Public Health Commons^™

Characterizing Introductions Of Sars-Cov-2 To The U.S. Virgin Islands Using Pathogen Genomic Surveillance, Kendall Billig

Public Health Theses

Pathogen genomic surveillance systems have proven invaluable throughout the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, genomic surveillance programs are under-resourced or nonexistent in regions with reduced access to advanced public health tools, like the Caribbean. In this study, we documented and evaluated the establishment of a genomic surveillance system in the U.S. Virgin Islands during 2021, and used data from the program to place the story of COVID-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands in a global context. We constructed a phylogenetic tree and conducted phylogeographic analyses to estimate the timing and geographic origin of the most recent common …

Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among Asian American And Pacific Islander Breast Cancer Survivors In The United States By Socioeconomic Status And Rurality, 2000-2018, Katherine Luis Ho

Public Health Theses

Background: Known racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among breast cancer survivors exist and it is well-documented that non-Hispanic Black (NHB) breast cancer survivors experience higher incidence of CVD mortality compared to NHW women. However, few studies have examined CVD mortality among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) survivors, especially with respect to socioeconomic factors and rurality at the county-level. The aim of this study was to describe how county-level factors influence disparities in CVD mortality among AANHPI breast cancer survivors. Methods: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 registries, we analyzed a retrospective cohort of …

The Role Of Emergency Departments For Antimicrobial Stewardship In Covid-19 Pandemic; The Time Is Now, Madiha Ismail, Nazeer Najeeb Kapadia, Sara Usman

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Socioeconomic Gradient Of Alcohol Use, Charles Dh Parry, Gianna Gayle H. Amul

Ateneo School of Government Publications

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty, Scarcity And Transparency: Public Health Ethics And Risk Communication In A Pandemic, Abigail Lowe, Teck Chuan Voo, Lisa M. Lee, Kelly K. Dineen Gillespie, Christy Feig, Alva O. Ferdinand, Seema Mohapatra, David Brett-Major, Matthew K. Wynia

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Communicating public health guidance is key to mitigating risk during disasters and outbreaks, and ethical guidance on communication emphasizes being fully transparent. Yet, communication during the pandemic has sometimes been fraught, due in part to practical and conceptual challenges around being transparent. A particular challenge has arisen when there was both evolving scientific knowledge on COVID-19 and reticence to acknowledge that resource scarcity concerns were influencing public health recommendations. This essay uses the example of communicating public health guidance on masking in the United States to illustrate ethical challenges of developing and conveying public health guidance under twin conditions of …

Advocate Against Adversity, Melany Kelly, Hermela Shimels, Zariah Bailey, Kennedy Carter

DC Health and Academic Prep Program (DC HAPP)

Our project is focused on the social determinants of maternal healthcare throughout urban areas in the United States and, more specifically, the different wards in DC. This project aims to shed light on how racial and ethnic disparities, in addition to other social determining factors, are contributing to high infant mortality rates in the DC area. It also proposes potential public health initiatives that seeks to address and combat these differences.

Calling Attention To Campus Trends: Let’S Talk About Wellness, Mandy Magalhaes, Rachel Cullity

The Graduate Review

Abstract

This article explores the emerging focus on self-care and wellness amongst college students. In this article, the authors highlight the cultural shift from the “grind culture,” the complete and exhaustive dedication towards one’s work, to a focus on individual and community well being and how educational institutions are responding to students’ needs (Absher, 2020). Bridgewater State University's current response to student wellness is discussed, with a focus on the School of Social Work’s research efforts, programs and services being implemented, from the voices of graduate students. Self-care and wellness is an emerging conversation occurring in many professions and educational …

Virtual Annual Meetings: A Path Toward Shareholder Democracy And Stakeholder Engagement, Yaron Nili, Megan Wischmeier Shaner

Faculty Scholarship

From demanding greater executive accountability to lobbying for social and environmental policies, shareholders influence how managers run modern companies. In corporate doctrine, the principal venue reserved for shareholders to influence and engage with management and each other is the annual share-holders meeting. Historically, the annual meeting was a vibrant forum for share-holder democracy and occasionally even a platform for debating pressing social issues. For decades, however, the role of the annual meeting in corporate governance has been in decline, resulting in today’s largely pro forma annual meetings. This Article explores how technological integration can resurrect the annual meeting as the …

A Systematic Approach To Multiple Case Study Design In Professional Counseling And Counselor Education, Charmayne R. Adams, Casey A. Barrio Minton, Jennifer Hightower, Ashley J. Blount

Office of Health Promotion Scholarship

Case study research is a qualitative methodology that allows researchers to explore complex phenomena in a structured way, that is rigorous and provides an enormous amount of depth. Three scholars are credited with major contributions to the case study literature: Merriam (1998), Stake (1995/2006), and Yin (1994). The purpose of this paper is to explore case study design for use in the counseling profession. The authors provide instruction on the case study scholars, data collection, analysis, and reporting for both single and multiple case study research designs. Finally, implications for student counselors, counselor educators, and counseling professionals are provided.

Regenerating Agroecosystems By Overcoming Human Exceptionalism In Designing For Increased Equity Of Benefits From Ecoservices, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our commentary explores three critical issues related to ecosystem services. First is how ecoservices are currently designed and implemented primarily for human benefit without concern for how these impact other species. We conclude that awareness of this imbalance is the first step toward meaningful change. Second we observe that human exceptionalism guides most decisions, and ask whether we can overcome this mind-set to embrace ecoregeneration and design of resilient and mutually beneficial agroecosystems. Our attitude toward the challenge and moving toward greater humility about human roles that guide management decisions in the ecosystem is a requisite for change. Third we …

Healing With Feeling: Addressing Substance Abuse In Teens During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gisselle Amaya, Xunashy Lopez, Gabby Olumilua, Mbange Palle, Kendra Williams

DC Health and Academic Prep Program (DC HAPP)

In recent years, substance abuse among teenagers has steadily increased since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Teen substance abuse related deaths have only continued to rise since then; with nationwide substance abuse related deaths being 1,146 in 2021, a sharp increase from the 954 deaths in 2020 (UCLA health, 2022). Teen substance abuse is determined by many factors, such as mental health, home/school environment, etc. In order to cope with these difficult emotions, teenagers turn to drug use to numb the feeling. Studies have shown that art based therapy and afterschool programs are effective in mitigating the …

Suppressing Depression: Raising Awareness For Depression In Teens, David Whittington, Hiwot Ayalew, Kierra Jones, Oscar Colindres

DC Health and Academic Prep Program (DC HAPP)

About 13.3% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17 has been diagnosed with at least one major depressive episode [1]. 14.3% of the DC population suffers from diagnosed depression [8]. It is important to note that most people with depression don’t seek clinical help. Many factors lead to depression among teens and adults including poverty, unemployment, lack of access to health care, and genetics. DC is one of the most segregated places in the U.S. Employment rates, wages, parks, and museums are deeply segregated resources within different wards. Wards 5, 7, and 8 have the highest rates of depression …

Incidence And Potential Co-Morbidities In Facial Pigmentary Demarcation Lines In Indian Populations, Lakkireddygari Sujana, Savitha L. Beergouder, Alekhya Rallapalli, Sujatha Alla, Prasanthi Chidipudi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: The most noticeable part of human body is face. The obvious boundaries on the skin known as Pigmentary Demarcation Lines (PDL) found over face and have clear borders of abrupt transition between more hyper-pigmented skin and areas of normal skin pigmentation due to differences in melanocyte distribution that may be influenced by multiple factors. Facial pigmentary demarcation lines (PDL) directly reflect on patient’s physical appearance and self-image as they may contribute to dysmorphism and even central to depressive illness in susceptible individuals posing cosmetic concern for the patient and a challenge for dermatologist. Therefore, it is important for early …

Risk Factors And Compliance Of Surviving Sepsis Campaign: A Retrospective Cohort Study At Tertiary Care Hospital, Farheen Yousuf, Ayesha Malik, Ayesha Saba, Sana Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background and objective: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of direct maternal mortality in Pakistan. It is recommended that the first three hours after the presentation are crucial. During this time implementation of surviving sepsis campaign resuscitation bundles reduces maternal mortality. Our objective was to assess the factors contributing to puerperal sepsis and the compliance of "surviving sepsis campaign resuscitation bundles in puerperal sepsis" for the management of puerperal sepsis.
Methods: This was a retrospective record review for five years from January 2011-December 2015. All women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of puerperal sepsis were included and data from …

Studying Spread Patterns Of Covid-19 Based On Spatiotemporal Data, Beiyu Lin, Xiaowei Jia, Zhiqian Chen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 epidemic have transformed every aspect of our lives, especially our behavior and routines. These changes have been drastically impacting the economy in each region, such as local restaurants and transportation systems. With massive amounts of ambient data being collected everywhere, we now can develop innovative algorithms to have a much greater understanding of epidemic spread patterns of COVID-19 based on spatiotemporal data. The findings will open up the possibility to design adaptive planning or scheduling systems that will help preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

In this tutorial, we will review the trending state-of-theart …

Disparities In Caregiver-Reported Dental Cavities And Toothaches Among Children In The Special Supplemental Nutrition For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) Program, Denise M. Claiborne, Chun Chen, Qi Zhang

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Dental caries is prevalent among low-income and minority children despite oral health promotion programs. The purpose of this study was to examine disparities associated with caregiver-reported cavities and toothaches among children in the United States aged 2-4 years by their eligibility for and participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data on children aged 2-4 years (n=7,719) with complete WIC participation information. Three groups were formed based on WIC eligibility and participation status: WIC participants, income-eligible non-participants, …

Maximal Strength Training Increases Metabolic Energy Expenditure In Sedentary Adults Classified As Obese, Robert E. Anderson Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: Metabolic adaptations reduce resting and non-resting energy expenditure to account for approximately 120 kcal/day. Weight loss promotes greater skeletal muscle efficiency, reducing the energy cost of physical activity and is correlated with declines in skeletal muscle glucose oxidation. Maximal Strength Training (MST) has the potential to upregulate glucose utilization and may offset these metabolic adaptations. Objective: To determine if MST offsets markers of metabolic adaptation by increasing resting and non-resting energy expenditure in sedentary individuals classified as obese. Methods: Five (5) participants (2 females, 3 males), ages 18-35 years, with obesity (BMI 30–45 kg/m2) were enrolled in an 8-week …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Cypriots On Melanoma Prevention: Is There A Public Health Concern?, Demetra Kyprianou, Iris Charalambidou, Oluwaseun Famojuro, Hongmei Wang, Dejun Su, Evi A. Farazi

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. It is the eighth most common cancer in males and the tenth in females in Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean with a high ultraviolet (UV) index. Cyprus is expected to be strongly affected by climate change and consequently, melanoma will likely become an increasing public health problem. Melanoma prevention is possible; however, it is unknown if people living in Cyprus are aware of melanoma and prevention methods. To this end, we used a validated survey to evaluate the level of melanoma knowledge and factors associated with it in the Cypriot …

Intestinal Helminth Infection, Anemia, Undernutrition And Academic Performance Among School Children In Northwestern Ethiopia, Abraham Degarege, Berhanu Erko, Yohannes Negash, Abebe Animut

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This study examined the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections and their association with anemia, undernutrition, and academic performance among school children in Maksegnit, northwestern Ethiopia. A total of 1205 school children, who attended Maksegnit Number Two Elementary School between May and July 2021, participated in this study. To determine helminth infection status, two thick Kato–Katz slides were examined for each child. Hemoglobin level was measured using a HemoCue machine. Academic performance was assessed using the mean score of all subjects children have taken for the Spring 2020/2021 academic term. Out of 1205 children examined, 45.4% were infected with …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Reinfection: A Case Series From A 12-Month Longitudinal Occupational Cohort, Christina D. Mack, Caroline Tai, Robby Sikka, Yonatan H. Grad, Lisa L. Maragakis, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Deverick J. Anderson, David Ho, Michael Merson, Radhika M. Samant, Joseph R. Fauver, James Barrett, Leroy Sims, John Difiori

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Findings are described in 7 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reinfection from the National Basketball Association 2020-2021 occupational testing cohort, including clinical details, antibody test results, genomic sequencing, and longitudinal reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction results. Reinfections were infrequent and varied in clinical presentation, viral dynamics, and immune response.

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection-Preparedness: Protocol For A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study Of Viral Respiratory Infections, Radu Postelnicu, Avantika Srivastava, Pavan K. Bhatraju, Mark M. Wurfelc, George L. Anesi, Martin Gonzalez, Adair Andrews, Karen Lutrick, Vishakha K. Kumar, Timothy M. Uyeki, Perren J. Cobb, Leopoldo N. Segal, David Brett-Major, Janice M. Liebler, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Vikramjit Mukherjee, M. Jana Broadhurst, Richard Lee, David Wyles, Jonathan E Sevransky, Laura Evans, Douglas Landsittel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: Respiratory virus infections cause significant morbidity and mortality ranging from mild uncomplicated acute respiratory illness to severe complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and death during epidemics and pandemics. We present a protocol to systematically study patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, due to respiratory viral pathogens to evaluate the natural history, prognostic biomarkers, and characteristics, including hospital stress, associated with clinical outcomes and severity.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Multicenter cohort of patients admitted to an acute care ward or ICU from at least 15 hospitals …

Characteristics Of Covid-19 Vaccine-Hesitant Ucf College Students And Potential Avenues For Increasing Vaccination Rates, Justin A. Barthel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing disaster that has devasted millions of lives. With the development of COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, there was a potential for populations to gain artificial active immunity in order to prevent future outbreaks. However, despite successful clinical trials, millions of citizens have been hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccines (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Demographics of the most prominent US vaccine-hesitant populations consist of ethnic/racial minorities and Republicans groups (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Little information is known about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in colleges and universities. Colleges provide an elevated risk for infection through their …

A Retrospective Dosimetry Comparison To Define Uncertainties Found In A Novel Intensity Modulated Electron Therapy (Imet) Treatment Technique For Use In Radiation Therapy, Marco A. Masciantonio

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study will investigate the difference in radiation at different volumes between traditional electron beam therapy and a novel IMET. The difference in dose will be recorded between the novel IMET and the IMET with a slight shift in the target area. The percent difference between this new model treatment and the model treatment with a shift will be calculated. The main goal of this project is to determine if the target area is still sufficiently treated with this slight shift of the patient in different directions. The percent difference is crucial for the success of this project. It will …

The Assessment Of Emergency Preparedness Among University Students, Arliah Cox

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

University students have been an understudied population when it comes to the topic of emergency/ disaster preparedness. While there have been a few studies carried out to examine students’ perceptions of preparedness, the level of preparedness must be determined to be able to close the gap when it comes to barriers preventing them from being prepared. One hundred and eighty-seven undergraduate participants at a Midwestern university completed both online and in-person surveys in March 2022. The survey included questions regarding emergency/ disaster preparedness, perception of being prepared, and barriers which can prevent preparedness. Results showed that a lack of time …

Generalization Of Net Benefit Of Diagnostic Tests Into Multi-Stage Clinical Conditions: A Collapsing Approach, Ferdous Ahmed

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Evaluating diagnostic tests based on benefit-risk involves both the tests’ accuracy and the clinical implications of the diagnostic errors. Diagnostic tests are commonly classified into two stages: either positive or negative for a clinical condition (diseased or non-diseased). However, some diseases have more than two stages, such as Alzheimer’s. In diseases with more than two stages, the benefits and risks of the clinical consequences could differ from stage to stage. I could not find any investigations to account for the difference in benefits and risks of tests with more than two stages in the literature. The benefit to cost values …

Correlates Of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among African American Females In Juvenile Detention Centers, Eghosa E. Asemota

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: In comparison to other demographics, research shows that African American female adolescents are over-represented in the United States Juvenile Justice System. Studies in this vulnerable population demonstrate higher rates of engagement in unsafe sex, and its attendant negative consequences of HIV infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and mistimed pregnancies. There is a paucity of studies that have specifically examined risky sexual behaviors amongst African American females in Juvenile Detention Centers. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between the individual, family, peer, and societal factors, and engagement in risky sex among Black female detainees in Juvenile …

Characteristics And Regions Of Hospital Locations And The Risk Of Postpartum Hemorrhage., Zahra Shahin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the contributing factors to maternal morbidity and mortality that in addition to maternal risk factors, may be related to other factors such as obstetric practice and clinical management of postpartum hemorrhage. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of postpartum hemorrhage with characteristics and regions of hospital locations across the United States, as the outcomes may create opportunities to improve policies and protocols regarding PPH management more effectively. Method: A retrospective study was performed using the 2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Low-risk delivery hospitalizations involving the third stage of labor with …

Effectiveness Of Telemedicine In Diabetes Management: A Retrospective Study In An Urban Medically Underserved Population Area (Umupa)., Lisa Ariellah Ward

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to assess the efficacy of employing telemedicine (TM) technology compared to traditional face-to-face (F2F) visits as an alternative healthcare delivery service for managing diabetes in populations residing in urban medically underserved areas (UMUPA). Researchers investigating public health and healthcare systems fully grasp the enormous challenges encountered by vulnerable populations as a result of healthcare access barriers.¹ Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, F2F visits were most often utilized for healthcare delivery service, which frequently posed barriers for vulnerable populations. When marginalized people, encounter healthcare access barriers, a cascade of events generally occur leading to …

Becoming A Public Health Professional: Millennials’ Perspective On Organizational Assimilation And Professional Identity, Tony K. Winters

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Public health must confront the ongoing challenge of workforce transitions and the impending exodus of existing employees. The millennial generation rises as an option to fill this workforce gap. Using the Socialization Resource Theory as a framework and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 27 millennial professionals from federal, state, local, and non-governmental public health agencies, this study describes (a) the organizational assimilation (OA) process for millennial public health professionals, (b) explores the impact of OA on professional identity, and (c) describes how the OA process may impact the retention of public health professionals.

The results from this study …

Effectiveness Of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Karen Edmond, Shelly Chadha, Cynthia Hunnicutt, Natalie Strobel, Vinaya Manchaiah, Christine Yoshinaga-Itano, Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (Unhs) Review Group

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Permanent bilateral hearing loss (PBHL) is a serious condition in newborns, with a prevalence of at least one per 1000 live births. However, there has been no recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of universal newborn hearing screening programs (UNHS).

Methods:

We registered our study protocol on PROSPERO CRD42020175451. Primary outcomes were any identification of PBHL (ie, PBHL diagnosed at any time), age of identification of PBHL, and neurodevelopment. Two reviewers searched standard databases to March 2022 and extracted data. We used fixed and random effects meta-analysis to pool data and graded the certainty of evidence using …