Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Physical Activity, Sleep Patterns, And Health Outcomes In University Law Enforcement Officers, Nicole C. Koebke

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Research indicates that law enforcement officers (LEOs) have a higher prevalence of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to the general population. Sleep deprivation and physical inactivity have been found to be related to many risk factors for CAD. This cross-sectional study examined the health status and the relationship between sleep and physical activity outcomes versus CAD risk factors among 27 University LEOs. The subjects’ health behaviors, and CAD and metabolic syndrome risk factors were described using basic statistics. Accelerometer derived sleep and physical activity outcomes were correlated to measures of health to identify potential relationships. 33% of LEOs were …

Factors Associated With Loss To Follow-Up Among Hiv-Infected Patients At An Urban, Hospital-Based Outpatient Hiv Clinic, Timothy J. Friel Md, Anthony Nerino, Lynn Nagel, J D'Aversa, Anthony Strobel, Dorothy Faulkner Phd

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Effects Of Policy Options To Mitigate The Effect Of Sea Level Rise On The Public Health And Medically Fragile Population: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua Behr, Anna Jeng, Hua Liu, Franceso Longo

VMASC Publications

A critical question related to climate change concerns to how rising sea level will affect underserved populations and medically fragile population in coastal zones and floodplains. As sea levels rise, coastal waters will regain near-tidal areas and co-mingle with human-made pollutants, resulting from decades of industrial and commercial activity. This poses potential threat and risks to public health and the environment. It is critical that decision makers will initiate a process of parsing resources to the mitigation and management of these issues. The purpose of this research is to model the inherent dynamics of this process and understand how near-term …

Appalachian Regional Model For Organizing And Sustaining County-Level Diabetes Coalitions, Richard Crespo, Molly Shrewsberry, Darrlyn Cornelius-Averhart, Henry B. King Jr.

Family and Community Health

This article describes a model for developing diabetes coalitions in rural Appalachian counties and presents evidence of their sustainability. The rural Appalachian coalition model was developed through a partnership between two federal agencies and a regional university. Coalitions go through a competitive application process to apply for one-time $10,000 grants. The project has funded 7 to 9 coalitions annually since 2001, reaching 66 total coalitions in 2008. Sustainability of the coalitions is defined by the number of coalitions that voluntarily report on their programs and services. In 2008, 58 of 66 (87%) coalitions in the Appalachian region continue to function …

Addressing The Challenges Of Reporting On Childhood Asthma In A Changing Health Care System: Building Better Evidence For High Performance, Meagan Lyon, Anne Rossier Markus, Maya Tuchman Gerstein, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Childhood asthma is a serious and costly chronic disease that burdens children and families as well as the health care systems that serve them. A key element to improving asthma outcomes is access to timely and useful data that can improve the quality of care and inform programs and policies to best serve those communities most burdened by asthma. This Policy Brief examines the nation’s data collection framework for childhood asthma and considers steps that might be taken to strengthen it, including the development, collection and refinement of community-level data to inform local health care systems. Through a review of …

High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (Hpv): An Emerging Health Issue For Women And Minorities, Dierdre O. Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancers worldwide. HPV viral DNA is found in more than 99% of cervical cancers. In addition to cervical cancer, HPV is also associated with some breast and oral cancers. White women have been showing a decline in breast cancer rates while black women are continuously showing higher rates of mortality from both breast and cervical cancer. Minority women are also more likely to receive a late diagnosis and are showing increased incidence of oral cancer, which makes study of HPV in women and minorities significant.

To date, …

Hiv Transmission Among Married Men And Women In Districts With High Out-Migration In India: Study Brief, Niranjan Saggurti, Bidhubhusan Mahapatra, Suvakanta N. Swain, Madhusudana Battala, Umesh Chawla, Alka Narang

HIV and AIDS

This brief describes a study examining the links between male out-migration and HIV transmission among married men and women and other mechanisms by which HIV is transmitted within marital relationships in districts with high out-migration.

Evaluation Of The Informed Consent Process For Male Circumcision Scale-Up In Swaziland, Barbara Friedland, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Meredith Sheehy, Paul C. Hewett

HIV and AIDS

This report evaluates the informed consent process for male circumcision conducted through the Male Circumcision Partnership for Swaziland, led by Population Services International, in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International, and the Population Council. The study assesses participants' comprehension of the circumcision process, the informed consent process, as well as the affect of male circumcision counseling on their experience.

"Knowing Myself First": Feasibility Of Self-Testing Among Health Workers In Kenya, Sam Kalibala, Waimar Tun, William Muraah, Peter Cherutich, Erick Oweya, Patricia Oluoch

HIV and AIDS

Report of a study exploring the feasibility and acceptability of free HIV home self-testing among health workers in Kenya, within the range of other HIV testing options available.

Evaluation Of The Informed Consent Process For Male Circumcision Scale-Up In Zambia, Barbara Friedland, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Meredith Sheehy, Paul C. Hewett

HIV and AIDS

This report evaluates the informed consent process for male circumcision conducted through the Male Circumcision Partnership for Zambia, led by Population Services International (Society for Family Health, Zambia), in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International, and the Population Council. The objectives of the study were to assess male circumcision clients' comprehension of the informed consent process, examine social norms and practices regarding informed consent for adolescents, compare clients' expectations and experiences, and make additional recommendations for improving the informed consent process.

Addressing The Burden Of Uncorrected Refractive Error In Mozambique, Stephen Thompson, James Loughman, Prasidh Ramson, Luigi Bilotti, Geoff Harris, Kovin Naidoo

Conference Papers

A situational analysis indicates a lack of eye health personnel who can and do refract. The logical course of action would be to train more eye health personnel. A conservative estimated annual burden of URE in lost productivity in Mozambique is $14,486,692. To achieve the V2020 target ratio, an extra 184 workers are needed in six provinces analysed.The analysis assumes the existing personnel are well trained and dedicate time to offering a refraction service. It also assumes that the patient receives the care they require. Other aspects of the situational analysis suggest this is currently not always the case. A …

The Affordable Care Act, Medical Homes, And Childhood Asthma: A Key Opportunity For Progress, Meagan Lyon, Anne Rossier Markus, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

The medical homes provisions of the Affordable Care Act offer a major opportunity to advance high quality, cost-efficient health care for children with asthma. This policy brief examines evolving national medical homes policy in a childhood asthma context. Following a brief background that examines childhood asthma and explores the origins and evolution of medical homes policy (a concept developed with children in mind), the brief then describes how the Affordable Care Act can advance the implementation of medical homes policies to improve health outcomes for children with asthma.

The Role Of Unrealistic Optimism In Explaining Preventive Behaviors In High Versus Low Endemic Malaria Settings In Belize, Daniel G. Handysides

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Of all the diseases an individual can encounter in the world, malaria is one of the most destructive. Simple measures like sleeping under a bednet would greatly reduce the burden (Abeku, 2007). When people estimate their risk relative to others, they are most often unrealistically optimistic, which may explain why those at risk often fail to perform behaviors, such as using a bednet that will reduce their risk. However, one study showed that people at high risk for malaria held pessimistic perceptions of their risk for the disease, but the reasons for this finding are unclear (Morrison, Ager, & …

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment - From Individual Risk Prediction To Estimation Of Global Risk And Change In Risk In The Population, John A. Batsis, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and risk prediction formulae such as the Framingham Risk Score have been developed to easily identify patients at high risk that may require therapeutic interventions. Using cardiovascular risk formulae at a population level to estimate and compare average cardiovascular risk among groups has been recently proposed as a way to facilitate surveillance of net cardiovascular risk and target public health interventions. Risk prediction formulas may help to compare interventions that cause effects of different magnitudes and directions in several cardiovascular risk factors, because these formulas assess the net change in risk …

Changing Po2licy: The Elements For Improving Childhood Asthma Outcomes, Anne Rossier Markus, Meagan Lyon, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Childhood asthma is a serious and chronic health issue that affects one in seven U.S. children and their families, compromising their health and quality of life and placing a heavy financial burden on families as well as an enormous strain on the health care system. Treating, managing, and ultimately preventing and reducing the burden of asthma represents a critical test of the ability of the U.S. health system – health insurers, clinical care providers, and public health agencies – to work together. Our investigation found that, as a country, we already know enough to act and improve life for the …

Prevention With Positives: How Do We Reach Them In The Community?, Avina Sarna, Jerry Okal, Stanley Luchters, Nzioki King'ola, Scott Geibel

HIV and AIDS

In the past, HIV prevention efforts have focused primarily on developing risk-reduction interventions for those presumed to be HIV-negative and therefore at risk of becoming infected with HIV. In recognition of the need for prevention among people living with HIV (PLHIV), programs have been initiated in Africa, but primarily in clinical settings for those who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is little knowledge about how to reach those PLHIV not on ART, and therefore not in regular contact with the health system or with effective prevention messages. This diagnostic study aimed to address the gap in information on how …

Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan

HIV and AIDS

RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.

The Neighborhood Cancer Center, Gregory R. Harper Md, Phd, Debbie Salas-Lopez Md, Mph, Keith J. Weinhold Mha, Elliot J. Sussman Md, Mba

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Does Admission Hyperglycemia Predict Intracranial And Extracranial Vasculopathy?, Ather Mohammed Taqui, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Saqib Ali Gowani, Bhojo A Khealani, Shafquat Rozi

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To study the association between admission hyperglycaemia and the presence and pattern of intracranial and extracranial vascular disease.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a major tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Patients who had presented with acute stroke and had undergone a carotid ultrasound doppler of the carotids and/or Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) of the brain were included in the study. A multiple logistic regression analysis of variables was done for an abnormal finding on each investigation.
Results: Out of the total of 216 patients, the age of majority of the patients (83.3%) was >50 years …

Inflammatory Biomarkers And Subclinical Atherosclerosis In African-American Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Sle), Edith M. Williams, Carlos J. Crespo, Joan Dorn

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Women with lupus are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous studies of atherosclerosis in SLE have not been representative of the minority groups most affected by lupus and its complications. Therefore, a study of 41 lupus cases and 83 controls was conducted to investigate the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and inflammation in African-American women. Participation consisted of a questionnaire, physical examination, fasting blood draw, and ultrasound of the carotid arteries. There were observed differences between cases and controls with regard to carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, although few reached statistical significance. Tumor …

Revisiting The Regulation Debate: The Effect Of Food Marketing On Childhood Obesity, Nicole E. Hunter

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Despite the widespread concern regarding childhood obesity, there is broad divergence of opinion regarding responsibility for the crisis. Whether the government, food industry, or parents are accountable has become the focus of much debate. Public health groups have attempted various strategies to confront childhood obesity, such as litigation, legislation, and government regulation. While many researchers and advocates agree that government should play an affirmative role with respect to childhood obesity, they are very much divided over what that role should be. For example, although none of these acts has become law, eighty-six bills have been proposed regarding obesity since …

Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission (Pmtct) Of Hiv In The Sub-Saharan Africa Region With A Focus On Uganda, Emily K. Franks

Senior Honors Theses

With the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the past thirty years, people of all ages, infants to elderly alike, all over the world, suffer from its adverse effects. Even an unborn baby in-utero can contract this virulent infection by means of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) (Sweeney, 2005). Infants and children diseased in this way comprise 90% of the estimated 800,000 new cases of HIV in children seen each year, but the region hit hardest, however, is Sub-Saharan Africa, with the country of Uganda historically having the highest incident rate for a time (Stringer, E.M., et al. 2008). Therefore, the purpose …

Commercial Sex Workers In Five Ethiopian Cities: A Baseline Survey For Usaid Targeted Hiv Prevention Program For Most-At-Risk Populations, Woldemariam Girma, Annabel Erulkar

HIV and AIDS

This report presents findings from a baseline survey of commercial sex workers (CSWs) that was undertaken in five Ethiopian cities. 2,050 CSWs were interviewed for the survey. CSW were disproportionally young and came from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds. Most respondents also cited negative working standards from another profession, or family responsibilities as reasons leading to sex work. Condom use was very high but use may be inconsistent or over-reported and should be studied further. Findings also propose additional advocacy for positive peer support groups, more HIV testing for at-risk populations, and addressing violence among CSWs and other Ethiopian women.

Lower Than Expected Morbidity And Mortality For An Australian Aboriginal Population: 10-Year Follow-Up In A Decentralised Community, Kevin G. Rowley, Kerin O'Dea, Ian Anderson, Robyn Mcdermott, Karmananda Saraswati, Ricky Tilmouth, Iris Roberts, Joseph Fitz, Zaimin Wang, Alicia Jenkins, James D. Best, Zhiqiang Wang, Alex Brown

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: Toexaminemortalityfromallcausesandfromcardiovasculardisease(CVD), and CVD hospitalisation rate for a decentralised Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. Design and participants: For a community-based cohort of 296 people aged 15 years or older screened in 1995, we reviewed hospital and primary health care records and death certificates for the period up to December 2004 (2800 person-years of follow-up). Mainoutcomemeasures: MortalityfromallcausesandCVD,andhospitalisationwith CVD coded as a primary cause of admission; comparison with prior trends (1988 to 1995) in CVD risk factor prevalence for the community, and with NT-specific Indigenous mortality and hospitalisation rates.

Results: Mortality in the cohort was 964/100 000 person-years, significantly lower than …

Birth Weight, Infant Growth, And Childhood Body Mass Index: Hong Kong’S Children Of 1997 Birth Cohort, L. L. Hui, Mary Schooling, Shirley Sze Lee Leung, Kwok Hang Mak, Lai Ming Ho, Tai Hing Lam, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Objective
To investigate the association between birth weight, infant growth rate, and childhood adiposity as a proxy for adult metabolic or cardiovascular risk in a Chinese population with a history of recent and rapid economic development.

Design
Prospective study in a population-representative birth cohort.

Setting
Hong Kong Chinese population.

Participants
Six thousand seventy-five term births (77.5% successful follow-up).

Main Exposures
Birth weight and growth rate (change in the weight z score) at ages 0 to 3 and 3 to 12 months.

Main Outcome Measure: Body mass index (BMI) (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in …

Healing Kentucky, Nancy Disher Baird

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Concurrent Panel Session 2: Health Challenges Facing Las Vegas, Carlos Brandenburg, Shawn Gerstenberger, Zaven Khachaturian, John Mcdonald, Dennis Pirages, Thom Reilly, Kathy Silver, Bonnie Sorenson, Carolyn B. Yucha, Maurizio Trevisan

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Moderator: Marcia Turner, NSHE Health Science System Scribe: Candace Griffith, UNLV Department of Sociology Conference white paper & Full summary of panel session, 8 pages

Food Facilities, Food Service Workers And The Flow Of Food: Food-Borne Illnesses In Taiwan's Preschools, Shu-Chen Lin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined food-borne illnesses in Taiwan's preschools which are a major cause of personal distress and preventable death. They are of particular concern in preschools as very young children are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Previous studies that comprehensively investigated the factors impacting food-borne illnesses in Taiwan were not found in the literature. The development of a universal food safety model is necessary as a means to measure relevant constructs. Application of the model should be able to prevent the occurrence of food-borne illnesses in organizations. This explanatory (correlational) study examined the relationships among food facilities, food service workers, …

A Computational Model For Analysis Of Uncoupled No Synthase On Nitric Oxide And Superoxide Interaction In Microcirculation, William Richardson, Mahendra Kavdia

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial cells is a key component for blood-vessel dilation. Dilation is achieved through smooth muscle relaxation as a response to NO transport. Inhibition of this process occurs through the inactivation of NO by reactive oxygen species, especially superoxide (O2 -). NO and superoxide react quickly, forming peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Both superoxide and peroxynitrite apply oxidative stress on vascular tissue. Experimental studies investigating NO interactions are difficult since these reactions occur rapidly and over small distances. This study presents a computational model to describe the interactions of NO, superoxide, and peroxynitrite across an arteriole/venule pair. Based on …