Public Health Commons^™

Addressing Climate-Related Mental Health Disparities Amongst Black Communities In New Orleans And Surrounding Areas Like “Cancer Alley”, Megan Wardsworth, Kyle Mckinley, Britt Wray

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Ending The Hiv Epidemic Grant On A Baton Rouge Clinic’S Hiv Testing Rates, Muhammed Jawla, Sarah Northrup, Deborah A. Wendell

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Facilitators For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities, Caregivers, And Service Providers, Kelsey N. Witmeier, Gabrielle V. Gonzalez, Michael C. Norman, Mary H. Delahoussaye, P. Wilson, Tung-Sung Tseng

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Social Role Engagement On Physical Health In Prostate Cancer Survivors, Masuma Mannan, Tung-Sung Tseng, Hui Yi Lin

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Cancer Presenting At A Younger Age Among People Living With Hiv (Plwh), Herriethsiah Noah, Salum Lidenge, Huiyi Lin, Charles Wood

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Results Of Community Outreach And Education On Resolving A Diminishing Trend In Local Rodent Related 311 Calls, William Wisen, Mckenna Devlin, Malcolm Maclean, Rachel Denny, Claudia Regal

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned: Implementation Of A Social Drivers Of Health (Sdoh) Screener At A Federally Qualified Health Center (Fqhc), M. Peyton Simons, Elmore Rigamer

School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges: A Community Health Worker Training Course, Taylor A. Ramsey, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Phd, Otd, Otr, Dr. Sharita Ambrose, Dhed., Mph, Ches, Chwi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Building Bridges: A Community Health Worker Training Course is a comprehensive 20-hour continuing education course designed for community health workers (CHWS) who work with Black pregnant women. This training course was developed for and in collaboration with Allure Alliance Incorporated, a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of Black women through community programming, education, and advocacy. This training course reflects an interprofessional collaborative approach to addressing the racial disparities in the Black maternal health population in the U.S. The course includes evidence-based strategies and health management interventions derived from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th Edition (OTPF-4), …

The Association Of Sleep Quality And Depression On Having Three Vs. All Five Diagnostic Criteria Of Metabolic Syndrome, Nina Pollard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Metabolic syndrome is increasing in prevalence in the United States. To be diagnosed, three of the five diagnostic criteria must be met. There is a higher risk of metabolic syndrome due to lifestyle and social factors, with increased criteria occurring as an individual has unmet social determinants of health. This quantitative quasi-experimental/quasi-comparative study examined the association between education level, with sleep quality and depression as moderators, on a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome with all five criteria versus three criteria using a binary logistic regression while controlling for age, race, gender, income, employment, and marital status. Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological theory served …

Association Of Clonal Hematopoiesis Of Indeterminate Potential With Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Ckd, Yang Pan, Caitlyn Vlasschaert, Varun Rao, Elvis A Akwo, James E Hixson, Md Mesbah Uddin, Zhi Yu, Do-Kyun Kim, Alexander Bick, Bryan Kestenbaum, Michael Chong, Guillaume Paré, Michael Rauh, Adeera Levin, James P Lash, Manjula Kurella Tamura, Debbie L Cohen, Jiang He, Lee Hamm, Rajat Deo, Zeenat Bhat, Panduranga Rao, Dawei Xie, Pradeep Natarajan, Tanika N Kelly, Cassianne Robinson-Cohen, Matthew B Lanktree

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Key Points:

1. In patients with CKD, non-DNMT3A clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) was associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events.

2. There was no significant difference in the CHIP–cardiovascular disease association based on baseline eGFR, diabetes status, or race.

3. The protective effect of IL6R p.Asp358Ala on non-DNMT3A CHIP cardiovascular risk was similar to the general population.

Background: Patients with CKD are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) has been associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population, with a causal role observed in animal models. In the general population, the effect of …

Association Of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns With Female Reproductive Cancer Incidence And Mortality: A Systematic Review, Esther L. Farley, Scott Moore, Gary A. Giovino, Darryl Somayaji

Campus Research Month

Healthy plant-based eating, a health-related behavior that nurses may promote, has been associated with a decrease in multiple types of cancer. However, the association of a healthy plant-based dietary pattern with decreased female reproductive cancers has not yet been established.

This review of the literature followed PRISMA guidelines to search for the relationship between a healthy plant-based dietary pattern and incidence of and mortality from a breast or gynecological cancer diagnosis. Databases searched for this review included PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science.

We identified 27 publications that met the qualifications for inclusion. Twelve studies covered mortality from breast, …

Improving The Rates Of Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnosis By Increasing Provider Knowledge About Testing, Lauren Cunningham

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

There has been a significant increase in sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates since 2021. Though this issue is nationwide, rural providers require education regarding testing, screening, and transmission of disease processes. The infections with the most significant increase are gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The purpose of this project was to provide education to providers regarding local STI statistics, in addition to when to and not to test for sexually transmitted STI infections. Education was provided to three Advance Practice Nurse Practitioners about disease signs and symptoms, transmission, and local STI statistic rates. STI testing rates were observed three months prior …

Perceptions Of Campus Safety And Campus Carry Among Student Veterans, Kerwin J. Flaherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student veterans are an essential population for research but remain consistently underexamined in the literature. Similarly, veterans carrying firearms are an essential but under-examined topic in the literature. This study sought to address gaps in both domains by investigating student veterans’ perspectives on safety and firearms on campus, or “campus carry”. Campus carry refers to a set of policies that vary by jurisdiction but generally allow individuals to legally carry concealed firearms on all or some parts of a public university or college campus. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how student veterans in Texas perceive campus safety and how these …

Prenatal Exposure To Pm2.5 Concentration And Risk Of Preterm Birth In New Mexico; A Seasonal Pattern And Spatio-Temporal Modeling., Onyedikachi J. Okeke

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

This study investigates the association between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and preterm birth risk in New Mexico (2014–2021). Using descriptive statistics, time series models, and spatial analyses, findings show an average preterm birth rate of 14.87 per 1,000 live births, with moderate correlation (r = 0.727) between PM2.5 levels and very preterm births. While traditional models revealed no significant global effect, spatial methods such as Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Multiscale GWR uncovered strong spatial heterogeneity. PM2.5 effects varied by county (coefficients: -0.00154 to 0.00150), with clustering evident in 2018–2019 (Moran’s I = 0.155–0.174). Results highlight the limitations of global models …

Protecting Global Health Partnerships In The Era Of Destructive Nationalism, Maya Adam, Desiree Labeaud, Nokwanele Mbewu, Jennifer Gates, Randall Waechter, Mercy Borbor-Cordova, Lydiah Kibe, Sonia Alvarez, Annie Dori, Anil Bilimale, Meggie Mwoka, Jessica Deffler, Michele Spring, Avriel Diaz, Rachael Farquhar, Willy Dunbar, Comfort Phiri, Valerie Luzadis, Nicole Redvers, Cristina Alonso, Rosemary Rochford, Rachel Lowe, Kareem Coomansingh, Moses Laman, Rebeca Sultana, Sadie Ryan, Amaya Bustinduy, Anita Hargrave-Bouagnon, Shazia Ruybal-Pesántez, Zebedee Kerry, Trevor Kelebi, Samuel Mcewen, Leanne Robinson, Maritza Salazar Campo, Till Bärnighausen

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

74 - Age And Seasonal Blood Pressure Variation In People Experiencing Homelessness In Hampton Roads, Luke Ekdahl, Katherine Schaffer, Joshua Edwards, Kean Feyzeau

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Intro: For older community members experiencing homelessness, both their housing status and age are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Lack of consistent protection from outdoor temperatures are hypothesized to affect variation in blood pressure seasonally. In this study, we sought to compare older (55+) and younger (under 55) individuals in this cohort and identify within-group associations between blood pressure (BP) and mean daily temperature (MDT) as affected by season.

Methods: 301 patients from two student-run free clinics met BP inclusion criteria. MDT was sourced from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily dataset. Interquartile range method for outlier detection limited visits …

Understanding Challenges To Breast Cancer Screening For African American Women In Detroit: A Study Of Social And Healthcare Inequities, Miranda Goodson, Whitney Bowyer, Erika Lopez, Anna Lundh

Medical Student Research Symposium

African American (AA) women have lower adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines, which may contribute to delayed diagnoses and reduced survival rates. These disparities are often influenced by limited access to quality healthcare and persistent inequities faced within Michigan. With Detroit's population being 77% AA, examining studies focused on the experiences of Black women within urban healthcare networks is essential to understanding the connections between demographic, socioeconomic factors, and breast cancer outcomes. To assess these studies, a literature search was conducted using Ovid Medline yielding 24 associated articles.

Mammogram rates among AA women in Detroit remain low, reflecting a complex …

Characterizing Stroke Presenting To A Regional Referral Hospital Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Uganda: A Retrospective Analysis, Christopher Burant, Shirley Moore, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Stroke, a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, disproportionately impacts low and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which reports the highest stroke burden. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated this situation, emerging as a significant stroke risk factor. The pandemic also disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, affecting stroke management and care accessibility, and leading to deteriorated conditions in stroke patients upon hospital admission. In this pre/during COVID-19 pandemic analysis of acute stroke cases presenting to a Ugandan hospital, we investigated the relationship between stroke admissions, management and treatment outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective medical record review in …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis: Employment And Its Impact On Physical Activity, Academic Performance, And Quality Of Life Among Bellarmine University Students, Orlando Exposito Nuñez

Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Half of undergraduate students are employed, meaning they must balance work with academics, physical activity (PA), and personal responsibilities. This study examines the potential negative impact of employment on PA, academic performance, and quality of life (QOL) among college students. Methods: The cross-sectional survey comprised 125 Bellarmine University students (Age 21.07 ± 3.40; 52% female, 48% male). Measures included the RAND SF-36 for QOL, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and a custom academic and employment questionnaire. Racial and ethnic demographics included White (75.2%), Black or African American (11.2%), Hispanic or Latino (15.2%), Asian (4.8%), Multiracial (4.8%), …

Alterations In Dna Methylation, Proteomic, And Metabolomic Profiles In African Ancestry Populations With Apol1 Risk Alleles, Xinruo Zhang, Ashley W Scadden, Amarnath Marthi, Victoria L Buchanan, Yishu Qu, Kendra R Ferrier, Brian D Chen, Mariaelisa Graff, Julian Avila, Eric Boerwinkle, Steven Buyske, Clary B Clish, Dan Cruz, Myriam Fornage, Robert E Gerzsten, Christopher R Gignoux, Lashaunta Glover, Lifang Hou, Anne E Justice, Charles Kooperberg, Holly Kramer, Leslie Lange, Ruth J F Loos, Tara Matise, Josyf C Mychaleckyj, Opeyemi A Olabisi, Ulrike Peters, Laura M Raffield, Alex P Reiner, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Kent D Taylor, Bing Yu, Yinan Zheng, Kari E North, Amy K Mottl, Heather M Highland, Maggie A Stanislawski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Key Points:

1. We aimed to elucidate potential methylation, proteomic, and metabolomic mechanisms by which APOL1 variants may be linked to kidney disease.

2. We report distinct methylation profiling between APOL1 risk allele carriers and noncarriers, many near APOL gene family.

3. We report higher APOL1 protein and lower C18:1 cholesteryl ester in two risk allele carriers.

Background: The APOL1 high-risk haplotype has been associated with CKD and the deterioration of kidney function, particularly in populations with West African ancestry. However, the mechanisms by which APOL1 risk variants increase the risk for kidney disease and its progression have not been fully elucidated.

Methods: …

Clinical Practice Guideline For The Improvement Of Care Compliance Of Children Affected By Obesity, Denise Vaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is diagnosed in children with a weight that is above the normal levels for their age and height. This diagnosis can be made if the child's body mass index (BMI) percentile is equal to or above 95% for age and sex. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2024), BMI, an anthropometric index of weight and height, is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in meters), is used to assess if a child is underweight, overweight, obese or of healthy weight. The Cleveland Clinic (2024) noted that BMI …

Methods For Community-Engaged Data Collection And Analysis In Implementation Research, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Benjamin Springgate, Leopoldo J. Cabassa, Michelle Shin, Samantha Garcia, Benjamin F. Crabtree, Jennifer Tsui

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Community engagement is widely recognized as critical to successful and equitable implementation of evidence-based practices, programs, and policies. However, there are no clear guidelines for community involvement in data collection and analysis in implementation research. METHODS: We describe three specific methods for engaging community members in data collection and analysis: concept mapping, rapid ethnographic assessment, and Photovoice. Common elements are identified from a case study of each method: 1) selection and adaptation of evidence-based strategies for improving adolescent HPV vaccine initiation rates in disadvantaged communities, 2) strategies for implementing medication for opioid use disorders among low-income Medicaid enrollees during …

Lived Experiences Of Seropositive Msm Who Face Intersectional Stigma Regarding Hiv-Prevention And Care In California, Sagar Bedi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who are positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and identify as MSM (men who have sex with men), a population disproportionately affected by this disease, face complex struggles due to interplay between multiple forms of stigma, disclosure, and HIV risk behaviors. This results in delayed testing, poor treatment adherence, and decreased engagement in care. Despite the growing body of research on HIV among MSM, very few studies have explored the complex ways in which multiple forms of stigma intersect and impact the lives of Seropositive MSM. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perception and lived …

No Vaccine? Why Not: Causes Of Vaccine Hesitancy And How Governments Can Stop It, Alexander (Alec) Mccarty '25

Honor Scholar Theses

Vaccine hesitancy is a term that has entered the spotlight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With concerns about efficacy, safety, and individual choice, many people have developed a hesitancy toward receiving any vaccine, creating concerns for public and global health. Through responses from local and state health departments about their actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and through analysis of state vaccine rates based on political affiliation, this study suggests that vaccine hesitancy is a current issue that is likely politically motivated. States that are Republican affiliated have lower rates of vaccine uptake, and in turn they have higher …

Parasite Contamination Of Soil In Different Peruvian Locations And Outside Built Environments, Carlos Pineda, Maritza Dalí Camones Rivera, Eddyson Montalva Sabino, Lucia Estela Mejia, Katherine Elizabeth Keegan, Lizbet Pilar Patricio Alvarez, Javier Jorge Mora, Fernanda Espinoza Vega, Emilio Rey Mejia, Patrick Olivas Herrera, Elisa Palomino Pando, Zhen Zeng, Athos Silva De Oliveira, Maria Jose Villar Mondragon, Barton Slatko, Eric J Wetzel, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Soil is a reservoir for many parasites that can affect human and animal health, especially in tropical regions where soil-transmitted helminths and protozoa thrive. Understanding how environmental factors influence parasite distribution will provide a basis for relating how climate changes may intensify their impacts, altering parasite habitats and increasing transmission risks. We surveyed soil parasite prevalence, burden, and diversity in several different Peruvian environmental ecologies to catalog current parasite presence and provide a baseline for future surveys.

Methods: A total of 198 soil samples from 43 locations across three Peruvian regions-Tingo María (TM) (Amazon rainforest), Andabamba/Marabamba (A/M) (Andean highlands), …

Race Has No Impact On Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality, When Comparing Patients With Similar Risk Of Other-Cause Mortality: An Analysis Of A Population-Based Cohort, Shane A. Tinsley, Marco Finati, Alex Stephens, Giuseppe Chiarelli, Giuseppe O. Cirulli, Eric M. Williams, Chase Morrison, Caleb Richard, Keinnan Hares, Akshay Sood, Nicolos Buffi, Giovanni Lughezzani, Carlo Bettocchi, Andrea Salonia, Alberto Briganti, Francesco Montorsi, Giuseppe Carrieri, Craig G. Rogers, Firas Abdollah

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: Other-cause mortality (OCM) can serve as a surrogate for access-to-care. The authors sought to compare prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) in Black versus White men matched based on their calculated OCM risk.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for Black and White men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2004 to 2009, to collect long-term follow-up. A Cox regression was used to calculate the OCM risk using all available covariates. This calculated OCM risk was used to construct a 1:1 propensity score matched (PSM) cohort. Then, a competing-risks multivariable tested the impact of race on PCSM. …

Assessing Eye Care Needs And Service Accessibility In A Student-Run Free Clinic In An Underserved Urban Population, Hamza Khan, Arifbillah Sarowar, Olivia Jeakle, Sophia Griemert, Olivia Decker, Demetrius Moncrease, Timothy Page, Dominic Sacca, Anju Goyal

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Student-run free clinics offer valuable firsthand experience in providing care to uninsured and underserved communities. As efforts to enhance eye care expand over time, it is crucial to evaluate the accessibility and effectiveness of these services within the community. This study examines the demographics and needs of patients seeking eye care, as well as the availability of initial screenings at our clinic.

Methods: A retrospective review of patient charts was conducted for individuals who attended the Sight Saver’s free healthcare clinic to receive an eye exam. Data collected includes patient demographics, comorbidities, family history of eye-related diseases, visual acuity …

Building Empathy Through Storytelling: A Living Library Program Focused On Women’S Health, Jess King, Belinda Boelter, Catherine Medici-Thiemann

Posters and Presentations: Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library

An academic health sciences library hosted a grant-funded living library program titled “Bringing Stories of Women’s Health to the Forefront.” With a campus that is increasingly focused on incorporating the humanities into medical education, the library added to this momentum by offering a program which encouraged empathy through the art of storytelling. The program was delivered via three routes: an in-person event for the city’s metro community, a virtual event for the university community and their clinical partners, and oral interview video recordings that are hosted on the library website. In order to host a successful event that met the …

Does A Waiting Room Increase Same-Day Treatment For Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Pregnant Women? A Quality Improvement Study At South African Primary Healthcare Facilities, Ranjana M. Gigi, Mandisa M. Mdingi, Lukas Bütikofer, Chibuzor M. Babalola, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Andrew Medina-Marino, Christina A. Muzny, Christopher M. Taylor, Janneke H. Van De Wijgert, Remco P. Peters, Nicola Low

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Same-day testing and treatment of curable sexually transmitted infections (STI) is a strategy to reduce infection duration and onward transmission. South African primary healthcare facilities often lack sufficient waiting spaces. This study aimed to assess the proportion of, and factors influencing, pregnant women waiting for on-site STI test results before and after the installation of clinic-based waiting rooms. METHODS: We conducted an observational quality improvement study at 5 public primary healthcare facilities in South Africa from March 2021 to May 2023. The intervention was the installation of a waiting room in two clinics. Three clinics were used as comparators: …

Findings From A Qualitative Analysis: Social Media Influencers Of Color As Trusted Messengers Of Hpv Vaccination Messages, Amelia Burke-Garcia, Erin Cutroneo, Dasha Afanaseva, Kayla Madden, Angela Sustaita-Ruiz, Preethi Selvan, Estefany Rivera Sanchez, Amy Leader

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite HPV vaccination reducing the prevalence of cervical cancer by 90%, vaccination rates remain lower among communities of color due to vaccine hesitancy and mistrust in traditional public health messengers. The emergence of social media influencers, a newer kind of messenger, presents a unique opportunity to share immunization messages in new ways with a variety of communities. This paper reviews the qualitative findings from a study aimed at assessing influencers' perceptions of and approaches to sharing messaging about the HPV vaccine.

METHODS: Guided by several theories (Theory of Planned Behavior, Narrative Theory, and Opinion Leader Theory), the study team …