Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

When ‘Places’ Include Pets: Broadening The Scope Of Relational Approaches To Promoting Aging-In-Place, Ann M. Toohey, Jennifer A. Hewson, Cindy L. Adams, Melanie J. Rock

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Aging-in-place is a well-established concept, but discussions rarely consider that many older adults live with pets. In a ‘pet-friendly’ city, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore perspectives of community-based social support agencies that promote aging-in-place, and those of animal welfare agencies. Applying a relational ecology theoretical framework, we found that pets may contribute to feeling socially- situated, yet may also exacerbate constraints on autonomy experienced by some older adults. Pet-related considerations at times led to discretionary acts of more-than-human solidarity, but also created paradoxical situations for service-providers, impacting their efforts to assist older adults. A shortage of pet-friendly affordable housing …

Avian And Pandemic Influenza Knowledge And Risk Perception In Southern Minnesota, Holly Munch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Avian influenza is an important public health issue because such viruses have the potential to mutate into a pandemic influenza virus with widespread, even global, morbidity and mortality. Studies have indicated that knowledge about avian and pandemic influenza and perception of pandemic risk are low among the public and even in the health professions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the level of avian and pandemic influenza knowledge and risk perception among adults in southern Minnesota with a view to preparing effective educational interventions and improving preparedness for an influenza pandemic. An 18-question electronic survey was administered to 99 people …

Influencing Food Choice: Effects Of Stress And Sleep Deprivation On Dietary Habits Of Young Adults, Amy L. Leiferman

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introduction: Lifelong dietary habits are shaped during young adulthood; hence, preventing poor food choice practices during this period is vital. Stress and sleep deprivation are two important lifestyle elements that affect eating habits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate stress and sleep deprivation as factors contributing to poor dietary choices of college-aged students. Methodology: During finals week, a survey inquiring about sleep duration, perceived stress, and dietary patterns throughout the semester (typical week vs. finals week), was administered to university students (n=83). Fifty-five participants (21 male) provided an ID number, which allowed university-collected demographic and food-purchasing …

Self-Reported Adherence To Physical Activity For Cancer Survivors: An Update From The 2015 Nhis Database, Andrew Jackson Shearer

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America. It’s been suggested that regular physical activity (PA) can improve health outcomes in cancer survivors. An estimate from BRFSS data (2009) suggested that 47% of all cancer survivors met recommended guidelines and that this estimate was not different from the population at large (48%). Several factors were examined from these BRFSS data to determine whether subgroups of survivors existed who might benefit from interventions aimed at improving their PA status. The purpose of this investigation was to obtain more recent estimates of adherence to established PA guidelines for cancer survivors. …

Connecting Self-Efficacy Of Dietary Choices And The Association With Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents In North Carolina And Kentucky, Rachel Gillespie

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Determining the level of belief one has in themselves, or their self-efficacy, can be a key factor to improve certain dietary patterns and choices in the rural youth population. Sugar sweetened food and beverage consumption continues to rise and fruit and vegetable intake remains a struggle in rural areas; addressing both the food environment and adolescents’ self-efficacy could have a lasting impact on changing the nature of a generation of rural student’s food and beverage choices. This study measured self-efficacy levels of (n=425) adolescents in rural Kentucky and North Carolina using the Youth Impact Questionnaire and dietary intake using the …

Improving Family Planning Service Delivery In Humanitarian Crises, Chi-Chi Undie, Rajat Khosla, Karl Blanchet

Reproductive Health

Meeting family planning (FP) needs in humanitarian emergencies is challenging but feasible, and could present opportunities for reaching marginalized, remote, or otherwise underserved populations. Although high-quality evidence on family planning in emergencies is needed to improve access to voluntary FP services in humanitarian settings, this evidence brief identifies several promising, evidence-based interventions that can help improve uptake: provide comprehensive SRH services in line with global norms, provide a full range of family planning methods via mobile clinics, train mobile health workers to provide short-acting methods, second refugee providers to health facilities to provide FP in humanitarian settings, train community health …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors In Urban Chinese Children: Grade Level Prevalence And Academic Burden Associations, Xihe Zhu, Justin A. Haegele, Yan Tang, Xueping Wu

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were (a) to report grade level prevalence in physical activity and sedentary behaviors and (b) to examine academic burden associations with these behaviors. School-aged children (n = 48,118) reported their physical activity, perception of physical activity sufficiency, factors for activity insufficiency, homework hours, and screen time in a typical week. Data were analyzed using general linear models and logistic regression models of Complex Samples. Prevalence results showed that children had lower physical activity and lower screen viewing time, but higher homework time during transition grades (6th, 9th, and 12th) and high school years. Academic burden …

Development Of Health Education Materials To Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections Among University Of Southern Maine Students, Lily Parenteau

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop health education materials that can be used to educate college students about the risks, symptoms, and prevention measures associated with chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, as well as provide information about current disease information in the state of Maine.

Urine Cotinine In Children And Parental Behavior Modification: A Pilot Study, Teresa Lachance

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

“Urine Cotinine in Children and Parental Behavior Modification” was designed by Dr. Deirdre Burns, a pediatrician at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH). It was implemented as a pilot study to determine whether urine cotinine testing in children who are admitted to the hospital for respiratory illness and tracking parental smoking behaviors over time was feasible. Parents were given a brief survey to assess their current smoking behaviors and to understand their readiness to quit smoking. They received smoking cessation materials provided by the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine. These materials outline information about second-hand and third-hand smoke, and encourage …

A Secondary Analysis In Support Of The Community Health Needs Assessment For Oasis Free Clinics, Jillian Wheeler

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Oasis Free Clinics offer free medical and dental services to uninsured, low income adults living in Sagadahoc County, Maine (with the exception of the town of Richmond) and the towns of Brunswick, Freeport, and Harpswell in Cumberland County and Durham in Androscoggin County. Oasis has filled a critical need in providing affordable health care to the working poor with the absence of Medicaid expansion in the state of Maine. The clinic offers wellness checks, women's wellness, prenatal care, chronic disease management, limited mental health counseling, a prescription assistance program and dental care.

Oasis Free Clinics will conduct a Community Health …

Secondary Data Analysis: A Non-Pharmacology Treatment For Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids, Joseph Jean, Carolee Dodge-Francis Ed.D

McNair Poster Presentations

At the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS world wide (WHO, 2017). Living with this disease puts individuals at increased risk for mental and physical health complications. Opportunistic infections and increased serious mental health conductions are common (NIH, 2016). Advances in antiretroviral therapies have been made to increase life expectancy but often times can adversely affect the individuals quality of life. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is one way to help improve quality of life. One form of CAM, massage therapy may offer benefits to PLWHA in terms of ability to cope with stress.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) And Adolescent Body Mass Index (Bmi): A National Population-Based Study, Laura Y. Defrain Lpn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND ADOLESCENT BODY MASS INDEX (BMI): A NATIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have remained around 17% since the 1990s - this figure translates to an estimated 12.7 million obese children. Maintaining a healthy weight through adolescence may limit subsequent health risks in adulthood. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a variety of non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle choices that have been utilized in addition to or in place of typical Western medicine. The relationship between adolescent Body mass index (BMI) and the use of complementary and alternative medicine has …

Lgbtq-Inclusive Sexuality Education In Montana Public High Schools: An Assessment Of The Needs Of Health Enhancement Teachers, Andrew G. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

BACKGROUND

LGBTQ youth face many unique health challenges. Rates of depression and suicide are exponentially higher for LGBTQ youth than for their heterosexual, cisgender peers. Rates of HIV and STI infection are rising among this demographic. Comprehensive sexuality education has demonstrated the potential to address some of these health challenges. Specifically, it has been shown to delay the onset of sexual intercourse, and to reduce pregnancy and transmission rates of HIV and STIs among youth. Several studies have looked at LGBTQ-inclusive sexuality education from the perspective of LGBTQ students, but few have looked at this issue from the perspective of …

Barriers Or Gaps In Implementation Of Misoprostol Use For Post-Abortion Care And Post-Partum Hemorrhage Prevention In Developing Countries: A Systematic Review, Amirali Samnani, Narjis Rizvi, Tazeen Ali, Farina Abrejo

Community Health Sciences

Background: Around 303,000 maternal deaths occur every year; most of these are preventable (World Health Organization), ICD-10: International classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision. Volume 2: Instruction manual, 2010). Ninety-nine percent of these maternal deaths occur in developing countries. PPH contributed 35 % (35%) of total maternal. Several interventions being done to reduce the number of maternal deaths. It has been noted that a simple low cost intervention of providing misoprostol timely could prevent these deaths.
Objectives: The objectives of this systematic review was to identify barriers/gaps in the implementation of misoprostol use for prevention of …

Role Of Mhealth Applications For Improving Antenatal And Postnatal Care In Low And Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Anam Shahil Feroz, Shagufta Perveen, Wafa Aftab

Community Health Sciences

Background: From 1990 to 2015, the number of maternal deaths globally has dropped by 43%. Despite this, progress in attaining MDG 5 is not remarkable in LMICs. Only 52% of pregnant women in LMICs obtain WHO recommended minimum of four antenatal consultations and the coverage of postnatal care is relatively poor. In recent years, the increased cellphone penetration has brought the potential for mHealth to improve preventive maternal healthcare services. The objective of this review is to assess the effectiveness of mHealth solutions on a range of maternal health outcomes by categorizing the interventions according to the types of mHealth …

Learning And Working Together: Invoking Systems’ Change Through Inter-Organizational Collaborative Principles And A Learning Community Framework, Brandon Hey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Local communities face significant challenges such as increased inequality, immigration, and global climate change. In order to address these challenges whole cities have to innovate and learn together. In this thesis, I introduce the Learning Community (LC) model, a new way of collaborating and creating collective impact that emphasizes learning, alongside collective impact, as a central strategy to addressing complex social challenges. In a LC, members value the continuous pursuit of knowledge, feedback, and experimentation as well as the flow of information and resources between academic institutions and practice groups. The value of learning is built into key structures …

Biomarkers Of Sepsis: A Retrospective Approach, Jose M. Roberts

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Background: Biomarkers are taking the spotlight in becoming the norm for early diagnoses. Sepsis is an inflammatory disease that increases metabolic rate in children. The first biomarker is hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a frequent electrolyte imbalance in clinical practice, often observed in children with inflammatory disease and infection. Presence of hyponatremia is associated with electrical signaling imbalances, inflammation and renal dysfunction. The clinical value of hyponatremia in pediatric patients is unknown. The C-reactive protein is a second biomarker. Its presence signifies that necrotic cells and inflammation are present.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of biomarkers in children seen in the Emergency …

A Systematic Review: The Prenatal And Postnatal Events Associated With Infant Mortality Rate (Imr), Ariel L. Thomas, Sarah A. Awwad, Briana E. Clark

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Infant mortality rate (IMR) is an indication of overall population health, maternal and child health, accessibility and quality of primary health care, and the availability of community resources. The current IMR in the United States is high despite advances made in the medical field. The purpose of our systematic review is to describe and critically appraise research about prenatal events, postnatal events, and increased infant mortality rate and to give nursing practice recommendations to help decrease the rate. We used CINAHL, Medline and PubMed to find 20 research articles. Overall, the research stated that going to prenatal visits had a …

Utilizing The Social Ecological Model To Address Drinking Behaviors Among College Students Participating In Ncaa Division I Non-Revenue Generating Sports, Andrew M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

College students between the ages of 18 and 24 are considered high-risk for alcohol-related negative consequences due to drinking at high-risk levels (Barry, Howell & Salaga, 2015). Within that population, varsity student athletes are considered at even greater risk for those issues (Druckman, 2015; Wechsler, 2002).

With football and men’s basketball being considered the only revenue-generating NCAA Division I sports, non-revenue-generating sports consist of the majority of student athletes (NCAA, 2016). This study is designed to examine high-risk drinking as well as alcohol-related consequences among non-revenue-generating student athletes attending a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school.

The sample …

Development And Implementation Of A Nutritional-Risk Screening Procedure For Pregnant Mothers In A Honduran Community Hospital System, Maria Lamontagne, Brian Miller, Tanya Falcone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Previous research has demonstrated the negative implications that poor maternal nutrition has on morbidity and mortality for both the mother and the unborn child. Although malnutrition is known to make pregnant women susceptible to miscarriage or birth of a child with stunted growth and development, many Central American countries such as Honduras lack a screening tool to detect maternal malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot a screening protocol for malnutrition during pregnancy using best practice and evidence-based recommendations from the AND and the ACOG, and creating a training protocol for obstetric nurse education to foster …

Burnout Or Depression: Both Individual And Social Issue, Bianchi Renzo, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

In view of the profound problems attached to the construct of burnout, we recommended that occupational health specialists focus on (job-related) depression rather than burnout to help workers more effectively. Epstein and Privitera (April 8, 1398) rejected our recommendation on the grounds that burnout is not a “purely individual syndrome”. Problematically, Epstein and Privitera attributed to us an idea that is not ours. In these authors’ view, equating burnout with depression is synonymous with mistakenly individualising a social problem. For two reasons, the argument that depression cannot replace burnout because burnout is a social problem whereas depression is an individual …

Exploration Of The Use Of Sensory Diets In Occupational Therapy, Allison Hunt, Morganne Peterson, Emily White

Student Research Posters

The purpose of this study was to fill the gap in literature and further examine the use of sensory diets in the field of occupational therapy. This study investigated the use of sensory diets among California occupational therapy practitioners. A mixed-methods design was used to collect data through a SurveyMonkey survey. The survey was sent out to members of the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) and received 98 respondents within one month. Participants worked among various clinical settings and implemented sensory diets with various client populations. Practitioners reported using terms such as “sensory strategies,” “sensory tools,” and “sensory supports” …

Community Engagement With Older Adults To Evaluate Interprofessional Education In Allied Healthcare Students, Scott Heinerichs, Mary Beth Gilboy, Stacie Metz, Melissa A. Reed, Barbara E. Harrison

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To examine students’ perceptions of interprofessional education (IPE) as a result of their participation in a community engagement experience with older adults. Methods: Thirty-six students enrolled in the undergraduate majors of athletic training, exercise science, and nutrition participated in an 8-week fall prevention program in two community dwelling senior centers. A one-group pretest-posttest evaluation design was used to assess the IPE experience of the students. Students completed the University of the West England Interprofessional Questionnaire pre and post intervention. Results: Both pretest and posttest student self-assessments of communication and teamwork skills ranged from slightly positive to neutral (means from …

Reducing The Rate Of Late Stage Breast Cancer Through Effective Health Communication: An Opinion Piece, Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Health and illness are traditionally characterized and treated differently across various ethnic groups, which encourages American health systems serving these diverse populations to explore culturally competent and safe ways to effectively reduce illness within such populations. Certain ethnic groups of women in the United States (US) bear greater risk of late stage breast cancer because of various circumstances, which include but are not limited to a lack of insurance or underinsurance and discomfort with and/or resentment toward the US healthcare system. The dominant culture and the social aspects of the modern American health system often and most favorably serve …

Rural Community Health Needs Assessment Findings: Access To Care And Mental Health, Sabrina Cherry, Ayanna Robinson, Jared Jashinsky, Grace Bagwell-Adams, Michelle Elliott, Marsha Davis

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article highlights the qualitative results from focus groups conducted as part of a Community Health Needs Assessments in two rural Georgia communities. Four 1-hr focus groups were facilitated with 32 community stakeholders. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified two primary themes: mental health and barriers to accessing health care. Focus group participants discussed mental health challenges as they related to substance abuse and suicide. Participants acknowledged barriers to access, including no health insurance, cost, eligibility gaps for government-sponsored programs, the low availability of specialty care, and poverty. Addressing mental health and access to care in …

Screening For Alcohol Use/Abuse In The Primary Care Setting Using The Audit-C And Sbirt (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment), Whitney D. Spear

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of alcohol screening in the primary care setting to detect alcohol abuse or misuse using the AUDIT-C standardized screening tool and SBIRT.

METHODS: This study design was a Quasi-Experimental intervention, one group post-test. Data was collected via retrospective chart review from the electronic medical records by the type of office visit; either new patient initial visit or annual well visit. The patient sample consisted of 25 participants for the study period of September 19^th through October 10^th, 2017.

RESULTS: There were 37 patients eligible to participate …

Use Of The Afix Model To Improve Adolescent Hpv Vaccination: A Pilot Research Study, Emily Messerli

DNP Projects

Problem: The CDC estimates one person every 20 minutes every day acquires an HPV-related cancer. Kentucky’s HPV associated cancer burden is among the highest in the nation. Adolescent HPV vaccination rates in Kentucky are far below HealthyPeople 2020 goals. Barriers are multifaceted and include provider, patient and system barriers. The AFIX model is an evidenced based quality improvement program that addresses key provider barriers. The USPSTF findings identify a gap in the literature related to AFIX methods to improve rates of adolescent vaccines.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention using the AFIX …

The Association Between Neighborhood Factors And Mexican Americans’ Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Kai Wei, Jaime Booth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This systematic review seeks to elucidate the association between neighborhood factors and Mexican American mental health outcomes. We searched PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier for studies related to neighborhood factors and mental health. Google Scholar was used to identify additional studies, followed by a manual inspection of the related work. Eleven studies were identified. Nine studies found that neighborhood factors had a significant impact on mental health among this group. Neighborhood compositional factors influenced mental health directly, among which minority concentration was found to be protective for Mexican American mental health. Neighborhood contextual factors influenced mental health directly and indirectly …

Plain Language Review Of Diabetes Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People, Kathy Ride

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This review provides an overview of key information on diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. The review focuses mostly on type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because type 2 diabetes is responsible for the majority of cases of diabetes in this population. However, the review also refers to type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes where information is available. It provides a historical, social and cultural background to the development of diabetes, and the behavioural and medical factors that contribute to diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

It provides information on …

Social Health Insurance Coverage And Financial Protection Among Rural-To-Urban Internal Migrants In China: Evidence From A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study, Wen Chen, Qi Zhang, Andre M. N. Renzaho, Fangjing Zhou, Hui Zhang, Li Ling

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Migrants are a vulnerable population and could experience various challenges and barriers to accessing health insurance. Health insurance coverage protects migrants from financial loss related to illness and death. We assessed social health insurance (SHI) coverage and its financial protection effect among rural-to-urban internal migrants (IMs) in China.

METHODS: Data from the '2014 National Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey' were used. We categorised 170 904 rural-to-urban IMs according to their SHI status, namely uninsured by SHI, insured by the rural SHI scheme (new rural cooperative medical scheme (NCMS)) or the urban SHI schemes (urban employee-based basic medical insurance (UEBMI)/urban …