Public Health Commons^™

Quantifying The Association Between Active Tuberculosis Incidence And Migrant Farm Worker Populations Among Florida Counties, 2009-2013: An Ecological Study, Ryan Nicolas Ortega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 20 studies conducted in the last 40 years indicate that tuberculosis (TB) represents a major health concern among migrant farm worker (MFW) populations, but their role in the transmission of TB within the broader community is poorly understood. To this end an ecological study was undertaken which examined 67 Florida counties between years 2009 through 2013. Its aims were as follows: (1) to describe the demographic, geographic, and temporal distribution of the incidence of active TB, (2) to examine the effect of agriculturally relevant seasonal periods on the incidence of active TB, and (3) to quantify the strength and …

Environmental Health News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Dr. Asli Aslan Faculty Feature

Neglected Dimensions Of Global Security: The Global Health Risk Framework Commission, Lawrence O. Gostin, Carmen C. Mundaca-Shah, Patrick W. Kelley

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The world has experienced global health crises ranging from novel influenzas (H5N1 and H1N1) and coronaviruses (SARS and MERS) to the Ebola and Zika viruses. In each case, governments and international organizations seemed unable to react quickly and decisively. Health crises have unmasked critical vulnerabilities— weak health systems, failures of leadership, and political overreaction and underreaction. The Global Health Risk Framework Commission, for which the National Academy of Medicine served as the secretariat, recently set out a comprehensive strategy to safeguard human and economic security from pandemic threats.

Using Artificial Neural Networks To Predict Disease Associations For Chemicals Present In Burn Pit Emissions, Amanda R. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

In June of 2015, 27,378 of the 28,000 returning Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans report being exposed to burn pits. According to Barth et al. (2014), 9,660 returning OIF/OEF veterans were diagnosed with respiratory diseases, to include asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis, thus strengthening the need to develop decision support tools that can be used to understand the relationships between chemical exposure and disease. In this study an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used to predict the chemical-disease associations for burn pit constituents. Ten burn pit constituents were tested using varying hidden layers, similar chemical structure relationships, and three …

Neck Injury Criteria Development For Use In System Level Ejection Testing; Characterization Of Atd To Human Response Correlation Under -Gx Accelerative Input, Craig M. Zinck

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Helmet Mounted Displays is ubiquitous in the field of aviation, adding operational capability, increasing head-supported weight and potential neck injury risk. Developing neck injury criteria to evaluate and quantify neck injury is important to ensure ejection systems are produced within acceptable standards. An ATD to human transfer function is developed that quantifies the difference between ATD and human neck response from -Gx accelerative tests, and demonstrates how this function can be applied to ATD test data to make previously developed human risk functions directly applicable to interpreting ATD data with a human based neck injury criterion. A …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Dr. Asli Aslan Faculty Feature

Resilience In Uncertainty: An Examination Of A Moroccan Centre Serving Unwed Mothers, Dana Louise Goodlett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing a gender-based violence approach, this study investigated service delivery realities for a Moroccan women’s centre serving unwed mothers and their babies. Primary research methods included participant observation and semi-structured interviews (n=20) with unwed mothers and centre staff. This study aimed to determine what factors lead mothers to seek assistance, types of assistance offered, and challenges and future opportunities for services. Findings indicate a lack of social support to mothers, lack of social and economic support for the centre and reduced service capacity, and the use of deceit in interactions between mothers and staff rooted in cultural notions of shame. …

An Assessment Of Elementary School Children’S Diet And Physical Activity Levels, Karen Tamara Serrano Arce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With prevalence rates of obesity among children and adolescents steadily rising, childhood obesity and overweight has become a public health concern. Publically funded elementary schools are in a unique position to provide children with opportunities regarding the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutritional behaviors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct exploratory research to investigate the dietary habits of elementary school students enrolled in four Hillsborough County Out-of-School Time (HOST) care programs. Methods: The study utilized a quantitative, non-experimental study design. The instruments that were used in this research included a new questionnaire that was titled “All …

Critical Heat Stress Evaluation In Two Ebola Ensembles, Christopher T. Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ebola, a type of filovirus that causes hemorrhagic fevers, dominated global headlines in 2014 when the largest Ebola epidemic in history took place in West Africa. Healthcare practitioners were at particular risk of contracting Ebola while taking care of patients with the disease because they were easily exposed to bodily fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and feces, quite often in the intensive care unit (ICU). While personal protective equipment (PPE) protects the healthcare practitioner by providing an effective barrier against the virus, users were also at risk for heat stress because of the type of protective clothing. In this …

Depression And Body Mass Index, Differences By Education: Evidence From A Population-Based Study Of Adult Women In The U.S. Buffalo-Niagara Region, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Jing Nie, Maurizio Trevisan, Jo L. Freudenheim

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The relationship between obesity and depression is well described. However, the evidence linking depression and body mass index (BMI) across the broad range of body size is less consistent. We examined the association between depressive symptoms and BMI in a sample of adult women in the Buffalo-Niagara region between 1997 and 2001. Using logistic regression, we investigated whether increased weight status beyond normal-weight was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, and if educational attainment modified the association between obesity and depression. There was a trend for increased weight status to be associated with higher depressive symptoms (obese II/III, …

Comparison Of Urinary Pahs Among Firefighters And Asphalt Pavers, Theodore Aquino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Firefighters and asphalt pavers are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during various work activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate urinary PAH levels and compare these bio-monitoring levels among firefighters, asphalt pavers, and non-occupationally exposed individuals. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) urinary PAH levels were used for non-occupationally exposed controls. When compared to the NIST standard for smokers and non-smokers, firefighters demonstrated statistically significant differences in urinary concentration differences for the following metabolites: 2-OH-fluorene, 3-OH-fluorene and 1-OH-pyrene, which were lower in firefighters than the NIST mean for smokers. 1-OH-phenanthrene, 2-OH-phenanthrene and 3-OH-phenanthrene were higher …

Risk Factors Associated With Non-Compliance With The Respiratory Protection Program Among Firefighters, Brandon Dawkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Non-compliance with respiratory protection programs among firefighters may put them at increased risk of injury and illness from occupational exposures during fire extinguishing activities. This research aims to characterize respiratory protection practices among Florida firefighters. This information will allow better understanding of factors that are associated with non-compliance with respiratory protection guidelines.

Methods: Survey questionnaire was used to characterize Florida fire departments in this cross sectional study. Four hundred and seventy-seven surveys were administered to Florida firefighters both in person and electronically to collect information regarding firefighter knowledge and participation in their respective respiratory protection programs during the past …

Concerns Of Water Scarcity And Water Quality Among Two Andean Communities In Peru, Kelsey Anne Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to explore the perceptions and experiences of Andean women regarding water quality, water scarcity, and health among two communities in Carhuaz province of Ancash, Peru. Household surveys (n=25), semi-structured interviews (n=10), unstructured interviews (n=2), and participant observation were conducted with local women to investigate their concerns and perceptions of water and health. An additional two unstructured interviews were conducted with a local water authority and doctor in order gain another perspective on the issues of water security and health.

The pressure of a changing climate and of a problematic water governance system in Andean Peru create an …

An Examination Of The Distribution Of Diabetes Mellitus Among Tb Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis And Drug Resistant Tuberculosis In The State Of Florida, Usa., Mandzisi Mbongeni Mkhontfo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) is considered a disease of the past but it remains a major cause of mortality among immune compromised patients and continues to be a significant threat to public health globally. Notably, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased over the years. The biological link of TB and DM has been reported in numerous literature with DM attributed to three folds increase in the risk of TB and linked to Drug Resistant TB, especially amongst aged diabetic patients. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution of DM among TB patients and explore …

The Double Disparity Facing Rural Local Health Departments, Jenine K. Harris, Kate E. Beatty, J. P. Leider, Alana Knudson, Britta L. Anderson, Michael Meit

ETSU Faculty Works

Residents of rural jurisdictions face significant health challenges, including some of the highest rates of risky health behaviors and worst health outcomes of any group in the country. Rural communities are served by smaller local health departments (LHDs) that are more understaffed and underfunded than their suburban and urban peers. As a result of history and current need, rural LHDs are more likely than their urban peers to be providers of direct health services, leading to relatively lower levels of population-focused activities. This review examines the double disparity faced by rural LHDs and their constituents: pervasively poorer health behaviors and …

Multiple Case Study Of Factors Associated With Enrollment Of Women With Persistent Or Recurrent Ovarian Cancer In Clinical Trials In Central Florida, Judith Ann Ebbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Study Purpose: Ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynecologic cancer, has had a relatively stable mortality rate since 1975, despite a decrease in mortality for all gynecologic cancers combined. Standard-of-care advances are needed to reduce ovarian cancer morbidity and mortality. Advances must, however, undergo a long, rigorously controlled research process that can take more than ten years before becoming available to the public. Further, few women with persistent or recurrent ovarian cancer are offered or enrolled in the clinical trials that do exist at select sites throughout the nation. The purpose of this multiple-case study is to identify necessary and/or sufficient …

Understanding Physicians’ And Non-Physician Practitioners’ Recommending Practices, Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Expectations Regarding Music As A Cost-Effective Complementary And Alternative Medicine Approach, Paul F. Franco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Purpose of the Study: With the rise in healthcare costs, partly due to an aging demographic (of whom these care-receivers and their informal family member/friend caregivers are experiencing high stress and anxiety levels resulting in an increase in nursing home placement), a need exists for a cost-effective alternative to the traditional medical approach. Specifically, Music Therapy, a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been shown to decrease the severity of the problem by alleviating symptoms of an illness and improving overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to create a valid tool entitled “The Global …

Engaging With Community-Based Public And Private Mid-Level Providers For Promoting The Use Of Modern Contraceptive Methods In Rural Pakistan: Results From Two Innovative Birth Spacing Interventions, Syed Khurram Azmat, Waqas Hameed, Hasan Bin Hamza, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ishaque, Ghazunfer Abbas, Omar Farooq Khan, Jamshaid Asghar, Erik Munroe, Safdar Ali

Community Health Sciences

Background: Family planning (FP) interventions aimed at reducing population growth have negligible during the last two decades in Pakistan. Innovative FP interventions that help reduce the growing population burden are the need of the hour. Marie Stopes Society--Pakistan implemented an operational research project--'Evidence for Innovating to Save Lives', to explore effective and viable intervention models that can promote healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy in rural and under-served communities of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental (pre- and post-intervention with control arm) study to assess the effectiveness of each of the two intervention …

Stigma Against People Living With Hiv/Aids In China: Does The Route Of Infection Matter?, Chen Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Yu Liu, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Liying Zhang, Yuejiao Zhou, Zhenzhu Tang, Zhiyong Shen, Yi Chen

Faculty Publications

In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that people who contracted HIV from “blameless” routes (e.g., blood transfusion, sex with stable partners) are less stigmatized compared to people who contracted HIV from “blamable” routes (e.g., injection drug use, sex with sex workers). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,987 participants in Guangxi province, China, between 2012 and 2013. We employed both explanatory and predictive modeling strategy by using multivariate linear regression models. In the explanatory models, we assessed the association between routes of infection and three types of stigma (perceived, internalized, and enacted). From identified routes of infection that …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 91, No. 12, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Closing the Book – Talisman, Yearbooks
• Kast, Monica. University Won’t Require Meningitis Vaccinations
• Harney, Lashan & Jacob Dick. Talisman Yearbook to Cease; Magazines to Come
• Skipworth, Dustin. Interpreters from WKU’s American Sign Language Program Sign National Anthem
• Camp, Jodi. WKU Strengthens Data Security Amid Hacks – Information Technology, Computers
• Collins, Emma & Dustin Skipworth. Presidential Selection Committee Meets Over Spring Break
• King, Jennifer. Editorial Cartoon Kentucky Weather
• Carter, Brandon. An Ode to My First Home
• License to Discriminate – Gays, Lesbians
• Hardin, Scout. How to Stay Dry & Chic …

Incidence, Persistence, And Recurrence Of Anogenital Α- Mucosal Hpv Infections (Hpv 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 And 58), Shitaldas J. Pamnani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The aims of this study were to: 1) Assess whether naturally induced anti-HPV antibodies are associated with subsequent acquisition of genital HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 infections in men, 2) assess the recurrence (redetection) of genital HPV infections of the 9-valent vaccine HPV types and investigate factors associated with recurrent infections among men, and 3) assess the risk of type-specific sequential acquisition of anal HPV infection following a genital HPV infection of the 9-valent vaccine HPV types among men who have sex with women (MSW).

Methods: 4,123 healthy men were followed every six months (median follow-up time 4.1 …

Factors Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infections (Stis) And Multiple Sti Co-Infections: Results From The Evri Hiv Prevention Preparedness Trial, Ubin Pokharel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of sexually transmitted co-infections and assess factors associated with a single infection and co-infections.

Methods: A total of 388 women were included in this study. At enrollment of the EVRI trial women were tested for five STIs: Human papilloma virus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) and Treponema pallidum. Prevalence of STI infections and proportion of women with different combinations of co-infections were calculated. Factors associated with single infection and STI co-infection were assessed using a polytomous logistic regression model and odds ratio …

Hunger Doesn't Take A Spring Break, Jessica Isaacs

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

The rates of food insecurity amongst Hoosier children is slightly above the national average. For many of these children, school lunches are their primary source of nutrition. During school breaks, these children are at risk of going hungry. While Purdue Nutrition Society wishes that we could help all Hoosier children stay fed with nutritious meals, for now we are focusing on helping 20 local elementary students most at risk of going hungry over spring break. Working with Glen Acres Elementary in Lafayette, Indiana, a school where in 2014, over 71% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunches, we …

Development Of A Pharmacy Service-Learning Course About Vulnerable And Underserved Patient Care, Josephine P. Aranda, Jeffrey D. Luke, Kimberly S. Plake

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern hosts the 2016 Healthcare Symposium, "Truths and Myths behind Childhood Vaccinations"
• Georgia Southern Examines Improved Nonparametric Estimations
• Georgia Southern Conducts a State-Level Analysis of MCH Partnerships
• Georgia Southern Examines Correction of Verification Bias

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

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

• Georgia Southern hosts the 2016 Healthcare Symposium, “Truths and Myths behind Childhood Vaccinations”
• Georgia Southern Conducts a State-Level Analysis of MCH Partnerships

Community And District Empowerment For Scale-Up (Codes): A Complex District-Level Management Intervention To Improve Child Survival In Uganda: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial., Peter Waiswa, Thomas O'Connell, Danstan Bagenda, Pricila Mullachery, Flavia Mpanga, Dorcus K. Henriksson, Anne R. Katahoire, Eric Ssegujja, Anthony K. Mbonye, Stefan S. Peterson

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Innovative and sustainable strategies to strengthen districts and other sub-national health systems and management are urgently required to reduce child mortality. Although highly effective evidence-based and affordable child survival interventions are well-known, at the district level, lack of data, motivation, analytic and planning capacity often impedes prioritization and management weaknesses impede implementation. The Community and District Empowerment for Scale-up (CODES) project is a complex management intervention designed to test whether districts when empowered with data and management tools can prioritize and implement evidence-based child survival interventions equitably.

METHODS: The CODES strategy combines management, diagnostic, and evaluation tools to identify …

Community And District Empowerment For Scale-Up (Codes): A Complex District-Level Management Intervention To Improve Child Survival In Uganda: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial., Peter Waiswa, Thomas O'Connell, Danstan Bagenda, Pricila Mullachery, Flavia Mpanga, Dorcus Kiwanuka Henriksson, Anne Ruhweza Katahoire, Eric Ssegujja, Anthony K. Mbonye, Stefan Swartling Peterson

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Innovative and sustainable strategies to strengthen districts and other sub-national health systems and management are urgently required to reduce child mortality. Although highly effective evidence-based and affordable child survival interventions are well-known, at the district level, lack of data, motivation, analytic and planning capacity often impedes prioritization and management weaknesses impede implementation. The Community and District Empowerment for Scale-up (CODES) project is a complex management intervention designed to test whether districts when empowered with data and management tools can prioritize and implement evidence-based child survival interventions equitably.

METHODS: The CODES strategy combines management, diagnostic, and evaluation tools to identify …

Aligning Delivery & Financing Systems To Advance A Culture Of Health, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Systems for Action Research Program supports research on how best to organize, finance, and deliver the constellation of services and supports that promote health and well-being in American communities, including but extending beyond the medical care and public health sectors. This session describes work underway through the S4A program and future research priorities, building on a strong scientific foundation in the fields of health services research (HSR) and public health services & systems research (PHSSR).

Supply- And Demand-Side Factors Influencing Utilization Of Infant And Young Child Feeding Counselling Services In Viet Nam, Phuong H. Nguyen, Sunny S. Kim, Tuan T. Nguyen, Lan M. Tran, Nemat Hajeebhoy, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Marie T. Ruel, Rahul Rawat, Purnima Menon

Faculty Publications

Adequate utilization of services is critical to maximize the impact of counselling on infant and young child feeding (IYCF), but little is known about factors affecting utilization. Our study examined supply- and demand-side factors associated with the utilization of IYCF counselling services in Viet Nam. We used survey data from mothers with children <2y >(n = 1,008) and health staff (n = 60) from the evaluation of a program that embedded IYCF counseling into the existing government health system. The frequency of never users, one-time users, repeat users, and achievers of the recommended minimum number of visits at health facilities were …