Public Health Commons^™

A Case-Study Approach To Investigate Transmission, Co-Infection, And Clinical Sequelae During Epidemics Of Dengue And Ebola Virus Disease, Jennifer Elizabeth Giovanni

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

From within their ecologic niches, zoonotic viruses emerge from animal reservoirs into the edges and centers of human habitation to exploit opportunities for unabated transmission within immunologically–naïve populations. Our understanding of where, in whom, and how these viruses emerge is under direct challenge, driving the evolution of modern infectious disease epidemiology within a rapidly-connected global community. The studies presented herein are based on analyses of both aggregate and case-level data, which, we argue, provide unique insight into the complexities of transmission, co-infection, and clinical sequelae occurring within, and arising from, epidemics of emerging zoonotic viruses. In Chapter II, we investigate …

Prescription Opioid Use Patterns, Use Disorder Diagnoses, And Addiction Treatment Receipt After The 2014 Medicaid Expansion In Oregon, Rachel Springer, Miguel Marino, Steffani R. Bailey, Heather Angier, Jean O'Malley, Megan Hoopes, Stephan Lindner, Jennifer E. Devoe, Nathalie Huguet

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background/Aims: Evidence suggests Medicaid beneficiaries in the USA are prescribed opioids more frequently than are people who are privately‐insured, but little is known about opioid prescribing patterns among Medicaid enrollees who gained coverage via the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions. This study compared the prevalence of receipt of opioid prescriptions and opioid‐use‐disorder (OUD), along with time from OUD diagnosis to medication‐assisted treatment (MAT) receipt between Oregon residents who had been continuously insured by Medicaid, were newly insured after Medicaid expansion in 2014, or returned to Medicaid coverage after expansion.

Design: Cross‐sectional study using inverse‐propensity weights to adjust for …

Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

A Literature Review Of Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy For Bereaved Children, Wendy Dalton

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There is a need for increased visibility of child bereavement to expand research in and accessibility of developmentally appropriate supports, which views the child holistically and within their biopsychosocial context. Worden’s (1996) formative work with child bereavement resulting in the "tasks" of child bereavement was the first and most recent study of its scale and kind. This marked an affirming of grief as normative response to death and occurring throughout the developmental lifespan. This work also highlights the need for additional inquiry to expand and deepen understanding of child bereavement. A growing body of research suggests that ecotherapy and expressive …

“Do I Need Exercise?” A Qualitative Study On Factors Affecting Leisure-Time Physical Activity In India, Shalini Garg, V Raman Kutty

The Qualitative Report

Physical activity can reduce the risk of premature mortality from various chronic diseases. Previous research in Kerala, India indicates several barriers which can impact physical activity levels. Perceptions about the importance of health-promoting physical activity were examined among adults in Kerala and various facilitators, motivators and barriers to physical activity were identified using focus group discussions and interviews with key informants. At present, the attitude of people and health professionals is that physical activity has to be taken up when diagnosed with a disease (obesity, diabetes) and advised by a health professional. Men were more likely to start exercising after …

Using Mobile Phones To Improve Young People's Sexual And Reproductive Health In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review Protocol To Identify Barriers, Facilitators And Reported Interventions, Anam Shahil Feroz, Farina Abrejo, Sumera Aziz Ali, Rozina Nuruddin, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Due to a growing reliance on mobile phone technology and decreasing mobile phone costs, the use of mobile phones is on the rise, especially among the youth population. Young people are responsive and enthusiastic to use novel approaches such as mHealth to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. Globally, reproductive health programs have used mHealth to provide sexual and reproductive health education and services to young people, through diverse communication channels. However, few attempts have been made to systematically review the mHealth programs for young people sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). …

Characterizing The Permanence And Stationary Distribution For A Family Of Malaria Stochastic Models, Divine Wanduku

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Access To Community-Based Hiv Services Among Transgender Women In Cambodia: Findings From A National Survey., Siyan Yi, Say Sok, Srean Chhim, Pheak Chhoun, Navy Chann, Sovannary Tuot, Phalkun Mun, Marija Pantelic

BACKGROUND: Globally, the prevalence of HIV among transgender women is more than 40 times higher than the prevalence in the general reproductive-age adults. They also face intersecting barriers to health, social, and legal services due to their hidden and stigmatized nature. Despite the particular needs, data regarding the access to services among transgender populations is scant globally. This study aims to identify characteristics of transgender women in Cambodia that may determine their accessibility to community-based HIV services.

METHODS: In the National Biological and Behavioral Survey 2016, a structured questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews with 1375 sexually active transgender women …

Increasing Long Acting Reversible Contraception Use In Primary Care: Removing The Barriers, Jessamyn Phillips

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Unintended pregnancy is a serious public health concern. About half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended (Guttmacher Institute, 2016). This project lead by a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at the University of San Francisco, will showcase the development, implementation, and evaluation of a LARC training program aimed at improving confidence in counseling, competence in insertion, and evaluation increased rates of LARC usage in primary care, directed at reducing unintended pregnancy rates. This program expands upon the Healthy People 2020 goals dedicated to family planning and emphasis on increased utilization of the most effective forms …

Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Course: A Mixed Media Intervention And Quality Improvement Project In A School-Based Setting, Stephanie Calabrese

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Section I: Abstract

Problem: California’s adolescents carry a significant burden of newly acquired sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and gaps in adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge have led to poor adolescent health outcomes. (CDE, 2019). Context: The California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) was enacted on January 1, 2016, calling all school districts to ensure that all pupils receive comprehensive sexual health education, and HIV prevention education (CDE, 2019). In a proactive motion, parents from a northern California middle school approached a university to provide a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student to instruct its sixth grade’s …

Enhancing Nutrition Education For School Aged Children; A Preventive Health Measure And Quality Improvement Project, Fanny M. Powell

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Objective: The purpose of the DNP project was to improve nutritional knowledge of the adolescents at Kings Canyon Unified School District while also improving their perceived ability to choose healthy food. This project was enveloped in a larger community outreach mission utilizing a free school-based clinic for the purposes of providing sports physicals to students and health screening and physicals to the community. Additionally, nurse practitioner students engaged in a cultural immersion experience through clinical rotations in Central Valley.

Methods: Adolescent students who registered for the clinic watched a nine-minute nutrition video, created by the DNP student, while waiting …

Orthorexia Nervosa Among Collegiate Female Student-Athletes, Maryse Bard-Martel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a specific style of disordered eating defined as an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food, or going to extremes in the pursuit of a diet that is supposed to be good for you. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa tendencies in college female soccer players in the NCAA Division 1. Purposive sampling was used, and participants were current student-athletes from the Missouri State women’s soccer team (n=18). Survey research was utilized to assess athletes’ attitudes and behaviors related to various aspects of diet and training, and the control it …

Examining The Effects Of Service-Learning On Students' Perceptions Of The Ches Responsibilities– A Pilot Study, Victoria M. Surratt

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a service-learning project on students' willingness, confidence, and perceived importance to incorporate the Certified Health Education Specialist, Areas of Responsibility (CHES-AOR), into their profession. It was hypothesized that students participation in a service-learning project in an undergraduate health and wellness course would be more willing, confident, and perceive it as more important to apply the CHES-AOR within their chosen health profession. Methods: Missouri State University students registered in the fall 2018, undergraduate Health and Wellness service-learning course (KIN-350-001), completed an online survey at the beginning and the end of the semester. Seven questions were …

Healthy Campus 2020 Standout: A Health Initiative To Improve Student Health, Marie-Claire Boutrin

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

No abstract provided.

Investigating Drivers Of Dengue Emergence In Cordoba, Argentina, Michael Andrew Robert, Rachel Sippy, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Helen J. Wearing, Elizabet L. Estallo

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Contraception On Women’S Decision-Making Agency In Indonesia, Michaela J. Fogarty

Undergraduate Economic Review

Increasing access to contraception has the potential to empower women and improve the economic standing of families across the globe. Many researchers have explored the impacts of contraception on families and the determinants of women’s level of empowerment, but little scholarship exists on their direct relationship. This paper explores the impacts of contraceptive use on women’s empowerment, measured by a sum of women’s household decision-making agency. Panel data from three rounds of the Indonesian Family Life Survey is used to run multiple regressions with household fixed effects. Results suggest that women who use contraception have input on two additional types …

Parameter Identification For A Stochastic Seirs Epidemic Model: Case Study Influenza, Olusegun M. Otunuga, Anna Mummert

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Environmental Impact And Formation Of Meals From The Pilot Year Of A Las Vegas Convention Food Rescue Program, Samantha To, Courtney Coughenour, Jennifer Pharr

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Annually, millions of tonnes of leftover edible foods are sent to landfill. Not only does this harm the environment by increasing the release of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change, but it poses a question of ethics given that nearly 16 million households are food insecure in the US, and hundreds of millions of people around the globe. The purpose of this study was to document the amount of food diverted from landfill in the pilot year of a convention food rescue program and to determine the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided by the diversion of such …

Challenges Of Training And Delivery Of Pediatric Surgical Services In Developing Economies: A Perspective From Pakistan, Amir Humza Sohail, Muhammad Hassaan Arif Maan, Mohammed Sachal, Muhammad Soban

Medical College Documents

Background: As the pediatric population requiring health services rises globally, developing countries are struggling to cater to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases - particularly those requiring specialized surgical care.
Main body: Despite the literature supporting specialized pediatric surgical care, the developing world is far from meeting the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Manpower taskforce recommendation of at least 1 qualified pediatric surgeon per 100,000 patients (0-15 years-old). In Pakistan, there is an unmet surgical need in the pediatric population due to a multitude of short shortcomings, notably in quality and quantity of the training programs on offer, and urgent …

Ebola: Impact Of Hospital's Admission Policy In An Overwhelmed Scenario, Mondal H. Zahid

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Pair Formation Disease Models With A Two Phase Infection, Berlinda Rosa Batista

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Decoys And Dilution: The Impact Of Incompetent Hosts On Prevalence Of Chagas Disease, Mondal H. Zahid

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Methods To Forecast Temporal Pattern Of Aedes Mosquito Species Using Meteorological Variables In Ontario, Canada, Mohammad A. Al-Mamun, Ernest O. Asare

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

How To Be Ssb-Free: Assessing The Attitudes And Readiness For A Sugar Sweetened Beverage-Free Healthcare Center In The Bronx, Ny, P. Christopher Palmedo, Lauren M. Gordon

Publications and Research

In recent years, communities and institutions have sought new interventions intended to reduce sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among children. Among these interventions are “SSB-free zones,” where such beverages are not permitted to be consumed on the premises. Insufficient knowledge still exists, however, about the readiness for such restrictive SSB policies within health care institutions. Understanding attitudes toward SSB consumption among adults is necessary to guide an institution-wide policy, where staff and patients serve as role models for parents and their children. We conducted focus groups with health center patients and staff to determine perceptions surrounding health and SSB consumption …

Report On The 2018 Cancer, Autoimmunity, And Immunology Conference, Colleen S. Curran, Connie L. Sommers, Howard A. Young, Katarzyna Bourcier, Marie Mancini, Elad Sharon

United States Public Health Resources

With the increased use of cancer immunotherapy, a number of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are being identified. These irAEs can be compared with known autoimmune disorders in similar tissues, with important similarities and differences. Understanding the etiology of irAEs may bring to light concepts applicable to immune responses in cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease. This immunobiology is especially relevant to cancer patients with preexisting allogeneic transplants or autoimmune disease who are undergoing cancer immunotherapy. To address these facets of cancer immunotherapy, academic leaders from these various disciplines discussed current irAE basic and clinical research, irAE diagnosis and management, and the …

Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Outcomes: Evaluating The Link Between Infection Prevention Practices In Healthcare Facilities And Their Health Care-Associated Infection Rates, Chidinma Veronica Njoku

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a pressing problem affecting vulnerable individuals who come to the hospital to receive care for one condition only to find that they have contracted another during their stay. Studies point to the importance of training and educating staff in order to implement and comply with recommended infection control and prevention control and prevention practices as lack of training and knowledge about infection control and prevention has been perceived to bring about a limited ability for direct care staff to adhere to recommended processes and activities. Although there are prior studies on the effects of assessments, infection …

Ten Questions Concerning The Built Environment And Mental Health, Andrew J. Hoisington, Kelly A. Stearns-Yoder, Steven J. Schuldt, Cody J. Beemer, Juan P. Maestre, Kerry A. Kinney, Teodor T. Postolache, Christopher A. Lowry, Lisa A. Brenner

Faculty Publications

Most people spend the majority of their lives indoors. Research over the last thirty years has focused on investigating the mechanisms through which specific elements of the built environment, such as indoor air quality, influence the physical health of occupants. However, similar effort has not been expended in regard to mental health, a significant public health concern. One in five Americans has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the past year, and, in the United States, the number of suicide deaths are similar to the number of deaths due to breast cancer. Increases in mental health disorders in …

The Effects Of A Mobile Fitness Application On Weight Management And Physical Acticity Amongst University Students, Erica Deenihan

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The prevalence of obesity, and obesity related diseases throughout America, specifically in regard to the college student population has steadily climbed over the course of the last forty years, due largely in part to the increase in sedentary lifestyle behaviors, amongst other factors (Swanson, 2016). Physical activity has been widely recognized as a valid means of combatting obesity and weight gain while promoting health related quality of life (Swanson, 2016). Therefore, implementing strategies aimed at increasing physical fitness in attempt to control weight management is imperative to promoting improved health outcomes. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to examine …

The Effect Of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring And Self-Titration On Achieving Blood Pressure Targets, Katina A. Varner

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

One-third of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are hypertensive, with an estimated cost of $47.5 billion in direct medical expenses and increased individual CVD risk (CDC, 2018). Routine office visits afford primary care providers a means of managing hypertension; however, time constraints limit the ability to accurately assess and track BP in most patients (Jung, 2015). The purpose of this project was to determine if implementation of HBPM and an algorithm for selftitration of antihypertensive medications increased the number of participants at guideline recommended BP goal over a 90-day period. The Health Promotion Model provided the theoretical framework …

Clinical Practice Guideline Adherence: Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease In At-Risk Adults, Sharnita L. Rice

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) (2013; 2016), as well as the American Diabetes Association (ADA) joined forces to create clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) recommendations for healthcare providers (HCPs) to follow with the aim of preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (2017a) estimates CVD costs 325 billion dollars annually. Although CVD has an astronomical cost associated with it, CPG adherence continues to be an issue among HCPs and improvement is warranted. The purpose of this EBP project …