Public Health Commons^™

Effects Of The Environment On Recovery And Neuroplasticity In Brain Injury Patients, Rebekkah Mclellan

Student Scholar Showcase

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury each year, making the topic of brain plasticity and patient recovery an important area of study. An added element is understanding whether biological, social, and environmental factors can impact the recovery and plasticity of the patient’s brain. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate if the environment surrounding an individual who has sustained a brain injury affects their recovery and neuroplasticity. The databases used for the scope of this review included LC OneSearch, Medline, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar. Key words included brain …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Hiv Risk Behaviors Using A Nationally Representative Sample From 2011 And 2012, Elaine Loudermilk, Megan Quinn, Liang Wang

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with negative physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. A limited amount of literature has discussed the impact of individual ACEs on HIV risk behaviors using nationally representative data.

Objective: This study investigated how ACEs impact HIV risk behaviors using cross-sectional data from the 2011 and 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Methods: Data were obtained from BRFSS for 2011 and 2012. Only states that answered the optional ACE questionnaire were included in the study. All ten ACEs were categorized into abuse (parents physically hurt you in any way or parents …

Identifying Motivators And Barriers For Wellness Programs To Inform Recruitment And Retention Of Diabetes Prevention Programs (Dpps), Beenish Kamran, Kate Beatty, Leighanne Hurst, Deborah L. Slawson

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has increased greatly in incidence in the United States over the past decade. Diagnosis of T2DM is typically preceded by insulin resistance, which is typically indicated by increases in fasting blood sugar and called pre-diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a group-based program focused on improving diet and maintaining consistent exercise towards a lower body weight. It has been found that minimum weight loss and 150 minutes of moderate exercise is more effective at preventing T2DM than medication-based treatment. Therefore, the DPP has potential in preventing T2DM however currently faces obstacles concerning recruitment …

Association Between Smoking And Functional Outcome In Acute Ischemic Stroke Population Treated With Tissue Plasminogen Activator, Iretioluwa Ajani, Oluyemi R. Rotimi, Olubunmi Kuku, Ndukwe Kalu, Olakunle Oni, Christian Nwabueze, Thomas Nathaniel, Shimin Zheng

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Association between Smoking and Functional Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Population Treated with Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Iretioluwa Ajani¹, Oluyemi Rotimi¹, Olubunmi Kuku¹, Ndukwe Kalu¹, Olakunle Oni¹, Nwabueze Christian¹,Thomas Nathaniel², Shimin Zheng^1*

¹Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614

²Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208

*Sponsoring faculty

Background

The effect of smoking on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with …

Increasing Fruits And Vegetable Consumption Among Snap Recipients Through An Innovative Prescription Program: Appalachian Farmacy, Kiriinya Mwirigi, Beenish Kamran

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction:

Food insecurity prevalence in Washington County, TN is 14.3% yet 61% of SNAP eligible residents are food insecure. Food insecurity is associated with inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as increased risk of chronic disease. Tennessee ranks 47^th in the Nation with only 6.7% consuming the recommended fruits and vegetable intake. The Farmacy Pilot Program was developed to encourage increased consumption of produce and to reduce food insecurity among SNAP recipients.

Methods:

This program provided vouchers to SNAP recipients and their families to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market and in the grocery …

Factors That Affect Early Sexual Initiation In A Sample Of College Students In North-East Tennessee: The Role Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Economic Hardship, Family Structure And Religiosity., Oluyemi R. Rotimi, Hima Bindu Dubasi, Ruby Yadav, Mildred Maisonet

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Background

Normal adolescent development often involves sexual activity. Early sexual initiation poses a challenge to health and well-being. In 2015, Tennessee had the 9^th highest teen birth rate in the country. The structural, social and economic environments of growth define sexual risk taking, with poverty, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) religiosity and family structure known to affect adolescent and adult health. This study seeks to explore the effect of these factors on early sexual initiation.

Methods

A sample of college students taking the introductory psychology course participated in the study through the ETSU SONA system. They completed a self-reported web-based …

Defining Relationships Between Medication Adherence, Medical Mistrust, And Self-Medication, Mikayla Carlton

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this research is to delve into the topics of medication adherence, medical mistrust, and resulting or concomitant self-medication in order to define relationships and suggest solutions. There seems to be a relationship between greater medical mistrust and lower levels of medication adherence, as well as patients’ likelihood to self-medicate. Lack of medication adherence contributes to chronic disease and an increase in spending toward treatment both by the patient and the health-care industry over time. Medical mistrust has the potential to negatively influence medication adherence as it may prevent people from even seeking treatment. Self-medication may result from …

Critères D’Aménagement Sécuritaire Et Ergonomique Des Postes De Haleur Et De Support À Casiers Des Homardiers Du Québec, Francis Coulombe, Sylvie Montreuil, Jean-Guy Richard, Michel Tremblay

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La pratique de la pêche commerciale est reconnue comme l’un des métiers les plus dangereux à l’échelle mondiale. Entre 2012 et 2014, elle a fait l’objet de deux projets de recherche qui ont été réalisés en Gaspésie et aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Le premier visait à analyser les activités de travail et les risques de chute par-dessus bord des homardiers ainsi que leurs déterminants, tandis que le deuxième consistait en l’étude des aménagements aux postes de travail « haleur et support à casiers ». La présente recherche découle de ces projets et porte sur l’amélioration de l’ergonomie et de la sécurité de …

Hiv Clustering In Mississippi: Spatial Epidemiological Study To Inform Implementation Science In The Deep South, Thomas J. Stopka, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Kendra Johnson, Philip A. Chan, Marga Hutcheson, Richard A. Crosby, Deirdre Burke, Leandro Mena, Amy Nunn

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, more than half of new HIV infections in the United States occur among African Americans in the Southeastern United States. Spatial epidemiological analyses can inform public health responses in the Deep South by identifying HIV hotspots and community-level factors associated with clustering.

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify and characterize HIV clusters in Mississippi through analysis of state-level HIV surveillance data.

Methods: We used a combination of spatial epidemiology and statistical modeling to identify and characterize HIV hotspots in Mississippi census tracts (n=658) from 2008 to 2014. We conducted spatial analyses of all …

Involuntary Sterilization Among Hiv-Positive Garifuna Women From Honduras Seeking Asylum In The United States: Two Case Reports, Holly G. Atkinson, Deborah Ottenheimer

Publications and Research

Voluntary sterilization is one of the most widely used forms of contraception by women worldwide; however, involuntary sterilization is considered a violation of multiple human rights and grounds for asylum in the United States. Women have been disproportionately affected by this practice. We report two cases of involuntary sterilization in HIV-positive Garifuna women from Honduras who sought asylum in America and were medically evaluated at the request of their attorneys. Key lessons can be drawn from these cases with regard to the importance of medical evaluations in establishing persecution. These include the need for a detailed account of the events …

Abstracts From The 24th Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, April 11–13, 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Founded in 1994, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) is a consortium of 18 research centers that are housed in community-based health systems. The organization's annual conference serves as a venue for research teams to disseminate scientific findings, stimulate new collaborations, and share insights about conducting research in real-world care-delivery settings. Abstracts accepted for presentation at HCSRN 2018 are published within this supplement of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Guide Lines Vol. I, Issue 14 - April 2018, College Of Health And Human Services

GUIDE Lines

No abstract provided.

The Contributing Factors To Adolescent Depression, Josie H. Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: This paper reviews individual, familial, peer, and societal factors influencing adolescent depression in developed countries. Background: Depression usually onsets at adolescence and contributes to high DALYs. Since depression is treatable, efforts should be made to reduce its prevalence and effect. Methods: The research consisted of looking at literature relevant to the topic and age group and conducting interviews with experts who know about and have worked with adolescent depression. Discussion: Adolescents begins at the onset of puberty, allowing different biological factors such as genetics, stress of puberty, and cognitive changes to increase vulnerability to depression. Adolescents who had substance …

Addressing Extreme Vulnerability: Remaining Barriers To Neonatal Healthcare Delivery In Conflict Areas, Olivia Palmer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Global statistics show that world-wide neonatal mortality rates are not yet within the target range set by Sustainable Development Goals and reflect persistent violations of the fundamental right to health for newborns around the world. While there is a wide base of knowledge on the main causes of death and minimum standards of care for neonatal health in stable and low-resource settings, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding the unique circumstances of neonatal healthcare situated in conflict settings. The main objectives of this research are to elaborate on the current state of neonatal healthcare in conflict areas and …

News From The Graduate School - Allied Health, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

Newsletter that provides updates from the Graduate School and the Allied Health Graduate Program.

Vaccine Epidemiology And Decision-Making: A Bryant Student Focus, Hannah Coburn

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that influenza has resulted in between 9.2 and 35.6 million illnesses and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010 (1). Annual influenza vaccination remains to be the most effective way in controlling the spread and symptom severity of influenza infections (1). Influenza infections are especially virulent on college campuses as a dense population of students interact in close quarters such as shared housing, bathrooms, dining halls, classrooms, and social activities (2). Despite influenza vaccinations being safe, effective, easily accessible to Bryant University students, and free of cost, many students choose not …

Violencia Obstétrica: Los Derechos De Autonomía Reproductiva, Tratamiento Justo Y Accesibilidad En El Ámbito De La Salud Maternal En San Carlos, Salta / Obstetric Violence: The Rights To Reproductive Autonomy, Fair Treatment, And Accessibility Of Maternal Health Services In San Carlos, Salta, Emily Gleason

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Argentina, there exists a national legislature (Ley N° 25.929 and 26.485) that is intended to ensure women’s rights to maternal and reproductive healthcare services free from obstetric violence; that is, the right to autonomy, fair treatment, and accessibility of maternal healthcare services. Women have the inherent right to receive fair and equitable maternal healthcare and receive humanized births, or partos humanizados. Despite the existence of these laws, however, there is still a rampant amount of obstetric violence that women in Argentina experience. Their rights to autonomous, accessible, and just maternal health services are often ignored or outright denied. …

Articulación Y Apoyo Del Programa De Los Agentes Sanitarios De Mendoza: De La Teoría A La Práctica / Coordination And Support In Mendoza’S Community Health Worker Program: From Theory To Practice, Kelly Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Desde que fue publicada la resolución de la Alma-Ata, varios sistemas de salud al nivel mundial han implementado programas de agentes sanitarios para ayudar en el cumplimiento de la estrategia de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) y el aseguramiento de la salud como derecho humano. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, varios investigadores identificaron obstáculos comunes que enfrentan los agentes sanitarios en el alcance de sus tareas como resultado de la falta de apoyo que reciben por el sistema de salud. En forma sucesiva, dicha falta de apoyo ocasionó daño potencial para su capacidad de contribuir …

Salud Callejera: La Atención Primaria De Salud En Los Márgenes De La Ciudad De Buenos Aires Redes De Cuidado De Una Organización De La Sociedad Civil Para Personas En Situación De Calle / Street Health: Primary Care In The Margins Of The Ciudad De Buenos Aires Care Networks Of A Civil Society Organization For Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, Brandon Morande

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En 2017, unos 4.393 individuos pernoctaron en las calles de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA). Sin una vivienda segura, las personas en situación de calle (PSC) padecen tasas más elevadas de traumatismos, enfermedades transmisibles y crónicas y síntomas de depresión. No obstante, dos terceras partes de las PSC no realizan controles anuales de salud, con la mayoría solo atendiéndose en la guardia cuando se vuelve grave su condición. Frente a brechas percibidas en servicios estatales, se plantea indagar en las acciones de cuidado de redes de la Sociedad Civil (SC) para abordar las necesidades sanitarias de las PSC …

Surveying Access To Healthcare In Kisumu And Siaya Counties, Kenya, Quinn Alsheimer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand the barriers that many Kenyans face towards accessing healthcare. This study was conducted in Kisumu and Siaya Counties, Kenya. Kisumu is an urban environment, whereas Siaya is a rural environment. Throughout both counties, areas with presumably low access to healthcare were surveyed. In Kisumu County, surveys were conducted in three informal settlements: Nyalenda, Obunga, and Manyatta. In Siaya County, surveys were conducted in Simenya Village.

This study has shown that financial accessibility is a large barrier to healthcare throughout the study population, as the majority of study participants felt that healthcare in Kenya is not …

Utilizing Mobile Health Clinics To Improve Health Literacy, Teresa Prinster

Senior Honors Projects

Mobile Health Clinics (MHCs) are an effective method of delivering healthcare by increasing access to populations experiencing healthcare disparities (Yu, Hill, Ricks, Bennet, Oriol, 2017; Edgerly, El-Sayed, Druzin, Kiernan, Daniels, 2007; Guruge, Hunter, Barker, McNally, Magalhaes, 2010; Song, Hill, Bennet, Vavasos, Oriol, 2013; Hill et al., 2012). MCHs primarily serve socio-vulnerable populations, who have similar demographics of individuals with low health literacy, an alterable factor to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes (Yu et al., 2017; Brown-Connolly, Concha & English, 2014; U.S. Department of Human Services, 2000; Nielsen-Bohlman, Panzer, Kindig, 2004; National Institute of Health, 2006; Sanders, Shaw, Guez, …

The Effectiveness Of Needle Exchange Programs In The United States And West Virginia, Margie J. Phillips, Alberto Coustasse, Sara Johnson, Briana Washington

Management Faculty Research

Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) have been controversial aspects of public health care due to conflicting beliefs and opinions for public policies. NEPs have allowed Injection Drug Users the ability to exchange their used equipment for clean, unused supplies. Research into the effectiveness of needle exchange programs and the impact it has had on the reduction of HIV and viral hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs. Injection Drug Users have accounted for 10% of HIV transmission cases in West Virginia, and this state has been ranked as the highest in the whole United States for incidents of Hepatitis C. NEPs …

Perceptions As A Barrier To Emergency Medical Services Utilization Among Syrian Refugees In Jordan, Elizabeth Shan Wang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceptions of emergency medical services (EMS) among Syrian refugees living in urban host communities in Jordan. The research questions are as follows: To what extent do public perceptions of emergency medical services affect the utilization of ambulances? How does awareness about available emergency medical services shape refugees’ attitudes towards it? Because this topic is qualitative and exploratory in the case of Jordan, there was no clear hypothesis. The assumption, however, is that positive perceptions and awareness about EMS can encourage refugees to call an ambulance for transportation to the hospital during a …

The Associations Of Area-Level Crime Rates And Self-Reported Crime Exposure With Adolescent Behavioral Health, Erin Grinshteyn, Haiyong Xu, Brigitte Manteuffel, Susan L. Ettner

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

The effects of witnessing and experiencing crime have seldom been disaggregated. Little research has assessed the effect of multiple exposures to crime. We assess independent contributions of self-reported crime and area-level crime to adolescent behavioral health outcomes. Cross sectional data on 5519 adolescents from the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program was linked to FBI crime rate data to assess associations of mutually exclusive categories of self-reported crime exposure and area-level crime rates with mental health and substance abuse. Self-reported crime exposure was significantly associated with poorer behavioral health. Violent victimization had the largest association …

There’S More To Life Than Being Happy: Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Alex Huntsman

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Doctor [Career Paper], Aquilah Hussain Alsadiq

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Clinical Measurement Of Problem Solving In Children With Autism, Megan Nicole Martin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study examined verbal and non-verbal problem skills in twenty-seven male children 10-16 years of age, twelve with autism and fifteen children who were neurotypical. The goal of this study was to assess problem solving abilities of children with autism when compared to gender and age matched peers. The twenty-seven participants completed two assessments of the Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving and one online assessment of Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. Results of this study showed a .92 reliability of the RAPS for all twenty-seven participants. Correlation between the RAPS and RPM was .419 for all participants. The results of …

Assessment Of Ergonomics In Indian Dental Practice: A Workplace Analysis, Divya Gadde

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Dental practice requires unique working conditions such as prolonged working hours, strained body postures and laborious, high finesse dental techniques. However, it can be more efficiently performed by the application of ergonomics, rather than physically forcing the worker's body to fit the job. Posture is highly influenced by factors such as inadequate working level, incorrect patient positioning, and poor visual comfort. In order to eliminate musculoskeletal disorders it is necessary to control these and other factors, and design the human work environment to be more ergonomic. The aim of this study was to assess ergonomics within Indian dental practice and …

Perceptions’ On The Impact Of Families For Health After-School Program, Kathryn Lane

Health Sciences Student Work

Introduction Studies show that parents send their children to afterschool programs as a form of supervision while they are at work, but studies also stress the importance in the parental role in a child’s ability to retain the skills and concepts that are learning within these programs. So what if there was an afterschool program where parents attended and participated with the children, would this have an effect on the impact of the program? Families for Health is an afterschool program designed to bring Families together while teaching key concepts that lead to a healthy lifestyle, focusing on physical activity …

Best Practices For Implementing Health Coaching Into An Employee Health And Wellness Program, Caryn Bettencourt

Health Sciences Student Work

Background: Many employers, from all different types of industries, offer wellness programs for their employees. The goal of these “worksite” wellness programs is to give their employees access to health programs to help them improve their health status. Through these worksite health initiatives the employers have been able to realize an increase in productivity through decrease in both absenteeism and presenteeism. The employers offer a diverse array of programs to reduce health risks or support healthy choices. Health coaching is often included in these worksite offerings. Health coaching is a partnership between the employee and the health coach to work …