Public Health Commons^™

The Supportive Care Needs Of Regional And Remote Cancer Caregivers, Anna Stiller, Belinda C. Goodwin, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Sonja March, Michael Ireland, Joanne F. Aitken, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: As cancer survival rates continue to increase, so will the demand for care from family and friends, particularly in more isolated settings. This study aims to examine the needs of cancer caregivers in regional and remote Australia. Methods: A total of 239 informal (i.e., non-professional) cancer caregivers (e.g., family/friends) from regional and remote Queensland, Australia, completed the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Caregivers (CNAT-C). The frequencies of individuals reporting specific needs were calculated. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between unmet needs and demographic characteristics and cancer type. Results: The most frequently endorsed needs were lodging near hospital …

How Effective Is The Filtration Of ‘Kn95’ Filtering Facepiece Respirators During The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Clothilde Brochot, Mohamed Nejib Saidi, Ali Bahloul

Études primaires

Objectives

The high demand of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) worldwide during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a critical situation for decision-makers regarding their supply. After authorizing the use of FFRs certified by other regions of the world, decision-makers in many countries have published alerts, particularly concerning the ‘KN95’ type.

Methods

This paper investigated the filtration performance of different FFRs using an experimental setup already employed during several studies on FFRs filtration performance. Its high-resolution measuring devices permit to determine filtration performance according to the normative criteria: the pressure drop and the filtration efficiency. Eight different FFRs …

Safety In The Quebec Construction Industry: An Overview Of And Possible Improvements In Hazardous Energy Control Using Lockout On Construction Sites By Electricians, Pipefitters, Refrigeration Mechanics And Construction Millwrights, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Yuvin Chinniah, Ayoub Nokra, Abdallah Ben Mosbah

Études primaires

Lack of proper energy control on construction sites leads to numerous worker fatalities every year. Energy control refers to the concept of lockout and other methods used in particular in North America. The aim of this exploratory research project was to achieve a better understanding of energy control practices in the Quebec construction industry for four trades: electricians, pipefitters, refrigeration mechanics and construction millwrights. For each trade, 10 or so semistructured interviews were conducted by means of an open-ended questionnaire, developed with reference to the current provincial regulatory requirements. The 95 experiences described by the 38 participants were compiled by …

Exploring The Covid-19 Experience Of Young Adult Latinos In Rural California: Insights Into Mental Health & The Immigrant Health Paradox, Vivianna Plancarte

Pomona Senior Theses

This study expands the COVID-19 and Latino Immigrants in Rural California (CLIMA) Study at UC Merced by exploring how the mental health of young adult Latinos in rural CA has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing the experiences of US-born Latinos to those of Latino immigrants to investigate an Immigrant Health Paradox. A convergent mixed methods design was first employed whereby qualitative and quantitative data was collected concurrently, and then merged. Then, the data collected from young adult Latinos was compared to that from Latino immigrants collected by CLIMA Study to explore the Immigrant Health Paradox in the …

Assessing The Comfort Of Earplugs: Development And Validation Of The French Version Of The Coprod Questionnaire, Jonathan Terroir, Nellie Perrin, Pascal Wild, Olivier Doutres, Franck Sgard, Chantal Gauvin, Alessia Negrini

Études primaires

Earplugs are a common form of protection for workers exposed to hazardous noise levels. Their comfort directly impacts the effective protection by influencing their consistent and correct use. Nevertheless, comfort definition may vary according to the studies. Thus, a previous review of the literature has shown that to improve our understanding of perceived comfort and to reduce measurement variability, it is advisable to consider comfort through a multidimensional construct (physical, acoustical, functional and psychological). On this basis, the COPROD (COnfort des PROtections auDitives/COmfort of hearing PROtection Devices) questionnaire was developed. It is intended for people working in noisy environments. Nine …

The Effects Of The Traditional Scaling Technique Versus A Modified Scaling Technique On Muscle Activity And Pinch Force Generation: A Pilot Study, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Cortney Armitano-Lago

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Dental hygienists perform precision instrumentation tasks repetitively throughout the workday, placing them at increased risk for developing a musculoskeletal disorder. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine differences in muscle activity and pinch force generation between the traditional scaling technique and a modified scaling technique.

Methods: A convenience sample of dental hygienists (n=12) acted as their own controls in this counterbalance-designed pilot study. Muscle activity and pinch forces were assessed while participants performed traditional and modified scaling techniques with designated instruments on artificial calculus applied to the lower left quadrant of a typodont, for a period of …

Promote Ergonomic Health, Amber W. Hunt, Kimberly B. Lintag-Nguyen

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

A wide array of interventions and therapies is available to help dental hygienists stay healthy and reduce pain.

New Taxonomy For Assessing Manual Material Handlers’ Footstep Patterns, Jasmin Vallée-Marcotte, Antoine Muller, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Véronique Fecteau, Denys Denis, André Plamondon, Philippe Corbeil

Études primaires

Current taxonomies for assessing foot strategies in manual material handling lack exhaustive classification of foot movements and foot positioning. They also fail to consider different instants of the task as checkpoints to relate foot strategies. The goal of the study was first to develop a new taxonomy to assess foot positions and motions considering those limitations. The second goal was to assess reliability and reproducibility using raw agreement percentages, Cohen's kappa, prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted kappa and Gwet's AC1. A filmed task consisted of transferring boxes from one pallet to another. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were assessed reviewing 23% and 10%, respectively, …

Comparing Melatonin Use To Bright Light Therapy In Mitigating Cardiovascular Effects Due To Shift Work Disorder In Shift Working Adults, Alexandra Hirt

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: Circadian Misalignment is a term used to describe a mismatch in one’s physiologically determined sleep patters and their actual sleep wake behaviors. Shift workers often end up in a vicious cycle of being in a state of chronic circadian misalignment, which then can lead to health problems, extreme fatigue, and insomnia, known as Shift Work Disorder (SWD).This has been studied in night shift workers who, when compared to daytime workers, have an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease.These results are not dependent on any behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and poor …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

Safety And Efficacy Of Bioidentical Hormone Therapy In Menopause: A Literature Review, Kathryn Akre

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) experienced during menopause can negatively impact a woman’s quality of life, productivity, sleep, and mood. Systemic hormone therapy (HT) is the most effective treatment for moderate to severe VMS, however safety concerns raised by the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial have led to a decrease in overall HT use and a growing demand for custom-compounded bioidentical HT. Misconceptions regarding the superior safety and efficacy of custom-compounded hormones and lack of clinician expertise in menopause management contribute to ongoing uncertainty and low uptake of United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bioidentical HT products. This …

Reducing Disease Exacerbation In Women With Confirmed Copd: A Systematic Literature Review, Jill Essay

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Abstract

A systematic literature review was conducted to establish whether gender specific treatment exists for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), specifically, women with (COPD). The PICO question developed for this review is as follows: In women with confirmed diagnoses of COPD, does gender-specific treatment, compared to standard treatment, impact the frequency of exacerbations? Could the number of COPD exacerbations in women be reduced by incorporating interventions designed with (female) gender in mind? Four databases were included in the search: CINAHL, Pubmed, Medline, and Nursing and Allied Health. Articles included addressed gender differences in relation to the disease process, …

Analysis Of Circadian Rhythm Irregularities On The Health Of Shift Workers, Sahil Rajan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Circadian rhythms involve the natural 24 wake-sleep cycle that governs proper maintenance of biological sleep schedules. Circadian rhythm disruption has been associated with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and mental health disorders such as bipolar and sleep disorders. In this study, a survey method was utilized in order to analyze specific population demographics to determine whether working day or night shifts predisposed individuals to health issues due to disruptions in their circadian rhythms. This study was also carried out to observe popular coping strategies among night shift workers. Of all the variables tested comparing the difference between day and …

Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety Are Associated With Substances Used In Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends): A Longitudinal Analysis From The Texas Adolescent Tobacco And Marketing Surveillance System (Tatams), Jacob Smith, Stephanie Clendennen, Anna V. Wilkinson, Melissa B. Harrell

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Introduction

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use with nicotine or THC among adolescents and young adults is increasing. The goal of our research was to examine relationships between symptoms of anxiety or depression and ENDS use, whether with nicotine or THC, among young people in four major metropolitan areas of Texas.

Methods

The sample was 57.6% female and 37.6% Hispanic. Data were derived from Wave 9 (Spring, 2019) and Wave 10 (Fall, 2019) of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance system. Logistic regression analyses examined associations between symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety in the Spring, …

Effect Of Exercise On Blood Pressure And Body Mass Index In At-Risk Populations, Jared Crum, Victoria Patterson, Riley Jarvis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Higher blood pressure and basal metabolic rate (BMI) are health problems in the United States (U.S.), but particularly in high risk minority populations, in part because of limited access to adequate resources to help themselves become healthier. This Honors Paper aimed to examine the effect of an exercise intervention on blood pressure and BMI in high risk minority populations. The honors project is a part of the Finding A Better You (FABU) project by College of Health Profession faculty Dr. Murrock, Dr. MacCracken, and Dr. Juvancic-Heltzel. The FABU project assessed at risk individuals (lower income older adults) in Summit County …

Smoking Cessation Interventions In College Students: A Systematic Review, Rebecca Nussbaum, Avery Dietz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Smoking prevalence in college students is increasing and intervention studies have resulted in inconsistent findings. In this systematic review, the following PICO question is addressed: In college students ages 18 to 24, are cognitive-behavioral modification therapies more effective than e-cigarettes in aiding with smoking cessation? Database searches in CINAHL, Medline, and PsycINFO resulted in reviewing 20 primary sources. E-cigarettes are often used instead of conventional cigarettes, though long-term effects are not completely understood. Cognitive interventions, especially coupled with evidence-based medications and other therapies, provided substantial short-term abstinent rates, although longer-term rates were often not examined. Most researchers have examined college …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Ohio's National Parks Visitation, Ryan Grzeschik

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way in which society operates in order to get the novel disease under control. Businesses throughout the United States have had to close or reduce provided services, stay at home orders have secluded many people, and social distancing limits contact between others so many are turning to the parks system to cope with these changes. This study aims to find how the visitation of national parks in Ohio have been affected through the first six months of the pandemic. Visitation statistics were compared from March to August of 2020 to those same months …

Association Between Learning Methods And Analgesic Opioid Abuse, Nicole Marie Blanchard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioids are an extremely addictive class of medication used to treat pain; overprescribing practices and chronic misuse has led to an epidemic that continues to grow. The opioid epidemic not only has the potential to cause injury or even death but also has a large impact on the U.S. economy. Research regarding determinants of abuse are needed to improve safeguards for opioid abuse prevention. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if learning capabilities and/or learning medium preference are correlated with analgesic opioid abuse. The social-ecological model was used to evaluate the social levels of influence for abuse …

Physical Distress And Psychological Outcomes: An Examination Of Hurricane Katrina Rebuilders, Danita M. Muse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHurricane Katrina made land fall in New Orleans on August 29, 2005. When Hurricane Katrina came ashore at the mouth of the Mississippi River it struck with such vengeance that the protective levees surrounding the New Orleans area were breached. The purpose of this quantitative research is to broaden the understanding the relationship between two phenomena: physical distress and posttraumatic growth among Hurricane Katrina rebuilders who rebuilt their lives 15 years following a natural disaster along the Gulf Coast. The Conservation of Resources and Self-Efficacy Theory were the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions examined if statistically significant …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Sickle Cell Disease Patients And Parents/Caretakers On Alternative Treatment Options For Pain Management, Elizabeth Hagan Asamoah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is marked by excruciating chronic pain, commonly known as pain crisis. SCD healthcare practitioners (HCPs) have been employing palliative care as a mainstream treatment option to manage SCD pain crises using mainly opioid analgesics for years. Due to the current opioid crisis, however, it has become imperative to explore alternative regimens to manage the pain and associated comorbidities of SCD. Thus, the goals of this study included exploring alternative treatment options for SCD pain crisis management with the intent of decreasing SCD patients’ dependency on opioid-based or related analgesics while reducing the frequency of pain crises …

Cell Phone Use And Adolescent Weight Problems, Florence Kenkor Njang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOverweightinadolescenceincreasestheriskofobesityandmanyadversehealthoutcomeslaterinlife.The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectionalstudy was to investigatetheassociationbetweencell phoneuseandweightstatusinadolescents,ages14 17yearsold,livingintheUnitedStates.Thesocio-ecologicalmodel(SEM)wasusedtoexplainthelinkbetweencellphoneuseandoverweightamongadolescents.Threeresearchquestionswere used to explore(a)therelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentweightstatusaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace;(b)the effectofcellphoneuseonoverweightandnormalweightstatusesamongadolescentsaged 14 17yearsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity;and(c)themodifyingeffectofraceontherelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentoverweightaftercontrollingforageandgender.Secondary data from the2017YouthRiskBehavioralSurveillanceSystemwere analyzed usingbinarylogisticregressiontoanswer theresearchquestions.Highcellphoneusesignificantlyandpositivelypredictedoverweightinadolescentsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace(p<0.001).Afteraccountingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity,highcellphoneusewasasignificantpredictorofoverweight(p<0.001).Similarly,racehadasignificantmodifyingeffectonthepositiveassociationbetweenhighcelluseandoverweightamongadolescents(p<0.001).Thekeypositivesocialchange implication of this studyis the potentialtointegratehealthycellphoneusewithexistingobesitypublichealthinterventionsthatcanreduceoverweightandpositivelyimpactindividuals,families,andcommunities.

African American Females And Herpes Simplex Virus 2: A Basic Interpretive Qualitative Study, Cherlisa Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, African American females are most susceptible to HSV-2 and are often asymptomatically diagnosed. Yet, the perceived benefit of discussing sexual health as well as recognizing a need to discuss HSV-2 with a healthcare provider was an identified gap in the existing research and current study findings. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to understand the experiences of African American females who received an asymptomatic HSV-2 diagnosis. The health belief model constructs guided this study. Outlined through semi-structured interviews were the experiences of seven African American females diagnosed with HSV-2 in Fulton County, GA, as …

High School Student-Athlete Sleep Habits Using Activity Monitoring, Corey Thomas Ungaro

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sleep research is an area of scientific inquiry that impacts all individuals due to sleep's effects on health, well-being, and performance. Healthy sleep habits have been shown to improve academic and athletic performance in collegiate student-athletes. Surprisingly, no sleep research has been conducted on high school student-athletes during a semester. High school student-athletes can benefit from understanding their sleep habits and how sleep can affect the development of the adolescent brain and improve performance giving athletes the potential for a competitive advantage. This retrospective analysis aims to examine the sleep habits of student-athletes while balancing their academic and athletic responsibilities …

Parent/ Caregiver Burnout With Autism Due To Covid, Leah Recker, Erin Babcock

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to gain an understanding how parents of children with autism are affected by caregiver burnout. We want to understand the different factors that contribute to this burnout and analyze how individuals are affected differently. To do this, we are sending

out a survey using Likert scale items to assess parents’ stress and burnout. We will be carefully selecting statements based off information we gather through peer reviewed journal articles. We would then like the parents to decide how strongly they agree or disagree with each question. This will create a more in-depth picture of …

Maintaining Population Health In Low‐ And Middle‐Income Countries During The Covid‐19 Pandemic: Why We Should Be Investing In Community Health Workers, Benjamin Palafox, Alicia Renedo, Gideon Lasco, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Dina Balabanova, Martin Mckee

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Community health workers in low- and middle-income country primary health care systems are well suited to perform essential functions on the frontlines of Covid-19 pandemic responses. However, clear and coordinated guidance, updated infection control training, and reliable access to personal protective equipment must be ensured in order to deploy them safely and effectively. With these additional responsibilities, community health workers must also be supported to ensure that hard-fought gains in population health, including progress on non-communicable diseases, are sustained throughout the pandemic.

Genetic Risk Factors For Alzheimer’S Disease In Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations In The U.S.: A Scoping Review, Lindsey Rubin, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Nicholas V. Resciniti, Brianna Ashford-Carroll, Katherine Henrietta Leith, Aubrey Rose, Stephanie Ureña, Quentin Mccollum, Daniela B. Friedman

Faculty Publications

As the United States (U.S.) population rapidly ages, the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRDs) is rising, with racial/ethnic minorities affected at disproportionate rates. Much research has been undertaken to test, sequence, and analyze genetic risk factors for ADRDs in Caucasian populations, but comparatively little has been done with racial/ethnic minority populations. We conducted a scoping review to examine the nature and extent of the research that has been published about the genetic factors of ADRDs among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. Using an established scoping review methodological framework, we searched electronic databases for articles describing peer-reviewed empirical …

Restriction Of Access To Deep Brain Stimulation For Refractory Ocd: Failure To Apply The Federal Parity Act, Rachel Davis, James Giordano, D Brian Hufford, Sameer A. Sheth, Peter Warnke, Alik S. Widge, R Mark Richardson, Joshua M. Rosenow, Peter Justin Rossi, Eric A. Storch, Helena Winston, Joanne Zboyan, Darin D. Dougherty, Kelly D. Foote, Wayne K. Goodman, Nicole C. Mclaughlin, Steven Ojemann, Steven Rasmussen, Aviva Abosch, Michael S. Okun

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Policies Addressing Barriers To Low-Income Women And Children’S Health Care Utilization In The United States And Kenya: The Role Of Physician Payments And Cash Transfer Programs, Muloongo Simuzingili

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined two policies to improve low-income women and children’s healthcare utilization: physician payments and cash transfer programs. Higher physician payments increase the supply of healthcare services while cash transfers increase individuals’ demand for healthcare services. Cash transfer programs can improve health outcomes, yet the extent to which they are a cost-effective strategy is largely understudied. Therefore, this dissertation examines three overarching research questions:

1. Are Medicaid physician fees associated with access to substance abuse disorder (SUD) treatment among low-income women of reproductive age?
2. Do economic preferences moderate cash transfer program effects on children’s health care utilization? Evidence from a …

Online Or In-Person? Examining College Decisions To Reopen During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Fall 2020, Jacob Felson, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a major impediment to face-to-face college instruction in spring 2020, most teaching went online. Over the summer, colleges had to make difficult decisions about whether to return to in-person instruction. Although opening campuses could pose a major health risk, keeping instruction online could dissuade students from enrolling. Taking an ecological approach, the authors use mixed modeling techniques and data from 87 percent of two- and four-year public and four-year private U.S. colleges to assess the factors that shaped decisions about fall 2020 instructional modality. Most notably, the authors find that reopening decisions about whether …

A Method For Cultivation, Fractionation, And Metal Determination To Evaluate Metal Removal By The Combination Of Nps And Bacteria, Xiufeng Cao, Liang Xu, Alan W. Decho, Jamie Lead

Faculty Publications

Metals being released into the environment are posing an increasing risk to both environments and public health. Developing improved approaches to remove these metals from the environment is urgent. A current publication discovered that metal bioremediation was significantly improved by nanoparticles (NPs), and the remediation duration was shortened. However, there is no relevant method for the preparation and evaluation of this novel idea. Hence, we developed this method for bacteria -EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substances) cultivation, bacteria sub-cellular fractionation, and metal determinations in cultivating solution, EPS and different fractions of bacteria to evaluate metal removal by the combination of NPs and …