Public Health Commons^™

Sedentary Leisure Behaviour, Physical Activity, And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Evidence From A Mendelian Randomization Analysis, Shan Lu, Yahong Zhu, Mingyu Cui, Zheng Guo, Xingang Li, Ying Song

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common worldwide. Although associations between sedentary behaviour (LSBs), physical activity (PAs), and GERD have been reported, their causal relationships remain unclear. This study uses Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine these associations with GERD. Methods: Genetic instruments from the UK Biobank and other consortia were utilized to assess the causal relationship between LSBs, PAs, and GERD. Causal analyses employed inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted-median (WM), and MR-Egger regression. Sensitivity analyses included Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plot assessment. Outliers were detected using MR-PRESSO and Radial MR. A risk …

Automated Abdominal Aortic Calcification And Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events In People Undergoing Osteoporosis Screening: The Manitoba Bone Mineral Density Registry, Cassandra Smith, Marc Sim, Zaid Ilyas, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, David Suter, Siobhan Reid, Barret A. Monchka, Mohammed Jafari Jozani, Gemma Figtree, John T. Schousboe, Joshua R. Lewis, William D. Leslie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) images from bone density machines enable the automated machine learning assessment of abdominal aortic calcification (ML-AAC), a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The objective of this study was to describe the risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE, from linked health records) in patients attending routine bone mineral density (BMD) testing and meeting specific criteria based on age, BMD, height loss, or glucocorticoid use have a VFA in the Manitoba BMD Registry. The cohort included 10 250 individuals (mean age 75.5 yr, 94% women without CVD) with VFA (February 2010 to March 2017). ML-AAC24 …

Exposures Of Western Australian Wildland Firefighters: Insights From Real-Time Monitoring, Kiam Padamsey, Adelle Liebenberg, Ruth Wallace, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Inhalation of bushfire smoke is a risk to the health of firefighters, particularly across Australia where bushfires are becoming more frequent and intense. This study aimed to use real-time monitoring devices to assess the particle and chemical exposures of Western Australian firefighters during prescribed burns and bushfires. Methods: Participants included volunteer bushfire firefighters and forestry firefighters. Real-time gas and particulate monitors were used across nine unique fire events to evaluate the occupational exposures of firefighters. Findings: Firefighters (n = 40) were exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), particularly PM10, with concentrations varying widely between individuals and events. …

Musculoskeletal Injury In Australian Infantry Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Study To Understand Prevention Priorities, Joanne Stannard, Caroline Finch, Paula Dabovich, Lauren Fortington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injury patterns are under-investigated in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Subsequently, more evidence is needed to support injury prevention processes in this population. One difficulty in collecting injury information to monitor injury patterns within combat populations accurately is known injury concealment behaviors in such populations. This study aims to examine musculoskeletal injury epidemiology within Australian infantry battalions using a tailored approach to mitigate reporting avoidance. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey captured musculoskeletal injury information directly from personnel serving within 2 Australian infantry battalions. The survey requested information on participants’ injury frequency in …

Supraclavicular Nodal Metastasis At Primary Staging Of Prostate Cancer Using 18f-Psma-1007 Pet/Ct, Samuel Gitau, Jasmit Shah, William Olwit, Saeed Samnakay, Manel Haj Mansour, Khalid Makhdomi

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The most common sites of metastasis in prostate cancer are bone, pelvic and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, liver and lungs. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of supraclavicular nodal metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT which has hitherto been understudied.

Methods: 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examinations performed at our institution between June 2020 and June 2022 for primary staging of prostate cancer were reviewed to identify supraclavicular nodal metastasis from prostate cancer. Data variables included age, stage of disease, PSA level, Gleason score and ISUP/WHO grade group and how these compare with the presence of supraclavicular …

Social Media In Advancing Equity And Collaboration In Rheumatology: The Cordiality Review, Ihsane Hmamouchi, Nelly Ziade, Adewale Adebajo, Latika Gupta, Puja Mehta, Angela Migowa, Elena Nikiphorou, Noelle A. Rolle, Didem Saygin, Namrata Singh

Pathology, East Africa

Social media has transformed communication in academia and medicine, offering stakeholders innovative avenues for knowledge exchange and collaboration. The CORDIALITY review (soCial media fOR aDvancing equIty And coLlaboration In rheumaTologY) examines the impact of social media on education and information dissemination, patient education and empowerment, networking and mentorship, and research collaboration within rheumatology, when effectively used. In this narrative review, we consider the opportunities as well as the challenges related to each of these facets of social media use. With a focus on inequities faced globally, we give particular consideration to disparities by gender as they relate to the rheumatology …

The Importance Of Public Health In College Populations: Why Vaccines Are Important, Kashish Poore

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper examines the importance of vaccines in college populations, where high-density living environments create unique vulnerabilities to infectious disease outbreaks. Despite vaccine mandates at most institutions, research indicates that many college students possess incomplete understanding of vaccine mechanisms and importance. The paper addresses three interconnected aspects: the biological foundations of vaccine-induced immunity, the significance of vaccination in collegiate settings, and the current state of vaccine literacy among students. Historical outbreaks on campuses, including meningitis at Princeton and mumps across several institutions, highlight the consequences of undervaccination. Social media misinformation has contributed significantly to vaccine hesitancy, particularly since COVID-19. The …

Risk Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Deployment And Nondeployment Settings Among Members Of The Millennium Cohort Study, Jose-Miguel Yamal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To describe and quantify the prevalence and risk of deployment and nondeployment service-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) among participants of the Millennium Cohort Study.

Setting: Survey data.

Participants: 28 759 Millennium Cohort Study participants who were active duty, Reserves, or National Guard at the time of the survey.

Design: Cross-sectional secondary data analysis.

Main measures: Estimates of prevalence and rates of TBI were calculated. Multivariable Poisson regression estimated rate ratios of TBI overall and stratified by deployment and nondeployment settings.

Results: The rate of TBI over the 362 535 person-years (PY) was 2.95 p/100 PY. the nondeployment rate was …

Regional Lung Ventilation During Supraglottic And Subglottic Jet Ventilation: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial, Imme Roesner, Ahmed Khattab, Eugenijus Kaniusas, Lu Wang, Daniel I Sessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Test the hypothesis that the center of ventilation, a measure of ventro-dorsal atelectasis, is posterior during supraglottic ventilation indicating better dependent-lung ventilation. Secondarily, we tested the hypothesis that supraglottic ventilation improves oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination.

Background: Supraglottic and subglottic jet ventilation are both used during laryngotracheal surgery. Supraglottic jet ventilation may better prevent atelectasis and provide superior ventilation.

Design: Randomized, cross-over trial.

Setting: Operating rooms.

Patients: Patients having elective micro-laryngotracheal surgery.

Interventions: Patients were sequentially ventilated for 5 min with one randomly selected type of jet ventilation before being switched to the alternative method.

Measurements: Regional ventilation distribution …

Predicting Fatal Opioid-Involved Overdoses: A Social-Ecological Framework Matched To A Linked-Data Warehouse, Marc R Larochelle, Thomas J Stopka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: An estimated 60 million people used opioids non-medically worldwide in 2021. In 2019, opioid use disorder caused the loss of over 12.5 million healthy years of life due to disability and premature deaths, including those resulting from opioid-involved overdoses. Factors associated with opioid-involved overdoses are numerous, multi-layered, and interrelated. Using the social-ecological model as a foundation, we sought to comprehensively identify risk and preventive factors of fatal opioid-involved overdoses and operationalize them with quantifiable measures.

Methods: With our Community Advisory Board, investigators' expertise, and an examination of the literature, we created an expansive, opioid-overdose specific social-ecological model structured as …

Sequencing In Over 50,000 Cases Identifies Coding And Structural Variation Underlying Atrial Fibrillation Risk, Christopher M Haggerty, Nicholas A Marston, Lu-Chen Weng, James P Pirruccello, David O Arnar, Daniel Fannar Gudbjartsson, Helene Mantineo, Aenne S Von Falkenhausen, Andrea Natale, Arnljot Tveit, Bastiaan Geelhoed, Carolina Roselli, David R Van Wagoner, Dawood Darbar, Doreen Haase, Elsayed Z Soliman, Giovanni E Davogustto, Goo Jun, Jeffrey L Anderson, Jennifer A Brody, Jennifer L Halford, John Barnard, John E Hokanson, Jonathan D Smith, Joshua C Bis, Kendra Young, Linda S B Johnson, Lorenz Risch, Lorne J Gula, Lydia Coulter Kwee, Mark D Chaffin, Michael Kühne, Michael Preuss, Namrata Gupta, Navid A Nafissi, Nicholas L Smith, Peter M Nilsson, Pim Van Der Harst, Quinn S Wells, Renae L Judy, Renate B Schnabel, Renee Johnson, Roelof A J Smit, Stacey Gabriel, Stacey Knight, Tetsushi Furukawa, Thomas W Blackwell, Victor Nauffal, Xin Wang, Yuan-I Min, Zachary T Yoneda, Zachary W M Laksman, Connie R Bezzina, Alvaro Alonso, Bruce M Psaty, Christine M Albert, Dan E Arking, Dan M Roden, Daniel I Chasman, Daniel J Rader, David Conen, David D Mcmanus, Diane Fatkin, Emelia J Benjamin, Eric Boerwinkle, Gregory M Marcus, Ingrid E Christophersen, J Gustav Smith, Jason D Roberts, Laura M Raffield, M Benjamin Shoemaker, Michael H Cho, Michael J Cutler, Michiel Rienstra, Mina K Chung, Morten S Olesen, Moritz F Sinner, Nona Sotoodehnia, Paulus Kirchhof, Ruth J F Loos, Saman Nazarian, Sanghamitra Mohanty, Scott M Damrauer, Stefan Kaab, Susan R Heckbert, Susan Redline, Svati H Shah, Toshihiro Tanaka, Yusuke Ebana, Hilma Holm, Kari Stefansson, Christian T Ruff, Marc S Sabatine, Kathryn L Lunetta, Steven A Lubitz, Patrick T Ellinor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent and morbid abnormality of the heart rhythm with a strong genetic component. Here, we meta-analyzed genome and exome sequencing data from 36 studies that included 52,416 AF cases and 277,762 controls. In burden tests of rare coding variation, we identified novel associations between AF and the genes MYBPC3, LMNA, PKP2, FAM189A2 and KDM5B. We further identified associations between AF and rare structural variants owing to deletions in CTNNA3 and duplications of GATA4. We broadly replicated our findings in independent samples from MyCode, deCODE and UK Biobank. Finally, we found that CRISPR knockout of KDM5B …

The Cross-Sectional Association Between Lifestyle Behaviors And Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening Among Hispanic Women Along The Texas-Mexico Border, David R Lairson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Lifestyle behaviors may influence timely cancer screening, but their relationship is unknown among Hispanic women who have low cancer screening rates.

Methods: We used Cameron County Hispanic Cohort data from 2014 to 2022 to evaluate the relationship between lifestyle and compliance with mammography and Papanicolaou (Pap) screening guidelines ("up-to-date") among Hispanic women along the Texas-Mexico border. The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund scoring system characterized cancer-preventive lifestyle adherence. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between lifestyle behaviors and mammography and, separately, Pap screening.

Results: Among 385 age-eligible women for mammography and 412 age-eligible women for Pap test screening, up-to-date …

Training Protocol And Calibration Of The International Caries Detection And Assessment System In A School-Based Clinical Trial Of Elementary School-Age Children, Kila Johnson, Suchitra Nelson, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: This paper demonstrates International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) training procedures and inter/intra-examiner reliability for lesion severity, activity, and filling criteria in an elementary school setting.

Methods: ICDAS training was conducted in December 2021 prior to a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. A total of 59 children (6-8 years old) in grades 1-2 from one school in Houston, Texas were recruited. Two licensed dentists received a 5-day training from an ICDAS trainer at the participating school. Thirty-eight children were evaluated at least once by each dental trainee, and 18 had repeat examinations. The ICDAS criteria were used to classify …

An Adaptive Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Intervention For Youth With Hiv Through Text Message And Cell Phone Support With And Without Incentives: A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (Smart), Richard Zhao, Sylvie Naar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Youth living with HIV have low rates of medication adherence. Youth ages 15-24 years with adherence ≤ 80% or with HIV RNA PCRs (VL) ≥ 200 recruited through social media and clinical sites were randomized to brief weekday cell phone support (CPS) calls or daily, two-way, personalized text message (SMS) reminders for 3 months. Those with VL ≥ 200 or adherence ≤ 80% were rerandomized to receive SMS or CPS with monthly incentives for those utilizing the intervention at least 75% of days for 3 months. Those with VL < 200 or adherence > 80% after the initial 3 months were rerandomized to usual care …

Associations Among Shopping Methods, Diet Adherence, And Nutrition Knowledge Of Employed Primary Grocery Shoppers In Households With Children, Baylee Schneider

Master's Theses

Obesity is a prominent risk factor for chronic disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Obesity and chronic disease rates continue to rise, requiring a need for prevention and intervention efforts. The future role of dietetics is to provide treatment and prevention through holistic approaches, by understanding individuals’ habits that contribute to the onset of disease, specifically their food choices, grocery shopping methods, and influences that waver these selections. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between grocery shopping methods (online or in-store), Mediterranean diet adherence, nutrition knowledge, and food purchase patterns …

Geographic Disparities In Unpaid Caregiving, Emma Kathryn Boswell, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Nicholas Yell, Taryn Farrell, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Elizabeth Crouch Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose: An updated, nationally representative examination of rural–urban differences in the experiences, health, and well-being of caregivers is needed; previous research on this topic uses older data or has limited generalizability. This study examines rural–urban differences in the characteristics, experiences, and health of caregivers. Methods: The 2021–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 44,274 unpaid caregivers) was used, with rurality defined according to the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. Chi-square tests compared rural–urban differences in these caregivers’ characteristics, including demographic factors, caregiving intensity (e.g., weekly hours spent caregiving, reason for caregiving, past-month ADL/IADL assistance), …

Artificial Intelligence In Surgical Coding: Evaluating Large Language Models For Current Procedural Terminology Accuracy In Hand Surgery, Emily Isch, Jamie Lee, D. Mitchell Self, Abhijeet Sambangi, Theodore E. Habarth-Morales, John R. Vaile, E. J. Caterson

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The advent of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT has introduced notable advancements in various surgical disciplines. These developments have led to an increased interest in the use of LLMs for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding in surgery. With CPT coding being a complex and time-consuming process, often exacerbated by the scarcity of professional coders, there is a pressing need for innovative solutions to enhance coding efficiency and accuracy.

METHODS: This observational study evaluated the effectiveness of five publicly available large language models-Perplexity.AI, Bard, BingAI, ChatGPT 3.5, and ChatGPT 4.0-in accurately identifying CPT codes for hand surgery procedures. A …

"Distinct And Separate Issues": Examining Us Adults' Attitudes Toward Abortion During Covid-19, Maria Montenegro, Danny Valdez, Frederica Jackson, Wen-Juo Lo, Ronna C. Turner, Brandon L. Crawford, Kristen N. Jozkowski

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic reshaped people's healthcare experiences and access to healthcare, including abortion. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, some policymakers claimed that abortion is a nonessential service and should be restricted. In contrast, other policymakers contended that abortion is time-sensitive essential healthcare, and access to it should be protected. These efforts put access to abortion into the public arena during the onset of the pandemic. We examined whether people perceived the pandemic changed their attitudes toward abortion and their rationale for whether their support for abortion increased, decreased, or remained the same.MethodWe administered a web-based survey to US-based English …

Community Engagement Approaches And Lessons Learned: A Case Study Of The Precise Pregnancy Cohort Study In Kenya, Onesmus Wanje, Angela Koech, Maggie Woo Kinshella, Grace Mwashigadi, Alice Kombo, Grace Maitha, Nathan Barreh, Hiten D. Mistry, Marianne Vidler, Rachel Craik

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Community engagement (CE) has been recommended as an important ethical consideration for health research to enhance informed consent and exchange knowledge between researchers and community members. The purpose of this paper is to describe how CE was developed and delivered for the PRECISE prospective pregnancy cohort study in Kenya. PRECISE enrolled pregnant women in antenatal care, followed them up to the postpartum period, and collected data and biological samples to enable the study of placental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa. Initially CE was aimed at informing the community about the study, establishing communitywide acceptance of the research and addressing concerns about …

Risk Factors And Public Health Interventions Associated With Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Among Females Aged 10–19 Years In Kenya: A Scoping Review Protocol, Kimbley Asaso Omwodo, Abdu Mohiddin, Danielle Denwood, Augustine N. Gitonga

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background ; Adolescent pregnancy is associated with multifaceted challenges that impact countries’ health, education and economic stability. Despite ongoing interventions, in developing countries such as Kenya, adolescent pregnancy rates continue to be high. There is a need for more synthesised evidence on regional-specific risk factors to support tailored prevention strategies.

Objective; This scoping review aims to explore what is known about the risk factors and intervention strategies focused on adolescent pregnancy prevention in Kenya.

Methods and analysis; Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework combined with a three-step search strategy as recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute, relevant articles will be …

Robust Automated Method Of Spatial Resolution Measurement In Radiotherapy Ct Simulation Images, Pavel Govyadinov, Rick R Layman, Tucker Netherton, Raymond Mumme, Aaron K Jones, Moiz Ahmad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Variation in imaging protocol, patient positioning, and the presence of artifacts can vary image quality in CT images used for radiotherapy planning. Automated methods for spatial resolution (SR) estimation exist but require further investigation and validation for wider adoption.

Purpose: To validated previously existing algorithm for SR estimation and introduce improvements that make it robust to patient positioning, CT protocol, site, and artifacts.

Method: A reference algorithm based on the previous gold standard was recreated and modified to improve robustness. The algorithms were tested on three different datasets: (1) a cylindrical ACR CT QC phantom scanned using a Siemens …

American Association Of Physicists In Medicine (Aapm) Chapter Climate Check: Mixed Methods Analysis Of Survey Responses, Ashley J Cetnar, Ghada Aldosary, Meghan C Koo, Holly Lincoln, Angélica Pérez-Andújar, Samantha J Simiele

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) recently shared results and recommendations from its first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Climate Survey, which was designed to assess the climate at the workplace, the AAPM organization, and the AAPM regional chapter level. This work further explores the status of EDI at the regional chapter level.

Methods: AAPM's EDI Survey was distributed to 5500 members and had a response rate of 25%. In the survey, three open-ended comment boxes were provided for feedback, including one for regional AAPM members. Sixty-four percent of respondents indicated they were part of a regional …

Clinical Use Of Gafchromic Ebt4 Film For In Vivo Dosimetry For Total Body Irradiation, Emily Draeger, Fada Guan, Min-Young Lee, Dae Yup Han, William Donahue

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: In vivo dosimetry is a common requirement to validate dose accuracy/uniformity in total body irradiation (TBI). Several detectors can be used for in vivo dosimetry, including thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), diodes, ion chambers, optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs), and film. TLDs are well established for use in vivo but required expertise and clinical system availability may make them impractical for multifractionated TBI. OSLDs offer quick readout, but recalls have restricted their use. The purpose of this work was to validate the newly available Gafchromic EBT4 film for TBI in vivo dosimetry.

Methods: Film calibration curves were created under standard conditions …

Bevacizumab Beyond Progression: Impact Of Subsequent Bevacizumab Re-Treatment In Patients With Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, And Peritoneal Cancer After Progression, Amma Asare, Rebecca Ann Previs, Daniel Spinosa, Bryan Fellman, Amelia L Scott, May Mahmoud, Jean Hansen Siedel, Lauren Cobb, Pamela T Soliman, Anil K Sood, Robert L Coleman, Angeles Alvarez Secord, Shannon N Westin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: This study evaluated whether patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal carcinoma (OC) who are immediately re-treated with bevacizumab derive benefit after disease progression on a bevacizumab-containing regimen.

Methods: This multi-institutional, retrospective study compared patients with high grade non-mucinous epithelial OC who received bevacizumab followed directly by another bevacizumab-containing treatment regimen to patients who received bevacizumab followed by a regimen that did not contain bevacizumab (or received no further treatment). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan Meier product-limit estimator and modeled via Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results: Among 226 patients with OC …

An Automated Treatment Planning Portfolio For Whole Breast Radiotherapy, Hana Baroudi, Leonard Che Fru, Deborah Schofield, Dominique L Roniger, Callistus Nguyen, Christine Chung, Kent A Gifford, Tucker Netherton, Joshua S Niedzielski, Adam Melancon, Manickam Muruganandham, Meena Khan, Simona F Shaitelman, Sanjay Shete, Patricia Murina, Daniel Venencia, Sheeba Thengumpallil, Conny Vrieling, Joy Zhang, Melissa P Mitchell, Laurence E Court

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Automation in radiotherapy presents a promising solution to the increasing cancer burden and workforce shortages. However, existing automated methods for breast radiotherapy lack a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that meets varying standards of care.

Purpose: This study aims to develop a complete portfolio of automated radiotherapy treatment planning for intact breasts, tailored to individual patient factors, clinical approaches, and available resources.

Methods: We developed five automated conventional treatment approaches and utilized an established RapidPlan model for volumetric arc therapy. These approaches include conventional tangents for whole breast treatment, two variants for supraclavicular nodes (SCLV) treatment with/without axillary nodes, and two …

Global Burden Of Major Chronic Liver Diseases In 2021, Gong Feng, Yusuf Yilmaz, Luca Valenti, Wai Kay Seto, Calvin Q. Pan, Nahum Méndez Sánchez, Feng Ye, Silvia Sookoian, Giovanni Targher, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: This study utilised the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyse the rates and trends in point preva-lence, annual incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs) for major chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C,metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases.

Methods: Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for prevalence, annual incidence and YLDs were compared acrossregions and countries, as well as the socio-demographic index (SDI). Trends were expressed as percentage changes (PC) andestimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for the …

Global Burden Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatosis Liver Disease, 2010 To2021, Gong Feng, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Yusuf Yilmaz, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Cosmas Rinaldi Adithya Lesmana, Leon A. Adams, Jerome Boursier, George Papatheodoridis, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background & Aims :This study used the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyze the rates and trends of point prevalence, annual incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in 204 countries.

Methods :Total numbers and age-standardized rates per 100,000 population for MASLD prevalence, annual incidence, and YLDs were compared across regions and countries by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Smoothing spline models were used to evaluate the relationship between the burden of MASLD and SDI. Estimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardized rates per …

Church Leaders’ Health Behaviors And Program Implementation In The Faith, Activity, And Nutrition Program In The United States, Kelsey R. Day, Sara Wilcox Phd, Lindsay Decker, John Bernhart Ph.D., Mph, Ches, Meghan Baruth, Andrew T. Kaczynski Ph.D., Christine A. Pellegrini Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Church leaders are important to the success of faith-based health promotion interventions through the role modeling of health behaviors. However, clergy may be at a higher risk of chronic disease than their congregants and their health is understudied. This study examined church leaders’ health-related behaviors, differences in health behaviors by socio-demographic characteristics, and associations between health behaviors and church-level implementation of an ecological intervention. Methods: Pastors (n = 93) and church coordinators (n = 92) reported body mass index (BMI), self-rated health, fruit and vegetable consumption (F&V), and physical activity (PA) at baseline and 12 months post-training in the …

Thorium Ore Dust Research Applicable To Mineral Sands Industry Workers, Gregory S. Hewson, M. I. Ralph, M. Cattani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Historically, radiation exposure to mineral sands workers arose primarily from intake of thorium associated with monazite dust generated in mineral separation plants. Research investigations in the 1990s provided greater insight into the characteristics of inhaled thorium ore dust and bioassay studies inferred that some workers had accumulated significant lung burdens of thorium. Recent changes to biokinetic models have increased the radiation dose assessed to arise from thorium intake, raising questions on the appropriateness of current assumptions used in exposure assessment and feasibility of further bioassay research. Past radiation research undertaken in the Western Australian mineral sands industry is summarised and …

Modifiable And Non-Modifiable Risk Factors For Dementia Among Non-Hispanic White And Black Populations Aged 50-64 In The United States, 2006-2016, Jingkai Wei, Matthew C. Lohman Ph.D., Monique J. Brown, James W. Hardin, Chih-Hsiang Yang, Anwar T. Nerchant, Daniela B. Friedman

Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives

Research Design and Methods