Public Health Commons^™

The Nia Project: Baseline Report, Eunice N. Muthengi, Emily Farris, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The onset of puberty and menarche is a particularly vulnerable time for girls, when external pressures are exacerbated by their lack of knowledge of their bodies, their rights, and the implications of their decisions, and by their inability to manage puberty and adolescence safely and comfortably with appropriate menstrual health and hygiene management (MHM) products. Although several programs have previously been developed to address girls’ MHM needs globally, few have been evaluated, and where evidence does exist the results have been mixed. In collaboration with ZanaAfrica, the Population Council is evaluating the Nia Project, a set of interventions for adolescent …

The Nia Project: Baseline Survey Instruments, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document includes all of the Nia Project baseline survey instruments used to collect data in Kenya, providing a multidimensional description of a sample of the participating girls and the schools they attend. The Project is one of the first randomized controlled trials to explore the role of sanitary pad distribution and reproductive health education—individually and in combination—to improve girls’ educational and sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The study collected data from 3,489 girls from 140 schools in three rural Kilifi subcounties: Magarini, Kaloleni, and Ganze.

The Nia Project—Brief, Eunice N. Muthengi, Emily Farris, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief provides highlights from the Nia Project conducted in Kenya. The study found that while gaps exist in girls’ capabilities, particularly knowledge and attitudes related to menstruation and reproductive health, the Nia Project has the potential to bridge those gaps. The Project is one of the first randomized controlled trials to explore the role of sanitary pad distribution and reproductive health education—individually and in combination—to improve girls’ educational and sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The findings of this study will make a critical contribution to filling an evidence gap in the field of menstrual health and hygiene management, and …

Understanding The Lives Of Adolescents And Young Adults (Udaya) In Uttar Pradesh, India (2015–16), K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, Ashish Kumar Gupta, Shilpi Rampal, Santosh Kumar Singh, A.J. Francis Zavier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The goal of the program of research titled “Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh” is to establish the levels, patterns, and trends in the situation of younger (10–14) and older (15–19) adolescents and to assess factors that influence the quality of transitions they make. The study is designed to provide robust insights on how investments in adolescents influence their life course by the time they reach young adulthood; enable evidence-based decisions on the types of programs worthy of scale-up; and furnish important baseline indicators against which the long-term impact of programs can …

Understanding The Lives Of Adolescents And Young Adults (Udaya): Bihar, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) is a program of research conducted by the Population Council which seeks to: explore the situation and needs of younger (10−14 years) and older (15−19 years) adolescents; describe changes in their situation and needs over time; and assess factors that determine the quality of their transitions from adolescence to young adulthood. UDAYA, implemented from 2015 to 2020, uses community-based repeated cross-sectional surveys, panel surveys, and qualitative methods. With its geographical focus on Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in India, UDAYA illustrates the lives of every fourth adolescent in that country and every …

Assisted Suicide, Valerie Ontiveros

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Assisted suicide is when a physician helps a terminally ill patient die without pain. As of right now, it is illegal in most states. Organizations about this issue were organized in the late 1930's (Humphry). According to Pro-Con. Org, 79% of patients requested assisted suicide even before they came terminally ill –if it got to that point.

Many states have different laws on assisted suicide. In no doubt, these patients go through a tremendous amount of pain and no one but themselves should decide when enough is enough. Technological advances have allowed this generation to help aid a person when …

Recent Analytical Methods For The Analysis Of Sweeteners In Food: A Regulatory Perspective, Romina Shah, Lowri S. De Jager

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Non-nutritive or low calorie sweeteners are commonly used worldwide in the food industry, often in combination in order to limit undesirable tastes. The list of allowable sweeteners varies among countries and it is important for regulatory agencies and food safety laboratories to monitor these highly consumed products to ensure compliance with worldwide regulations. Current analytical methods for confirmation and quantification of sweeteners must allow for confirmation of analyte identity in order to be compatible with today’s standards. Various methods for the determination of non-nutritive sweeteners have been reported in the literature. Th e most common multi-sweetener methods involve high performance …

Cannabinoid Disposition In Oral Fluid After Controlled Smoked, Vaporized, And Oral Cannabis Administration, Madeleine J. Swortwood, Matthew N. Newmeyer, Maria Andersson, Osama A. Abulseoud, Karl B. Scheidweiler, Marilyn A. Huestis

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Oral fluid (OF) is an important matrix for monitoring drugs. Smoking cannabis is common, but vaporization and edible consumption also are popular. OF pharmacokinetics are available for controlled smoked cannabis, but few data exist for vaporized and oral routes. Frequent and occasional cannabis smokers were recruited as participants for four dosing sessions including one active (6.9% Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC) or placebo cannabis-containing brownie, followed by one active or placebo cigarette, or one active or placebo vaporized cannabis dose. Only one active dose was administered per session. OF was collected before and up to 54 (occasional) or 72 (frequent) h …

Certain Dyes As Pharmacologically Active Substances In Fish Farming And Other Aquaculture Products, Eric Verdon, Wendy C. Andersen

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

The last 40 years have brought enormous changes to the aquaculture industry. The farming of fish and of seafood products has been continuously increasing from 3.9% by weight in 1970 to 36% in 2006 according to theWorld Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.¹ The global trend of aquaculture development gaining importance in total fish supply has remained uninterrupted. Farmed food fish contributed a record 42.2% of the total 158 million tonnes of fish produced by capture fisheries and aquaculture in 2012 (Figure 9.1). This compares with just 13.4% in 1990 and 25.7% …

Color And Power Doppler Combined With Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (Fine) To Evaluate The Fetal Heart, L. Yeo, R. Romero

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Objective To evaluate the performance of color and bidirectional power Doppler ultrasound combined with Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE) in examining the fetal heart.

Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted of fetuses in the second and third trimesters with a normal heart or with congenital heart disease (CHD). One or more spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) volume datasets, combined with color or bidirectional power Doppler (S-flow) imaging, were acquired in the apical four-chamber view. Each successfully obtained STIC volume was evaluated by STICLoop™ to determine its appropriateness before applying the FINE method. Visualization rates for standard fetal echocardiography views using …

Salmonella Inactivation During Extrusion Of An Oat Flour Model Food, Nathan M. Anderson, Susanne E. Keller, Niharika Mishra, Shannon Pickens, Dana Gradl, Tim Hartter, Galen Rokey, Christopher Dohl, Brian Plattner, Stuart Chirtel, Elizabeth M. Grasso-Kelley

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Little research exists on Salmonella inactivation during extrusion processing, yet many outbreaks associated with low water activity foods since 2006 were linked to extruded foods. The aim of this research was to study Salmonella inactivation during extrusion of a model cereal product. Oat flour was inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Agona, an outbreak strain isolated from puffed cereals, and processed using a single-screw extruder at a feed rate of 75 kg/h and a screw speed of 500 rpm. Extrudate samples were collected from the barrel outlet in sterile bags and immediately cooled in an ice–water bath. Populations were determined using …

An Overview Of The Role Of Mathematical Models In Implementation Of Quality By Design Paradigm For Drug Development And Manufacture, Sharmista Chatterjee, Christine M.V. Moore, Moheb M. Nasr

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

A model is a representation of an underlying physical–chemical phenomenon. In the pharmaceutical industry, mathematical‐based models can be applied at all stages of development, starting with formulation design, continuing through process development and scale‐up, and extending into process monitoring and control of the commercial process. Implementation of models offers many benefits. These include, but are not limited to, (i) enhanced process understanding, (ii) reduction of experimentation cost, and (iii) improvement of productivity and product quality.

Models can be broadly categorized as either qualitative or quantitative. The focus of this chapter is quantitative models. These can be classified into three broad …

The Mechanism Of Cirp In Inhibition Of Keratinocytes Growth Arrest And Apoptosis Following Low Dose Uvb Radiation, Yi Liao, Jianguo Feng, Yi Zhang, Liling Tang, Shiyong Wu

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

UV induces CIRP expression and subsequent Stat3 activation, but the biological function and mechanism of CIRP and Stat3 in mediating UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that CIRP is elevated in all tested melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer cell lines; and the expression of CIRP is upregulated in keratinocytes after being irradiated with relatively low dose (<5 mJ/cm²), but not high dose (50 mJ/cm²), UVB acutely and chronically. The increased expression of CIRP, either induced by UVB or through overexpression, leads to resistance of keratinocytes to UVB-induced growth arrest and …

Monitoring Harm Perceptions Of Smokeless Tobacco Products Among U.S. Adults: Health Information National Trends Survey 2012, 2014, 2015, Shari P. Feirman, Elisabeth A. Donaldson, Mark Parascandola, Kimberly Snyder, Cindy Tworek

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Introduction: Changes to the U.S. smokeless tobacco landscape in recent years include a change to health warnings on packages, the implementation of bans in some stadiums, and the launch of a federal youth pre- vention campaign. It is unclear whether such changes have impacted consumer beliefs about smokeless tobacco. This study examines relative harm perceptions of smokeless tobacco compared to cigarettes among adults and assesses changes in smokeless tobacco harm perceptions over time.

Methods: We analyzed data from three cycles (2012, 2014, 2015) of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Using 2015 data, we assessed bivariate associations between smokeless …

Hpv Vaccination And Knowledge Of Cervical Cancer Among Female University Students In A Multiethnic Institution, Usa, Nasar U. Ahmed, Michael E. Delgado, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Objective: College-aged women are at high-risk of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although, HPV vaccination is most effective, its rates remain quite low among college students. It may be due to inadequate understanding of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the level of knowledge about HPV, cervical cancer and their associations with HPV vaccination among female college students.

Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among female students in a Multiethnic University in Florida. We assessed HPV vaccination status, annual health checkup status, knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer among the …

Understanding Zoonotic Enteric Disease In Minnesota: A Spatio Temporal Analysis And Causal Theory Approach, Suchismita Swain

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

With 75 percent of diseases in humans having origin in animals or animal products, zoonotic diseases have an enormous impact on the global disease burden. A significant portion of this can be attributed to bacterial zoonotic enteric pathogens. This study was designed to locate clusters of bacterial zoonotic enteric outbreaks in the State of Minnesota and study the seasonality of these outbreaks. In addition to identifying hot spots for zoonotic enteric outbreaks in Minnesota, the study also aimed to design a causal model to improve understanding of risk factors. This thesis considered only the bacterial zoonotic pathogens with significant disease …

Understanding The Links Of Mindfulness, Relationship Satisfaction, And Sexual Satisfaction, Elizabeth N. Greer

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness and its link to sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. Data were collected from 809 individuals (18.8% bisexual, 60.7% straight, 19.2% gay/lesbian) in romantic relationships. Participants completed an online survey to measure mindfulness (five facets: observing of experience, describing with words, acting with awareness, non judging of inner experience, non reactivity to inner experience), sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Results from two multivariate analyses (predicting sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction) revealed that relationship satisfaction is significantly predicted by three of the five facets of mindfulness – acting with …

Does Survival Vary For Breast Cancer Patients In The United States? A Study From Six Randomly Selected States, Hafiz Mohammad Rafiqullah Khan, Lisaann S. Gittner, Abhilash Perisetti, Anshul Saxena, Aamrin Rafiq, Kemesha Gabbidon, Sarah Mende, Maria Lyuksyutova

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Background . Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Disparities in some characteristics of breast cancer patients and their survival data for six randomly selected states in the US were examined. Materials and Methods . A probability random sampling method was used to select the records of 2,000 patients from each of six randomly selected states. Demographic and disease characteristics were extracted from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. To evaluate relationships between variables, we employed a Cox Proportional Regression to compare survival times in the different states. Results . Iowa had the highest mean age …

Jiann-Ping Hsu College Of Public Health Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• A Message from the Dean
• In Retrospect
• Alarming Obesity Study
• How Safe are Public Schools?
• On the Front Lines of a Plague
• Faculty Spotlight
• Research Spotlight
• Study Shows Mothers are More Sleep-deprived
• Student Spotlight
• Alumni Spotlight

Evaluation Of A Childhood Community-Based Comprehensive Asthma Management Program, Stephanie E. Welsh

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: The Dayton Children’s Hospital Comprehensive Asthma Management Program incorporates Community Health Worker (CHW) interventions to improve child asthma control and reduce urgent health resource utilization.

Methods: Children in grades two to five with parent- or physician-identified asthma received one of three levels of intervention, based on self-selection by caregivers: (1) child asthma education; (2) child and caregiver asthma education; (3) child and caregiver asthma education, plus home assessments. Child Asthma Risk Assessment Tool (CARAT) scores were collected before intervention to assess risk. Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) scores and urgent health visit numbers were collected before and after intervention. …

A Risk Factor Tool For United States Teenage Pregnancy: Adapting A Tool From The United Kingdom, Kanchen Loganathan

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

With a population of 42 million, one out of every eight people living in the United States is an adolescent. Current data show that half of American adolescents today are engaging in sexual activity, and one in eight adolescent females will become pregnant before the age of 20. The number of teenage pregnancies have declined over the past decade due to increased contraception, and more efforts to educate adolescents on safe sex. Newer research also reports that pregnancy during an adolescent’s teenage years may not be as detrimental to their lives as once thought. However, teenage pregnancy has been linked …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Diabetes And Menstrual Cycle Irregularities, Kailyn Leanne Conner

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

Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between menstrual cycle irregularity and several key variables, and to determine whether the odds of diabetic women self-reporting menstrual cycle irregularities is greater than non-diabetic women self-reporting menstrual cycle irregularities.

Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Kentucky Women’s Health Registry from 2006 to 2014. The data was restricted based on age (used as a proxy for menopause status) and self-reported pregnancy and breastfeeding status, as well as eligibility to menstruate, yielding a final population of 4,256 participants for analysis. Basic statistical frequency analyses were conducted, stratified by menstrual cycle …

Cadmium Exposure And Residence-To-Road Proximity In Eastern Kentucky, Ellen Flora

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

Background and Objectives

Cadmium is a carcinogenic and toxic metal. The general population can be exposed to cadmium from multiple sources. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of urinary cadmium and residence distance-to-road by performing landscape analyses in eastern Kentucky, a region where smoking prevalence is high, coal production has been a primary industry, and the landscape is predominantly undeveloped. Composite dust samples were also collected and analyzed for Cadmium (Cd), Manganese (Mn), and Zinc (Zn). The primary objective of this study is to ascertain if there is an association between participants with elevated accumulated cadmium …

Filling The Gap In Obesity Prevention: Implementation Of The General’S Activity Program (Gap) In Carroll County, Kentucky, Brent Emerson

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

As obesity rates continue to rise, there is a significant need for public health programs that are able to effectively increase physical activity at the community level. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of negative health outcomes associated with obesity including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer while also strengthening muscles, improving mental health and mood, and increasing average life expectancy. Previous research has supported that one way to increase physical activity at the community level is through social marketing of state and local parks. Through the promotion of parks, community residents are able …

A Comprehensive Multi-Level Approach To Increasing Hpv Vaccination Rates In Rural Kentucky, Jim Weygandt

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

The Graves County Health Department (GCHD) proposes implementation of a multi-level approach to increase Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in Graves County, KY. The approach utilizes multiple evidence-based strategies, including Assessment, Feedback, Incentive, Exchange (AFIX), Vaccines for Children (VFC), Kentucky Immunization Registry (KIR), Comprehensive Clinic Assessment Application (CoCASA), and vaccines per protocol. This proposed project utilizes family medicine and pediatric clinics, pharmacies, and school nurses to deliver the intervention to the target population, which includes 11-12-year-old adolescents residing in Graves County. The objectives of this HPV vaccination-focused intervention align with Healthy People 2020 goals and objectives, the 2012-2013 President’s Cancer …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Open Burning Activity In Kentucky, Jeffrey Scott Blakeman

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

Objectives: To 1) summarize open burning activity observed by the Kentucky Division for Air Quality for a 12-month period and to 2) Identify distinguishing factors of areas having “high” levels of observed open burning compared to areas with “low” levels of open burning.

Methods: Data was collected by performing a records review of open burning investigation documents for the 554 investigation site visits performed by KY DAQ for the time period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

Results: The average number of site visits per county was 4.66 visits. The source material with the highest …

Risk Factors For Self Reported Health Status In The National Health Interview Survey, Kayla Rhea Talbott

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

Purpose: The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how individuals view and analyze their health by evaluating the relationship between self-reported health (SRH) status and several variables representing health and lifestyle characteristics. Assessing the ability of self-reported health status to measure overall health was an additional objective of the study.

Methods: A secondary, cross-sectional study was conducted using information from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey for adults 18 and older. Data were stratified and compared based on a self-rated health status of either excellent or very good, good, or fair and poor, …

Barriers To Glaucoma Case Finding As Perceived By Optometrists In Ireland, Catriona Barrett, Colm O'Brien, John Butler, James Loughman

Articles

Background: This research was designed to provide an in-depth exploration of the perceptions of optometrists relating to the challenges of glaucoma case finding in the Irish health-care system.

Methods: A survey was developed, piloted and distributed for anonymous completion by optometrists registered to practice in Ireland. The survey included 10 five-level Likert items exploring potential barriers to glaucoma detection and a free-text box for participants to comment more broadly.

Results: One hundred and ninety-nine optometrists (27 per cent of registrants) responded to the survey. Among the barriers identified, there was notable agreement (71 per cent) with the need for extra …

Examining The Relationship Between Tobacco Use And Perceptions Of A New Tobacco-Free Campus Policy, Caroline T. Lathi

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of tobacco-free policy benefits and enforcement on a campus with a tobacco free policy. Young adults aged 18 to 24 have the highest rate of tobacco use compared with all other age groups in the United States, and are the most targeted by the tobacco industry. Experts recommend that smoke-free and tobacco-free areas are the most effective ways to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and encourage cessation. Surveys were distributed on a campus three years after the implementation of the tobacco-free policy. The study included 198 participants (n=198) and 14% …

Avian And Pandemic Influenza Knowledge And Risk Perception In Southern Minnesota, Holly Munch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Avian influenza is an important public health issue because such viruses have the potential to mutate into a pandemic influenza virus with widespread, even global, morbidity and mortality. Studies have indicated that knowledge about avian and pandemic influenza and perception of pandemic risk are low among the public and even in the health professions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the level of avian and pandemic influenza knowledge and risk perception among adults in southern Minnesota with a view to preparing effective educational interventions and improving preparedness for an influenza pandemic. An 18-question electronic survey was administered to 99 people …