Public Health Commons^™

Health Equity In Stroke Prophylaxis For New Atrial Fibrillation In The Emergency Department, Mariam Anwar

University Honors Theses

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and often, first diagnosed in the emergency department (ED). AF increases the risk of stroke, which can be decreased by 64% if the appropriate oral anticoagulation (OAC) is prescribed. However, many patients are not prescribed OAC for new AF. We investigate whether patient ethnicity, specifically Hispanic-Latino & Russian/Ukrainian, affects OAC prescription.

Method: This retrospective chart review study included patients at an academic tertiary care center and a community hospital >17 years old with a primary ED diagnosis of AF or paroxysmal AF from January 2020-2024. Patients with valvular heart disease …

Biofeedback Gaming For Substance Use Disorder, Rebecca L. Chevrel

University Honors Theses

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and stress are often predictive of one another, bidirectionally causal, and mutually intensifying. This thesis describes the bi-directional connection between physiological stress-modulating systems and Substance Use Disorder, and explores some emerging biofeedback stress-reduction gaming technology as a potential adjunct to recovery treatments. Improving autonomic balance, often described by Heart Rate Variability, has been shown to be beneficial for physical and psychological recovery, as well as improving self-control. For this reason, regular biofeedback for stress relief could be helpful in augmenting SUD treatment and preventing relapse. This exploration found that presenting it through a gaming lens may …

Cannabis Exposure During Pregnancy And Neural Mechanisms Of Parenting: Assessing Neural Responses To Infant Cues And Parenting Outcomes, Shannon Powers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As legalization of cannabis and cannabinoids spreads in the United States, access and use of cannabis during the prenatal period has increased. There is limited knowledge on the effects of prenatal cannabis use on the parental brain. One way to identify potential effects of cannabis on parenting is through studying parenting brain functions and behavior. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) has been shown to be associated with lower positive parenting and lower sensitivity to infants, but it is unclear by what mechanisms. The following two studies address this gap in knowledge by examining the association between cannabis use during the prenatal …

Exploring The Experiences Of Hiv Positive Pregnant Women On Prevention Of Vertical Transmission Of Hiv/Aids In Rural Malawi, Gertrude Finyiza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be the primary conduct that HIV is transmitted to children worldwide. The problem of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is having a great impact on the world's children. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Malawi continues to be a serious public health issue, especially for expectant mothers. The health outcomes of mothers and children remain significantly threatened by vertical HIV transmission, even with improvements in preventive and treatment efforts. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the experiences of HIV-positive pregnant women in Malawi. I conducted semi structured interviews with thirteen …

Anal Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Disagreement By Linear Array Compared To Spf10 Pcr-Deia-Lipa25 System In Young Sexual Minority Men, Trisha L Amboree, Jacky Kuo, Bradley A Sirak, John A Schneider, Alan G Nyitray, Lu-Yu Hwang, Elizabeth Y Chiao, Anna R Giuliano, Kayo Fujimoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Young sexual minority men (SMM) bear the greatest burden of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. We assessed anal HPV genotype discordance between the Linear Array (LA) and SPF10 PCR-DEIA-LiPA25 (LiPA25).

Methods: Discordance was assessed between LA and LiPA25 using self-collected anal swabs from 120 SMM aged 18-29 who were recruited in 2014-2016. Multiple-type infection was explored as a potential confounder of testing agreement, along with clinical and behavioral factors such as HIV status, syphilis status, incarceration history, health insurance coverage, having 3 or more sex partners in the past 6 months, and co-infection with HPV-16.

Results: Significant discordance was …

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Hpv Vaccination And Associated Neighborhood-Level Disparities In Texas-An Ecological Study, Ryan Ramphul, Abigail S Zamorano, Saswati Upadhyay, Manali Desai, Cici Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: HPV is responsible for most cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. The HPV vaccine has decreased cervical cancer incidence, but only 49% of Texas adolescents have initiated the vaccine. Texas shows great variation in HPV vaccination rates. We used geospatial analysis to identify areas with high and low vaccination rates and explored differences in neighborhood characteristics.

METHODS: Using Anselin's Local Moran's I statistic, we conducted an ecological analysis of hot and cold spots of adolescent HPV vaccination coverage in Texas from 2017 to 2021. Next, we utilized a Mann-Whitney U test to compare neighborhood characteristics of vaccination coverage …

Deciphering The Microbial Fingerprint Of Covid-19: A Multi-Layered Exploration Of The Oral And Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis, Iman Mostafa Sultan

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the human microbiome remains a dynamic and intricate puzzle. This study delves deeper into this mystery by revisiting the oral and gut microbial compositions of 53 COVID-19 patients before and after viral clearance, alongside comparisons to 76 healthy individuals. Through a comparative lens, we have emploed two distinct differential abundance methods – DeSeq2 and ANCOM – while drawing upon the thorough SILVA database encompassing the full-length 16S rRNA gene. The analysis underscores the crucial role of a diverse methodological choir in microbiome research. In certain instances, the congruence between DeSeq2 and ANCOM may exhibit …

Short- And Medium-Term Impacts Of Small-Scale Vegetable Support On Food Security: Evidence From Syria, Ghassan Baliki, Melodie Al Daccache, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Tilman Brück

Faculty Publications

Small-scale agricultural and horticultural interventions play a critical role in improving nutrition and food security of vulnerable households in peaceful settings. However, scant rigorous evidence exists on the impacts and sustainability of such interventions in conflict settings. In this paper, we address this knowledge gap by analyzing the short- and medium-term impacts of a small-scale vegetable input support program involving asset transfers on food security and diets in war-time Syria. We use longitudinal panel household survey data from a quasi-experimental study collected at three rounds: before, one year, and two years after the horticultural intervention ended. We use propensity score …

Persistent Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infection Increases The Risk Of Recurrent Bloodstream Infection With The Same Species, Paa Kwesi Ankrah, Andrew Bock, Felicia Ruffin, Blake M Hanson, Cesar A Arias, Stacey A Maskarinec, Joshua Parsons, Vance G Fowler, Joshua T Thaden

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The association between persistent gram-negative bloodstream infection (GN-BSI), or ongoing positive cultures, and recurrent GN-BSI has not been investigated. Among 992 adults, persistent GN-BSI was associated with increased recurrent GN-BSI with the same bacterial species and strain (6% vs 2%; P = .04). Persistent GN-BSI may be a marker of complicated infection.

Viral And Host Factors Are Associated With Mortality In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19, Neil R Aggarwal, Jacquie Nordwall, Dominique L Braun, Lucy Chung, Jordan Coslet, Tatyana Der, Nnakelu Eriobu, Adit A Ginde, Awori J Hayanga, Helene Highbarger, Mark Holodniy, Juan P Horcajada, Mamta K Jain, Kami Kim, Sylvain Laverdure, Jens Lundgren, Ven Natarajan, Hien H Nguyen, Sarah L Pett, Andrew Phillips, Garyphallia Poulakou, David A Price, Philip Robinson, Angela J Rogers, Uriel Sandkovsky, Katy Shaw-Saliba, Jeffrey M Sturek, Barbara W Trautner, Michael Waters, Cavan Reilly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Persistent mortality in adults hospitalized due to acute COVID-19 justifies pursuit of disease mechanisms and potential therapies. The aim was to evaluate which virus and host response factors were associated with mortality risk among participants in Therapeutics for Inpatients with COVID-19 (TICO/ACTIV-3) trials.

METHODS: A secondary analysis of 2625 adults hospitalized for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection randomized to 1 of 5 antiviral products or matched placebo in 114 centers on 4 continents. Uniform, site-level collection of participant baseline clinical variables was performed. Research laboratories assayed baseline upper respiratory swabs for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and plasma for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid …

Project Management Hurdles In Public Health Interventions In Developing Countries, Irene Ogbuefi

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Wealth disparity between developing countries and developing countries has created a gap yearning to be filled in certain sectors of the economy. The health sector in resource-poor settings struggle to provide human, capital and financial resources needed to combat some of the diseases plaguing them. To improve global healthcare goals, Development Assistance for Health (DAH) has been the saving grace. DAH provides technical and financial resources required to combat diseases like HIV/AIDs, Malaria and TB. However, the wind of change is blowing in the direction of in-country ownership for public health projects. DAH funding is dwindling but sustainability efforts from …

A Phase 2 Clinical Trial To Evaluate The Safety, Reactogenicity, And Immunogenicity Of Different Prime-Boost Vaccination Schedules Of 2013 And 2017 A(H7n9) Inactivated Influenza Virus Vaccines Administered With And Without As03 Adjuvant In Healthy Us Adults, Christina A Rostad, Robert L Atmar, Emmanuel B Walter, Sharon Frey, Jeffery L Meier, Amy C Sherman, Lilin Lai, Rachel Tsong, Carol M Kao, Vanessa Raabe, Hana M El Sahly, Wendy A Keitel, Jennifer A Whitaker, Michael J Smith, Kenneth E Schmader, Geeta K Swamy, Getahun Abate, Patricia Winokur, Wendy Buchanan, Kaitlyn Cross, Ashley Wegel, Yongxian Xu, Inci Yildirim, Satoshi Kamidani, Nadine Rouphael, Paul C Roberts, Mark J Mulligan, Evan J Anderson

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: A surge of human influenza A(H7N9) cases began in 2016 in China from an antigenically distinct lineage. Data are needed about the safety and immunogenicity of 2013 and 2017 A(H7N9) inactivated influenza vaccines (IIVs) and the effects of AS03 adjuvant, prime-boost interval, and priming effects of 2013 and 2017 A(H7N9) IIVs.

Methods: Healthy adults (n = 180), ages 19-50 years, were enrolled into this partially blinded, randomized, multicenter phase 2 clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 vaccination groups evaluating homologous versus heterologous prime-boost strategies with 2 different boost intervals (21 vs 120 days) and 2 …

Reimagining Health: Calling For Reform Of The Canadian Healthcare System Through Afrofuturism And Speculative Design, Diane Oyedeji Ms, Stephanie J. Kiggundu Ms

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This exploratory essay addresses the health inequalities currently affecting the African/Black diaspora in Canada and proposes a healthcare system reform to address the inequalities. Despite the Canadian healthcare system’s goals of being universal and accessible, there are disparities in African/Black patient representation. This essay proposes a healthcare system reform through incorporating African/Black patient input through the implementation of collaborative design through the lens of Afrofuturism and its values such as inclusivity and empowerment. The goal is to implement a Canadian healthcare system that is equitable, and patient-centered through emphasizing African/Black voices in technological design, clinical practices, and promoting a more …

Strategies To Recruit, Retain, And Disseminate Findings To Older Adults In Health Research: A Literature Review, Sydney Giancola, Russell Estreicher, Merna Mina

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper outlines various strategies to recruit, retain and disseminate information to older adults in health research. There is a limited scope on the best ways to engage with older adults, maintain their interest over time, and share their results post-data collection. This literature review aims to fill this gap and discuss various methods to increase the engagement of the older adult population in health research.

Prenatal Maternal Depression In Canada: Are Current Protocols Adequate?, Britney A. Glasgow-Osment, Farah Wahib, Madeleine Zanin, Shama Kassam

Master's in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Graduate Program

Throughout pregnancy, maternal and fetal health are influenced by a multitude of factors. Prenatal maternal depression is one such factor. It is well documented that prenatal maternal depression causes negative pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and baby, including irregular placental function, psychological distress, and pre-term birth, among others. In Ontario, the incidence of prenatal maternal depression is alarmingly high, at 10.3%.As such, the current tools for managing prenatal maternal depression must be effective, efficient, and comprehensive. We hypothesized that the current protocols for screening and treating prenatal maternal depression in Canada are inadequate. To investigate this, a literature review …

Supporting Ontario Public Health Units To Address Adverse Childhood Experiences In Pandemic Recovery Planning: A Priority-Setting Exercise, Kimberly B Harding, Erica Di Ruggiero, Erick Gonzalez, Amanda Hicks, Daniel W Harrington, Sarah Carsley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic exposures experienced during childhood, for example, neglect. There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related socioeconomic conditions contributed to an increased risk of ACEs. As public health programs/services are re-evaluated and restored following the state of emergency, it is important to plan using an ACEs-informed lens. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize initiatives or activities that Public Health Ontario (PHO) could undertake to support Ontario public health units' work towards ACEs-informed pandemic recovery plans.

METHODS: The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method …

Legacy Effects Of Historical Gold Mining On Floodplains Of An Australian River, Francesco Colombi, Aleicia Holland, Darren Baldwin, Susan Lawrence, Peter Davies, Ian Rutherfurd, James Grove, Jodi Turnbull, Mark Macklin, Greg Hil, Ewen Silvester

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gold rush at the end of the nineteenth century in south-eastern Australia resulted in the mobilization and re-deposition of vast quantities of tailings that modified the geomorphology of the associated river valleys. Previous studies of contamination risk in these systems have either been performed directly on mine wastes (e.g., battery sand) or at locations close to historical mine sites but have largely ignored the extensive area of riverine alluvial deposits extending downstream from gold mining locations. Here we studied the distribution of contaminant metal(loids) in the Loddon River catchment, one of the most intensively mined areas of the historical …

Chagas Disease In Immunocompromised Patients, Eva H Clark, Louisa A Messenger, Jeffrey D Whitman, Caryn Bern

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

As Chagas disease remains prevalent in the Americas, it is important that healthcare professionals and researchers are aware of the screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment recommendations for the populations of patients they care for and study. Management of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in immunocompromised hosts is challenging, particularly because, regardless of antitrypanosomal treatment status, immunocompromised patients with Chagas disease are at risk for T. cruzi reactivation, which can be lethal. Evidence-based practices to prevent and manage T. cruzi reactivation vary depending on the type of immunocompromise. Here, we review available data describing Chagas disease epidemiology, testing, and management practices for various …

Factors Associated With Digestive System Cancer Screening In Texas., Stella Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University College of Health Sciences and Public Policy This is to certify that the doctoral study by Stella Green has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Shanna Barnett, Committee Chairperson, Public Health Faculty Dr. Simone Salandy, Committee Member, Public Health Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2024 The specific research problem in this study was that despite the high prevalence of digestive system cancer, screening for digestive system cancer has not been optimized, …

Factors Associated With Digestive System Cancer Screening In Texas., Stella Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The specific research problem in this study was that despite the high prevalence of digestive system cancer, screening for digestive system cancer has not been optimized, thus compromising early diagnosis and treatment. Early detection and treatment of digestive system cancer can generate better patient outcomes and enhance quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study guided by the social ecological model was to examine whether demographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status), socioeconomic status (education level, employment status, income level), and health behaviors (physical activity, tobacco use, healthcare coverage) are associated with receiving digestive cancer screening in Texas. …

Associations Between Circadian Alignment And Cognitive Functioning In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Older Adults, Sophie Leahy, Qian Xiao, Chris Ho Ching Yeung, Mariana G Figueiro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Proper alignment of activity-rest and light-dark patterns allows for healthy bodily functions to occur at optimal times of the day. Disruptions to this alignment may cause poor sleep as well as physical, mental, and cognitive problems. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine if poorer circadian alignment was associated with decreased cognitive functioning among older (> 60 years) participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We utilized actigraphy-based rest-activity and dark-light measurements to calculate phasor magnitude (strength of circadian alignment coupling) and phasor angle (phase difference between activity-rest and light-dark cycles). Multiple linear regression models were …

The Inflammatory Exposome Of Major Depressive Disorder In An Egyptian Sample, Reem Deif

Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been recognized as a global public health concern affect-ing the lives of 264 million people with increasing prevalence worldwide. Inspired by the expo-somic research, this study aims to investigate the dynamic and complex interplay between dif-ferent demographic, lifestyle, environmental factors and bimolecular factors that are potentially involved in the pathology of MDD in a sample of Egyptian adults living in Cairo. This is in an attempt to acknowledge the biological underpinnings of MDD without underestimating the role of environmental influences. The context of Egypt provides richness to the current study given the national transition from …

Mainehealth Medical Group Report Inventory, Holly Ward, Robin Lozinski, Stephanie Lepine, Shawn Mcglaughlin White, Tracey Shaw, Sheila Adell

Operations Transformation

Variation of Epic Quality Reports being used across MHMG following the merge of Coastal, Mountain and Southern region quality departments resulting in inconsistent workflows and processes. This can lead to inconsistent care and outcomes of Quality Data we report.

Interviews In Global Catholic Studies: Francis Galasi, Mathew Schmalz, Francis Galasi

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Complementary Alternative Medicine Usage Among Diabetic Adults In The United States, Erlina Kearse-Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Available data for the last two decades have shown that the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing, with users including adult diabetics around the world. There is not a strong consensus concerning the influence of socioeconomic factors on the use of CAM by adult diabetics. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to examine the use of CAM among U.S. adults 21 years and older diagnosed with diabetes and whether income influences the use of CAM among adult diabetics after adjusting for age, gender, and location. Cross-sectional data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey represented …

Factors Affecting African Americans’ Participation In Alzheimer’S Disease Clinical Trials, Morounsayo Abimbola Awosika-Olumo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial minority U.S. populations are underrepresented in clinical trials. Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds join clinical trials is key to advancing health equity. Participants in clinical trials should represent the patients’ population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the association of individual-level factors (age, sex, marital status, family history of Alzheimer’s disease, living arrangement), health-related factors (smoking and alcohol), and socioeconomic status (years of education, employment status, health insurance status) and the interest in clinical trial participation among African Americans (AAs). The theoretical foundation that grounded this study was the health belief model. Secondary data from 214 …

The Joint Effects Of Sleep And Pain, And Moderations By Work Characteristics, Christina Xuong Mu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reactivity describes interindividual differences in the physiological or emotional responses following an antecedent stressor. For instance, higher stressor reactivity to shorter sleep (i.e., those who report greater stressor severity following shorter-than-usual sleep) and higher negative affective reactivity to stressors (i.e., those who report more negative affect following a stressful event) have worse mental and physical health. Pain reactivity to shorter sleep is a novel concept that describes differences in pain responses following a night of shorter-than-usual sleep. Higher pain reactivity to shorter sleep means that individuals report more pain locations or higher pain severity following shorter-than-usual sleep the previous night, …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Note that this version of the textbook has been superceded by the one updated in 2026, available at the UNL Pressbooks site.

The hard copy version that is for sale at lulu.com is the old version.

"This is a textbook covering concepts in animal parasitology. It is meant to be used by students, teachers, professors, researchers, and members of the public who are interested in learning about animal parasite biology, systematics, taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology. The primary intended audience is upper-level undergraduate or graduate university students who have knowledge of basic biology and, particularly, basic animal biology. (863 pages, …

Factors Affecting African Americans’ Participation In Alzheimer’S Disease Clinical Trials, Morounsayo Abimbola Awosika-Olumo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial minority U.S. populations are underrepresented in clinical trials. Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds join clinical trials is key to advancing health equity. Participants in clinical trials should represent the patients’ population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the association of individual-level factors (age, sex, marital status, family history of Alzheimer’s disease, living arrangement), health-related factors (smoking and alcohol), and socioeconomic status (years of education, employment status, health insurance status) and the interest in clinical trial participation among African Americans (AAs). The theoretical foundation that grounded this study was the health belief model. Secondary data from 214 …

Predictors Of Complementary Alternative Medicine Usage Among Diabetic Adults In The United States, Erlina Kearse-Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Available data for the last two decades have shown that the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing, with users including adult diabetics around the world. There is not a strong consensus concerning the influence of socioeconomic factors on the use of CAM by adult diabetics. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to examine the use of CAM among U.S. adults 21 years and older diagnosed with diabetes and whether income influences the use of CAM among adult diabetics after adjusting for age, gender, and location. Cross-sectional data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey represented …