Public Health Commons^™

Comparison Of Midwifery And Obstetric Care Among American Indian And Alaska Native Birthing People, Trista Barnhart

All Master's Theses

Despite making up only 3% of the U.S. population, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals have the second highest maternal mortality rate in the United States, and the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity among AI/AN is postpartum hemorrhage. Many interventions used during childbirth have been identified as common causes of hemorrhage, such as lacerations of the vagina and cervix, operative vaginal deliveries, & augmentation of labor. Research has found that individuals who had midwives as their care providers have been found to be less likely to experience instrumental deliveries, epidural analgesia, labor augmentation, episiotomy or perineal lacerations, cesarean sections, …

Impact Of The Washington State Covid-19 Lockdown On 5-10-Year-Ol School-Aged Children Residing In Kitties County, Peyton Rondeau

All Master's Theses

Background: The Washington State COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent school closures brought increased dependency on parents to provide nutritious meals and opportunities for physical activity for their children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the impacts of the Washington State COVID-19 lockdown on the dietary, physical activity, and screen time habits of children ages 5-10-years-old residing in Kittitas County.

Methods: A researcher-developed Qualtrics survey was created and validated via the Index of Item Objective Congruence. The survey was administered to parents via Facebook, using local Kittitas County Facebook groups.

Results: Most parents identified that the Washington lockdown negatively …

The Impact Of Universal Free Meals During Covid-19 On Family Life And Perspective Of School Meals In Central Washington State, Charlotte Green

All Master's Theses

This study explored the impact of the USDA COVID-19 Universal Free Meal (UFM) waivers on family life, school meal participation, and child eating habits from parents with children in Central Washington state (WA) schools. n = 119 parents/caregivers with students who were in K-12^th grade in Central WA from August 2019-February 2023 completed a 10 question electronic, and descriptive survey. The survey measured changes in participation in school lunch/breakfast pre to post COVID-19 waiver, which provided free meals for all children, and whether UFM were beneficial to families, impacted perception of school food, child’s sense of community at school …

The Expected Risks And Exacerbations Of Poverty, Mental Health Disorders, And Maternal Mortality From Abortion Bans: A Comparative Literature Analysis, Daniel J. Francisco

All Master's Theses

Background. Early termination of a pregnancy (hereinafter referred to as an “abortion”) has been debated in the United States (U.S.) for decades, without much regard to the negative outcomes that forced pregnancies have for those assigned female at birth regarding poverty, mental health and maternal mortality. In 1973, access to safe abortions was protected so long that the procedure was done within the legal gestational period and/or was necessary for the health and safety of the patient (Blackmun, 1972). Unfortunately, in 2022, the Supreme Court took that protection away and made it legal for states to determine the reproductive rights …

Choose Well: Summary Of Mid-Point Evaluation Findings, Center For Applied Reasearch And Evaluation In Women's Health, East Tennessee State University

Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) in Women's Health Reports

This report summarizes key findings related to the evaluation of the Choose Well Initiative at the mid-point. Results are not complete but provide a brief summary of key findings and evidence to date.

Inequitable By Design: The Patent Culture, Law, And Politics Behind Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access, Ximena Benavides

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

COVID-19 vaccine access has been highly inequitable worldwide, with coverage depending largely on a country’s wealth. By the end of 2021, 64.1% of people living in high-income countries had received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to only 5.4% of those in low-income countries. Similarly, only high- and upper-middle-income countries had received the most effective vaccines.

The uneven distribution of these lifesaving vaccines is made complex due to the convergence of several factors, but it suggests that the extraordinary expanding and ossifying market and political power of a few vaccine manufacturers founded on intellectual property and complementary policies …

Policies For Expanding Hepatitis C Testing And Treatment In United States Prisons And Jails, Tessa Bialek, Dr. Matthew J. Akiyama M.D.

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent in United States prisons and jails. In prisons and jails, rates of infection are ten to twenty times greater than national levels. And, more than thirty percent of all people living with HCV in the United States will spend time in prisons and jails in any given year. Rates are especially high among people who inject drugs (PWID), a population whose members are also likely to move between carceral settings and the community. Thus, addressing HCV among incarcerated populations would have a significant effect on the virus’s transmission both in and out of …

Associations Of Stress, Health Behaviors, And Obesity Among African American Immigrants, Wole David Akinsola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity has been identified as a predisposing factor that poses a serious threat for the development of chronic diseases and contributes to health disparities affecting both minority and vulnerable populations. Though previous studies reported the association of stress with health status and behavior, there is little or no research on the heterogeneity of obesity predictors in specific minority populations in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of obesity among adult African American immigrant populations in the United States. Studying obesity in this population may help policymakers tailor interventions that could reduce obesity prevalence. …

Abortion Decisions As Humanizing Acts: The Application Of Ambivalent Sexism And Objectification To Women-Centered Anti-Abortion Rhetoric, Rachel L. Dyer, Olivia R. Checkalski, Sarah Gervais

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Women-centered anti-abortion rhetoric, grounded in ostensibly positive beliefs that pregnant people are precious objects who must be protected from having abortions, has proliferated anti-abortion activism and legislation. However, abortion stigma, marked by negative perceptions of people who terminate pregnancies, is the most widely used theoretical tool for understanding the social and psychological implications of abortion. In this article, we first integrate these two seemingly contradictory perspectives on abortion through the lens of ambivalent sexism theory. We then argue that ambivalent sexism paves the way for objectifying perceptions and treatment of pregnant people; specifically, our typology of reproductive objectification provides a …

Associations Between Socioecological Factors And Breastfeeding Duration Among Obese Mothers In Mississippi, Maria Mercedes Miranda Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing obesity pandemic in the United States. Low breastfeeding duration rates and socioecological factors lead to obesity in the most southern states. Overweight and obese breastfeeding mothers have not been primarily studied. There is mixed information regarding duration of breastfeeding, BMI, and heart health, as well as a lack of quantitative analyses involving reducing obesity rates in mother-child dyads. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate whether there were any associations between breastfeeding duration and BMI, heart health problems, breastfeeding support, and eating and exercise among Mississippi overweight and obese postpartum women based on …

A National Assessment Of Household, Community, And Environmental Situations On Breastfeeding Decisions, Marnita Siglar Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exclusively breastfeeding has been proven to be an effective preventive measure for childhood obesity; however, breastfeeding practices decline after 6 months. Secondary data from the 2018-2019 combined National Survey of Children's Health were used for this study to determine the household, community, and physical environment relationship between individuals' decisions to breastfeed and sustainment in the United States (N=16,750). Grounded by the theoretical framework of the socio-ecological model, the results suggested that household, community, and physical environments predict individuals' decisions to initiate breastfeeding and sustainment nationally (p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression, controlling for maternal age, indicated a statistical significance between breastfeeding initiation and income (p = 0.043, p = 0.041), family structure (p = 0.003, p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001), neighborhood support (p < 0.001), and neighborhood amenities (p = 0.039, p <0.001, p < 0.001). A statistical significance between breastfeeding duration and family structure (p = 0.061), education (p < 0.001, p < 0.001), maternal overall health (p <0.001), neighborhood support (p = 0.008), neighborhood safety (p = 0.006), and neighborhood amenities (p = 0.019) was found when controlling for maternal age. Implications for positive social change include providing health professionals with knowledge on breastfeeding decision making to encourage new recommendations and implement new practices and policies to promote breastfeeding and ultimately reduce the incidence of overweight and obesity in children nationwide.

Consensus On Potential Changes In Public Health Leadership Competencies As A Result Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Washington State Local Health Jurisdictions, Haley M. Schimmel

All Master's Theses

Effective leadership practices among the public health field are critical in the process of influencing positive health outcomes across populations. While many competencies or skill sets that are needed of leaders to promote ideal public health functions have been identified and discussed in previous literature, there has become an arising need for evaluation of potential changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To do this, the Delphi research method was utilized through the implementation of a four-round questionnaire process to gain consensus among participating leaders in ten different Washington State Local Health Jurisdictions. The two main research questions of this study …

Conspiracy Theories Are Not Religions: Scrutinizing Religious Exemptions To The Covid-19 Vaccine, Shirley B. Luk

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

California Constitutional Law: The Emergency Police Power, Daniel H. Bromberg

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Pandemic Of Division: Finding Justice At Work In Challenging Times, Catherine L. Fisk

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

Factors Associated With Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Uptake Among Female Adults In Mudan District, Heze, Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Cong Liu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Introduction: Cervical cancer ranks second globally in cancer-related deaths among women. There is evidence linking the incidence and risk of cervical cancer to the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV vaccination has the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-attributable cancers. However, the HPV vaccination rate in China is still low. Therefore, factors associated with HPV vaccination are required among those who never received the vaccine. Objective: China has implemented programs to promote HPV vaccination; however, the HPV infection rate is still very high in Shandong Province, especially Heze City, and there is no study on the vaccination factors …

Effects Of Knowledge And Awareness Enhancement Program To Change The Consumption Behavior Of Cannabis-Containing In Food And Beverage Among Undergraduate Students In Pathum Thani Province Of Thailand: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Phannathat Tanthanapanyakorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Since 2021, the societal acceptance of cannabis in various nations across Thailand has significantly catalyzed the integration of cannabis in food and beverages. Thailand Government Gazette at the end of July 2021 permitted the use of cannabis for medical, cosmetic, and food and beverage purposes. It might allow people, especially adolescents, to easily access cannabis with a high prevalence (69%). This research was a quasi-experimental study to investigate the effects of knowledge and awareness enhancement program for changing the consumption behavior of cannabis-containing food and beverages among undergraduate students of Pathum Thani province in Thailand.Phase 1 aimed to assess the …

Factors Correlated With Mental Health Help Seeking Of Mother In Postpartum Period In Jakarta, Indonesia, Malika Adila Fitra

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The postpartum period is a critical time for mothers, marked by significant physical and mental changes. During this time, mothers are vulnerable to issues like postpartum blues and depression. Early professional help can reduce the burden of these mental health problems, but barriers such as social stigma, lack of support, and personal reluctance often prevent mothers from seeking help. This study aims to explore the factors correlated with mental health help-seeking among postpartum mothers in Jakarta, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and considering sociodemographic, social, and environmental factors. Despite the availability of mental healthcare facilities in Jakarta, help-seeking behavior …

Predictors Of Psychoactive Substance Abuse Among Eastern Nigeran Youth, Kingsley Chidiebere Izuka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPsychoactive substance (PAS) abuse is a major public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality. In Nigeria, the incidence rate of PAS abuse has remained high, particularly in the youth population. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social factors and school enrollment status on PAS abuse in youth in Southeast Nigeria. The social ecological model and the theory of reasoned action were the theoretical frameworks used for this study; they were selected due to their focus on multiple levels of factors that influence behavior. A quantitative cross-sectional study design approach was used to determine …

Risk Factors Of Human Papillomavirus Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer In Men, Kentress Davison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading domestic and global sexually transmitted disease. The purpose of this secondary quantitative, cross-sectional study is to investigate if there is an relationship between the rate of oral HPV-oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and race, exposure to smoking cigarettes (tobacco), risky sexual behavior, and participation in oral sex of male-to-male contact vs. male-to-female contact. The social cognitive theory grounded this study. The University of Alabama at Birmingham cancer database population supplied the study’s sample size of 337 males greater than 18 years of age with a diagnosis of OPSCC. I conducted descriptive analyses using …

Experiences With Access To Seeking And Maintaining Home Health Care Services In Low-Income Communities, Staci Yvette Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHome health care services (HHCS) are a cost-effective service option often underutilized by individuals living in low-income communities. For this population, barriers to care may result in higher health care costs and poor health outcomes. Gaps in literature indicated a need to explore experiences of accessing and maintaining home health care among individuals living in low-income communities. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gain insight into how individuals living in low-income communities perceive their access to HHCS. The conceptual framework used for this phenomenological study was Penchansky and Thomas’s model of access, which addresses access from seven …

A Midwestern United States Latino Study Of Sexual Behaviors Among Latino Adolescents, Astrid Alejandra Cartagena Cabrera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing rates of adolescent unwanted pregnancies can be detrimental to families and the health of the infant. Rates of teen pregnancy among Blacks, Whites, Asians, and other races has decreased; however, the Latino population has not seen similar declining numbers. The Hispanic population currently has the highest rate of teen pregnancy that continues to increase in comparison to any other racial–ethnic group. In this study involving data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, a sample of 17,303 was used. Chi-square analyses and descriptive frequencies were used to identify associations between teen pregnancy and sexual behaviors; and how existing programs …

Influences On Influenza Vaccine Uptake Among Older Lebanese Adults, Doha D'Agostini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Influenza is a viral infection that is globally transmitted and that increases the risk for infectious diseases, hospitalization, and morbidity and mortality, especially among the older adult population. Although influenza vaccines are recommended in several countries, influenza vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge. In Lebanon, there is minimal research related to older adults’ attitudes and perceptions associated with influenza vaccination. To explore older Lebanese adults’ vaccination experiences and perceptions of the factors that affect their influenza vaccine uptake, a qualitative investigation was conducted. The theory of planned behaviors served as the theoretical framework for the study. A thematic analysis was conducted …

Risk Factors Of Human Papillomavirus Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer In Men, Kentress Davison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading domestic and global sexually transmitted disease. The purpose of this secondary quantitative, cross-sectional study is to investigate if there is an relationship between the rate of oral HPV-oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and race, exposure to smoking cigarettes (tobacco), risky sexual behavior, and participation in oral sex of male-to-male contact vs. male-to-female contact. The social cognitive theory grounded this study. The University of Alabama at Birmingham cancer database population supplied the study’s sample size of 337 males greater than 18 years of age with a diagnosis of OPSCC. I conducted descriptive analyses using …

Impacts Of White Privilege And Implicit Bias On Treatment Implementation With Black Pediatric Patients, Tara Geer-Leiker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

White privilege and implicit bias are known contributing factors to the racial health inequities that exist in the treatment of Black children in U.S. hospitals. There is limited research, however, on the potential for White nurses to engage in self-examination related to either concept. The purpose of this basic qualitative inquiry was to understand how White privilege and/or implicit bias shapes the lived experiences of White nurses as they treat and interact with Black pediatric patients. The conceptual framework included a modified model comprised of Hobbs’s concept of White privilege and Blair et al.’s model of influences of implicit bias …

Predictors Of Psychoactive Substance Abuse Among Eastern Nigeran Youth, Kingsley Chidiebere Izuka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPsychoactive substance (PAS) abuse is a major public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality. In Nigeria, the incidence rate of PAS abuse has remained high, particularly in the youth population. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social factors and school enrollment status on PAS abuse in youth in Southeast Nigeria. The social ecological model and the theory of reasoned action were the theoretical frameworks used for this study; they were selected due to their focus on multiple levels of factors that influence behavior. A quantitative cross-sectional study design approach was used to determine …

The Association Between Working Habits And Hypertension Among First Generation African Immigrants, Olalekan Kilo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though hypertension affects people of all races, it is more prevalent among African Americans. However, recent research has revealed that the prevalence of hypertension is progressively increasing across Africa. African immigrants in the United States are the least-studied immigrant group prone to health inequalities when compared to their African American counterparts. To help bridge this gap, a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the association between working habits (hours worked, diet at work), length of stay in the United States, and hypertension rates for first-generation African immigrants residing in the United States. The study …

Language Barrier: An Unmet Challenge For Low Screening Of Colorectal Cancer Among Hispanic Americans In Texas, Moses Owusu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHispanic population represents the fastest growing minority group in the United States, and only California surpasses Texas with Hispanic residents in the United States. Overall, non-Hispanic Whites have higher rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence than Hispanics; however, Hispanic Americans have lower survival rates than non-Hispanic Whites. Using cross-sectional analysis, CRC screening modalities were examined to assess disparities among White only, non-Hispanic, Black only, non-Hispanic, and Hispanic populations in Texas to evaluate the impact of limited English proficiency (LEP) on CRC screening among Hispanic Americans residents. The age of study participants ranged from 50 to 79 (mean age = 65.8 …

Academic Performance And E-Cigarette Use Among Teenagers, Jeremy Tan Rondael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early e-cigarette use by youth has the capacity to create an early addiction to nicotine, increasing the risk of life-long dependency and the possible development of multiple cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Reinforced by the socioecological model, the purpose of this study was to determine if academic performance is associated with e-cigarette use among teenagers and young people and if the presence of adverse childhood events (e.g., cyberbullying in school and/or the presence of homelessness) mediated this association. This study included all respondents (N = 1,401) from the state of Nevada who answered the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Binary …

Nutrient Pollution And Chlorophyll-A As A Precursor To Harmful Algal Blooms And Cyanotoxins In Rehabilitated Machado Lake, California, Michael E. Shiang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Algal blooms result in the formation of cyanotoxic conditions in a freshwater lake causing severe detrimental impacts to community and public health. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and ammonia stimulate the growth of phytoplankton biomass and algae, as measured by chlorophyll. This retrospective quantitative research study, grounded in the socioecological model, examined the relationship between nutrient pollutants and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) that forecast harmful algal blooms, a precursor to cyanotoxins. A former impaired lake, Machado Lake in California, provided an ideal setting to assess relationships among nutrient indicators and Chl-a post-lake rehabilitation. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to determine if a relationship …