Public Health Commons^™

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

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

• Georgia Southern Examines Georgia’s Critical Access Hospital’s
• Georgia Southern Examines Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Mortality among Hispanic Women
• Georgia Southern Examines Physician Attitudes

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

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

• Georgia Southern Examines Physician Attitudes

An Examination Of Factors That Affect The Utilization Of Mental Health Services By Adolescents, Nichole A. Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental disorders among adolescents are on the rise and are among the most common chronic conditions, constituting a national epidemic. Prevalence rates indicate that 20–40% of the adolescent population in the U.S. suffers from emotional or behavioral difficulties significant enough to lead to functional impairment. Further, estimates suggest that more than 20% of the adolescent population has a diagnosable mental disorder, which significantly impacts their functioning substantially at school, at home and in their communities. Despite national agendas to address the mental health needs of adolescents, studies suggest that approximately 50 percent of adolescents with mental health needs do not …

The Use Of External Change Agents To Promote Quality Improvement And Organizational Change In Healthcare Organizations: A Systematic Review, Esra Alagoz, Ming-Yuan Chih, Mary Hitchcock, Randall Brown, Andrew Quanbeck

Health and Clinical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: External change agents can play an essential role in healthcare organizational change efforts. This systematic review examines the role that external change agents have played within the context of multifaceted interventions designed to promote organizational change in healthcare-specifically, in primary care settings.

Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier Databases in July 2016 for randomized trials published (in English) between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2016 in which external agents were part of multifaceted organizational change strategies. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A total of 477 abstracts were identified …

Pharmacists' Role In Harm Reduction: A Survey Assessment Of Kentucky Community Pharmacists' Willingness To Participate In Syringe/Needle Exchange, Amie Goodin, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Traci Green, Patricia R. Freeman

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Pharmacists' role in harm reduction is expanding in many states, yet there are limited data on pharmacists' willingness to participate in harm reduction activities. This study assessed community pharmacists' willingness to participate in one harm reduction initiative: syringe/needle exchange.

Methods: In 2015, all Kentucky pharmacists with active licenses were emailed a survey that examined attitudes towards participation in syringe/needle exchange. Response frequencies were calculated for community pharmacist respondents. Ordinal logistic regression estimated the impact of community pharmacist characteristics and attitudes on willingness to provide clean needles/syringes to people who inject drugs and to dispose of used syringes/needles, where both …

Objective Coding Of Content And Techniques In Workplace-Based Supervision Of An Ebt In Public Mental Health, Shannon Dorsey, Suzanne E U Kerns, Leah Lucid, Michael D Pullmann, Julie P Harrison, Lucy Berliner, Kelly Thompson, Esther Deblinger

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Workplace-based clinical supervision as an implementation strategy to support evidence-based treatment (EBT) in public mental health has received limited research attention. A commonly provided infrastructure support, it may offer a relatively cost-neutral implementation strategy for organizations. However, research has not objectively examined workplace-based supervision of EBT and specifically how it might differ from EBT supervision provided in efficacy and effectiveness trials.

METHODS: Data come from a descriptive study of supervision in the context of a state-funded EBT implementation effort. Verbal interactions from audio recordings of 438 supervision sessions between 28 supervisors and 70 clinicians from 17 public mental health …

Les Blessures Professionnelles Et Leurs Déterminants : Mieux Comprendre Le Rôle Du Secteur Industriel Et De La Profession, Pierre Durand, Nancy Beauregard, Alain Marchand, Andrée Demers

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L'ampleur actuelle de la morbidité et de la mortalité liées aux blessures professionnelles (c.-à-d. accidents du travail, troubles liés aux mouvements répétitifs) pèse lourd sur la productivité des travailleurs, des entreprises et de la société canadienne. Annuellement, les données révèlent qu'un Canadien sur quinze est blessé dans l'exercice de son travail, alors que les coûts économiques générés par les blessures professionnelles mortelles et non mortelles figurent parmi les principales causes contributives au fardeau économique de la maladie au Canada. Ainsi, malgré la présence de disparités importantes dans la distribution sociale des facteurs de risque liés aux blessures professionnelles, les connaissances …

The Impact Of The Boko Haram Insurgency In Northeast Nigeria On Childhood Wasting: A Double-Difference Study, Gillian Dunn

Publications and Research

Background: This research examines the relationship between violent conflict and childhood wasting in Northeast Nigeria, where residents have been subjected to fighting between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram - an extremist Islamist movement - since 2009.

Methods: Using two Demographic and Health Surveys from before and after the Boko Haram insurgency started, a double-difference (difference-in-difference) approach is used to assess the impact of the conflict on mean weight for- height z-scores and the likelihood of wasting.

Results: Results suggest that if children exposed to the conflict had not been exposed, their mean weight-for height z-score would be 0.49 standard …

Patient Experiences In A Linguistically Diverse Safety Net Primary Care Setting: Qualitative Study, Rachel L. Berkowitz, Nimeka Phillip, Lyn Berry, Irene H. Yen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background:

The patient-centered medical home model intends to improve patient experience and primary care quality. Within an urban safety net setting in Northern California, United States, these desired outcomes are complicated by both the diversity of the patient community and the care continuity implications of a residency program.

Objective:

The objective of our study was to understand the patient experience beyond standardized satisfaction measures.

Methods:

We conducted a qualitative study, interviewing 19 patients from the clinic (English-, Spanish-, or Mien-speaking patients).

Results:

Some themes, such as the desire to feel confident in their doctor, emerged across language groups, pointing to …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern Investigates Kernel Density Based Mode Estimation
• Georgia Southern Examines Operational and Financial Performance of Georgias Critical Access Hospitals

Readmission Rates In Not-For-Profit Vs. Proprietary Hospitals Before And After The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program Implementation., Lauren E. Birmingham, Willie H. Oglesby Phd, Msph, Fache

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) to penalize hospitals with excessive 30-day hospital readmissions of Medicare enrollees for specific conditions. This policy was aimed at increasing the quality of care delivered to patients and decreasing the amount of money paid for potentially preventable hospital readmissions. While it has been established that the number of 30-day hospital readmissions decreased after program implementation, it is unknown whether this effect occurred equally between not-for-profit and proprietary hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the HRRP decreased readmission rates equally …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

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

• Georgia Southern Examines Operational and Financial Performance of Georgia’s Critical Access Hospitals

Toxicdocs: A New Resource For Assessing The Impact Of Corporate Practices On Health, Nicholas Freudenberg

Publications and Research

In the past century, corporations have contributed to premature death and preventable illnesses globally. A growing body of evidence shows how the practices of corporations and their allies contribute to chronic diseases, injuries, and toxic exposures [1–3]. Public health researchers can chart how business practices such as marketing, product formulation and pricing, and corporate political activity such as lobbying, election campaign contributions, sponsored research, and public relations promote the behaviors, environments, and policies that shape patterns of health and disease [4–6].

Comprendre L’Influence De La Régulation Des Contraintes Temporelles Sur L’Appropriation Des Principes Généraux De Déplacement Sécuritaire Des Bénéficiaires Par Les Recrues Préposés Aux Bénéficiaires, François Aubry, Isabelle Feillou, Monica Torres, Élise Ledoux, Yves Couturier, Lise Desmarais

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les préposés aux bénéficiaires (PAB) ont comme mandat de réaliser l’ensemble des activités d’assistance envers les résidents des centres d’hébergement et de soins de longue durée (CHSLD) au Québec. Ils exercent une fonction indispensable dans les CHSLD, alors que le vieillissement de la population s’accentue, que les problématiques physiques et cognitives des résidents s’aggravent et que la réponse à leurs besoins se complexifie. Les PAB forment également une catégorie professionnelle fragilisée dans le réseau de la santé et des services sociaux du Québec, notamment sur le plan de la santé et de la sécurité au travail (SST). À cet égard, …

Effets Psychologiques Et Biomécaniques Immédiats De Deux Catégories De Ceintures Lombaires Chez Des Travailleurs En Santé Et Des Travailleurs Avec Maux De Dos, Christian Larivière, Michael Sullivan, Richard Preuss, Alessia Negrini

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Bien que les ceintures lombaires (CL) soient inefficaces pour prévenir un premier épisode de lombalgie, l’avancement des connaissances soutient leur utilisation chez les travailleurs souffrant déjà de ce mal. Dans la perspective où un retour au travail tardif risque de nuire à la condition de santé des travailleurs, l’option du port de la CL peut potentiellement être avantageuse, car elle pourrait permettre, lors du retour progressif au travail, d’apporter un soutien psychologique afin de rassurer le patient. Cela pourrait donc représenter un outil additionnel, parmi les moyens entrepris pour intervenir sur les facteurs psychosociaux reliés à l’individu et son environnement …

Approaches To Integrating Service Learning In The Public Health Administration Course, Sandra Liu, Ali Bianco

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of A Low-Cost Unna Boot Alternative As Adjunctive Treatment For Kaposi Sarcoma, Alexander Robert Mills, Edith Tonui, Sonak Pastakia, Rakhi Karwa, Phelix Were

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

There are 6 million people living with HIV; 70% reside in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Furthermore, 1.1 million deaths occur due to opportunistic infections (OIs) that can be minimized with antiretroviral therapy. In Kenya, Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is an especially debilitating OI that presents with dermatologic lesions; magnifying the stigma that patients with HIV face physically and psychosocially. Dermatology research is underway to determine the effectiveness of an unna boot (medicated, layered compression dressing) to speed the healing of these lesions with anecdotal success. Commercially available unna boot products are too expensive and not readily available in SSA. Clinicians from Purdue …

Zika, Pregnancy, And The Law, Sam F. Halabi

Arkansas Law Review

The public health emergency surrounding the spread of the Zika virus has resurrected and brought into sharp relief some of the most vexing questions surrounding the relationship between pregnancy and law: the appropriate circumstances, if any, in which fetal tissue research is permissible; when and how the government may sponsor statements intended to influence reproductive decisions; and how to balance the health and rights of both women and their unborn children when health threats target both.

Frequency And Factors Associated With Adult Immunization In Patients Visiting Family Medicine Clinics At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi, Samar Zaki, Asma Usman, Swaleha Tariq, Sameena Shah, Iqbal Azam Syed, Waris Qidwai, Kashmira Nanji

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with adult immunization in patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2014 to March 2015 in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants more than 18 years were invited to participate in the study. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 19.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp).
Results: A total of 340 patients were surveyed. The majority of patients …

Microorganismes Dans Les Fontaines Biologiques De Dégraissage : Évaluation De L’Exposition Professionnelle Dans Les Ateliers D’Entretien Mécanique, Carol-Anne Villeneuve, Geneviève Marchand, Marie Gardette, Jacques Lavoie, Denis Bégin, Maximilien Debia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les fontaines biologiques appelées fontaines de biodégradation ou simplement biofontaines contiennent des dégraissants qui renferment des bactéries dont la tâche est de dégrader, par minéralisation, les salissures hydrocarbonées (huiles et graisses). Les fabricants de dégraissants pour biofontaines affirment que les microorganismes utilisés dans leurs préparations sont inoffensifs puisqu’ils se classent dans le groupe de risque 1; ils se référent alors à la classification des microorganismes en quatre groupes de risque infectieux. Cependant, des auteurs ont identifié plusieurs bactéries du groupe 2 (risque infectieux modéré pour la personne, mais faible pour la communauté) dans les liquides des biofontaines, par exemple Pseudomonas …

Factors Associated With Perceived Accuracy Of The Undetectable = Untransmittable Slogan Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Implications For Messaging Scale-Up And Implementation, H Jonathon Rendina, J T. Parsons

Publications and Research

Introduction: Recent research has shown high efficacy of HIV treatment for reducing the risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners. As the efficacy of treatment as prevention (TasP) has proliferated, a new messaging campaign, Undetectable = Untransmittable, has been gaining popularity. The purpose of this paper was to assess factors associated with the perceived accuracy of this TasP messaging strategy among a large and diverse sample of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in order to inform subsequent efforts at large-scale and implementation of the HIV prevention message.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern Examines Regression Estimators for Different Stratified Sampling Schemes

The Role Of Rural Hospitals In Addressing Opioid And Other Substance Use Problems, John A. Gale Ms

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Webinar presentation to the Small Rural Hospital Transition project addressing issues of rural opioid and other substance use issues, focusing on the role of rural hospitals, and the importance of community engagement. Component parts of an effective opioid/substance use system of care include prevention, treatment, and recovery. Models must be adapted to the geographic, resource, and cultural realities of rural areas. Examples of strategies are provided.

Redesigning The Door To Doctor (D2d) Process In Emergency Department: The Key To A Successful Patient-Centered Story, Layal Hneiny, Maryah Damlaj

Faculty Publications

Lean management, when adopted in health care settings, will influence clinicians to find better ways for providing health care services to patients. In ED’s everyday processes, lean focuses on improving the ED process flow through facilitating communication among ED staff and eliminating any unnecessary steps (wastes) along the process. An observational cross-sectional study has been conducted at the Emergency Department (ED) of the American University of Beirut- Medical Center (AUBMC), to assess the extent upon which AUBMC-ED is lean. The time it takes the patient to be examined by an attending doctor, from the moment s/he hits the ED door, …

Long-Term Exposure Of Fine Particulate Matter Causes Hypertension By Impaired Renal D1 Receptor-Mediated Sodium Excretion Via Upregulation Of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase Type 4 Expression In Sprague-Dawley Rats., Xi Lu, Zhengmeng Ye, Shuo Zheng, Hongmei Ren, Jing Zeng, Xinquan Wang, Pedro A Jose, Ken Chen, Chunyu Zeng

Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence supports an important association between air pollution exposure and hypertension. However, the mechanisms are not clear.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Our present study found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) causes hypertension and impairs renal sodium excretion, which might be ascribed to lower D1 receptor expression and higher D1 receptor phosphorylation, accompanied with a higher G-protein-coupled receptor kinase type 4 (GRK4) expression. The in vivo results were confirmed in in vitro studies (ie, PM2.5 increased basal and decreased D1 receptor mediated inhibitory effect on Na+-K+ ATPase activity, decreased D1 receptor expression, and increased D1 receptor phosphorylation …

The Application Of An Implementation Science Framework To Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Be A Champion!, Justin B. Moore, Russell L. Carson, Collin A. Webster, Camelia R. Singletary, Darla M. Castelli, Russell R. Pate, Michael W. Beets, Aaron Beighle

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) have been endorsed as a promising strategy to increase youth physical activity (PA) in school settings. A CSPAP is a five-component approach, which includes opportunities before, during, and after school for PA. Extensive resources are available to public health practitioners and school officials regarding what should be implemented, but little guidance and few resources are available regarding how to effectively implement a CSPAP. Implementation science provides a number of conceptual frameworks that can guide implementation of a CSPAP, but few published studies have employed an implementation science framework to a CSPAP. Therefore, we developed …

Family-Centered Approach To Teen-Driving Program: Program Evaluation Of Parental Behavioral Outcomes, Karen K. Melton, Beth Lanning, Naomi Abel

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

This article presents the evaluation of parental monitoring and controlling of teen-drivers after attending a family-centered program focused on teen risky-driving behaviors. The program design was guided by the Social-Ecological Model and Health Belief Model. Fifteen parents attending the driving program completed measures of parent control and parent monitoring. Overall, effect sizes at the two-month follow-up indicate the program was moderately effective. There was a statistically significant increase to parental discussions of driving rules. Altogether, this article contributes to the growing literature on the effectiveness of family-centered programs.

The Association Between A Body Shape Index And Cardiovascular Risk In Overweight And Obese Children And Adolescents, Chiara Mameli, Nir Y. Krakauer, Jesse C. Karakauer, Alessandra Bosetti, Chiara Matilde Ferrari, Norma Moiana, Laura Schneider, Barbara Borsani, Teresa Genoni, Gianvincenzo Zuccotti

Publications and Research

A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and normalized hip circumference (Hip Index, HI) have been recently shown to be strong risk factors for mortality and for cardiovascular disease in adults. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study to evaluate the relationship between ABSI, HI and cardiometabolic risk factors and obesity-related comorbidities in overweight and obese children and adolescents aged 2±18 years. We performed multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses with BMI, ABSI, and HI age and sex normalized z scores as predictors to examine the association with cardiometabolic risk markers (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and insulin, total cholesterol and …

The Effectiveness Of Critical Time Intervention For Abused Women Leaving Women’S Shelters: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Danielle A. M. Lako, Marielle D. Beijersbergen, Irene E. Jonker, Renee De Vet, Daniel B. Herman, Albert M. Van Hemert, Judith R. L. M. Wolf

Publications and Research

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of critical time intervention (CTI)—an evidence-based intervention—for abused women transitioning from women’s shelters to community living. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted in nine women’s shelters across the Netherlands. 136 women were assigned to CTI (n = 70) or care-as-usual (n = 66). Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat three-level mixed-effects models.

Results: Women in the CTI group had significant fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress (secondary outcome) (adjusted mean difference - 7.27, 95% CI - 14.31 to - 0.22) and a significant fourfold reduction in unmet care needs (intermediate outcome) (95% CI 0.06–0.94) compared to …

Perceptions Of Sexual Health Interventions Among Urban, Midwestern Female African American Youth, Melissa Tibbits, Marisa Rosen, Shireen Rajaram

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among youth ages 15-24 persist as important public health issues in spite of significant investments in the development and implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions. Further, female African American youth are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancy and STDs. The purpose of this study was to better understand female African American youth’s perceptions of teen pregnancy and STDs, and the characteristics they desire in sexual and reproductive health interventions. Interviews with 19 African American females ages 13-24 were conducted. Results indicated that participants perceived teen pregnancy to be common, but STDs to be rare. Overall, participants …