstone Global Center For Prevention And Wellness

Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness

Table of contents:

Executive Summary

Introduction

State of the Obesity Epidemic

The Community Context for Interventions and Evaluations

Investments to Date: Where Is the Strongest Agreement About What Works?

Early Care and Education Environments

Schools/Learning Environments

Parks, Trails, Open Spaces, and Recreation

Land Use and Transportation

The Next Tier: Mixed or Promising Results for Healthy Food Retail Interventions

Implementing Interventions: The Crucial Role of "How"

Other Topics

Summary and Next Steps

Appendix A: Citations and Resources for Key Elements/Components

The Impact Of Dentures On The Nutritional Health Of The Elderly, Michelle Gellar, Daniel Alter

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Using Payment Reform Strategies To Strengthen Family Planning Services At Community Health Centers, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Peter Shin, Susan F. Wood, Jessica Sharac

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Training In Public Health Should Prepare Graduates For The Workforce, Randy Wykoff, Amal Khoury, J. Michael Stoots, Robert P. Pack

ETSU Faculty Works

There has been a rapid growth in the number of programs awarding undergraduate degrees in public health and the number of students receiving such degrees (1). There has not, however, been a significant discussion of the purpose of such degree programs. What, if anything, are the recipients of these degrees being trained to do? What careers, if any, are they being prepared to enter? Is the degree designed primarily to prepare students to enter graduate training in public health or some other graduate or health professional programs? Alternatively, does the degree exist because “an understanding of public health is a …

Double Vault Composting Latrines In Rural Paraguay : Feasible Construction And Optimal Use, Paul T. Pebler

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Water resource depletion and sanitation are growing problems around the world. A solution to both of these problems is the use of composting latrines, as it requires no water and has been recommended by the World Health Organization as an improved sanitation technology. However, little analysis has been done on the decomposition process occurring inside the latrine, including what temperatures are reached and what variables most affect the composting process. Having better knowledge of how outside variables affect composting latrines can aid development workers on the choice of implementing such technology, and to better educate the users on the appropriate …

The Relationship Between Cancer Incidence, Stage, And Poverty In The United States, Francis P. Boscoe, Kevin A. Henry, Recinda L. Sherman, Christopher J. Johnson

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Scholarship

We extend a prior analysis on the relation between poverty and cancer incidence in a sample of 2.90 million cancers diagnosed in 16 U.S. states plus Los Angeles over the 2005-2009 period by additionally considering stage at diagnosis. Recognizing that higher relative disparities are often found among less-common cancer sites, our analysis incorporated both relative and absolute measures of disparities. Fourteen of the 21 cancer sites analyzed were found to have significant variation by stage; in each instance, diagnosis at distant stage was more likely among residents of high-poverty areas. If the incidence rates found in the lowest-poverty areas for …

Public Domain Small-Area Cancer Incidence Data For New York State, 2005-2009, Francis P. Boscoe, Thomas O. Talbot, Martin Kulldorff

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Scholarship

There has long been a demand for cancer incidence data at a fine geographic resolution for use in etiologic hypothesis generation and testing, methodological evaluation, and teaching. In this paper we describe a public domain data set containing data for 23 anatomic sites of cancer diagnosed in New York State between 2005 and 2009 at the level of the census block group. The data set includes 524,503 tumors distributed across 13,823 block groups with an average population of about 1,400. In addition, the data have been linked with race and ethnicity and with socioeconomic indicators such as income, educational attainment, …

Women With Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Polymorphism And The Need For Proper Periconceptional Folate Supplementation, Maureen Sullivan, Tiffany Murray, Haregewein Assefa

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

Maternal folate supplementation is critical for fetal development. Women with MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene polymorphisms may not be getting the proper folate form to support fetal development. The objectives of this review were to: (1) undertake a comprehensive review on the association of MTHFR polymorphisms with the risk for various congenital diseases and other adverse pregnancy outcomes, (2) assess the efficacy and safety of current folic acid and other supplementations in women with the MTHFR polymorphism, and (3) provide guidance on the appropriate supplementation for women of childbearing potential with the MTHFR gene polymorphism in order to decrease these adverse …

Experiences With Weight Loss Triggers In Women Prescribed To Lose Weight By Their Physician, Mark D. Faries, Elizabeth Espie, Erik Gnagy, Kyle P. Mcmorries

Faculty Publications

Background: With the global rise of individuals classified as overweight and obese, weight-related screenings have been promoted to combat their high prevalence and associated health problems. Hopefully, such screenings can act as a ‘trigger’ for health behavior change, however little is known about the experience of weight loss triggers.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to elaborate on the experiences and meanings of weight-control triggers in a sample of overweight women prescribed by their physician to lose weight.
Patients and Methods: We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews, grounded in phenomenological practices, to elaborate on the experience and meaning of weight …

The Relationship Of Female Physical Attractiveness To Body Fatness, Guanlin Wang, Kurosh Djafarian, Chima A. Egedigwe, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Robert Ojiambo, Harris Ramuth, Sandra Johanna Wallner-Liebmann, Sonja Lackner, Adama Diouf, Justina Sauciuvenaite, Catherine Hambly, Lobke M. Vaanholt, Mark D. Faries, John R. Speakman

Faculty Publications

Aspects of the female body may be attractive because they signal evolutionary fitness. Greater body fatness might reflect greater potential to survive famines, but individuals carrying larger fat stores may have poor health and lower fertility in non-famine conditions. A mathematical statistical model using epidemiological data linking fatness to fitness traits, predicted a peaked relationship between fatness and attractiveness (maximum at body mass index (BMI) = 22.8 to 24.8 depending on ethnicity and assumptions). Participants from three Caucasian populations (Austria, Lithuania and the UK), three Asian populations (China, Iran and Mauritius) and four African populations (Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal) …

Tobacco-Free Healthcare Policy Assessment Tool And Scoring Guide, Heidi Mennenga, Linda Burdette, Jennifer Kerkvliet, Jenna Cowan, Nancy Swenson

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

The Tobacco-Free Healthcare Assessment Tool is a standardized method to assess the comprehensiveness of tobacco-free or smoke-free policies in healthcare settings. Each policy is scored in the following four areas: Policy Communication, Environment, Enforcement, and Cessation Services. A fifth non-rated section includes two additional items related to emerging trends in tobacco control.

Just Compensation: A No-Fault Proposal For Research-Related Injuries, Leslie Meltzer Henry, Megan E. Larkin, Elizabeth R. Pike

Faculty Scholarship

Biomedical research, no matter how well designed and ethically conducted, carries uncertainties and exposes participants to risk of injury. Research injuries can range from the relatively minor to those that result in hospitalization, permanent disability, or even death. Participants might also suffer a range of economic harms related to their injuries. Unlike the vast majority of developed countries, which have implemented no-fault compensation systems, the United States continues to rely on the tort system to compensate injured research participants—an approach that is no longer morally defensible. Despite decades of US advisory panels advocating for no-fault compensation, little progress has been …

Mesothelioma Patients With Germline Bap1 Mutations Have 7-Fold Improved Long-Term Survival, F. Baumann, E. Flores, A. Napolitano, S. Kanodia, E. Taioli, H. Pass, H. Yang, M. Carbone

Journal Articles

BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) mutations cause a new cancer syndrome, with a high rate of malignant mesothelioma (MM). Here, we tested the hypothesis that MM associated with germline BAP1 mutations has a better prognosis compared with sporadic MM. We compared survival among germline BAP1 mutation MM patients with that of all MM (N = 10 556) recorded in the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from 1973 to 2010. We identified 23 MM patients-11 alive-with germline BAP1 mutations and available data on survival. Ten patients had peritoneal MM, ten pleural MM and three MM in both locations. Thirteen …

The Glass Is Half Full: Evidence For Efficacy Of Alcohol-Wise At One University But Not The Other, K. Croom, L. Staiano-Coico, M. Lesser, D. K. Lewis, V. F. Reyna, T. C. Marchell, J. Frank, S. Ives

Journal Articles

This research extends the growing literature about online alcohol prevention programs for first-year college students. Two independent randomized control studies, conducted at separate universities, evaluated the short-term effectiveness of Alcohol-Wise, an online alcohol prevention program not previously studied. It was hypothesized the prevention program would increase alcohol knowledge and reduce alcohol consumption, including high-risk alcohol-related behaviors, among first-year college students. At both universities, the intervention significantly increased alcohol-related knowledge. At one university, the prevention program also significantly reduced alcohol consumption and high-risk drinking behaviors, such as playing drinking games, heavy drinking, and extreme ritualistic alcohol consumption. Implications for the use …

Circulating Adipokines And Inflammatory Markers And Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk, M. J. Gunter, T. Wang, M. Cushman, X. Xue, S. Wassertheil-Smoller, H. D. Strickler, T. E. Rohan, J. E. Manson, A. Mctiernan, G. Y. Ho, +5 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Adipokines and inflammation may provide a mechanistic link between obesity and postmenopausal breast cancer, yet epidemiologic data on their associations with breast cancer risk are limited. METHODS: In a case-cohort analysis nested within the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, a prospective cohort of postmenopausal women, baseline plasma samples from 875 incident breast cancer case patients and 839 subcohort participants were tested for levels of seven adipokines, namely leptin, adiponectin, resistin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, hepatocyte growth factor, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and for C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker. Data were analyzed by multivariable Cox modeling that included established …

Heart Failure: An Exploration Of Recent Advances In Research And Treatment (A), A. Szema, A. Mclarty, H. Skopicki, M. Bloom, R. Jermyn

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Emerging Novel Therapies For Heart Failure, A. M. Szema, S. Dang, J. C. Li

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Field Study Confirms The Belief That Keeping Busy Helps Control Room Operators Sustain Alertness During The Night Shift, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Control room operators in a nuclear power plant participated in this on-site study to test the belief that keeping busy helps sustain alertness. Since circadian rhythms strongly affect alertness, the study was designed to account for different times of the 24-hour day.The participating reactor operators worked rotating 8-hour shifts in the control room. Every 20 minutes they reported their alertness and their workload during the preceding period. These ratings were obtained throughout three of each shift, for a total of nine shifts and 560 pairs of ratings. Reduced alertness ratings (2 and 3 on the 9-point alertness scale) occurred only …

A Framework For Assessing The Impact Of Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Policies On Incentives To Innovate, Elizabeth Docteur, Joshua Cohen, Brian K. Bruen, Ruth Lopert, Avi Dor, Chuck Shih

Health Policy and Management Faculty Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Review Of Community-To-Facility Neonatal Referral Completion Rates In Africa And Asia, Naoko Kozuki, Tanya Guenther, Lara Vaz, Sajid B. Soofi, Christine Nalwadda Kayemba, James M. Tielsch, Et Al.

Global Health Faculty Publications

Background

An estimated 2.8 million neonatal deaths occur annually worldwide. The vulnerability of newborns makes the timeliness of seeking and receiving care critical for neonatal survival and prevention of long-term sequelae. To better understand the role active referrals by community health workers play in neonatal careseeking, we synthesize data on referral completion rates for neonates with danger signs predictive of mortality or major morbidity in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in May 2014 of the following databases: Medline-PubMed, Embase, and WHO databases. We also searched grey literature. In addition, an investigator group was established to …

Fusion, 2015, George Washington University, William H. Beaumont Medical Research Honor Society

Fusion

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Condition Specific Camps On Resiliency And Adaptive Behavior In Children With Heart Conditions, Jeanette Fong, Sandra Cushner-Weinstein

GW Research Days 2015

Objectives: Resilience is the ability to adapt in stressful situations and overcome adversity through the use of effective coping strategies. Previous studies have demonstrated that condition-specific camps designed for children with epilepsy can increase adaptive coping skills including social interactions, cooperation, initiative, and communication in participants over a three-year period ^[1,2]. Additionally, research indicates that as a group, individuals who live with chronic health disorders exhibit less hope and have worse health outcomes when compared to their normative peers. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of condition-specific camps on children with heart conditions.

Methods: 39 …

Evaluation Of Social Media Utilization By Latino Adolescents: Implications For Mobile Health Interventions, Megan Landry, Amita Vyas, Monique Turner, Sara Nelson Glick, Susan Wood

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background: Trends in social media use, including sending/receiving short message service (SMS) and social networking, are constantly changing, yet little is known about adolescent’s utilization and behaviors. This longitudinal study examines social media utilization among Latino youths, and differences by sex and acculturation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine Latino adolescents’ social media utilization and behavior over a 16-month period, and to assess whether changes in use differed by sex and acculturation.

Methods: This study included 555 Latino youths aged 13-19 who completed baseline and 16-month follow-up surveys. Prevalence of social media utilization and frequency, by sex …

Mapping Of Networks To Detect Priority Zoonoses In Jordan, Erin M. Sorrell, Mohammad El Azhari, Nezar Maswdeh, Sarah Kornblet, Claire J. Standley, Rebecca L. Katz, Ibrahim Ablan, Julie E. Fischer

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Early detection of emerging disease events is a priority focus area for cooperative bioengagement programs. Communication and coordination among national disease surveillance and response networks are essential for timely detection and control of a public health event. Although systematic information sharing between the human and animal health sectors can help stakeholders detect and respond to zoonotic diseases rapidly, resource constraints and other barriers often prevent efficient cross-sector reporting. The purpose of this research project was to map the laboratory and surveillance networks currently in place for detecting and reporting priority zoonotic diseases in Jordan in order to identify the nodes …

Comparing Cost-Effectiveness Of Hiv Testing Strategies: Targeted And Routine Testing In Washington, Dc., Amanda D Castel, Sungwoog Choi, Avi Dor, Jennifer Skillicorn, James Peterson, Nestor Rocha, Michael Kharfen

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Routine HIV testing is an essential approach to identifying undiagnosed infections, linking people to care and treatment, and preventing new infections. In Washington, DC, where HIV prevalence is 2.4%, a combination of routine and targeted testing approaches has been implemented since 2006.

METHODS: We sought to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the District of Columbia (DC) Department of Health's routine and targeted HIV testing implementation strategies. We collected HIV testing data from 3 types of DC Department of Health-funded testing sites (clinics, hospitals, and community-based organizations); collected testing and labor costs; and calculated effectiveness measures including cost per new …