Public Health Commons^™

Mandating Covid-19 Vaccine For Nursing Home Staff: An Ethical Obligation, Robin L.P. Jump

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Association Between Baseline Diastolic Blood Pressure And The Efficacy Of Intensive Vs Standard Blood Pressure-Lowering Therapy, Andrew J Foy, Edward J Filippone, Eric Schaefer, Matt Nudy, Mohammed Ruzieh, Anne-Marie Dyer, Vernon M Chinchilli, Gerald V Naccarelli

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Importance: Low diastolic blood pressure (DBP) has been found to be associated with increased adverse cardiovascular events; however, it is unknown whether intensifying blood pressure therapy in patients with an already low DBP to achieve a lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) target is safe or effective.

Objective: To evaluate whether there is an association of baseline DBP and intensification of blood pressure-lowering therapy with the outcomes of all-cause death and cardiovascular events.

Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study analyzed patients who were randomized to intensive or standard BP control in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes-Blood Pressure …

Evaluating The Health Impact Of Centeringpregnancy Program Versus Traditional Prenatal Care In Midland Obstetric Clinics And Validating Selected Item On Birth Certificate, Oluwatosin A. Momodu

Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation is to evaluate the health impact of the CenteringPregnancy (CP) program versus traditional prenatal care (TPNC) on important maternal outcomes of pregnancy. This is looked at in two outcomes-gestational weight gain (GWG) and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). The specific aims are to examine the: (1) effects of CenteringPregnancy program versus traditional prenatal care on gestational weight gain (GWG); (2) effects of CenteringPregnancy program versus traditional prenatal care on pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

Birth certificate (BC) data were linked to hospital discharge records of women who delivered in midland’s obstetric clinics of South Carolina between …

A Proposal For Developing Academic Partnerships Between American Clinical Institutions And Ngos, Anik Patel, Nahreen Ahmed, Alfredo Mena Lora, Riley Jones

Posters

"Humanitarian and health-focused non-governmental organizations, such as MedGlobal, and American clinical institutions can mutually benefit from the formation of academic partnerships. MedGlobal has a longitudinal presence in ongoing humanitarian disasters that can provide rich clinical experiences for academic institutions looking to provide more diverse and equity-driven training for its residents and fellows. American institutions can provide resources, personnel with special skills and knowledge, as well as research assistance to MedGlobal and its partner sites as it continues to promote evidence-based clinical care for refugees. We propose an innovative model that addresses 3 areas of opportunities: education, research/QI, and clinical care. …

Relation Of Breastfeeding Duration With Blood Pressure And Arterial Stiffness, Lohita Kollipara, Abbi Lane-Cordova, Xuewen Wang

Senior Theses

Background: The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the effects of differing breastfeeding duration on vascular function.

Methods: A study was designed to explore the breastfeeding patterns of 79 participants who delivered a singleton fetus 6 months-3 years ago and were aged 18-45 years old. Participant breastfeeding and dietary habits were self-reported using surveys. Breastfeeding groups were established by following the American Association of Pediatric guidelines on breastfeeding duration: Women who did versus did not breastfeeding for 6 months continuously. Blood pressure was measured using a standard oscillometric cuff, while SphygmoCor® technology was used to measure pulse wave velocity. …

Characteristics And Quality Of Mobile Apps Containing Prenatal Genetic Testing Information: Systematic App Store Search And Assessment, Ko Lin Wu, Rebeca Alegria, Jazzlyn Gonzalez, Harrison Hu, Haocen Wang, Robin Page, Patricia Robbins-Furman, Ping Ma, Tung-Sung Tseng, Lei Shih Chen

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: Prenatal genetic testing is an essential part of routine prenatal care. Yet, obstetricians often lack the time to provide comprehensive prenatal genetic testing education to their patients. Pregnant women lack prenatal genetic testing knowledge, which may hinder informed decision-making during their pregnancies. Due to the rapid growth of technology, mobile apps are a potentially valuable educational tool through which pregnant women can learn about prenatal genetic testing and improve the quality of their communication with obstetricians. The characteristics, quality, and number of available apps containing prenatal genetic testing information are, however, unknown. Objective: This study aims to conduct a …

Using Increased Trust In Medical Researchers To Increase Minority Recruitment: The Recruit Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial, Barbara C Tilley, Arch G Mainous, Rossybelle P Amorrortu, M Diane Mckee, Daniel W Smith, Ruosha Li, Stacia M Desantis, Sally W Vernon, Gary Koch, Marvella E Ford, Vanessa Diaz, Jennifer Alvidrez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While extensive literature exists on barriers and strategies to increase minority participation in clinical trials, progress is limited. Few strategies were evaluated in randomized trials. We studied the impact of RECRUIT, a trust-based, cluster randomized minority recruitment trial layered on top of four traditional NIH-funded parent trials (BMT CTN, CABANA, PACES, STEADY-PD III; fifty specialty sites). RECRUIT was conducted from July 2013 through April 2017. Intervention sites implemented trust-based approaches customized to individual sites, promoting relationships between physician-investigators and minority-serving physicians and their minority patients. Control sites implemented only parent trials' recruitment procedures. Adjusting for within-site clustering, we detected no …

A Novel Imputation Approach For Sharing Protected Public Health Data, Elizabeth A Erdman, Leonard D Young, Dana L Bernson, Cici Bauer, Kenneth Chui, Thomas J Stopka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives. To develop an imputation method to produce estimates for suppressed values within a shared government administrative data set to facilitate accurate data sharing and statistical and spatial analyses.

Methods. We developed an imputation approach that incorporated known features of suppressed Massachusetts surveillance data from 2011 to 2017 to predict missing values more precisely. Our methods for 35 de-identified opioid prescription data sets combined modified previous or next substitution followed by mean imputation and a count adjustment to estimate suppressed values before sharing. We modeled 4 methods and compared the results to baseline mean imputation.

Results. We assessed performance by …

Barriers To Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities: A Systematic Review, Trisha L Amboree, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with poor health outcomes, including cervical cancer. Racial/ethnic minority populations experience poor health outcomes associated with HPV at higher rates. A vaccine is available to protect against HPV infections and prevent HPV-related sequelae; however, vaccination rates have remained low in the United States (U.S.) population. Thus, there is an urgent need to increase the HPV vaccination rate. Moreover, little is known about barriers to HPV vaccination in racial/ethnic minority groups. This paper highlights the most recent findings on barriers experienced by these groups.

METHODS: The PubMed database was searched on July 30, 2020, for …

Covid-19 One Year On: Security And Privacy Review Of Contact Tracing Mobile Apps, Wei Yang Ang, Lwin Khin Shar

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused 3.8 million deaths since December 2019. At the current vaccination pace, this global pandemic could persist for several years. Throughout the world, contact tracing (CT) apps were developed, which play a significant role in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. This work examines the current state of security and privacy landscape of mobile CT apps. Our work is the first attempt, to our knowledge, which provides a comprehensive analysis of 70 CT apps used worldwide as of year Q1 2021. Among other findings, we observed that 80% of them may have handled sensitive data without adequate …

Cognitive Barriers To Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Older Adults, Jonathan L. Chia, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in tremendous loss of life. As of late-July 2021, there have been more than 191 million confirmed cases and over 4.1 million deaths recorded (1). Although most nations have developed some competency in COVID-19 containment (2–4), there are new challenges. The continual spread of COVID-19 has resulted in new variants (5–7). These new variants are posited to have a significantly higher transmissibility (8–10), with higher fatality rates (11, 12).

Socio-Economic Factors And Telework Status In The Us During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Junfeng Jiao, Amin Azimian

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The COVID-19 outbreak posed a considerable risk to the health of people in the US and across the world. To reduce its spread, various companies in America adopted a range of preventive measures, such as telework, for the majority of their workforces. Considering that these measures have disproportionate effects on individuals, this study examined the potential relationship between socio-economic characteristics and telework status in the United States through mixed logit models developed in this research. Results indicated that telework status was significantly associated with the majority of the variables used in the models, namely, age, gender, educational status, marital status, …

The Multi-Step Approach To Covid Prevention In The Casamance Region, Saraí Hernandez Salguero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Located in the Oussouye Department approximately 43 kilometers away from the city of Ziguinchor in the Basse Casamance region of southern Senegal is the Oussouye commune where I had the pleasure of staying for three weeks. I had learned that the inhabitants of this village were not significantly impacted by the Covid-19 virus since it became global knowledge at the start of 2020. As of March 2020, the village had only reported 69 active cases and the department saw only 8 deaths in total. I sought to figure out what could be the cause of this and through a series …

Analysis Of The Moroccan Government & Ngos Responses To Migrant Health Crisis, Jepchirchir Mutwol

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Healthcare access in Morocco for migrants has been a topic of growing interest. With the implementation of migration reforms in response to Morocco becoming a destination for migrants, it is important to assess the effectiveness of government policies in aiding migrant health. Additionally, assessing other political actors' influence in government policies is equally important. Through research of existing scholarship, I theorize that the biggest issue impacting migrant access to health is the illegalization of migrants. Without being a legal resident, let alone in asylum or a refugee, migrants cannot access public health services without the fear of deportation. Local and …

Disability And Healthcare Access In Morocco: Social And Cultural Influences, Christa Shipman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I stepped into the SIT Multiculturalism and Human Rights program as a pre-physical therapy student with experience working and volunteering in the disability rights arena. Striking personal encounters with Moroccans combined with these past experiences drew me to investigate how social and cultural factors influence access to healthcare for people with disabilities. I hypothesized that access to medical care is limited by social or cultural mindsets, perceptions, or beliefs for those in my target population. This subject is relevant to Morocco as a developing country and as a society with, in some cases, fixed social dynamics, while in other areas …

Los Efectos Psicosociales Que Produce El Embarazo En Las Vidas De Madres Adolescentes En Quito, Ecuador, Kaylee Howell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the psychological and social effects of teen pregnancy facing teen mothers in 2021 and how do they impact their lives? Objective: The general objective is to describe the psychosocial implications produced by teen pregnancy. Background: Teen pregnancy rates of Latin America and the Caribbean are second in the world, second only to the region of Subsaharan-Africa. Within Latin America, Ecuador has the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy, surpassed only by Venezuela. Recently, the taboo surrounding reproductive health has been challenged, with the matter of abortion being brought to the supreme court. In conjunction with the matter …

Comparación Entre Las Percepciones Médicas Y Psicológicas De La Diabetes Tipo 2 Y La Tuberculosis En El Ecuador, Héctor Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the differences and similarities between the perceptions of the medical and psychological management of both type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis? Objectives: The principal objective of this study is to understand the perceptions behind DM2 and TB as well as how these perceptions affect the care of these diseases. Secondary objectives are to define the epidemiological transition, describe the medical and psychological management and care of DM2 and TB, analyze how the people perceive the management and psychological care of DM2 and TB, and analyze the comparison of the perceptions of both diseases. Background: The epidemiological transition …

Assessing The Need For And Access To Migrant-Sensitive Rehabilitative Healthcare: An Analysis Of Current Swiss And German Practices, Lauren Cuppy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, the noticeable increase in migration has placed scrutiny on the migrant-sensitive services provided in healthcare settings globally. Migrants, in general, experience different health issues and worse health outcomes than non-migrants. In response to this, healthcare systems around the world have begun implementing migrant-sensitive healthcare (MSHC) systems; yet, although nearly a third of the world’s population experiences some health condition that would benefit from rehabilitation, the implementation of MSHC rehabilitation services have been critically understudied. This paper seeks to investigate the geographic and MSHC accessibility of rehabilitation in Geneva, Switzerland to fill the current gap of literature and …

Evaluating The Pragmatic And Moralistic Approach To Drug Policy And Addiction In Opioid Epidemic Outcomes, Brielle Seidel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Drug use, policy and outcomes differ in all countries; however, trends exist in response to these circumstances and can typically be evaluated through a pragmatic and moralistic lens. The public health, and evidence-based pragmatic approach differs from the law enforcement-centered moralistic approach, specifically in outcomes of people suffering from substance use disorder. Particularly for opioid use disorder, countries that have taken the pragmatic approach in response to opioid epidemics have had dramatic results. Two of the countries discussed include Switzerland and Portugal, with additional information on the Netherlands. In contrast, current opioid epidemics exist in certain countries who maintain a …

Pubh 3136 – Principles Of Environmental Health, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control the major environmental health problems in industrialized and developing countries. Topics include how the body reacts to environmental pollutants; physical, chemical, and biological agents of environmental contamination; vectors for dissemination (air, water, soil); solid and hazardous waste; susceptible populations; biomarkers and risk analysis; the scientific basis for policy decisions; and emerging global environmental health problems.

Hspm – 7135 Health Policy Development And Evaluation, Ho-Jui Tung

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces students to health policy development, analysis and management by examining issues in the health sector. It fosters an appreciation of the complexity of policy problems and provides the basic tools used in public health policy design, implementation and evaluation.

Bios 9136 - General And Generalized Linear Models, Jingjing Yin

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides students with the theories of the classical linear model and the general linear model for continuous outcome and linear relations, then the Generalized Linear Model for nonlinear relations and discrete outcomes. The first half of the course includes theories of the linear regression model with the matrix algebra and multivariate normal distribution, then to the analysis of quadratic forms and the study of the General Linear Model. The second half of the course begins with an introduction of the components of a Generalized Linear Model and methods of fitting these models. It also covers the most widely …

Chbe 9130-A: Research Methods In Community And Behavioral Health, Joseph Telfair

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

General Course Description: This course introduces students to research methods in health science. Development and presentation of practicum and research proposals will be the focus of the course. Additional emphasis will be placed on writing skills that will contribute to research projects and grant applications.

Bios 9132 – Advanced Clinical Trial Methodology, Karl E. Peace

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Students are introduced to regulatory, scientific, statistical and practical aspects of methods inherent in design, monitoring and analyzing clinical trials. Clinical trials in many areas of drug development are presented, discussed and critiqued.

Pubh 9235 - Communication And Advocacy, Tilicia Mayo-Gamble

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will provide students with the ability to evaluate the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. Emphasis is placed on use of health communication theory and strategies designed to create change across the ecological spectrum, from individual to policy levels. Students will gain the skills to structure, develop, implement and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy efforts for policy change. In addition, ability to lead systematic qualitative and mixed method data collection processes involving interviewing skills, participant observation and focus group development will be developed. Emphasis …

Epid 8130 – Field Methods In Epidemiology, Kelly L. Sullivan

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course addresses practical aspects of management and implementation of research studies and will focus on the conduct of research consistent with the scientific method. Topics include planning study activities, questionnaire design and implementation, and operations research.

Epid 8230 – Observational Study Design And Analysis, Kelly L. Sullivan

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will focus on the design and conduct of observational research designs including cohort, case-control and cross-sectional approaches. This course will provide instruction related to issues specific to observational research approaches. Students will develop and present detailed study plans for each research approach.

Envh 7233 – Environmental Exposure And Impact Assessment, Atin Adhikari

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Introduces students to appropriate design, implementation, and analysis of primary environmental exposures and how they are influenced by public health ethics, equity and disparities. Specific topics covered include designing risk profiles; evaluating dose-response relationships; assessing the contribution of public health ethics, equity and disparities to environmental exposures; and analyzing field exposures of toxins.

Bios 9131 – Advanced Statistical Theory For Biostatistics I, Hani Samawi

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides an advanced study of theoretical statistics. Topics include: an introduction probability and sample space, conditional probability and Bayes Theorem, probability distribution of a random variable, discrete and continuous random variables, functions of random variables, moments and moment generating functions, order statistics and their distributions, discrete distributions, continuous distributions, bivariate and multivariate normal distribution, modes of convergence, limiting moment generating functions, and the central limit theorems. 3 hours

Pubh 2131 - Introduction To Community And Public Health, Ana M. Palacios Dr.

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

Introduces the student to the core functions of public health with an emphasis on community health programs and current trends of population health. Exposes the student to the role of community health practice in maximizing the health status of all populations. Course will include an overview of the organizational structure of federal, state, and local health-related agencies and examine the interrelationship of political, social, cultural and economic dimensions of community based population health activities.