Clinical Epidemiology Commons^™

Stroke Outreach In The Lao Community, Noor A. Dythavon

Master's Projects and Capstones

CNL Abstract

A community health needs assessment for the service area prompted concern regarding access to quality healthcare for non-English speaking Southeast Asians (SEA) in the area. Goals of an initial investigation and subsequent implementation of sustainable stroke health fairs for non-English speaking communities were evaluated to assess primary healthcare concerns that the SEA community face and to suggest long-term solutions to these issues. Initial investigation required researching population-specific minority health statistics to quantify the prevalence of chronic diseases and conditions which were prioritized in terms of needs versus disparities. Research came from evidence base practice guidelines and personal concern …

The Effect Of Agricultural Exposures And Genetics On Respiratory Phenotypes, Lisa W. Boyd

Theses & Dissertations

Agricultural workers are at risk for respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis, due to exposures and inflammatory agents found in their work environment. While previous studies have been conducted to examine agricultural effects of chronic respiratory diseases more closely, there are still several significant gaps in the existing literature.

This dissertation explores the relationship between agricultural exposures and respiratory diseases. Utilizing two populations, the Keokuk Country Rural Health Study and the AgLung Study, this research: 1) used principal factor analysis (PFA) to distill exposure data into essential variables characterizing long-term agricultural exposures in order …

Vitamin D, Calcium And Blood Pressure In The U.S., Sarah Bean

Master's Projects and Capstones

Vitamin D and calcium have received increased attention for their potential roles in improving cardiovascular health. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), may influence blood pressure by increasing gastrointestinal calcium absorption. The objectives of this study were to first examine the association between blood pressure and blood serum 25(OH)D levels, and then explore the interaction between 25(OH)D, calcium intake, and blood pressure. Cross-sectional analysis featured 24,844 U.S. adults aged 20-80 years from three cycles of the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES 2001-2006). Linear regression models were used to determine the adjusted association of 25(OH)D categories with …

Association Between Pregnancy Intention And Maternal Characteristics, Outcomes, And Cost Of Care: A Pilot Study, Kristy M. Kelel, Kiley B. Vander Wyst, Danielle M. Greer, Danish Siddiqui

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: An estimated 51% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. In Wisconsin, unplanned pregnancies account for 40% of all pregnancies and cost $148 million in public funds. Unintended pregnancy, which creates increased hardship for mothers and threatened well-being of infants, has been recognized as an important health, social and economic problem.

Purpose: To determine the pregnancy intentions of postpartum women and the maternal characteristics, outcomes and costs of care associated with unintended pregnancies at a large urban hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Methods: Postpartum women were surveyed prior to discharge. The 20-item survey included whether or not the woman …

Determining The Incidence And Factors Of Cardiotoxicity In Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Anthracycline And/Or Trastuzumab-Containing Regimen At Aurora Health Care, Stephanie Ghojallu, Matthew Rappelt, Han-Yang Chen, Ruth Perez, Lydia Garlie, Geoffrey Riddell, Yingying Gu, Jun Zhang, Rubina Qamar, Bijoy K. Khandheria, Arshad Jahangir, Yang Shi

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Anthracycline and trastuzumab are common breast cancer treatments. While improving survival, they elevate risk of congestive heart failure. The incidence of cardiotoxicity (CTx) with these therapies varies in the literature from 10% to 59%, higher than those reported in clinical trials (4%–10%) that excluded patients with preexisting cardiovascular comorbidities. Studies have failed to establish consensus on the risk factors for CTx associated with these therapies.

Purpose: We aim to determine the incidence and risk factors of CTx in breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline and/or trastuzumab at Aurora Health Care.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with breast cancer …

Changing Diagnostic Methods And Increased Detection Of Verotoxigenic Escherichia Coli, Ireland, Thomas Rice, Noreen Quinn, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The recent paradigm shift in infectious disease diagnosis from culture-based to molecular-based approaches is exemplified in the findings of a national study assessing the detection of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in Ireland. The methodologic changes have been accompanied by a dramatic increase in detections of non-O157 verotoxigenic E. coli serotypes.

Advancing Population Health: New Models And The Role Of Research. An Overview Of The 22nd Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, Robert T. Greenlee, Lois E. Lamerato, Sarah M. Greene

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN; formerly HMO Research Network) held its annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in April 2016. A consortium of research organizations affiliated with 20 large health care delivery systems, the HCSRN met for the 22^nd consecutive year to report on scientific achievements, develop and share skills and best practices, and promote new research collaborations. The 2016 conference, with a theme of “Advancing Population Health: New Models and the Role of Research,” was co-hosted on behalf of HCSRN by Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation and Henry Ford Health System’s Public Health Sciences Department. The 350 conference …

Surveillance, Epidemiological, And Virological Detection Of Highly Pathogenic H5n1 Avian Influenza Viruses In Duck And Poultry From Bangladesh, Wahedul Karim Ansari, Md Safiullah Parvej, Mohamed E. El Zowalaty, Sally Jackson, Stephen A. Bustin, Adel K. Ibrahim, Md Tanvir Rahman, Han Zhang, Mohammad Ferdousur Rahman Khan, Md Mostakin Ahamd, Md. Fasiur Rahman, Marzia Rahman, Khm Nazmul H. Nazir, Sultan Ahmed, Md Liakot Hossenn, Md Abdul Kafi, Mat Yamage, Nitish C. Debnath, Graba Ahmed, Hossam Ashour, Md Masoud, Ayman Noreddin, Md B. Rahman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) continue to pose a global threat. Waterfowl are the main reservoir and are responsible for the spillover of AIVs to other hosts. This study was conducted as part of routine surveillance activities in Bangladesh and it reports on the serological and molecular detection of H5N1 AIV subtype. A total of 2169 cloacal and 2191 oropharyngeal swabs as well as 1725 sera samples were collected from live birds including duck and chicken in different locations in Bangladesh between the years of 2013 and 2014. Samples were tested using virus isolation, serological tests and molecular methods of RT-PCR. …

Total Versus Partial Splenectomy In Pediatric Hereditary Spherocytosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Leonardo Guizzetti

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

To compare the clinical effectiveness of total (TS) or partial (PS) splenectomy in pediatric hereditary spherocytosis, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed (PROSPERO registration CRD42015030056). There were 14 observational studies comparing pre- and post- operative hematologic parameters. Secondary outcomes include in-hospital infections, surgical complications, symptomatic recurrence and biliary disease. TS is more effective than PS to increase hemoglobin (3.6 g/dL vs 2.2 g/dL) and reduce reticulocytes (12.5% vs 6.5%) after one year; outcomes following PS are stable for at least 6 years. There were no cases of overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis. A population-based patient registry is needed for long-term follow-up.

"What's App?" Utilizing Evidence Based Medicine Apps In The Clinical Setting, Kathryn C. O'Donovan

BU Well

The medical community has utilized evidence-based medicine, or EBM, in practice for decades, and healthcare personnel are used to the idea of utilizing research and statistics to determine the treatment of patients. However, as technology advances, the use of electronics and EBM apps has increased in the clinical setting. While there are advantages to clinicians having resources at their fingertips as they talk with patients, there are also hurdles that could harm or offend patients. So as healthcare inevitably becomes more and more electronic, can providers strike the balance needed to effectively use EBM apps in practice to provide optimum …

Global Trends In Cancer Burden Based On Geographic Location, Socio-Economic Status And Demographic Shift, Sanjib Chowdhury

Theses & Dissertations

The global burden of cancer is rising at an alarming rate. It remains as one of the top causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is predicted that within 2020, there will be 15 million new cases of cancer in the world, with cancer-related deaths increasing to 12 million. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global cancer burden is expected to surge 57% worldwide in the next 20 years. A significant rise in cancer burden will occur in the low-income and middle-income (developing) countries not only due to demographic shifts, but also by the transition of risk factors …

Modifiable Barriers To Optimal Outcomes In Gout Management, Brian W. Coburn

Theses & Dissertations

Improving patient outcomes in chronic disease is of critical importance to the future of health care. Gout, affecting 4% of the US population, is a highly treatable chronic disease from which patients experience unnecessarily suboptimal outcomes. In this dissertation, I demonstrate how interrelated patient and provider factors affect patient outcomes in gout. First, I describe how only 14% of gout patients know their serum urate (SU) goal for urate lowering therapy (ULT) despite otherwise being knowledgeable about gout and its treatment. I then demonstrate the importance of multiple patient and provider factors in achieving SU goal. Specifically, I demonstrate that …

Geographic Distribution Of Maternal Group B Streptococcus Colonization And Infant Death During Birth Hospitalization: Eastern Wisconsin, Jessica J. F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Kiley B. Vander Wyst, Melissa A. Lemke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Maternal group B Streptococcus (GBS) can be transmitted from a colonized mother to newborn during vaginal delivery and may or may not contribute to infant death. This study aimed to explore the geographic distribution and risk factors of maternal GBS colonization and infant death during birth hospitalization.

Methods

We retrospectively studied mothers with live birth(s) in a large eastern Wisconsin hospital system from 2007 through 2013. Associations between maternal and neonatal variables, GBS colonization and infant death were examined using chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U and t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression models also were developed.

Results

Study population (N = 99,305) had …

Geodemographic Features Of Human Blastomycosis In Eastern Wisconsin, Megan E. Huber, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Jessica J. F. Kram, Melissa A. Lemke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Blastomycosis is an endemic fungal infection. In rural northern Wisconsin, blastomycosis cases are associated with certain environmental features including close proximity to waterways. Other studies have associated blastomycosis with particular soil chemicals. However, blastomycosis also occurs in urban and suburban regions. We explored the geodemographic associations of blastomycosis cases in the more urban/suburban landscape of eastern Wisconsin.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 193 laboratory-identified blastomycosis cases in a single eastern Wisconsin health system, 2007–2015. Controls were 250 randomly selected cases of community-diagnosed pneumonia from a similar time period. Geographic features of home addresses were explored using Google …

The Role Of Mathematical Modeling In Designing And Evaluating Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs, Lester Caudill, Joanna R. Wares

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial agent effectiveness continues to be threatened by the rise and spread of pathogen strains that exhibit drug resistance. This challenge is most acute in healthcare facilities where the well-established connection between resistance and sub-optimal antimicrobial use has prompted the creation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Mathematical models offer tremendous potential for serving as an alternative to controlled human experimentation for assessing the effectiveness of ASPs. Models can simulate controlled randomized experiments between groups of virtual patients, some treated with the ASP measure under investigation, and some without. By removing the limitations inherent in human experimentation, including health risks, study …

Detroit Health Department: Lead Report 2016, Abdul El-Sayed, Alex B. Hill, Haifa Haroon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

The Epidemiology team at the Detroit Health Department rigorously stress- tested Detroit’s lead numbers. The findings suggest a true decline in EBLL levels rather than a decrease in lead testing or a change in the characteristics of the children who are being tested.

Expression Of Complement And Toll-Like Receptor Pathway Genes Is Associated With Malaria Severity In Mali: A Pilot Case Control Study, Rafal S. Sobota, Antoine Dara, Jessica E. Manning, Amadou Niangaly

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: The host response to infection by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite most often responsible for severe malaria, ranges from asymptomatic parasitaemia to death. The clinical trajectory of malaria is influenced by host genetics and parasite load, but the factors determining why some infections produce uncomplicated malaria and some proceed to severe disease remain incompletely understood.

Methods: To identify molecular markers of severe falciparum malaria, human gene expression patterns were compared between children aged 6 months to 5 years with severe and uncomplicated malaria who were enrolled in a case–control study in Bandiagara, Mali. Microarrays were used to obtain expression …

Defining Quality In Medical Practice, Nicholas E. Boggs

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

We need physicians who are willing to participate in creating the standard of care, and to hold insurance companies accountable for real evidence-based quality markers. Only then will patients receive adequate care and we as educators in medicine be able to adequately teach the next generation of physicians.

A Model For Hiv Disclosure Of A Parent's And/Or A Child's Illness, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an …

Racial Disparities In Outcomes Following Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience, Vani Nilakantan, Maharaj Singh, Ruth M. Perez, Yang Shi, Ahmed Dalmar, Brittany T. Last, Ajay Sahajpal

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Kidney transplantation remains the best treatment option for end-stage renal disease. However, despite overall improvements in patient and graft survival rates after kidney transplantation, differences in outcomes still exist among different racial and ethnic groups, with African-Americans having lower graft survival. Gaps continue to exist in the understanding of how demographic factors contribute to the varying outcomes among racial/ethnic groups.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated kidney transplant outcomes in four racial/ethnic groups over a 12-year period at a large tertiary care center. Primary and secondary study outcomes were patient and graft survival across groups. To determine factors that might predict …

Models For Hsv Shedding Must Account For Two Levels Of Overdispersion, Amalia Magaret

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We have frequently implemented crossover studies to evaluate new therapeutic interventions for genital herpes simplex virus infection. The outcome measured to assess the efficacy of interventions on herpes disease severity is the viral shedding rate, defined as the frequency of detection of HSV on the genital skin and mucosa. We performed a simulation study to ascertain whether our standard model, which we have used previously, was appropriately considering all the necessary features of the shedding data to provide correct inference. We simulated shedding data under our standard, validated assumptions and assessed the ability of 5 different models to reproduce the …

Symptom Patterns Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Deaf Trauma Survivors, Melissa L. Anderson, Amanda Sortwell, Kelly S. Wolf Craig, Douglas M. Ziedonis

JADARA

Details about Deaf people’s pattern of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms remain relatively unknown due to inaccessible methods used in most epidemiological research. We conducted semi-structured American Sign Language interviews with 16 trauma-exposed Deaf individuals to explore their PTSD symptom patterns. Half met criteria for current PTSD, a rate higher than the general population. Underlying this disparity may be heightened rates of dissociation and psychogenic amnesia reported by many Deaf trauma survivors. Future research with large samples of Deaf survivors is needed to clarify this hypothesis, and to inform interventions that more accurately target Deaf people’s pattern of trauma symptoms.

Google Flu Trends Spatial Variability Validated Against Emergency Department Influenza-Related Visits., Joseph Jeffrey Klembczyk, Mehdi Jalalpour, Scott Levin, Raynard E Washington, Jesse M. Pines, Richard E Rothman, Andrea Freyer Dugas

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a deadly and costly public health problem. Variations in its seasonal patterns cause dangerous surges in emergency department (ED) patient volume. Google Flu Trends (GFT) can provide faster influenza surveillance information than traditional CDC methods, potentially leading to improved public health preparedness. GFT has been found to correlate well with reported influenza and to improve influenza prediction models. However, previous validation studies have focused on isolated clinical locations.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to measure GFT surveillance effectiveness by correlating GFT with influenza-related ED visits in 19 US cities across seven influenza seasons, and to …

Adolescent Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Suicide, Stigma, And Help-Seeking Behavior, Julia M. Hollinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents and represents a major national health concern (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, [AFSP], 2015; (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Because adolescents spend the majority of their day at school (Erbacher, Singer, & Poland, 2015), the effectiveness of school-based suicide prevention programs may be improved through better understanding of adolescents’ views on the subject of suicide and the factors that may influence participation in prevention efforts. The present study explored the attitudes and perceptions of seventh grade students from a suburban middle school in Pennsylvania, using archival survey data. Variables that …

Improving The Inference Of Some Experiemtal Studies By Using Ranked Auxiliary Covariates, Rajai Jabrah

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In many studies, the measurement of sampling units according to the response variable is costly or time consuming, however, it is possible to rank sampling units according to baseline auxiliary covariates, which are available, easily obtainable, and cost efficient. In these cases, when estimating the population mean, Ranked Set Sampling (RSS) can be a more efficient sampling method than the Simple Random Sampling (SRS) method. In this dissertation, we propose a modified approach of the RSS method to allocate units into an experimental study, aimed to compare two or more groups.

Ranked auxiliary covariates, which are typically correlated with the …

Spatiotemporal Pattern Analysis Of Scarlet Fever Incidence In Beijing, China, 2005–2014, Gehendra Mahara, Chao Wang, Da Huo, Qin Xu, Fangfang Huang, Lixin Tao, Jin Guo, Kai Cao, Liu Long, Jagadish K. Chhetri, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Quanyi Wang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

To probe the spatiotemporal patterns of the incidence of scarlet fever in Beijing, China, from 2005 to 2014.

Methods:

A spatiotemporal analysis was conducted at the district/county level in the Beijing region based on the reported cases of scarlet fever during the study period. Moran’s autocorrelation coefficient was used to examine the spatial autocorrelation of scarlet fever, whereas the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic was used to determine the hotspot incidence of scarlet fever. Likewise, the space-time scan statistic was used to detect the space-time clusters, including the relative risk of scarlet fever incidence across all settings.

Results:

A total of …

Job Stress, Inflammation, And Atherosclerosis: A Reflection, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Stress in general has been associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis (Sapolsky, 2004; Slavich and Irwin, 2014). The accumulation of inadequately controlled studies has become a concern (Bianchi, 2016; Schonfeld & Bianchi, 2016). Stronger efforts should be made to take into account both empirically identified and theoretically likely confounders in this research field. Assessing the contribution of job-related factors to given outcomes without simultaneously considering the role of relevant non-job factors is unwarranted. Results from inadequately controlled studies can lead to our making ineffective, or even counter-productive, decisions in terms of public health policies.