Public Health Commons^™

Safe Patient Handling – A Case For National Legislation, David O. Oba

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Introduction: This study examined the effectiveness of Safe Patient Handling (SPH) legislations in difference states across the country. In January 2006, the state of Texas legislated the Safe Patient Handling and Movement Practices Act which required all hospitals and nursing homes to implement safe patient handling and movement program. To date, 10 other states have enacted law or regulations to control work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among healthcare workers (HW). Despite the effectiveness of these policies in the individual states, MSDs remain prevalent among HW nationwide. Hence, the call for national legislation. Methods: Using the state-level incidence rate data from the …

Physician Hospital Arrangement Influence On Nonprofit Hospital Quality,Financial Performance And Community Benefit Expenditures, Andrea Cervin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Federal policy has encouraged hospitals to provide certain quality outcomes and cost containment. Hospitals have responded by forming physician hospital organizations in attempts to achieve quality outcomes and capture reimbursements. At the same time, federal policy has awarded hospitals with nonprofit status with the requirement to provide community benefits in exchange for the tax exemption they receive. With the formation of physician hospital organizations, there remains the question of whether hospitals are achieving desired quality metrics and whether hospitals are financially viable. There is also public and media interest recently regarding whether nonprofit hospitals fulfill their obligations for community benefit …

T​He​ E​Ffect​ ​Of​ U​Nconventional​ G​As​ ​And​ O​Il​ D​Rilling​ E​Missions​ ​On​ A​Sthma​ ​And​ R​Espiratory D​Iseases​ ​In​ ​The​ B​Arnett​ S​Hale​ ​Of​ T​Exas, Stella A. Okoroafor

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Unconventional gas and oil drilling (UGOD) has increased substantially in the United States for more than a decade. The resultant environmental unsafe air pollution effects of UGOD both locally and regionally have been well documented in the literature. Despite the dramatic increase in unconventional well drilling and the toxicant exposure, the health consequences of UGOD remain largely uncertain. This study assesses the relationship between active wells and healthcare use for respiratory diseases by zip code from 2004 to 2008 in the Barnett shale area of Texas. The first modern shale gas well was drilled in the Barnett shale area of …

A Geospatial Examination Of The Association Between Geographic Food Access And Food Insecurity In Central Texas: The Role Of Race/Ethnicity And Urbanicity, Kathryn Janda

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Food insecurity is a public health issue that affects one in ten Americans, one in seven Central Texans, and is associated with malnutrition, chronic disease, and obesity. Geographic food access is the most intervened upon aspect of food insecurity and is often measured objectively through mapping software, such as ArcGIS. Yet when geographic food access is only measured in terms of distance to food retail, analyses do not full capture the nuances of community context. Thus, other sources of data, like survey data, and demographic indicators, such as race/ethnicity and urbanicity, should be incorporated into the research exploring the association …

Determining The Drivers Of Quality Of Life In Hiv Patints Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Subsaharan Africa, Oubote Sangbana

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

During the last decade, HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has shifted from a fatal disease to a chronic condition thanks to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART). As a result, the focus of care has transitioned from survival to quality of life (QoL), and the latter has become a significant outcome measure during patient follow up. Yet, the determinants of QoL among HIV patients in western and central Africa are not well known. The objective of this dissertation was to determine the main factors associated with QoL among ART-treated HIV adult patients in western and central Africa to ensure healthcare providers …

Utility Of Plasma Biomarkers In The Validation Of Reported Loc & Pta For Gcs 13-15 Patients: A Track-Tbi Pilot Study, Jeffrey Brennan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Depending on a brain injury patient to accurately report their duration of unconsciousness and amnesia is clearly flawed. We constructed biomarker-based models to validate these self-reported measurements using a GCS 13-15 subset of participants from TRACK-TBI, a multi-institutional study on traumatic brain injury. Potential covariates were assessed for significant interactions with biomarker level. We report that the predictions of LOC and PTA failed. GFAP exhibited the most consistent serum level increase between categories of both LOC and PTA. Given a number of issues with the study sample, we recommend continued investigation on the prediction of LOC and PTA using a …

2020-05-01_Michigandaily_Covidmap, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Daily Michigan COVID-19 Update

The "WHERE WE STAND WITH COVID-19" map was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily at 3p.m., Monday - Saturday.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled.

The image contained a map, indicating total cases by county, and also provides statistics on Total Confirmed Cases, Total COVID-19 Deaths, Daily Confirmed Cases, and Daily COVID-19 Deaths. There …

Effects Of Shift Length On Nursing Staff’S Productivity, Safety, And Well-Being, Victoria Sivesind

Nursing | Senior Theses

In this thesis the relationship between normal shift length for nurses and fatigue, burnout, intention to leave job, and patient outcomes and satisfaction. A review of literature has been done and conclusions have been made about the previous research reviewed in the thesis. A proposal for further research has been included and details how the author plans to provide further clarification to the questions at hand in order to better clinical nursing practice for the future. The proposed study includes sending out a survey to members of the Sigma Theta Tau Honors Nursing Society. It will inquire about shift length, …

Groveport Recreation Center - "Freedom, Fun & Fitness", Matthew Wareti

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The Groveport Recreation Center provides aquatics, a weight room with exercise equipment, two basketball courts, a fitness studio, a childcare area, senior center, a climbing wall, and an indoor track. Exercise classes, programs, and training sessions with personal trainers are available for members. People of all ages can find an activity that will benefit their mental and physical health.

Whether it be working with kids or adults, getting a group engaged and having fun during exercise is a large factor in getting maximum effort. Clear, open and honest communication between employees of the Recreation Center is essential to keep it …

Something To Celebrate?: Demoting Dairy In Canada's National Food Guide, Maneesha Deckha

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In early 2019, the Canadian Government released the much-anticipated new Canada Food Guide. It is a food guide that de-emphasizes dairy products and promotes plant-based eating. Notably, in the new version, milk and milk products are de-listed as one of the previously four essential food groups. On the surface, it seems that the federal government is promoting veganism and helping to bring about a friendlier future for animals and humans harmed by being producers and consumers of dairy, as the new Guide may seriously contract the currently robust Canadian dairy industry and its powerful lobby. On closer inspection, the messaging …

Intimate Partner Violence Against Women In Pakistan: A Review Of Qualitative Research, Tazeen S. Ali, Rida Farhan, Michelle Ayub

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To consolidate research data and provide an insight into areas that need further research regarding intimate partner violence.
Methods: The review targeted qualitative research-based studies done in the English language and conducted in Pakistan from 2008 to 2018 regarding intimate partner violence against women. A thorough search of Google Scholar and PubMed databases was done. Data from each selected article was extracted using a data-extraction template.
Results: Of the 2,479 results, 21(0.8%) articles were selected along with 4(0.16%) texts from grey literature. An in-depth analysis led to six broad categories: experiences/perspectives of married women facing intimate partner violence; perspectives …

Mode Of Delivery And Infant Cognitive Development, Madison Olson, Laura M. Glynn

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The rate of nonindicated cesarean births is increasing each year within the United States. Although cesarean delivery can function as a life- saving intervention, emerging evidence suggests that it may also be associated with deleterious developmental consequences for the child. Here we test the hypothesis that mode of delivery is associated with cognitive development during infancy. 229 pregnant women were recruited and their infants’ cognitive development was assessed at 6, 12 and 24 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Medical charts were reviewed by obstetric nurses to determine prenatal medical risk and birth outcomes, including mode of delivery. …

Facilitating Firearm Safety Counseling In Pediatric Primary Care To Decrease Gun Deaths In Children And Teens In Philadelphia, Bianca Lacay

PCOM Capstone Projects

Gun violence is a public health epidemic that affects the lives of children. The United States has the highest firearm deaths in children and adolescents among other high-income countries (University of Michigan, 2019). The Second Amendment ratified in 1791 protects the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms. This policy made by the founding fathers underlie controversial debates in the present day, resulting in different federal, state, and local gun laws. Due to the varying gun policies, firearm homicide rates of children and adolescents are climbing like never before. Firearms suicide is even more frequent than homicide and is …

Prenatal Counseling From Obstetricians As A Potential Point Of Intervention To Increase Childhood Vaccination Rates In Pennsylvania, Kaitlyn Davis

PCOM Capstone Projects

Vaccine hesitancy is a major public health concern in Pennsylvania, and the reasons for it vary from religious to philosophical. One subgroup of vaccine hesitant parents chooses not to vaccinate because they are misinformed and uneducated about the significance and the safety of vaccines. The objective of this study is to consider the use of an infographic to encourage pregnant women to ask their obstetricians about the importance and safety of vaccines as a way of increasing childhood vaccination rates.

Finding points of intervention to increase childhood vaccination rates is important. In order for a population to maintain herd immunity, …

A Proposal To Implement A Must-Use Mandate For Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs In Philadelphia, Anugraha Kutty

PCOM Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss In Pediatric Patients, Kimberly Townsend

PCOM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the hearing tests that are done in the schools in the Philadelphia School District; it will examine the frequencies that are tested, the follow-up procedures for a poor performance in the exam, what barriers exist to follow-up, and educational methods used to prevent excessive noise-level. A previous literature review found that excessive noise was a major cause of hearing loss among school-aged children, and hearing impairment is increasing as a result of voluntary exposure to loud noise (Henderson, Testa, & Hartnick, 2011). Karper (2014) found that teenagers are not being tested at …

Determining Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Breastfeeding In The United States, Summer Coker

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The benefits of breastfeeding have been thoroughly studied and researched, with the majority of healthcare providers, health organizations and policies, and professionals in health all recommending the practice. Breastfeeding has protective factors for the newborn against infection and mortality. Other benefits for breastfed children include reduced risk of obesity, asthma, and ear infections; enhanced chance of having a higher income; and a stronger immune system that can follow them throughout adulthood (World Health Organization [WHO] 2020). For mothers who breastfeed, there is a reduced risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes (Centers for …

Self Perception Of Dental Esthetics And Its Impact Among Adults Self Esteem In Sonoma And Marin County, Carolina Camacho

Global Public Health | Senior Theses

Background

One out of four American adults refrain from smiling attributable to the condition of their dentofacial area. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between self-perception of dental esthetics and individual self-esteem among Sonoma and Marin County adults. Analytical concepts and processes were utilized to determine and describe the statistical significance of this plausible association.

Methods

In order to assess the interconnection of this relationship from an analytical approach, an observational study design method was utilized consisting of both a quantitative and qualitative analysis. A total of 163 participants consensually responded to an online questionnaire containing …

Fatal & Non-Fatal Opioid Overdoses In Marin County: Using Ems And County Data To Locate The Presence Of Fentanyl, Naloxone Distribution, Repeated Overdoses, And Demographics, Josette Rojo

Global Public Health | Senior Theses

Background. In recent years, the United States has been greatly affected by prescription drug overdose deaths, 68% of which are caused by opioids. Like many communities nationwide, Marin County in California is deeply affected by the opioid epidemic with accidental overdose being one of the leading causes of injury-related death. This study examines how fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses in Marin County are associated with factors such as suspected fentanyl involvement, naloxone administration (EMS), and repeat overdose events.

Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted by Marin County’s Health and Human Services using data collected from EMS dispatch calls and vital …

Covid-19 And Studying Disasters In Singapore, Wee-Kiat Lim

CCX Research

Dealing practically with the web of complexities that constitutes the COVID-19 pandemic requires going beyond public health and economic repercussions. Social science research on disasters can contribute to this. In this article, I will sketch three approaches drawn from sociology, psychology, geography, and political science.

Impact Of Order Set Use On Stroke Care, Bilal Nadeem, Edward Waseleski, Meryem Maras-Casey, Sabih Alam, Adnan Faruqui, Michael Gutierrez, Maruthsakhi Molugu, Christina Oricompil, Ashar Mahmood, Katherine Torralba, Fatima Agha, Nour Tlimat, Olu Oyesanmi, Salman Muddassir, Nikolay Mitzov

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

A case control study of 118 patients from Oak Hill Hospital between the months of August 2019 and January 2020 was recently completed for a hospital research quality improvement study. The objective was to determine if the use of either Hemorrhagic or Ischemic Stroke Order Set had an effect on the length of stay (LOS) or adherence to current stroke guideline recommendations when compared to its disuse. Results indicate use of either the Hemorrhagic or Ischemic Stroke Order Set led to a decreased length of stay and an increased adherence to current stroke guideline recommendations. Limitations of the study included …

Reflections On R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Internship, Brea Keiser

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis provides a personal reflection on an internship with the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Organization through S.T.A.R. Central at the University of Arkansas. An evaluation of the experience was conducted by providing strengths and weaknesses as an intern, positive and negative aspects of the internship, an objective analysis, connection to nursing, and impact on future career. The focus of this honors project was providing education to peers on sexual assault topics, including consent, rape culture, and bystander intervention. Overall, the internship proved to be a positive learning opportunity that allowed for the development of improved communication skills, gaining of knowledge and passion …

The Effect Of The Timing Of A Hospice Referral And The Perceived Quality Of Care By The Family, Caitlin Tran

Nursing | Senior Theses

Hospice care is a specialized type of palliative care for patients with a time-limiting illness. Despite its benefits, hospice remains underutilized. A key reason behind the underutilization are untimely referrals, often made during the last weeks or days of the patient’s life. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existing barriers towards hospice that play into late referrals and its effect on patient/family satisfaction. This information will be examined to propose a pilot research study for further exploration.

Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Adolescent Girls In Bangladesh: Concept Note, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys of a representative sample of girls living in the catchment area of two skills-building programs. The two programs (one with UNFPA, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; and the second with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education/DSHE) are affiliated with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. The overall goal of the programs is to prevent child marriage. The rapid assessment will explore how the pandemic and associated lockdown is changing girls' experience of schooling, time use, care responsibilities and household scarcity as mediating …

Protein Availability And Consumption, And Stunting Rates, For Primary School Children In The Southern Regions Of Ethiopia And Zambia, Megan Wackel

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

•Stunting is common in Sub-Sahara Africa, with millions of children who are short in stature also experiencing poor overall health and development, as well as poor school performance (Semba 2016; Semba, et al., 2016). •As many as 39% of children under 5 years of age in Ethiopia’s Sidama Region (formerly SNNPR) can be classified as stunted (CSA & ICF 2016). By comparison, 29% of under 5’s in Zambia’s Southern Province have short height for age (CSA, MOH, & ICF 2018). •Low protein and essential amino acid intake, among populations of 116 countries, has been suggested as the primary cause of …

The Impact Of Location On Healthcare Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Addison Kimber

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper analyzes healthcare access for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas. In current political discussion, we typically think of insurance coverage as the metric to analyze healthcare access. However, as demonstrated by studies of healthcare in the United Kingdom, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to health care even with universal healthcare systems. In particular, individuals in rural areas have less healthcare access than urban residents. This is due to factors including socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, access to competent care, and transportation. This study aims to understand if disability status exacerbates the issue of access in rural …

Overcoming Barriers To The Implementation Of Early Warning Systems To Reduce The Maternal Mortality Rate In The United States Of America, Emily Hopkins

Honors Theses

The United States has the highest Maternal Mortality Rate in the developed world, and it has been increasing since 1987. To combat this problem, researchers have developed Early Warning Systems (EWS) to identify when a woman is developing signs of a life-threatening problem during the maternal period. The goal of this research is to identify if these early warning systems are being used in U.S. hospitals, and, if not, what the best way is to implement them. Several interviews were performed with hospitals across the U.S. and the transcripts were run through the analyzing software NVivo. Each transcript will be …

Recommending A Patient-Level Study To Confirm That Bcg Vaccination Accounts For The Relatively Low Covid-19 Mortality Rate In The Philippines, Amulfo P. Azcarraga

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Medical researchers have pointed out wide differences in COVID-related death rates among countries; and several explanations have been offered such as the high number of old people in a country, number of tourists, number of immigrants, geographic location and climate, size of the population, etc. One possible explanation that deserves further study is that countries where the COVID death rate is low are those countries where mass BCG vaccination is in place, such as the Philippines. Indeed, compared to countries who have never had mass BCG vaccination, i.e. USA, Canada, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium, the death rate due to COVID-19 …

Health Care Access And Utilization By U.S. Farmworkers, Genesis Bojorquez

Dissertations

Background: Agriculture industry has the highest fatality rate among all United States industries. Farmworkers experience high rates of occupational injury, illness, and mortality, yet have limited access to health care. Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 increased health care accessibility and broadened farmworker eligibility for health insurance, yet no study has measured the impact of the ACA upon U.S. farmworkers.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine health care access and health care services utilization among U.S. farmworkers following the implementation of the ACA in 2010.

Specific Aims:

1. Apply the …

Barriers To The Implementation Of Telehealth In Rural Communities And Potential Solutions, Mariana Barreiro, Ashley Coles, Caris Conradt, Emma Hales, Elizabeth Zellmer

Anna Vaughn School of Nursing Undergraduate Work

Telehealth is an ever-growing health care system, providing health services from a distance. Telehealth provides medical care through teletechnologies and two-way video and audio communication to connect doctors to patients. A detailed review was created to show the barriers and interventions of implementing a telehealth program in a rural area. The overall purpose of the systematic review was to find and explore relevant research and answer the question, “What are commonly encountered barriers to implementing telehealth in rural areas and what interventions can nurses implement to overcome these barriers?” The approach used to obtain quality data and research was convenience …