Environmental Public Health Commons^™

Social Ecological Factors Affecting Substance Abuse In Ghana (West Africa) Using Photovoice, Ahmed Kabore, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu, James Awuah, Andrew R. Hansen, Ashley Walker, Melissa Hester, Moussa Aziz Wonadé Sié, Dhruv Medarametla, Nicolas Meda

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Introduction: substance abuse is an important public health issue affecting West Africa; however, there is currently a dearth of literature on the actions needed to address it. The aim of this study was to assess the risks and protective factors of substance abuse in Ghana, West Africa, using the photovoice method.

Methods: this study recruited and trained 10 participants in recovery from substance abuse and undergoing treatment in the greater Accra region of Ghana on the photovoice methodology. Each participant received a disposable camera to take pictures that represented the risk and protective factors pertinent to substance abuse …

Dirty Water: The Newburgh Water Crisis, Shantal Riley

Capstones

Dirty

Dirty Water: the Newburgh water crisis

Summary

This project covers the ongoing water crisis in the City of Newburgh, New York. It tells the story of the contamination of the city’s drinking water by chemicals known as PFAS – short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Valued for their resistance to water and oil, the chemicals are found in carpets, furniture, clothes, non-stick cookware, food packaging and a range of industrial products. They’re nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. They’re also found in fire foam, which was used at Stewart Air National Guard Base. Located …

From Field To Film: Mosquito Surveillance And Survey Of Us Adults' Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Arthropod-Borne Disease Vectors, Justine Laviolette

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mosquito-borne disease is a public health challenge that warrants an active surveillance program for the identification of mosquito populations and the education of the public for prevention and protection against disease-transmitting arthropods. The communication of science to the public is necessary to prevent disease, change behavior, and promote a dialog between scientists and the public.

People are accustomed to high quality entertainment, which begs the question, “If we made science more entertaining, would the public be more interested?”

To address these issues, the objectives of this study are: 1) identify mosquito species and abundance at the US Meat Animal Research …

Air Pollution & Asthma Prevalence: Hotspot Analysis On Environmental Injustice In Buffalo, New York, Zuveria Shaguphta

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This research aims to focus on the historical impacts of segregation in these communities (with Census Bureau data) and whether we see that these are the areas with continued segregation and a disproportionate number of TRI facilities. The third part of this research will be to investigate the presence of asthma in these neighborhoods as documented by the New York State Health Department. Asthma is a chronic disease in which the airways are inflamed due to some kind of external factor causing this reaction. Literature shows that there is a relationship between outdoor air pollution from combustion of fossil fuels …

Effectiveness Of Individual Nutrition Education Compared To Group Education, In Improving Anthropometric And Biochemical Indices Among Hypertensive Adults With Excessive Body Weight: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Danuta Gajewska, Alicja Kucharska, Marcin Kozak, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Joanna Niegowska

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: The study aims to compare the effectiveness of individual and group nutrition education methods in improving key anthropometric and biochemical markers in drug-treated, overweight-obese hypertensive adults. Methods: The randomized trial included 170 patients with pharmacologically well-controlled primary hypertension and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m². For six months, the patients received six sessions, either one-to-one individual nutrition education (IE, n = 89) or group education (GE, n= 81), developed by dietitians. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, and fasting measures of biochemical parameters were obtained at baseline and after six months of intervention. Results: 150 patients completed the …

Using Syndromic Surveillance To Assess The Impact Of Environmental Factors On Asthma- And Copd- Related Ed Visits In Douglas County, Nebraska, Sandra Gonzalez-Ramirez, Anne Mardis O'Keefe, Tricia D. Levan, Lynette Smith

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic diseases associated with health disparities in Douglas County, Nebraska and in the United States. Currently there is a lack of information describing the impact of environmental factors in Nebraska on the burden of emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations related to these chronic respiratory (CR) diseases. The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between the numbers of seasonal viral respiratory (SVR)- related ED visits, outdoor air pollutants, aeroallergens, or meteorological factors on the number of CR- related ED visits in Douglas County, Nebraska.

Methods: …

Evaluation Of Relationship Between Lead-Dust Loading, Lead-Dust Concentration, And Total Dust Loading Metrics Across Multiple Data Sets, Charles Bevington

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Lead-dust monitoring studies report values as either lead-dust loadings µg/ft² or as lead-dust concentrations µg/g. It is rare for studies to report both metrics. When only lead-dust loading values are present, professionals require an approach to estimate lead-dust concentration values. A literature search identified five studies that contained raw data for both lead-dust loading and lead-dust concentration. An additional thirty-two studies had summary-statistics available for both lead-dust loading and lead-dust concentration. Studies with raw-data were used to develop an empirically-based loading to concentration statistical relationship. Raw data sets were critically evaluated to determine whether elimination or …

Determining How Temperature Affects The Survival Of Salmonella And E. Coli Species In Sinking Creek: A Meta-Evaluation, Miranda Liner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recreational waters, pathogen pollution is a major concern for the USEPA. The USEPA is responsible for initiating the National 303(d) List of Impaired Surface Waters. Pathogen pollution from E. coli is a common reason why recreational waters are placed on the 303(d) list. E. coli O157 H:7 and other enteric pathogens can cause serious illness and even death. Sinking Creek is a part of the Watauga River watershed which runs through Carter and Washington county. Sinking Creek is currently listed on the 303(d) as impaired due to the presence of E. coli. Because of the known presence of …

Diabetes And Effectiveness Of Gym Usage, Roberto Moore

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Central Coast YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) exists to support community members who are diagnosed as pre-diabetic. DPP participants are provided a free membership to the YMCA’s gym, but are under utilizing this resource. Some reasons that participants may not be utilizing the gym are lack of time, work schedules, the language barrier in utilizing the equipment and childcare concerns. If participants are not utilizing the gym they may not complete the program and may be at risk of contracting diabetes and possibly losing a limb. In order to understand the specific barriers for this group in utilizing this …

Pinworm Infection At Salmon Ruins And Aztec Ruins: Relation To Pueblo Iii Regional Violence, Karl Reinhard, Morgana Camacho

Karl Reinhard Publications

The study of coprolites has been a theme of archaeology in the American Southwest. A feature of archaeoparasitology on the Colorado Plateau is the ubiquity of pinworm infection. As a crowd parasite, this ubiquity signals varying concentrations of populations. Our recent analysis of coprolite deposits from 2 sites revealed the highest prevalence of infection ever recorded for the region. For Salmon Ruins, the deposits date from AD 1140 to 1280. For Aztec Ruins, the samples can be dated by artifact association between AD 1182-1253. Both sites can be placed in the Ancestral Pueblo III occupation (AD 1100-1300), which included a …

Preface For Special Section On Archaeoparasitology: A Global Perspective On Ancient Parasites And Current Research Projects, Jong Yil Chai, Min Sea, Karl Reinhard, Dong Hoon Shin

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaeoparasitological research has rapidly developed in recent years, entering a new stage of improved understanding of our ancestors’ parasitic infections across the world. This progress is based on a variety of recently developed research techniques. During a period of rapid innovation since 2016, there has been no much opportunity for parasitologists to gather and share in-depth views about this novel research field. This was remedied by the 14th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) held in Korea (Aug. 19-24, 2018; EXCO, Daegu). For archaeoparasitologists, ICOPA provided a unique opportunity to gather and exchange research and ideas. The participation was unprecedented in …

Confusing A Pollen Grain With A Parasite Egg: An Appraisal Of “Paleoparasitological Evidence Of Pinworm (Enterobius Vermicularis) Infection In A Female Adolescent Residing In Ancient Tehran”, Morgana Camacho, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

There is often the risk of confusing pollen grains with helminth eggs from archaeological sites. Thousands to millions of pollen grains can be recovered from archaeological burial sediments that represent past ritual, medication and environment. Some pollen grain types can be similar to parasite eggs. Such a confusion is represented by the diagnosis of enterobiasis in ancient Iran. The authors of this study confused a joint-pine (Ephedra spp.) pollen grain with a pinworm egg. This paper describes the specific Ephedra pollen morphology that can be confused with pinworm eggs.

The Association Between Melanoma And Exposure To Arsenic Among U.S. Adults Using The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) From 2003 To 2016, Ahmed Bedaiwi

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer at late stages, and its incidence has been increasing significantly over the last ten years in the United States. Chronic exposure to arsenic has been associated in many studies as a risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer, notably squamous cell carcinoma. However, current knowledge is limited regarding melanoma and long-term arsenic exposure.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2003-2016 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), to investigate the association between arsenic exposure and self-reported melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer diagnoses. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. …

Sexual Dysfunction Among Women With Diabetes In A Primary Health Care At Semarang, Central Java Province, Indonesia, Lintang Dian Saraswati, Ari Udiyono, Dian Sutrisni, Muh Fauzi

Kesmas

Sexual dysfunction is associated with pain during sexual intercourse. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported to be one of the causal factors for sexual dysfunction in women. This cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the status of sexual dysfunction in women with DM in the Tlogosari Kulon Primary Health Care, Semarang, Indonesia, in March 2017. A total of 103 women with DM attending the health center participated in this study. Data were collected using a questionnaire-guided interview and through measurements (blood pressure and random blood glucose test). Results showed that 74.8% of women with DM had sexual dysfunction. The proportion …

Effect Of Self-Regulated Learning For Improving Dietary Management And Quality Of Life In Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus At Dr. Ramelan Naval Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, Yayuk Estuningsih, Thinni Nurul Rochmah, Merryana Andriani, Trias Mahmudiono

Kesmas

Self-regulated learning is a process of learning how to manage and regulate oneself to obtain skills and knowledge without depending on others. It is expected that diabetes patients can manage their diabetes by themselves. This study aimed to analyze the effect of self-regulated learning-based educational intervention on quality of life for patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) at Dr. Ramelan Naval Hospital, Surabaya. This was a quasi-experimental study in the form of pretest and posttest with a control group design. A total of 20 patients with DM were randomly divided into intervention and control groups to undergo a 4-week intervention. …

Maternal Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices About Traditional Food Feeding With Stunting And Wasting Of Toddlers In Farmer Families, Betty Yosephin Simanjuntak, Miratul Haya, Desri Suryani, Ali Khomsan, Che An Ahmad

Kesmas

Traditional foods are foods consumed by a certain ethnic group in a specific region. The habit of consuming traditional foods is usually inherited by the family members, including toddlers, of a respective generation. The study aimed to determine relationship of maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices in traditional food feeding with stunting and wasting of toddlers in the farmer families of the Central Bengkulu District. This study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of mothers with children aged 12–59 months. The sample included a total of 115 farmer families. Data on nutritional knowledge, attitude, practices about traditional food, sex of …

Overweight And Obesity Status With Dental Caries Among Children Aged 7–12 Years Old In Badung District, Bali 2018, Hariani Rafitha, Putri Bungsu Machmud, Ratna Djuwita, Dwi Gayatri, Fakhrana Ariani Ayub

Kesmas

Dental caries is an infectious disease that Dental is characterized by the dental damage resulting from microorganism products in carbohydrate fermentation. Dental caries and obesity in children are multifactorial diseases associated with eating habits and certain lifestyle factors. This study aimed to assess the association between overweightness, obesity, and dental caries among children aged 7–12 years in Badung district, Bali province in 2018. The total sample of 426 children and their mothers were recruited from all first to fifth elementary grade students in three schools selected by simple random sampling. The logistic regression analysis has demonstrated a significant association between …

Personal Exposure Of Traffic Policeman To Particulate Matter In Jakarta: Distribution Of Size, Chemical Composition, And Work Time, Doni Hikmat Ramdhan, Eka Fitriani Ahmad, Fitri Kurniasari, Zuly Prima Rizky, Hardy Atmajaya, Muhayatun Santoso

Kesmas

Particulate matter (PM) is an air pollutant that has an impact on public health, especially in an urban area. The objective of this study was to analyze the personal concentration of PM2.5 and its composition among police working in the roadside area in Jakarta. PM measurement has done to the policeman that controlled traffic on four near highway locations in Jakarta. Sioutas impactor, Leland Legacy personal pump, and quartz fiber filter were chosen to measure the fine particles. Each PM was measured for 8-hour period. PM concentration was analyzed by the gravimetric method while tracing element and black carbon in …

Users’ Perception Of The Hospital Information System In A Maternity Hospital In Lampung, Indonesia, Al Asyary, Arief Kurniawan Nur Prasetyo, Tris Eryando, Solvay Gerke

Kesmas

Hospital information systems (HIS) have been applied on a massive scale; however, user evaluation of their effectiveness, efficiency, and service quality improvements remain rare. This study aimed to describe the utility of information systems from the users’ point of view by using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in a maternity hospital in Lampung, Indonesia. The study provided an overview of the features of the information system and the workflow of the user through this information system. Screenshots were taken by using Camtasia Studio 2.0 Trial Version application software for one day (two shifts) in the outpatient service. The HIS generally …

Midwife’S Role In The Mother-To-Child Transmission Prevention Program In Primary Health Care In Yogyakarta, Niken Meilani, Nanik Setiyawati, Sammy Onyapidi Barasa

Kesmas

Curing and eradicating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are to the core principles of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The incidence of HIV in the world remains high. Although midwives play a pivotal role in PMTCT implementation, the factors associated with midwives’ role in its implementation are not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with midwives’ role in implementation of PMTCT. This study used a cross-sectional design. The subjects were 80 midwives at 14 primary health care in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. The study was conducted from April to August 2017. …

Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, And Health Beliefs Of Pregnant Women About Urinary Tract Infection And Its Associated Risk Factors: A Local Filipino Community Experience, Annalyn Navarro, Raphael Enrique Tiongco, Reynaldo Bundalian Jr.

Kesmas

Urinary tract infection (UTI) during pregnancy is assumed to be associated with increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality; hence, a proper assessment of knowledge and practices is crucial to formulate preventive strategies to ensure the health of both the mother and the baby. The study determined the knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and the beliefs of pregnant women about UTI based on the Health Belief Model. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data from pregnant women with and without UTI. The association of the pregnant women’s sociodemographic characteristics with their KAP and health beliefs was determined using Pearson’s chi-square …

How Urban Land Use Contributes To Inequitable Health Outcomes: An Interdisciplinary Review & Analysis, Bliss Storm Croton

University Honors Theses

Using existing literature as a basis for initial review, this paper seeks to explore the relationship between urban land use and socioeconomic status as both pertain to the prevalence of psychological health diagnoses among neighborhood residents. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the combined literature from multiple areas of research in order to gain a more holistic, up-to-date scope of knowledge regarding how discriminatory neighborhood land use may result in poorer psychological health outcomes for urban populations. By utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, some of the locally relevant, long-term impacts of uneven development and environmental injustice are examined based …

Climate Change And Human Rights: Shaping The Narrative For Reflexive Responses From Civilization’S Leadership To Counter And Abate Climate Change And Enhance The Role Of Human Rights In The Rule Of Law, Michael Donlan

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article offers a bold new legal process for enhancing and upgrading the rule of law to enable civilization to cope with and counter the mounting damage and injustice caused by climate change. Climate change, once an unimaginable threat, is now a brutal, ubiquitous game changer that is leading inexorably to the demise of all humanity. Only by enhancing the rule of law and melding international law with domestic law can civilization fashion a coherent, global action plan for survival.

For almost three centuries greenhouse gases have been emitted around the world by the burning of fossil fuel, and—most alarming—these …

Chronic Environmental Exposure To Metal Mixtures In Tribal Populations And Potential Immune System Effects, Jennifer J. Ong

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Hardrock mining in the United States (US) has left a legacy of mixed metal mine waste sites. Wastes may contain multiple metals of health concern, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and uranium, among others. Mining waste sites are disproportionately located on or contiguous to the watersheds of tribal lands. Due to proximity, and because of reliance on natural resources to maintain traditional diets and customs, Native American communities’ contact with multiple metals is often increased. Two impacted communities are the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and Navajo Nation. Both tribes have expressed concerns that metals in mine waste adversely affect …

Sustainable Solutions, Fall/Winter 2020, Issue 41

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Aberrant Epigenomic Modulation Of Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene (Nr3c1) In Early Life Stress And Major Depressive Disorder Correlation: Systematic Review And Quantitative Evidence Synthesis, Laurens Holmes Jr., Emily Shutman, Chinacherem Chinaka, Kerti Deepika, Lavisha Palaez, Kirk W. Dabney

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Early life stress (ELS) induced by psychological trauma, child maltreatment, maternal separation, and domestic violence predisposes to psycho-behavioral pathologies during adulthood, namely major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, and bipolar affective disorder. While environmental data are available in illustrating this association, data remain to be established on the epigenomic underpinning of the nexus between ELS and MDD predisposition. Specifically, despite the observed aberrant epigenomic modulation of the NR3C1, a glucocorticoid receptor gene, in early social adversity and social threats in animal and human models, reliable scientific data for intervention mapping in reducing social adversity and improving human health is required. We …

Implication Of Spiritual Network Support System In Epigenomic Modulation And Health Trajectory, Laurens Holmes Jr., Chinacherem Chinaka, Hikma Elmi, Kerti Deepika, Lavisha Palaez, Michael Enwere, Olumuyiwa T. Akinola, Kirk W. Dabnet

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

With challenges in understanding the multifactorial etiologies of disease and individual treatment effect heterogeneities over the past four decades, much has been acquired on how physical, chemical and social environments a ffect human health, predisposing certain subpopulations to adverse health outcomes, especially the socio-environmentally disadvantaged (SED). Current translational data on gene and adverse environment interaction have revealed how adverse gene-environment interaction, termed aberrant epigenomic modulation, translates into impaired gene expression via messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) dysregulation, reflecting abnormal protein synthesis and hence dysfunctional cellular differentiation and maturation. The environmental influence on gene expression observed in most literature includes physical, chemical, …

Fatness, Intersectionality, And Environmental Justice: Working Towards Health And Sustainability, Ginneh L. Akbar, Meg Panichelli

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

No abstract provided.

Oral Fungal Microbiota: To Thrush And Beyond, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The oral microbiota is complex, multikingdom, interactive, and involves extensive biofilm formation. While dominated by bacteria, Candida is a frequent member of this microbiota; however, several other potentially pathogenic fungi (among around 100 identified species) appear to reside in some individuals, including Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, and Fusarium. Oral candidiasis may manifest as a variety of disease entities in normal hosts and in the immunocompromised. These include pseudomembranous candidiasis (thrush), hyperplastic or atrophic (denture) candidiasis, linear gingival erythema, median rhomboid glossitis, and angular cheilitis. The purpose of this review is to describe the oral fungal microbiota (ie, oral mycobiota), …

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 …