Public Health Commons^™

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 …

The Development Of Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator Positions: A Culturally Secure Rehabilitation Service Initiative As Part Of A Clinical Trial, Elizabeth Armstrong, Kathy Mccoy, Rebecca Clinch, Maureen Merritt, Renee Speedy, Meaghan Mcallister, Kym Heine, Natalie Ciccone, Melanie Robinson, Julie Coffin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Brain injury, resulting from stroke and traumatic brain injury, is a common occurrence in Australia, with Aboriginal people affected at a significant rate and impact felt by individuals, families and communities. Access to brain injury rehabilitation services for Aboriginal people is reported to be often limited, with very little support outside the hospital environment. Our research involving Aboriginal brain injury survivors and their families to date has revealed that people often manage ‘on their own’ following such events. Following recommendations from survivors and their families, the Healing Right Way clinical trial, currently underway in Western Australia, has created the role …

Cannabinoid Exposure As A Major Driver Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia Rates Across The Usa: Combined Geospatial, Multiple Imputation And Causal Inference Study, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary K. Hulse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood cancer whose incidence is rising in many nations. In the USA, between 1975 and 2016, ALL rates (ALLRs) rose 93.51% from 1.91 to 3.70/100,000 < 20 years. ALL is more common in Caucasian-Americans than amongst minorities. The cause of both the rise and the ethnic differential is unclear, however, prenatal cannabis exposure was previously linked with elevated childhood leukaemia rates. We investigated epidemiologically if cannabis use impacted nationally on ALLRs, its ethnic effects, and if the relationship was causal. Methods: State data on overall, and ethnic ALLR from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results databank of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) were combined with drug (cigarettes, alcoholism, cannabis, analgesics, cocaine) use data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health; 74.1% response rate. Income and ethnicity data was from the US Census bureau. Cannabinoid concentration was from the Drug Enforcement Agency Data. Data was analyzed in R by robust and spatiotemporal regression. Results: In bivariate analyses a dose-response relationship was demonstrated between ALLR and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), cocaine and cannabis exposure, with the effect of cannabis being strongest (β-estimate = 3.33(95%C.I. 1.97, 4.68), P = 1.92 × 10− 6). A strong effect of cannabis use quintile on ALLR was noted (Chi.Sq. = 613.79, P = 3.04 × 10− 70). In inverse probability weighted robust regression adjusted for other substances, income and ethnicity, cannabis was independently significant (β-estimate = 4.75(0.48, 9.02), P = 0.0389). In a spatiotemporal model adjusted for all drugs, income, and ethnicity, cannabigerol exposure was significant (β-estimate = 0.26(0.01, 0.52), P = 0.0444), an effect increased by spatial lagging (THC: β-estimate = 0.47(0.12, 0.82), P = 0.0083). After missing data imputation ethnic cannabis exposure was significant (β-estimate = 0.64(0.55, 0.72), P = 3.1 × 10− 40). 33/35 minimum e-Values ranged from 1.25 to 3.94 × 1036 indicative of a causal relationship. Relaxation of cannabis legal paradigms had higher ALLR (Chi.Squ.Trend = 775.12, P = 2.14 × 10− 112). Cannabis legal states had higher ALLR (2.395 ± 0.039 v. 2.127 ± 0.008 / 100,000, P = 5.05 × 10− 10). Conclusions: Data show that ALLR is associated with cannabis consumption across space-time, is associated with the cannabinoids, THC, cannabigerol, cannabinol, cannabichromene, and cannabidiol, contributes to ethnic differentials, demonstrates prominent quintile effects, satisfies criteria for causality and is exacerbated by cannabis legalization.

Communicating With Older People About Physical Activity, Simone Pettigrew, Michelle I. Jongenelis, Rajni Rai, Ben Jackson, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Little is known about how to effectively encourage higher levels of activity among older people. This study tested the effectiveness of a public service advertisement designed according to recommendations for communicating with older audiences and featuring five types of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: tennis, line dancing, cycling, swimming and jogging. Methods: A survey administered to 1,200 Australians aged 50+ years assessed effects of the public service advertisement on: motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic); perceived believability, relevance, and effectiveness; and feelings elicited (e.g. interest, hope, guilt). Open-ended questions enabled respondents to describe aspects of the ad they considered to be most and …

Associations Between Genetic Variants In The Vitamin D Metabolism Pathway And Severity Of Covid-19 Among Uae Residents, Fatme Al-Anouti, Mira Mousa, Spyridon N. Karras, William B. Grant, Zainab Alhalwachi, Laila Abdel-Wareth, Maimunah Uddin, Nawal Alkaabi, Guan K. Tay, Bassam Mahboub, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vitamin D has many effects on cells in the immune system. Many studies have linked low vitamin D status with severity of COVID-19. Genetic variants involved in vitamin D metabolism have been implicated as potential risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. This study investigated how genetic variations in humans affected the clinical presentation of COVID-19. In total, 646 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were divided into two groups: noncritical COVID-19 (n = 453; 70.12%) and a critical group (n = 193; 29.87%). Genotype data on the GC, NADSYN1, VDR, and CYP2R1 genes along with data on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were …

Professional Fishing Industry Fatality, Incident And Injury Data Project, Greg Penney, Bill Byrne, Marcus Cattani

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Analysis of occupational injuries and fatalities within the wild-catch Australian Commercial Fishing Industry (ACFI) is complicated by fishing crew (masters, deckhands etc) classification as workers being dependent upon the applicable occupational health and safety, and worker’s compensation legislation of the relevant State or Territory. While fishing vessels are considered a workplace consistently across all State’s and Territories Work Health and Safety (WHS) / Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) jurisdiction’s legislation, the people who work on them may not be deemed to be workers or employees as per state and territory workers compensation legislation. The exclusion of fishing crew as workers …

Genome-Wide Association Study Of Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients In The United Arab Emirates, Mira Mousa, Hema Vurivi, Hussein Kannout, Maimunah Uddin, Nawal Alkaabi, Bassam Mahboub, Guan K. Tay, Habiba S. Alsafar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The heterogeneity in symptomatology and phenotypic profile attributable to COVID-19 is widely unknown. The objective of this manuscript is to conduct a trans-ancestry genome wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of COVID-19 severity to improve the understanding of potentially causal targets for SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 646 participants in the UAE that were divided into two phenotypic groups based on the severity of COVID-19 phenotypes, hospitalized (n=482) and non-hospitalized (n=164) participants. Hospitalized participants were COVID-19 patients that developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia or progression to respiratory failure that required supplemental oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation support …

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 …

Health Literacy Of University Students In Covid-19 Pandemic And Infodemic: A Pakistani Perspective, Rozeen Shaukat, Muhammad Asif Naveed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research investigated the levels of health literacy among Pakistani university students in the Covid-19 pandemic and infodemic. The university students were surveyed using an online questionnaire at two public sector universities and one private sector university in Punjab-Pakistan. The administration of the data collection instrument was completed with permission from concerned authorities. A total of 374 responses received which were imported to SPSS and analyzed by applying descriptive as well as inferential statistics. The results revealed that the health literacy of university students in the Covid-19 pandemic and infodemic was not at an optimal level as these participants expressed …

Nutritional Aspects Related To Covid-19: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Scopus Database, Arti Muley Dr, Srujana Medithi Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Nutrition therapy has lately gained attention as an effective way of combating the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), especially to address the immunity in an individual and their overall health. The present study is a bibliometric assessment of research conducted to understand the role of nutrition in treating COVID-19 which was carried out since the pandemic's sudden outburst during 2020 and 2021 and published in the Scopus database. A total of 93 publications were found, and the results were studied by evaluating these documents. The present analysis identifies the active countries where the research was conducted, various types of documents wherein …

Molecular Identification Of Parasites In An Intestinal Coprolite From A Mummified Religious Dignitary Of The Piraino Mother Church Crypt, Sicily, Amanda Rollins, Krystiana Krupa, Georgia Millward, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Karl Reinhard, Frederika Kaestle

Karl Reinhard Publications

Intestinal contents were sampled from a spontaneously enhanced mummy from the Sepulcher of the Priests of the Piraino Mother Church in the Province of Messina, Sicily. This adult male mummy, Piraino 1, is an unidentified religious dignitary dating from the late-18th to mid-19th centuries. Immunological and molecular diagnostics were used to test for common and clinically significant parasites. A morphological diagnosis of Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) was confirmed genetically. A previously undetected Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infection was also identified genetically. These data indicate that the Piraino 1 individual was simultaneously infected with multiple intestinal parasite species indicative of poor hygiene. This …

Interesting Case Of Headache With “Can’T Mix Food & Can’T Swallow”, Dr. Shreeraksha K.S, Dr. Shasthara P

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dr. Anu Janardhan, Dr. Kishor M

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Case Of Severe Depression With Psychotic Symptoms In Childhood, Vijaykumar Hiremath, Dr. Anusha Pogula, Dr. Kishor M

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Responding To The Call: Building A Training Program To Diversify The Academy In Alzheimer’S Disease Research, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Marvella E. Ford, Christiana L. Johnson, Brianna Ashford-Carroll, Quentin Mccollum, Daniela B. Friedman, Sue E. Levkoff

Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at the forefront of the United States (US) public health agenda due to their tremendous human and financial burden. Further, disproportionately high ADRD rates among racial/ethnic minorities require incorporating the unique perspectives of racially and ethnically diverse scientists, which will necessitate diversifying the scientific workforce that investigates disparities in aging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the training and mentorship initiatives of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer's Disease and Minority Research, emphasizing lessons learned from our engagement with underrepresented minority and minoritized (URM) Scientists. We highlight …

Thyroid Storm In A Patient With Covid-19, Angela N Rao, Ruaa Y Al-Ward, Ruchi Gaba

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: A thyroid storm is a severe exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that originated in Wuhan, China, has become a worldwide pandemic. We present the first documented case of thyroid storm (as defined by the Burch-Wartofsky criteria) in a patient with COVID-19.

METHODS: Laboratory and diagnostic studies, including thyroid function tests, thyroid antibody testing, SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction testing, and thyroid ultrasound were performed.

RESULTS: A 25-year-old woman presented to the hospital with dry cough, dyspnea, palpitations, weight loss, diarrhea, and anxiety. Physical examination revealed exophthalmos with …

Improving Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates Among Kentucky Adolescents, Cori Arena

DNP Projects

Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant factor associated with the development of HPV-associated cancers in the United States. The administration of the HPV vaccination is a critical prevention strategy in reducing HPV-related cancers in the United States. The state of Kentucky has lower than average HPV vaccination rates compared to the national average. There is a significant amount of evidence exploring barriers and facilitators of the HPV vaccination administration. There are several multi-level barriers associated with low uptake of the HPV vaccination in adolescents. Multiple sources of evidence have indicated that parents who receive a provider recommendation are …

Population Assessment To Determine The Eligibility For Birth Center Care At University Of Kentucky Midwife Clinic, Dolores Polito

DNP Projects

Background: The COVID-19 crisis prompted patients to inquire about their options to avoid going to the hospital for birth. Outside of the hospital, birth center care has been identified as an evidence-based model for healthy women during pregnancy and birth, but it is not available in Kentucky.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if there are women eligible for birth center care who have been part of a nurse midwifery service and given birth in a large, academic, tertiary care setting.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was used for this study. It involved a collection of …