Public Health Commons^™

Pubh 6533 - Epidemiology, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides an introduction to many important topics in epidemiology for public health practice, including but not limited to the evolution of the discipline, causal concepts in the natural history of disease, critical features of infectious and chronic diseases, elements of public health screening, basic measures used in epidemiology, design of epidemiologic investigations, consideration of random error and systematic bias, calculation and interpretation of confidence intervals and p values, discussion of confounding and interaction, criteria for evaluation of cause and effect relationships and the implications for ethical public health practice. Students are expected to gain a foundation in epidemiologic …

Pubh 6533 - Epidemiology, Claire Robb

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course provides an introduction to many important topics in epidemiology for public health practice, including but not limited to the evolution of the discipline, causal concepts in the natural history of disease, critical features of infectious and chronic diseases, elements of public health screening, basic measures used in epidemiology, design of epidemiologic investigations, consideration of random error and systematic bias, calculation and interpretation of confidence intervals and p values, discussion of confounding and interaction, criteria for evaluation of cause and effect relationships and the implications for ethical public health practice. Students are expected to gain a foundation in epidemiologic …

Epid 9231 - Epidemiology Of Chronic Disease, Jian Zhang

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to introduce the student to the ever-expanding area of chronic disease epidemiology. Students will be introduced to the current status of chronic disease and control programs, methods used in chronic disease surveillance, intervention methods, and modifiable risk factors. Some of the major chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes and arthritis will be discussed in detail. Pathophysiology and clinical features of common chronic conditions will also be presented.

Pubh 3231 - Epidemiology And Biostatistics, Helen W. Bland

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course introduces the student to the principles and practice of epidemiology and vital statistics. Students will be exposed to the historical development of epidemiology, concepts of causality, definitions of health and disease, and sources of community health data. Current principles and practices in the cause, prevention and control of diseases in various community settings will be emphasized. 3 credits (3-0-3).

Epid 7233 - Public Health Surveillance Methods, Jian Zhang

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course will provide students with a strong foundation in public health surveillance of both health conditions and risk factors. The course will teach the theory and practice of surveillance supported by many examples of surveillance systems from the developed and developing world. The class will build on and reinforce basic epidemiologic concepts. Students will be given the opportunity to design and evaluate a surveillance system.

Epidemiology Of Hpv Genotypes Among Hiv Positive Women In Kenya: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Sonia Menon, Aibibula Wusiman, Marie Claude Boily, Mbabazi Kariisa, Hillary Mabeya, Stanley Luchters, Frode Forland, Rodolfo Rossi, Steven Callens, Davy Vanden Broeck

Population Health, East Africa

Background: There is a scarcity of data on the distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in the HIV positive population and in invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in Kenya. This may be different from genotypes found in abnormal cytology. Yet, with the advent of preventive HPV vaccines that target HPV 16 and 18, and the nonavalent vaccine targeting 90% of all ICC cases, such HPV genotype distribution data are indispensable for predicting the impact of vaccination and HPV screening on prevention. Even with a successful vaccination program, vaccinated women will still require screening to detect those who will develop ICC from …

Changing Diagnostic Methods And Increased Detection Of Verotoxigenic Escherichia Coli, Ireland, Thomas Rice, Noreen Quinn, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The recent paradigm shift in infectious disease diagnosis from culture-based to molecular-based approaches is exemplified in the findings of a national study assessing the detection of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in Ireland. The methodologic changes have been accompanied by a dramatic increase in detections of non-O157 verotoxigenic E. coli serotypes.

A Century Of Trends In Adult Human Height, Con Burns, Tara Coppinger

Publications

Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3–19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people …

Surveillance, Epidemiology, And End Results (Seer) Data For Monitoring Cancer Trends, Wonsuk Yoo, Steven S. Coughlin

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Monitoring cancer trends allows evaluation of the effectiveness of cancer screening or detection methods and determination of priorities in cancer control programs. Government officials and policy makers also use information on cancer trends to allocate resources for cancer research and prevention. Although data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End results (SEER)-affiliated cancer registry are accessible to the public, there is a shortage of published research describing cancer incidence rates for White, Black, and other residents in Georgia. The objective of this research is to provide an overview of how to use SEER data through analysis of the incidence rate …

The Effects Of Personal And Family History Of Cancer On The Development Of Dementia In Japanese Americans: The Kame Project, Adam Lee Slotnick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of studies have shown an inverse association between a personal history of cancer (PHC) and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease (AD), both in those using dementia/AD as the outcome or cancer as the outcome. This is the first study to examine this potential association in Japanese Americans; and to examine family history of cancer and its association with incident dementia. Also, the association between these two diseases in the parents of participants were analyzed.

The Kame Project, conducted from 1992 through 2001 in King County, Washington was a population-based, prospective cohort study of older Japanese Americans. Conversion to incident dementia …

Monitoring Gambling Impacts In Massachusetts: Honing Strategies And Preventing Harm, Rachel A. Volberg, Amanda Houpt

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

In November 2011, an Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was signed into law (Chapter 194 of the Acts of 2011). This legislation permits casinos and slot parlors in Massachusetts under the regulatory auspices of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). Section 71 of the Expanded Gaming Act requires the MGC to establish an annual research agenda to assist in understanding the effects of casino gambling in Massachusetts and in minimizing the negative impacts. Research activities launched thus far include a comprehensive study of the social and economic impacts of casino gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA), a cohort study …

A Public Health-Based Approach To German Gaming Regulation, Knut Walter, Gerhard Buehringer

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The current situation of the German gambling market can be characterized by an unrelated framework of different legal systems, different regulatory authorities and different control principles, and has led to (1) an increasing number of court decisions and information requests by European Commission questioning parts of that regulatory system, (2) public tolerance of illicit gambling, and consequently (3) a lack of consumer protection.

Taking RENO Model 1.0 and 2.0 seriously, a new and comprehensive regulatory framework based on common consumer protection standards for all types of gambling – land-based and online, state-owned and private operated – has been developed and …

The Influence Of Temperature Variation On Dengue Fever: A Model-Based Investigation, Michael A. Robert, Paula D. Weber, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Christopher N. Mores, Helen J. Wearing

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Mathematical Model Of The Spread Of Dengue Fever Incorporating Mobility, Kelly A. Reagan

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

General Models For Ecological Drivers Of Poverty, Calistus Ngeh Ngonghala

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Yellow Fever Epidemic: A New Global Health Emergency?, Lawrence O. Gostin, Daniel Lucey

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The worst yellow fever epidemic in Angola since 1986 is rapidly spreading, including the capital, Luanda. In Angola, the epidemic began in December 2015 and the laboratory-confirmed outbreak was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 21, 2016. Angola has had 2023 suspected cases and 258 deaths as of April 26, 2016. China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya also have reported cases arising from infected travelers from Angola. Namibia and Zambia also share a long border with Angola, with considerable population movement between the countries. Similar to other recent epidemics, quick and effective action to stop …

Epidemiological Characteristics Of Clinically-Confirmed Cases Of Chikungunya In Teculutan, Guatemala, Annaly Aldana

Senior Honors Projects

As no vaccine currently exists for the Chikungunya virus (CHKV), mosquito control and efficient public health campaigns are crucial for the prevention of disease propagation. The purpose of this research project is to identify populations particularly at-risk for acquiring Chikungunya, and to explore the role that cultural attitudes may play in impacting mosquito-borne disease. Due to its geographical structure and climate, Guatemala is an ideal territory for the spread of emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne diseases. This project was developed by collaborating with the public governmental health clinic in the municipal town of Teculután, in the department of Zacapa in Guatemala. …

Epidemiology Crucial To Cracking Elizabethkingia Crisis, Angela Tonozzi

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author explains the epidemiological methods, tools and personnel required to pinpoint the source of Wisconsin’s 2016 outbreak of Elizabethkingia infections.

The Role Of Mathematical Modeling In Designing And Evaluating Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs, Lester Caudill, Joanna R. Wares

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial agent effectiveness continues to be threatened by the rise and spread of pathogen strains that exhibit drug resistance. This challenge is most acute in healthcare facilities where the well-established connection between resistance and sub-optimal antimicrobial use has prompted the creation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Mathematical models offer tremendous potential for serving as an alternative to controlled human experimentation for assessing the effectiveness of ASPs. Models can simulate controlled randomized experiments between groups of virtual patients, some treated with the ASP measure under investigation, and some without. By removing the limitations inherent in human experimentation, including health risks, study …

Alignment Of Epidemiology Practice And Academic Competencies Through Effective Collaboration, Kimberly R. Glenn, Paula R. Masters, Megan Quinn

ETSU Faculty Works

Background: Online learning has recently garnered increased attention as technology use in the classroom grows. However, most of the published approaches regarding this topic in postgraduate education centers on clinical environments. Models of partnerships between applied public health agencies and academic centers to produce mutually beneficial online learning opportunities for graduate-level public health courses have not been explored in the literature.

Methods: East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) partnered to build three online, asynchronous epidemiology modules for an interdisciplinary audience of graduate students. The goals of the modules were to (1) introduce students to …

High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension: An Update On Disease Pathogenesis And Management, Aibek E. Mirrakhimov, Kingman P. Strohl

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) affects individuals residing at altitudes of 2,500 meters and higher. Numerous pathogenic variables play a role in disease inception and progression and include low oxygen concentration in inspired air, vasculopathy, and metabolic abnormalities. Since HAPH affects only some people living at high altitude genetic factors play a significant role in its pathogenesis.

The clinical presentation of HAPH is nonspecific and includes fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive deficits, cough, and in advanced cases hepatosplenomegaly and overt right-sided heart failure. A thorough history is important and should include a search for additional risk factors for lung disease and …

Child Maltreatment, Problem Alcohol Use And Physical Revictimization: Examining Longitudinal Trajectories In A Nationally Representative Sample, Kathryn Mariah Zumberg Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

Past investigations examining the relationships between child maltreatment, alcohol use and physical revictimization have been limited by their use of cross-sectional designs and their focus on childhood sexual abuse and sexual revictimization. In addition, there is a paucity of epidemiological studies examining child maltreatment, alcohol use, and physical revictimization. The present study sought to address these limitations by examining relationships between child maltreatment, problem alcohol use, and physical revictimization in a nationally representative sample. Data were analyzed from the public-use data set of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add health; Harris & Udry, 2014), waves I-IV. …

Undiagnosed Hepatitis C Infection In An Urban Emergency Department, Naseem Ansari

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of previously undiagnosed hepatitis C virus and associated patient risk factors in an urban ED through a universal, integrated screening program, to contextualize results found in terms of gaps in existing HCV screening models and to inform future sustainable and effective screening models.

Methods: ED patients, ages 18-71, that were medically stable, hadn’t had a prior HCV test, and were having blood drawn as part of routine clinical care, were offered (n=2,726) an anti-HCV test, of whom 1,945 accepted. An assessment of correlates to anti-HCV positivity was completed using a binomial logistic regression …

Identification Of Leishmania Spp. And Trypanosoma Cruzi In Sylvatic Animals In El Paso County, Texas, Mariel Christina Matamoros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background Leishmaniasis and Chagas's Disease are two of the seventeen diseases considered as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTF) by the CDC. Ten million people worldwide are at risk of being infected by Leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease affects six million people in the world; however, these are mostly cases in Latin America. The vector for Chagas' disease, triatomine, has been identified near El Paso, Texas region to be positive for Trypanosoma cruzi. Recent studies have also shown positive results for Chagas' disease and Leishmaniasis in sylvatic animals in El Paso.

Objective To determine the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and/or Leishmania spp. infection …

Predictors Of Excessive Alcohol Consumption Among U.S. Business Travelers, Jennifer Clore Barrickman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Excessive alcohol consumption (EAC) is an important public health problem. Several researchers have examined work-related influences on EAC, but few have investigated the predictors of EAC related to business travel. This study measured the association between EAC and frequency of business travel, duration of business travel, and job industry among U.S. business travelers. Research was conducted within the social-ecological theoretical framework. Snowball sampling was used to gather data from 187 business travelers. Data were evaluated using bivariate analysis to assess the association between measures of EAC and each independent variable. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for covariates. Respondents …

Space-Time Modelling Of Emerging Infectious Diseases: Assessing Leptospirosis Risk In Sri Lanka, Cameron C F Plouffe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this research, models were developed to analyze leptospirosis incidence in Sri Lanka and its relation to rainfall. Before any leptospirosis risk models were developed, rainfall data were evaluated from an agro-ecological monitoring network for producing maps of total monthly rainfall in Sri Lanka. Four spatial interpolation techniques were compared: inverse distance weighting, thin-plate splines, ordinary kriging, and Bayesian kriging. Error metrics were used to validate interpolations against independent data. Satellite data were used to assess the spatial pattern of rainfall. Results indicated that Bayesian kriging and splines performed best in low and high rainfall, respectively. Rainfall maps generated from …

Estimated Probability Of Becoming Alcohol Dependent: Extending A Multiparametric Approach, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, James C. Anthony

Biostatistics Presentations

Background: United States (US) epidemiological studies suggest that for every 5-8 who start drinking alcoholic beverages, at least one drinker will develop an alcohol dependence (AD) syndrome within the first 10 years after onset of drinking (Lopez-Quintero et al., 2011; Wagner & Anthony, 2002). Recently, we described a multiparametric functional analysis approach for new research to estimate these transition probabilities with a one-dimensional function (1D; Vsevolozhskaya & Anthony, 2015). Here, we demonstrate extension of this analysis to two-dimensional (2D) functions that combine information about number of recent drinking days and number of drinks on the typical drinking day.

Methods: Data …

Dynapenic Obesity And The Effect On Long-Term Physical Function And Quality Of Life: Data From The Osteoarthritis Initiative, John A. Batsis, Alicia J. Zbehlik, Dawna Pidgeon, Stephen J. Bartels

Dartmouth Scholarship

Obesity is associated with functional impairment, institutionalization, and increased mortality risk in elders. Dynapenia is defined as reduced muscle strength and is a known independent predictor of adverse events and disability. The synergy between dynapenia and obesity leads to worse outcomes than either independently. We identified the impact of dynapenic obesity in a cohort at risk for and with knee osteoarthritis on function.

Preparedness Of Hospitals In The Republic Of Ireland For An Influenza Pandemic, An Infection Control Perspective, Mary Reidy, Fiona Ryan, Dervla Hogan, Seán Lacey, Claire Buckley

Department of Mathematics Publications

When an influenza pandemic occurs most of the population is susceptible and attack rates can range as high as 40–50 %. The most important failure in pandemic planning is the lack of standards or guidelines regarding what it means to be ‘prepared’. The aim of this study was to assess the preparedness of acute hospitals in the Republic of Ireland for an influenza pandemic from an infection control perspective.

Degradation Science: Mesoscopic Evolution And Temporal Analytics Of Photovoltaic Energy Materials, Roger H. French, Rudolf Podgornik, Timothy J. Peshek, Laura S. Bruckman, Yifan Xu, Nicholas R. Wheeler, Abdulkerim Gok, Yang Hu, Mohammad A. Hossain, Devin A. Gordon, Pei Zhao, Jiayang Sun, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty Scholarship

Based on recent advances in nanoscience, data science and the availability of massive real-world datastreams, the mesoscopic evolution of mesoscopic energy materials can now be more fully studied. The temporal evolution is vastly complex in time and length scales and is fundamentally challenging to scientific understanding of degradation mechanisms and pathways responsible for energy materials evolution over lifetime. We propose a paradigm shift towards mesoscopic evolution modeling, based on physical and statistical models, that would integrate laboratory studies and real-world massive datastreams into a stress/mechanism/response framework with predictive capabilities. These epidemiological studies encompass the variability in properties that affect performance …