Public Health Commons^™

Community-Level Factors Influencing The Duration Of Buprenorphine Treatment In Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder: A Cohort Study Using Us Longitudinal Claims Data, Paula A Jaimes-Buitron, Kehe Zhang, Yanmin Gong, Yuanxiong Guo, Cici Bauer, Carolina Vivas-Valencia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Buprenorphine is effective in reducing opioid-related morbidity and mortality; however, many patients discontinue treatment prematurely. While previous research has focused on individual-level predictors of retention, the influence of community context remains underexplored. This study aims to examine how community-level factors, such as social vulnerability, availability of buprenorphine-waivered providers and access to behavioural health services, affect the duration of buprenorphine treatment episodes for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using longitudinal claims data from 2006 to 2022. Adults aged 18 and older who initiated buprenorphine treatment for OUD and maintained continuous enrolment were …

Development, Delivery, And Evaluation Of The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute Pilot Infection Control Lecture Series, Kayla E Ruch, Anabel Rodriguez, Janelle Rios, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Eric L Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI) aims to keep Texans healthy and the economy strong by preparing for the next infectious disease outbreak. TEPHI's Small Rural Healthcare Preparedness core developed, delivered, and evaluated a pilot infection prevention and control webinar series called Infection Control for rural-serving health professionals and organizations based on infection prevention and control field best practices.

Methods: Data from the first year of the Infection Control series was collected through attendee registration forms, attendance records, knowledge, and post-lecture evaluation surveys using Qualtrics. The data were analyzed using Qualtrics software. Lectures were free and open to …

Food Security And Its Impact On Hypertension In Urban Communities, Lauren M. Nobriga

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Quality Improvement Team proposed an intervention to increase enrollment in the Food Security Program, a six-month initiative that provides vouchers redeemable for fruits and vegetables. Long-term impacts of this Program include an improved food economy and enhanced patient disease management autonomy. This project aimed to increase the percentage of eligible adult medicine clinic patients enrolled in the Food Security Program by 25%, or 11 patients per month, based on the mean enrollment for the first four months of the Program (May to August) of nine patients. The intervention was based on bi-monthly performance reports, making the goal include enrolling …

Intervention Mapping For Refining A Sport-Based Public Health Intervention In Rural Schools, Mckenna G Major, Janette M Watkins, Janelle M Goss, Derek W Craig, Zack Waggoner, Vanessa M Martinez Kercher, Kyle A Kercher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sport-based youth development programs, delivered through campus-community partnerships, can create impactful experiences for college students, meet university objectives, and improve the health of children in under-resourced rural communities. This study aimed to pilot test intervention mapping (IM), a systematic approach to intervention development and implementation, to refine the Hoosier Sport intervention, which is a local public health initiative that utilizes the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBITs) model to improve physical activity in middle school children. The IM process, which included a diverse IM planning and advisory group of university representatives and local schools, was guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and …

The Effect Of A Virtual Covid-19 Interprofessional Educational Module On Knowledge, Confidence, Attitude, And Practice Among Health And Allied Health Professions Students, Tsu-Yin Wu, Jenni L. Hoffman, Grigoris Argeros, Sarah Lally, Andrea Gossett Zakrajsek, Jillian Graves, Alice Jo Rainville, Olivia Ford, Angela Lukomski, Renuka Roche, John Sonnega, Joan E. Cowdery Phd

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of an innovative, online COVID-19 interprofessional educational module among health and allied health professions students.

Methods: This study utilized a pre- and posttest design with quantitative and qualitative data collected winter 2023 and spring/summer 2023 semesters, and consisted of health and allied health professions students (N=143) from three Midwestern, urban, public universities. Participants completed a pretest, then an IPE module on COVID-19, and a posttest immediately after the educational intervention, and another (the same) posttest one month later. Quantitative and qualitative data were subject to statistical …

To Reduce Mental Illness Stigma Among Emergency Medical Service Clinicians, Agencies Must Value Workers’ Psychological Safety And Health, Bryce Hruska, Maria L. Pacella La-Barbara, Marley S. Barduhn

Population Health Research Brief Series

Despite the mental health burdens on emergency medical service (EMS) personnel, most workers do not seek help due to stigma. Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) refers to how much an organization creates an environment that values, supports, and protects workers’ psychological safety and health. This data slice uses data collected in 2023 from EMS workers employed in the Northeastern U.S. Census Region to examine the association between EMS agencies’ PSC levels and mental illness stigma among EMS personnel. The results show that EMS personnel at agencies with high-risk PSC levels report 38% more mental illness stigma in the workplace compared to …

Picking The Low-Hanging Fruit: The Cost-Effectiveness Of Opportunistic Diabetes Screening During Tuberculosis Contact Investigations On The Texas-Mexico Border, Robert A. Mcgowan, Henry Shelton Brown, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: There is a known association between type 2 diabetes (diabetes) and tuberculosis (TB), and TB clinics have become hubs for new diabetes diagnosis among active patients with TB. However, despite the potential to identify diabetes patients, resources limit diabetes screening opportunities to close TB contacts. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of adding opportunistic screening for diabetes during the routine TB contact investigations conducted at TB clinics.

Research design and methods: We used a Markov-based model to simulate the costs of diabetes screening, management and health outcomes, including the incidence of complications and death. All costs were considered from a health …

Vol 4 November '24 Full Issue, Donna L. Williams

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Study Of Masters Of Public Health Alumni, Orna Baron-Epel, Yana Douvdevany, Dana Ivancovsky-Wajcman, Paul Barach, Osnat Bashkin, Katarzyna Czabanowska, Keren Dopelt, Nadav Davidovitch, Szczepan Jakubowski, Fiona Macleod, Maureen Malowany, Leah Okenwa-Emegwa, Maya Peled-Raz, Shira Zelber-Sagi

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: We examined the perceptions of the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree graduates regarding their personal competencies, job performance and professional development using a mixed method, explanatory sequential design.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire of the Haifa School of Public Health alumni who graduated between 2005 and 2022 was disseminated to 849 graduates between March and June 2022, from which 127 responded (response rate: 14.90%). This was followed by 24 in-depth interviews with alumni from the same sample (conducted between November 2022 and March 2023).

RESULTS: The sample included 74.8% of females with a mean age of 40.7 years, …

Pickup: Survey Of People Experiencing Homelessness In New Mexico, Summary Report, Kimberly Page, Christina E. Phillips, Annemarie Madaras, University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Department Of Internal Medicine

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine

The PICKUP Project represents a comprehensive effort to ascertain the needs and conditions of unhoused populations in New Mexico, engaging a partnership network that spans academic institutions, community health services, and government bodies. The PICKUP Study aims to provide actionable data to inform targeted interventions by community and public health groups, clinical organizations, and academic institutions.

Project participants included the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (Dr. Kimberly Page, PI); Alianza of New Mexico, Roswell, Chavez County, NM; Interfaith Community Shelter, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, NM; Four Corners Detox Recovery & Santa Fe Recovery Center, Gallup, McKinley County, …

Mapping Competency Profiles Of Schools Of Public Health: Implications For Public Health Workforce Education And Training In Israel, Yehuda Neumark, Jordan Hannink Attal, Naham Shapiro, Fiona Macleod, Janas Harrington, Paul Barach, Jascha De Nooijer, Keren Dopelt, Mariusz Duplaga, Lore Leighton, Hagai Levine, Zohar Mor, Robert Otok, Stephanie Paillard-Borg, Ted Tulchinsky, Shira Zelber-Sagi, Maureen Malowany

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

AIM: Competency frameworks are essential for analyzing capabilities of Schools of Public Health to adequately prepare public health (PH) professionals to address contemporary challenges. This study maps the competency profiles of PH training programs in Israel using a novel curriculum mapping tool.

METHODS: This study assessed all five Israeli Health Education Institutions (HEIs) offering MPH or Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) degrees across 57 competencies in six domains to determine the extent to which competencies were addressed in the curriculum. The competencies list was based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) List of …

Developing Project Management Success Criteria For Public Health Response Programs, Priyanka Dutta

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses an existing gap in the project management literature in regards to the limited research on its application in public health settings. Specifically, this study intends to identify and develop success criteria to help measure the performance of project management methodologies used for public health response programs. Using a qualitative research design in the form of a case study review, the study will consolidate findings and propose a success criteria by which project management methodologies for public health programs can be evaluated. The criteria will contribute to future research and the development of a standardized measure that will …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Determining Factors For Improved Uptake Of Harm Reduction Services In The United States: A Study Of Inclusive, Culturally Sensitive Messaging, Lauretta Ekanem Omale

Dissertations

Harm reduction refers to public health policies and programs aimed at decreasing the adverse consequences associated with drug use. While harm reduction services (e.g., syringe exchange programs) can mitigate health risks, marginalized groups face barriers to service access and utilization, partially due to ineffective messaging approaches that fail to align with cultural values and experiences. A one-size-fits-all approach to messaging can negatively impact service utilization, health outcomes, and health disparities. Ineffective communication can lead to poor adherence to treatment, poorer health outcomes, and increased adverse events.

Culturally insensitive communication contributes to stigma, mistrust, and lack of perceived relevance, discouraging service …

Covid-19 Ethics: Unique Aspects And A Review As Of Early 2024, Wayne X Shandera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

COVID-19 presents a variety of ethical challenges in a set of arenas, arenas not always considered in past pandemics. These challenges include issues related to autonomy, distributive ethics, and the establishment of policies of equity and justice. Methods are a literature review based on regular editing of an online textbook during the COVID-19 outbreak and a literature review using key ethical terms. Patients are confronted with new issues related to autonomy. Providers need to expand their concepts of ethical issues to include decisions based on proportionality and public health ethics. The public health sector needs to assess the beneficence of …

Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Side Effects Following Mrna Covid-19 Vaccination, Abigayle Strohmeier

Senior Honors Theses

The COVID-19 vaccine, regarded as a triumph by some and a danger by others, has been studied due to the presence of adverse cardiovascular side effects experienced by some individuals following vaccination. Incidence and prevalence rates of these effects are examined by various demographic factors, primarily age and sex. The most prevalent adverse cardiovascular effects noted are myocarditis, pericarditis, cardiovascular disease, tachycardia, hypertension, palpitation, and acute myocardial infarction. Due to the novelty of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, many health studies have focused their data analysis on age or sex characteristics, however many excellent opportunities for future research are necessary to …

Exploring Hypertension Prevalence Among Ill-Housed Individuals In Urban Environments, Lia Summer Goldberg, Sameer Shah, Nikhila Archakam, Murod Khikmatov, Kesha Choksi, Anddee White

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study explores the interrelations of hypertension, homelessness, and access to healthcare in urban ill-housed populations. It was found that conditions such as heart disease and diabetes significantly exacerbate hypertension, which remains highly prevalent due to the population's limited access to consistent medical care. Homelessness further complicates the management of hypertension due to unstable living conditions, making adherence to treatment and follow-up with healthcare providers challenging. Additionally, factors like higher rates of substance abuse and malnutrition among homeless populations contribute to worsening hypertension, which, if untreated, can lead to severe health crises including heart attacks and strokes.

The research underscores …

The Moderating Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Walkability On The Efficacy Of Physical Activity Interventions, Analisa Vavoso, Vincent Berardi, Marc A. Adams

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

To enable physical activity (PA) interventions to better tailor procedures to participant characteristics, we investigated the role of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and walkability on the differential effectiveness of adaptive versus static activity goals (AG vs. SG) and immediate versus delayed (IR vs. DR) reinforcement in a PA trial.

Data was collected as a part of the WalkIT Arizona study, where healthy, inactive adults (n = 512) were instructed to wear an accelerometer daily for one year and were provided with daily goals for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The intersection of goal types (adaptive and static) as well as reinforcement types …

A Comparative Analysis Of Hiv/Aids In France And The United States: Historical Context And Preventative Actions, Rebecca A. Liebsack

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is the result of transmission of a zoonotic disease known as simian immunodeficiency virus. The pandemic has had profound social and economic consequences and continues to be present today. France and the United States’ response to the discovery of HIV will be compared and the impact that HIV/AIDS had on their countries and future responses. They had rather similar responses, however, the United States had a slower initial response compared to France. Both had similar takeaways such as aiming at improving prevention and utilizing tactics developed during the start of the pandemic like frequent testing and vaccines.

Vol 4 May '24 Full Issue, Donna L. Williams

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Incentive-Based And Media Literacy-Informed Approaches To Improve Vaping Cessation Among Young Adults: A Pilot Study Protocol, Troy B. Puga Jr

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Introduction: Youth and young adult vaping is rapidly rising within the United States, and is approaching epidemic levels. Vaping has been marketed as a safe alternative to smoking, however, there has been clear negative health effects of vaping. Modern day vaping interventions targeting this population remain limited. With the rapid rise of vaping and the negative health effects, tested interventions are needed. This protocol research paper defines the background and methodology behind the registered clinical trial entitled Incentive-based and media literacy-informed approaches to improve vaping cessation among young adult: a pilot study protocol.

Methods: This protocol research paper will describe …

Leveraging 4-H To Address Emergent Health Needs During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Epidemiology Pilot Project, Anne Marie Iaccopucci, Marcel Horowitz, Dorina Espinoza, Roshan Nayak

Journal of Extension

4-H academics responded to the Covid pandemic by rapidly adapting CDC and other resources for virtual delivery. A statewide epidemiology project was taught to 48 youth with the goal of minimizing fears and confusion, increasing prevention measures, leveraging current topics for education, and bolstering the social-emotional health of youth participants. Results indicated that youth enjoyed the project and adopted behaviors to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, such as increased mask-wearing.

The Dearth Of Knowledge Of Health Insurance Literacy Within The United States, Katherine A. Conzet

Honors Thesis

This literature review and cross-comparison were conducted to combine resources that bring to light the lack of knowledge on health insurance, the impact of this low health insurance literacy (HIL), and the lack of research being done in this subject field. This thesis analyzes and compares different research that measures HIL levels and compares these findings. At the same time, this thesis presents the complex history of health insurance and how this understanding can contribute to lower population HIL and proposes different ways to accurately measure HIL. The purpose is to show the necessity for more research into the field …

Employer Voices: Insights On Bolstering Career Development For Graduate Students, Alexandria J. Ashraf Mph, Josh Hodsden Mba, Justin Howe Ba, Danielle Ross Ba, Dalton Wesemann Ba, Lisa K. Marriott Phd

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Title: Employer voices: Insights on Bolstering Career Development for Graduate Students

Alexandria J. Ashraf, MPH; Josh Hodsden, MBA, CPH; Justin Howe, BA; Danielle Ross, BA, CPH; Dalton Wesemann, BA; Lisa K. Marriott, PhD

Background: The development of the public health workforce has become increasingly vital as our world faces current and future challenges. The workforce has gained considerable insight into job skills that enhance responses to emergent needs. Building the foundation for a larger scale study on public health workforce needs, this project established processes for engaging with professionals who have hired recent public health graduates.

Methods: Open-ended questions assessed …

Potential Impact Of Annual Vaccination With Reformulated Covid-19 Vaccines: Lessons From The Us Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, Sung-Mok Jung, Sara L Loo, Emily Howerton, Lucie Contamin, Claire P Smith, Erica C Carcelén, Katie Yan, Samantha J Bents, John Levander, Jessi Espino, Joseph C Lemaitre, Koji Sato, Clifton D Mckee, Alison L Hill, Matteo Chinazzi, Jessica T Davis, Kunpeng Mu, Alessandro Vespignani, Erik T Rosenstrom, Sebastian A Rodriguez-Cartes, Julie S Ivy, Maria E Mayorga, Julie L Swann, Guido España, Sean Cavany, Sean M Moore, T Alex Perkins, Shi Chen, Rajib Paul, Daniel Janies, Jean-Claude Thill, Ajitesh Srivastava, Majd Al Aawar, Kaiming Bi, Shraddha Ramdas Bandekar, Anass Bouchnita, Spencer J Fox, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Przemyslaw Porebski, Srini Venkatramanan, Aniruddha Adiga, Benjamin Hurt, Brian Klahn, Joseph Outten, Jiangzhuo Chen, Henning Mortveit, Amanda Wilson, Stefan Hoops, Parantapa Bhattacharya, Dustin Machi, Anil Vullikanti, Bryan Lewis, Madhav Marathe, Harry Hochheiser, Michael C Runge, Katriona Shea, Shaun Truelove, Cécile Viboud, Justin Lessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause significant hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Its continued burden and the impact of annually reformulated vaccines remain unclear. Here, we present projections of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States for the next 2 years under 2 plausible assumptions about immune escape (20% per year and 50% per year) and 3 possible CDC recommendations for the use of annually reformulated vaccines (no recommendation, vaccination for those aged 65 years and over, vaccination for all eligible age groups based on FDA approval).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: The COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub …

A Scoping Review On Racial Disparities In South Carolina’S Opioid Epidemic, Jake D'Alto

Senior Theses

This thesis examines racial disparities in opioid-related outcomes within South Carolina, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the opioid epidemic on minority communities. Using a comprehensive literature review methodology, the study analyzes the intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and systemic factors that contribute to heightened risks of opioid misuse and overdose among African American populations. The paper identifies key factors such as poverty, incarceration rates, and limited access to healthcare that exacerbate the opioid crisis in these communities. Additionally, it evaluates the effectiveness of current public health responses and legislative measures in addressing these disparities. The research proposes several actionable interventions, …

A Public Health Perspective On Mitigating The Global Burden Of Chronic Liver Disease, Maya Balakrishnan, Jürgen Rehm

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic liver disease is a significant global health problem. Epidemiological trends do not show improvement in chronic liver disease incidence but rather a shift in etiologies, with steatotic liver disease (SLD) from metabolic dysfunction and alcohol becoming increasingly important causes. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop a comprehensive public health approach for SLD. To that end, we propose a public health framework for preventing and controlling SLD. The framework is anchored on evidence linking physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary patterns, alcohol use, and obesity with both incidence and progression of SLD. Guided by the framework, we review examples of …

Mendelian Randomization With Incomplete Measurements On The Exposure In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Yilun Li, Kin Yau Wong, Annie Green Howard, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Heather M Highland, Mariaelisa Graff, Kari E North, Carolina G Downie, Christy L Avery, Bing Yu, Kristin L Young, Victoria L Buchanan, Robert Kaplan, Lifang Hou, Brian Thomas Joyce, Qibin Qi, Tamar Sofer, Jee-Young Moon, Dan-Yu Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mendelian randomization has been widely used to assess the causal effect of a heritable exposure variable on an outcome of interest, using genetic variants as instrumental variables. In practice, data on the exposure variable can be incomplete due to high cost of measurement and technical limits of detection. In this paper, we propose a valid and efficient method to handle both unmeasured and undetectable values of the exposure variable in one-sample Mendelian randomization analysis with individual-level data. We estimate the causal effect of the exposure variable on the outcome using maximum likelihood estimation and develop an expectation maximization algorithm for …