Public Health Commons^™

Initial Assessment Of Community Midwives In Rural Pakistan, Abdul Wajid, Zubaida Rashid, Ali M. Mir

Reproductive Health

The goal of this Population Council study, funded by USAID through the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project, was to assess the potential of community midwifery services in rural Pakistan in order to provide necessary evidence for future decisions regarding the training, practice, and placement of community midwives (CMWs). The introduction of a new cadre of skilled birth attendants is significant, especially at a time when Pakistan is working toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The report makes the following recommendations: 1) opportunities for practical training should be followed meticulously; 2) selection criteria should be revised especially for …

Improving Maternal And Neonatal Health: Measuring The Impact Of The Paiman Project In Ten Districts In Pakistan—A Summary: Comparing Baseline And Endline Survey Findings (2005-2010), Pakistan Initiative For Mothers And Newborns (Paiman)

Reproductive Health

This is a summary of the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project’s endline report. The project interventions fell into two broad areas: 1) health systems upgradation and 2) behavior change communication/community mobilization. The thrust of PAIMAN efforts were aimed at reducing the health risk to mothers and newborns by increasing knowledge of danger signs, risks and birth preparedness and, most importantly, improving antenatal and delivery practices. The report concludes that PAIMAN has had a positive impact on overall maternal and neonatal health indicators; success has been recorded in almost all areas, albeit with varying degrees of coverage and …

Training Institutions For Community Midwives In Pakistan: An Initial Assessment, Zakir Hussain Shah, Momina Salim, Mumraiz Khan

Reproductive Health

This study focuses on the training of community midwives (CMWs) in Pakistan, to specifically look at the institutions providing CMW training to see what resources (both physical and human resources) they had available and how these resources were being utilized. This study served as an early evaluation of the trainings and upgrades by the PAIMAN project, to assess how their interventions fared, and provides documentation for future decisions regarding the management, training, and practice of CMWs in Pakistan. As Pakistan transitions from a country with a high level of home births to a country where most births take place in …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Home Administration Of Misoprostol In The Prevention Of Postpartum Hemorrhage In Rural Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Abdul Wajid, Sadaf Gull

Reproductive Health

This report details an operations research project carried out by the Population Council as part of the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns. The overall goal of the project was to test the feasibility of administering misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in a home setting through community‐based healthcare providers, including traditional birth attendants (TBAs), or family members, in two districts of Pakistan. Furthermore, it aimed to identify common side effects of misoprostol and determine the reduction in demand for referral due to PPH after oral ingestion of misoprostol. The results provide a useful addition to the literature …

Encouraging Abandonment Of Fgm/C Among The Somali Community In Wajir, Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes key achievements of a two-year project to foster community‐wide abandonment of FGM/C by developing and testing the feasibility of working closely with communities highly resistant to external influences. The diagnostic study aimed to identify culturally appropriate empowerment strategies for women and youth in the Somali community.

Assessing The Potential Acceptability Of A New Cadre Of Community Midwives For Pregnancy And Delivery Related Care In Rural Pakistan: Findings From A Qualitative Study, Abdul Wajid, Ali M. Mir, Zubaida Rashid, Abida Aziz

Reproductive Health

The Population Council designed an operations research study to assess the potential acceptability of a new cadre of community midwives (CMWs) for pregnancy and delivery-related care in rural Pakistan. Specific objectives of the study were to determine the need for skilled birth attendants, identify any misconceptions in the community about CMWs, determine levels of acceptance in the community, and explore barriers to the placement of CMWs in the community. The report recommends sensitizing family members so they are more willing to grant permission for pregnant women to consult CMWs, developing flexible fee structures, giving clients greater accessibility, building a network …

Process Evaluation Of Community Mobilization Activities, Zakir Hussain Shah

Reproductive Health

This report presents the findings of a process evaluation by the Population Council of community mobilization (CM) activities implemented under the PAIMAN project in Pakistan. PAIMAN developed a comprehensive communication, advocacy, and mobilization (CAM) strategy to increase knowledge and awareness of harmful practices among women and their family and to improve their health-seeking behaviors. The CAM roadmap acknowledges the importance of engaging communities in order to achieve behavior change and links clients with providers and services. The main objective of this evaluation was to assess the process of CM implementation and to identify its gaps in order to develop corrective …

The Pregnancy Cycle Approach To Safe Motherhood, Saumya Ramarao, Sarah Raifman

Reproductive Health

The Population Council's Reproductive Health program partnered with the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF), the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), and the PAC Consortium, to address the UN Millenium Development Goal of improving maternal health, and reducing child mortality. Specifically this brief examines the pregnancy cycle approach whereby women’s needs from facilitating a desired pregnancy to successful parturition are addressed in a range of settings—home, community and health facility. This brief covers the different stages including abortion and postabortion care, antenatal care, delivery, and postpartum and beyond.

Improving Quality Of Health Care For Gender-Based Violence Victims At Health Facilities In Viet Nam, Mai Quoc Tung, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, Jane H. Patten

Reproductive Health

This report presents the results of the May 2009 baseline (pre-intervention) assessment among health care providers (HCPs), and the July 2010 pre- and post-Training of Trainers assessments among HCPs, in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Da Nang, regarding the issue of quality of care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) at health facilities in Vietnam. The views of HCPs detailed in this report represent an important foundation for project development and implementation in the study locations. The pre- and post-Training of Trainers questionnaire aimed to assess the HCPs on the topics covered in the training course. The results showed …

Role Of Information And Communication Technologies (Icts) In Behavior Change Communication In Northern India, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This research brief examines the growth of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and its uses in the health sector, as well as existing and emerging ICT applications that have the potential to rapidly accelerate the adoption of family health practices. It also looks at its use in behavior change communication strategies to deliver services for improving family health outcomes. The findings indicate that ICTs, particularly mobile phones are likely to have a wider reach among rural populations. It also recommends scaling up multiple interaction systems using ICTs.

The Role Of Traditional Leaders In Preventing And Addressing Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Findings From Kwazulu-Natal, Northwest And Limpopo Provinces In South Africa, Mantshi Teffo-Menziwa, Saiqa Mullick, Prince Cedza Dlamini

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, in partnership with the Ubuntu Institute, embarked on a program to engage traditional Leaders in three South African provinces (North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo) to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in rural communities. The overarching goals of the program were to strengthen linkages between the Population Council and traditional communities, generate and share strategic information on SGBV, strengthen prevention and response to child sexual assault, engage new partners to address prevention of and access to SGBV services, and expand access to comprehensive post-rape services by working with traditional leadership structures. Some of the key findings reflect …

Introducing And Pilot-Testing The National Guidelines On Integrating The Management Of Stis/Rtis Into Reproductive Health Settings In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Nathalie Broutet, Bartilol Kigen, Cosmas Mutunga, Daniel Sande, Nimrod Garama, Benjamin Tsofa, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed

Reproductive Health

This report evaluated a project in ten Kenyan health facilities. It examined the feasibility, acceptability and effect of introducing reproductive tract infection and sexually transmitted infection (RTI/STI) guidelines on the quality of care provided, and the incremental costs of integrating these services into existing reproductive health (RH) services; it also disseminated the results and lessons learnt within Kenya. Overall, the results showed that integration of activities to screen for and manage STIs/RTIs into RH services is feasible, acceptable to clients and providers, and effective in improving the range and quality of services offered to clients.

Emergency Contraception: Idea To Program, Saumya Ramarao, John Townsend, Sarah Raifman

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes the role of the Population Council in generating evidence, providing technical leadership, and demonstrating at scale that emergency contraception (EC) can be easily integrated into national family planning programs and other reproductive health services. Since the 1990s, the Population Council, along with other partners, has contributed to the changes seen in the provision and availability of EC, now available in over 140 countries around the world. While much progress has been made in the campaign for access to EC, the Council is committed to improving existing methods of service delivery and to leading advocacy efforts and research …

Emotional Comfort: Patient Perspectives Of A Therapeutic State, Anne Williams

ECU Research Week

Presented at the Celebrating Nursing Research Showcase within the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine

An Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Upper Limb Neuropathies In Different Types Of College Musicians By Use Of Neurometrix Device, Saunders Jones Jr., Christi Hernandez

Faculty Articles

In general, people who perform repetitive motions are often vulnerable to repetitive strain injuries. Because musicians must execute the same motion over and over again while practicing and performing their music, they are an example of a group that often develops these repetitive strain injuries. More specifically, musicians are known for developing neuropathies in their upper limbs, with carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome being most common. However, because of varying playing postures, all musicians may not be at equal risk for developing these two neuropathies, so the purpose of this study was to identify which musician group has …

Analytical Evaluation Of Dispersion Of Exhaust From Rooftop Stacks On Buildings, Ted Stathopoulos, Hajra Bodhisatta, Ali Bahloul

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

« Dispersion » permet de décrire la façon dont les effluents des cheminées ou d’autres émissions des bâtiments sont transportés et dilués par le vent soufflé à travers un regroupement de bâtiments ou ses environs immédiats. La pollution atmosphérique est extrême lorsque l’air présente un niveau de pollution excessif pendant plusieurs heures ou plusieurs jours, et il peut en résulter un grand inconfort, des maladies et même des décès chez les personnes les plus vulnérables. Il y a forte probabilité de pollution extrême en présence d’inversions thermiques persistantes et de vents …

An Evaluation Of A Community Dietetics Intervention On The Management Of Malnutrition For Healthcare Professionals, Sharon Kennelly, N. P. Kennedy, G. Flanaghan-Rughoobur, C. Glennon-Slattery, Sheila Sugrue

Articles

Background: Healthcare professionals working in the community setting have limited knowledge of the evidence-based management of malnutrition. The present study aimed to evaluate a community dietetics intervention, which included an education programme for healthcare professionals in conjunction with the introduction of a community dietetics service for patients ‘at risk’ of malnutrition. Changes in nutritional knowledge and the reported management of malnourished patients were investigated and the acceptability of the intervention was explored. Methods: An education programme, incorporating ‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)’ training, was implemented in eight of 10 eligible primary care practices (14 general practitioners and nine practice nurses …

The Cost Of Medication Errors In The Emergency Department: Implications For Clinical Pharmacy Practice, Benjamin Bowman

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Introduction

The main purpose of this capstone project is to provide an objective analysis of the cost of a medication error in the emergency department. The secondary objective of this analysis is to estimate the cost avoidance impact of providing clinical pharmacy services in the emergency department (ED).

Literature review

Previous literature has described the scope of clinical pharmacy services in the ED and has, to some extent, presented economic outcomes analyses of the impact of these services (Cohen et al., 2009; Lada and Delgado, 2007). According to Cohen et al., the current literature is still lacking a formal pharmacoeconomic …

Community Needs Assessment Of Mayasandra Village, Karnataka, India, Alexander Hernandez Holl

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Prevalence Of Oral Mucosal Lesions And Related Risk Habits In Outpatient Dental Clinics In Malaysia And Yemen., Raji M. S. Hajeb

Student Works (2010-2019)

The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OML) and related risk habits and the influence of these habits on oral mucosal lesion prevalence among dental outpatients in Malaysia and Yemen during the period from May to October 2009. A total of 554 and 520 dental outpatients from Malaysia and Yemen with mean ages of 41.9± 17.04 years and 36.6±15.62 years respectively were interviewed and examined. The prevalence of OML namely (oral malignant lesions, potentially malignant disorders and other lesions) in Malaysia was 23.29% while the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in …

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment And Risk Control (Hirarc) In A Corrugated Box Manufacturer., Fraziel Barahim

Student Works (2010-2019)

Packaging is one of the biggest industries in the world. It involves paper, glass,metal, flexible and plastic. The corrugated paper packaging worldwide has been growing at 3% to 4% per annum. In line with the expansion of the corrugated paper packaging manufacturing, the potential hazards to human physical and health, property and the environment posed by its operations and production activities have created an increase in awareness and brought up safety issues amongst industry, government and public. The hazard identification and risk assessment plays a role in a number of areas in the safety management, including regulatory policies and guidelines, …

On The Eigenstructures Of Functional K-Potent Matrices And Their Integral Forms, Yan Wu, Daniel F. Linder

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

In this paper, a functional k-potent matrix satisfies the equation, where k and r are positive integers, and are real numbers. This class of matrices includes idempotent, Nilpotent, and involutary matrices, and more. It turns out that the matrices in this group are best distinguished by their associated eigen-structures. The spectral properties of the matrices are exploited to construct integral k-potent matrices, which have special roles in digital image encryption.

The Use Of Narrative Fiction To Spread Hiv Information In Papua New Guinea, Trevor Cullen, Ruth Callaghan

Research outputs pre 2011

The nature of media coverage of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) needs to vary in order to be sustained by newspapers—writing the same message, however worthy, loses impact over time. So an interesting innovation in the 2010 cover­age of HIV in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the publication of a serialised fiction story in the Post-Courier . It is the story of Vavine, a young girl infected with HIV , who is forced to leave her village after her parents' deaths from AIDS . She keeps her infection secret but because of her circumstances, she is forced to work in a …

Associations Between Mental Health And Diabetes: Findings From The South Carolina Medicaid Managed Care Program In 2006-2008, Ana Lopez-De Fede, James W. Hardin, Kathy L. Mayfield-Smith, Qiduan Liu

Publications

Objectives: To assess differences in services associated with mental health status and prescriptions among Medicaid patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Design: Secondary data analyses of South Carolina (SC) Medicaid enrollees. Participants: SC Medicaid enrollees with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (N5555) continuously enrolled in either managed care (MC) or fee for service (FFS) programs between 2006 and 2008. Main Outcome Measures: Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS)- based diabetes management service outcomes including: 1) whether the recipient received a nephrology exam; 2) the number of eye exams received; 3) the number of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol services received; and …

Future Demands For Services From Public Health Facilities In Uttar Pradesh, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A Population Council-led consortium in India conducted a study to assess (a) the expected workload of public health facilities, and (b) the extent to which the demand for contraception could be met by the existing health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, following the implementation of behavior change communication (BCC) activities. This policy brief recommends that BCC efforts create demand for services and address perceptions that it is “not necessary” to access health care services. BCC must play a greater role in motivating women to move to facilities not just for institutional delivery but for other services as well. BCC can also …

Increasing The Practice Of Thermal Care To Prevent Newborn Hypothermia: Implications For Behavior Change Communication In Rural Uttar Pradesh, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to assess current newborn bathing practices and the methods adopted to keep the baby warm immediately after birth; explore the beliefs that guide these customs and practices; identify the barriers and facilitating factors in adopting healthy newborn care practices, such as skin-to-skin contact (STSC); and identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of newborn care practices. Barriers included misconceptions about the consequences of bathing a newborn and a lack of awareness among mothers and health workers about STSC. Facilitating factors included contact …

Une Bonne Surveillance De La Grossesse Pour Préparer L'Accouchement, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This brief reports on a situation analysis conducted to provide basic information to help Senegal’s SMNI/PF/PALU program identify priority intervention areas or readjust the interventions originally proposed. More specifically, the analysis aimed to assist in the development of the integrated RH service package to be implemented at the service delivery points and to develop the training resources needed for capacity-building among providers and for the organization of services. The analysis recommends: dissemination of new procedures and protocols and orientation of providers, with a view to improving implementation; providing supervision and post-training follow-up of providers; and orienting providers to the systematic …

Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

Maternal health complications, including those arising from unsafe abortion and miscarriage, are a leading cause of morbidity among women in Kenya. These realities necessitate interventions to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancies and to ensure access to quality care for women with postabortion complications. In response to this need, the RESPOND Project designed an intervention package aimed at increasing awareness and use of postabortion care (PAC) services and improving family planning, reproductive health, and maternal health outcomes. As part of the intervention, RESPOND works with districts and communities to: strengthen service delivery points to provide PAC services; conduct community mobilization to …

Pollution And Public Health In A Shrinking World: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations As A Paradigm For Emergent Needs In Environmental And Public Health Policy, Leland Stillman

Self-Designed Majors Honors Papers

Environmental factors play a major part in human health. Environmental pollutants are often as poisonous to humans as the environment. Presently, much time and energy is dedicated to keeping pollution apart from human society, with varying success. But as global population densities rise, current levels of pollution will become inviable due to public health concerns. An emergent example of this is in the concentration of livestock operations. Recent changes in the structure of U.S. hog farming have resulted in an industry-wide shift from small or medium production farms to high capacity, “concentrated animal feeding operations” (CAFO). These operations have become …

Integrating Diabetes Primary Prevention Into The Michigan Wisewoman Program, Kristi Pier

Michigan Journal of Public Health

No abstract provided.