Public Health Commons^™

Beryllium In Electrical Switchgear, Eric Hokanson

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Beryllium is a naturally occurring element with many unique properties and a variety of uses. When combined with other elements, such as copper, specialized alloys may be made that are of particular value for certain applications. In the electrical industry copper beryllium alloys are frequently present in electrical components in the contactors, relays, springs and other metallic components. Though beryllium has many excellent physical properties and poses minimal to no human health hazard when in a solid finished form, inhaling the dust or fumes of beryllium containing materials can cause serious health issues. This project assesses whether removable beryllium surface …

Comparison Of Wet Wipe Vs Micro-Vacuum Sampling Techniques For Determining Concentrations Of Asbestos In Surface Dust, Natalie Shaw

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The objective of the study was to evaluate the detection efficiency of micro-vacuum surface sampling and surface wet wipe sampling in homes that had been identified with vermiculite attic insulation and/or other asbestos containing materials. Surface samples were collected pre and post weatherization activities and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Baseline sampling revealed that wet wipe sampling was more likely to detect surface asbestos contamination than micro-vacuum sampling; 55% of surface wet wipe samples revealed detectable asbestos compared to 17% of micro-vacuum samples. In addition, 16% of the surface wet wipe samples revealed asbestos concentrations above the established background level …

Welding Fume Exposure In A Mechanic’S Shop On Uc Santa Cruz Campus, Neema Mahini

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This study was triggered from worker complaints about metal fume odors during metal welding in a mechanic garage. Hard-face welding, which includes use of an electrode to join metal pieces together, occurs once per year in this occupational setting and was chosen for this study because of the large amount of smoke that is produced, giving the study a worst-case scenario element. Sampling occurred over a period of one hour, which is the same amount of time hard-face welding is conducted when applicable. Results show that a worker performing hard-face welding was not exposed to metal fume concentrations above any …

Ymca Fitness Assessment: Tool For Evaluation With Regards To Ergonomics, Jacob Havlovick

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Professional ergonomists have several methods to analyze lifting tasks, in which the main goal is to determine the amount of strain on the body during manual material handling tasks. Several physical characteristics have been used to determine lifting capabilities, but developed screening methods do not cover the necessary traits or the right number of traits to predict an accurate level of strain. This project examined the use of the YMCA Fitness Test Assessment as a possible screening tool to determine lifting performance.

The project had one objective; To determine the association of any physical characteristic that might be used to …

The Use Of Cryogenic Air In Supplied Air Respiratory Protection, Matthew Doctor

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 implemented new regulations in the underground coal mining industry that allow for the certification of non-compressed gas equipment for respiratory protection in underground coal mines. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Biomedical Research and Engineering Laboratory (BRL) is investigating the potential to expand cryogenic air supply systems into the mining and general industries. These investigations have, so far, resulted in four separate comparison and hardware development programs.

The Propellant Handlers Ensemble (PHE) and Level “A” Ensemble Comparison (LAE):

This study compared worker thermal stress while using the industry standard Level …

Attitudes Toward A Cancer Coalition: Implications For Coalition Health Communication, Chervin Lam Shih Kian

Open Access Theses

A cancer coalition is a communication hub for cancer patients that may help address cancer by promoting health and mitigating health issues. Attitudes toward a cancer coalition may be important in determining whether or not patients participate or utilize a coalition. However, little is known about the attitudes of cancer patients toward a cancer coalition, its services, and toward participation. This study addresses this gap by investigating these attitudes. The results encourage the development of a cancer coalition in states that do not yet have a coalition. Effective coalition health communication was found to be a pivotal service that cancer …

Associations Between Tooth Loss And Ischemic Heart Disease And Stroke In A National Cohort, Tiina Jaagosild

Open Access Theses

The association between oral health and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been under vigorous investigation during the last decades. Consensus documents have stated the independent relationship between periodontal disease and subsequent tooth loss and CVD. Associations between tooth loss and chronic coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke have not been evaluated separately in a single nationwide cohort. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012 and was conducted to evaluate the association between the number of teeth lost due to caries or periodontal disease and the prevalence of CVD. The final cohort …

Image Enhancement Of Cancerous Tissue In Mammography Images, Richard Thomas Richardson

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a framework for enhancing and analyzing time-sequenced mammographic images for detection of cancerous tissue, specifically designed to assist radiologists and physicians with the detection of breast cancer. By using computer aided diagnosis (CAD) systems as a tool to help in the detection of breast cancer in computed tomography (CT) mammography images, previous CT mammography images will enhance the interpretation of the next series of images. The first stage of this dissertation applies image subtraction to images from the same patient over time. Image types are defined as temporal subtraction, dual-energy subtraction, and Digital Database for Screening Mammography …

Innovating At Jefferson: Developing The Patient-Centered Medical Home (Pcmh) Cost Tool, Robert D. Lieberthal, Phd

College of Population Health Lectures, Presentations, Workshops

Presented at Jefferson School of Population Health Faculty Research Seminar.

Objectives:

Describe the cost-collection tool we created for the PCMH Model

Propose improvements to our tool in order to enhance the response rate

Determine our next steps in terms of research and innovation for PCMH at Jefferson

21 slides

Does American Society Blame Fast Food Too Much For Obesity?, Gabriella Barrios

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Obesity is a growing epidemic that could become the leading cause of death in American society. Society sees it and does nothing about it. I found that American society blames fast food too much for obesity, that we are doing nothing about it, and the restaurants are reacting by making changes.

Drug Policy In Sports, Autumn Wimbush

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

I always wanted to look at how drugs impacted high school athletes and how many of them actually start using drugs. With the research I found, I hoped to analyze why athletes aren’t gettng tested and why associations aren’t trying to test them. With my research I found that most leagues and associaNons don’t take the right precautions to testing their athletes. High school athletes feel pressured to do better because of scholarships and competitions. The pressure causes many athletes to start using performance-­‐enhancing drugs and several leagues are still trying to figure out how to end the epidemic.

When Nurses Are Also Patients: Intimate Partner Violence And The Health System As An Enabler Of Women's Health And Agency In Johannesburg, Courtenay Sprague, Nataly Woollett, Jane Parpart, Abigail M. Hatcher, Theresa Sommers, Shelley Brown, Vivian Black

Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance Faculty Publication Series

While violence against women is a recognised global health problem, women’s agency in marginalised settings is poorly understood, particularly in relation to health systems. We explored agency as a practical and theoretical construct through qualitative research among 20 nurses with direct or indirect experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Johannesburg. Interviews conducted from August 2013 to March 2014 generated rich descriptions from respondents in five health facilities. Nurses’ self-reported IPV matched national prevalence of 24–31%. Findings revealed the way in which agency is enacted by nurses, allowing them the economic means to leave abusive partnerships, yet disabling them from …

Whom Do You Trust? Doubt And Conspiracy Theories In The 2009 Influenza Pandemic, Shawn Smallman

International & Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The 2009 pandemic of H1N1 influenza led people around the globe to create narratives about the epidemic defined by the question of trust; these narratives ranged from true conspiracy theories to simply accounts in which mistrust and betrayal formed a motif. In particular, most of these narratives reflected a fear of capitalism and globalization, although in specific regions, other issues—such as religion—played a more central role. These stories were not unique to the H1N1 pandemic but rather have appeared with every contemporary outbreak of infectious disease. This paper will examine conspiracy theories and moral panics related to the H1N1 pandemic …

Chbe 9331 - Health Disparities & The Rural Underserved, Andrew Hansen

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides an in-depth look at health disparities, including factors related to history, politics, socioeconomics, race/ethnicity and public health. The extant literature in each of these areas will be examined and discussed.

Hspm 7230 - Health Leadership And Strategic Planning, Samuel T. Opoku

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines the dynamic nature of organizations in the health services field and the implications for leaders and managers within the context of organizations as open systems from an individual, group and system perspective. The course examines principles of strategic leadership/management applied to health care organizations amid a changing environment and focuses on improving organizational efficiency, effectiveness and efficacy through leadership principles.

Characteristics Of Local Health Departments Associated With Their Implementation Of Electronic Health Records And Other Informatics System, Gulzar H. Shah, Jonathon P. Leider, Brian C. Castrucci, Karmen S. Williams, Huabin Luo

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Presentations (2008-2022)

Background: Information technology and information systems (IT/IS) play a critical role in the daily operation of local health departments (LHDs). Assessing LHDs’ informatics capacities is important, especially within the context of broader, system-level health reform efforts.

Research Objective: This study assesses a nationally representative sample of LHDs’ level of adoption of information systems, technology, and the factors associated with adoption/implementation. Specifically, five areas of public health informatics were examined: electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchange (HIE), immunization registry (IR), electronic disease reporting system (EDRS), and electronic lab reporting (ELR).

Data Sets and Sources: Data from NACCHO’s 2013 National Profile …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Current Types Of Patient Portal Education Efforts, Jennifer L. Cooper

Applied Research Projects

Hospitals and providers participating in Meaningful Use are required to show 5% enrollment rate in their patient portals in order to receive incentive payments. The challenge with this is determining how to effectively market the portal in order to educate patients that the portal exists that also results in patients enrolling in the portal. A survey of patients was conducted at Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville Texas to identify how they are hearing about the patient portal and if they are signing-up as a result. While the response rate was low, the survey results did indicate what form of …

Fighting The Obesity Epidemic: Challenges And Ethics, Grace Brown

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent decades, a double burden of disease has emerged that requires public health workers to fight both hunger and obesity. The obesity epidemic is unlike other epidemics in that it is largely man-made and dependent on social factors and industry influences, making it difficult to fight. The high global prevalence of obesity is partially a result of globalization, which has encouraged development and the liberalizing of economies all around the world, which in turn has increased the marketing and consumption of obesogenic products. Policy solutions have been proposed and implemented in some countries, but an international solution has yet …

Low Back Pain: A Study On Which Demographic Characteristics Contribute, Sarah M. Uhlenbrock

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Abstract

This statistical study examined low back pain and possible contributing socioeconomic factors using the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention funds this biannual survey which documents everything from nutrition, physical activity, and overall health status of Americans. The survey uses a nationally representative sample of approximately 10,000 individuals from all races and ethnicities. Across the United States, it is well-known that minorities suffer from a higher burden of illness and disease compared to Caucasians. The goal of this study was to identify if low back pain is also experienced more by minority …

An Evaluation Of Carbon Concentrations Associated With Biodiesel Particulate Matter In An Underground Metal Mine, David Evans

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Exposure to diesel particulate matter from diesel exhaust has been shown to have adverse health effects in humans. In 2012 The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a group 1 know human carcinogen. Because of the associated health effects, there has been a strong push to reduce the amount of diesel exhaust present in the mining industry. Biodiesel is one to the more common and promising control options used to reduce the amount of diesel particulate matter that is generated during fuel combustion. The use of biodiesel over petroleum diesel has been shown to reduce not …

Using Our Voices-And Using Our Science, Johanna M. Hinman

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Using Our Voices-and Using Our Science

Legislative Smoking Bans For Reducing Exposure To Secondhand Smoke And Smoking Prevalence: Opportunities For Georgians, Steven S. Coughlin, Jennifer Anderson, Selina A. Smith

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Secondhand smoke, which is also referred to as environmental tobacco smoke and passive smoke, is a known human carcinogen. Secondhand smoke also causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children.

Methods: We summarize studies of secondhand smoke in public places before and after smoking bans, as well as studies of cardiovascular and respiratory disease before and after such bans.

Results: To protect the public from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, smoke-free legislation is an effective public health measure. Smoking bans in public places, which have been implemented in many jurisdictions across the U.S. and in other …

Ebola: Working Through Fear, Brenda Fitzgerald

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Ebola: Working Through Fear

Unveiling The Mysteries Of Palliative Care, Jennifer Currin-Mcculloch, Karen Terry

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Unveiling the Mysteries of Palliative Care

86th Annual Georgia Public Health Association Meeting & Conference Report, Selina A. Smith, Regina Abbott, Christy Sims

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

The 86th annual meeting of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) and joint conference with the Southern Health Association was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 13-14, 2015, with pre-conference (April 12th) and post-conference (April14th) Executive Board meetings. As Georgia’s leading forum for public health researchers, practitioners, and students, the annual meeting of the GPHA brings together participants from across the state to explore recent developments in the field and to exchange techniques, tools, and experiences. Historically, the GPHA conference has been held in Savannah (n=24); Jekyll Island (n=20); Atlanta (n=16); Augusta (n=4); and Gainesville (n=1). There was no annual …

Promoting Policy And Environmental Change In Faith-Based Organizations: Organizational Level Findings From A Mini Grants Program, April Hermstad, Kimberly R. Jacob Arriola, Shauna St. Clair, Sally Honeycutt, Michelle L. Carvalho, Sabrina T. Cherry, Tamara Davis, Sheritta Frazier, Cam Escoffery, Michelle C. Kegler

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: High rates of heart disease, cancer, and stroke exist in rural South Georgia, where Emory’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network provided mini-grants and technical assistance to six faith-based organizations to implement policy and environmental changes to promote healthy eating (HE), physical activity (PA), and tobacco use prevention (TUP). Drawing from a Social Ecological Framework, we hypothesized that church members would perceive an increase in messages, programs, and the availability of facilities to support HE, PA, and TUP over a 1-year period.

Methods: Members (N=258) completed self-administered questionnaires that assessed perceptions of the existing church health promotion environment relative …

Georgia Carrera Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program: A Story Of Success!

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Georgia Carrera Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program: A Story of Success!

The file for v.5, iss.1, article 10 is not available. If you are the author of this article, please contact Digital Commons@Georgia Southern to provide a PDF copy of the article for inclusion in the issue.

Understanding The Role Of Social Norms In Organ Donation Decision Making Among African American Adults, Briana M. Lucido

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: African Americans (AAs) comprise a disproportionate number of those waiting on the national transplant list and are underrepresented among registered organ donors. While barriers to organ donation are well understood, little research has explored factors that facilitate interest in donation. Because AAs are often characterized by strong extended relationships and shared decision-making, social norms may be an influential factor in donation behavior. Utilizing the Theory of Reasoned Action, this study demonstrated the application of theory to understand the role social norms play in donation decisionmaking, among AAs.

Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 425 AA adults residing in the …

A Multisite Evaluation Of Pediatric Asthma-Related Treatment In Accordance To The 2007 National Heart, Lung And Blood Institute Expert Panel Report — 3 Guidelines, Emeka Oraka, Brittani Robinson, Trevor Ousley, Francesca Lopez, Leroy Graham

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: To determine if Georgia-based healthcare providers who received continuing education on pediatric asthma as described by 2007 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Expert Panel Report – 3 guidelines demonstrated improvements in asthma-related treatment.

Methods: We used a multi-site, cross-sectional design. Data were collected via surveys administered to healthcare providers and via randomized medical chart abstractions. Chart abstraction occurred at 12 months prior to intervention (n = 149); one month post-intervention (n = 208); and three months post-intervention (n = 123).

Results: Substantial improvements were observed among the providers who used pre/post bronchodilator spirometry (5% at baseline, 12% at …

Impact Of 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic On Mortality Rates In Savannah, Ga, And Implications For Future Epidemic Prevention, Sara S. Plaspohl, Betty T. Dixon

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Spanish Influenza pandemic struck the United States in waves from September 1918 through March 1919. This study investigates the impact of the Spanish Influenza on Savannah and Chatham County, Georgia.

Methods: Primary death records from the Chatham County Health Department were examined and analyzed for the years of 1917, 1918, and 1919. Historical mortality rates in the Savannah area were compared to those for other parts of the United States and world.

Results: Mortality rates attributed to the Spanish Influenza within Savannah closely paralleled similar flu-related mortality rates for comparison populations in New York, London, and Madrid.

Conclusions: …