Public Health Commons^™

Analysis Of Excess Mortality At The County Level In Alabama By Socioeconomic Factors, Abigail Jo Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: Analyze county level socioeconomic factors and their association with Covid-19 excess mortality in Alabama.Methods: Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between potential risk factors assessed using the American Community survey (n = 40 counties and county clusters) and excess mortality in 2020 per 100,000 population. Excess mortality came from a previously published paper by Ackley et al. Results: Median household income (per 1,000 dollars); an average county median household income that 1,000 dollars higher was associated with 6 per 100,000 lower excess mortality (β= -5.953 p-value

Effects Of Covid-19 On Ventilator Associated Events (Vaes) Due To Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (Mdros), Jeffery Asiedu

All ETDs from UAB

The aim of this study was to assess the association between the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the odds of ventilator associated events (VAEs). Retrospective analysis on prospectively collected data from 11,307 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital between January 2018 and June 2022 was used. Outcomes considered were Any VAE, IVAC/PVAP, PVAP and MDRO PVAP. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between COVID-19 and the outcome variables. When a patient has Prior COVID-19, the odds of getting any VAE during the delta period is …

The Association Between Metabolically Healthy Obesity And Coronary Heart Disease Among Regards Study Participants, Kiara N. Aaron

All ETDs from UAB

A major obstacle to the advancement of our understanding of the metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) phenotype is the inconsistent definition of metabolic health and obesity among studies. A harmonized definition of MHO in adults has been proposed based on the diagnosis of obesity (BMI > 30 k/m2) and meeting the cardio-metabolic criteria for triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), no antihypertensive treatment, fasting blood glucose, and no drug treatment with glucose-lowering agents. In addition, waist circumference can be associated with increased disease risk when WC is >94 cm in men and >80 cm in …

Child Schooling And Other Factors Associated With Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Adults That Had Not Been Vaccinated In The Fall Of 2021, Ryan M. Fischer

All ETDs from UAB

Although COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy decreased noticeably over time during the first months of 2021, there was still a high degree of vaccine hesitancy in the United States at the time that the vaccine first became available to adolescents. Data from Phase 3.2 of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (July 21 – October 11th, 2021) was used to conduct an ecological study on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy that investigated associations between vaccine hesitancy and socio-demographic characteristics as well as child school type (public school, private school, homeschool). Subjects that had not received a vaccine at the time of survey data …

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Connecting The Dots Between Early Life Stress And Asthma Aming Children And Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease, Brandi Mcclain Pernell

All ETDs from UAB

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disorder plagued by increased morbidity and premature mortality. Asthma disproportionally affects individuals with SCD and is strongly associated with an increased incidence of pain, acute lung complications and death among this high-risk population. Psychological stress is a well-established contributor and trigger for asthma development and exacerbations. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are defined as traumatic experiences occurring before 18 years of age. ACEs occur at the individual, familial (Original-ACEs) and community level (Expanded-ACEs) and can accumulate with time. Chronic exposure to ACEs leads to toxic stress, widespread inflammation and risk for …

Characterizing Occupational Status History And Assessing Occupational Status As A Social Determinant Of Health In The Deceased Organ Donor Population, Nicole F. Pelletier

All ETDs from UAB

Transplant physicians review clinical data ranging from laboratory values to substance use history and use prediction models combining these factors, along with previous recipient outcomes, to evaluate deceased organ donors for organ suitability. Factors such as social determinants of health (SDOH) are not currently included in prediction models, despite evidence of relationships between SDOH and health outcomes in the general population. Occupational status is a SDOH routinely collected at the time of donation and stored in DonorNet, but not yet characterized in the deceased donor population. Despite well-documented relationships between occupational status and health outcomes in the general population, these …

Development Of A Fit-Matching App: Validation Of 3-D Scanning Applications, Jasna Rosser Williams

All ETDs from UAB

According to the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), each day nearly 2,000 workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. It has been reported that the cause of these eye injuries is frequently due to workers not wearing eye protection because it does not fit properly on their faces. To improve the fit of eye protection, we are aiming to develop a fit matching application (app) which will identify the wearers’ better-fitting safety eyewear using 3D technology. We have successfully tested the feasibility of the use of commercially available 3D scanning apps using a mannequin …

Evaluation Of Ventilation Performance And Respirable Particles In Food Trucks, Dong Lee Yang

All ETDs from UAB

Background: The food truck industry in the U.S. has rapidly expanded, with an average growth of 7.9 % from 2017 to 2022. Food truck workers are potentially exposed to harmful airborne contaminants such as particulate matter (PM) and aldehydes produced during cooking process. Kitchen exhaust hoods are designed to capture the cooking emissions, but it is not well understood whether the commercial kitchen exhaust hoods in food trucks are properly, efficiently operated to reduce the workers' exposure to such harmful contaminants. The purpose of the study was to evaluate food truck workers' exposure to respirable particulates generated from cooking process …

Early Detection Of Acute Kidney Injury In Neonates After Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Tennille N. Webb

All ETDs from UAB

Prophylactic peritoneal dialysis (PD) in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has proven to be safe and improve outcomes. Understanding which neonates would most benefit from prophylactic PD is needed to optimize care. Objective: We sought to validate patient-specific characteristics associated with the need for PD in neonates requiring CPB. We hypothesized serum creatinine (SCr), pre-operative weight, or open chest post-operatively are associated with the need for PD. Methods: We evaluated neonates in the cardiac ICU requiring cardiac surgery with CPB from March 2019 through March 2021 with our new protocol for PD catheter placement. Neonates were classified …

Guided Exploration Of Military Servicewomen's Healthcare Experiences And Related Outcomes (Gems Hero), Princess Victoria Jane Nash

All ETDs from UAB

Purpose: This study focuses on factors related to healthcare seeking behaviors and utilization of Veterans Affairs primary care services by female African American Veterans. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to assess what factors influence seeking care at VA healthcare facilities. Research Design: This study used a modified explanatory sequential mixed methods design to assess health services utilization and healthcare experiences of African American female Veterans. This research utilized items from the Health Belief model as a guiding framework to highlight factors that could impact VA healthcare utilization. Methodology: Health services utilization analysis used national data from the …

Evaluation Of A Living Shoreline Technique On A Southeastern United States Reservoir, Eric V. Muth

All ETDs from UAB

The impoundment of rivers in the southeastern United States has led to the creation of reservoirs that have seen the riparian zone become heavily developed with residential real estate. As the hybrid river/lake systems started forming new shorelines, property owners reacted by attempting to reduce their losses. This has been done in a variety of ways, with the majority falling into the bulkhead category. The use of vertical hard armament has resulted in a loss of ecological function and an increase in erosion of the lakebed at the toe or escarpment. In response to this, the idea was proposed by …

Multilevel Influences On Physical Activity Participation In Rural And Cancer Populations With Obesity, Nashira Inika Brown

All ETDs from UAB

espite the strong evidence of physical activity benefits, the prevalence of physical inactivity and associated obesity continues to increase. Rural and cancer survivor populations with obesity, in particular, remain highly inactive and are at increased risk of comorbidities. Thus, physical activity interventions are needed to promote active lifestyles. However, before developing or adapting existing multi-level physical activity interventions, more research is needed to understand the necessary components to meet the needs and preferences of these unique populations. Therefore, this project involved identifying the gaps in literature followed by three studies to investigate the multilevel influences on physical activity in rural …

Evaluating Stability Of Human Spine In Static Tasks: A Combined In Vivo-Computational Study, Farshid Ghezelbash, Ali Shahvarpour, Christian Larivière, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl

Études primaires

Various interpretations and parameters have been proposed to assess spinal stability such as antagonist muscle coactivity, trunk stiffness and spinal buckling load; however, the correlation between these parameters remains unknown. We evaluated spinal stability during different tasks while changing the external moment and load height and investigated likely relationships between different EMG- and model-based parameters (e.g., EMG coactivity ratio, trunk stiffness, force coactivity ratio) and stability margins. EMG and kinematics of 40 young healthy subjects were recorded during various quasi-static tasks. Muscle forces, trunk stiffness and stability margins were calculated by a nonlinear subject-specific EMG-assisted-optimization musculoskeletal model of the trunk. …

It Permeated Everything: A Lived Experience Of Slow Violence And Toxicological Disaster, Tara Jo Holmberg

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Impacts of disasters on individuals are dependent on numerous factors: local to international political dynamics, socioeconomics, geography, educational background, and outside support among others. Currently, much of disaster research focuses on those of natural origin, acute and large-scale environmental events, emergency management, and the ability of individuals, communities, and societies to prepare for, and recover from, likely known disasters in their region. However, there is a lack of data about individual experiences through ‘invisible’ anthropogenic disasters, especially those that fall under the umbrella of slow environmental violence (Davies, 2019; Rice, 2016). Through critical phenomenological autoethnography, I examine an individual experience …

D-Dimer Testing In Covid-19: From Basics To Clinical Application, Bushra Moiz

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults In The United States And Its Association With Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Unhealthy Lifestyle, And Chronic Physical Health Status, Mamunur Rashid, M. Mazharul Islam, Aiping Li, Naima Shifa

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Frequent mental distress (FMD) is a measure of poor mental health days for at least 14 days out of 30 days. It is one of the important dimensions of the health-related quality of life. The underlying causes of FMD are diverse. However, the issue has not been explored extensively due to the lack of reliable data on mental health. The aim of this study was to examine the level and trends of FMD among the adults of the United States (US) and identify the socio-demographic, lifestyles, and chronic health outcomes related correlates of FMD. The data for the study was …

A Scoping Review Of Behavior Change Techniques Used To Promote Physical Activity Among Women In Midlife, Danielle Arigo, Kelly A. Romano, Kristen Pasko, Laura Travers, M. Cole Ainsworth, Daija A. Jackson, Megan M. Brown

Psychology Faculty Publications

Women in midlife experience health risks that could be mitigated by regular physical activity and reduced sedentary time, but this population rarely achieves physical activity levels that would protect their health. As a result, many behavioral interventions are designed to promote physical activity in this population, which are purportedly guided by theoretical models of health behavior (change) and activate an associated set of behavior change techniques (BCTs). The efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions appear to be limited, however, raising questions about their design and adaptation for women in midlife. Several aspects of these interventions are currently unclear. Specifically, which …

Internalization Of Appearance Ideals And Not Religiosity Indirectly Impacts The Relationship Between Acculturation And Disordered Eating Risk In South And Southeastern Asian Women Living In The United States, Sonakshi Negi, Erik M. Benau, Megan Strowger, Anne Claire Grammer, C. Alix Timko

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Studies that examine disordered eating in samples of Asian individuals living in the United States frequently combine all individuals of Asian descent into a single group, which can obscure important differences between groups and their experiences of acculturation. The goal of the present study was to establish the relation of acculturation, internalization of appearance ideals, and religiosity as predicting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women of South and Southeast Asian (SSEA) descent.

Method: Women of SSEA descent (N = 112) aged 18–51 years (M = 23.10, SD = 6.4) completed a battery of questionnaires that inquire about these …

Developing A Community Rehabilitation And Lifestyle Service For A Remote Indigenous Community, Alice Cairns, Lynore Geia, Sylvia Kris, Elizabeth Armstrong, Amy O’Hara, Danielle Rodda, Robyn Mcdermott, Ruth Barker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

Community rehabilitation is an essential health service that is often not available to remote Australians. This paper describes the first cycle of a collaborative project, between local community members, allied health professionals and a university, to co-design a community rehabilitation and lifestyle service to support adults and older people to stay strong and age well in place.

Methods

An action research framework was used to develop the service for adults in two remote communities, one being a discrete Aboriginal community. The first cycle involved planning for, and trialling of a service, with observations, reflections and feedback from clients, community …

The Use Of Complementary Medicine During Childbearing Years: A Multi-Country Study Of Women From The Middle East, Diana Arabiat, Lisa Whitehead, Samia Gaballah, Nazi Nejat, Ebtehal Galal, Eman Abu Sabah, Nazek Smadi, Inas Saadeh, Randa Khlaif

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The prevalence of self-prescribed complementary medicine (CM) use is an area of concern across the Middle East. We conducted a descriptive qualitative study to describe women’s use of CM during their childbearing years in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The study conducted using face to face audio-recorded interviews with 70 participants. Our findings showed that women used several herbal plants to ease pain and discomfort during menstruation and/or during pregnancy and in postpartum care. Acupuncture, meditation, and massage were less likely to be used by women. The impact of CM was often described in relation to perceived usefulness and …

The Association Between An Energy-Adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index And Inflammation In Rural And Urban Black South Africans, Maylene Ferreira, H. Toinét Cronjé, Tertia Van Zyl, Nicola P. Bondonno, Marlien Pieters

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

To quantify the inflammatory potential of the diet of rural and urban Black South Africans using an adapted energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (AE-DII) and to investigate its relationship with inflammatory and cardio-metabolic disease risk markers. Dietary inflammatory potential has not been investigated in African populations.

Design:

Cross-sectional investigation.

Setting:

Rural and urban sites in the North West province of South Africa.

Participants:

1,885 randomly selected, apparently healthy Black South Africans older than 30 years.

Results:

AE-DII scores ranged from -3.71 to +5.08 with a mean of +0.37. AE-DII scores were significantly higher in men (0.47±1.19) than in women (0.32±1.29), …

Differences In Health Literacy And Healthcare Utilization For Uninsured Patients With Type Ii Diabetes, Whitney Key Towey

Dissertations

Un- and under-insured individuals have lower access and less health literacy than their insured counterparts. This is a major public health problem as lower health literacy leads to unhealthy communities which have higher chronic disease rates. This quantitative dissertation uses data from a public health hospital system to understand the relationship between health literacy and healthcare utilization. The Andersen Model has been applied to determine whether, or to what extent, health literacy explains the relationship between the identified predisposing and enabling factors and the outcomes of appropriate utilization of care by controlling for variables associated with health literacy. A sample …

Cook Like A Boss Online: An Adapted Intervention During The Covid-19 Pandemic That Effectively Improved Children’S Perceived Cooking Competence, Movement Competence And Wellbeing, Lynsey Hollywood, Johann Issartel, David Gaul, Amanda Mccloat, Elaine Mooney, Clare Elizabeth Collins, Fiona Lavelle

Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated physical inactivity, poor dietary intake and reduced mental wellbeing, contributing factors to non-communicable diseases in children. Cooking interventions are proposed as having a positive influence on children’s diet quality. Motor skills have been highlighted as essential for performance of cooking skills, and this movement may contribute to wellbeing. Additionally, perceived competence is a motivator for behaviour performance and thus important for understanding intervention effectiveness. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the effectiveness of an adapted virtual theory-based cooking intervention on perceived cooking competence, perceived movement competence and wellbeing.

Comparison Of Schedules, Stress, Sleep Problems, Fatigue, Mental Health And Well-Being Of Low Cost And Network Carrier Pilots, Marion Venus

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Objective

This research investigates and compares working-conditions, duty rosters, stress, sleep problems, fatigue levels, mental health, and well-being of pilots working for network (NWCs), and low-cost carriers (LCCs). This study extends previous research by investigating working conditions, pilots’ actual rosters, fatigue and mental health of two groups of pilots flying for LCC or NWC.

Method

A comprehensive cross-sectional online survey was completed by N=338 pilots (185 NWC, 153 LCC pilots). All pilots reported their roster data of the last 2 months during peak flight season, psychosocial and work-related stress (e.g., high job insecurity, less total flight-experience, lower income, more time …

“Someone You Love” Documentary: Using Narratives In Entertainment Media To Increase Hpv Vaccination In Georgia, Gabrielle C. Darville- Sanders, Jann Macinnes, Kelsey Schwarz

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Although HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, vaccination rates are still lagging among adolescents and young adults. Entertainment-education is a popular strategy for incorporating educational messages into entertainment media. With popular shows on television now integrating health messages into their narrative, there are more opportunities to influence knowledge, attitude and health behaviors. Objective: To (a) determine the effectiveness of the HPV narrative included in the “Someone You love” documentary on HPV risk perception, vaccine self-efficacy and behavioral intention for HPV vaccine uptake on college students and (b) assess the immediate impact of the …

Addressing Maternal Mental Health Among Black Perinatal Women In Atlanta, Georgia: A Cbpr Approach, Natalie Hernandez, Sherilyn Francis, Brielle Evans, Andrea G. Parker, Jemea Dorsey, Danette Mclaurin Glass, Mica Whitfield, Elise Blasingame, Pamela Braxton, Rasheeta Chandler

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting up to 1 in 5 childbearing women, with higher rates among low-income minority women. One in seven women suffer from perinatal depression. This study aimed to (1) assess the mental and emotional health challenges of underserved Black perinatal women in Atlanta, Georgia (GA) and (2) examine local priorities and sources of care for mental health among underserved women in Atlanta, GA.

Methods: A community-based participatory research partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW)’s Atlanta Healthy Start Community …

Knowledge, Experiences And Perceptions Of Abagusii Community Of Kisii County, Kenya On The Health Consequences Of Female Genital Mutilation (Fgm), Roselyter Riang’A, Moses Mutiso

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Health education is among the prominent forms of interventions that are used to advocate for eradication of the practice of FGM. However, little is known on affected communities’ actual experiences, knowledge and perceptions on these health education messages hence need for this study.

Objective: To understand Abagusii people’s knowledge, experiences and perceptions on the health consequences of FGM.

Methods: Data was collected from Abagusii community of Kisii County in Kenya using interview schedules, focus group discussions, key informants and document analysis. The collected data were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed using SPSS and MAXQDA programs

Results: …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour Among Children And Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities During The Covid-19 Lockdown In China, Y. Q. Yuan, J. N. Ding, N. Bi, M. J. Wang, S. C. Zhou, X. L. Wang, S. H. Zhang, Y. Liu, G. Roswal

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Background: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, preliminary research has reported a significant decline in physical activity (PA) and an increase in sedentary behaviour (SB) among typically developed children and adolescents. Limited research has looked at the current situation of PA and SB during this pandemic among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study investigated the situations about PA and SB among school-aged children and adolescents with ID on China’s mainland during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: In total, 837 parents of children and adolescents (ages 6–18 years) with ID from 15 special education schools of Shandong Province …

Color-Blind Racial Attitudes In Practicing Dental Hygienists, Emily A. Ludwig, Susan L. Tolle, Jessica R. Suedbeck

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Individuals who subscribe to a color-blind racial ideology may not be aware of differences or differential treatment based on race which may be related to racial inequality in the delivery of oral health care. The purpose of this study was to determine color-blind racial attitudes in a convenience sample of clinical dental hygienists.

Methods: A convenience sample of practicing dental hygienists recruited through social media via snowball sampling was invited to participate in this cross-sectional survey study. The Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), a valid and reliable measuring instrument, was used to determine unawareness of racial attitudes and stereotyping. …

Exercise-Induced Myokines Downregulates The Ace2 Level In Bronchial Epithelial Cells: Implications For Sars-Cov-2 Prevention, Vaishali Bhardwaj, Mart Dela Cruz, Deepika Subramanyam, Rohit Kumar, Sandeep Markan, Beth Parker, Hemant K Roy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as the leading public health challenge of our time (20th century). While vaccinations have finally blunted the death rate, concern has remained about more virulent forms highlighting the need for alternative approaches. Epidemiological studies indicate that physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of infection of some respiratory viruses. Part of the salutary effects of exercise is believed to be through the elaboration of cytokines by contracting skeletal muscles (termed myokines). The objective of this study was to investigate whether exercise-induced myokines would mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity of the bronchial epithelium through …