Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Patient-Centered Medical Home Adoption In School-Based Health Centers, Abbey Gregg

Theses & Dissertations

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is promoted as a primary care delivery design that can improve health care quality and patient outcomes while controlling health care costs. To achieve PCMH recognition, primary care providers must implement practice-level changes in order to deliver care that is comprehensive, coordinated, accessible, high quality, and whole-person oriented. This practice transformation requires advanced use of health information technology, staff investment in quality improvement and care coordination, and significant investments of both financial and human resources to support these activities. As a safety-net provider, school-based health centers (SBHCs) serve vulnerable children that typically experience barriers to …

Sex And Sexuality Of Breast Cancer Survivors, Aja D. Kneip Pelster

Theses & Dissertations

With new diagnostic technologies and treatment modalities available, more people than ever are living as cancer survivors in the United States. A large group of this population consists of breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this research was to explore the intersection of breast cancer survivorship, at points beyond the termination of treatment, and sexuality, including expressions and performance of gender, relationships, and sexual behavior. The current study used semi-structured interviews, conducted with 21 Midwestern women at least 6-months post-treatment, to better understand the intersection of these two concepts. Following traditions of narrative and phenomenological qualitative research, the women’s own …

Epidemiologic And Clinical Profiles Of Uterine Cancer In The Gharbiah Province Of Egypt, Saad Alshahrani

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Uterine cancer is one of the top-ranking cancers of women with wide international variations in incidence rates. Egypt has a lower incidence of uterine cancer than other countries in the Middle East. In addition to the international incidence variation, there are also wide variations in incidence by rural and urban areas within countries. Therefore, this research project focused on the Gharbiah province, north of Cairo in the Nile Delta, with the aims of investigating demographic and clinical characteristics of uterine cancer, assessing rural/urban variation in incidence rates, and evaluating the possible role of hysterectomy in under-estimating the disease incidence …

Epigenetic Modifications Of Human Placenta Associated With Preterm Birth, Drissa Toure

Theses & Dissertations

Preterm birth is a complex multifactorial process. Despite the well-known role of the placenta in supporting the fetal development and maternal-fetal tolerance, the placental epigenetic modifications and preterm birth (PTB) remains poorly understood and under investigated. Various maternal and environment factors can influence epigenetic programming during fetal development to affect the functioning and structures of organs, including the placenta, which can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including PTB. The understanding of the placental epigenetic alterations and maternal determinants associated with PTB are apparently indispensable for the development of actual diagnosis and methods of prevention and treatment of premature labor. The …

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle

Theses & Dissertations

Background: When determining eligibility for kidney transplantation, body mass index (BMI) is often a debatable criterion for transplant due to the clinical indication, an elevated BMI has adverse effects on kidney transplant outcomes. There is a current gap in research on the effect BMI has on kidney transplant outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the role BMI plays in post-kidney transplant clinical outcomes including delayed graft function, new onset diabetes after transplant, wound complications, hospital length of stay, albumin, and readmissions to the hospital from initial hospitalization and at six months following kidney transplantation. The primary …

Roles Of Serum Lycopene In The Prevalence And Mortality Of Metabolic Syndrome In The Adult Population, Guang-Ming Han

Theses & Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic disorders, including increased fasting glucose, blood pressure, plasma triglyceride, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and abdominal obesity. It leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The growing prevalence of MetS is strongly related to the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity. As an antioxidant, lycopene can reduce the risk of MetS. However, it is unclear whether lycopene has similar effects among overweight/obese individuals and whether lycopene can reduce the risk of mortality among individuals with MetS. The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of lycopene in the prevalence and …