Epidemiology Commons^™

Adverse Event Detection By Integrating Twitter Data And Vaers, Junxiang Wang, Liang Zhao, Yanfang Ye, Yuji Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Vaccinehasbeenoneofthemostsuccessfulpublichealthinterventionstodate.However,vaccines are pharmaceutical products that carry risks so that many adverse events (AEs) are reported after receiving vaccines. Traditional adverse event reporting systems suffer from several crucial challenges including poor timeliness. This motivates increasing social media-based detection systems, which demonstrate successful capability to capture timely and prevalent disease information. Despite these advantages, social media-based AE detection suffers from serious challenges such as labor-intensive labeling and class imbalance of the training data.

Results: Totacklebothchallengesfromtraditionalreportingsystemsandsocialmedia,weexploittheircomplementary strength and develop a combinatorial classification approach by integrating Twitter data and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) information aiming to identify potential AEs after …

Method Overtness, Forensic Autopsy, And The Evidentiary Suicide Note: A Multilevel National Violent Death Reporting System Analysis, Ian R. H. Rockett, Eric D. Caine, Steven Stack, Hilary S. Connery, Kurt B. Nolte, Christa L. Lilly, Ted R. Miller, Lewis S. Nelson, Sandra L. Putnam, Paul S. Nestadt, Haomiao Jia

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective

Higher prevalence of suicide notes could signify more conservatism in accounting and greater proneness to undercounting of suicide by method. We tested two hypotheses: (1) an evidentiary suicide note is more likely to accompany suicides by drug-intoxication and by other poisoning, as less violent and less forensically overt methods, than suicides by firearm and hanging/suffocation; and (2) performance of a forensic autopsy attenuates any observed association between overtness of method and the reported presence of a note.

Methods

This multilevel (individual/county), multivariable analysis employed a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Representing the 17 states participating in the United States …

The Complementary Health Approaches For Pain Survey (Chaps): Validity Testing And Characteristics Of A Rural Population With Pain, Termeh Feinberg, Dina L. Jones, Christa Lilly, Amna Umer, Kim Innes

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives

Little is known about patterns and correlates of Complementary Health Approaches (CHAs) in chronic pain populations, particularly in rural, underserved communities. This article details the development and implementation of a new survey instrument designed to address this gap, the Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Survey (CHAPS).

Design

Following pilot-testing using pre-specified criteria to assess quality and comprehension in our target population, and after feedback regarding face-validity from content experts and stakeholders, the final cross-sectional self-report survey required 10–12 minutes to com- plete. It contained 69 demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors, and utilized a Trans- theoretical Model (TTM) underpinning to …

Effects Of Mantra Meditation Versus Music Listening On Knee Pain, Function, And Related Outcomes In Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial (Rct), Kim Innes, Terry Kit Selfe, Sahiti Kandati, Sijin Wen, Zenzi Huysmans

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective. Disease-modifying treatments for OA remain elusive, and commonly used medications can have serious side effects. Although meditation and music listening (ML) have been shown to improve outcomes in certain chronic pain populations, research in OA is sparse. In this pilot RCT, we explore the effects of two mind-body practices, mantra meditation (MM) and ML, on knee pain, function, and related outcomes in adults with knee OA. Methods. Twenty-two older ambulatory adults diagnosed with knee OA were randomized to a MM (N=11) or ML program (N=11) and asked to practice 15-20 minutes, twice daily for 8 weeks. Core outcomes included …

Perfluoroalkyl Substances And Kidney Function In Chronic Kidney Disease, Anemia, And Diabetes, Baqiyyah N. Conway, Ashley N. Badders, Tina Costacou, John M. Arthur, Kim E. Innes

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Anemia often complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD), leading to insufficient tissue oxygenation and hypoxic injury, the factor thought to underlie progression from CKD to renal failure. Perfluorocarbons are potent oxygen transporters used in organ preservation and synthetic blood development. Data are scarce on their relationship with kidney function, especially in diabetes where anemia and hypoxia are more prevalent. We investigated the relationship of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAS) with kidney function and variation by diabetes and anemia status.

Methods: Data on 53,650 adults (5,210 with diabetes) were obtained from the C8 Health Project. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration …

Discerning Suicide In Drug Intoxication Deaths: Paucity And Primacy Of Suicide Notes And Psychiatric History, Ian Rh Rockett, Eric D. Caine, Hilary S. Connery, Gail D'Onofrio, David J. Gunnell, Ted R. Miller, Kurt B. Nolte, Mark S. Kaplan, Nestor D. Kapusta, Christa L. Lilly, Lewis S. Nelson, Sandra L. Putnam, Steven Stack, Peeter Varnik, Lynne R. Webster, Haomiao Jia

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective

A paucity of corroborative psychological and psychiatric evidence may be inhibiting detec- tion of drug intoxication suicides in the United States. We evaluated the relative importance of suicide notes and psychiatric history in the classification of suicide by drug intoxication versus firearm (gunshot wound) plus hanging/suffocation—the other two major, but overtly violent methods.

Methods

This observational multilevel (individual/county), multivariable study employed a general- ized linear mixed model (GLMM) to analyze pooled suicides and undetermined intent deaths, as possible suicides, among the population aged 15 years and older in the 17 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System …

Novel Caries Loci In Children And Adults Implicated By Genome-Wide Analysis Of Families, Manika Govil, Nandita Mukhopadhyay, Daniel E. Weeks, Eleanor Feingold, John R. Shaffer, Steven M. Levy, Alexandre R. Vieira, Rebecca L. Slayton, Daniel W. Mcneil, Robert J. Weyant, Richard J. Crout, Mary L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Dental caries is a common chronic disease among children and adults alike, posing a substantial health burden. Caries is affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors, and prior studies have found that a substantial proportion of caries susceptibility is genetically inherited.

Methods: To identify such genetic factors, we conducted a genome-wide linkage scan in 464 extended families with 2616 individuals from Iowa, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for three dental caries phenotypes: (1) PRIM: dichotomized as zero versus one or more affected primary teeth, (2) QTOT1: age-adjusted quantitative caries measure for both primary and permanent dentitions including pre-cavitated lesions, and …

Risk Behaviors And Hiv Care Continuum Outcomes Among Criminal Justice-Involved Hiv-Infected Transgender Women And Cisgender Men: Data From The Seek, Test, Treat, And Retain Harmonization Initiative., Curt G Beckwith, Irene Kuo, Rob J Fredericksen, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, William E Cunningham, Sandra A Springer, Kelsey B Loeliger, Julie Franks, Katerina Christopoulos, Jennifer Lorvick, Shoshana Y Kahana, Rebekah Young, David W Seal, Chad Zawitz, Joseph A Delaney, Heidi M Crane, Mary L Biggs

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Transgender persons are highly victimized, marginalized, disproportionately experience incarceration, and have alarmingly increased rates of HIV infection compared to cis-gender persons. Few studies have examined the HIV care continuum outcomes among transgender women (TW), particularly TW who are involved with the criminal justice (CJ) system.

METHODS: To improve our understanding of HIV care continuum outcomes and risk behaviors among HIV-infected TW who are involved with the CJ system, we analyzed data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse-supported Seek, Test, Treat, Retain (STTR) Data Harmonization Initiative. Baseline data were pooled and analyzed from three U.S. STTR studies to examine …

Pre- And Post-Diagnosis Physical Activity, Television Viewing, And Mortality Among Hematologic Cancer Survivors., Daniela Schmid, Gundula Behrens, Hannah Arem, Christina Hart, Wolfgang Herr, Carmen Jochem, Charles E Matthews, Michael F Leitzmann

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The associations of physical activity and television (TV) viewing with mortality risk among individuals with hematologic malignancies remain unclear.

METHODS: We examined the relations of physical activity and TV viewing time before and after diagnosis with mortality among 5182 U.S. adults aged 50-71 years from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort who survived a first primary hematologic cancer between 1995-1996 and 2011.

RESULTS: For the pre- and post-diagnosis analyses, we confirmed 2606 and 613 deaths respectively. In multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models, comparing high (≥4 hrs/wk) versus low (/wk) activity levels, pre-diagnosis physical activity was associated with …

Impact Of Chronic Sexual Abuse And Depression On Inflammation And Wound Healing In The Female Reproductive Tract Of Hiv-Uninfected And Hiv-Infected Women., Mimi Ghosh, Jason Daniels, Maria Pyra, Monika Juzumaite, Mariel Jais, Kerry Murphy, Tonya N Taylor, Seble Kassaye, Lorie Benning, Mardge Cohen, Kathleen Weber

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Sexual violence is associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition/transmission in women. Forced sex can result in physical trauma to the reproductive tract as well as severe psychological distress. However, immuno-biological mechanisms linking sexual violence and HIV susceptibility are incompletely understood. Using the Women's Interagency HIV Study repository, a total of 77 women were selected to form 4 groups, stratified by HIV serostatus, in the following categories: 1) no sexual abuse history and low depressive symptom score (below clinically significant cut-off, scores

Piloting Very Early Infant Diagnosis Of Hiv In Lesotho: Acceptability And Feasibility Among Mothers, Health Workers And Laboratory Personnel., Michelle M Gill, Lynne M Mofenson, Mamakhetha Phalatse, Vincent Tukei, Laura Guay, Matsepeli Nchephe

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Mortality associated with in-utero HIV infection rises rapidly within weeks after birth. Very early infant diagnosis of HIV (VEID)-testing within 2 weeks of birth-followed by immediate initiation of antiretroviral therapy has potential to avert mortality associated with in-utero transmission. However, our understanding of acceptability and feasibility of VEID is limited.

METHODS: VEID was piloted in an observational prospective cohort of HIV-positive pregnant women and their infants in 13 Lesotho health facilities. Between March-July 2016, semi-structured interviews were conducted with HIV-positive women attending 6-week or 14-week postnatal visits and health workers (HWs) in 8 study facilities in 3 districts as …

Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Hiv-Infected Individuals In The District Of Columbia And Estimated Hiv Transmission Risk: Data From The Dc Cohort, Jose Lucar, Rachel Hart, Nabil Rayeed, Arpi Terzian, Amy Weintrob, Amanda D. Castel, Debra A. Benator, Dc Cohort Executive Committee

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Washington, DC, has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. Sexual intercourse is the leading mode of HIV transmission, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a risk factor for HIV acquisition and transmission.

Methods

We evaluated the incidence and demographic factors associated with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis among HIV-infected persons enrolled at 13 DC Cohort sites from 2011 to 2015. Using Poisson regression, we assessed covariates of risk for incident STIs. We also examined HIV viral loads (VLs) at the time of STI diagnosis as a proxy for HIV transmission risk.

Results

Six point …

Spatio-Temporal Frequency Separation With Application Of Kolmogorov-Zurbenko Filters To The Multivariate Analysis Of Melanoma Prevalence, Edward Valachovic

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Time Series Analysis is the observation of variables recorded across time. Observations are visualized and analysis often performed in the native time domain. It is common for a time series to be the dependent variable of more than one factor. Several factors can have concurrent and combined effects. The time domain presents an obstacle due to constructive and destructive interference of factors at each time point. Unless effects are clearly pronounced and separable, the entanglement of factors along with the presence and intensity of random variation can obscure true relationships.

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

Investigating The Role Of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs In Reducing Rates Of Opioid-Related Poisonings, Nathan James Pauly

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. In addition to other system level interventions, almost all states have responded to the crisis by implementing prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). PDMPs are state-level interventions that track the dispensing of Controlled Substances. Data generated at the time of medication dispensing is uploaded to a central data server that may be used to assist in identifying drug diversion, medication misuse, or potentially aberrant prescribing practices.

Prior studies assessing the impact of PDMPs on trends in opioid-related morbidity have often failed to take into account the wide heterogeneity of program …

Using Prescription Drug Monitoring Data To Inform Population Level Analysis Of Opioid Analgesic Utilization, Huong T. T. Luu

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Increased opioid analgesic (OA) prescribing has been associated with increased risk of prescription opioid diversion, misuse, and abuse. States established prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) to collect and analyze electronic records for dispensed controlled substances to reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion. PDMP data can be used by prescribers for tracking patient’s history of controlled substance prescribing to inform clinical decisions.

The studies in this dissertation are focused on the less utilized potential of the PDMP data to enhance public health surveillance to monitor OA prescribing and co-prescribing and association with opioid overdose mortality and morbidity. Longitudinal analysis of OA …

Mapping Opioid Mortality Rates Across Treatment Capacity To Identify Need And Access, Garrett K. Wong, Justin R. Chang, Chase Greco, Yadunandan Pillai, Mohammad A. Shahrezaei, Melissa H. Burton, Rob Lawrence, Alan Dow

Graduate Research Posters

Background: The opioid and heroin overdose epidemic is a public health emergency in the state of Virginia, resulting in the death of more than 1,100 people in 2016. In order to overcome this epidemic, we need to match the places with the greatest need for services related to substance use disorders with the appropriate healthcare workforce.

Aims: As the data about the overdose outbreak and related socioeconomic factors grow in size and complexity, data scientists have attempted to utilize big data techniques to identify communities and risk factors contributing to addiction.

Methods: Using data obtained from the …

Geographic Variations In Antenatal Care Services In Sierra Leone, Eunice Nyambura Chege

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite antenatal care presenting opportunities to identify and monitor women at risk, use of recommended antenatal care services remains. Barriers preventing use of antenatal services vary between countries, and limited knowledge exists about the link between geographical settings and antenatal service use. The objective of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to explore geographical variations and investigate how social demographic characteristics affect use of antenatal care for women in Sierra Leone using the Andersen behavioral model. The data used were from the 2016 maternal death surveillance report of the whole counrty (N =706). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the …

Structure Of The Picornavirus Replication Platform: A Potential Drug Target For Inhibiting Virus Replication, Meghan Suzanne Warden

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Picornaviruses are small, positive-stranded RNA viruses, divided into twelve different genera. Members of the Picornaviridae family cause a wide range of human and animal diseases including the common cold, poliomyelitis, foot and mouth disease, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The picornavirus genome is replicated via a highly conserved mechanism involving a presumed cloverleaf structure located at the 5’ noncoding region of the virus genome. The 5’ cloverleaf consists of three stem loops (B, C, and D) and one stem (A), which interact with a variety of virus and host cell proteins during replication. In this dissertation, human rhinovirus serotype 14 (HRV-14) SLB …

Spatiotemporal Variations In Coexisting Multiple Causes Of Death And The Associated Factors, Emmanuel Oluwatobi Salawu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study and practice of epidemiology and public health benefit from the use of mortality statistics, such as mortality rates, which are frequently used as key health indicators. Furthermore, multiple causes of death (MCOD) data offer important information that could not possibly be gathered from other mortality data. This study aimed to describe the interrelationships between various causes of death in the United States in order to improve the understanding of the coexistence of MCOD and thereby improve public health and enhance longevity. The social support theory was used as a framework, and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to …

Relationships Among Vitamin D Deficiency, Metabolic Syndrome, Smoking Behavior, And Physical Activity, Ethan Pham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aging increases the risk of both vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome may be related, although there are mixed findings. Furthermore, literature suggests other factors such as physical fitness activity and smoking behavior are associated with Vitamin D deficiency and the development of metabolic syndrome. A number of studies have documented associations between Vitamin D levels and physical fitness activities, while other studies found correlations between Vitamin D levels, metabolic syndrome, and smoking behavior. However, no previous study has examined the links between physical fitness activity, smoking behavior, Vitamin D levels, and the risks …

Poverty Rate And Occurrence Of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors In Retail Facilities, Margolite Joseph Cesar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the efforts of food safety regulations and rules, food contamination remains a public health concern and prevalent vehicle of pathogens. This study identifies the predictors of food risk in different types of food establishments in Miami Dade County, Florida during the period November 2014 - November 2016. Guided by the epidemiologic triangle model, this correlational study analyzed the log number of risk factor violations and failure rates controlling for US Census sociodemographic data (2010 to 2014) for the food establishment neighborhoods by using linear and logistic regression. Results indicated that most of food entity types are significant predictors of …

Relationship Between Exposure To Phthalate And Obesity In The United States, Gladys Chidiebere Ezem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a public health problem. The global obesity problem has been attributed to unhealthy diet, inactivity, and hereditary factors. However, phthalates may also contribute to the obesity epidemic. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether there was a relationship between exposure to phthalates and obesity among adults 18 years and older in the United States. The theoretical framework was based on the socioecological model. The quantitative, cross-sectional design, and data analysis were based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012 database. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the association between …

Fetal Growth Restriction: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Immunization Safety Data, Sarah Rae Easter, Linda O. Eckert, Nansi Boghossian, Rebecca Spencer, Eugene Oteng-Ntim, Christos Ioannou, Manasi Patwardhan, Margo S. Harrison, Asma Khalil, Michael Gravett, Robert Goldenberg, Alastair Mckelvey, Manish Gupta, Vitali Pool, Stephen C. Robson, Jyoti Joshi, Sonali Kochhar, Tom Mcelrath

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Small For Gestational Age: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Maternal Immunisation Safety Data, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Flor M. Munoz, Azucena Bardají, Nansi S. Boghossian, Asma Khalil, Hatem Mousa, Mirjana Nesin, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Vitali Pool, Hans M.L. Spiegel, Milagritos D. Tapia, Sonali Kochhar, Steven Black

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Economic Recession On The Health Of Adult Nevadans, Ariana Goertz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recessions are generally considered to cause negative consequences, but recent studies have provided evidence that some health outcomes improve as the economy deteriorates. The relationship between economic downfalls and health is not straightforward; it is important to look at how health has been impacted in one of the areas hit hardest by the recession. Las Vegas, Nevada was previously considered recession-proof, seemingly unaffected by previous economic downturns exhibited by the rest of the country. However, during the Great Recession of 2007-2009, Las Vegas led the country in highest rates of unemployment and foreclosures. This was quite a collapse for a …

The Role Of Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Colorectal Cancer Stage And Survival In Elderly Americans: A Seer-Medicare Population-Based Study 2002-~2011, Sanae El Ibrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes is a common comorbid condition among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, yet its effects in CRC outcomes, particularly stage at diagnosis, risk of death and variations by diabetes severity (complications vs no complications) and Hispanic ethnicity have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between pre-existing T2DM and advanced stage at diagnosis in elderly patients with CRC; to examine whether diabetes is an independent predictor of poor survival from all-cause and CRC-specific mortality; to assess whether variations exist by diabetes severity and to analyze the outcomes for the Hispanic group.

The Surveillance Epidemiology …

Increasing Use Of Research Findings In Improving Evidence-Based Health Policy At The National Level, Meiwita Budiharsana

Kesmas

In February 2016, the Minister of Health decided to increase the use of research findings in improving the quality of the national health policy and planning. The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Health Research and Development or NIHRD to play a stronger role of monitoring and evaluating all health programs, because “their opinion and research findings should be the basis for changes in national health policies and planning”. Compared to the past, the Ministry of Health has increased the research budget for evidence-based research tremendously. However, there is a gap between the information needs of program …

The Change In Mental Health Status Of Indonesian Health Care Migrant Worker In Japan, Susiana Nugraha, Yuko Hirano, Honda Sumihisha

Kesmas

Under the Japan – Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement, more than 1,000 of Indonesian health care workers have migrated to Japan. Social adjustment during the process of migration is linked to mental health changes. This study aimed to figure out the strongest predictor that influences the change in mental health status as a result of migration. Baseline data were collected in Jakarta in 2013 during pre-departure orientation. Follow-up study was conducted one year after the study participants migrated to Japan in 2014. Using longitudinal design, this study employed 92 participants consisting of nurse and certified care worker candidates. The multiple linear …

Husband’S Education Level And Alcohol Drinking Habit As Risk Factors Of Hiv Infection Among Housewives In Pati District, Nurul Aeni, Annemarie Westendorp

Kesmas

Cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in Pati District increase, particularly among housewives. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk factors of HIV infection among housewives in Pati District using case-control study design. The respondents were 90 housewives divided into case and control group. The case group consisted of 30 housewives living with HIV, while the control group comprised 60 housewives living in the similar area of the counterparts. The data collection was focused on demographic, sexual behaviour, and sociocultural variables possessed by housewives and their husbands. The study resulted that the risk factors of HIV …