Public Health Commons^™

Analyzing The Building Blocks Of Resilience: Findings From A Baseline Survey Of The Tuungane Population, Health, And Environment Project In Western Tanzania, Kristin Bietsch, Reshma Naik, Kristen P. Patterson, Cara Honzak, Mustafa Kudrati, Hellen Magige, Cheryl Margoluis, Laura Subramanian, Christopher Hale, Carolyn Lamere, Sebastiaan Hess, Craig Leisher

Reproductive Health

Although the value of population, health, environment (PHE) programs is appreciated by the development community and the conceptual linkages they incorporate are sound, little evidence exists to demonstrate their short- and long-term impacts—particularly the role that the family planning (FP) component of PHE projects plays in building resilience, improving livelihoods, and helping people adapt to climate change. To contribute to filling this gap, the Evidence Project collaborated with Tuungane, a PHE project jointly implemented by The Nature Conservancy and Pathfinder International, to conduct further analysis of their existing data and examine the evidence base around integrated PHE programming, FP, climate …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Lahore, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Lahore is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of contraceptive use and unmet need; use of antenatal and delivery care services; other socioeconomic indicators; availability of health facilities, pharmacies, and lady health workers; distribution of public static and private facilities by cadre; provision of specific family planning methods by sector; and presence and provision of family planning services/products. The factsheet concludes with a review of consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning and a chart listing district-specific donors, projects, and implementing partners. …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Adult Day Care On Alleviating Caregiver Stress/Burden, Lessep Duncan, Joan Bowla, Rosena Tanis

Florida Public Health Review

Though not extensive, the literature points to the efficacy of Adult Day Care (ADC) in alleviating stress on caregivers in several and differing ways. In line with this evidence, the findings from the evaluation of Northwest Focal Point’s (NWFP) ADC program conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Evaluation Team indicates that ADC provides necessary relief and reduces the strain of caregiving on caregivers. Two measurement instruments: one to measure the level of caregiver strain and one to measure the effectiveness of ADC in alleviating this strain comprising five dimensions of caregiving strain and five dimensions of ADC impact in reducing …

The Relationship Of Sexual Health Education And Sexual Health Risk Behavioral Outcomes Among Florida Teens, Brandon Moton, Rima Tawk

Florida Public Health Review

We examined the relationship between sexual health education and sexual health risk behavioral outcomes among adolescents in Florida using Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2001 to 2013. Sexual health risk behavioral outcomes (reported condom use and alcohol and/or drug use during last intercourse) were first examined as a function of sexual health education. Multiple logistic regression analysis was then used to adjust for individual characteristics and behavioral risk factors when associating sexual health education with sexual health risk behavioral outcomes. Reported condom use was strongly associated with sexual education. However, the impact of sexual education was attenuated after adjusting …

A Wellness Needs Assessment Of Persons With Disabilities In Northern Florida: Physical Activity And Nutrition, Stacey Griner, Jessica King, Jamie L. Pomeranz

Florida Public Health Review

Engaging an individual with a disability in health promotion activities may be challenging. This challenge is demonstrated by the prevalence of obesity among people with disabilities (PWDs) being higher than those without, and PWD twice as likely to be physically inactive. The combination of physical inactivity and high prevalence of obesity supports a need for health promotion activities. To examine the need for wellness promotion activities for PWDs, we surveyed consumers at a Center for Independent Living in North Central Florida (CILNCF). A survey was developed with items from the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disability (PASIPD) and …

Assessing Attitudes Toward Nicotine Replacement Therapy For Adolescent Smoking Cessation, Jessica L. King, Tzu-Jung Wong, Julie W. Merten, Jamie L. Pomeranz

Florida Public Health Review

The objective was to ascertain attitudes toward nicotine replacement therapy for adolescent tobacco cessation. The authors created a 17-item survey consisting of demographics, quantitative, and qualitative items which was distributed to middle and high school students in North Central Florida. The authors assessed associations and conducted discriminant analyses to compare results by age. One-hundred ninety-eight students completed the survey (57.6% female, 61.6% white). When asked to select the best way to help teens stop using tobacco, combination of methods was most frequently selected (31.6%), followed by “Cold Turkey” (19.5%), e-cigarettes (16.8%), NRT (14.7%), Counseling (10.5%), and Alternative Therapies (6.8%). Qualitative …

The Relationship Between Substance Abuse And Suicide Among Adolescents, Darren Evans, Rima Tawk

Florida Public Health Review

Suicide, prominent in adolescents, presents a major public health problem. This study examined the relationship between substance abuse and suicide among adolescents after adjusting for socio-demographic, interpersonal violence, and mental health variables. Data were drawn from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Suicidal measures included ideation, plan, attempts, and severe attempts. Substance abuse, depression, purging, and forced sex were the major predictors. Our findings may be of value to educators, providers, and policymakers in helping to target teens contemplating suicide. To curb incidence of suicidal thoughts and behavior among teens, routine screenings for substance abuse in schools is recommended.

Duval County 2009, 2011, And 2013 Fruit And Vegetable Intake By Health Zone: Data From The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Zhiping Yu, Alireza Jahan-Mihan, Corrine A. Labyak, Claudia Sealey-Potts, Catherine Christie, Judith Rodriguez, Janice J. Seabrooks-Blackmore, Karen Patterson, Richard Patterson

Florida Public Health Review

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of fruit and vegetable intake data from the 2009, 2011, 2013 Duval County Youth Risk Surveys (YRBS) by health zone. The survey instrument (questionnaire) is administered using a cluster sample design in all ninth grade classes in public schools (except charter schools) every two (odd) years. The surveys are anonymous and there is parental notification. Oversampling is done to allow for sub-county analysis. There were no statistically significant differences across health zones for any of the fruit and vegetable consumption questions for year 2009 however all health zones were below …

Government Programs For Disabled Children: A Practitioner’S Guide To Policy And Programs In Florida, Leaanne Derigne

Florida Public Health Review

There are many government programs and benefits available to disabled children in the United States and include income-support programs, educational and therapeutic programs, and health services. This paper provides a practice/policy update for practitioners working with disabled children and their families. Doctors, nurses, counselors, and educators need to understand the rights of disabled children and their families. A short case scenario is presented followed by a summary of the federal and state policies that are available. Finally, sources of funding for each program are presented.

Heroin Use And Sex: Some Patterns In Miami-Dade County, Florida, David W. Forrest, Bryan Page, Gabriel Cardenas, Caitlin Marquardt, Robin Morey, Lisa R. Metsch, Daniel J. Feaster, Marlene Lalota

Florida Public Health Review

Much of the literature on heroin and opioid addiction holds that regular, long-term users of heroin and other opioids lose interest in sex as their drug using careers lengthen. Analysis of self-reports collected from IDUs in two cross- sectional surveys on patterns of risk behavior in Miami-Dade County, Florida, reveals that large proportions of IDUs report using heroin before or during sex across a wide range of self-injection experience, from as little as twelve months to over 40 years. One half or more of respondents to both surveys reported using heroin in their recent sexual experiences, with similar proportions reported …

Associations Between Health And Academic Success At A Florida University: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study, Jessica Weissman, Sharice Preston, Elena Sebekos, Willmarie Latorre, Bandar Alsaif, Karl Krupp, William Darrow

Florida Public Health Review

The aims of the study were to explore the associations between college students’ perception of their overall physical and psychological health and four measures of academic performance. College students (N = 265) completed a 65-item Web-based survey in a university’s student health services building during the spring 2015 semester. Poorer psychological health was associated with seriously considering dropping out of college and missing more classes during the current school year “due to physical or psychological health reasons.” Poorer physical health was associated with enrollment in more credit hours. Students who reported a grade point average (GPA) below 2.0 missed more …

Let’S Talk Sex: A Pilot Study Of Sexual History Elicitation By Providers Of Std Services In Leon County, Florida, Salimah El-Amin, Sandra Suther, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Khaing Zaw

Florida Public Health Review

An estimated one million sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are reported annually in the United States. Florida has some of the highest HIV and STD rates in the country. STDs are a particular problem for minorities, women, and adolescents. Sexual history elicitation is a tool available to clinicians to assess patients’ sexual risk behaviors and to counsel, test, and treat STDs. Previous barriers to sexual history elicitation include subject matter, patient –physician communications, provider training, and physician perceptions. This pilot study was designed to test a survey questionnaire that measures primary care provider (PCP) sexual elicitation practices. PCPs included obstetricians and …

The Cognitive Mediating Process Of Diabetes Among African-American College Students, Corliss M. Solomon, Ivette A. López, Matthew T. Dutton, Vanessa B. Crowther

Florida Public Health Review

Diabetes places a tremendous burden of health inequity on African-American women in the United States. Behavioral risk factors for diabetes underscore the importance of determining to what extent African-American college students are motivated to adhere to protective behaviors that may decrease the likelihood of diabetes onset. The purpose of this study was to evaluate threat and coping appraisal of diabetes among African-American women enrolled in college, using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as a theoretical framework. Questionnaires were administered to 128 African-American women between the ages of 18 and 25 who were enrolled at Florida A & M University, the …

Kinship Care In Lauderdale Lakes: An Option To Detention, Lessep Duncan

Florida Public Health Review

This paper focuses on the City of Lauderdale Lakes identifying its large African American and significant Caribbean population as faced with Disproportionate Minority Contact and high juvenile detention rates. Statistics indicate the City has a high rate of poverty and crime in comparison with state and national averages with a high county rate of racially disproportionate arrests, convictions, and detentions. Ameliorating these concerns requires culturally aware approaches that include community involvement, and reducing alienation in an attempt to serve an at-risk population. An underutilized service – kinship care - is proposed to address disproportionate detention rates. Evidence points to kinship …

Practice Patterns For Sexual History-Taking Among Florida Nurses, Salimah El-Amin, Sandra Suther, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Khaing Zaw

Florida Public Health Review

Florida has some of the highest reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates in the country. STDs are a particular problem for minorities, women, and adolescents. Sexual history elicitation is a tool available to clinicians to assess patients’ sexual risk behaviors and to counsel, test, and treat STDs. Nurses play an important role in caring for patients’ sexual health problems, including unwanted pregnancies and STDs. We examined the sexual history-taking practices among advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) in Florida. We mailed an anonymous pencil-and- paper survey to measure sexual history-taking practices to a stratified random sample of 795 ARNPs. We analyzed …

Instrumental Variable Approaches To Identifying The Causal Effect Of Educational Attainment On Dementia Risk, Thu T. Nguyen, Eric Tchetgen Tchetgen, Ichiro Kawachi, Stephen E. Gilman, Stefan Walter, Sze Yan Liu, M Maria Glymour

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

PURPOSE:

Education is an established correlate of cognitive status in older adulthood, but whether expanding educational opportunities would improve cognitive functioning remains unclear given limitations of prior studies for causal inference. Therefore, we conducted instrumental variable (IV) analyses of the association between education and dementia risk, using for the first time in this area, genetic variants as instruments as well as state-level school policies.

METHODS:

IV analyses in the Health and Retirement Study cohort (1998-2010) used two sets of instruments: (1) a genetic risk score constructed from three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; n = 7981); and (2) compulsory schooling laws (CSLs) …

Abriendo Oportunidades Para Alcanzar Mi Plan De Vida: Programa De 5 Meses—14 A 18 Años, Cecilia Garcés, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Esta es la guía curricular del programa Abriendo Oportunidades del Population Council de Guatemala. Este programa de cinco meses ayuda a las niñas a desarrollar pasos para lograr su plan de vida, en módulos sobre los temas siguientes: llevarse bien con otras mujeres; conocerse y valorarse a sí mismo; autoestima; derechos humanos; aprendiendo a ser mujer; la fertilidad y el embarazo; reconociendo el peligro; y la importancia del ahorro.

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This is the curriculum guide for the Abriendo Oportunidades program of the Population Council of Guatemala. This five-month program helps girls develop steps to achieve their life plan, in modules …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Mid-Term Findings—Brief, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a four-year effort to support more than 11,000 of the most vulnerable adolescent girls in Zambia. AGEP was led by the Population Council, in partnership with the Young Women’s Christian Association of Zambia, the National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia, and the Government of Zambia. The program design was based on the asset-building framework which posits that if girls are able to build social, health, and economic assets in the short term, there will be longer-term dividends on health and education outcomes. This brief reports on midterm findings of the study which …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme: Research And Evaluation Mid-Term Technical Report—Executive Summary, Karen Austrian, Paul C. Hewett, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Fiammetta Bozzani, Jere R. Behrman, Jean Digitale

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme (AGEP) was an ambitious project directed toward changing girls’ lives in a significant and meaningful way across areas of education, sexual and reproductive health, marriage and fertility, and experience of violence. This Executive Summary of the project’s findings shows that, overall, the AGEP cohort data, and lessons they have generated from the AGEP are rich, nuanced, and important for informing the next generation of programs for adolescents in Zambia and elsewhere. Even though the study is still under way, and the full longer-term effects of AGEP remain to be seen, the information presented in this …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme: Research And Evaluation Mid-Term Technical Report, Karen Austrian, Paul C. Hewett, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Fiammetta Bozzani, Jere R. Behrman, Jean Digitale

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme (AGEP) was a social, health, and economic asset-building program targeting vulnerable adolescent girls aged 10–19. The Population Council, in partnership with the Young Women’s Christian Association of Zambia, successfully implemented the AGEP program from late 2013 to early 2016. The results presented in this midterm report have implications for recommendations on future programming for adolescent girls in Zambia and elsewhere and should be coupled with burgeoning evidence from AGEP and the literature to adapt programming for vulnerable adolescent girls in order to improve impact. While the underlying root causes of girls’ vulnerabilities are interrelated, it …

Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Qualitative Report, Eunice N. Muthengi, Karen Austrian, Amanda Landrian, Benta Abuya, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya (AGI-K) is currently delivering multisectoral interventions, targeting violence prevention, education, health, and wealth creation, to adolescent girls aged 11–14 in two marginalized areas of Kenya. This report provides a brief overview of the research design and intervention components being delivered in AGI-K, and presents findings from the first round of qualitative data collection intended to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation processes thus far. The findings provide important information about the perceived effects of the program from a diverse set of respondents. Overall, beneficiaries, their parents/guardians, and other key stakeholders value the program and …

Engaging Parents To Promote Girls' Transition To Secondary Education: Evidence From A Cluster Randomised Trial In Rural Gujarat, India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Pallavi Patel, Neeta Shah

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council and partners, with the support of the Human Dignity Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, implemented a pilot intervention in India─Project Sankalp─to assess the acceptability and feasibility of engaging parents and communities to promote girls’ secondary education. The project's aim was to measure its effectiveness in improving adolescent girls’ transition to secondary education, their attendance at school, and learning outcomes. Findings show that the effect of Project Sankalp on creating an enabling environment for girls to pursue secondary education was mixed. On the positive side, the project showed success in raising girls’ educational …

Towards Effective Youth Participation, Magued Osman, Hanan Girgis

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Egyptian youth amazed the world in 2011 during the 18 days of the January 25 revolution, and again in 2013 during the June 30 revolution, however this has not had a significant impact on their political and social participation. This brief aims to shed light on young people’s participation in the aftermath of these revolutions, which embodied their hopes for greater empowerment and participation. The brief uses data from the second round of the Survey of Young People in Egypt conducted by the Population Council in 2013/2014 in collaboration with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, and a …

Effects Of The Prachar Project's Reproductive Health Training Programme For Adolescents: Findings From A Longitudinal Study, Neelanjana Pandey, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Rajib Acharya, Santosh Kumar Singh, Mahesh Srinivas

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The objective of this study was to better understand the longer-term effects of a three-day training program offered by Phase III of Pathfinder’s PRACHAR (Promoting Change in Reproductive Behaviour) program among adolescents in rural areas of selected districts of Bihar, India. This program focused on addressing adolescents’ need for information, contraceptive supplies, parental and community support, and a youth-friendly health system. Findings confirm that the training program was acceptable and useful to the young people exposed to it, and that it had a number of notable longer-term effects, observed even four years following its implementation; and they demonstrate the promise …

Invertir Cuando Vale La Pena: Revisión De Las Evidencias Para Trazar Un Rumbo De Investigación Y Acción Para Adolescentes Muy Jóvenes, Katharine Mccarthy, Martha Brady, Kelly Hallman

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Desde 2006, ha habido un rápido crecimiento e interés en la población de adolescentes muy jóvenes y un conjunto de programas en expansión destinado a abordar sus necesidades sociales y de salud y desarrollo. El presente informe se basa en el ímpetu generado por los esfuerzos recientes en investigación y programas, y por la mayor cantidad de datos disponibles en la última década. El informe tiene como objetivo ser útil para quienes planean, administran, implementan, monitorean, evalúan, o financian investigación o programas relacionados con adolescentes jóvenes. Describe varias áreas clave que se beneficiarían con más experimentación y nuevas investigaciones. Un …

Investing When It Counts: Reviewing The Evidence And Charting A Course Of Research And Action For Very Young Adolescents, Katharine Mccarthy, Martha Brady, Kelly Hallman

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Since 2006, there has been a burgeoning interest in the very young adolescent population and an ever-expanding array of programs aimed at addressing their social, health, and development needs. This report builds on the momentum generated from recent research and program efforts, and from the greater data available in the past decade. The report is intended to be helpful to anyone who plans, manages, implements, monitors, evaluates, or funds research or programs that involve young adolescent girls and boys. The report outlines several key areas that would benefit from more experimentation and new research. Central to this is the creation …

Investir Quand Cela Compte: Passer En Revue Les Preuves Et Établir Un Plan De Recherche Et D’Action Pour Les Très Jeunes Adolescents, Katharine Mccarthy, Martha Brady, Kelly Hallman

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Depuis 2006, on a pu constater un intérêt grandissant pour la population des très jeunes adolescents, ainsi qu’une expansion continue des programmes visant à répondre à leurs besoins sociaux, de santé, et de développement. Ce rapport s’appuie sur la dynamique engendrée par les recherches et les efforts récents déployés dans le cadre des programmes, et le volume plus important de données générées au cours de la dernière décennie. Le rapport se veut utile à toute personne chargée de planifier, gérer, mettre en œuvre, suivre, évaluer, ou financer des recherches ou des programmes impliquant les jeunes adolescents et adolescentes. Le rapport …

Adolescent Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Suicide, Stigma, And Help-Seeking Behavior, Julia M. Hollinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents and represents a major national health concern (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, [AFSP], 2015; (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Because adolescents spend the majority of their day at school (Erbacher, Singer, & Poland, 2015), the effectiveness of school-based suicide prevention programs may be improved through better understanding of adolescents’ views on the subject of suicide and the factors that may influence participation in prevention efforts. The present study explored the attitudes and perceptions of seventh grade students from a suburban middle school in Pennsylvania, using archival survey data. Variables that …

Pharmacokinetics And Distribution In Interstitial And Pulmonary Epithelial Lining Fluid Of Danofloxacin In Ruminant And Preruminant Calves, D. A. Mzyk, R. E. Baynes, K. M. Messenger, M. Martinez, G. W. Smith

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

The objective of this study was to compare active drug concentrations in the plasma vs. different effector compartments including interstitial fluid (ISF) and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) of healthy preruminating (3-week-old) and ruminating (6-month-old) calves. Eight calves in each age group were given a single subcutaneous (s.c.) dose (8 mg/kg) of danofloxacin. Plasma, ISF, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were collected over 96 h and analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. PELF concentrations were calculated by a urea dilution assay of the BAL fluids. Plasma protein binding was measured using a microcentrifugation system. For most preruminant and ruminant calves, the …

Neoliberalism Redux: The Global Health Policy Agenda And The Politics Of Cooptation In Latin America And Beyond, Anne E Birn, Laura Nervi, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

This article explores the neoliberal cooptation of social justice-oriented global health policies over the last three decades, from primary health care and ‘health for all’ to various contemporary so-called ‘health equity’ initiatives, such as Universal Health Coverage and ‘health convergence’. The authors illustrate and contextualize the different periods and approaches with examples from a range of Latin American countries, drawing on diverse political experiences and social struggles in the health arena. The analysis concludes with reflections about the region’s experiences of resisting and challenging the neoliberal health agenda, in spite of domestic and global environments that have constrained these efforts, …