Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Optimizing Prevention And Community-Based Management Of Severe Malnutrition In Children, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Zulfiqar A. Bhutta discusses prevention and treatment strategies for optimization of community-based management of severe acute malnutrition in children

Increasing Breast, Cervical, And Colorectal Cancer Screenings: A Qualitative Assessment Of Barriers And Promoters In Safety-Net Practices, Laura A. Brady, Laurene M. Tumiel-Berhalter, Laura A. Schad, Alexandrea Bentham, Karen Vitale, Amanda Norton, Gary Noronha, Carlos Swanger, Christopher P. Morley

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates are suboptimal in underserved populations. A 7-year quality improvement (QI) project implemented academic detailing and practice facilitation in safety-net primary care practices to increase cancer screening rates. This manuscript assesses barriers and promoters.

Methods: Primary care practices providing care to underserved patients were recruited in New York cities Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. Enrollment totaled 31 practices, with 12 practices participating throughout. Annually, each practice received 6 months of practice facilitation support for development and implementation of evidence-based interventions to increase screening rates for the three cancer types. At the end of each …

Final Culminating Project: Program Development, Erin Helms

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This 16-week capstone project was completed at Parker Place, a children’s health, and wellness center, with a focus on program development and advocacy with additional work related to leadership and administration. The overall goal of the capstone project was to determine the benefit of using an occupation-based approach to enhance health outcomes for the patients at Parker Place. The capstone student provided education about the role of occupational therapy in a non-traditional setting, created a program to help patients acquire sustainable healthy habits, developed a workshop for families struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and provided resources about picky eating …

Is The Acsm And Friend Metabolic Equations Valid For Assessing Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among 18-34 Aged Men? : Preliminary Results, Marc-Olivier Dugas, Laurie Simard, Tommy Chevrette, Martin Lavalliere

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 2: Issue 1, Article 2, 2021. Metabolic equations, such as ACSM and FRIEND, are used worldwide to indirectly measure the VO₂max in adults, but lack of accuracy seems to occur. 30 men of 18-34 years old performed a maximal incremental test on a treadmill during which direct VO₂max measurements was taken and then have been compared to ACSM and FRIEND metabolic equations. Point of application #1: Better evaluation and exercise prescription among athletic populations. Point of application #2: Act in prevention among sedentary and symptomatic populations. Point of application …

Thinking Ethically About Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Retention In Care And Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing In A Southeastern United States Local Health Department In The Time Of Covid-19, Ellie Purdy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Local Health Departments (LHDs) are critical providers of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention efforts. HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is an evolving public health initiative and practitioners should consider PrEP interventions in context of ethical decision-making and a broad STI prevention strategy as global incidence of bacterial STIs remains high and those at-risk for HIV are generally at-risk for other STIs. An evaluation of the Thinking Ethically framework and LHD PrEP services was performed to fill a gap in the literature and support program decision-making. A retrospective review of PrEP user medical records from a LHD …

The Primary Care Provider’S Role In Screening And Intervening In The Human Trafficking Of Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review, Brittany Schmid

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Human trafficking (HT) is a growing concern within the United States (U.S.) and internationally. With the alarming number of HT victims presenting for medical care, primary care providers (PCPs) are in a unique and privileged position to encounter HT victims within the healthcare system. Adolescents, in particular, are vulnerable to HT because of minimal life experiences, inadequate social support, and limited coping mechanisms (Ertl et al., 2020). Failure to recognize and intervene in cases involving HT victims who are minors is detrimental to the individual’s health, wellbeing, and safety. With the assistance of education and training, community resources, guideline adoption, …

An Overview Of Current Clinical Trials Of Agents For The Treatment And Prevention Of Covid-19 In The United States, Kenneth Schot Hannan, William P. Mckinney

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Given the rapid worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the attendant risks for severe complications and mortality, numerous clinical trials for its treatment and prevention have been generated in a short period. This report focuses on the categories of the wide spectrum of agents being studied in the United States and the intensity of effort involved with each so that clinicians may consider whether suggesting enrollment may be appropriate for their patients.

Methods: A search was completed of the ClinicalTrials.gov database on May 28, 2020, for all such trials underway as of that date in the US. A total 190 …

Medical-Legal Collaboration And Community Partnerships: Prioritizing Prevention Of Human Trafficking In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Kimberly S.G. Chang Md, Mph, Hamida Yusufzai, Anna Marjavi

Georgia State University Law Review

Human trafficking (HT) is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, and its severe consequences affect some of society’s most vulnerable members. Prioritizing prevention is a critical component of a public health framework when addressing HT, and the health care delivery system plays a crucial role in operationalizing primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention interventions. As a significant part of the primary care system in the U.S., Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are uniquely positioned to be the first point of contact with the health care system for people at risk for and affected by HT. FQHCs provide many preventive services, …

Student Wellbeing And Open Studio Process In The School Curriculum, Maria Kim

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study aimed to explore whether Open Studio Process (OSP) increased wellbeing of middle and high school students when facilitated by teachers as a part of the regular art curriculum. It was hypothesized that OSP might increase the sense of wellbeing among middle and high school students as well as facilitating teachers. The research was conducted as a mixed methods study in South Korea where students need preventative interventions for their wellbeing. The researcher trained eight teachers to facilitate OSP and five of them implemented it with their classes for seven sessions. Quantitative data (K-YSR; pre- and posttest) were collected …

Development And Guiding Principles Of The Icelandic Model For Preventing Adolescent Substance Use, Alfgeir L. Kristansson, Michael J. Mann, Jon Sigfusson, Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir, John P. Allegrante, Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adolescent substance use—the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs—remains a persistent global problem and has presented ongoing challenges for public health authorities and society. In response to the high rates of adolescent substance use during the 1990s, Iceland has pioneered in the development of the Icelandic Model for Primary Prevention of Substance Use—a theory-based approach that has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing substance use in Iceland over the past 20 years. In an effort to document our approach and inform potentially replicable practice-based processes for implementation in other country settings, we outline in a two-part series of articles the …

Prophylaxis Of Food Allergen Sensitivity, Dustin Gottfeld

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Authored Articles

Food allergies can have a severe and drastic effect on a person’s lifestyle, while prevention of allergic disease can help to ensure others do not have to live with this burden. There are a variety of differing hypotheses that offer explanations for the early development of food allergies, particularly peanut allergies. Two of the foremost hypotheses are the Hygiene Hypothesis and the Dual-Allergen Hypothesis. The Hygiene Hypothesis claims that the diversity of a child’s microbiota creates a beneficial balance of microorganisms which can help prevent the development of allergic disease. Alternatively, the Dual-Allergen Hypothesis states that early environmental exposure to …

Implementing The Icelandic Model For Preventing Adolescent Substance Use, Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, Michael J. Mann, Jon Sigfusson, Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir, John P. Allegrante, Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is the second in a two-part series of articles about the Icelandic Model for Primary Prevention of Substance Use (IPM) in this volume of Health Promotion Practice. IPM is a community collaborative approach that has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in reducing substance use initiation among youth in Iceland over the past 20 years. While the first article focused attention on the background context, theoretical orientation, evaluation and evidence of effectiveness, and the five guiding principles of the model, this second article describes the 10 core steps to practical implementation. Steps 1 to 3 focus on building and maintaining community …

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 …

Predictors And Missed Opportunities For Blood Glucose Screening Among African Americans: Implications For Church-Based Populations, Alexandria G. Bauer, Jannette Berkley-Patton, Carole Bowe Thompson, Kelsey Christensen

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, and related complications. Guidelines for prediabetes/diabetes screening emphasize reaching at-risk adults. The AA church has potential to increase reach of BGS with AA church members and community members. The current study identified predictors of blood glucose screening (BGS) and individuals with missed opportunities for BGS among church-affiliated AA adults. Participants were drawn from a previous pilot study (Project Faith Influencing Transformation) conducted in six AA churches over eight months. Eligibility criteria included self-identifying as AA and being aged 18 or older. Participants who had previously been diagnosed with diabetes were excluded, …

Using Physician Champions To Extend The Reach Of The Let’S Go! 5-2-1-0 Obesity Prevention Program In Clinical Practice, Michael Dedekian, Jackie Vine, Jonathan Fanburg, Naomi Anderson Schucker, Victoria Rogers

Journal of Maine Medical Center

ABSTRACT

Introduction: There is limited evidence for large scale interventions to address childhood obesity. Let’s Go! is a Maine-based obesity prevention program that deploys a consistent message across multiple community settings to encourage children and families to make healthy choices. This report describes implementation of Let's Go! in primary care offices.

Methods: Consideration for physician champion recruitment included previous involvement with Let’s Go! and ensuring statewide geographic coverage. Champions received standardized training and became local leaders in obesity prevention and treatment. 13 champions engaged 99 practices at baseline; 71 practices were engaged all 4 years (2012-2015). Data were analyzed on …

Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

The Prevention And Management Of Hospital Acquired Infections, Sofia Rahmanzai

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Hospital acquired infections, or HAIs, appear in patients during treatment and are unrelated to the original illness. These infections occur at least 48 hours after hospital admission or 30 days after discharge. With over 700,000 individuals directly affected by HAIs, more attention needs to go into prevention and surveillance. It has been reported that some health care facilities have reduced HAIs by up to 70%. However, this will take a conscious effort from all healthcare facilities, care teams, physicians and nurses. Some possible solutions include infection prevention, increasing surveillance, and improving staff education and accountability. Despite these efforts, no institution …

Identifying Motivators And Barriers For Wellness Programs To Inform Recruitment And Retention Of Diabetes Prevention Programs (Dpps), Beenish Kamran, Kate Beatty, Leighanne Hurst, Deborah L. Slawson

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has increased greatly in incidence in the United States over the past decade. Diagnosis of T2DM is typically preceded by insulin resistance, which is typically indicated by increases in fasting blood sugar and called pre-diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a group-based program focused on improving diet and maintaining consistent exercise towards a lower body weight. It has been found that minimum weight loss and 150 minutes of moderate exercise is more effective at preventing T2DM than medication-based treatment. Therefore, the DPP has potential in preventing T2DM however currently faces obstacles concerning recruitment …

Métodos Y Tratamientos Para El Control De La Epidemia De Vih En Arica En Jóvenes / Methods And Treatments For The Control Of The Hiv Epidemic In Arica In Young People, Elizabeth Whidden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research question: What methods of prevention and treatment of HIV are available to adolescents and young adults in Arica, and what problems exist in their access to these resources?

Background: Even though Chile is currently working very hard to combat a national problem with HIV, rates of HIV infection in Chile are the highest in Latin America. This increase in infection is most prevalent in young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. Arica, a city of 200,000 people in northern Chile, has the highest rates of HIV infection in the country, but it is unclear why this is …

Identifying Windows Of Opportunity For Active Living And Healthy Eating Policies In Connecticut, 2016, Anna E. Greer, Ann-Uriel Knausenberger

Public Health Faculty Publications

We examined the relative importance of 23 community issues among elected officials and health directors in Connecticut in 2016. For this cross-sectional study, 74 elected officials (40.7% response rate) and 47 health directors (62.7% response rate), who were purposively sampled, completed a questionnaire to rate their perceived importance of 23 community issues. Eight of these issues were related to active living, healthy eating, or obesity. We used χ2 tests to evaluate differences in responses. Compared with elected officials, health directors significantly more often perceived obesity, access to healthy groceries, poor nutrition, lack of pedestrian walkways, and pedestrian safety as important. …

Pharmacists' Role In Harm Reduction: A Survey Assessment Of Kentucky Community Pharmacists' Willingness To Participate In Syringe/Needle Exchange, Amie Goodin, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Traci Green, Patricia R. Freeman

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Pharmacists' role in harm reduction is expanding in many states, yet there are limited data on pharmacists' willingness to participate in harm reduction activities. This study assessed community pharmacists' willingness to participate in one harm reduction initiative: syringe/needle exchange.

Methods: In 2015, all Kentucky pharmacists with active licenses were emailed a survey that examined attitudes towards participation in syringe/needle exchange. Response frequencies were calculated for community pharmacist respondents. Ordinal logistic regression estimated the impact of community pharmacist characteristics and attitudes on willingness to provide clean needles/syringes to people who inject drugs and to dispose of used syringes/needles, where both …

Uganda: Malaria, Sui Hnem

Global Public Health

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by mosquito bite. It is a major health problem in Uganda and is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Pregnant women and children are the most infected groups in the country. The Ugandan government did their best to keep children and women healthy by providing clinics near the villages and advocating home treatment for malaria. Although, the government is very supportive in preventing and promoting the malaria, people did not seek healthcare as much as they should. The reason for not seeking healthcare was because they feel healthy, or the clinic had long …

Southern Illinois: An Analysis Of Opioid Prevention Strategies, Brittany Clemmons, Brooke Griffin

ASA Multidisciplinary Research Symposium

This research analyzes the opioid epidemic in Southern Illinois and evaluates the effectiveness of current prevention and intervention programs.

A Social-Ecological Framework Of Theory, Assessment, And Prevention Of Suicide, Robert J. Cramer, Nester D, Kapusta

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The juxtaposition of increasing suicide rates with continued calls for suicide prevention efforts begs for new approaches. Grounded in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) framework for tackling health issues, this personal views work integrates relevant suicide risk/protective factor, assessment, and intervention/prevention literatures. Based on these components of suicide risk, we articulate a Social-Ecological Suicide Prevention Model (SESPM) which provides an integration of general and population-specific risk and protective factors. We also use this multi-level perspective to provide a structured approach to understanding current theories and intervention/prevention efforts concerning suicide. Following similar multi-level prevention efforts in interpersonal violence …

Preventing Horse-Related Injuries By Watching Out For Other Humans, William R. Gombeski Jr., Fernanda C. Camargo, Holly Wiemers, Connie Jehlik, Polly Haselton Barger, James Mead

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The more one rides or handles horses, the more likely one is to have a horse-related injury. These injuries are caused by many factors, including those generated by other riders, handlers or spectators. An analysis of 266 cases of injured equestrians showed that 16% of those injuries were caused by other humans. A panel of horse riding safety experts felt 63% were preventable, and the injured individuals themselves felt 51% were preventable. The study findings suggest that increased awareness of the role others play in causing horse-related injuries and increased education about common people-caused injuries could reduce the number of …

Correlates Of Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Acceptance In Appalachian Tennessee, Oluwatosin Ariyo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., where one HPV-related cancer is diagnosed every 20 minutes. The most common HPV-related cancer is cervical cancer, with an estimated incidence of 12,000 cases annually, a third of which lead to death. Cervical cancer disparately affects women of ethnic minority groups and geographically isolated regions, such as Appalachia. Tennessee ranks third highest in cervical cancer incidence in the country. Many cases of cervical cancer could be prevented through vaccination against HPV, however, vaccination rates for females in Tennessee are among the lowest in the country. This mixed-methods …

Prevention Of Drug Use And Treatment Of Drug Use Disorders In Rural Settings, John A. Gale Ms

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

This Guide on Prevention of Drug Use and Treatment of Drug Use Disorders in Rural Settings was prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Drug Prevention and Health Branch (DHB), in the context of the global project Treatnet II: OFID-UNODC Programme to prevent HIV/AIDS through Treatnet Phase II, with the aim of providing an awareness-raising tool and guidance for policymakers, public health officials, local authorities and other stakeholders in dealing with substance use issues in rural settings in their respective countries. This Guide will serve as an awareness-raising tool and guidance for policymakers, public health officials, …

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

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

• Georgia Southern Examines Maternal Caregiver Support for Prevention of Childhood Obesity

Christians’ Cut: Popular Religion And The Global Health Campaign For Medical Male Circumcision In Swaziland, Casey Golomski, Sonene Nyawo

Anthropology

Swaziland faces one of the worst HIV epidemics in the world and is a site for the current global health campaign in sub-Saharan Africa to medically circumcise the majority of the male population. Given that Swaziland is also majority Christian, how does the most popular religion influence acceptance, rejection or understandings of medical male circumcision? This article considers interpretive differences by Christians across the Kingdom’s three ecumenical organisations, showing how a diverse group people singly glossed as ‘Christian’ in most public health acceptability studies critically rejected the procedure in unity, but not uniformly. Participants saw medical male circumcision’s promotion and …

Israel : Translocation Of Rabies, Sarah Baker

Global Public Health

Israel is now faced with a steady growing public health threat as canine rabies has reemerged in the northern region of Israel. While the steady increase in cases is of notable alarm, moreover the close contact most often shared between dog and human populations is of much more concern from a public health prospective. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccinating dogs has proven to be the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies in people. Additionally, education on bite prevention and rabid animal behaviors for both children and adults is an essential extension of the long term rabies vaccination program that …