Public Health Commons^™

Changing Neighborhoods And Residents’ Health Perceptions: The Heart Healthy Hoods Qualitative Study, Paloma Conde, Marta Gutiérrez, Maria Sandin, Julia Díez, Luisa N. Borrell, Jesús Rivera-Navarro, Manuel Franco

Publications and Research

Cities, and therefore neighborhoods, are under constant change. Neighborhood changes may affect residents’ health in multiple ways. The Heart Healthy Hoods (HHH) project studies the association between neighborhood and residents’ health. Focusing on a middle–low-socioeconomic neighborhood in Madrid (Spain), our aim was to describe qualitatively its residents’ perceptions on the urban changes and their impacts on health. We designed a qualitative study using 16 semi-structured interviews including adult residents and professionals living or working in the area. Firstly, we described the perceived main social and neighborhood changes. Secondly, we studied how these neighborhood changes connected to residents’ health perceptions. Perceived …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern reports on weight loss trends in overweight adolescents
• Georgia Southern Examines Health Departments' Activities to Address Health Disparities

Health Information Technology And Language Barriers In Pre-Admission Clinics, Sandra M. Coffey

Applied Research Projects

LEP or Limited English Proficiency patients across the United States are at higher risk for decreased quality of care because of their inability to communicate effectively with healthcare providers. Interpreters are not offered in a consistent manner due to many variables such as cost, availability of qualified interpreters, the time spent with patients due to an increased work-overload and clinician lack of knowledge into technologies available to use. Healthcare information technology such as video and telephone interpretation can bridge the gap between patients and medical personnel when a language barrier is present. At the pre-admission clinic, the Nursing personnel interviews …

Obesity Inequalities According To Place Of Birth: The Role Of Education, Elena Rodriguez-Alvarez, Nerea Lanborena, Luisa N. Borrell

Publications and Research

This study examined obesity inequalities according to place of birth and educational attainment in men and in women in Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2011–2012 and from the European Health Survey in Spain 2014. We used data for 27,720 adults aged 18–64 years of whom 2431 were immigrants. We used log-binomial regression to quantify the association of place of birth with obesity before and after adjusting for the selected characteristics in women and in men. We found a greater probability of obesity in immigrant women (PR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.22–1.64) and …

One-Compound-Two-Pharmacophores: Design, Synthesis And Antimalarial Activities Of Chloroquinoline-Cassiarin, Thobias M. Kalenga, Monica M. Ndoile, Quintino A. Mgani

Tanzania Journal of Science

This paper describes the design and synthesis of a potential antimalarial compound, chloroquinoline-cassiarin (6) using 4,7-dichloroquinoline and the natural product barakol (1) extracted from the leaves of Cassia siamea as starting materials. In this paper a one compound-two-pharmacophores concept is introduced in which coupling of two known pharmacophores into one has been described. The concept is not only useful to organic synthesis but also to drug development researches. The synthesized compound 6 exhibited potent in vitro antimalarial activity at IC50 = 0.51 µM, and low toxicity where at 20 µM, 80% viability of HeLa cells was observed.

A Markov Approach For Increasing Precision In The Assessment Of Data-Intensive Behavioral Interventions, Vincent Berardi, Ricardo Carretero-González, John Belletierre, Marc A. Adams, Suzanne C. Hughes, Melbourne Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Health interventions using real-time sensing technology are characterized by intensive longitudinal data, which has the potential to enable nuanced evaluations of individuals’ responses to treatment. Existing analytic tools were not developed to capitalize on this opportunity as they typically focus on first-order findings such as changes in the level and/or slope of outcome variables over different intervention phases. This paper introduces an exploratory, Markov-based empirical transition method that offers a more comprehensive assessment of behavioral responses when intensive longitudinal data are available. The procedure projects a univariate time-series into discrete states and empirically determines the probability of transitioning from one …

Knowledge And Risk Factors For Stroke Among Undergraduates In Southwestern Nigeria, Wasiu Olalekan Adebimpe

Marshall Journal of Medicine

The burden of non-communicable diseases due to stroke is increasing. Despite this, community based studies that could stimulate stroke primordial prevention among the population at risk are sparse. This study assessed community knowledge and risk factors to stroke among University undergraduates in Osogbo, southwestern Nigeria. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 420 male undergraduates selected through multi-stage sampling method. Research instruments were self-administered semi structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0. Four hundred and seven (96.9%) have heard about stroke. Good mean knowledge score of causes, symptoms, warning signs and risk factors of stroke …

Racial Disparity Among Women Diagnosed With Invasive Breast Cancer In A Large Integrated Health System, Maharaj Singh, Santhi D. Konduri, George C. Bobustuc, Amin B. Kassam, Richard A. Rovin

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Reasons for the well-described disparity in outcomes between African American (AA) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women with invasive breast cancer are unclear, making it difficult to identify solutions. This study examined the effects of demographics, biomarkers, tumor characteristics, cancer stage, morphology, and treatment variables on overall and cancer-free survival in these patient populations.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data for 6231 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer throughout an integrated health system from January 2006 through March 2015. Included for analysis were 5023 NHW and 413 AA women. All category and continuous variables in the study were described in the …

Design, Development And Construct Validation Of The Children’S Dietary Inflammatory Index, Samira Khan, Micheal D. Wirth, Andrew Ortaglia, Christian R. Alvarado, Nitin Shivappa, Thomas Hurley, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Objective: To design and validate a literature-derived, population-based Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII)TM. Design: The C-DII was developed based on a review of literature through 2010. Dietary data obtained from children in 16 different countries were used to create a reference database for computing C-DII scores based on consumption of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and whole foods. Construct validation was performed using quantile regression to assess the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and C-DII scores. Data Sources: All data used for construct validation were obtained from children between six and 14 years of age (n = 3300) who participated in …

An Analysis On The Policy Implementation Of Antibacterial Resistance Control At The Hospital, Nani Indriana, Wiku Bakti B. Adisasmito

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

In order to control Antibacterial Resistance at the hospital in Indonesia, the Government of Indonesia established an Antibiotics Resistance Control Committee and issued a Regulation from the Ministry of Health, regulation no 8/2015 on an antibiotics resistance control program at the hospital. This is an investigation on the Antibacterial Resistance Control Program (ARCP) at the Hospital, which compares its implementation at a government hospital and a private hospital, Persahabatan Central General Hospital (CGH) and Bogor Indonesian Red Cross Hospital (BIRCH). This was a descriptive study with a qualitative analysis obtained through indepth interviews and documentary research. We discovered that the …

Women’S Pregnancy Life History And Alzheimer’S Risk: Can Immunoregulation Explain The Link?, Molly Fox, Carlo Berzuini, Leslie A. Knapp, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Pregnancy is associated with improvement in immunoregulation that persists into the geriatric phase. Impaired immunoregulation is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Hence, we investigate the relationship between pregnancy and AD. Methods:

Cross-sectional cohort of British women (N = 95). Cox proportional hazards modeling assessed the putative effects of cumulative months pregnant on AD risk and the mutually adjusted effects of counts of first and third trimesters on AD risk. Results:

Cumulative number of months pregnant, was associated with lower AD risk (β = −1.90, exp(β) = 0.15, P = .02). Cumulative number of first trimesters …

An Analysis Of The Health Centers Readiness For Accreditation In Brebes District In 2018, Deny Ardi Lourina, Dumilah Ayuningtyas

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

The accreditation of health centers is an endeavor by the Ministry of Health to improve the quality and performance of health centers regulated by Permenkes No. 4/2015. Of the 38 health centers in Brebes, only 10 has been accredited. We wish to discover how prepared are the health centers to be accredited based on the resources available and pre-accreditation survey. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews and documentary research. Results indicated that there was sufficient funds, facilities and equipment for the accreditation. However, the assessment scores for human resources sufficiency and documentary completeness was low.

Mobile Health Technology Knowledge And Practices Among Patients Of Safety-Net Health Systems In Washington State And Washington, Dc, Sharon S. Laing, Muhammad Alsayid, Carlota Ocampo, Stacey Baugh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Mobile health technology (mHealth) can reduce health disparities, but research on the health behaviors of low-income patients is needed. This study evaluates mHealth knowledge and practices of low-resource safety-net patients.

Methods: We administered a 47-item questionnaire to 164 low-income patients accessing services at community health centers in the state of Washington and Washington, DC. Predictor variables included demographic factors: age, race, ethnicity, income. Outcome variables were smartphone knowledge (smartphones as a wellness tool), medical app knowledge (availability of medical-based apps), smartphone practices (ever used smartphones for wellness), health apps practices (ever used health-based apps), and medical apps practices (ever …

Multiracial Patient Experiences With Racial Microaggressions In Health Care Settings, Cyndy R. Snyder, Prince Z. Wang, Anjali R. Truitt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Illuminating patients’ experiences of microaggressions in health care settings can help practitioners develop care that is more culturally responsive. While much of the literature on health care disparities focuses on minority groups generally, we sought to identify and to describe the ways in which racial microaggressions manifest for multiracial individuals and families specifically.

Methods: Using a combination of interviews and focus groups, we conducted 15 interviews and 3 focus groups. Eligible participants self-identified as more than one race and/or they self-identified as part of an interracial family, and they and/or someone they considered to be part of their family …

Using Clinical Decision Support Within The Electronic Health Record To Reduce Incorrect Prescribing For Acute Sinusitis, Regina Ginzburg, Justin J. Conway, Eve Waltermaurer, Wendy Song, Samantha P. Jellinek-Cohen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Acute sinusitis has viral etiology in more than 90% of cases, but antibiotics are prescribed for more than 80% of adults in the United States. While applications of computer-assisted guidelines have been found effective in reducing inaccurate prescribing for acute respiratory infections, there is a paucity of research focused specifically on the utilization of electronic best practice alerts (BPA) in improving treatment for acute sinusitis.

Methods: This observational cohort study examined prescribing behavior for sinusitis at a single Federally Qualified Health Center 1 year prior and during the first year of implementation of a BPA in the electronic health …

Improving Health And Well-Being: Connecting Research And Practice. The 24th Annual Conference Of The Health Care Systems Research Network, Karen L. Margolis, Nico Pronk, Jane E. Duncan, Sarah M. Greene

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The 24th annual conference of the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN, formerly the HMO Research Network), held April 11–13, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, attracted 357 attendees. The HCSRN is a consortium of 18 community-based research organizations embedded in or affiliated with large health care delivery systems. Its annual research conference, held since 1994, is a unique venue that brings diverse stakeholders (eg, research teams, clinicians, patients, funders) together to explore a range of health research topics and scientific findings, with a unifying goal of connecting applied research to real-world care delivery for the betterment of individual and community health. …

Influence Of Built Environment And Social Capital On Mental Health Of Residents Of Assisted Living Communities In Louisville, Ky., Sarah E. Walsh, A. Scott Lajoie

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Objectives: Prior research has shown social capital and built environment quality are associated with overall health status and the incidence of mental illness. This study explores the relationship between social capital, built environment, and quality of life specifically for assisted living residents, currently a gap in the literature. Method: A total of 76 assisted living residents were interviewed for the study using researcher-administered questionnaires. In addition, site audits were conducted to quantitatively evaluate the built environment surrounding 12 assisted living communities in the Louisville Metro region. Results: There was a moderate, positive correlation between social capital and mental health, r …

An Evaluation On The Policies On Public Health Workers As Health Professionals, Muswandar Muswandar, Purnawan Junadi

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

Law No. 36 of 2014 is a comprehensive law for health professionals. In that regulation, all health graduates that wish to practice their trade must have a letter of registration (STR). That policy also separated environmental health from public health. This was the reason why we decided to evaluate the policy that is related to public health professionals. This evaluation was a retrospective analysis that used in-depth interviews and literary research, respectively as primary and secondary data. From this research we discovered that public health graduates is has their own profession. And to obtain the right to practice their trade, …

An Analysis Of The Healthcare Center System As A Gatekeeper In 2018, Septiana Maharanti, Puput I Oktamiant

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

In managed care, primary healthcarecare facilities acts as the gatekeepers, and its success is judged from the number of visits. In the year 2016, the Healthcare Centers in Tangerang was unable to meet the targets set by BPJS healthcare, ideally the visit rate should reach >150‰ and the referral ratio <10%. However, the visit rate only reachd 41‰ and the referral ratio was 29%. In addition, most healthcare centers the nonspecialised referral ratio was above 5%. The purpose of this research is to analyze the healthcare service system as the gatekeepers in managed care. This research is a descriptive analytical study with a qualitative approach. The data was collected through in-depth interviews, examination of documents and observations. Research conducted at healthcare centers and clinics Pedurenan Pabuaran Tumpeng from May-June 2018. From this research we discovered that the low contact lrate was caused be the low first contact levels, continuity, and comprehensiveness. The registering process was also complicated. We also discovered that the lack of human resources also influences the low contact rate.

An Analysis On Non-Specialist Outpatient Referrals At Beji And Depok Jaya Health Centers In 2018, Tasya Caesarena Pertiwi, Masyitoh Basabih

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

The Health Social Security Agency (BPJS kesehatan) is one of the government’s efforts to provide quality healthcare for the people. To guarantee its quality and maintain efficiency, a tiered referral system is used. However, there were many problems in its implementation. One of the ways to investigate is to evaluate the non-specialist outpatient referrals (RRNS). Therefore, in March-July 2018, this research was performed in order to analyze whether the system was implemented at Beji and Depok Jaya Health Center. The method used was the qualitative research method, with primary data from in-depth interviews and secondary data from documents. It was …

Assessing Heat-Related Mortality Risks Among Rural Populations: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Epidemiological Evidence, Emmanuel A. Odame, Ying Li, Shimin Zheng, Ambarish Vaidyanathan, Ken Silver

ETSU Faculty Works

Most epidemiological studies of high temperature effects on mortality have focused on urban settings, while heat-related health risks in rural areas remain underexplored. To date there has been no meta-analysis of epidemiologic literature concerning heat-related mortality in rural settings. This study aims to systematically review the current literature for assessing heat-related mortality risk among rural populations. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify articles published up to April 2018. Key selection criteria included study location, health endpoints, and study design. Fourteen studies conducted in rural areas in seven countries on four …

Power Outage Preparedness And Concern Among Vulnerable New York City Residents, Christine Dominianni, Munerah Ahmed, Sarah Johnson, Micheline Blum, Kazuhiko Ito, Kathryn Lane

Publications and Research

Power outages can impact health, and certain populations may be more at risk. Personal preparedness may reduce impacts, but information on power outage preparedness and risk perception among vulnerable populations is limited. We examined power outage preparedness and concern among New York City residents, including vulnerable populations defined as older adults (≥ 65 years), and respondents with household members who require assistance with daily activities or depend on electric medical devices. A random sample telephone survey was conducted during November–December 2016. Preparedness was defined as having a three-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food, and a working flashlight. Among all …

Changing Health Care Policy By Utilizing Kingdon's Policy Stream Theory, Brittney Welch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to describe the policy process of changing current regulations regarding rural health clinics (RHCs). Using Kingdon’s Policy Stream Theory for guidance, the change project was designed to amend current regulations regarding the directorship of the RHCs, consequently allowing Nurse Practitioners (NP) to act as medical directors for rural health clinics (RHCs). This change fulfills the Institute of Medicine’s charge to have nurses work to the highest level of their education, as well as a defined need to fill a gap in the health care system by decreasing rural health disparities. The Rural Health Care …

Call For Submissions - Special Issue July 2019: The Role Of Technology And Innovation In Patient Experience, Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal (PXJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for its July 2019 special issue on the topic of the role of technology in patient & family experience. A focus on technology and innovation will be essential in healthcare experience, requiring new ways of thinking and doing and the technologies and tools to ensure efficiencies, expand capacities and extend boundaries of care.

This special issue is open to all authors conducting cutting-edge research, implementing innovative practices or with powerful experiences to share around efforts in either creating or implementing technology focused on positively impacting the patient experience …

Condition Help: 10 Years Of Experience Enhancing Our Culture Of Family Engagement, Andrew Mccormick, Catherine Polak, Michael Fox, Michele Carlson, Charles Guthrie, Michael Decker, Diane Hupp, Gabriella Butler, Andrew Urbach

Patient Experience Journal

“Condition Help” is a family activated rapid response team designed to enhance a partnership between providers and the family. Calling a “Condition Help” results in the rapid arrival of a response team (physician, nurse administrator and patient representative) that assesses the clinical status, listens to families’ concerns and promotes communication to move clinical care forward. “Condition Help” has been an active program for the last 10 years at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and has assisted in the care of 608 patient encounters. This article outlines the experience gained using this vital program, summarizes …

Wait Time Reality Check: The Convergence Of Process, Perception, And Expectation, Marian Hill, Lorianne Classen, Andrea Romay, Erika Diaz

Patient Experience Journal

There are few experiences as ubiquitous to patients as the experience of waiting. It is an occurrence that transcends diagnosis, is common to all demographics, and is shared across the continuum of care. The experience can be frustrating and full of ambiguity for patients and their families. Wait time and delays can lead to patients sensing a loss of control and magnify the feelings of anxiety they may already be suffering. In an effort to improve patient experience, a framework was developed to examine patient satisfaction as a function of expectations, perceptions, and reality. The process domain focused on the …

Family Experience Tracers: Patient Family Advisor Led Interviews Generating Detailed Qualitative Feedback To Influence Performance Improvement, Kathryn Taff, Sheryl Chadwick, Deejo Miller

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Family Advisors (PFAs) are integral partners in quality improvement processes at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Mimicking Joint Commission patient tracers, the Family Experience Tracer program was created to gather perspectives from end users of care and provide valuable insights regarding the patient experience. The Patient and Family Engagement team collaborates with departmental and organizational leadership to define the scope of the tracer project and determine meaningful topics to elicit feedback from patients and families. Tracers are conducted across the continuum of care and are led by a Patient Family Advisor to establish an immediate peer relationship. Patients and families …

Can An Interactive Application Be Used To Collect Meaningful Feedback From Paediatric Patients And Their Parents In A Hospital Setting?, Janelle O'Neill, Graham R. Reeks, Lauren Kearney

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this study was to determine the acceptability of using an interactive application (Fabio the Frog) to understand the experiences and perspectives of children and parents/carers regarding their health care encounter for the purpose of quality improvement and consumer feedback. Children’s perspectives of their healthcare were collected via the interactive application through the use of a validated survey, the Children’s Perceptions of Healthcare Survey (CPHS). The acceptability of eliciting views from children and parents via an interactive application platform was collected using an additional survey designed for this purpose. Data were collected in two phases. Overall, healthcare experiences …

What Constitutes The Patient Experience Of Children? Findings From The Photo Elicitation And The Video Diary Study, Nina Karisalmi, Hanna Stenhammar, Johanna Kaipio

Patient Experience Journal

Patient experience (PX) is getting attention among researchers and healthcare service providers, but little is known about the experiences of child patients and how to explore those. This paper reports findings from a study in which two participatory research methods, photo elicitation and video diary, were applied to investigate the elements of children’s PX in the context of children’s hospital. The aim was to find out what elements constitute the PX of children aged 7–16 years. The research data were gathered in 2016–2017. Twenty-two child patients participated in the study: eight children aged between 7 and 10 in the photo …

The Pediatric Emergency Department Care Experience: A Quality Measure, Terri L. Byczkowski, Kimberly A. Downing, Michael R. Fitzgerald, Stephanie S. Kennebeck, Gordon L. Gillespie, Evaline A. Alessandrini

Patient Experience Journal

To develop and validate a measure of the quality of the pediatric emergency department care experience from the parent perspective. This was a multiphase study conducted at a tertiary-care pediatric health system using qualitative and quantitative methods. A list of candidate questions was developed to measure each of eight dimensions of family-centered pediatric emergency care described in a published framework. This list was evaluated and refined using the Question Appraisal System (QAS-99) followed by cognitive interviewing methods. Remaining questions were field tested using survey methods via telephone interviews with randomly selected parents. Composite scores to measure each of the eight …