Public Health Commons^™

Epidemiology News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Mortality among Hispanic Women

Water Scarcity: Sudan, Catherine Priebe

Global Issues in Public Health

Water scarcity is an environmental global problem that will only become more pressing as time goes on. It is a public health issue that affects every continent, although certain areas of the world are facing more serious water scarcity than others such as Sudan. Populations that are more vulnerable to the effects of water scarcity are the poor, women, children, and those living in areas of political unrest. For example, South Sudan’s urban water systems have been damaged during recent warfare. Water scarcity is also an issue that disproportionately affects women who are forced from a young age to travel …

Online Support Group For Chinese Women With Ovarian Or Cervical Cancer, Yuan Xing

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Women with gynecological (GYN) cancer experience a wide spectrum of physical, emotional and social effects after diagnosis and treatment of their cancer. The insufficient availability of local support groups, limited transportation for the rural Chinese population and a shortage of oncologists make it difficult to have face-to-face support groups for Chinese GYN cancer patients. However, the wide access of Internet has provided an opportunity for people to have online support groups. The purpose of this study was to observe and describe the types of support given to and by Chinese GYN cancer survivors in a QQ chat group. This was …

Essential Components Of Participation For An Exercise Program For Underserved, Older, African-American Females, Marina Meinert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Physical activity (PA) is beneficial to people of all ages and ethnicities. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of multiple chronic diseases, improve mood and sleep and allows your body to function better overall (CDC, 2018). However, populations that are more vulnerable to adverse health risks may benefit more than others from regular physical activity. This study was designed to identify the motivating factors for physical activity in a sample of older, African-American women of lower socioeconomic status (SES). This particular subgroup was chosen because of their increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease due to unhealthy lifestyle factors, …

Wic Participation And Breastfeeding After The 2009 Wic Revision: A Propensity Score Approach, Kelin Li, Ming Wen, Megan Reynolds, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

In this study, we examined the association between participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and breastfeeding outcomes before and after the 2009 revisions. Four-thousand-three-hundred-and-eight WIC-eligible children younger than 60 months were included from the 2005-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We compared two birth cohorts with regard to their associations between WIC participation and being ever-breastfed and breastfed at 6 months. We estimated the average effect of the treatment for the treated to assess the causal effect of WIC participation on breastfeeding based on propensity score matching. The results showed that …

Understanding Haitian Women’S Health Care In Immokalee, Florida, Usa, Michele Leigh Flippo Bolduc

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This social science research project takes a critical approach to understanding the health of a population by using the health care system as an entry point through which we can see how large-scale social processes produce a particular health care landscape in the rural, im/migrant farmworker community of Immokalee, Florida, USA. Using a multi-scalar analysis of health care, I investigate how anti-immigrant legislation and neoliberal economics influence the experience of health care for health care providers and Haitian im/migrant women navigating these processes. First, I argue that anti-immigrant and pro-market discourses have been successful in limiting the accessibility to health …

Hiv Testing Service Utilization Among Men And Women In Dominica, Carol Rosetta Jno.Baptiste-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counselling (VHTC) is one of the preventive measures used in many countries to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS. Archived data from National HIV/AIDS Response Program's (NHARP) raw 2016 dataset were used to identify relationships and to assess significant differences between sociodemographic factors and selected sexual risk behaviours versus VHTC practices among adults 18 years and older who resided in Dominica. The health belief model was used as the framework for this cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 982 participants (40% [394] men and 60% [588] women). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between sociodemographic and …

Women's Perceptions Of Malaria In The Western Rural Areas Of Sierra Leone, Marcella Davies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death for children and women in Sierra Leone. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of women from the rural areas of Sierra Leone regarding malaria. A purposive sample of Krio women from the western rural area, aged 21-55 years, spoke English, and had taken care of someone with malaria described their perceptions and lived experiences with the disease in face-to-face interviews. The research questions were based on the health belief model and focused on knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about malaria prevention and treatment. Interpretative …

Impact Of Health Insurance And Sociodemographic Characteristics On Survival For Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer In Kentucky, Pramila Rai

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

Introduction Objective of the study was to explore the impact of health insurance and socio-demographic factors on survival for breast cancer patients in Kentucky. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in the US. Breast cancer survival is affected by various factors including health insurance, residence, age, race, geographical distance, income.

Methods The data were obtained from Kentucky Cancer Registry and included 47,128 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer between 2000 to 2014. The relationship of health insurance and other socio-demographic factors was analyzed using Cox regression.

ResultsThe overall five-year survival proportion was 0.97, 0.76 and 0.71 …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Conventional And Novel Sampling Methods For The Recruitment Of Sexual Minority Identified Women, Sarah M. Piperato

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority identified (SMI) women have an amplified risk for risky health behaviors and chronic health conditions. Current research on mechanisms related to health disparities in SMI women is limited. Research targeting SMI women has relied on small, convenience samples to address health disparities. Due to the nature of this population, probability sampling methods are ineffective and inefficient and cost prohibitive. The purpose of this dissertation was threefold. First, we examined the current state of literature to gain insight on prevalent sampling strategies used to access SMI women for health-related research. Second, we compared the efficacy of two sampling strategies, …

Intervention For Women In Costa Rica Who Are Discouraged And Have Food Insecurity And Excess Body Weight, Tatiana Martínez-Jaikel

Theses and Dissertations

ntroduction: The coexistence of food insecurity and excess body weight has been wellrecognized by researchers, and it has been documented in women, but not men. Both food insecurity and excess body weight have multiple consequences for physical and mental health. Concerns have been raised about interventions aimed to reduce food insecurity because these programs might contribute to excess body weight, particularly in adult women. Our previous in-depth qualitative research in Costa Rica showed that discouragement was the primary link in the coexistence of food insecurity and excess body weight among Costa Rican women, and that the family and existing gender …

Do Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Predict Under-Five Mortality In Nigeria?, Henry Chukwunonso Debem, Amany H. Refaat, Tolulope A. Osoba

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Nigerian children under 5 years of age are over 15 times more at risk of death than their counterparts in developed regions of the world; the prevalence of miscarriage, an adverse pregnancy outcome (APO), was estimated at 49%. In the present study, the relationship between APO and under-5 mortality (U5M) in Nigeria was examined to determine if APO could be used as a reliable early warning indicator for U5M. We used a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of datasets from three Nigeria demographic and health surveys: 2003, 2008, and 2013. The study population was women of reproductive age (15–49). Cochran–Mantel–Haenzel chi-square …

Epidemiology News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Cervical Screening Interventions for Rural Latina Immigrant Women

Why Women Suffer Domestic Violence In Silence: Web-Based Responses To A Blog, Salima Farooq, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Yasmin Parpio, Nasreen Lalani, Muecke Marjorie

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background & Aim: Domestic violence (DV) is a global socio-cultural concern faced by a majority of women. DV has a negative impact on women’s social, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Objective was to explore perceptions regarding contributing factors to domestic violence among women.
Methods & Materials: A qualitative descriptive exploratory method was applied for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants through emails to respond to the web based blog created for the study. 41 worldwide participants shared their perceptions through the blogs in the study. The data were collected using a web-based discussion forum on the Urban Women …

Partner Relationships And Injection Sharing Practices Among Rural Appalachian Women, Michele Staton, Justin C. Strickland, Martha Tillson, Carl Leukefeld, J. Matthew Webster, Carrie B. Oser

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background—The role of relationships in initiating and maintaining women’s risk behaviors has been established. However, understanding factors that may underlie partner relationships and women’s risky drug use, particularly in rural contexts, is limited. This study is the first to examine the association between injecting partners and women’s risky injection practices as a function of relationship power perception.

Methods—Female participants were recruited from three rural jails in the Appalachian region. Women were randomly selected, provided informed consent, and screened for study eligibility criteria. This cross-sectional analysis focuses on women who inject drugs (WWID) during the year before entering jail …

Outdoor Leisure Occupation: The Impact Of Women’S Fear Of Violence On Engagement And Enjoyment, Jaclyn Bria, Sophia Kon, Malia Norman, Alina Pulfrey, Zachary Schafer, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck

Occupational Therapy Graduate Publications

Limited research examines the types of outdoor leisure that women like to do and the specific impact of fear for safety on their engagement in and enjoyment of outdoor leisure occupations.

Advertising Exposure And Use Of E-Cigarettes Among Female Current And Former Tobacco Users Of Childbearing Age, Kristin Ashford, Emily Rayens, Amanda T. Wiggins, Mary Kay Rayens, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Molly Malany Sayre

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The study examined the relationship between exposure to e‐cigarette advertising and e‐cigarette use by pregnancy status, including use of flavored e‐cigarette products, among women of childbearing age.

Design: A cross‐sectional, correlational design was used.

Subjects: Female current or former tobacco users in Central and Eastern Kentucky, 18–45 years old (N = 194, 52% pregnant).

Measures: Demographics, pregnancy status, cigarette and e‐cigarette use, and exposure to e‐cigarette advertising.

Results: Younger age, white non‐Hispanic race, and greater exposure to e‐cigarette advertising were associated with a higher likelihood of ever using e‐cigarettes (p < .05 for each variable). Pregnancy was not associated with ever use (p = .11). Younger age was associated …

Risk Differences Between Elderly Men And Women Toward Doctor-Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus In Urban Areas In Indonesia: 2013 National Basic Health Research Data, Meiwita Budiharsana

Kesmas

Diabetes melitus (DM) adalah salah satu penyakit tidak menular yang paling umum di Indonesia. DM disebabkan berbagai faktor risiko. Peningkatan prevalensi DM salah satunya disebabkan oleh perubahan gaya hidup di perkotaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji perbedaan prevalensi DM yang didiagnosis dokter pada laki-laki dan perempuan usia 15 tahun keatas yang tinggal di daerah perkotaan di Indonesia. Analisis menggunakan data sekunder Riset Kesehatan Dasar (Riskesdas) 2013 dengan desain studi potong lintang. Total sampel sebanyak 333.731 responden. Metode analisis menggunakan regresi logistik ganda. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa DM yang didiagnosis dokter pada laki-laki dan perempuan usia 15-39 tahun di perkotaan tidak berbeda. …

Serious Mental Illness Among Young Adult Women Who Use Drugs In The Club Scene: Co-Occurring Biopsychosocial Factors, Maayan Lawental, Hilary L. Surratt, Mance E. Buttram, Steven P. Kurtz

Center for Health Services Research Faculty Publications

Young women who regularly attend nightclubs are at risk for numerous health and social consequences, including mental distress, sexual and physical victimization and substance dependence. This paper uses a biopsychosocial framework to examine co-occurring mental health problems, victimization, substance dependence, sexual risk and physical pain among a sample of young women who use drugs (N = 222) in Miami’s club scene. The majority of women were under 24 years old, Hispanic, and identified as heterosexual. Almost all the women reported past 90-day use of alcohol, ecstasy/MDMA, marijuana, cocaine and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines; 32% of women reported being in a …

Gender Disparities In Midlife Hypertension: A Review Of The Evidence On The Arab Region, Christelle Akl, Chaza Akik, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer

Faculty Publications

Objective

While gender differences in hypertension and increased prevalence rates among women at midlife have been documented in multiple settings, the evidence on the Arab world has not been systematically examined. This review summarizes the evidence related to gender disparities in midlife hypertension in this region.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) databases for studies, published between January 2000 and August 2015, on hypertension in the 22 countries of the Arab region. We abstracted information on the prevalence of hypertension among women and men, in general populations during midlife.

Results

Nineteen studies provided data on the …

Not So Affordable Healthcare, Ashlee Charles

Honors College Theses

Rising healthcare cost in the United States has created a need to understand how a lack of healthcare coverage is decreasing women’s quality of life and leading to negative health outcomes. Though the goal of the 2010 Affordable Care Act is to give more Americans access to affordable health insurance and to reduce the growth in health care spending, it still remains unaffordable for many Americans. The purpose of this study was to identify what ecological factors impede and/or promote the quality of life for medically uninsured women. Through a focus group, participants shared information on how living without health …

Understanding The Support Needs Of Minority Women With Heart Disease, Everly Macario Sc.D., M.S., Ed.M., Heather Z. Montague Ph.D., Susan M. Campbell M.P.H., Yukari T. Schneider Ph.D., M.P.H., Jennifer H. Mieres M.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects minority women disproportionately. WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease sought to determine effective ways to support non-Caucasian women with CVD. We surveyed women of color living with CVD to understand their unique CVD-related support needs.

Methods. 514 non-white women (100 Hispanic, 180 African American, 104 Asian, 107 Indigenous, 23 multiracial) with CVD from 46 states responded to a 55-question survey (online/telephone, English/Spanish) 8/28/15 through 9/11/15.

Results. Among respondents not currently attending support groups, 80% were interested in attending support groups. Of WomenHeart services, respondents were most interested in online message boards. Among …

Health Care Standards For Incarcerated Women In Massachusetts, Beth Williams-Breault

Community of Scholars Day—Posters

The general health care disparities among incarcerated women are vast, although when women are imprisoned, they gain a constitutional right to health care that doesn’t exist outside of prison. However, no federal government body has established national standards for medical care in prisons. This research project serves as a public health policy memo to the Bureau of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) recommending accreditation standards for county and state correctional facilities for women.

The Effects Of A Brief Yoga Intervention On Psychologic And Physiologic Measures In Women Recovering From Substance Abuse Disorders, Robi C. Hopp

DNP Projects

Women are the fastest-growing population experiencing substance use disorders (SUDs) in the United States. Multiple barriers e.g., mental health disorders, reduced self-efficacy, lack of social support have been identified and negatively impact acute and sustainable recovery efforts. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effects of yoga on mood status, biometrics, and self-efficacy toward yoga in a cohort at The Next Door, a substance abuse treatment center for women only. This was a quasi-experimental research approach with 14 women completing a total of 8 weekly yoga sessions over a ten-week period. Appropriate demographic data was collected. Measurements were …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Georgia Southern Examines Association between Consumption and Sleep Quantity in Pregnant Women
• Georgia SOuthern Collaborates with Researchers from CDC and NACCHO to create a Taxonomy of LBoH, Based on LHDs Perspectives
• Georgia Southern Examines Predictors of Mammogram and Pap Screenings among US Women

Creating A Culture Of Evidence Use: Using An Innovative Knowledge Translation Platform To Inform Hiv/Aids Programming For Women And Girls, Jill Gay, Melanie Croce-Galis, Karen Hardee, Amelia Peltz

Reproductive Health

Given that moving evidence from a study to policy, programs, and practice can often take a decade or more, what is the best way to get evidence into the hands of those developing policies and programs to speed its use? Enhancing the use of evidence in policies and programs through an innovative web-based knowledge platform, What Works for Women: Evidence for HIV/AIDS Interventions, resulted in major changes in National Strategic HIV Plans plus Concept Notes submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This paper documents how components …

Essays On Health Disparities And Income-Related Health Inequality In Sub-Saharan Africa, Marshall Makate

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation comprises of five empirical essays. Essay one assesses the impact of prenatal care quality and its components on child mortality using nationwide data from the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Surveys (ZDHS), 1999-11. Results indicate that increasing prenatal care quality by one unit improves neonatal, infant and under-five survival by about 42.33, 30.86, and 28.65%, respectively and all statically significant at the 1% level.

Advocating Corporate Policy Change On Women's Health And Family Planning: Lessons From The Environmental Movement, Matthew Mcfall, Carolyn Rodehau, David Wofford

Reproductive Health

This brief presents key lessons from the environmental movement on effective strategies for driving changes in corporate policies and practices and creating new mechanisms for holding businesses accountable for environmental impacts. Corporate policies and voluntary and “soft law” standards may be unfamiliar to many women’s health advocates, but they are likely to have increasing importance in the years to come. The global health community can learn from the experience of environmentalists on how to engage businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards and corporate practices around women’s health. The brief offers six recommendations for moving forward.

Feasibility Of Screening And Referring Women Experiencing Marital Violence By Engaging Frontline Workers: Evidence From Rural Bihar, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, K.G. Santhya, Santosh Kumar Singh, A.J. Francis Zavier, Neelanjana Pandey, Rajib Acharya, Komal Saxena, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, Sandeep Ojha

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council, together with partners, the Centre for Catalyzing Change, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with support from UKaid, implemented the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project in rural areas of Patna district in Bihar, India. The project engaged frontline workers (FLWs) to screen women for their experience of marital violence, inform them about their options in case of such an experience, and provide basic counseling and referral to women reporting the experience. Overall, the findings from the implementation of the Do Kadam program have been encouraging. They suggest that interactions …

Reducing Violence Against Women And Girls In India: Lessons From The Do Kadam Programme, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A key challenge underlying the gap between policy and program commitments in India and the reality of women’s lives is the dearth of evidence on what works and what does not work to change notions of masculinity and femininity, reverse norms at the community level that condone marital violence, and reduce women’s experience of intimate partner violence. The Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) program aimed to fill this evidence gap. Do Kadam was implemented by the Population Council, the Centre for Catalyzing Change, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, with support from the …