Public Health Commons^™

Barriers To Oral Care Among African American Adolescents In Prince George's County, Maryland, Nkiruka Soribe Mcginnis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When adolescents forgo oral health treatment, factors that hinder them from obtaining these services put them at risk of detrimental consequences in their oral and overall health. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify the various barriers that adolescents encounter causing them to defer oral treatment. Through this study, public health officials, school health care providers, the state, and parents could be made aware of these factors and work together to implement programs and supplemental aid to help adolescents become more knowledgeable of the importance of oral care and encourage them to desire and seek treatment. The …

Decreasing Acute Diabetes Complications Through Self-Management Education, Eugene O. Okafor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects millions of people in the United States. The purpose of this project was to develop a guideline to help clinical staff provide clear and concise diabetes self-management instructions to patients in a community setting. Orem's self-care deficit theory (SCD) and health belief model (HBM) provided a platform to assess how patients' self-care deficit contributes to illness and the effect of patients' perception of illness. SCD theory and the HBM provided the framework for the development of the guideline to decrease diabetes acute complications through self-management education. The practice-focused question was whether the …

Emergency Medical Services First Responder Certification Level's Impact On Ambulance Scene Times, Devin Todd Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The foundation of modern-day emergency medical service (EMS) systems began in 1966, based on hospital medical care. Demand for evidence to support prehospital practices that have been in existence for the past half-century has continued to grow; yet, researchers have not adequately explored the relationship between the medical certification level of emergency first responders and the amount of time an ambulance spends on the scene. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine and compare ambulance scene times for emergency responses when basic life support (BLS) certified first responders or advanced life support (ALS) first responders are first on …

A Causal Layered Analysis Of Assistive Technology For The Cognitively Impaired Elderly, Dariusz J. Ropiak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assistive technology may delay cognitively impaired elders' need for long-term institutionalization, and the promote independence. Its use is on the rise, yet the gap between the needs of the cognitive impaired elderly and what developers of the assistive technologies design, manufacture, and implement, remains to be filled. Using Inayatullah's 6-pillar approach, as the guide to the future of assistive technology, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how assistive technologies may fulfill the daily functional needs of the cognitively impaired elderly with Alzheimer's or other dementia by 2037. Data were collected from a focus group of 10 seniors …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Established Glycemic Monitoring Program In A High School Setting For Adolescents With Type I And Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Tabatha Lee Obeda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents with Type I and Type II diabetes need to monitor blood glucose and food intake, administer insulin, and participate in activities including physical education during school hours to maintain glycemic control. Glycemic management programs (GMPs) exist for the improvement of diabetes management during school hours. The purpose of this project was to evaluate a GMP in a school system in a rural area in the Southeastern United States. The goal was to determine if the existing GMP met objectives and to make recommendations for continuation, revision, or discontinuation of the GMP. The logic model provided the basic framework for …

Affordable Care Act And Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Among Adolescent Females, Eunice Odaku Nnakwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most frequent cause of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and cancers for U.S. adults. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, eliminated copay expenses for childhood immunizations and expanded access to health care. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to determine if there was an association between ACA and the usage of HPV vaccine among adolescent females in Georgia. Data concerning HPV vaccinations from 2011 to 2015 were obtained from the National Immunization Survey-Teen dataset. Andersen's BM of health care use was applied to ascertain the factors that enhanced the …

Substance Abuse And Mental Illness Among Youth In The United States, Emmanuel Xavier Okoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the trends showing a reduction in the use and abuse of drugs among American adolescents, the prevalence rates remain high. There is also comorbidity of mental illnesses among the adolescents using drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and nature of the association between the use and abuse of marijuana and alcohol and mental illnesses among the American adolescent population. The noted comorbidities and the hypothesized association between the substance abuse and mental illnesses were explained using the expectancy theory. Using a quantitative research methodology, secondary data from the National Survey on Drug Use and …

Women In Mississippi Undergoing Hysterectomies In Absence Of Comprehensive Informed Consent Law, Tammy Shaffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only three states have enacted informed consent laws aimed at providing more information concerning any alternative treatments for women who undergo hysterectomy. This study attempted to fill the research gap regarding consent laws and perceptions of women who underwent hysterectomy in a state with no informed consent laws. Supported by the health belief model (HBM), the research questions focused on the perceptions of women and their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the beliefs and attitudes of women in a state with no informed consent laws. Interviews were the main data collection technique. The participants …

Impact Of Violent Rapes Among Women In Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo, Benoit Munganga Mirindi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the last 22 years, systematic rapes and punitive violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were utilized as weapons of war and a control strategy. This quantitative study built upon the ecological model of impact of sexual assault on women's mental health to investigate the relationship between the health impacts and chronic pain and depression among women survivors of sexual rape in eastern DRC. The sample included 156 female rape survivors, between 18-80 years old, and raped between 2010 and 2014 while residing in the conflict area. The research questions focused on the association between fistulas, …

Practice Of And Barriers To Prevention By Secondary School Athletic Trainers, Caroline C. Guindon, Zachary K. Winkelmann, Lindsey E. Eberman, Kenneth E. Games

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Prevention is a key aspect of care from athletic trainers. There is limited research on the practice strategies employed to prevent injury by secondary school athletic trainers (SSATs). The purpose of this study was to describe the prevention practice strategies and barriers faced by secondary school athletic trainers. Methods: Athletic trainers (n=3010) were recruited from secondary schools through e-mails provided by the national professional organization database. Secondary school athletic trainers were surveyed on their self-reported prevention practices and barriers using a web-based survey platform. Respondents were 28±3 years, predominantly female (n=260/359, 72.4%), with about 5 years (±2yrs) of …

Opioid Addiction Litigation And The Wrongful Conduct Rule, Samuel Fresher

University of Colorado Law Review

The United States is facing an opioid addiction crisis. Can our civil courts help? This Comment explores obstacles to recovery for plaintiffs in tort suits against health care institutions and practitioners in opioid addiction litigation. It argues that defenses based on plaintiffs' wrongful conduct, which deny plaintiffs access to civil remedies due to their immoral or illegal conduct, should be eliminated or avoided in suits arising out of addiction. This Comment concludes that comparative fault principles adequately protect the interests of plaintiffs and defendants in drug addiction suits and advance important public policy goals. Finally, this Comment suggests that irrespective …

Aps’Aalooke Led Diabetes Prevention Program, Lucy Hollingsworth Williamson

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

The primary objective of this proposed program is to decrease the burden of diabetes mellitus type II among the Crow Indian tribe members in Montana by preventing the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. Type II diabetes mellitus (DMII), is a debilitating disease that contributes to increased morbidity and mortality, in addition to billions of healthcare costs annually. In the United States, minority populations carry a higher burden of DMII, however American Indians have the highest prevalence of all. In fact, American Indians are 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than white people.

In Montana, the Crow Indian …

Consultation Experience In Public Health, Xiangya Meng

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

This capstone project describes the results of a consultative experience in biostatistics.

Evaluation Of A Pharmacist Led Medication Reconciliation Process In Primary Care, Benjamin T. Gatlin

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

Medication safety should be at the forefront of public health initiatives. Medication reconciliations in primary care are key to successful, accurate, and safe medication use. Pharmacists are well positioned and educated to have an impact on medication safety by conducting reconciliations in primary care centers. Guidelines for training pharmacists on how to conduct medication reconciliations would be a useful tool for any health board striving to improve medication safety. This study uses observations from pharmacists currently conducting medication reconciliations in primary care to propose such guidelines in the form of a flow sheet. The resulting flow sheet and observations are …

Predictors Of Pm 2.5 And Radon Concentrations In Residences Of Central Kentucky: A Cross Sectional Study, Kyle T. Hancock

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

Aim: To measure levels of respirable particles (PM 2.5) and radon in homes in Central Kentucky and assess modifiable risk factors that could reduce the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

Methods: PM 2.5 and radon samples were taken in homes (n=21) in Central Kentucky. An in- home checklist was completed for each home that assessed a variety of potential environmental respiratory exposures.

Results: The geometric mean of PM 2.5 for all 21 homes was 8.4 μg/m³ which was well below the EPA air quality standard of 35 μg/m³. Smoking status, burning candles, and general …

Namibia Has A Strong Foundation For Implementing The Treat All Guidelines And Reaching The Unaids 90-90-90 Targets, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

In late 2015, the World Health Organization announced new treatment guidelines recommending that anyone who has tested positive for HIV should begin antiretroviral therapy (ART) as soon as possible. In light of this policy, the Government of Namibia included “treat all” in the 2016 National Guidelines for ART, and began nationwide implementation in April 2017. Project SOAR is generating evidence on how the national rollout of the treat all guidelines and decentralization of ART services affect client-level treatment outcomes, quality of ART services, and treatment costs in Namibia. This brief highlights baseline findings that provide a snapshot of ART services …

Female Caribbean Immigrants' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Immigration On Obesity, Kerryann Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a significant global issue, and its incidence has increased over time. A substantial percentage of the U.S. population suffers from this disease with a relatively high prevalence seen in individuals from the Caribbean. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore Caribbean women's perception of how migration to South Florida may have impacted the onset of obesity in this population. The social ecological model provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from 1-on-1 interviews held with 12 female participants between the ages of 18 and 35, who previously resided in the Caribbean at a healthy …

Quantification Of Hiv-1 Rna Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Using An At-Home Self-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimen: Feasibility Study, Sabina Hirshfield, Richard A. Teran, Martin J. Downing Jr., Mary Ann Chiasson, Hong-Van Tieu, Laura Dize, Charlotte A. Gaydos

Publications and Research

Background: Suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and disengagement in care present significant public health challenges because of the increased probability of HIV transmission. In the United States, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, highlighting a critical need to engage high-risk MSM living with HIV who are not engaged or retained in care.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of at-home blood self-collection and laboratory quantification of HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) to report laboratory-based VL outcomes and compare self-reported and laboratory-reported VL

Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, …

The Impact Of Sarcopenic Obesity On Inflammation, Lean Body Mass, And Muscle Strength In Elderly Women, Dahan Da Cunha Nascimento, Samuel Da Cunha Oliveira, Denis Cesar Leite Vieira, Silvana Schwerz Funghetto, Alessandro Oliveira Silva, Renato Valduga, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Jonato Prestes

Publications and Research

Objective: The objective of this study was to apply the newly standardized definition for sarcopenia from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and the current definition for obesity to 1) determine the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity (SO) in obese elderly women; 2) compare the muscle strength, lean body mass, and markers of inflammation between obese elderly women with SO and nonsarcopenic obesity (NSO), and 3) elucidate the relation- ship between appendicular lean mass adjusted for body mass index (aLM/BMI) with muscle strength, lean body mass, and obesity indices.

Methods: A total of 64 elderly obese women (age: …

Design And Development Of An Emergency System For Children In A Hot Car At Risk Of Heatstroke, Nathan Kisha

Research Opportunities for Engineering Undergraduates (ROEU) Program 2017-18

Since 1998, an average of 37 children have died every year due to heat-related deaths after being stuck in a vehicle, making it the leading cause of non-crash-related fatalities among children. This creates an opportunity to create a system which will be able to detect this danger and do something in order to prevent it. There are 4 main objectives for the system to be able to accomplish: 1) determine if the temperature in the car poses a risk, 2) use an alarm to provide a warning and wake up a sleeping child, 3) determine if someone is in the …

Analytical High-Resolution Electron Microscopy Reveals Organ-Specific Nanoceria Bioprocessing, Uschi M. Graham, Robert A. Yokel, Alan K. Dozier, Lawrence Drummy, Krishnamurthy Mahalingam, Michael T. Tseng, Eileen Birch, Joseph Fernback

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

This is the first utilization of advanced analytical electron microscopy methods, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping to characterize the organ-specific bioprocessing of a relatively inert nanomaterial (nanoceria). Liver and spleen samples from rats given a single intravenous infusion of nanoceria were obtained after prolonged (90 days) in vivo exposure. These advanced analytical electron microscopy methods were applied to elucidate the organ-specific cellular and subcellular fate of nanoceria after its uptake. Nanoceria is bioprocessed differently in the spleen than in the liver.

Regional Differences In Feto-Infant Mortality In The U.S. - Mexico Border Region: Using The Perinatal Period Of Risk (Ppor) Approach, Dyanne G. Herrera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Infant mortality (IM) is a critical indicator of the health of communities because societal factors that affect population health directly impact the mortality rate of infants. There is limited infant mortality data for the U.S. side of the U.S.-Mexico Border Region, defined as the areas within 100 km north of the border. Data from 2005-2007 show that the average IM rate for the border states combined was 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births; for the border counties, the rate was 5.4 per 1,000. Although IM rates were lower in the border counties than in the border states, risk …

Extreme Smoke Events: Climate Change And Human Health In Western Montana, Sarah Luth

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Abstract not available.

Healthy Heart Project, Emily Hurst

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Healthy Heart program has been offering fitness testing, cardiovascular and chronic disease testing and education, and clinical experience for students in the course KIN483: Exercise, Disease, and Aging for a number of years. The program offers an important service to the Missoula community by providing each participant with accurate health indicators and results, such as ECG (heart) rhythms, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and strength measures, body composition, and peripheral artery disease screening. The program gives students experience learning practical skills by performing a 2-hour exercise testing session, communicating with a community member, analyzing testing data, and compiling then discussing results. …

Regional Variations In Physical Fitness And Activity In Healthy And Overweight Ecuadorian Adolescents, Cheryl A. Howe, Sharon Casapulla, Jay H. Shubrook, Pablo Lopez, Mario Grijalva, Darlene E. Berryman

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Osteopathic Medicine

Background: Insufficient physical activity (PA) and excessive sedentary behavior (SB) are the main contributors to adolescent obesity. However, it is uncertain whether recent economic growth and urbanization in Ecuador are contributing to an obesogenic environment. This study assessed the relationships among fitness, PA, SB, and perceived social support for PA in adolescents from urban (Quito) and rural (Loja) Ecuador. Methods: Fitness was estimated using 3-min step test and PA and SB participation and social support for PA were self-reported in 407 adolescents. T-tests and analysis of variance assessed differences by sex, obesity status, and region of Ecuador. Pearson correlations …

Implementing A Public Health Perspective In Fda Drug Regulation, Patricia J. Zettler, Margaret Foster Riley, Aaron S. Kesselheim

Faculty Publications By Year

There is, without question, a public health crisis in the United States arising from both illicit and prescription opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one regulator with an important role to play in minimizing the harms associated with prescription opioids, while also ensuring that prescription opioids are available for the evidence-based management of pain. One question, however, is to what extent the agency can consider in its decisions to approve opioids and keep existing ones on the market the provider and patient behaviors contributing to the epidemic. This is, in part, because FDA’s approval …

Older Adult Men’S Emotional Bonds With Their Dogs, Ranell L. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Knowledge of the deeper meanings of attachment to companion animals is limited, particularly in terms of older adults. This study employed a modified grounded theory method, a phenomenological lens and a life course perspective to gather and analyze data garnered from individual interviews and panel discussions in order to investigate the multiple dimensions of older adult men’s relationships with their companion animal dogs. Individual audio-recorded in-depth interviews and repeated panel discussions with a sub-group of the participants, convened as a panel over a three-month period, explored behavioral and emotional manifestations of attachment and the emotional bond to their companion animal …

Correlates Of Hepatitis C Positivity Among People Who Inject Drugs In Ukraine, Serhii Myroshnychenko

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

The Impacts Of Hiv-Specific Criminal Laws On Hiv Serostatus Disclosure, Risk Behaviors, And Hiv Testing, Shao-Chiu Juan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Before the advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), many states enacted and strictly enforced laws that criminalized HIV transmission. These laws were enacted to prevent HIV-infected individuals from knowingly transmitting the virus to the uninfected. Over the past two decades, however, questions have been raised regarding the effectiveness of HIV criminalization and its unintended consequences. For example, there is little evidence that the criminalization of HIV transmission has been effective in reducing the spread of the disease, particularly when compared to education and other prevention efforts. Moreover, stigmatization associated with criminalization may actually undermine public health efforts. The dissertation aims to …

An Exploration Of Care Coordination And Management For The Medicaid Hiv Population Within Upstate New York Health Homes, Esemikelu Oghenejobo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Within the U.S. healthcare system, there has been a renewed focus to improve the delivery of care services, to increase the quality of care, and to decrease costs. The Affordable Care Act introduced the health home (HH) model to serve vulnerable, Medicaid populations who are experiencing difficulty managing their care and navigating complex healthcare systems. The HH was a voluntary state option; of which New York State (NYS) chose to participate. Additionally, NYS was granted a Medicaid 1115 waiver to fully implement an ambitious re-design of NYS’s Medicaid program. NYS invested in the HH as a key model to address …