Public Health Commons^™

Healthy Links – Addressing Social Determinants Of Health And Improving Cardiac Health With Medically Tailored Meals, Emily Follo, Katherine Sharp, Mylan Cohen

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• Social determinants of health (SDOH) strongly influence risk factors for cardiac disease, especially in rural areas

• Medically-tailored meals have shown promising results for reducing hospitalizations

• Some state insurance programs are covering medically-tailored meals given beneficial outcome studies

• This project builds upon prior Healthy Links programs to expand our reach to rural patients

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Rachel Coffey, Jackson Bloch, Anya K. Cutler, Sarah M. Gabrielson, Stephen Digiovanni, Julia Fritz

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• 1 in 4 kids in Maine have 3+ adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

• ACEs negatively impact health outcomes

• Adult literature shows association between ACEs and irritable bowel syndrome, a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID)

Infertility: An Evaluation Of Treatment Modalities And Ethical Considerations, Elise Ferenczy

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis reviews a variety of options for treatment of infertility, along with ethical considerations for each. The basis for ethical concerns will be primarily a biblical worldview, as the goal is to support Christian couples in decisions regarding infertility treatment. The biblical worldview is outlined to provide readers with an understanding of its core principles, and the Bible is used as the primary source for ethical discussion. The most common etiologies of infertility are outlined, followed by treatment modalities grouped by category. While some modalities present very few ethical concerns, others require careful consideration in many regards. Many of …

An Evaluation Of Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment Processes In The United States., Scott Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the practices of hospital-based health technology assessment (HTA) in the U.S., as experienced by healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals. HTA can play an important role in helping to evaluate health technologies at both the macro (e.g., policy) level as well as at the micro (e.g., institutional) level of the public health ecosystem (C. S. Goodman, 2004). HTA seeks to broadly evaluate the effects, properties, and other impacts of various health technologies (C. S. Goodman, 2004). Common goals of HTA are to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and cost-benefit of health technologies. A primarily phenomenological approach was used …

Pandemic Review: South Los Angeles, Madeline Carmella Acosta

Whittier Scholars Program

IMPORTANCE The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the discussion on social inequality and vulnerabilities of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community. The understanding is that inequality is a multifaceted issue that stems from the historical mistreatment of BIPOC individuals—their sociodemographic and economic backgrounds are at the most risk in population studies. Many predictors of contracting COVID-19 included employment status (ability to work from home), education level, income (wealth), and housing conditions (environment) (Rozenfeld et al., 2020). Contracting COVID-19 in South Los Angeles was more likely to happen among those from racial and ethnic minorities and those living in …

Antimicrobial Resistance In Eskape Pathogens And Its Effect On Modern Medicine And Treatment, Cameran Runge

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Abstract

ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella

pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter

spp.) are seeing a growing resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have played directly into the resistance observed, and the problem is growing exponentially. Antibiotic resistance is partially due to several intrinsic factors limiting the drug's uptake. These include efflux pumps, increased biofilm production, and reduced cell wall permeability in the resistant bacteria. ESKAPE pathogens also acquire resistance through horizontal gene transfer and plasmids. As antibiotics have become less effective, the bacteria can continue to thrive, leading to a detrimental …

Synthetic Or Not: Implications Of Hormonal Birth Control On Women’S Hormones And The Cortisol Stress Response, Maddie Perry '23

Honor Scholar Theses

Women’s bodies are the subject of decision-making and control, yet women’s lives are dismally ignored. The field of women’s health is highly understudied, and the demand for that adequate research must be granted to the women’s health field. This interdisciplinary research study investigated stress response differences between hormonal birth control users and non-users. Hormonal birth control (HBC) is one of the greatest technologies afforded to women and further research is necessary to ensure women are guaranteed bodily autonomy and women’s health education. Due to altered hormonal signaling, HBC has been linked to behavioral and decision making differences in women. Building …

The Negative Influence Of External Stressors On Patient Outcomes: Why Physicians Should Consider More Than Outwardly Presenting Symptom(S), Gianna Meckler '23

Honor Scholar Theses

In this thesis, the influence of external stressors on patient health outcomes in the medical setting will be examined. There is an overwhelming amount of reputable research that suggests that the American healthcare system, at least as it operates now, does not effectively improve patient health outcomes. Simply focusing on outwardly apparent illness or disease does not address the full scope of patient need. Ample evidence will be provided in the form of a comprehensive literature review accompanied by supporting anecdotes from real physicians in hopes of encouraging healthcare professionals to increase the breadth of their considerations when it comes …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Obesity Management Tools, Hunter Wayne Turnipseed

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The demand for obesity treatment and management cannot be met because of the lack of obesity specialists. Therefore, integrating obesity management tools in primary care is an excellent option for obesity treatment. Also, the importance of DPP as a scalable community-based program and that Small Changes provides a structured dietary approach that we hypothesize will improve weight loss outcomes. These two studies evaluated the implementation of obesity management tools in primary care clinics in the Paso del Norte area and a DPP program in Brownsville, TX. The first study explored the key facilitators and barriers to adopting the CDSS and …

Mental Illness And Substance Use Disorder (Sud) Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women In A Women's Residential Treatment Center In El Paso, Texas, Adren Darius Warling

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) and opioid use disorders (OUDs) are a major public health concern in the United States. SUD/OUDs are often linked to co-occurring physical disorders and serious mental illness (SMI). Stress and trauma are often contributing factors to the development of SUD/OUD and/or co-occurring SMI, which impact pregnant and postpartum women (PPW), who concurrently, may face specific risk factors and barriers to care for these conditions. These risk factors and barriers to care may be exacerbated by Hispanic/Latino identities. Studying social determinants of health based on a social ecological model approach can help increase knowledge about this …

Profitable, Alternative Income Generation And Improved Quality Of Life Among Global Beekeepers, Chris Honeycutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interventions that promote alternative income generation (AIG) to address social determinants of health are associated with increased household income and improved health outcomes. Organizations have used beekeeping to address poverty and other development goals with mixed outcomes. Beekeeping presents a viable option to promote AIG. Organizations increase their risk of failing to achieve positive outcomes when beekeeping interventions are inadequate. This project aims to develop an organizational assessment tool that measures organizational position in relation to evidence-based factors for income generation and improved quality of life among global beekeepers. The assessment is organized into seven domains that correspond with PRECEDE-PROCEED …

Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Comparison Of Health-Related Quality Of Life And Mental Well-Being Between Persons With And Without Post Covid-19 Condition, Emily Stella Scott, Erica I. Lubetkin, Mathieu F. Janssen, John Yfantopolous, Gouke J. Bonsel, Juanita A. Haagsma

Publications and Research

Background:

Still little is known about the impact of post COVID-19 condition (PC) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental well-being. We compared participants with PC with three groups: an acute COVID-19 infection (AC) only, at least one chronic condition (CC) but no COVID-19, or no condition at all, healthy (PH). Between these disease groups, we also estimated and compared HRQOL and mental well-being change over time.

Methods:

Participants from six countries (Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) completed two web-based questionnaires (T1 = April–May 2020 and T2 = April–June 2022). Primary outcomes were HRQOL, measured …

Outcomes Following Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation For Severe Covid-19 In Pregnancy Or Post Partum, John J Byrne, Amir A Shamshirsaz, Alison G Cahill, Mark A Turrentine, Angela R Seasely, Joe Eid, Caroline E Rouse, Michael Richley, Nandini Raghuraman, Mariam Naqvi, Yasser Y El-Sayed, Martina L Badell, Cece Cheng, James Liu, Emily H Adhikari, Soha S Patel, Erika R O'Neil, Patrick S Ramsey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Existing reports of pregnant patients with COVID-19 disease who require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are limited, with variable outcomes noted for the maternal-fetal dyad.

OBJECTIVE: To examine maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with ECMO used for COVID-19 with respiratory failure during pregnancy.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective multicenter cohort study examined pregnant and postpartum patients who required ECMO for COVID-19 respiratory failure at 25 hospitals across the US. Eligible patients included individuals who received care at one of the study sites, were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks post partum by positive nucleic …

Outcomes Of The “Brca Quality Improvement Dissemination Program”: An Initiative To Improve Patient Receipt Of Cancer Genetics Services At Five Health Systems, Erica M Bednar, Minxing Chen, Michael T Walsh, Amanda L Eppolito, Molly H Klein, Kelly Teed, Brittany Hodge, Jordan Hunter, Han Gill Chao, Dillon Davis, Wilshauna Serchion, Cara Yobbi, Rebekah Krukenberg, Sandra B Jenkinson, Jennifer J Moore, Cassandra Garcia, Fatimaeliza Gonzalez, Towanna Murray, Linda D Nielsen, Brenda Ho, Megan Haas, Sarah B Greenzweig, Abby Anderson, Christina Johnson, Nichole A Morman, Elizabeth Bowdish, Emaline Wise, Julia N Cooper, Pauline Kefalas Russ, Katelyn Tondo-Steele, Buonarotti F De Gracia, Brooke Levin, Kristin Mattie, Kathryn Zarnawski, Molly Kalasinski, Jennifer Stone, Caitlin O'Brien, Alexa Bream, Aidan M Kennedy, Rachel A Paul, Michelle Bilbao, Maureen Romero, Rebecca L Carr, Jennifer M Siettmann, Anna K Vercruyssen, Kaycee Leon, Banu K Arun, Andrew V Grainger, David P Warshal, Erin Bowman, Timothy A Goedde, Deepa Halaharvi, Kellie Rath, Generosa Grana, Lida Mina, Karen H Lu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: A quality improvement initiative (QII) was conducted with five community-based health systems' oncology care centers (sites A-E). The QII aimed to increase referrals, genetic counseling (GC), and germline genetic testing (GT) for patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

METHODS: QII activities occurred at sites over several years, all concluding by December 2020. Medical records of patients with OC and TNBC were reviewed, and rates of referral, GC, and GT of patients diagnosed during the 2 years before the QII were compared to those diagnosed during the QII. Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, two-sample t-test, …

Combining Physics-Based Models With Deep Learning Image Synthesis And Uncertainty In Intraoperative Cone-Beam Ct Of The Brain, Xiaoxuan Zhang, Alejandro Sisniega, Wojciech B Zbijewski, Junghoon Lee, Craig K Jones, Pengwei Wu, Runze Han, Ali Uneri, Prasad Vagdargi, Patrick A Helm, Mark Luciano, William S Anderson, Jeffrey H Siewerdsen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Image-guided neurosurgery requires high localization and registration accuracy to enable effective treatment and avoid complications. However, accurate neuronavigation based on preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography (CT) images is challenged by brain deformation occurring during the surgical intervention.

PURPOSE: To facilitate intraoperative visualization of brain tissues and deformable registration with preoperative images, a 3D deep learning (DL) reconstruction framework (termed DL-Recon) was proposed for improved intraoperative cone-beam CT (CBCT) image quality.

METHODS: The DL-Recon framework combines physics-based models with deep learning CT synthesis and leverages uncertainty information to promote robustness to unseen features. A 3D generative adversarial network …

National Cancer Control Plan Of The Korea: Current Status And The Fourth Plan (2021-2025), Kyu-Tae Han, Jae Kwan Jun, Jeong-Soo Im

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer management has become a major policy goal for the government of the Korea. As such, the government introduced the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) to reduce the individual and social burdens caused by cancer and to promote national health. During the past 25 years, 3 phases of the NCCP have been completed. During this time, the NCCP has changed significantly in all aspects of cancer control from prevention to survival. The targets for cancer control are increasing, and although some blind spots remain, new demands are emerging. The government initiated the fourth NCCP in March 2021, with the vision …

Aapm Task Group Report 305: Guidance For Standardization Of Vendor-Neutral Reject Analysis In Radiography, Kevin Little, Ingrid Reiser, Bruce Apgar, Poonam Dalal, Jaydev Dave, Ryan Fisher, Katie Hulme, Mary Ellen Jafari, Emily Marshall, Stephen Meyer, Quentin Moore, Nicole Murphy, Thomas Nishino, Katelyn Nye, Kevin O'Donnell, John Sabol, Adrian Sanchez, William Sensakovic, Lawrence Tarbox, Robert Uzenoff, Alisa Walz-Flannigan, Charles Willis, Jie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Reject rate analysis is considered an integral part of a diagnostic radiography quality control (QC) program. A rejected image is a patient radiograph that was not presented to a radiologist for diagnosis and that contributes unnecessary radiation dose to the patient. Reject rates that are either too high or too low may suggest systemic department shortcomings in QC mechanisms. Due to the lack of standardization, reject data often cannot be easily compared between radiography systems from different vendors. The purpose of this report is to provide guidance to help standardize data elements that are required for comprehensive reject analysis and …

Temporal Changes In Energy-Balance Behaviors And Home Factors In Adolescents With Normal Weight And Those With Overweight Or Obesity, Senlin Chen, Chelsea L. Kracht, Robbie A. Beyl, Amanda E. Staiano

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in energy-balance behaviors and home factors in adolescents with normal weight and those with overweight or obesity (OWOB). Adolescents or parent proxies completed survey assessments two to four years before (T0; n = 82), ≤ six months before (T1; n = 68), and ≤ three months after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (T2; n = 82), to capture energy-balance behaviors (i.e., physical activity [PA], screen time, sleep) and home factors (i.e., food environment, food worry, parent support for PA). At T0 and T1 (before pandemic), participants visited our laboratory for anthropometric measurements. At …

Potential Public Health Impacts Of Louisiana House Bill 182, Corisandra Leyton-High

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Prams And Healthy People 2020 To Examine Black Women’S Breastfeeding Behaviors In Louisiana Prior To The Onset Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Almetra Granger, Tyra Gross, Amy Thierry

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Black women have the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the United States and do not reach the Healthy People 2020 goal of 81.9% of infants being breastfed. Black women in Louisiana exhibit lower breastfeeding rates than the national average. Factors contributing to this disparity are under-explored. Methods: Using Louisiana Pregnancy Risks Assessment Monitoring Systems (LaPRAMS) Phase 8 2016-2018 data, a mixed-methods analysis captured both quantitative and qualitative data reflecting Black participants’ breastfeeding experiences. Results: Quantitative results indicated that 58.2% of the sample breastfed, with women who did not breastfeed identifying several breastfeeding barriers. Qualitative …

Vol 3 May '23 Cover, Publishing And Table Of Contents, Donna L. Williams

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Louisiana's 2023 Legislative Session: Bills Impacting Lgbtq+ And Public Health, Adrienne Katner, Harold Paul Katner

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Vol 3 May '23 Full Issue, Donna L. Williams

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Hybrid Group Mentorship For Youth Impacted By Familial Substance Use Disorder, Stephen Phillippi, Helen Lindau, Casey L. Thomas, Kaylin Beiter, Ashley Fenton, Michelle Lawrence Bidwell, Claudia Leonardi, Edmond Bowers

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: Children under the care of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are themselves at risk for developing SUDs and delinquent behavior. Mentorship can be protective for these youth. This preliminary program evaluation study, following a descriptive cross-sectional design, describes Camp Mariposa, a novel peer and group mentoring program for youth affected by familial substance use. Methods: Data were collected from participants across 13 mentoring sites nationwide, with one site in Louisiana. These data include demographics and self-reported information about substance use, juvenile judicial system involvement, and experiences in the mentoring program. Results: Data on 570 youth participants (52% male …

Manual Vacuum Aspiration: Attitudes, Familiarity, And Comfort Among Obgyn Physicians At Louisiana State University New Orleans And Baton Rouge Programs, Alexis Hernandez, Stacey Scheib

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) uses a hand-held aspirator to generate a vacuum to aspirate uterine contents for management of early pregnancy loss (EPL) or elective abortion prior to 12-weeks gestation. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, MVA is a safe, cost-saving procedure that promotes patient comfort, convenience, and privacy. Despite the advantages of this procedure, it is often overlooked in favor of electric suction or dilation and curettage, more extensive procedures that are associated with increased cost and post-procedural pain and bleeding. The goal of this study is to assess the attitudes, familiarity, and comfort towards …

The Impact Of Public Health Units On Mpox, Covid-19 And Flu Vaccinations In Louisiana, David Holcombe, Arundhati Bakshi, Joshua Mjolsness

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Louisiana Department Of Health Community Engagement For The State Health Assessment And State Health Improvement Plan, Alexander Hayley, Tewabetch Negatu

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Prescription Opioid Exposure During Pregnancy And Associations With Key Birth Outcomes: A Multistate Analysis Of The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Prams), Andrei Stefanescu, Jennifer Le, Rosaria Trichilo-Lucas

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.

Secondhand Smoke: An Examination Of The Public Health Issue In Marina, Eric J. Tallman

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Monterey County Tobacco Control Program is a public health organization that works to solve tobacco related issues in Monterey county. Secondhand smoke exposure is a major public health issue because of its dangerous effects on human health. This project is a research report on secondhand smoke in the city of Marina. The expected outcomes of this project were to educate readers, gain information, and find an effective policy for mitigating this public health issue. Components of this project include in depth research on secondhand smoke, survey conduction regarding Marina residents opinions about the issue, and data collection of tobacco …

If Stress Is The Lock Is Communication The Key, Riley Romero, Bailey Julian, Danielle Carter

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project was meant to analyze the possible issues high school student-athletes may face academically as well as mentally while in school. This issue is important to note because there is an increase in students participating in sports and the offered school support should reflect the growing population. An argument that was found was the possible overlook of the mental well-being of the student-athletes if they are academically succeeding or are accomplished athletes. The primary stakeholders perspectives chosen were current high school student-athletes because they are able to provide insight into the current issues that student-athletes …