Public Health Commons^™

Design And Feasibility Of A Text Messaging Intervention To Prevent Indoor Tanning Among Young Adult Women: A Pilot Study, William Douglas Evans, Darren Mays

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background: Although skin cancer is largely preventable, it affects nearly 1 of 5 US adults. There is a need for research on how to optimally design persuasive public health indoor tanning prevention messages.

Objective: The objective of our study was to examine whether framed messages on indoor tanning behavioral intentions delivered through short message service (SMS) text messaging would produce (1) positive responses to the messages, including message receptivity and emotional response; (2) indoor tanning efficacy beliefs, including response efficacy and self-efficacy; and (3) indoor tanning risk beliefs.

Methods: We conducted a pilot study of indoor tanning prevention messages delivered …

Goods-Time Elasticity Of Substitution In Health Production, Juan Du, Takeshi Yagihashi

Economics Faculty Publications

We examine how inputs for health production, in particular, medical care and health-enhancing time, are combined to improve health. The estimated elasticity of substitution from a constant elasticity of substitution production function is significantly less than one for the working-age population, rejecting the unit elasticity of substitution used in previous studies.

Differentiating Between Low Level Activities In Sedentary Occupations Utilizing Fitbits, Trace A. Forkan

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Objective: Fitbits are popular devices used to track personal activity throughout the day. The potential usage of these devices in tracking sedentary activities in research studies rely on the validity and accuracy of the devices. The objectives of this study are to investigate if changes in daily activity is associated with changes in duration of standing time using a sit-to-stand workstation. Also to establish if an accelerometer may be used to detect differences between sitting and standing sedentary positions.

Methods: Sixteen participants wore Fitbit accelerometers throughout the workday and were emailed surveys on a weekly basis to report their …

Ergonomics And The Potential For Sharps Injury Reduction: Developing A Strategy To Assess Mobile Dentistry In Rural Alaska, Gregory P. Calvert

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This report describes the development of an ergonomic assessment strategy for a Rural Alaska mobile dental team (n=3). An examination of available peer reviewed literature was conducted to identify known physical risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders and the practice of dentistry. The report also explored the association between ergonomics, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and a reduction in dental sharps injury.

The known physical risk factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders, sharps injury prevalence data, and results from Nordic Questionnaires were collected as baseline data. A sharps injury report from January through October of 2016 was obtained from the Bristol Bay …

Comparative Effects Of Ballooning Intracervical Catheter And Prostaglandin Pessary On Cervical Ripening, Raheela Baloch, Qamarunissa Muhabat, Fakhrunissa Waheed, Waqarunissa Ahmed

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Labor is induced to stimulate the uterine contraction in effort to have vaginal birth. Induction may be advocated to reduce fetal or neonatal morbidity and mortality. Indication of labor needs to be considered when risk and benefits analysis indicates that delivering the baby is safe option for mother or both rather than continuing the pregnancy and when there are no clear indications for caesarean section and no contraindication for vaginal delivery.

Consecuencias De La Dictadura: La Salud Mental Transgeneracional En Hijos De Detenidos Desaparecidos / Consequences Of The Dictatorship: Transgenerational Mental Health In Children Of Disappeared Detainees, Catherine Sillari

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the trends seen in the mental health of the children of the people who were “disappeared” by the Pinochet dictatorship?

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to look for trends in the mental health of children of disappeared people. The specific objectives are to understand the particular stresses that come with disappearances versus other types of deaths, to gage the general opinion of the government’s system of reparation, and to identify common coping methods.

Background: Between the years of 1973-1990, Chile was under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. During this time, major …

Engaging Homeless Service Providers In Educational Efforts During A Tuberculosis Outbreak In Atlanta, Preetha Nandi, Mary Claire Worrell, Tom Andrews, Rose-Marie Sales, Jeff Mcmichael, Kristen H. Hamptom, Neela D. Goswami

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: During an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) in the homeless population of metropolitan Atlanta, education of homeless service providers (HSPs) about the implementation of local infection control measures was imperative to limiting the spread of TB and to preventing future outbreaks.

Methods: By use of educational sessions and teaching posters, two interventions were designed to focus educational efforts from November 2014 to August 2015: 1) a spatially-targeted approach that identified HSPs within an area of Fulton County, GA (which includes downtown Atlanta) with high TB case density (cases per square mile) from 2009 – 2014, and 2) an organizational meeting …

Access Is Not Enough: Family Planning In Dar Es Salaam, Claire Burrus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Population growth is a large problem, both globally and at local levels. The global population is growing at an unsustainable rate, particularly in developing nations. Tanzania, as a developing nation, is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and as a result, faces many hardships related to high population. The Tanzanian government, non-governmental organizations, and private institutions have made attempts to address these concerns by encouraging family planning. Even so, the national population continues to rise. Many social and cultural factors have contributed to this phenomenon. This study was performed in the Women’s Clinic at Sanitas Hospital in …

Solid Waste Management Of Disposable Diaper Sanitation And The Connection To Environmental Awareness For Women In Zanzibar, Micalea Leaska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the solid waste management of disposable diapers in three locations, Stone Town, Mangapwani and Vikokotoni, within Zanzibar, Tanzania. Its methods included field observations of the solid waste disposal system in Zanzibar and interviews with women about their rationales for buying and using disposable diapers. For one of the first times, the data collected during this project will further assist to educate women about the benefits of cloth diapers and the negative effects disposable diapers create for Zanzibari families and the environment. This study has observed one of the most growing concerns regarding excess solid waste contributing to …

Self-Perceptions Of Disability And Impairment In An Indian Prosthetic Population Using Jaipur Foot Technology, Litany Esguerra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Twenty-nine first time and repeat prosthetic users were interviewed over a period of three weeks to determine how they perceived their own disability at Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, or Jaipur Foot, located in Jaipur, India. The questions delineated different aspects of people’s disabilities and impairment, and asked a multitude of questions regarding social, economic, political, and other contexts, influenced by the conceptual framework of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). The study analyzed all of the factors as specified by the questionnaire and found that many varying trends over all types of prosthetic users. The study also used the …

Applying Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership Principles To Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks, Nancy L. Winterbauer, Betty Bekemeier, Lisa Vanraemdonck, Anna Goodman Hoover

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

With real-world relevance and translatability as important goals, applied methodological approaches have arisen along the participatory continuum that value context and empower stakeholders to partner actively with academics throughout the research process. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides the gold standard for equitable, partnered research in traditional communities. Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) also have developed, coalescing communities of practice and of academics to identify, study, and answer practice-relevant questions. To optimize PBRN potential for expanding scientific knowledge, while bridging divides across knowledge production, dissemination, and implementation, we elucidate how PBRN partnerships can be strengthened by applying CBPR principles to build and …

School Policy, Food And Physical Activity Environment, And Childhood Obesity, Ruicui Liu

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of school food and physical activity environments on energy balance-related behaviors and Body Mass Index (BMI) and to simulate the effect of school-based nutrition and physical activity policies on childhood obesity prevention. Four models based on the Social Ecological Framework of childhood obesity were developed. Parameters of these models were calibrated and validated with empirical data derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 and the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. The correlation between observed and simulated BMI was 0.85 for 5th grade children …

Combining Intensive Counseling By Frontline Workers With A Nationwide Mass Media Campaign Has Large Differential Impacts On Complementary Feeding Practices But Not On Child Growth: Results Of A Cluster-Randomized Program Evaluation In Bangladesh, Purnima Menon, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Kuntal Kumar Saha, Adiba Khaled, Tina Sanghvi, Jean Baker, Kaosar Afsana, Raisul Haque, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Marie T. Ruel, Rahul Rawat

Faculty Publications

Background: Complementary feeding (CF) contributes to child growth and development, but few CF programs are delivered at scale. Alive & Thrive addressed this in Bangladesh through intensified interpersonal counseling (IPC), mass media (MM), and community mobilization (CM).

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the impact of providing IPC + MM + CM (intensive) compared with standard nutrition counseling + less intensive MM + CM (nonintensive) on CF practices and anthropometric measurements.

Methods: We used a cluster-randomized, nonblinded evaluation with cross-sectional surveys [n = ∼600 and 1090 children 6-23.9 mo and 24-47.9 mo/group, respectively, at baseline (2010) and n = ∼500 …

Pubh 4132 - Health Promotion Program Planning I, Raymona H. Lawrence

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

Provides the student with the theory and practical applications of planning, developing, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs in a variety of settings. The focus will be on a global approach to planning with emphasis on the 5 settings for health promotion programming which include school, community, clinical, college, and worksite settings. Prerequisite: HLTH 2130 or permission from the instructor. Co-requisite: HLTH 4134 Research Methods and Evaluation

Pubh 4231 - Health Aspects Of Aging, Jamie S. Cromley

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

This course is intended to familiarize students with promotion of health in an aging population, the notion that aging is a natural part of the lifecycle, community, state and federal health programs and services for the aged. Students will become acquainted with the process of and problems associated with aging in order to effectively manage this important public health issue. Specific health concerns of the elderly including the increase in life expectancy, current life extending research and technology and successful aging will also be examined. Knowledge and understanding of biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging as related to health …

Pubh 4330 - Promotional Strategies For Health Programs, Jamie S. Cromley

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

This course explores the application of social marketing and communication theory to the development of strategies to enhance health education and promotion programs.

A Roadmap For Reducing Gun Violence In America, Daniel Webster

Center for Policy Research

How do you reduce gun violence in America? It seems rather daunting. I’m going to take you through some key things I think we can do to have far less gun violence in America

Financial Hardship From Purchasing Medications For Senior Citizens Before And After The Medicare Modernization Act Of 2003 And The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act Of 2010: Findings From 1998, 2001, And 2015, Anthony W. Olson, Jon C. Schommer, David A. Mott, Lawrence M. Brown

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND: The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage for senior citizens aged 65 years and older and applied managed care approaches to contain costs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) had the goals of expanding health care insurance coverage and slowing growth in health care expenditures.

OBJECTIVES: To (a) describe the proportion of senior citizens who had prescription drug insurance coverage and the proportion who experienced financial hardship from purchasing medications in 2015, and (b) compare the findings with those collected in 1998 and 2001.

METHODS: Data were obtained in …

The Road Into The Future Of Health Care: The Importance Of Addressing Access To Health Facilities In Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions, Nicola (Nikki) Van Den Heever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care …

The Mentoring Cycle: A Two-Way Exchange, Sara S. Plaspohl

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

This article is an invited editorial for the special supplement for the Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association featuring student-mentored research.

How Can We Promote Mentored Student Research In Georgia?, Nancy C. Webb, Selina A. Smith

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

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Associations Between Major Depression, Health-Risk Behaviors, And Medication Adherence Among Hiv-Positive Adults Receiving Medical Care In Georgia, Rachel Culbreth, Shanta R. Dube, David Maggio

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: There are approximately 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV, and 25.6% of HIV-positive adults suffer from depression. The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of depression to substance use and medication adherence among HIV-positive adults receiving medical care for HIV in Georgia.

Methods: Secondary data with a probability sample of 775 HIV-positive adults who took part in the 2009-2013 Georgia Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) were analyzed. Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to assess relationships between depression and current cigarette smoking, injection drug use, other non-injection drug use, and medication …

An Assessment Of Data Related To Inspections Of Risk Factors For Public Swimming Pools, Shanita Shack, Maurice Redmond, Christopher Rustin

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is mandated to ensure that public swimming pools are safe for those who use them. This mandate is carried out by the DPH and local environmental health professionals through regulations and inspections. In 2015, legislation was introduced proposing to reduce the authority of the DPH to inspect certain pool types (apartments, subdivision, condominiums) and thus reduce regulatory protections in place for swimmers. To ensure that the DPH had current information on the risks associated with pools, the EH team, with assistance from a graduate student, analyzed inspection data to evaluate risk factors …

Determinants Of Adherence To Nutrition- Related Cancer Prevention Guidelines Among African American Breast Cancer Survivors, Lindsey A. Ramirez, Yunmi Chung, Wonsuk Yoo, Brittney Fontenot, Benjamin E. Ansa, Mary S. Whitehead, Selina A. Smith

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Mortality rate for breast cancer is higher among African American (AA) women than for women of other racial/ethnic groups. Obesity, also higher among AA women, may increase the risk of breast cancer development and recurrence. Lifestyle factors such as healthy nutrition can reduce the rate of obesity and breast cancer. This study examined the determinants of adherence to nutrition-related cancer prevention guidelines among AA breast cancer survivors.

Methods: AA breast cancer survivors (n=240) were recruited from a breast cancer support group to complete a lifestyle assessment tool for this cross-sectional study. Chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression analysis were …

Black College Women Sexual Health Peer Education At Clark Atlanta University, Clarissa Francis, Josephine Bradley, Christopher Bass, Karla Scipio, Ronald Braithwaite

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: This research was based on the premise that various factors, such as social determinants, cultural competency, use of statistics and location, contribute to the efficacy of the transmission of sexual health education. In the United States, African American women account for 60% of the cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of women. Considerable research has noted the high rates of HIV among African-American women. The present research, however, focused exclusively on Black college women at Clark Atlanta University (CAU).

Methods: A mixed method approach using surveys and participant observation in an exploratory case study was used to evaluate responses …

The Association Of Stress With Anxiety And Depression: Evidence From A Community Health Needs Assessment, Nicole La Tournous, Grace Bagwell-Adams

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Mental illness affects approximately 1 in 5 Americans, making mental health an important area of study for public health. Much research has been conducted on two of the most prevalent mental health disorders, anxiety and depression. However, the association of stress with these disorders, especially specific types of stress (e.g., financial, health, relationship), has been under-studied at the local level. This study aimed to gain insight into the relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia.

Methods: Data collected in the 2015 Athens-Clarke County Community Health Needs Assessment were analyzed using linear regression models to explore the …

Predictors Of Mammogram And Pap Screenings Among Us Women, Sewuese Akuse, Koren Tate, Tiffany Addison, Tierra Drayton, Deborah Kanda, Kelly Sullivan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The most common cancers among women are breast and cervical cancer. Although early detection of cancer has been shown to increase the likelihood of survival, many women are not screened for these cancers as often as practice guidelines recommend. The objective of this study was to examine the mammography and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screening practices among women within the United States, and to determine predictors of screening.

Methods: Data from the 2012 and 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used. The association between demographic predictors (age, marital status, education level, employment status, income, health insurance, and medical cost …

Does Actual Overweight Or Perception Of Overweight Elevate Suicide Risk In Bullied Vs. Non-Bullied Students?, Ashley Kalle, Yunmi Chungs, Wonksuk Yoo

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: For individuals in Georgia aged 10-14 and 15-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. Those who are overweight are often bullied by their peers, and being bullying can lead to higher risks of suicidality. There is, however, mixed evidence about the relationship between high weight and suicide. Weight perception may be a stronger predictor of suicide than actual weight. The aim of the present study was to examine, in a national sample of high school students, the interaction between weight and bullying on suicide outcomes.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed with data from the 2015 …

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence And Mentally Unhealthy Days In Women In The U.S., Danielle Broadnax, Reinetta Thompson Waldrop, Mechelle D. Claridy, Elaine Archie Booker, Ernest Alema-Mensah

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In the United States (U.S.), intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern, mainly affecting the health and well-being of women. The objective of this study was to identify the IPV and socio-demographic factors associated with mentally unhealthy days among women in the U.S. of ages ≥18 years.

Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Multivariable analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for factors associated with IPV and 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month. Analyses were conducted using …

The Zika Virus In The United States: A Comprehensive Review, Daniel R. Lindsey, Martin H. Greenberg

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: With a series of outbreaks spanning the globe, the Zika virus has transitioned, in a short time, from an obscure virus to a public health emergency. Locally transmitted Zika has reached the United States, leading to increased concern regarding further transmission and the potential impact on public health.

Methods: The present study was conducted to examine the propagation and effects of Zika in the United States by reviewing published literature regarding Zika in conjunction with updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To gauge the regional response, including prevention and control efforts, interviews were conducted with public …