Environmental Public Health Commons^™

“Heat Mapping” Of Pediatric And Adolescent Gun Violence In An Urban Center: Is Targeted Intervention One Possible Solution?, Emerson Rowe, Abbey Glover, Martin J. Herman

St. Chris Research Day

No abstract provided.

Spatial Associations Of Lung Cancer Rates And Socioeconomic, Health, And Environmental Factors In Georgia, Nguyet Le, Jun Tu

Symposium of Student Scholars

According to CDC, Lung and Bronchus Cancer ranks the highest by the rate of cancer deaths among different types of cancers in the United States with the rate of 31.8 per 100 thousand people, and also for Georgia with the rate of 33.4 per 100 thousand people. Thus, to reduce the death rate of lung cancer, it is quite important and urgent to understand its risk factors. Smoking and inhaling radon are among the top risk factors of lung cancer for individuals. The socioeconomic, health, and environmental characteristics of communities might be also related to the likelihood of getting …

The Effect Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Sanitation Practices And Anxiety In The General Population, Leah Cliatt, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Illness anxiety and fear of contracting coronavirus increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The media, being in lockdown, and cyberchondria had the largest impact on the population’s anxiety surrounding illness. While this kind of reaction to illness is expected during the pandemic, there is limited data on post-pandemic illness anxiety levels in the general population. Patients’ perception of disease impacts medicine at every level; medical professionals need to understand the concerns and fears of their patients in order to treat the post-pandemic patient. We hypothesized that sanitation practices and anxiety surrounding illness have not returned to baseline pre-COVID-19 …

The Impact Of Stress During Adolescence And The Prevalence Of Pediatric Obesity, Olatunbosun Olakunri, Venkat Venkataraman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Obesity is a chronic condition that can be attributed to myriad factors including socioeconomic status, biological risk factors, and various environmental factors. These factors can be considered stress factors, and exposure to various levels of stress can impact the development of stress within the pediatric patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between the environmental, mental, social, physical, and psychological stress adolescents are exposed to and how they contribute to the prevalence of pediatric obesity throughout the United States. Understanding these risk factors can help us as a community and most importantly as clinicians develop better …

The Effects Of Circadian Misalignment On Astrocyte Morphology In The Nucleus Tractus Solitarius, Kush C. Patel, Mina Shenouda, Diana Martinez

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Circadian misalignment, as experienced by shift workers, was found to increase the number of astrocytes in the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS) - a brain region crucial for autonomic control of blood pressure. Sprague Dawley rats subjected to a 6-hour light-dark phase delay every 2 days to simulate shift work exhibited a significant increase in astrocyte cell bodies compared to control rats, both at 9am and 9pm timepoints. The increase in astrocytes may lead to greater glutamate uptake, reducing extracellular glutamate levels in the nTS. Decreased glutamatergic neurotransmission in this region has been linked to the development of hypertension. These findings …

Investigating The Influence Of Prenatal Metals Exposures On Childhood Mitochondrial Biomarkers, Z'Dhanne Williams

Molloy Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

Note: Z'Dhanne is a current Molloy student and conducted this research while studying at Columbia University - Mailman School of Public Health

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Mitochondrial health plays a vital role in the development of chronic health conditions, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondria have the unique ability to independently control replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depending on conditions of cellular stress, including oxidative stress. Exposure to environmental metals affects a variety of health outcomes via oxidative stress pathways. Our objective was to determine the association between prenatal exposure to metals on two biomarkers of mtDNA in child blood: …

Why Your Clothes Could Be Killing You: The Detection Of Bpa In Clothing Using Fluorescence Spectrophotometry, Bella Bevel

Scholars Day Conference

Bisphenol-A, better known as BPA, is a carcinogenic compound found in many plastic-containing products due to its ability to add rigidity and strength to the plastic. However, BPA has been found in a wide variety of products not traditionally thought of as “plastic” including feminine hygiene products, printer receipts, and even clothing. Clothing containing a polyester/spandex blend, common in athletic wear, contains BPA, whereas traditional cotton clothing does not. Using flourospectroscopy, the presence of BPA in these types of clothing was confirmed, as well as measured over time. Strips of clothing containing polyester and spandex blends were submerged in a …

Spatial Associations Of Liver Disease Rates With Socioeconomic And Health Risk Factors In Georgia, Nguyet Le

Symposium of Student Scholars

According to the CDC Cancer Statistics Report in 2020, Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct is the 6th leading cancer in both USA and the State of Georgia ranked by Rates of Cancer Death. Aflatoxin-containing foods, alcohol consumption, smoking, overeating, and other risky behaviors are among the factors linked to liver diseases. They have also been related to the socioeconomic status (SES) of individuals. The behaviors and SES of individuals are affected by the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities where they live. However, the relationships between the rates of liver diseases and community-level socioeconomic factors are not well studied. The objective …

Language Barrier Contributions To Food Insecurity In Spanish-Speaking Populations, Amin Khan, Leeza Kumar, Edanur Kilic, Stephen Acheampong

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Food insecurity refers to a household or individual’s inability to access adequate food to obtain a healthy lifestyle. This contributes to health concerns such as birth defects, low nutritional intake, anemia, cognitive problems, mental health disorders, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Low-income rural community members lack access to full grocery stores and often turn to convenience stores with unhealthy, expensive, and fewer food options. The aim of this study was to determine how language barriers affect Spanish-speaking populations with limited English proficiency. The research for this project was obtained from Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Keywords included “health disparities,” “Spanish-speaking,” …

Housing Quality In Philadelphia, Pa: An Urban Health Equity Indicators Approach, Jennifer Piacentini

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Philadelphia is also the poorest large city in the country, and many residents live in substandard housing. Poor housing quality is associated with poor physical health outcomes as well as mental health issues (Schilling et al., 2022). Many homes in Philadelphia are of poor quality partially due to the median house age being 93 years, and the fact that 75% of homes are more than 50 years old (Jay, 2017). It has also been found that Black households are disproportionately impacted by housing quality issues. The Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia’s Home Repair programs are invaluable, and work with homeowners to …

South-Eastern Provider Knowledge Gaps In Rabies Education, Management, And Treatment, Joseph A. Addison, Jeffrey Alexander

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference

Abstract:

Background. In the United States, when an individual is bitten by an animal there are many levels of care they may seek, including seeing their primary care provider, an urgent care provider, or by going to an emergency room. In any of these settings, it is not unlikely that they may be treated by an advanced practice practitioner (APP). Due to rabies being nearly 100% fatal once symptoms have manifested, it is important to understand the knowledge that APPs have concerning rabies.

Methods. A survey was conducted from April 2022 to August 2022 which evaluated APPs knowledge of rabies …

The Effects Of Gases From Food Waste On Human Health: A Systematic Review, Paulina Rudziak

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Food waste is an everyday activity in many developed countries; however, the risks from emissions are either not acknowledged or poorly regulated in many food waste plants worldwide. The literature lacks a systematic review that gives a thorough overview of the effects of food waste emissions on human health, directly affecting physiology and indirectly affecting human health through environmental health effects. The aim of this study is to address this gap to support decision-makers in public health when inspecting food waste facilities and the surrounding areas. To inform this systematic review, the four databases, Web of Science, OVID, EMBASE, and …

Dietary Habits Of Patients With Chronic Medical Conditions During Covid-19, Sahil Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced drastic changes in various aspects of normal life for millions world-wide.

As of April 2022, there have been over reported 80.8 million cases and 989,000 reported deaths.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were numerous societal changes occurred such as social distancing protocols, mask recommendations and restrictions in public spaces.

With such drastic changes to normal life, investigators began examining how dietary habits in the general population could have been affected, but not investigated the impacts on patients with chronic medical conditions (CMC).

Prior to major vaccination efforts, …

Association Between Smoking And Child Mortality Rate In Georgia Counties., Kingsley A. Kalu, Ho-Jui Tung Dr

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Association between Smoking and Child Mortality Rate in Georgia Counties.

Background:

Despite the major advances in health care, child mortality is still a major concern in the United States and Georgia included. Studies have shown that smoking (especially secondhand smoke) can cause multiple health problems in children, including mortality.

Objective:

The study objective is to examine the association between smoking and child mortality rate in Georgia counties.

Methods:

This study used data from the 2021 County Health Rankings for Georgia State. The total number of counties analyzed in Georgia was 159. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were conducted to …

Meta-Analysis Of Transcriptomic Datasets For The Investigation Of Differential Expression In Hantavirus-Infected Human Tissue, John Krapohl

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A Vegetation Buffer On Sound Levels, Madison Cicha

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Noise pollution is a growing concern in the environmental health community. Unlike other common exposures, such as air and water pollution, noise is uniquely difficult for an individual to protect themselves from. Studies have shown multiple adverse health outcomes resulting from exposure to noise pollution, including hearing impairment, negative social behavior and annoyance, sleep disturbance, along with a strong association between noise pollution and high cardiovascular risk. It is important, then, to look for solutions to this exposure. This study is designed to assess the effects of a tree barrier in reducing traffic noise. Noise monitoring was conducted at Saint …

Effects Of Covid-19 On Kentucky Air Pollutant Levels, Sarah Hartman, Ritchie Taylor, Jacqueline Basham

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The COVID-19 pandemic is the first of the 21^st century. Nearly 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu killed nearly 50 million people worldwide, including an estimated 675,000 people in the US.₁₂ COVID-19 has proved a deadly disease as well, with nearly 28.1 million cases and 496,000 deaths in the US alone as of February 20^th, 2021.₄ Only a few studies have been conducted regarding air quality response before and after the start of the pandemic. The study found that the NO2 levels decreased and the PM levels also decreased from before to after the beginning …

Machine Learning-Based Risk Factor Analysis And Prevalence Prediction Of Intestinal Parasitic Infections, Ahmet Ay

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Right To Repair: (Re)Building A Better Future, Jumana Labib

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The goal of this research project was to take a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach to research and examine the Right to Repair movement’s progress, current repair practices, impediments, and imperatives, and the various large-scale implications (environmental, economic, social, etc.) stemming from diminished consumer freedom as a result of increased corporate greed and lack of governmental regulations with regards to repair and the environment. This poster exhibits the highlights of my general research project on the Right to Repair movement over the course of this four month internship, and aims to disseminate information about the movement to the wider public in an …

Maternal Education And Cockroach Sensitization In Asthmatic Children, Jessica S. Van Mason, Ryan Allenbrand, David Williams, Kevin Kennedy, Salman Aljubran

Research Days

No abstract provided.

298— Rural Economic Growth And Disease Intervention In Ghana; The Edward Pettinella '73 Endowed Ambassadorship In Business, Lucas Sutton

GREAT Day Posters

Schistosomiasis is a leading parasitic infection that debilitates many individuals in sub Saharan Africa. Because this parasitic infection involves a snail as an intermediate host, we use a native prawn species as a natural predator to decrease the population of this snail community. This study focuses on Tomefa, a primarily fishing peri-urban community located oi the outskirts of Accra, the capital city of Ghana. A survey was also given to the local community measuring economic characteristics. In the laboratory, Macrobrachium spp prawn exhibit preference of Bulinus snails over Biomphalaria snails while non-parasitic snails were consumed in higher proportion to parasitized …

Park Usage In Relationship To Available Features And Amenities In A Large Urban Park, Hannah Bradford Clauss

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between park features and park use in a large urban park. At 45.33 acres, West Hills Park has amenities such as athletic courts and fields, picnic areas, and a 1.9-mile paved trail. Methods: Park usage was assessed using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities tool that measures use by gender, age, ethnicity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Data was collected in 18 zones over four days with three observations per day (morning, midday, and evening). Park features, amenities, and condition, were assessed using the …

Feline-Human Zoonoses Transmission In North Africa: A Systematic Review, Breck Peterson

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Throughout human history, domestic animal species have represented a unique zoonotic disease risk for the transmission of pathogens ranging from viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal. In North Africa, cats have a particularly long record and occupy a specialized niche within many communities. This systematic review was conducted to analyze the current and historical literature documenting the breadth and variety of zoonoses in North Africa, specifically relating to the domesticated feline. Multiple electronic databases were searched on January 16, 2019 for published reports on feline zoonoses in North Africa. A total of 76 studies met the inclusion criteria for a full …

Liposomal Bupivacaine Results In Cost Savings While Managing Post-Operative Pain In Fragility Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures, Nainisha Chintalapudi, Avinesh Agarwalla Md, Joana Lu Pa, Hrayr G. Basmajian Md, Joseph N. Liu Md, Nirav H. Amin Md

Annual SHSP Student Research and Scholarship Day

No abstract provided.

An Exercise Program To Prevent Frailty In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Proposed Pilot Study, Kendra Harrington, Mikhail Beg, Laura Kelly, Jinto Mathew, Neil Ryan

Annual SHSP Student Research and Scholarship Day

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Trends Of Asthma In United States (Us) Adults, 2005-2016: A National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) Study, Oluwakemi A. Akinniyi Mph, Sedoafia Amelor Mph, Keya Dushyant Desai Mph, Jocelyn K. Elias Mph, Ankita Patel Mph, Sandeep Krishna Reddy Mph, Maureen Kennedy Drph

Annual SHSP Student Research and Scholarship Day

No abstract provided.

Determination Of Cannabinoids, Cathinones, And Synthetic Fentanyls Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology, Catherine O'Rourke, Bikram Subedi

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Unregulated new psychoactive substances (NPS) in “pure” or “preparation” forms are designed to mimic the effects of controlled substances, and are introduced and reintroduced in the market as a cheap substitute for established regulated drugs in quick succession to loophole the law enforcement efforts on combating drugs. For example, carfentanil, a synthetic opioid activates the opioid receptors similar to morphine but it is astoundingly potent compared to a typical drug of abuse (100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine). Based on the cost- and time-intensive forensic analysis, National Drug Early Warning System reported the …

Farm To School For All: Federal Farm To School Policy Under The Equity Lens, Chloe Marshall

Year on Climate Change: Events

This session explores federal child nutrition policy and how to apply an equity lens in advocacy using the National Farm to School Network's Racial and Social Equity Assessment tool.

The Upper East Side Vs Central Harlem: What Is Responsible For The Dermatology Disparities That Shaped These Communities?, Zakiya Cush, Jeffrey Weinberg

Annual SHSP Student Research and Scholarship Day

Very few studies have been done to understand why there is a paucity of dermatology practices in the Central Harlem (CH) community in Manhattan. This ecological and exploratory study will identify factors such as, geographical location, race, socioeconomic status, health care and medical education, as reasons why there is a disparity between the dermatology services in the CH community versus the Upper East Side (UES) of Manhattan. Thus, examining the differences in the neighborhoods as a mediator, it is hypothesized there is a need for increased dermatology practices to CH, as not catering to the clinical needs of a community …

An Industrial Hygiene Assessment Of Lead In Potable Water Outlets At Rowan University, Tyra Thomas, Rosemary Roberto, Thomas Boyle

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) discovered lead in the water of a number of buildings on the Glassboro campus. This finding triggered the need for a comprehensive study to determine if lead was in the drinking water on the main campus.

Rowan University then partnered with an independent consultant to create a Lead Sampling Plan, collect water samples and to find a certified laboratory to provide water sample analysis.

A comprehensive plumbing survey of the campus also took place to determine how water is supplied to campus and how it is distributed to and throughout each building. …