Public Health Commons^™

Contributing Factors Of Obesity Among Over-The-Road Truckers, Shari Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity among over-the-road truckers (OTRs) is an epidemic creating significant public health issues among this population. The consequences of obesity (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease) put both truckers' health and their medical clearance at significant risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender, physical activity, diet, and sleep on obesity among OTRs. Through a socioecological lens, this study examined whether obesity is significantly impacted by gender, physical activity, nutrition, and sleep. This study also examined the impact of the trucking environment on obesity. The study used a quantitative research design and data were collected through a …

Nursing Student's Breast Cancer Knowledge And Breast- Self Examination Technique Confidence, Lydia E. Gaud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Several factors have been identified that interfere with women's breast cancer screening practices, including lack of knowledge and confidence in the breast self-examination (BSE) technique, and lack of information provided by health care provider. One of the reasons nurses do not teach breast cancer detection could be the little emphasis given to breast cancer examination in nursing schools. The BSE is a measure of significant value in detecting cancer of the breast. However, less than half of the women in the United States are …

Testing A Psychological Readiness Training Intervention On Ptsd, Depression, Anxiety, & Stress In First Responders, Renee Kosor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exposure to traumatic events is rare for the general public but common for first responders. However, there is little proactive emotional health care occurring inside the first responder community. No preventive treatment for depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD exists. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a psychological readiness training intervention on 361 police officers and firefighters in a medium-size Midwestern city. A combined positive psychological capital and cognitive behavior therapy approach was used to frame the study. This study used a pretest, posttest quasi-experimental design. The participants were a convenience sample of 119 volunteers from …

Screening For Alcohol Use/Abuse In The Primary Care Setting Using The Audit-C And Sbirt (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment), Whitney D. Spear

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of alcohol screening in the primary care setting to detect alcohol abuse or misuse using the AUDIT-C standardized screening tool and SBIRT.

METHODS: This study design was a Quasi-Experimental intervention, one group post-test. Data was collected via retrospective chart review from the electronic medical records by the type of office visit; either new patient initial visit or annual well visit. The patient sample consisted of 25 participants for the study period of September 19^th through October 10^th, 2017.

RESULTS: There were 37 patients eligible to participate …

Use Of The Afix Model To Improve Adolescent Hpv Vaccination: A Pilot Research Study, Emily Messerli

DNP Projects

Problem: The CDC estimates one person every 20 minutes every day acquires an HPV-related cancer. Kentucky’s HPV associated cancer burden is among the highest in the nation. Adolescent HPV vaccination rates in Kentucky are far below HealthyPeople 2020 goals. Barriers are multifaceted and include provider, patient and system barriers. The AFIX model is an evidenced based quality improvement program that addresses key provider barriers. The USPSTF findings identify a gap in the literature related to AFIX methods to improve rates of adolescent vaccines.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention using the AFIX …

A Secondary Analysis Of Survey Data Evaluating The Lifelines Suicide Prevention Program Among Middle School Students, Nicki Sullivan

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate student feedback of the 2015 Lifelines Suicide Prevention Program at Jessie Clark Middle School. Student feedback was examined by assessing students’ knowledge of suicide, attitudes toward suicide, knowledge of when and from whom to seek help if feeling suicidal or told by a friend that they are suicidal, and impressions of the educational presentation following participation in the Lifelines Suicide Prevention Program.

METHODS: In this secondary analysis, anonymous student responses (N=269) from a 2015 middle school survey were examined by using a mixed method design with the quantitative study measures being …

Evaluating Loss To Follow-Up In Newborn Hearing Screening In A Southern State, Elizabeth L. Crouch, Janice Probst, Kevin J. Bennett, Tara Carroll

Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine loss to follow-up (LTFU) for diagnostic or early intervention (EI) services for South Carolina infants screened or diagnosed with hearing loss, and the risk factors associated with LTFU.

Design: A cross sectional analysis of data from South Carolina was used to examine LTFU for the use of audiologic evaluation services after initial newborn hearing screening and receipt of EI services after confirmation of hearing loss.

Results: Three percent (3.1%) of newborns screened in the state of South Carolina did not pass their hearing screening in 2013. Nearly half (49.1%) of those …

Knowledge And Use Of E-Cigarettes And Risk Perception In Brazil: Results From A Country With Strict Regulatory Requirements, Tânia Maria Vavalcante, André Salem Szklo, Cristina De Abreu Perez, James Thrasher Phd, Moyses Szklo, Janine Ouimet, Shannon Gravely, Geoffrey T. Fong, Liz Maria De Almeida

Faculty Publications

Due to uncertainties about the impact of electronic cigarettes on health, Brazil adopted, in 2009, a regulation that prohibited the sale, importation and advertising of these products until manufacturers can demonstrate that they are safe and/or effective in smoking cessation. The objective of the study was to analyze among Brazilian smokers: (1) knowledge about the existence of electronic cigarettes, lifetime use, and recent use; (2) risk perception of e-cigarettes compared to conventional cigarettes; and (3) factors correlated with knowledge and perception of risk. This is a cross-sectional study among Brazilian smokers (≥ 18 years old) using a replacement sample from …

The Effect Of A Multicomponent Intervention And Exercise Calender For Falls Prevention And Improve Quality Of Life Among The Elderly In Nakornnayok Thailand, Sipapa Pummarak

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Falls among the elderly caused by many factors and situations. The researcher has identified falls risk factors, and these were commonly grouped as either intrinsic factors (related to the elderly themselves, such as a history of fall, fear of falling, muscle weakness, poor balance) and extrinsic (outside of the individual, hazard environmental, polypharmacy use). Elderly who had fallen may suffer, injuries, disability affecting the quality of life of the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a multicomponent and exercise calendar to prevent falls and improve quality of life among the elderly people in Nakornnayok province, Thailand. This …

Effectiveness Of Healthy E-Elderly People Intervention (Hepi) Application For Reduction Health Effects From Mobile Communication Device And Application Usages Among Elderly People In Thailand, Wachiraporn Wilaiwan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The trend of using mobile devices amongst the elderly population is continuously increasing. This study consisted of three phases. The first phase aimed to survey the situation of mobile communication device and application usages among elderly users in Thailand through the use a questionnaire survey as well as face-to-face interviews was used for data collection. The number of the participants in first phase was 448 elderly people. The participants mostly used mobile communication devices and applications in the morning and in the evening. The information in first phase was used to develop mobile applications in this study. The second phase …

Factors Influencing Quality Of Life Among Elderly Population With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Clinic Based Cross Sectional Study In Kathmandu Valley, Kriti Adhikari

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Background: Diabetes is one of the four priority non communicable disease whose worldwide prevalence is at an increasing trend and is accompanied by deterioration of quality of life especially that of the elderly population. Several factors contribute to influence quality of life among the elderly; therefore, this study aims to identify the factors that influence quality of life among elderly population of Kathmandu valley, Nepal Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among random sample of 310 elderly diabetic patients visiting diabetic clinic of Kathmandu Diabetes and Thyroid center in Kathmandu valley, Nepal. Translated Nepali version of WHOQOL BREF was …

On The Depressive Nature Of The “Burnout Syndrome”: A Clarification, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Pierre Vandel, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Key theoretical arguments and empirical findings converge to suggest that the burnout construct captures a depressive phenomenon. The reluctance to consider burnout a depressive condition may be due to (a) a neglect of the stress–depression relationship and (b) a difficulty coordinating dimensional and categorical approaches to psychopathology in burnout research. The dimensions and categories constitute two ways of describing (psychopathological) phenomena. Thus, dimensions and categories should be heuristically combined rather than opposed: burnout and depression can be studied both as ‘‘processes’’ or ‘‘end-states’’. Clarifying what burnout actually is matters in terms of conceptual parsimony, theoretical integration, nosological consistency, interventional effectiveness, …

Physician Burnout Is Better Conceptualised As Depression, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Ronald Epstein and Michael Privitera reported that burnout affects more than half of practising physicians. The authors additionally warned against confusing burnout with depression. For two reasons we are concerned with the validity of these conclusions. First, there is now robust evidence that burnout is a depressive condition. Second, the published estimates of burnout’s prevalence rely on clinically groundless criteria, cobbled together without any rationale.

Can We Trust Burnout Research?, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Banerjee et al. recently attempted to estimate the ‘prevalence’ of burnout among European oncologists.Studies of burnout’s ‘prevalence’ are flourishing in the medical literature, with their cortege of arbitrary estimates. We think that it is high time to reconsider the way burnout is conceived and assessed, in order to avoid a trivialization of the job stress phenomenon and allow for a more rational allocation of our (limited) interventional resources. Recasting burnout as a work-related depressive condition may be a critical step in this process.

Do Burnout Researchers Go Around In Circles?, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

The incessant reports on the burnout syndrome contrasts sharply with the validity of burnout research. Major problems in the definition and discriminant validity of burnout prevent investigators from getting a clear view of how job stress affects physicians’ health. The inability to distinguish a case of burnout from a non-case is only one of many signs that burnout research is problematic. Burnout researchers should face this reality rather than ignore it.

Predictors Of Loss To Follow-Up Among Children With Type 2 Diabetes., Ashley Shoemaker, Peiyao Cheng, Robin L. Gal, Craig Kollman, William V. Tamborlane, Georgeanna J. Klingensmith, Mark A. Clements, Tamara S. Hannon, Rubina Heptulla, Joane Less, Jamie Wood, Pediatric Diabetes Consortium

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Youth with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have poor compliance with medical care. This study aimed to determine which demographic and clinical factors differ between youth with T2D who receive care in a pediatric diabetes center versus youth lost to follow-up for >18 months.

METHODS: Data were analyzed from 496 subjects in the Pe-diatric Diabetes Consortium registry. Enrollment variables were selected a priori and analyzed with univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS: After a median of 1.3 years from enrollment, 55% of patients were lost to follow-up. The final model included age, race/ethnicity, parent education, and estimated distance to …

Prevention Of Ovarian And Endometrial Cancer By Combined Oral Contraceptives: A Demographics Study, Joanna S. Heywood

CMC Senior Theses

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer with 54,870 cases occurring in the United States in 2015 and causing 10,170 deaths, an 18.5% mortality rate (Elit and Reade, 2015). Ovarian cancer, while less common, is much more fatal. In 2015 in the United States, 21,290 cases occurred and resulted in 14,180 deaths, a 66.6% mortality rate. This mortality rate makes ovarian cancer the fifth most deadly cancer for women in the United States, which is largely explained by ineffective screening strategies and limited treatment possibilities (Cramer, 2012). Thus, developing effective prevention strategies is especially important to saving the lives …

Measuring Gender Equality In Education: Lessons From 43 Countries, Stephanie Psaki, Katharine Mccarthy, Barbara Mensch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Through the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), governments committed to achieving universal secondary school completion, including eliminating gender disparities, by 2030. The period from 1997 to 2014 saw considerable progress in closing gender gaps in school enrollment and attainment in many, but not all, low- and middle-income countries. However, as this research brief explains, claims that gender parity in primary education now exists are premature, especially in the poorest countries and new gender gaps, or gender-related challenges, may emerge as attainment increases. Moreover, the extremely low levels of secondary school enrollment—and even moreso completion—demonstrate that the SDG target of universal …

Moving Public Health Learners To The Skeptical Edge With Information Creation As A Process, Xan Goodman

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Personality Style, Perceptions Of Health Coaching And Percent Of Starting Weight In Meal Replacement Program Participants, Anne E. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine if personality style and an individual’s perception of their health coaching experience impact their ability to lose weight and/or maintain weight loss. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to 20,000 current and past meal replacement program participants. Personality style was assessed via the Ten Item Personality Inventory, providing individual perceptions of each of the Big Five personality domains (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience). The Working Alliance Inventory (Short Revised) was used to assess three key perceptions of health coaching: 1) agreement on the goals of coaching (goal), 2) agreement on the tasks of …

Goals Of Exclusive Breastfeeding And The Effectiveness Of Programs And Initiatives In Attaining Them, Natalie Scott

Senior Honors Theses

Over recent years, breastfeeding has gained renewed significance in research and practice. Both in the United States and around the world, especially in poor countries that do not have easy access to quality healthcare, breastfeeding has been shown to dramatically and positively affect the health and lifespan of infants. However, there is still a low prevalence of effective breastfeeding practices universally. Even with the presence of global programs and goals that are geared toward exclusive breastfeeding habits, global rates are lower than what is desired. There are various determinants of breastfeeding that factor into a woman’s decision and practice of …

Public Health Briefs: The 15th Annual Michigan Epidemiology Conference

Michigan Journal of Public Health

This conference was designed to “foster communication and collaboration between epidemiologists in Michigan, and to promote epidemiology and public health through training, research and advocacy." Presenters at the 2105 Epidemiology Conference were invited to submit their abstracts for publication in the Michigan Journal of Public Health.

Abstracts include:

ROADMAP TO ELIMINATE HAIS

Dianne McCagg, APRN, B.C., MSN, MPRO

DISPARITIES IN HIV INFECTION AND CARE: FOCUS ON HISPANICS

Janae Wilson, M.S., Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

IS RISK OF CANNABIS DEPENDENCE LOWER FOR ‘CANNABIS ONLY’ USERS?

Karl Alcover, BA, Michigan State University

ESTIMATING FUTURE HEAT-RELATED MORTALITY DUE TO EXTREME …

Difference Between Male And Female Workers Lifting The Same Relative Load When Palletizing Boxes, André Plamondon, Christian Larivière, Denys Denis, Hakim Mecheri, Iuliana Nastasia

Études primaires

A few biomechanical studies have contrasted the work techniques of female and male workers during manual material handling (MMH). A recent study showed that female workers differed from males mostly in the strategy they used to lift 15-kg boxes from the ground, especially regarding task duration, knee and back postures and interjoint coordination. However, the lifting technique difference observed in females compared to males was perhaps due to a strength differences. The objective of this study was to test whether female workers would repeat the same lifting technique with a load adjusted to their overall strength (females: 10 kg; males: …

Effect Of Local Magnetic Field Disturbances On Inertial Measurement Units Accuracy, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

Inertial measurement units (IMUs), a practical motion analysis technology for field acquisition, have magnetometers to improve segment orientation estimation. However, sensitivity to magnetic disturbances can affect their accuracy. The objective of this study was to determine the joint angles accuracy of IMUs under different timing of magnetic disturbances of various durations and to evaluate a few correction methods. Kinematics from 12 individuals were obtained simultaneously with an Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster acting as the reference system was affixed to each IMU. A handling task was executed under normal laboratory conditions and imposed magnetic disturbances. Joint angle RMSE was …

The Effect Of An 8-Week Stabilization Exercise Program On The Lumbopelvic Rhythm And Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon, Ali Shahvarpour, Sharon M. Henry, Richard Preuss, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Background

Lumbar stabilization exercise programs should normalize the aberrant movements patterns often observed in patients with low back pain. This study aimed to determine the effect of an 8-week lumbar stabilization program on EMG/kinematics measures of the aberrant movement patterns in such patients. A secondary goal was to assess the 8-week test-retest reliability of these measures.

Methods

The patients followed an 8-week lumbar stabilization program while no intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period, kinematics of the spine along with the EMG of paraspinal muscles were recorded during trunk maximal flexion-extension. ANOVAs tested the effect …

Validation Of Inertial Measurement Units With An Optoelectronic System For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

The potential of inertial measurement units (IMUs) for ergonomics applications appears promising. However, previous IMUs validation studies have been incomplete regarding aspects of joints analysed, complexity of movements and duration of trials. The objective was to determine the technological error and biomechanical model differences between IMUs and an optoelectronic system and evaluate the effect of task complexity and duration. Whole-body kinematics from 12 participants was recorded simultaneously with a full-body Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster was fixed on every IMU. Short functional movements and long manual material handling tasks were performed and joint angles were compared between the two …

Development And Pilot Testing Of A Behavioral Intervention For Chronic Pain Tailored To Individuals With Hiv, Jessica Merlin

All ETDs from UAB

Background. Chronic pain is a common and disabling comorbidity in individuals living with HIV. Behavioral interventions are among the most effective and safe nonpharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. However, the success of a behavioral intervention is influenced by how well it is tailored to the target population’s biological, psychological, and social context. Given well-documented psychosocial vulnerabilities among persons with HIV, it is critical to develop a behavioral intervention for chronic pain tailored to this population. Objective. To use qualitative methods to investigate patient preferences for the structure and delivery of a behavioral intervention for chronic pain in individuals with HIV. …

Associations Of Food Environment, Mediterranean Diet And Obesity In United States: A Geographic Information System (Gis) Analysis, Meifang Chen

All ETDs from UAB

Given the growing obesity epidemic in the U.S., modifying current obesogenic food environment, and identifying and promoting an obesity-modifying dietary approach that fits in the food environment context are urgent. Emerging evidence indicates that Mediterranean diet (MD) could be a beneficial dietary pattern to protect against overweight/obesity. However, as a relatively new dietary pattern in the U.S., how the unique food environment influences MD adherence, and whether consuming a MD can mediate the relationship between food environment and obesity among the population remain unknown. This dissertation, applying Geographic Information System (GIS) and path analytical methods using data from the REasons …

Phenotypic Characteristics And Dietary Treatment Of Pediatric Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Shima Dowla

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder among children in the developed world and can progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Objectives: The primary objectives of this dissertation were to (1) review advances in the field of pediatric NAFLD, (2) describe the demographic, anthropometric and metabolic characteristics of children with NAFLD and evaluate whether differences existed based on ethnicity and diagnostic method, and (3) compare the effect of a carbohydrate restricted diet vs fat reduced diet on improvement in hepatic steatosis over an 8-week period among overweight and obese children diagnosed with NAFLD. …

Modeling Depression Treatment Strategies For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) Positive Patients, Rongbing Xie

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation empirically examines the associations between depression and HIV-related outcomes, simulates both care and outcomes under different depression care strategies, and compares the cost effectiveness of various depression care strategies to the current care strategy. The empirical investigations reveal the negative associations between depression and HIV-related outcomes using two longitudinal patient-level databases. Furthermore, the patterns and outcomes of depression care are identified and simulated using agent-based modeling. Finally, simulated costs and effectiveness are used to evaluate different depression care strategies for reducing new HIV infections and improving quality of life. The current standard of care for depression among patients …