Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Using The Idea Model To Analyze Messages Used In Hepatitis B Vaccination In Uganda, Ann Mugunga, Angella Napakol

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

This research analyzed the messages that both the Government of Uganda and the National organization of persons living with Hepatitis B use to communicate to at-risk populations in order to enable them take up the vaccination against Hepatitis B. Content analysis was carried out on two electronic fliers circulated from the ministry of health’s program in charge of Hepatitis control and treatment, and one hard copy flier from the National organization of persons living with Hepatitis B. The study assessed how the publications made use of the IDEA concepts of internalization, distribution, explanation and action in getting the audience to …

A Scoping Review Of Theoretical Models And Conceptual Frameworks Used In Public Health Services And Systems Research (Phssr) Literature, Zahra Shahin, Anna Messick, Jenna Harris, Kristie C. Waterfield, Gulzar H. Shah

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Objectives

Theoretical models and conceptual frameworks are often used to design research methods. This study aims to provide an overview of the application of theoretical models and conceptual frameworks in Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR). We also examine how the integration of such terms in research can improve intervention designs and support the decision-making process within the field of public health practice.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted using publications from public health journals to identify relevant articles in the field of PHSSR. The eligibility of studies was determined after performing evaluations through a full-text review of each …

Maternal Mortality Among African American Women In The State Of Georgia, Causes, Policy, And Ethical Considerations, Zahra Shahin, Isabella M. Hardwick, Nancy Jeffery, Jalisa Jordan, William Mase

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background

The U.S. is currently one of thirteen countries where maternal mortality rates (MMR) is worse now than it was fifteen years ago. Reducing maternal mortality is one of the significant challenges facing the health system in the United States, especially in the State of Georgia, which has one of the highest MMR in the nation. The purpose of this review is to explore the causes, policy, and ethical contextual factors contributing to increased maternal mortality rates among African American women in the State of Georgia. Also, identifying and addressing weaknesses and gaps that exist in the healthcare system and …

Optimizing The Effectiveness Of Naloxone Distribution In The State Of New Hampshire: A Program Evaluation, Lisa M. Armes

DNP Scholarly Projects

In order to develop an understanding of the state-funded community naloxone distribution program in New Hampshire, a program evaluation was conducted. The project collected data on distributed naloxone and opioid overdose deaths between the years of 2014-2018 but focused primarily on comparing data from 2017 and 2018. There were 409 opioid deaths in 2017 and 399 opioid overdose deaths in 2018 in New Hampshire. Between 2017 and 2018, naloxone supply was increased by 38%-493%, varying widely across New Hampshire counties. Statistically significant increases in naloxone distributed to target users occurred only in Hillsborough and Strafford counties. Significant changes in death …

Atv Dynamics And Pediatric Rider Safety, James T. Auxier Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

It has been observed through numerous academic and governmental agency studies that pediatric all-terrain vehicle ridership carries significant risk of injury and death. While no doubt valuable to safety, the post-hoc approach employed in these studies does little to explain the why and how behind the risk factors. Furthermore, there has been no prolonged, widespread, organized, and concerted effort to reconstruct and catalog the details and causes of the large (20,000+) number of ATV-related injuries that occur each year as has been done for road-based motor vehicle accidents. This dissertation takes the opposite approach from a meta-analysis and instead examines …

Tobacco Use And Nicotine Withdrawal Among Patients With Mental Illness, Yazan Daher Al-Mrayat

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

People with mental illness (MI) are disproportionately affected by tobacco use compared to the general population. In fact, it is estimated that people with MI consume approximately 44% of cigarettes smoked in the United States. Moreover, the MI population is at greater risk for the negative social, economic, and health consequences associated with tobacco use and are reported to have 25-year shorter life expectancies than the general population. The impact of tobacco use is further noticeable among patients with MI who require psychiatric hospitalization. Quitting smoking in this population has been linked to fewer discharges against medical advice, better quality …

Antiresorptive Bone Therapy Use In Advanced Lung Cancer And Associated Outcomes, Noor Naffakh

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Background/Rationale: Studies have shown antiresorptive agents decrease skeletal related events in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. However, two prevalence studies have found low utilization rates of antiresorptive therapy in advanced lung cancer. The first study reported a rate of 14.8% during the 1995-2009 time period, while the second study reported a 33% usage rate during the time frame of 2002-2011. We believe these low utilization rates are associated with the poor prognosis of these patients. The prognosis of advanced lung cancer has improved significantly since these trials were conducted, and the utilization of denosumab has not been evaluated. We hypothesize …

Exploring Young Acb Women’S Experiences Of Navigating Sexual Health In The Greater Toronto Area., Natasha Afua Darko

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis explores the experiences of young African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) regarding how they navigate sexual health. Young ACB women face challenges that put them at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Despite this, few studies have focused on the social contexts that affect sexual health for ACB women in Canada. This Community Based Participatory Research ( CBPR) study (N = 24) utilized focus groups to examine young ACB women's experiences navigating sexual health. In the following thesis document, I present two manuscripts where I share a) a reflection …

Know Before You Play: Associations Between Race, Education, And Hiv Susceptibility, Anfa Mohamed Diiriye

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. This paper analyzes the associations between race, education, and HIV susceptibility, furthering previous research to understand if educational attainment reduces HIV susceptibility and if reduction patterns are similar for Black and White women. The CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth 2015-2017 was used to analyze associations using binary logistic and multiple regression models. HIV susceptibility was operationalized through four measures: condom use, having a partner with concurrent sexual relationships, having had an STD, and age at first sex. Black women were not found to be significantly more susceptible to …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Worksite Wellness Programs, Marilyn S. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: Worksite wellness programs are popular employer offerings as of the last few decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major shifts in behavior since these programs have been implemented. The purpose of this study was to see how the pandemic has affected various offerings within a university worksite wellness program.

Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of a university worksite wellness program, and it compares participation in the various offerings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating 2019 participation (pre-pandemic) to 2020 participation (including onset of the pandemic and after). This worksite wellness program, which is available to …

Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Unemployed Black And White Older Adults, M. Courtney Hughes, Tamara A. Baker, Hansol Kim

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Objective: Examine health behavior risk rates and disparities in health behavior risks related to race and employment among older adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 and older (150,669 in 2015 and 168,011 in 2016) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Self-reported health behavior risks were measured as well as multiple logistic regression analyses assessing the independent effects of demographic variables on health behavior risks.

Results: Employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than unemployed older adults. Black employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than Black unemployed older adults …

Surfacing Contexts Of Violence In Novel Forms Of The Reproductive Justice Framework Through Lessons From Latin America: A Study Of Brutality, Migration And Bodily Autonomy And Progressive Solutions For Use In Public Health, Angelica M. Campos

CMC Senior Theses

In the last 5 years, Latin America has witnessed a tenacious wave of pañuelo verde and #NiUnaMenos activism. Sparked by increasing mortality rates associated with unsafe, clandestine abortions and femicide, the praxes and fundamental elements of these social movements have proven themselves useful not only in garnering international attention on issues relating to bodily autonomy, but in the synthesis of their respective sociopolitical solutions as well. In the United States, similar efforts have been spearheaded by the lauded reproductive justice framework, which has often been credited for centering the plight of women of color in both reproduction and social justice. …

Identifying The Health Needs Of The East North Philadelphia Latino Youth Via Photovoice, Vincent Pepe, Maria F. Arisi, John Mckeegan, Caleb Dafilou, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd, Mches

Phase 1

Introduction: The East North Philadelphia community contains the city’s largest Latino population, most of whom are of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. This community in particular has unique health needs compared to the rest of the city of Philadelphia, with rates of diabetes (22.9%), asthma (28.6%), and poverty (45.5%) exceeding the national and city averages. Documenting the perceived needs of the children living here regarding their built environment will provide insight into the problems onto which the community at large needs to focus. This study aims to determine the priority needs of the community and to empower the youth …

A Photovoice Project With Latino Youth In Easten North Philadelphia, Maria F. Arisi, Vincent Pepe, John Mckeegan, Caleb Dafilou, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction: Eastern North Philadelphia is home to both the highest density Latino population in Philadelphia and some of the poorest health measures of the city. This Latino population is known to face a multitude of barriers to health, such as high rates of poverty, low educational attainment, and language barriers. There is little data showing what the self-identified priority needs of these Latino populations are, and even less showing the needs of Latino youth. Understanding how youth perceive the impact of their social and built environments can bring attention to the issues that the community needs addressed.

Methods: We conducted …

Effects Of A Single Mutation In Chikungunya Virus Non-Structural Protein On Virus Infection In Aedes Albopictus And Mammalian Cell Lines, Yin Ling Jolene Fu

Student Works (2020-2029)

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has caused large-scale epidemics of fever, rash and arthritis since 2004. This unprecedented re-emergence has been mainly associated with mutations in genes encoding structural envelope proteins, providing increased fitness in the secondary vector Aedes (Ae.) albopictus. In the 2008-2013 CHIKV outbreaks across Southeast Asia, an R82S mutation in non-structural protein 4 (nsP4) emerged early in Malaysia or Singapore and quickly became predominant. To determine whether this nsP4-R82S mutation provides a selective advantage in host cells which may have contributed to the epidemic, the fitness of infectious clone-derived CHIKV with nsP4- 82R and nsP4-82S were compared in Ae. …

From The Legal Literature: If The Fetus Is A Person—Is It Relevant? An Argument On The Rights Of Pregnant Women, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Prospects And Challenges Of Population Health With Online And Other Big Data In Africa; Understanding The Link To Improving Healthcare Service Delivery, Rowland Edet, Bolarinwa Afolabi

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Big data analytics offers promises to many health care service challenges and can provide answers to many population health issues. Big data is having a positive impact in almost every sphere of life in more advanced world while developing countries are striving to meet up. Even though healthcare systems in the developed world are recording some breakthroughs due to the application of big data, it is important to research the impact of big data in developing regions of the world, such as Africa and identify its peculiar needs. The purpose of this review was to summarize the challenges faced by …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria: A Mixed Method Analysis, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina, Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa, Julianah Babajide, Juliet Amarachukwu Nwafor

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware of it. The commonly known screening …

Urban Food Sovereignty: Urgent Need For Agroecology And Systems Thinking In A Post-Covid-19 Future, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to challenges associated with our dominant industrial food system in the U.S. The general public now has more appreciation for farm workers and meatpacking employees, as well as those in grocery stores and in food transportation who are suddenly recognized as essential frontline workers. It apparently takes a crisis for us to focus clearly on the fragility of this system and the lives of people on whom we depend. In this commentary we discuss the definition of food sovereignty, how it manifests in urban areas, and how the COVID-19 pandemic can trigger viable …

Diabetes Risk Status And Physical Activity In Pregnant Women: U.S. Brfss 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, Bethany Rand

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: We sought to examine differences in aerobic activity (AA) and muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) by diabetes risk status (DRS) among pregnant women in the United States.

Background: Pregnant women without complications are advised to engage in physical activity (PA) to mitigate adverse outcomes. Differences may exist among pregnant women of diverging diabetes status in meeting national PA recommendations.

Methods: The sample (n=9,597) included pregnant women ages 18-44, who participated in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Levels of DRS were: no diabetes (ND), high risk for diabetes (HRD) due to self-reported gestational diabetes or …

Culturally Competent Interventions To Reduce Sids Rates Among Native American/Alaska Native Nations, Kathleen Hynes

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Environmental factors can increase the risk of SIDS for infants. These environmental factors have been targeted by educational campaigns in the past in an effort to reduce SIDS rates. Such educational campaigns have been effective in reducing SIDS among the white population but not Native American/Alaska Native (NAAN) populations in the United States. This paper aims to study whether educational campaigns that incorporate NAAN traditions and take socioeconomic factors into account will more effectively reduce SIDS rates for these communities.

Methods: To obtain scholarly articles, a literature search was performed using Pubmed, Academic Search Ultimate, and Google scholar. …

Efficacy Of Onabotulinumtoxina (Botox) Injections Compared To Oral Topiramate In Reduction Of Migraines Suffered In Adults, Stephanie Blaha

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Introduction: Migraines are a leading cause of disability in many people worldwide. There are numerous postulations as to their etiology and various medications that treat them. As crippling as migraines are, it is critical that there are therapies to prevent them rather than just treat them acutely. Both OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) and Topiramate have been shown to be beneficial as prophylaxis for migraines. This review aims to determine if, in adults who suffer from chronic migraines [P], OnabotulinumtoxinA injections [I] are more effective than oral Topiramate [C] in reduction of the amount of migraines suffered [O].

Methods: A literature search …

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …

Hivanish: A Program Addressing Hiv Rates In Transgender Sex Workers In Washington D.C., Evangeline Wang

Capstone Showcase

HIVanish: A Program Addressing HIV Rates in Transgender Sex Workers in Washington D.C.

Evangeline Wang

Faculty Advisor: Dr Olorunsaiye

As of 2013 around 16, 500 residents in Washington D.C. were living with HIV. Of the 16,500 residents, 1.5% or 246 cases were among the transgender population. The majority of those cases were among transgender women at 67.5%¹. Gaps remain in addressing HIV among transgender sex workers, most of them on a systemic level. This could be attributed to misclassification of transgender women as men who have sex with men, or systemic neglect². This lack of knowledge …

Sexual Consent In Middle School Sex Health Education: An Analysis Of Health Education Standards In Minnesota, Ashley Parent

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Comprehensive sex education is designed to teach sexual health, reproductive health, human sexual anatomy, safe sex, birth control and sexual abstinence. Consent education focuses on sexually transmitted infection (STI), pregnancy prevention, sexual identity, and the risks of sexual violence (Willis, 2019). This qualitative content analysis and survey will explore consent education in middle schools adopted in Minnesota from the past ten years. The research questions for this study are: is consent a part of sex education? How has consent been taught in 8-10 grades in Minnesota over the past 10 years? What frameworks are being used to teach consent to …

Best Youth Education Methods For Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention, Caitlin F. Walchonski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sexual health education in the United States is inconsistent; information and methods vary from one location to another. Education plays a large role in developing safe sex practices, and despite the sexual education efforts, rates of sexually transmitted infections have risen for five consecutive years in the United States. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine the best methods for educating adolescents to promote behaviors to enhance sexual health. Multiple types of interventions have been studied including cognitive behavioral interventions, comprehensive sexual education, parent and teen dyad education, and abstinence only education. Sexual behavior is influenced by a variety …

Critical Issues In Health, Janet R. Heller

Open Educational Resources

This is a personal health course for today's college student. Topics cover basic information on mental health, nutrition, substance use disorder, violence prevention, chronic diseases, infectious diseases and reproductive health.

Contents include as OER reading list and a sample outline.

A revised syllabus was added on July 28, 2026. The changes were made to reflect more current information.

Exploring The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Combat Covid-19 And Existing Opportunities For Lmic: A Scoping Review, Maleeha Naseem, Ramsha Akhund, Hajra Arshad, Muhammad Talal Ibrahim

Community Health Sciences

Background: In the face of the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the limited capacity of healthcare systems resulted in an emerging need to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) have a vast potential to exponentially optimize health care research. The use of AI-driven tools in LMIC can help in eradicating health inequalities and decrease the burden on health systems.
Methods: The literature search for this Scoping review was conducted through the PubMed database using keywords: COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Forty-three articles were …

Linking Health Behavior Theory And Interventions To Increase Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake, Gretchen Elizabeth Neal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in adults in the United States (US). Persistent HPV infection can cause several cancers, including cervical, oropharyngeal, and anal cancer. To prevent these cancers, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that all adolescents start the HPV vaccine series at ages 11-12 years. Despite the safety and efficacy of available HPV vaccines, vaccine uptake rates remain lower than public health goals. In the US, only 51.1% of eligible adolescents have completed the vaccine series, a rate lower than the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80% coverage for series completion. …

A Sexual Health Promotion App For Transgender Women (Trans Women Connected): Development And Usability Study, Christina J. Sun, Kirsten M. Anderson, Tamara Kuhn, Liat Tzvia Mayer, Charles H. Klein

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: HIV severely impacts the transgender communities in the United States, and transgender women have the highest HIV incidence rates among any identified risk group. Guided by formative research with transgender women and by an expert advisory panel of transgender women, we designed a prototype mobile app to promote HIV prevention among transgender women.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test the usability and acceptability of the prototype Trans Women Connected mobile app.

Methods: We engaged in a 3-phase prototype development process. After conducting formative research about the health needs of this population, we outlined a theory-based app framework …