Public Health Commons^™

Environmental Health Makes A Strong Entry Into The Global One Health Framework In Jamaica, Jason W. Marion, Henroy Scarlett, Priscilla Oliver

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Globally, the environmental health discipline is rapidly being recognized as a critical science-based discipline needed for protecting human, animal, and ecological health. Such recognition and tremendous excitement were achieved as over 400 academicians and practitioners convened in October 2017 at the beautiful seaside Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for the largest and first environmental health conference of its kind on One Health to occur worldwide.

Incidence, Clinical Manifestations And Risk Factors Of Acute Rheumatic Fever: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Global Perspective, Jessica Fritzler

Masters Theses

Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) is a system-wide disease in which chronic, wide spread inflammatory changes occur in response to a group A streptococcal (GAS) infection that most often affects children and adolescents and those from developing countries. The aim of this study is to calculate the global incidence of ARF and identify the frequencies of major and clinical manifestations and risk factors globally to provide a better indication of the burden of disease and additional information on the dispersion of manifestations and risk factors. A meta-analysis was conducted by pooling cross-sectional and cohort studies, and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports …

Addressing Multiple Modifiable Risks Through Structured Community-Based Learning Clubs To Improve Maternal And Infant Health And Infant Development In Rural Vietnam: Protocol For A Parallel Group Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Jane Fisher, Tuan Tran, Stanley Luchters, Thach D. Tran, David B. Hipgrave, Sarah Hanieh, Ha Tran, Julie Simpson, Trang Nguyen, Minh Le, Beverley-Ann Biggs

Population Health, East Africa

Introduction: Optimal early childhood development is an international priority. Risks during pregnancy and early childhood have lasting effects because growth is rapid. We will test whether a complex intervention addressing multiple modifiable risks: maternal nutrition, mental health, parenting capabilities, infant health and development and gender-based violence, is effective in reducing deficient cognitive development among children aged two in rural Vietnam.

Methods and analysis: The Learning Clubs intervention is a structured programme combining perinatal stage-specific information, learning activities and social support. It comprises 20 modules, in 19 accessible, facilitated groups for women at a community centre and one home visit. Evidence-informed …

An Examination Of Athletic Directors' Perceptions Of The Utilization Of Athletic Trainers In The Secondary School Setting, Stephanie H. Clines

Health Services Research Dissertations

Many secondary school athletes are lacking appropriate medical care during sport participation. Athletic trainers (ATs) are qualified healthcare professionals that can fill this need. Barriers to hiring ATs within this setting have been identified, however important information from administrators is lacking on why secondary schools choose to utilize ATs. Understanding this decision making process has the potential to guide future strategies to increase the number of secondary schools that employ ATs and improve retention of athletic training positions within the secondary school setting.

Our objective was to explore athletic directors’ perceptions of the roles and services provided by ATs working …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Medication Adherence Among Hiv-Positive Individuals In Mexico City, Anthony Vajda

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationships among disclosure, social support, exposure to violence, impulsivity, depression, stressors, and medication adherence, using a correlational design and a sequential logistic regression. The researcher used two samples of 146 from an archival data set of participants to create two subsets of the data (Data Set 1 & Data Set 2). These participants had been diagnosed with a mental illness and were prescribed a medication regimen for HIV treatment at the time of intake in a specialized clinic in Mexico City. Archival data was obtained through a demographic intake questionnaire and the use of valid and …

Current Radiation Safety Practices Of United States Dental Hygienists, Kimberly Lintag

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: The purpose of this study was to determine licensed dental hygienists’ current radiation safety practices.

Methods: Data was collected with a 22 item, IRB exempt online survey administered to a sample of 1,500 U.S. dental hygienists who were subscribers of a professional journal. Questions focused on respondents’ use of ADA selection criteria guidelines, policies implemented by their dental practice, and hand-held portable x-ray device use and training. A response rate of 38% (N=566) was obtained. Cross tabulations were obtained using logistic regression and general linear models for significance at a 0.05 level.

Results: A majority of respondents had an …

Behavioral Determinants Of Exercise-Related Injury Prevention Program Participation, Emily M. Hartley

Health Services Research Dissertations

Lower extremity injuries are common among the physically active population. There are many negative consequences associated with these injuries which have led to a shift in clinical practice towards prevention. Exercise-related injury prevention programs (ERIPPs) were created to prevent musculoskeletal injuries that occur due to participation in physical activity. However, one of the major limitations to their effectiveness is the compliance of the users to complete the prescribed exercises. It is imperative to better understand the reasons why compliance is low to develop implementation strategies and improve compliance rates.

The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to gain a better …

Families Communicating About Health: Conceptualization And Validation Of The Family Health Communication Quotient Scale, Erin E. Gafner

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

Research on family health communication is based in part on the assumption that families actually communicate about a wide variety of topics pertaining to their health and wellness (or lack thereof). However, whether they do communicate about health and wellness, and exactly what they communicate about concerning health and wellness as well as how often, remains undocumented. To begin to address this problem of documenting the extent to which families talk about health and wellness, this study adapted Warren and Neer’s (1986) Family Sex Communication Quotient to create and report the preliminary validation of a new measurement instrument called the …

Diabetes Prevention Program: Exploring Spirituality And Spiritual Interventions On Outcomes, Sharon E. Plutko Long

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore a relationship between a modified Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for adults with pre-diabetes (pre-DM) or type-2 DM with variables of spirituality and religiosity (S/R) to illuminate the potential religion-health connection based in changes in participant weight, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. A secondary purpose is identifying spiritual interventions used by faith-based DPP coaches in a group setting.

Methods

A mixed-methods study was conducted with 34 DPP participants and 11 DPP coaches who completed the core section (weeks 1-26) of DPP courses held in Macomb Country, Michigan. Independent variables are …

Evaluating The Trustworthiness Of Consumer-Oriented Health Websites On Diabetes, Shahabedin Rahmatizadeh, Saeideh Valizadeh-Haghi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Objective: The patients involvement in disease management can decrease economic burden on diabetic patients and society. Quality health information may help patients to involve in their health management. Thus, individuals need to find the additional information from other information resources such as health websites. Nevertheless, health websites vary in quality and reliability. Therefore, it is of great importance to identify trustable health websites on diabetes. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the reliability of health websites concerning diabetes.

Materials and methods: The keyword ‘’diabetes mellitus ‘’ was entered as a search term into the three …

Dietary Habits And Lifestyle In School-Aged Children From Bucharest, Romania, Anca Pantea Stoian, Liliana F. Andronache, Razvan Hainarosie, Dan N. Paduraru, Cristinel D. Badiu, Andreea Arsene, Claudia Mehedintu, Georgiana Ditu, Silviu M. Pituru, Cristina Orlov, Mihaela Oros, Cornelia Nitipir

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. This study evaluated the difference between boys and girls in terms of nutritional status, lifestyle, and dietary habits during school life.

Materials and Methods. A descriptive and observational study was conducted in 2016, in which 251 children, aged 7-17, from 3 elementary schools and a high school inBucharest,Romania, were evaluated. A questionnaire was used to assess food behavior, eating, and lifestyle habits.

Results. Boys had a significantly higher waist circumference (71.18±9) than girls (67.46±9.91) (p=0.004). Thus 27% of boys were overweight or obese compared with only 22% of the girls. Differences were also seen between the two groups in …

Epidemiology News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Collaborates on Community-Engaged Energy Balance Interventions

Jail, An Unappreciated Medical Home: Assessing The Feasibility Of A Strengths-Based Case Management Intervention To Improve The Care Retention Of Hiv-Infected Persons Once Released From Jail, Anne C. Spaulding, Ana Drobeniuc, Paula M. Frew, Tiffany L. Lemon, Emeli J. Anderson, Colin Cerwonka, Chava Bowden, John Freshley, Carlos Del Rio

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background Linkage to and retention in care for US persons living with HIV (PLWH) after release from jail usually declines. We know of no rigorously evaluated behavioral interventions that can improve this. We hypothesized that a strengths-based case management intervention that we developed for PLWH leaving jail would increase linkage/retention in care (indicated by receipt of laboratory draws) and a suppressed HIV viral load (VL) in the year following release. Methods and findings We conducted a quasi-experimental feasibility study of our intervention for PLWH jailed in Atlanta. We recruited 113 PLWH in jail starting in 2014. “SUCCESS” (Sustained, Unbroken Connection …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Epidemiologists as Preceptors

Family Impact Seminar 2018: The Kids Are Not All Right: Policy Options To Address Youth Trauma In Massachusetts, Denise Hines, Laurie Ross Ph.D, Marianne Sarkis Ph.D

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Family Impact Seminars are a series of annual seminars, briefing reports, and discussion sessions that provide up-to-date, solution-oriented research on current issues for state legislators and their aides. The seminars provide objective, nonpartisan research on current issues and do not lobby for particular policies. Seminar participants discuss policy options and identify common ground where it exists.

The Kids are NOT All Right: Policy Options to Address Youth Trauma in Massachusetts is the ninth Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar. Today’s seminar is designed to emphasize a family perspective in policymaking on issues related to early intervention in childhood trauma, sex trafficking and …

Reducing High-Users’ Visits To The Emergency Department By A Primary Care Intervention For The Uninsured: A Retrospective Study, Meng-Han Tsai, Sudha Xirasagar Mbbs., Ph.D., Scott Carroll, Charles S. Bryan, Pamela J. Gallagher, Kim Davis, Edward C. Jauch

Faculty Publications

Reducing avoidable emergency department (ED) visits is an important health system goal. This is a retrospective cohort study of the impact of a primary care intervention including an in-hospital, free, adult clinic for poor uninsured patients on ED visit rates and emergency severity at a nonprofit hospital. We studied adult ED visits during August 16, 2009-August 15, 2011 (preintervention) and August 16, 2011-August 15, 2014 (postintervention). We compared pre- versus postmean annual visit rates and discharge emergency severity index (ESI; triage and resource use–based, calculated Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality categories) among high-users (≥3 ED visits in 12 months) …

Dry Powder Intranasal Oxytocin For Treatment Of Postpartum Hemorrhage In The Developing World, Adrian Goodey

Sustainability Seminar Series

Complications related to pregnancy and child birth claim nearly 800 women’s lives each day. This tragedy is compounded by the fact that the vast majority of these deaths are preventable. However, ninety-nine percent of maternal deaths occur in the developing world where basic medical services and supplies are typically scarce. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH; excessive bleeding after child birth), accounts for nearly 25% of maternal deaths globally, and is an especially acute concern in resource-scarce settings. The pharmacological treatment recommended for PPH by the World Health Organization, oxytocin, is incompatible with regions where reliable refrigeration is unavailable. Typically formulated as an …

Prevalence Of Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, And Dyslipidemia In Student-Run Screening Clinics For Rural Communities In The Sierra Norte Of Puebla, Mexico, Sean Navin, Daniel M. Tomaszewski

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The growing prevalence of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and in Mexico highlights the need for preventative health care services. Rural communities worldwide lack access to such services. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of HTN, DM, and dyslipidemia in student-run screening clinics in rural communities of the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico to better understand the role the clinics play for the patients served.

Methods: Data were collected from patients from rural, Mexican towns participating in free pharmacy student-run screening clinics. Patients consented to have their de-identified information pooled for re-search. Screenings …

Pre-Diagnostic Biomarkers Of Metabolic Dysregulation And Cancer Mortality, Tomi Akinyemiju, Justin Xavier Moore, Suzanne E. Judd, Maria Pisu, Michael Goodman, Virginia J. Howard, Leann Long, Monika Safford, Susan C. Gilchrist, Mary Cushman

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The obesogenic milieu is a pro-tumorigenic environment that promotes tumor initiation, angiogenesis and metastasis. In this prospective cohort, we examined the association between pre-diagnostic metabolic biomarkers, plasma adiponectin, resistin, leptin and lipoprotein (a), and the risk of cancer mortality.

METHODS: Prospective data was obtained from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort of Blacks and Whites followed from 2003 through 2012 for cancer mortality. We determined the association between metabolism biomarkers (log-transformed and tertiles) and risk of cancer mortality using Cox Proportional Hazards models with robust sandwich estimators to calculate the 95% confidence intervals (CIs), …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern On Inference of Multivariate Means Under Ranked Set Sampling

We Are The Medicine, Madalynn Wendland, Toni Speed

Interprofessional Education

We are all healers— to ourselves, each other and the world around us. Whether you are on the path of becoming a health professional, or have been in practice for a long time, this half-day workshop will help you to view healing from a holistic perspective that draws from the ancient traditions while respecting contemporary science.

The Effect Of Ammonia On The Germination And Outgrowth Of Bacillius Globigii, Joseph B. Kunicki

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the germination and outgrowth of Bacillus globigii in the presence of ammonia in laboratory scale experiments. Germination was measured by monitoring the release of dipicolinic acid, an organic compound present in bacterial spores, while outgrowth was measured using phase-bright microscopy and semi-automated counting procedures. The ammonia-N concentrations investigated generally did not cause statistically significant differences in the initial 1-hr germination rates or the average 3-hr outgrowth rates of Bacillus globigii spores in batch style experiments. The average 1-hr germination rates observed in the absence of ammonia-N was 0.0258 hr^-1 for the water and buffer controls and …

Radiological Decontamination In The Urban Environment Utilizing An Irreversible Wash-Aid Recovery System, Keith A. Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

The radioactive fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors accident and the ongoing threat of nuclear or radioactive terrorism have forced the need for urban radiological decontamination into the forefront. Many of the established decontamination techniques are not ideally suited for the urban milieu. One of the keys to maximize the effectiveness of long-term remediation and recovery in the urban environment is immediate mitigation within a few days of the incident and before a rain event. The Integrated Wash-Aid, Treatment, and Emergency Reuse System (IWATERS) provides a potentially safe and effective method for early responders and remediation teams to perform …

Utilization Of Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission (Pmtct) Services Among Pregnant Women In Hiv Care In Uganda: A 24-Month Cohort Of Women From Pre-Conception To Post-Delivery., Rhoda K Wanyenze, Kathy Goggin, Sarah Finocchario-Kessler, Jolly Beyeza-Kashesya, Deborah Mindry, Josephine Birungi, Mahlet Woldetsadik, Glenn J Wagner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in a cohort of HIV infected women in care at The AIDS Support Organization Jinja and Kampala in Uganda, who were trying to conceive, over a period of 24 months, to inform the strengthening of PMTCT service access for women in care.

RESULTS: Of the 299 women 127 (42.5%) reported at least one pregnancy within 24 months; 61 women (48.0%) delivered a live child. Of the 55 who had a live birth at the first pregnancy, 54 (98.2%) used antenatal care (ANC) starting at 15.5 weeks of gestation …

Impact Of Obesity And Expression Of Obesity-Related Genes In The Progression Of Prostate Cancer In African American Men, Mmadili Nancy Ilozumba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the US, the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are higher among African American men compared to European American men. Obesity is an important risk factor of PCa. Obesity is known to alter the gene expression profiles in prostate tumors. This study evaluates the impact of obesity and the expression of obesity-related genes on the progression of PCa in African American men.

The primary outcome of interest is biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa. There were 48 African American prostate cancer patients in the study. The tissue samples included 42 normal tissues, 40 Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Adults: The Diabetes Mellitus Survey Of Mexico City, Edgar Denova-Gutiérrez, Paloma Muñoz-Aguirre, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo, Carolina Batis, Simón Barquera

Faculty Publications

Diet and inflammation are both associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the present study, we aimed to assess the relation between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the presence of T2DM in Mexican adults participating in the Diabetes Mellitus Survey administered in Mexico City (DMS-MC). The study involved 1174 subjects (48.5% men) between 20–69 years of age. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was employed to evaluate dietary intake and to compute DII. The DII is based on scientific evidence about the association between dietary compounds and six established inflammatory biomarkers. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to …

Supervising Ebt: What Content Do Workplace-Based Supervisors Cover And What Techniques Do They Use?, Shannon Dorsey, Michael D Pullmann, Suzanne E.U. Kerns, Esther Deblinger, Leah Lucid, Julie P Harrison, Kelly Thompson, Lucy Berliner

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Workplace-based clinical supervision in public mental health is an underutilized resource for supporting evidence- based treatments (EBTs) [1], despite the fact that supervisors may offer a cost-effective way to support clinician fidelity to EBT. Very little, however, is known about the content and techniques used by workplace-based supervisors [2]; particularly in the context of EBT implementation [3].

Designing A Socio-Normative Intervention To Reduce Anemia In Odisha India: A Formative Research Protocol [Version 1; Referees: 2 Approved], Erica Sedlander, Rajiv N Rimal, Sameera A Talegawkar, Hagere Yilma, Wolfgang Munar

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background: More than half of women of reproductive age in India are anemic. Anemia is associated with increased risk of preterm delivery, higher maternal mortality and contributes to fatigue, which affects women’s work productivity. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends daily oral iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements during pregnancy and weekly supplements for women of reproductive age. Government programs and global donors have distributed and promoted IFA supplements in India for over four decades. However, initial intake and compliance remain inadequate.
Objectives: This protocol describes the formative research phase of a larger study, which will test, through a randomized …

Perceived Access And Barriers To Care Among Illicit Drug Users And Hazardous Drinkers: Findings From The Seek, Test, Treat, And Retain Data Harmonization Initiative (Sttr)., Mika Matsuzaki, Quan M Vu, Marya Gwadz, Joseph A C Delaney, Irene Kuo, Maria Esther Perez Trejo, William E Cunningham, Chinazo O Cunningham, Katerina Christopoulos

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Illicit drug use (DU) and hazardous drinking (HD) among marginalized populations may be associated with greater barriers to care.

METHODS: We used baseline data on the participants of the Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain data harmonization initiative. DU includes use of any illicit drugs within the past 6 months. HD was defined as scores ≥8 for men and ≥ 7 for women on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test within the past 12 months. Social support scores were assigned by summing scores from individual questions related to social support. Two outcomes for multivariable regression models and mediation analysis were perceived …

Non-Retrieval Of Inferior Vena Cava Filters As A Patient Safety Concern: Evaluation Of A New Process Improvement Project To Increase Retrieval Rates In A Vascular And Interventional Radiology Clinic, Joshua Brown, Jeffery Talbert, Ryan Pennington, Qiong Han, Driss Raissi

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Background: Retrieval of inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) is important to decrease the long-term risk of complications associated with indwelling devices. Our hospital experienced low retrieval rates and implemented a low-cost intervention and evaluation for quality improvement. The working hypothesis was that a simple, mailed letter intervention could increase retrieval rates by increasing patient and primary care provider knowledge of the need for retrieval.

Methods: For all prospective patients who received a retrievable IVCF during the intervention period from January 1, 2014 to February 29, 2016, patients and their primary care providers were mailed letters encouraging contact with the clinic …