Public Health Commons^™

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Immigration- A Case Study Of Sweden, Sayantan Ghosal

International Journal on Responsibility

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought challenges to the trend of immigration, rules of immigration, and immigrants in the state. For those Swedish employers who employ non-EU citizens, the outbreak has created several business immigration-related issues. In addition to this, refugees are also a vulnerable group in society who face several challenges ranging from asylum to integration. Compromised living conditions and health facilities put them at greater health risks if infected with the virus. The long-term consequences of this pandemic in the case of refugees may also take the form of unemployment and social isolation. The paper focuses on labour immigrants …

An Audit Of Diabetes-Dependent Quality Of Life And Glycemic Control Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients In A Tertiary Hospital In Bangkok: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study, Nattaya Tungsirikoon, Nopporn Howteerakul, Nawarat Suwannapong, Petch Rawdaree

Journal of Health Research

Background: This hospital-based cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between diabetes-specific quality of life (QoL), diabetes-related clinical characteristics and glycemic control among type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients.

Methods: 335 T2DM patients receiving treatment at the diabetes clinic of a tertiary hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, were recruited into the study. The Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL19) was used to assess QoL. The ADDQoL scores were split into two groups using quartiles. The group in the lower quartile was considered as “having low QoL.” Hemoglobin A1c (A1C) was used as an index of glycemic control.

Results: 67.8% of participants …

The Physical Activity Of Spanish Speleologists: Accomplishment Of Recommendations And Differences By Sociodemographic Variables, Miquel Pans, Laura Antón-González, Maite Pellicer-Chenoll

International Journal of Speleology

Outdoor adventure activities are becoming more popular due to their potential health benefits, although there is little scientific information on speleology as a physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study is to expand the scientific evidence in this field in two ways: (a) describe the PA performed by speleologists, taking into account the variables of interest such as gender, age, education, speleological level, participation in ‘Alpine’ explorations and body mass index (BMI) and (b) identify how far the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PA recommendations were accomplished (i.e.,150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA or 75 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic). A …

Community Awareness Of Youth Sport Related Concussion: A Neuropsychological Perspective, Ryan D. Bennett, Claire Stafford, Shanna K. Williams, Vijay Bajnath, Chris Burley, Alison Datoc, Alexis Hartman

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

There continues to be growing public awareness regarding concussions and the detrimental effects sustaining such an injury can have on one’s life. Of increased importance is the understanding of how concussions impact children and adolescents, particularly as a result of sport engagements. Contact sports involving youth account for 41% of the concussions seen in emergency departments (Waltzman et al., 2020). Of note, hospital estimates tend to underrepresent the total number of sport-related concussions as they do not factor patients treated in a community setting (Bazarian et al., 2020). In consideration of this public health epidemic, there is a current projection …

Parental Characteristics And Experience Of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young Women In Ibadan, Nigeria, Omowumi O. Okedare, Mobolaji M. Salawu, Olufunmilayo I. Fawole

Journal of Health Research

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global public health problem. This study examined the influence of parental background on the experience of IPV by young women in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the five Local Government Areas of Ibadan metropolis. One thousand and fifty young women aged between 18 and 24 years were selected using a multistage sampling method to participate in the study. Data was collected using a 28-item semi-structured questionnaire. The independent variables were the parents’ education, marital status, occupation, and mother’s experience of victimization. The dependent variable was previous experience of physical, …

Factors Associated With Food Choice Motivations Among Urban High School Students In Indonesia, Syarifah Aqilah, Anuchit Phanumartwiwath, Nutta Taneepanichskul

Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to examine what reasons motivated urban high school students to choose certain foods, and to identify factors associated with food choice motivations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 in Depok, Indonesia. A total of 433 high school students in grades 10–12 were recruited. Food choice motivations were identified using a questionnaire, and defined using exploratory factor analysis. Possible factors associated with motivations were evaluated using multiple linear regression.

Results: Five food choice motivations were identified and classed as: F1, health and religion; F2, price and convenience; F3, comfort; F4, weight control; …

Community Recommendations For Enhanced Regional Survivorship Outcomes: A Case For Social And Structural Determinants Of Health From A U.S. National Cancer Institute (Nci) Designated Cancer Center, Marcie S. Wright, Alisa E. Brewer, Matthew Wells, Michael A. Preston, Maria D. Thomson, Vanessa B. Sheppard

Journal of Health Research

Background: The number of cancer survivors has increased drastically as a result of advances in early detection and treatment strategies. Nevertheless, many survivors in the cancer survivorship population face unique problems, risks, and needs. The study for this short report obtained qualitative data to assess barriers and facilitators to cancer care survivorship in urban and rural communities from a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Center Catchment Area in the southeastern United States.

Methods: Thirty (n=30) community stakeholders participated in in-depth interviews. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded by independent raters. Inter-rater reliabilities indicated adequate agreement [inter-rater reliability (r)= …

Chronic Diseases And Inpatient Care Among The Middle-Aged And Elderly People In Indonesia, Ema Madyaningrum

Journal of Health Research

Background: The prevalence of chronic diseases contributes to an increase in healthcare utilization that results in increased vulnerability in middle and old age. This study aims to determine the factors that influence in-patient care among the middle-aged and elderly.

Methods: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study using the Indonesia Family Life Survey 4 (IFLS 4) in 2007 (10,754 participants) and IFLS 5 in 2014 (12,058 participants). Chronic diseases include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, asthma, coronary heart diseases, liver diseases, cancer, arthritis, gout, high cholesterol, prostate illness, kidney diseases, and digestive diseases. We used the frequency distribution, and logistic regression to …

A Nurse-Led Telehealth Program For Diabetes Foot Care: Feasibility And Usability Study, Hsiao-Hui Ju, Rashmi Momin, Stanley Cron, Jed Jularbal, Jeffery Alford, Constance Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus can lead to severe and debilitating foot complications, such as infections, ulcerations, and amputations. Despite substantial progress in diabetes care, foot disease remains a major challenge in managing this chronic condition that causes serious health complications worldwide.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and usability of a telehealth program focused on preventive diabetes foot care. A secondary aim was to descriptively measure self-reported changes in diabetes knowledge, self-care, and foot care behaviors before and after participating in the program.

METHODS: The study used a single-arm, pre-post design in 2 large family …

Inequalities In Wellbeing In Lebanese Children And Different Refugee Subpopulations: A Multidimensional Child Deprivation Analysis, Zeina Jamaluddine, Gloria Safadi, Alexandra Irani, Nisreen Salti, Jad Chaaban, Sawsan Abdulrahim, Alban Thomas, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives:

This study constitutes the first attempt to describe the overlapping deprivations faced by Lebanese children (Lebanese) and that of the three sub-populations of refugees living in Lebanon: Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria and Syrian refugees.

Methods:

Using data from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Household Survey 2016 (n = 10,555 Lebanese; 7,106 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon; 2,768 Palestinian refugees from Syria and 5,891 Syrian refugee children aged 2 to 17 years old), we report on single and overlapping deprivations (at least two concurrent deprivations) using indicators related to survival …

Humanity In Trauma, Alyssa K. Thompson

University Honors Theses

The main objective of the literature review is to use the trauma-informed care paradigm to argue that the current implementation of trauma-informed care reinforces hierarchies of harm, leading to feelings of moral obligation and moral injury while perpetuating othering. This literature review criticizes trauma-informed care, emphasizing lived experiences against the characteristics trauma-informed care aspires to reflect. The review centers on the broad themes of understanding, universality, and acceptance of the present trauma-informed care paradigm. The critique comes from the silently excluded group of healthcare workers, with a personal perspective from a professional who worked in an urban hospital emergency department …

The Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium: Co-Memory And Intangible Cultural Heritage, Anita Ellyn Reddig

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium opened in 1910 in rural Logan County, Arkansas in response to the devastating effects of tuberculosis. Designed exclusively for white Arkansans, the small group of wooden frame buildings grew into the largest tuberculosis sanatorium in our nation by the 1940s. The success of anti-tuberculosis medications and community outpatient treatment led to its closure in 1973. The Tangible Cultural Heritage (TCH) of the institution is evident in the remaining structures on the site of the former sanatorium. The Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of the facility, however, is more difficult to commemorate because it is diverse and ubiquitous. …

Physical And Stressful Psychological Impacts Of Prolonged Personal Protective Equipment Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study, Giuseppe Candido, Costanza Tortù, Chiara Seghieri, Riccardo Tartaglia, Chiara Baglioni, Paolo Citti, Ida Marina Raciti, Micaela La Regina, Silvia Simonini, Moira Urbani, Chiara Parretti, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 infected patients are exposed to stressful and traumatic events with potential for severe and sustained adverse mental and physical health consequences. Our aim was to assess the magnitude of physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) treating COVID-19 patients.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed the symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological resilience using the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE) scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Resilience Scale (RS), respectively, in Italy between 1st February and 31st March 2022. The physical …

Studying Changes In Covid-19 Vaccination Attitudes By Race Across Major Socio-Political Events, May Oo Khine

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

This thesis explores the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes on Twitter across three specific events, focusing on changes observed within different racial groups. Understanding the shifts in public sentiment regarding COVID-19 vaccination is crucial for developing targeted interventions to improve vaccine uptake and decision-making among individuals from diverse racial backgrounds. To conduct this study, I first collected tweets from one month before and after each selected event. I built two machine learning classifiers to perform sentiment and emotion analysis on these collected tweets. Additionally, an AI facial recognition model was utilized to categorize Twitter users by race. This enabled the …

The Health Impacts Of The Trump Administration Among California Immigrants, Claudia M. Calhoon

Dissertations and Theses

Immigration policy was a marquee issue in the US presidential administration of Donald Trump. Trump’s administration employed both policy and rhetoric related to immigrants to mobilize voters, alter immigration policies and practices, and sustain a narrative of a nation under attack by immigrants. Administration officials were able to undertake these approaches because of existing immigration law, but they did so in more explicitly punitive ways than in recent administrations. The goal of this dissertation is to explore the health impacts of the administration’s practices and their effects. Paper 1 analyzes the immigration rhetoric and policies of US president Donald Trump …

Improving Microbiome Research Through Enhanced Reporting And Modeling The Effects Of Antibiotic Usage, Chloe A. Mirzayi

Dissertations and Theses

I consider two key areas in the growing field of human microbiome research: improving the quality of study reporting and the impact of antibiotics on participants in human gut microbiome research studies. In the first chapter, a team of evaluators used the Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies (STORMS) checklist to assess recently published microbiome literature. I found moderate agreement and reliability between evaluators, identified several items in STORMS that could be improved, and confirmed that the STORMS checklist can serve as a tool for assessing the reporting quality of published microbiome study. The next chapter considers pre-exposure …

Digital Health Technologies For Peripartum Depression Management Among Low-Socioeconomic Populations: Perspectives From Patients, Providers, And Social Media Channels, Alexandra Zingg, Tavleen Singh, Amy Franklin, Angela Ross, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Jerrie Refuerzo, Sahiti Myneni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Peripartum Depression (PPD) affects approximately 10-15% of perinatal women in the U.S., with those of low socioeconomic status (low-SES) more likely to develop symptoms. Multilevel treatment barriers including social stigma and not having appropriate access to mental health resources have played a major role in PPD-related disparities. Emerging advances in digital technologies and analytics provide opportunities to identify and address access barriers, knowledge gaps, and engagement issues. However, most market solutions for PPD prevention and management are produced generically without considering the specialized needs of low-SES populations. In this study, we examine and portray the information and technology needs …

Enhancing Wellbeing In Public Landscape Through Light, Ruiqing Miao

Masters Theses

Close to half of Americans living in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest say they do not get enough sunshine throughout the year. That’s compared to less than a third of those living in the South or the West.

During the winter months, the days are shorter, with the sun rising later and setting earlier than during the summer months. This means there is less daylight for people to enjoy, and the reduced exposure to natural light can have a negative impact on mood and energy levels.

Public Health’s research demonstrates that constant stimuli of body senses plays an important role …

Sex Differences In The Clinical Presentation Of Early Psychosis In A Primary Care Setting, Brooke Carter, Rebecca Rodrigues, Jennifer Reid, Suzanne Archie, Amanda L Terry, Lena Palaniyappan, Arlene G Macdougall, Aristotle Voineskos, Saadia Hameed Jan, Liisa Jaakkimainen, Branson Chen, Neo Sawh, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Primary care is an important part of the help-seeking pathway for young people experiencing early psychosis, but sex differences in clinical presentation in these settings are unexplored. We aimed to identify sex differences in clinical presentation to primary care services in the 1-year period prior to a first diagnosis of psychotic disorder. We identified first-onset cases of non-affective psychotic disorder over a 10-year period (2005-2015) using health administrative data linked with electronic medical records (EMRs) from primary care (n = 465). Detailed information on encounters in the year prior to first diagnosis was abstracted, including psychiatric symptoms, other relevant behaviours, …

Evaluating The Use Of Blood Pressure Polygenic Risk Scores Across Race/Ethnic Background Groups, Nuzulul Kurniansyah, Matthew O Goodman, Alyna T Khan, Jiongming Wang, Elena Feofanova, Joshua C Bis, Kerri L Wiggins, Jennifer E Huffman, Tanika Kelly, Tali Elfassy, Xiuqing Guo, Walter Palmas, Henry J Lin, Shih-Jen Hwang, Yan Gao, Kendra Young, Gregory L Kinney, Jennifer A Smith, Bing Yu, Simin Liu, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Joann E Manson, Xiaofeng Zhu, Yii-Der Ida Chen, I-Te Lee, C Charles Gu, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, Sebastian Zöllner, Myriam Fornage, Charles Kooperberg, Adolfo Correa, Bruce M Psaty, Donna K Arnett, Carmen R Isasi, Stephen S Rich, Robert C Kaplan, Susan Redline, Braxton D Mitchell, Nora Franceschini, Daniel Levy, Jerome I Rotter, Alanna C Morrison, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We assess performance and limitations of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for multiple blood pressure (BP) phenotypes in diverse population groups. We compare "clumping-and-thresholding" (PRSice2) and LD-based (LDPred2) methods to construct PRSs from each of multiple GWAS, as well as multi-PRS approaches that sum PRSs with and without weights, including PRS-CSx. We use datasets from the MGB Biobank, TOPMed study, UK biobank, and from All of Us to train, assess, and validate PRSs in groups defined by self-reported race/ethnic background (Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White). For both SBP and DBP, the PRS-CSx based PRS, constructed as a weighted sum of PRSs …

Curated And Harmonized Gut Microbiome 16s Rrna Amplicon Data From Dietary Fiber Intervention Studies In Humans, Cynthia I Rodriguez, Ali Keshavarzian, Bruce R Hamaker, Feitong Liu, Genelle R Lunken, Heather Rasmussen, Hongwei Zhou, Julien Tap, Kelly S Swanson, Maria Ukhanova, Marion Leclerc, Martin Gotteland, Paola Navarrete, Petia Kovatcheva-Datchary, Wendy J Dahl, Jennifer B H Martiny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Next generation amplicon sequencing has created a plethora of data from human microbiomes. The accessibility to this scientific data and its corresponding metadata is important for its reuse, to allow for new discoveries, verification of published results, and serving as path for reproducibility. Dietary fiber consumption has been associated with a variety of health benefits that are thought to be mediated by gut microbiota. To enable direct comparisons of the response of the gut microbiome to fiber, we obtained 16S rRNA sequencing data and its corresponding metadata from 11 fiber intervention studies for a total of 2,368 samples. We provide …

An Epidemic Model With Time Delays Determined By The Infectivity And Disease Durations, Masoud Saade, Samiran Ghosh, Malay Banerjee, Vitaly Volpert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We propose an epidemiological model with distributed recovery and death rates. It represents an integrodifferential system of equations for susceptible, exposed, infectious, recovered and dead compartments. This model can be reduced to the conventional ODE model under the assumption that recovery and death rates are uniformly distributed in time during disease duration. Another limiting case, where recovery and death rates are given by the delta-function, leads to a new point-wise delay model with two time delays corresponding to the infectivity period and disease duration. Existence and positiveness of solutions for the distributed delay model and point-wise delay model are proved. …

Evaluation Of Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Web-Based Diabetes Prevention Program (Dpp) For Diabetes Risk Reduction In Chinese Americans In New York City, Ming-Chin Yeh, Wincy Lau, Claire Anselmo Keady, Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky, Ho-Jui Tung, Lu Hu, Grace X. Ma, Judith Wylie-Rosett

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Intensive lifestyle intervention remains an effective modality to reduce diabetes incidence and delay the progression to type 2 diabetes. The primary aim of this study was to pilot-test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally and linguistically tailored web-based DPP intervention among Chinese Americans with prediabetes living in New York City.

Methods: Thirteen Chinese American participants with prediabetes were recruited to complete a 1-year web-based Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle intervention. Quantitative and qualitative measures such as retention rate and data collected from web-based questionnaires and focus groups were collected and analyzed to assess study feasibility and …

Paperwork, Paradox, And Prn: Psychotropic Medication Deficiencies In Assisted Living, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder

Institute on Aging Publications

Individual state approaches to assisted living/residential care (AL/RC) licensing and oversight in the United States result in different practice standards and requirements, including psychotropic medication use. We examined 170 psychotropic medication deficiency citations issued to 152 Oregon AL/RC settings from 2015 to 2019. Applied thematic analysis resulted in the following themes: (1) documentation issues are primarily responsible for noncompliance, (2) unclear parameters place direct care workers in a role paradox, and (3) there is a persistent disconnect about when to seek qualified expertise before requesting psychotropic medications. AL/RC-specific mechanisms for medication prescription and administration are necessary to improve the structure …

Covid-19 Vaccination Hesitancy In Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study Of Patients’ Perceptions, Molly Schassberger, Charlotte Kirk, Samantha Fields, Carol Brenner, Andrea M. Bodine Md

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Patients’ Perceptions

Schassberger¹, M, MS III, Kirk¹, C, MS III, Fields¹, S, MS III, Brenner¹, C, Ph.D., Bodine², A, M.D.

¹University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford, Maine

²Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Introduction: The COVID-19 vaccination rate of US pregnant individuals of childbearing age was 42.3%, compared to 63.7% of the total population as of 1/15/2022 despite ACOG and CDC recommendations. Our objectives were to determine patients’ perceptions on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy …

Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis: A Systematic Review Of Hla-Dr In Pigeon Breeder’S Disease, Dylan Thibaut, Ryan A. Witcher, Anitha Kunnath, James Toldi

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Abstract

Introduction: Pigeon Breeder’s Pneumonitis (PBP) results due to a complex pathophysiology that includes exposure to avian antigens. Susceptibility has been linked to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II, though consensus has not been reached. The goal of this systematic review is to further elucidate the association between PBP and HLA-DR subtypes.

Methods: Databases utilized included PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion required a minimum of three studies in English presenting HLA-DR alleles of PBP and control subgroups. Exclusion was due to insufficient data or non-feasible control groups. Forest plots were created for HLA-DR subtypes’ association …

Building Up Cal Poly Global Brigades Student Group: Reflections On Designing And Implementing One Undergraduate-Led Community Info Session, Caroline Nicole Smith, Jafra D. Thomas

Kinesiology and Public Health

Intro: Global Brigades, an international non-profit organization, trains college students and other pre-professionals in community-based health promotion by mobilizing community service trips around the world, which are taught and led by local community groups. Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group was founded in 2018, and thus far, they have carried out three annual, medically-focused brigades to Honduras (two in-person, one virtual).

Purpose: The aim of this report is to present the findings of one experiential senior project to promote Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group^[1] (conducted January to March 2023).

Methods: The student designed material for …

Introduction, Lauri Deruiter-Willems, Nikki Hillier, Misty Rhoads, Amanda Harvey, Stacey Knight-Davis

Belonging, A photovoice project: Exhibit

Provides background to the Belonging project and an introduction to the social determinants of health.

Economic | Education, Lauri Deruiter-Willems, Misty Rhoads, Nikki Hillier, Amanda Harvey, Stacey Knight-Davis

Belonging, A photovoice project: Exhibit

Photos and short writings from Public Health & Nutrition undergraduate students describing the economic and education dimensions of the social determinants of health.

Refugee Women’S Receptiveness For Virtual Engagement On Reproductive Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Heike Thiel De Bocanegra, Zahra Goliaei, Nossin Khan, Sereen Banna, Rawnaq Behnam, Sheila K Mody

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC Public Health Program

BACKGROUND: Refugee women who leave their country due to persecution and violence have multiple barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The COVID-19 pandemic added an additional barrier to in-person reproductive health education, dialogue, and clinical care. This study aimed to assess the potential of using virtual group meetings as a forum for refugee women to learn about and discuss reproductive health concerns such as cervical cancer screening, family planning, childbirth, and postpartum care.

METHOD: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 refugee women and stakeholders to assess factors that impact refugee women's receptiveness for virtual platforms to obtain information …