Public Health Commons^™

Food Insecurity And Covid-19 Infographic, Community And Family Institute

COVID-19

Infographic on food insecurity and COVID-19 in America.

Mental Health Advocacy: Building An Interdisciplinary Program For Agriculture Professionals, Abby E. Blankenship, Erica E. Nason, Olivia Hayes, Sebastian Bliss

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The suicide rate among agriculturalists is 3.5 times higher than the general population. A number of external factors related to the farming and veterinary work put individuals in agricultural populations at risk for poor mental health outcomes, including economic variables (e.g. tariffs, market prices), environmental factors affecting yield (e.g. drought, pests), and exposure to difficult or traumatic life events (e.g., mistreatment of animals, loss of crop). Rural values including self-reliance, work orientation, and individualism combined with logistical and systemic barriers to competent behavioral health care further increase risk. Project GROW (Generating Resilience in Our Workforce) is a multifaceted full semester …

Impact On Hospital Profitability Due To Covid Safety Guidelines, Khaja Umair Shariff, Anna Noel Franklin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The pandemic of COVID 19 presented a unique challenge to hospitals and healthcare systems that they have been struggling to function in. Operating costs had increased with new protocols, planning, operating space, supplies, and staffing. This coupled with the loss of revenue has led to approximately 10% - 20% salary reductions, furloughs, and loss of benefits such as PTO and vacation days to employees. Hospital’s cash reserves are being depleted due to increased operations costs and reduced revenue. Government funding, such as the CARES Act provided by the sanction of the Department of Health and Human Services Office, …

Medical Student Knowledge Of Narcolepsy, Alyssa Sinko, Karl Doghramji, Md

Phase 1

Background: Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder, whose main symptoms include daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, disturbed sleep, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The disorder is poorly identified in medical settings. We hypothesized that lack of knowledge of narcolepsy and its hallmark symptoms are a cause for the low levels of identification of this disorder. This was a pilot study into medical student knowledge of narcolepsy at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University (SKMC).

Methods: Two groups of SKMC students, years 1 and 2 (before sleep medicine education) and years 3 and 4 (after sleep medicine education) were the subjects of …

Examining Israeli Emergency Medical Preparedness In The Context Of Jefferson And Affiliates Practices, Jamie D. Garden, Amit S. Padaki

Phase 1

Introduction: Recent domestic disasters have demonstrated the challenges and vulnerabilities in the US health care disaster preparedness framework, challenges that extend to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital System (TJUH), in Philadelphia, PA. As Israel serves as a global leader in civilian defense and disaster preparedness, this study examines best practices in response to a mass casualty event at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, and compares them with existing protocol at TJUH. The list of best practices generated from this research allows for a greater understanding of standards that are feasibly employable at TJUH.

Methods: This study examined hospital staff response practices …

Systems Analysis Of The Community Elder Caregiver Program At The Spirit Lake Nation, Morgan Ferrell, Robert Motley, Md, Mhcds, Christine Burd, Phd, Rn

Phase 1

Native Americans (NA) disproportionately reside in areas with significantly more social, economic, and health disparities than any other population, and have the lowest employment rates nationally. Additionally, the NA Baby Boomer generation is aging, with senior citizen services largely unavailable on reservations. The Community Elder Caregiver (CEC) Program at Spirit Lake was developed with two aims: 1) to meet the needs of unemployed natives and 2) to develop a competent workforce to help elders safely “age in place”. In the initial pilot, seventeen individuals started the initial (NECC) training, with three completing the Qualified Service Provider (QSP) training. We analyzed …

College Women's Knowledge And Understanding Of Women Health Issues: A Descriptive Study, Dana Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Breast self-examinations, pap smears, Obstetrician and Gynecologist (OBGYN) visits, mammograms, and other preventative measures are all vital pieces of women’s health that can help determine a variety of issues and illnesses (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020). Women are presumed to have acquired information on these issues through certain sources to guide them through their adult lives. Not every woman is familiar with, or follows, the recommended guidelines for breast self-examination or gynecological visits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 94,000 U.S. women are diagnosed each year with some form of gynecologic cancer, which disproportionately …

The Effects Of Foodborne Bacteria On Outbreaks, Illnesses, And Hospitalizations In The U.S., Henrietta Ofori-Sampong

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To investigate the effects of foodborne bacteria on outbreaks, and outbreak-associated illnesses and hospitalizations in the United States (U.S.).

Methods: Aggregate data was obtained from the CDC WONDER (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) database showing the number of foodborne outbreaks (1993-2017), and outbreak-associated illnesses (1993-2017) and hospitalizations (1998-2017) caused by foodborne bacteria. Species of bacteria were grouped into 13 genera and 1 other. An Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare the mean outbreaks, and outbreak-associated illnesses and hospitalizations for each of the years using the data by species for each year. Results: There was no …

Assessing Biomass Fuel Consumption In Kasigau, Kenya As A Predictor Of Hypertension, Conner Hounshell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, such as Kenya. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is influenced by a variety of factors such as diet, tobacco use, and genetics. One such factor linked to hypertension is exposure to air pollution, but minimal research exists on the effects of household air pollution. Hypertension that is not related to common Western risk indicators, such as waist-to-hip ratio, body mass indices, and hypercholestorlemia, is prevalent in the community of Kasigau, Kenya, along with the prevalence of risks for household …

Assessing Access To Healthcare For Limited English Proficient Patients, Hannah Bergamini

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Patients with limited English skills often face additional struggles when accessing medical care. These patients, referred to as limited English proficient (LEP) patients, are unable to communicate directly with their physician. This lack of direct communication typically results in unique challenges for the patient and provider. Due to these challenges, LEP patients often have poorer health statuses and experience poorer health outcomes. However, when provided with access to qualified medical interpreters, many of these challenges facing LEP patients can be ameliorated. Therefore, using qualified interpreters is an important component in improving the access to healthcare for LEP patients. To determine …

Impact Of Geographic Location And Social Determinants Of Health On Lung Cancer Incidence And Mortality Rates, Katherine Ashley

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper studies the effect of geographic location and socioeconomic status, specifically level of education and income, on rates of incidence and mortality of lung and bronchus cancer. While some prior studies have focused on socioeconomic status’ and global geographic location’s impact on these rates, few have focused on the impact in Appalachian Kentucky and non-Appalachian Kentucky. In this paper, level of education and income are controlled for using four variables: median household income, percentage of persons in poverty, percentage of high school graduates or higher who are at least 25, and percentage of persons with a bachelor’s degree or …

Depression And Disability In The United States, Colleen Pennington

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To compare the prevalence of cognitive disabilities, mobility disabilities, and depression rates by varying categories including U.S. State, gender, and region. Methods: Data was obtained from the CDC Wonder data set for the prevalence of cognitive and mobility disabilities from the U.S. states for the years 2017-2018. Data was also obtained from the CDC for incidence of depression among the general population and those identifying with any disability. Data was analyzed with ANOVA and t-tests using SPSS. Results: Results reveal a significant difference in disability type and gender throughout the United States. There is also a significant difference in …

Differences In Social Determinants Of Health Between Rural And Urban Counties Of Ohio, Megan E. Luft

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate any possible differences in social determinants of health between rural and urban counties of Ohio and how the determinants relate to each other. Methods: All data for each variable (percentage of population who have some college education, food insecurity rate, number of primary care physicians per population, average mentally unhealthy days for adults in a month, drug overdose death rate, life expectancy, and child poverty rate) was collected through County Health Rankings and Roadmaps from either statewide or nationwide programs through different studies and surveys from 2013-2017. I utilized descriptive statistics, …

The Effects Of Daily Sunlight Levels On Suicide Rates, Amna Amin

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

The correlation between sunlight and mental health has been long studied and is even involved in the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), with subsequent development of light therapy for affected individuals. This points towards the question of the effects of varying levels of daily sunlight in the United States on rates of suicide – a reflection of the extreme state of suboptimal mental health. I have ventured to study this question, using publicly available data on the daily sunlight levels in various states in the U.S. during each month of the year and the rates of suicide in those …

The Relationship Between Asthma, Race & Fine Particulate Matter In The United States, Samantha Mcknight

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To assess how environment and race may impact childhood asthma prevalence. Methods: I analyzed data from CDC WONDER (www.wonder.cdc.gov). I performed descriptive statistics on average fine particulate matter for various states, as well as descriptive statistics on childhood asthma prevalence for various states. I determined if there was a correlation between states with higher prevalence of childhood asthma and states with higher levels of fine particulate matter using Pearson correlation. I used ANOVA with post hoc test to determine childhood asthma prevalence based on race/ ethnicity in the various states.

Results: The mean fine particulate matter in the 49 …

The Relationship Between Upstream Variables And Diabetes In Ohio, Brenna Lammers

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Chronic illness is a significant contributor to disease burden in the US. Among these chronic conditions, diabetes is one of the most prevalent. Knowing the relationships between various factors and the prevalence of diabetes would be beneficial to creating targeted approaches to address this major public health problem. Therefore, the objective of this project was to elucidate the relationship between social determinants of health (unemployment, food environment index, and access to exercise opportunities) and access to care variables (ratio of population to primary care physicians and percent uninsured) with prevalence of diabetes by county in Ohio. This was done through …

A Geostatistical Study Of Socioeconomic Status (Ses), Rurality, Seasonality And Index Test Results As Drivers Of Free Private Groundwater Testing In Southern Ontario, 2012–2016, Shahryar Qayyum, Paul Hynds, Harriet Richardson, Kevin Mcdermott, Anna Majury

Articles

Approximately 12% of the Canadian population uses private wells for daily water consumption; however, well water testing rates are on the decline, resulting in an increased risk of waterborne acute gastrointestinal illness. To date, limited research has explored the determinants influencing well testing practices. Accordingly, the current study sought to investigate the drivers of “one-off” and repeat well water testing in southern Ontario during the 5-year period 2012–2016, using the worlds largest private groundwater testing data-frame. Data from >400,000 wells were geospatially integrated with all tests conducted by the provincial laboratory in southern Ontario. The Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) was …

Development And Guiding Principles Of The Icelandic Model For Preventing Adolescent Substance Use, Alfgeir L. Kristansson, Michael J. Mann, Jon Sigfusson, Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir, John P. Allegrante, Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adolescent substance use—the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs—remains a persistent global problem and has presented ongoing challenges for public health authorities and society. In response to the high rates of adolescent substance use during the 1990s, Iceland has pioneered in the development of the Icelandic Model for Primary Prevention of Substance Use—a theory-based approach that has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing substance use in Iceland over the past 20 years. In an effort to document our approach and inform potentially replicable practice-based processes for implementation in other country settings, we outline in a two-part series of articles the …

Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment Sterilization System, Uwe Reischl

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

A portable system based on a non-destructive sterilization method was developed that consists of a chamber producing ozone concentration levels reported in the scientific literature to deactivate 99.9% of all microorganisms. The system includes a small cordless 30mg/h ozone generator placed inside a 20L enclosed chamber. Personal protective equipment is loaded into the chamber and automatically exposed to an ozone concentration up to 18 ppm for 30 minutes. PPE is then removed and ventilated in open air to allow residual ozone to degrade to oxygen. The paper describes the design and performance characteristics of this technology.

Service-Learning As Global Citizenship Education: Acting Locally On Global Challenges And Concerns, Genejane M. Adarlo

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Service-learning is a method of teaching that is increasingly used in higher education. Studies are few though on how local placements in service-learning can bring about global citizenship and promote social justice. Hence, this study used multi-sited ethnography to examine the teaching-learning process of service-learning to better understand the construction of civic identity and sense of agency among students when this method of teaching was approached within the larger context of social justice. Study participants included students taking part in service-learning efforts for literacy and maternal health from Miriam College and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively. Data were gathered and …

Ua25 Memoranda, Wku Strategy, Operations & Finance

WKU Administration Documents

Memoranda issued by WKU Strategy, Operations & Finance to faculty & staff via email.

• Bookstore
• Staff Excellence Awards
• Campus Update

Ua12/4 Student Affairs Health Services, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by Health Services.

Sources And Toxicity Of Mercury In The San Francisco Bay Area, Spanning California And Beyond., Mietek Kolipinski, Mani Subramanian, Kristina Kristen, Steven Borish, Stacy Ditta

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

This report synthesizes and evaluates published scientific literature on the environmental occurrence and biomagnification of mercury with emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA), California. Mercury forms various compounds, well known for their toxicity in humans and environmental ecosystems. Elemental mercury is transported and distributed by air, water, and sediments. Through the metabolic processes of algae and bacteria, mercury is converted into organic compounds, such as methylmercury (MeHg), which then bioaccumulates up through trophic levels. In fish, it is found primarily in skeletal muscle, while in humans, the primary target organs are the brain and kidneys. Health concerns exist …

After-Hours Incentives And Emergency Department Visits: Evidence From Ontario Forthcoming At Canadian Public Policy, Rose Anne Devlin, Koffi Ahoto Kpelitse, Lihua Li, Nirav Mehta, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Aquatic Therapy On Mobility, Balance, And Level Of Functional Independence In Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Alice Mary Iliescu, Amanda Mcintyre, Joshua C. Wiener, Jerome Iruthayarajah, Andrea Lee, Sarah Caughlin, Robert Teasell

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

OBJECTIVE: To meta-analyze and systematically review the effectiveness of aquatic therapy in improving mobility, balance, and functional independence after stroke.

DATA SOURCES: Articles published in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to 20 August 2019.

STUDY SELECTION: Studies met the following inclusion criteria: (1) English, (2) adult stroke population, (3) randomized or non-randomized prospectively controlled trial (RCT or PCT, respectively) study design, (4) the experimental group received >1 session of aquatic therapy, and (5) included a clinical outcome measure of mobility, balance, or functional independence.

DATA EXTRACTION: Participant characteristics, treatment protocols, between-group outcomes, point measures, and measures of variability …

Supports For Migrant Farmworkers: Tensions In (In)Access And (In)Action, Susana Caxaj, Amy Cohen, Sarah Marsden

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Publications

Purpose: This study examined the role of support actors in promoting or hindering access to migrant agricultural workers' (MAWs) needs, and, to determine the factors that influence adequate support for this population.
Methodology: Employing a Situational Analysis methodology, we carried out focus groups and interviews with 35 support actors complimented by a community scan (n=28) with public-facing support persons and a community consultation with migrant agricultural workers (MAWs).
Findings: Two major themes were revealed: (In)access and (In)action, and; Blurred Lines in Service Provision. The first illustrated how support actors could both reinforce or challenge barriers for this population through tensions …

Antenatal Care Utilization In The Fragile And Conflict-Affected Context Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Bianca R. Ziegler, Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga, Yuji Sano, Joseph Kangmennaang, Daniel Kpienbaareh, Isaac Luginaah

Africa Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Cytokine Profiles Within The Endocervical Tract Of Hiv-1 Infected Females, Steven M. Trothen, Rajesh A. Jacob, Genevieve Gosselin, Michael Fraser, Eric J. Arts, Jimmy D. Dikeakos

Africa Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts

No abstract provided.

The Epidemiology Of Overweight And Obesity In Ghana: Examination Of Predictors And Risk Groups Among Women Of Childbearing Age, Jason Mulimba Were, Emmanuel Kojo Kyeremeh, Bridget Annor, Saverio Stranges

Africa Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Physical Maturation And Sexual Debut On Hiv Susceptibility In Adolescent Males In Rakai, Uganda, Zhongtian (Eric) Shao, Godfrey Kigozi, Ronald M. Galiwango, Cindy Liu, Rupert Kaul, Aaron Ar Tobian, Jessica Prodger

Africa Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts

No abstract provided.