Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

How Has The Affordable Care Act Benefitted Medically Underserved Communities? : National Findings From The 2014 Community Health Centers Uniform Data System, Jessica Sharac, Peter Shin, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Community health centers represent the single largest comprehensive primary health care system serving medically underserved communities, operating in more than 9,000 urban and rural locations. Newly-released data for 2014 from the Uniform Data System (UDS; the federal health center reporting system) shed important light on the impact of the Affordable Care Act in its first full year of implementation in medically underserved urban and rural communities across the U.S. These communities experience elevated poverty, heightened health risks, lack of access to primary health care, and a significantly greater likelihood that residents will be uninsured.

The UDS data show the ACA’s …

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 …

Implementation Of Electronic Disease Reporting Systems By Local Health Departments, Gulzar H. Shah, Karmen Williams, Bushra G. Shah

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Background: Electronic disease reporting systems (EDRSs) are imperative for local health departments (LHDs) operating in the post-H1N1 and evidence-based public health practice era. Studies regarding functionality and factors responsible for variation in implementation are important but rare.

Purpose: This primary objective for this study was to provide evidence regarding the level to which LHDs have implemented electronic disease reporting systems and factors associated with variation in implementation of electronic disease reporting systems.

Methods: A quantitative analysis was performed of the 2013 Profile of Local Health Departments Survey conducted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The …

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern study shows overweight and obese teens think they’re ‘just fine’

Chhs August 2015 E-Newsletter,, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Exercise In Association With Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, And Cancer Among Middle-Aged And Older Chinese Women, Sarah J. Nechuta, Xiao Ou Shu, Gong Yang, Hui Cai, Yu-Tang Gao, Hong-Lan Li, Yong-Bing Xiang, Wei Zheng

Peer Reviewed Articles

Background: Little is known regarding the role of early-life exercise, a potentially modifiable factor, in long-term adult morbidity and mortality. We utilized the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS) to investigate adolescent exercise in association with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older women.

Methods: The SWHS is a prospective cohort of 74,941 Chinese women ages 40 to 70 years recruited from 1996 to 2000. In-person interviews at enrollment assessed adolescent and adult exercise history, medical and reproductive history, and other lifestyle and socioeconomic (SES) factors. Mortality follow-up occurs via annual linkage to the Shanghai Vital Statistics …

Association Of Obesity With Infertility Among Pakistani Men: A Case Control Study, Nida Zahid, Sarah Saleem, Syed Iqbal Azam, Tariq Moatter

Community Health Sciences

Background: The reported prevalence of infertility in Pakistan is 21% of which 35% is contributed by male factor. Male infertility has multifactorial etiologies ranging from modifiable to genetic risk factors. Among all the risk factors that may account for male infertility, obesity is one of the emerging public health problems. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the association of obesity with infertility in Pakistani men.
Methods: We conducted a case control study. Cases were men with impaired semen parameters and controls did not have impaired semen parameters.
Results: The final multivariable logistic regression model after adjusting for …

Low Prevalence Of Asthma Among Textile Workers In Karachi, Pakistan, Sana Tanzil, Asaad A. Nafees

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To determine the prevalence of asthma in textile workers through post-bronchodilator spirometry and to compare the differences in prevalence based on different criteria used to assess asthma.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December 2013 in Karachi, Pakistan, and comprised workers from15 textile mills in the city and its outskirts. Asthma and associated respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American Thoracic Society Division of Lung Diseases Questionnaire, and post-bronchodilator spirometry. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Among the 372 workers in the study, asthma was found in 19(5%) as diagnosed on post-bronchodilator spirometry. The …

Behavioral Health Integration In Pediatric Primary Care, Angelica Ventresca Msw, Lsw, Lauren Dennelly Msw, Lcsw

Department of Community Health and Health Studies

No abstract provided.

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examine Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Health and Support Services

Convalescent Serum Therapy As Rapid Advance Treatment For Ebola In West Africa, J Bankole Thompson Md, Phd, Patricia F. Mejabi Msc., Olugbenga O. Mejabi Phd, S Ahmed Tejan-Sie Md

International Journal of African Development

The 2014 public health crisis in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has brought Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) to everyone’s attention. Discovered in 1976, this deadly disease infrequently struck in remote areas of Africa. This article will critically review the literature and describe the pathobiology, transmission, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of EVDwhich, was predicted by the Centers for Disease Control to potentially infect 1.4 million persons in Liberia and Sierra Leone by January 2015 (“Questions and Answers”, 2014). Thankfully this worst case scenario did not occur and we may be experiencing natural burn out of the outbreak along …

Leader Behaviors, Group Cohesion, And Participation In A Walking Group Program, Betty T. Izumi, Amy J. Schulz, Graciela Mentz, Barbara A. Isreal, Sharon L. Sand, Angela G. Reyes, Bernadine Hoston, Dawn Richardson, Cindy Gamboa, Zachary Rowe, Goys Diaz

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background—Fewer than half of all U.S. adults meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines. Leader behaviors and group cohesion have been associated with increased participation or adherence in sports team and exercise class settings. Physical activity interventions in community settings that encompass these factors may enhance intervention adherence.

Purpose—To examine the impact of Community Health Promoter leader behaviors and group cohesion on participation in a walking group intervention among racially/ethnically diverse adults in low-to-moderate income communities in Detroit, Mich.

Design—Data for the current study were drawn from the Walk Your Heart to Health (WYHH) data set. WYHH was a multi-site cluster …

Patient Experiences With Family Planning In Community Health Centers, Susan F. Wood, Tishra Beeson, Debora Goetz Goldberg, Holly Mead, Peter Shin, Aliyah Abdul-Wakil, Anna Rui, Bhakti Sahgal, Maya Shimony, Hallie Stevens, Sara Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Women of childbearing age represent one of the single largest groups of community health center patients, and family planning plays a critical role in the health, economic, and social circumstances of women, their children, and families. Family planning is a required service at all health centers, and the major expansion of health centers under the Affordable Care Act means that for low-income women of reproductive age this service should be increasingly available. The Quality Family Planning (QFP) Guidelines, jointly developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) and released in 2014, …

Chhs July 2015 E-Newsletter,, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

The Healthy Mind, Healthy Mobility Trial: A Novel Exercise Program For Older Adults, Dawn P. Gill, Michael A. Gregory, Guangyong Zou, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ryosuke Shigematsu, Vladimir Hachinski, Clara Fitzgerald, Robert Petrella

Lifestyle Research Team

BACKGROUND:

More evidence is needed to conclude that a specific program of exercise and/or cognitive training warrants prescription for the prevention of cognitive decline. We examined the effect of a group-based standard exercise program for older adults, with and without dual-task training, on cognitive function in older adults without dementia.

METHODS:

We conducted a proof-of-concept, single-blinded, 26-wk randomized controlled trial whereby participants recruited from preexisting exercise classes at the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging in London, Ontario, were randomized to the intervention group (exercise + dual-task [EDT]) or the control group (exercise only [EO]). Each week (2 or 3 …

What Matters Most For Children: Influencing Inequality At The Start Of Life, Eboni C. Howard

Mickey Leland Center Information Portal

This paper provides an overview of the science of early childhood and summarizes the disparities and the opportunity gaps stemming from inequalities. It also describes categories of programs, services and policies for children birth to age 3 that might affect the extent of inequality and provide supportive early life experiences.

Assessing Idaho Rural Family Physician Scope Of Practice Over Time, David Schmitz, Ed Baker, Lisa Mackenzie, Logan Kinney, Ted Epperly

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Context: An important consideration determining health outcomes is to have an adequate supply of physicians to address the health needs of the community. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to assess scope of practice factors for Idaho rural family physicians in 2012 and to compare these results to findings from a 2007 study. Methods: The target population in this study was rural family physicians in Idaho counties with populations of fewer than 50,000. Identical surveys and methods were utilized in both 2007 and 2012. Results: The physician survey was mailed to 252 rural physicians and was returned by 89 …

The Role Of Community Pharmacy-Based Vaccination In The Usa: Current Practice And Future Directions, Albert Bach, Jeffery A. Goad

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Community pharmacy-based provision of immunizations in the USA has become commonplace in the last few decades, with success in increasing rates of immunizations. Community pharmacy-based vaccination services are provided by pharmacists educated in the practice of immunization delivery and provide a convenient and accessible option for receiving immunizations. The pharmacist's role in immunization practice has been described as serving in the roles of educator, facilitator, and immunizer. With a majority of pharmacist-provided vaccinations occurring in the community pharmacy setting, there are many examples of community pharmacists serving in these immunization roles with successful outcomes. Different community pharmacies employ a number …

Socially Constructing Drug Addicts From The Poor: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Kalynn Susan Amundson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Welfare drug testing was authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, and has subsequently garnered extensive legislative interest in numerous states. This policy raises several questions, which are the subjects of the two journal articles and one manuscript included in this dissertation.

The first article addresses the question of a possible confluence of War on Drugs and Welfare Reform policies as evidenced through welfare drug testing policy, and indicated by continuity in policymakers’ rhetoric. This study examines federal-level policymakers’ debate discourse in these two policy streams. The analysis finds themes of the Social pathology, …

Low-Income African American Women's Perceptions Of Primary Care Physician Weight Loss Counseling: A Positive Deviance Study, Elaine Seaton Banerjee, Md

Master of Public Health Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the interactions between low-income, African American women who successfully lost weight and the healthcare system. This mixed methods study followed a positive deviance approach, identifying a population at high risk for obesity and then identifying positive deviants within this population. In this case, positive deviants were low-income, African American women who had been obese, and had successfully lost at least 10% of their weight and maintained this loss for at least six months. We collected data from electronic medical records (EMR) and participant surveys of both positive deviant cases, …

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Researcher Examines Racial Differences in the Utilization of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Participation in Survey and Biospecimen Research

How Will Texas’ Affordable Care Act Implementation Decisions Affect The Population? A Closer Look, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Sara Rothenberg, Sara Ely

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives states two key choices: Whether to expand Medicaid to cover poor uninsured adults; and whether to establish a state Exchange. No population stands to gain more from these choices than residents of Texas, who experience the nation’s highest uninsured rate. National estimates show that by not expanding Medicaid, the state has foregone coverage for 1.5 million people. County‐level estimates show that in 249 out of 254 counties, the proportion of uninsured adults exceeds 20 percent of the total adult county population. In 31 counties, the proportion of low income uninsured adults exceeds 60 percent …

Cronobacter Sakazakii Bacteremia In A 76-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report, Amy Y. Kang, Nancy Garcia, Bhanu Sud, Lee Nguyen

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Cronobacter sakazakii, commonly found in contaminated infant formula and thereby causes infantile bacteremia, is rarely associated with adult bacteremia. We present the tenth case of C. sakazakii bacteremia in adults. The patient is a 76-year-old woman who resides in a skilled nursing facility and presents with risk factors including bullous pemphigoid, Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, and anemia. The therapy was started with intravenous ciprofloxacin and vancomycinempirically. After consultation with an Infectious Diseases specialist, ciprofloxacin and vancomycin was replaced with meropenem based on the patient’s extensive bullous lesions, history of ESBL infections, and possible pneumonia. Later, …

Public Health At Risk: The Conscious Choice To Refuse Vaccinations Threatens Public Health

DePaul Magazine

Public health officials declared that measles had been eliminated from the United States after only 15 measles cases were reported between 1998 and 2001 and 90 percent of schoolchildren had been inoculated against the disease. Yet, in 2014, there were more than 660 documented measles cases in the country, the most in 20 years. This uptick started in the late 1990s, when a growing number of parents began refusing to inoculate their children with some or all of the recommended vaccines. Various factors fed their decision: an increase in the number of vaccines given in the first year of life, …

Awareness And Utilization Of The Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System By Physician Assistants, Julia Cathleen Rose

All Theses And Dissertations

Chronic pain has become a public health epidemic. As pain complaints increase, so does the potential for drug abuse/misuse. Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are active in 49 of the 50 states to assist providers in recognizing drug abuse/misuse. There is no clear standardization of who utilizes the PDMP and how. Little is still known about the ways PDMP results are incorporated into clinical decision making, what barriers exist, and how providers may or may not alter their prescribing plans based on the results. Laws surrounding prescribing practices and use of the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) are constantly …

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Researchers Use CBPR to Extend Prostate Cancer Education, Counseling and Screening to Inner-City Men
• Georgia Southern Assistant Professor Implements a Community Empowerment Center

Wecan Implementation For Parents Of At-Risk Hispanic Adolescents In Middle School, Shannon Leigh Devita

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

CDC-reported childhood obesity rates have tripled in the past three years. Among children in grades five, seven and nine, 30% are overweight or obese, with Hispanic students more likely to be overweight than White students. This evidence-based project examined the effectiveness of NHLBI’s WeCan! for at-risk middle-school-age Hispanic children and parents. The program was implemented at school in two weekly sessions, and its effectiveness was evaluated using the WeCan! survey. The program resulted in improved knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes related energy balance, portion size, healthy foods, physical activity, and screen time and may be useful in other school settings.

Patient Engagement In Transitional Care, Sheeree Dela Pena

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Clinical Nurse Leader Master’s project was conducted about a public health program called the Transitional Care Program that was working in partnership with a county hospital system, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The specific aim was to reduce hospital re-admissions of high-risk patients by supporting patient motivation and engagement in the Transitional Care Program by May 2015. Over a four-month period, data was collected through ten client visits, interviews with two public health nurses, information available about the program, and current research conducted on transitional care, hospital discharges, and patient engagement. Various aspects of the program were assessed, such …

Prevalence Of School Nurses In Kentucky And Student Outcomes, Teena Darnell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify whether the presence of a nurse in the public high school setting was associated student outcomes. Data gleaned from the study will be used to enact a new legislative policy mandating the presence of a nurse in all public schools in the state of Kentucky.

Background: Nurses employed in the school setting support both the educational mission of the institution, as well as the health and well-being of students. Studies have explored the relationships between school nurse presence and student health. It has been suggested that when children experience poor …

Perinatal Health Education Intervention For Adolescent And Young Adult Pregnant Homeless Women Living In Transitional Housing, And Best Practice Teaching Intervention Program For Staff Responsible For Care Of The Mother-Baby Dyad, Colleen Carrington

Seton Hall University DNP Final Projects

Purpose: A population at great risk is pregnant homeless adolescents and young adult women. Research shows that about 20% of homeless young women become pregnant (Bender, & Thompson, 2007). These pregnant young women are at an increased risk for low birth weight infants and a high infant mortality due to inadequate health care, poor dietary habits, and a knowledge deficit related to maintaining good health during pregnancy and to care of the infant and growing child. A transitional shelter may offer many psychosocial services to assist the women in becoming independent; however, a significant gap exists regarding the medical …