Public Health Commons^™

Three Waves: The United States Opioid Crisis, Ryan B. Santoro

Senior Scholars Papers in Science, Technology, and Society

The past two and a half decades have witnessed widespread suffering, addiction, and death at the hands of the opioid crisis. This paper analyzes the crisis through a series of time periods, broken down into “waves.” Drawing upon primary material in relation to OxyContin advertisements in the 1990’s, this research takes aim at the origin of widespread opioid abuse disorder. By building upon analysis done on the Sackler Family, Purdue Pharma, heroin abuse, fentanyl overdoses, the COVID-19 pandemic and opioids and addiction in modern pop culture, this thesis shows how despite constant change in public policy, the opioid crisis continues …

Root Phenotyping Of Peptide-Treated Glycine Max, Salem Jackson, Fiona Goggin

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) – endogenous chains of amino acids involved in natural plant defense – have been shown to decrease damage from herbivores and pathogens by inducing an immune response, increasing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCS), transcripts, and metabolites. Exogenous treatment of soybean seeds with plant elicitor peptide GmPep3 has been shown to induce these broad-spectrum defenses and offers a new method for increasing crop yield. However, the effects of GmPep3 on indicators of soybean health – root characteristics, growth stages, etc. – have not been fully realized. Using the root-phenotyping platform RhizoVision Explorer, several root traits …

Counseling Children And Adolescents: A Call To Action, Rebekah Byrd, Chad Luke, Sonya Lorelle, Emily Donald, Charmayne R. Adams, Edward (Franc) Hudspeth

Office of Health Promotion Scholarship

The ACA 2014 Code of Ethics clearly states the mandate for counselor competence in C.2.a. It is noted that “Counselor practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, state and national credentials, and appropriate professional experience” (p. 8). Given the importance of competencies, ethical standards, and the emphasis on best practice, the paucity of these factors in regard to training and supervision for counselors working with child and adolescent populations is concerning. This article offers a conceptualization of the culture of childhood leading to the need for cultural competency. It outlines information specific …

Prenatal Perception Of Wic Breastfeeding Recommendation Predicts Breastfeeding Outcomes In Infant's First Year, Joanne Guthrie, Qi Zhang, Kelin Li, Kathryn Wouk, Rajan Lamichhane

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives

Promoting breastfeeding (BF) is a priority of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Prior research found that pregnant mothers who believed WIC recommends BF only (versus BF and formula equally OK) were more likely to initiate BF and continue through 1 month postpartum. We examine whether such mothers are more likely to continue to exclusively BF through 5 months and BF at all through the infant's first year. Methods

Data are from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (ITFPS-2), a longitudinal study that includes 2,649 mothers who completed prenatal interviews. Four BF …

Os-Walk-Eu: An Open-Source Tool To Assess Health-Promoting Residential Walkability Of European City Structures, Stefan Fina, Christian Gerten, Brian Pondi, Lorraine D'Arcy, Niamh O' Reilly, David Sousa Vale, Mauro Pereira, Samuele Zilio

Articles

Introduction This paper introduces OS-WALK-EU, a new open-source walkability assessment tool developed specifically for urban neighbourhoods and using open-source spatial data. A free and open-source tool, OS-WALK-EU is accessible to the general public. It uses open data available worldwide and free online services to compute accessibility, while at the same time allowing users to integrate local datasets if available. Based on a review of existing measurement concepts, the paper adopts dimensions of walkability that were tested in European city environments and explains their conceptualization for software development. We invite the research community to collaboratively test, adopt and use the tool …

Sexual And Reproductive Health Literacy In Rwanda Kazo Sector Murusenyi Village, Sandrine Nikuze, Mdp

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Unplanned pregnancies and other reproductive health issues are global health problems. Nowadays, young people are highly exposed compared to last time. Internet and other sources of misleading sexual information are available to them. Parents who are supposed to be the health information providers are not responsible because they do not want, but because they have limited knowledge, and they also face different challenges which prevent them from fulfilling their responsibilities towards their children such as education level, income level, gender, and religion. All these issues to young people have increased the number of young people who get pregnancies before and …

Anti-Abortion Crisis Pregnancy Centers In Central Florida, Isabel Adamus

Honors Program Theses

Anti-abortion pregnancy centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), are nonprofit organizations that target pregnant women and aim to dissuade them from considering abortion. In the U.S., CPCs are increasing in prevalence, accumulating government/state funding and support, and becoming more medicalized. Medicalization includes offering limited medical services, such as pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). CPCs are largely unlicensed and unregulated, frequently advertising in misleading ways and providing inaccurate health information. The goal of this research is to (1) understand how CPCs in Central Florida utilize rhetorical strategies to frame their services and health …

Preexisting Psychological Illness And Its Association With Mortality In Lung Cancer Patients With Access To Support Resources, Allison E. Wright, Elycee Sheehan, Fares Qeadan, Lily Stalter, Ali Imran Saeed

Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health

Abstract Introduction: Diagnosis of lung cancer often results in tremendous stress for most patients, especially in patients with underlying psychological illness. Psy- chosocial support (consultation with psychologist, psychotherapist, or social worker) referral is considered standard for quality cancer care; however, which patients utilize these resources and how these resources affect patient out- comes remain unclear. Objectives: We aimed to identify which newly diagnosed lung cancer patients accessed available psychosocial resources and assessed how utilization of these resources correlated with treatment and survival outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from National Cancer Institute-designated can- cer center at the University of New Mexico. …

Life In Hampton Roads Survey Press Release #4: Health, Education & Welfare Of Hampton Roads, Social Science Research Center, Old Dominion University

Life in Hampton Roads Survey Report

Life in Hampton Roads 2022 - Health, Education & Welfare of Hampton Roads

More than 81% of respondents rated the quality of their health as excellent (26.2%) or good (55.5%). This is about 9% higher than last year (72%), with most of the increase being in the excellent category (increasing from 17.9%). Thus, we are seeing an increase in self-reported good/excellent health close to levels reported pre-pandemic (e.g., from 82% in 2017).

Rurality And Its Effects On Prenatal Care In Southcentral Kentucky, Kylee Eilers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Despite ongoing efforts to increase positive healthcare outcomes for prenatal care in rural Kentucky, there continues to be limited access to adequate and quality resources. Research questions for this research project explored the prenatal care resources for Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren counties, compared healthcare disparities that exist in those counties with other rural regions of Kentucky, and identified limitations of such prenatal care resources in successfully achieving positive care outcomes. In addition to evaluation of applicable online resources through organizations local to the region, some healthcare professional and representatives were interviewed to find …

Active Learning And Student Achievement: A Matter Of Space, Experiences, Or Pedagogy?, Justin Bruner, Rebecca Affoo, Angela M. Dietsch

United States Public Health Resources

The goal of this study was to contribute to research on active learning by addressing the problem of disentangling the effects of classroom architecture, student characteristics, and pedagogical design as they relate to student achievement. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design where data was collected on student perceptions of their classroom, their experience in the course, and the pedagogy of the instructor, then analyzed with respect to the course grade. Results indicate that neither student perceptions of the classroom spaces nor the spaces themselves had an impact on course grade, but the pedagogy employed by the instructor and student experiences …

Midwestern Communities’ Reaction To The 1940s And 1950s Polio Epidemics, Lauren Mcdonald

Departmental Honors Projects

The 1940s and 50s’ polio epidemics resulted in the illness, death, and paralysis of thousands of children throughout the United States. Unlike other illnesses spread by poor sanitation which usually affected the lower classes, polio cases were far more prevalent among the middle class. Middle class neighborhoods’ conditions did not allow for natural immunity in early childhood. Prior research explored the urban and suburban middle class families in highly infected states like New York. However, the experiences of Midwesterners were largely ignored. In crowded city neighborhoods, polio could spread rapidly in a short period of time and then die down …

Errors In Converting Principles To Protocols: Where The Bioethics Of Us Covid‐19 Vaccine Allocation Went Wrong, William F. Parker, Govind C. Persad, Monica E. Peek

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

For much of 2021, allocating the scarce supply of Covid-19 vaccines was the world's most pressing bioethical challenge, and similar challenges may recur for novel therapies and future vaccines. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) identified three fundamental ethical principles to guide the process: maximize benefits, promote justice, and mitigate health inequities. We argue that critical components of the recommended protocol were internally inconsistent with these principles. Specifically, the ACIP violated its principles by recommending overly broad health care worker priority in phase 1a, using being at least seventy-five …

A Comparative Analysis Of Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution Efforts In India And Mongolia Through Data Visualization, Paridhi Latawa, Sadhana Kumar, Udeshna Srimal, Rachana Tanksali, Edward Ning '23, Ajay Macherla, Haily Nguyen, Kristina Lian, Joy Jiang, Julia Ding, Daniel Stewart

External Student Research Opportunities

COVID-19 vaccine allocation efforts have posed challenges and offered opportunities to alleviate the ongoing pandemic. Nations have employed varying approaches for COVID-19 vaccine distribution; in particular, Mongolia and India have differed in approaches to vaccine allocation efforts. As of June 2021, Mongolia has vaccinated more than 60% of its population, whereas India has only vaccinated about 7.5%. This disparity highlights the need for the present study, which utilizes a mixed-method approach to examine the two countries' vaccine distribution strategies and COVID-19 containment policies from January to July 2021. The study has three major components: 1) policy analysis to highlight core …

Disparities In Awareness Of And Willingness To Participate In Cancer Clinical Trials Between African American And White Cancer Survivors, Gaurav Kumar, Jungyoon Kim, Paraskevi A. Farazi, Hongmei Wang, Dejun Su

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) are essential for cancer care, yet the evidence is scarce when it comes to racial disparities in CCT participation among cancer survivors in the Midwest. This study aimed to 1) assess disparities in the awareness of and willingness to participate in CCTs between African American and White cancer survivors; and 2) compare perceptions about CCTs between the two racial groups.

METHODS: The study was based on cross-sectional data from the survey "Minority Patient Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials" that collected information from 147 Black and White cancer survivors from Nebraska between 2015 and 2016. Chi-square …

Not A Phase: Lgbtq+ Teens -- How We Can Save A Life, Jennifer Carner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This DNP project was conducted to address suicide and risk-taking behaviors of LGBTQ teens and how adults can improve the long-term outcomes of LGBTQ teens by being supportive adults. LGBTQ+ teens are at 4 times higher risk of suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers (The Trevor Project, 2021). The Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2008, found a teen having one caring adult in their lives decreases the risk of suicide. The project's goal was to educate adults to increase their comfort levels in terminology, their understanding of the developmental stages of teens, and how to provide protective factors to help reduce the …

Social Media By Providers And Patients In Healthcare, Madison K. Howell, Jirakamon Silapabanleng

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have been used in various industries to create direct-to-consumer interactive opportunities. 74% of the US population were social media active users. Around 40% of adults gather their health information from Facebook, a free social networking site, which has been available on various devices and can help many organizations advertise their services as well as communicate with their patients. Social networks had a powerful influence in making health decisions because it could be used as a means to spread either positive or negative health information.

Purpose of study: The …

Never Satisfied, Sara Medeiros

The Graduate Review

A written work that pushes against the stigmas of weight loss journeys, non-fiction "Never Satisfied" shows the real struggles and mental toll that weight and appearance can have on any person, especially a woman. It includes common difficulties that not only occurred before weight loss, but after it as well, making it different from the typical success stories that are told. Written by an obsessive-compulsive twenty-two year old female student, it is extremely relatable to college students and young adults.

Choose Foods Low In Sodium Fact Sheet

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Choosing and preparing foods that are lower in salt and sodium might help prevent or lower high blood pressure.

Transdisciplinary Evaluation Of Telehealth Experiences Of Diabetic Participants’ And Their Coaches’ In “Stopping Diabetes In Its Tracks” (Sdit) A Descriptive Mixed- Methods Customer Experience Map Journey, Cindy Delgado

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: This study captured the experiences of diabetic patients and their coaches during the Covid- 19 transition to virtual delivery. Previous research has focused on the feasibility and effectiveness of in-person versus telehealth delivery of Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). However, few studies have merged perspectives from the field of ethnic studies, public health, and customer service research during a pandemic to understand the experience of telehealth from end-users. Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted using interviews and quantitative surveys to provide insight into personal perspectives to in-person and telehealth experience. A customer-experience journey map (CXJM) was then created of Stopping …

In Individuals Aged 9-26, Will Increasing Provider And Parent Education About The Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Increase The Rate Of Hpv Vaccination, Jessica Thonack

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) affecting millions of individuals in the United States (US). Since the introduction of the HPV vaccine, infections have declined. Yet, many adolescents remain unvaccinated.1 This review analyses the vital role of provider and patient education in increasing the rate of HPV vaccination, and what strategies can be implemented to improve HPV vaccine coverage.

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to describe the factors that affect HPV vaccination numbers and how to increase HPV vaccination rates. In individuals aged 9-26, will increasing provider and parent education about the …

Effective Models In Community And Student Run Clinics, Jonathan Nyman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Over 3.5 billion people—half of the world’s population, did not have access to any healthcare facilities or services in 2017.1 In order to provide more healthcare to more individuals, student run clinics (SRCs), community-based health systems, and other low-cost clinics have opened up all over the world.

Purpose: It is important, however, to understand how these clinics run, their effectiveness, and how they may increase healthcare access. This study analyzed articles involving free or low-cost clinics to determine which models are utilized within free or low-cost clinics to provide effective standard of care resulting in increased healthcare …

Mental Health Interventions For International Seafarers During The Covid-19 Pandemic : A Pilot Study, Sanley Abila, Lijun Tang, Momoko Kitada, Serafin Malecosio, Rhea Subong

Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the key role that seafarers play in the global supply chain. As the pandemic took hold in early 2020 a significant crew change crisis unfolded globally due to border closures, strict quarantine requirements and a faltering vaccination rollout. In normal times the mental health of seafarers has been recognised as crucial to their wellbeing and safety at sea. Stranded aboard their vessels and with an unclear pathway out of the pandemic the mental health of seafarers deteriorated significantly driving some to suicide.

With 400,000 seafarers stranded at sea at one point, the issue was framed …

The Impact Of Endometriosis-Associated Pelvic Pain On The Social And Academic Wellbeing Of Women Enrolled In University, Ava E. Bettencourt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Endometriosis, a medical condition in which endometrial tissue lining grows outside of the uterus, affects approximately 10-15 percent of women of reproductive age. While research has shown that symptoms of endometriosis negatively affect quality of life in women, few studies have examined the impact of this condition specifically in college students who may be overwhelmed with the stress of school, living independently, and managing the symptoms of their endometriosis. Purpose: To examine the impact of endometriosis on academic and psychosocial factors in university students. Methods: Four college females completed the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), a 10-item survey used to …

2022 Zero Suicide Implementation In Oregon: Cross‐Site Follow‐Up Change Report, Karen Cellarius, Aliza Tuttle

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This implementation self‐assessment and the accompanying web survey were adapted for the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) by Portland State University in collaboration with the OHA Youth Suicide Prevention staff. The assessment was adapted from three existing Zero Suicide resources available at http://zerosuicide.org/.

The Organizational Self‐Study is a questionnaire about the extent to which each component of the Zero Suicide approach is in place at a single organization. Zero Suicide recommends completing this self‐study at the start of an organization’s Zero Suicide initiative, then every 12 months after that as a measure of fidelity to the model. The self‐study questions …

Blockchain-Based Digital Trust Mechanism: A Use Case Of Cloud Manufacturing Of Lds Syringes For Covid-19 Vaccination, Trupti Rane, Jingwei Huang

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Trust is essential in the digital world. It is a critical task to build digital trust for the ongoing digital engineering transformation. Aiming at developing a blockchain-based digital trust mechanism for Cloud Manufacturing or Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS), in this paper, we use the manufacturing of low dead space (LDS) medical syringes through Cloud Manufacturing as a motivating scenario to develop a basic framework. To meet the need of optimally saving COVID-19 vaccine doses to save more lives, the medical device manufacturing community needs to make a swift move to meet the surged need for LDS syringes. Cloud Manufacturing is a form …

Emergency Department Use Among Probationers Enrolled In The Riverside University Health System, Whole-Person Care Pilot Program, Nirshila Chand

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Formerly incarcerated individuals suffer from poor health outcomes and often overuse emergency department (ED) services because of a lack of access to care and insurance coverage upon reentry to their community. The Riverside County Whole Person Care (WPC) pilot program implemented by Riverside University Health System (RUHS) was designed as a reentry program developed to address these challenges and ensure that releasees successfully transition back into the community. The primary aim of this project was to assess whether participating in the RUHS WPC program reduced emergency department (ED) use among recent releasees. This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of formerly …

Examining Structural Racism As A Cause Of Health Inequities Among Pacific Island Peoples In The United States And Aotearoa New Zealand: An Exploratory Comparative Case Study, Jake Ryann Cambia Sumibcay

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) in the United States are known to experience profound and persistent disparities across most indicators of socioeconomic status and health when compared to the majority population. Similarly, the Indigenous Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand parallel the same experiences. Reducing disparities and improving health equity among racial/ethnic minority populations have been regarded as a national priority in both the United States and New Zealand. Improved population health data have provided insights into the social determinants of health (SDoH), which has unveiled multiple factors that contribute to health disparities, including income, education, residential …

Physicians’ Perceptions Of The Utility Of Clinical Guidelines In The Management Of People With Type 2 Diabetes In Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Eskandarani

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Aim: The aim of this research was to assess physicians’ perception of the utility of clinical guidelines in the management of people with Type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia and how their perception is affected by different physicians’ characteristics and whether high perception would result in adherence to guidelines. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional study design and used a self-administered online survey through Qualtrics software. The survey was distributed through the Saudi Society for Diabetes (SSD) whose membership includes more than five-thousand active physicians from all regions of Saudi Arabia. There were 493 respondents to the survey. Results: Around …

Improving Care Of Women Experiencing A Pregnancy, Belinda T. Ferguson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to provide evidence-based staff education at a pregnancy resource center to increase staff/patient engagement and communication by implementing a clinical practice change and use of a DNP student-developed discharge summary referral form (DRF) to assist with assessing patient’s needs, evaluating access to services and utilization of medical care and health promotion services. The overall aim of this project is to increase care with medical follow-up and seek to address improving engagement and communication with patients during their care and after discharge from the Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC). The major …