Public Health Commons^™

Accurate Parental Perception As A Milestone In Managing Childhood Obesity, Florence Walusimbi

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: There were three objectives of this study: to determine the accuracy of parental perception of their child’s weight status; to compare parent and child perception of the child’s weight status; and, to ascertain if comments from the child’s health professional about the child’s weight status was related to the accuracy of the parent’s perception.

Methods: Using NHANES 2011-2012 data, chi square analysis (p

Results: Overall, 24.7% of parents and 29.6% of children underestimated the child’s weight status. For overweight/obese children, 60.1% of parents and 60.4% of children underestimated the child’s weight status. Almost 90% of parents did not recall …

Development Of Population Protective Procedures For A Radiological Event, Daniel A. Baker

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the execution of emergency preparedness procedures of the west central Ohio region during a radiological event. Preparedness plans were generated by the Dayton Metropolitan Medical Response System and Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County, which would later be disseminated to eight counties in west central Ohio.

Methods: Two live scenarios, a region-wide functional exercise and a Medical Reserve Corps training exercise, were used to test different procedures and protocols for a radiological event relevant to various first response agencies (public health, law enforcement, emergency medical systems, hospitals, etc.). Exercise evaluation …

The Accuracy And Feasibility Of Production Records To Measure Food Selection In School Cafeterias, Erin R. Krafka, Ellen M. Claiborne

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: New meal pattern requirements have recently been introduced and emphasize the serving of vegetable subgroups. These regulations ensure students are offered certain food items, and the selection and consumption of these items are essential to track their progress and effectiveness. This study investigates whether production records are a feasible tool in tracking selection across time by comparing production records with direct observation of food selection in the lunchroom.

Methods: Food selection was measured through direct observation and production records for two consecutive weeks. The frequencies of daily items served were entered into Excel and each food item was coded …

Assessment Of Knowledge And Attitudes On Latent Tuberculosis Treatment Acceptance In A Southwest Ohio Public Health Clinic, Ann M. Biedenharn

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), like active tuberculosis (TB) disease, disproportionately affects foreign-born persons living in the United States. Without treatment, those diagnosed with LTBI risk going into active disease and potentially becoming infectious. Determining any knowledge, attitudes, or social characteristics associated with a person’s decision to initiate LTBI treatment is significant for TB control. A logic model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action functioned as a guide to understanding the antecedents related to LTBI treatment acceptance. Participants enrolled in the study at the time of LTBI treatment offer in a Southwest Ohio public health TB clinic. An examination of …

Relactation In Emergencies, Ashley N. Franz

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Disaster situations in the United States are unique entities that require solutions which are well thought out, appropriate for the population and planned well in advance. Infant and young child feeding in emergencies is no exception. While in peacetime infants may be safely nourished with both breastmilk and infant formula, disaster situations often add a level of complexity to feeding with infant formula, including lack of access to potable water and ability to effectively sterilize feeding items. Such complexities, along with the important and undeniable fact that breastmilk is the ideal form of food for all babies (and especially in …

Decompression Illness In United States Air Force: High Risk Occupations, Jaime Rojas

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Introduction: Although the physics of decompression sickness (DCS) is well understood, an individual’s unique response to the bubble formation places the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Airmen and missions at risk. We identified 123 decompression sickness diagnoses in the USAF between the years 2005-2010. From these cases we attempted to identify an association between the disease and the two occupations that are routinely performing high-altitude duties, the U2 pilot and the hypobaric chamber technician. Methods: A Chi-squared analysis was performed to identify if DCS was associated with the high-altitude occupations, tobacco, or alcohol. Results: There association between DCS and U2 …

Immigrant Women: Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety Disorders, Fartun Yussuf

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to provide an international perspective on the effects of immigration on the mental health of women. Many of the current reviews focus on one ethnic group and the many factors influencing their mental health. This review examined many ethnic groups but attempted to focus on immigration-related factors that may act as risk or protective factors for depression and anxiety in first- and second-generation immigrant women.

Method: A search of electronic databases for peer-reviewed articles resulted in 30 studies, of which 19 were reviewed for this analysis. The search was limited to studies published …

Healthcare Industry Injuries By Patient Contact Status In Kentucky, 2012-2014, Kristen Ranzenberger

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

The healthcare industry continues to have a high number of reported injuries. The purpose of this study was to 1) characterize healthcare industry injuries by patient contact status; 2) identify the occupations associated with healthcare injuries by patient contact status; and 3) determine healthcare injury rates by occupation, to gain a better understanding of healthcare industry compensated injuries , and better target healthcare industry safety practices and programs.

Methods

Workers’ Compensation first reports of injuries (FROI) from the healthcare industry in Kentucky were categorized into injuries involving in direct patient contact vs. injuries without direct patient contact using narrative …

Are There Delays In Receipt Of Treatment Among Appalachian Kentucky Women With Breast Cancer, Huong Thi Thanh Luu

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Women living in rural and under-resourced Appalachian Kentucky may experience delays in receiving cancer treatment yet such delays have not been systematically evaluated. In this analysis, we hypothesize that women diagnosed with breast cancer who live in Appalachian Kentucky would be more likely to have a treatment delay compared to those living in other Kentucky regions and adjusting for individual measures of socioeconomic status.

Methods: In this cohort study, women included in the Kentucky Cancer Registry with a diagnosis of an incident, primary breast cancer in the prior 12 months were interviewed by phone (n=1,245; response rate 26.9%). Cox …

Examining Alcohol Consumption, Psychological Distress, And Current Smoking Status: Results From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013, Guangxing Zhan

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Approximately 443,000 people die from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million people have a serious smoking-related illness, which costs nearly $96 billion in health-care expenditures and $97 billion in productivity losses annually in the United States. This study examined the association between alcohol consumption and smoking status, and how psychological distress can affect this association. Methods: Data come from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). We used binary logistic regression models to compute adjusted odds ratios between alcohol consumption and smoking status, controlling for age, gender, race, education, and income. We used chi-square …

Associations Among Sexual Violence, Risky Sexual Behaviors, And Substance Abuse: Risk And Protective Factors Among Women From The National Survey Of Family Growth, Michelle Kroger

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Millions of women experience sexual violence which results in a plethora of adverse health consequences. Given the scope of the problem, more attention is needed to examine the complexities in which sexual violence occurs, and possible associations among sexual violence and related health behaviors. The present study analyzes whether a significant association between sexual violence and condom use and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) exists, and whether consuming alcohol and/or drugs increases women’s risk of having unprotected sex and/or an STD.

Methods: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth 2006-2010 and 2011-2013 were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate chi-square …

Rural Healthcare Worker's Willingness To Report To Work During Catastrophic Events, Aaron M. Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In the events leading up to, during, and following a catastrophic event, healthcare workers play a critical role in the outcome of these events. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that healthcare workers are able and willing to report to work. Prior to September, 2001 there had been three willingness to report studies published in the literature. Post September, 2001 and up until 2011 there was a renewed interest in the topic which led to the publishing of twenty plus papers on the topic. The current literature has examined willingness to report thoroughly and definitively; however, there is a …

Project Spraoi: A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children, Lisa Delaney

Masters

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an ‘Energizer’; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

Gender Difference When Processing Death By Suicide: Attitudes Amongst Third Level Students Aged 18-25 Attending Cork Institute Of Technology And College Support Professionals, Sandra Conroy

Masters

Rationale behind research: Survivors of suicide/ suicide bereaved face unique challenges in their grief, resulting in a greater risk of conditions such as complicated grief, PTSD and suicidal ideation developing (Young, Iglewicz, Glorioso, Lanouette, Seay, llapakurti & Zisook, 2012). In dealing with or 'processing' the loss of a loved one by suicide, Wertheimer details that, "suicidal thoughts are not uncommon during the early months of bereavement" (1991: 178). The incidence of young men dying by suicide is notably higher than that of women in this country; a stubborn gender difference persists in Ireland with males representing on average 80% of …

Trailmaking Test Performance Contributes To Subjective Judgment Of Visual Efficiency In Older Adults, Annalisa Setti, James Loughman, George Savva, Rose Anne Kenny

Articles

Introduction.

The determinant factors that influence self-reported quality of vision have yet to be fully elucidated. This study evaluated a range of contextual information, established psychophysical tests, and in particular, a series of cognitive tests as potentially novel determinant factors.

Materials &Methods. Community dwelling adults (aged 50+) recruited to Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, excluding those registered blind, participated in this study (N = 5,021). Self-reports of vision were analysed in relation to visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, ocular pathology, visual (Choice Response Time task; TrailMaking Test) and global cognition. Contextual factors such as having visited …

A Pilot Study Of Arsenic In Young Children From Two Rural West Texas Communities: Blood Levels, Household Water Levels, And Behavioral Outcomes, Michelle Del Rio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance: Heavy metals have been identified as a child health hazard because children are highly vulnerable to the effects of exposure, which can be physical, cognitive, and behavioral. Levels of arsenic (As) greater than the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (10μg/L) were identified in some household water samples in two rural west Texas communities located within 20 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border by a Health Impact Assessment conducted in 2013 (Hargrove, Juarez-Carillo, & Korc 2015). Whether home water samples predicted child blood As levels needed to be examined. Since lead (Pb) is another common heavy metal contaminant in the …

Relationship Between Nurses' Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Healthcare They Deliver, Samuel Aron

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine nurses’ perception of the relationship between job satisfaction and quality of care they deliver, and barriers to a quality care. Data for this cross-sectional study was collected using a paper survey developed by the researcher. This 28-item questionnaire assessed nurses’ perception of the relationship between job satisfaction and the quality of care they deliver, and factors that affect the delivery of a quality care and job satisfaction. The questionnaire was distributed to 80 nurses (RNs, LPNs, and nursing assistants) who work in direct patient care at a small Minnesota hospital. Analysis included …

Development Of A Nutrition Education Tool To Reduce The Risk Of Childhood Obesity In A Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Population, Katherine Ross, Mallori Sando, Cynthia Moore

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The goal of this qualitative research project is to create a bilingual education tool to equip the participants of the English as a Second Language (EASL) class at the Elmdale Elementary School, in Springdale, Ark., to reduce the risk of childhood obesity in their children. Adults of Hispanic descent are at a high risk for developing obesity and so are their children. Children who are overweight and/or obese have a high risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health complications. As a side effect of the language barrier some Hispanics experience, it may be difficult for …

The Prevalence Of Adverse Cardiometabolic Responses To Exercise Training With Evidence-Based Practice Is Low, Lance C. Dalleck, Gary Van Guilder, Tara B. Richardson, Chantel A. Vella

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of individuals who experienced exercise-induced adverse cardiometabolic response (ACR), following an evidence-based, individualized, community exercise program.
Methods: Prevalence of ACR was retrospectively analyzed in 332 adults (190 women, 142 men) before and after a 14-week supervised community exercise program. ACR included an exercise training-induced increase in systolic blood pressure of $10 mmHg, increase in plasma triglycerides (TG) of .37.0 mg/dL ($0.42 mmol/L), or decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) of .4.0 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L). A second category of ACR was also defined – this was ACR that resulted …

Rural Health Clinic Readiness For Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition: Preparing For The Evolving Healthcare Marketplace [Policy Brief], John A. Gale Ms, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, David Hartley Phd, Mha, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Rural Health Clinics

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model reaffirms traditional primary care values including continuity of care, connection with an identified personal clinician, provision of same day- and after-hours access, and positions providers to participate in accountable care and other financing and delivery system models. However, little is known about the readiness of the over 4,000 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to meet the PCMH Recognition standards established by the National Council for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The authors present findings from a survey of RHCs that examined their capacity to meet the NCQA PCMH requirements, and discuss the implications of the findings for …

Rural Health Clinic Readiness For Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition: Preparing For The Evolving Healthcare Marketplace [Working Paper], John A. Gale Ms, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, David Hartley Phd, Mha

Rural Health Clinics

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model reaffirms traditional primary care values including continuity of care, connection with an identified personal clinician, provision of same day- and after-hours access, and positions providers to participate in accountable care and other financing and delivery system models. However, little is known about the readiness of the over 4,000 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to meet the PCMH Recognition standards established by the National Council for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The authors present findings from a survey of RHCs that examined their capacity to meet the NCQA PCMH requirements, and discuss the implications of the findings for …

Gender-Biased Sex Selection In South Asia: The Situation And Promising Approaches To Restore Balance, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This project summary indicates that sex ratios at birth in South Asia vary considerably. While the sex ratios at birth in Bangladesh and Pakistan have been normal at the country level (103 and 102.5 males per 100 females, respectively), Nepal is showing signs of disturbed sex ratios at birth, with a sex ratio of 106 males per 100 females, and the situation in India is particularly adverse, with a sex ratio at birth of 110 males per 100 females. In all of these countries, preconditions for a deterioration of the sex ratio at birth are evident. Preferences are expressed for …

Burnout: Absence Of Binding Diagnostic Criteria Hampers Prevalence Estimates, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Comments on an article by Jef Adriaenssens et al. (see record 2015-00662-015). In a recent review paper, Adriaenssens et al. concluded that about 26% of emergency nurses (EN) suffer from burnout and described their results as alarming. While commentators applaud Adriaenssens et al. efforts to provide a clearer picture of ill-health in EN, they thought that these authors' conclusions were weakened by a fundamental fact, namely, the absence of consensual, clinically valid diagnostic criteria for burnout. Trying to determine the prevalence of a condition that has no binding diagnostic criteria is problematic. Indeed, depending on how researchers decide to …

Farm To School Programs And Children's Dietary Behaviors, Kathleen Evers

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

There is an increasing promotion of the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption through prevention efforts, specifically in school systems, to control and prevent childhood obesity. Farm to School (FTS) programs offer interactive hands on experiences involving fruits and vegetables. This study examines a specific FTS program including a farmer interaction, and a broccoli taste testing experience for kindergarten and fourth grade students in a rural Kentucky county. By using a digital still photography method of plate waste, the decisions of approximately 115 students to take/not take broccoli and percentage of students’ consumption of broccoli was analyzed. Using chi-square and …

Association Between Stressful Life Events And Change Of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy Using Prams 2011-2012, Shidie Tang

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objective: To examine the association between stressful life events during pregnancy and change of maternal smoking behaviors.

Methods: We used data from the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to conduct the research. Our data included 24 states from 2011-2012. We considered 13 stressful life events and grouped them into four categories: emotional, partner-related, financial and traumatic stressors. Change of Maternal Smoking during pregnancy was defined by smoking at the last trimester of pregnancy versus smoking at 3 months prior to smoking. Confounders included maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, Medicaid coverage upon delivery and income prior …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Four Appalachian Cervical Cancer Patient Navigators Interviews, Steven Hiestand

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Despite widespread incorporation of patient navigation into cancer care programs, there remains little consensus on the definition or core competencies which distinguish the patient navigator role within health care. In order to determine the definition and core competencies, the experiences and insights of patient navigators must be understood. Four patient navigators participating in a 2010 Appalachian Cervical Cancer intervention were interviewed. I qualitatively analyzed these interviews for important themes relating to the definition of patient navigation as well as important skills and competencies. The patient navigators identified patient navigation as being patient-centric and focused on overcoming barriers to cancer care. …

10 Steps To Increase Provider Participation In Medicaid/Streamline Administration, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

Sample Interview Advisory, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

10 Steps To An Er Dental Referral Program — Wisconsin Case Study, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Classroom Physical Activity, Kailey Snyder, Danae M. Dinkel, Connie Schaefer, Jung-Min Lee

Research Presentations

Background: Few children meet the physical activity (PA) recommendations. One new and innovative ways school have tried to improve this is through classroom PA. Studies have found that incorporating opportunities for classroom PA can not only increase PA but also increase children’s time on-task as well as academic scores. However little is known about teachers’ perceptions of.classroom PA Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine teacher’s perceptions regarding classroom PA. Methods: Four school districts in a metropolitan Midwest City were recruited to participate. Twelve teachers from each district took part in a semi-structured interview over the …