Epidemiology Commons^™

Overcoming Shortage Of Pharmacists To Provide Pharmaceutical Services In Public Health Centers In Indonesia, Yuyun Yuniar, Max Joseph Herman

Kesmas

Indonesia masih menghadapi keterbatasan jumlah apoteker di puskesmas, sehingga pihak pemerintah daerah dan puskesmas harus berupaya mengatasi permasalahan tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan ketersediaan dan distribusi tenaga pelayanan kefarmasian di puskesmas serta permasalahan dan alternatif pemecahannya. Data diambil dari hasil Riset Fasilitas Kesehatan (Rifaskes) tahun 2011I. Data kuantitatif tentang tenaga pelayanan kefarmasian di puskesmas dianalisis secara deskriptif berdasarkan regional. Data kualitatif sebagai pendukung diperoleh melalui wawancara mendalam dengan bagian kepegawaian dinas kesehatan dan apoteker empat puskesmas di Kota Bogor dan Bekasi, 3 kemudian dianalisis dengan metode analisis tema. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa Sulawesi memiliki persentase puskesmas dengan tenaga apoteker …

Empowerment-Based Positive Youth Development: A New Understanding Of Healthy Development For African American Youth, Raphael Travis Jr., Tamara Leech

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

A shift occurred in research about adolescents in the general population. Research is moving away from deficits toward a resilience paradigm and understanding trajectories of positive youth development. This shift has been less consistent in research and practice with African American youth. A gap also exists in understanding whether individual youth development dimensions generate potential in other dimensions. This study presents an empowerment-based positive youth development model. It builds upon existing research to present a new vision of healthy development for African American youth that is strengths-based, developmental, culture-bound, and action-oriented. It emphasizes the relationship between person and environment, the …

Landscape Epidemiology And Machine Learning: A Geospatial Approach To Modeling West Nile Virus Risk In The United States, Sean Gregory Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex interactions between human health and the physical landscape and environment have been recognized, if not fully understood, since the ancient Greeks. Landscape epidemiology, sometimes called spatial epidemiology, is a sub-discipline of medical geography that uses environmental conditions as explanatory variables in the study of disease or other health phenomena. This theory suggests that pathogenic organisms (whether germs or larger vector and host species) are subject to environmental conditions that can be observed on the landscape, and by identifying where such organisms are likely to exist, areas at greatest risk of the disease can be derived. Machine learning is …

Comparing Two-Year Community College And Four-Year University Student Social And Behavioral Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk Factors, Oswald M. Attin

Faculty Dissertations

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) could cause ectopic, cervical cancer, infertility, and organ damage to the heart, kidneys, and brain. This study compared several behavioral risk factors of STIs (condom use, number of sexual partners, type of sex (anal or vaginal) and drinking habits) between two distinct educational settings and their association with socioeconomic risk factors such as low income and parent’s lower level of education that are known to increase the incidence of STIs among college-aged students. This study was based on the precautionary-health-behavior model, where individuals act regardless of consequences, and the health-behavior-change model, where individual behaviors either increase …

The Psychological Impacts Of False Positive Ovarian Cancer Screening: Assessment Via Mixed And Trajectory Modeling, Amanda T. Wiggins

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and has the highest mortality of any cancer of the female reproductive system. The majority (61%) of OC cases are diagnosed at a distant stage. Because diagnoses occur most commonly at a late-stage and prognosis for advanced disease is poor, research focusing on the development of effective OC screening methods to facilitate early detection in high-risk, asymptomatic women is fundamental in reducing OC-specific mortality. Presently, there is no screening modality proven efficacious in reducing OC-mortality. However, transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) has shown value in early detection of OC. TVS presents …

Using Geospatial Technologies To Characterize Relationships Between Travel Behavior, Food Availability, And Health, Warren J. Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Epidemic obesity in the U.S. has prompted exploration of causal factors related to the built environment. Recent research has noted statistical associations between the spatial accessibility of retail food sources, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants, and individual characteristics such as weight, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. These studies typically use residential proximity or neighborhood density to food sources as the measure of accessibility. Assessing food environments in this manner, however, is very limiting. Since most people travel outside of their neighborhood on a daily basis, the retail food sources available to individuals residing in the same area could vary …

The Role Of Connectedness And Religious Factors On Bullying Participation Among Preadolescents In Puerto Rico, Melissa C. Mercado-Crespo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relationships or connections with caring pro-social others (e.g., parents, teachers, school, friends, neighborhood, religion) serve as pro-resilience assets that may enhance children's abilities to cope with bullying. The purpose of this research study was to explore the roles of connectedness and religiosity as potential factors that could enhance resiliency against bullying among preadolescents in Puerto Rico (PR). This doctoral dissertation also addressed several gaps in the children's bullying, resilience and religiosity research literature.

A sample of 426 community-based afterschool program preadolescents (ages 10-12 years old) participated in this exploratory, cross-sectional study, by completing a quantitative questionnaire in paper and pencil …

Antenatal Physical Activity Counseling Among Healthcare Providers, Jenn Leiferman, Margaret Gutilla, James Paulson, Jim Pivarnik

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Pregnant women often report a lack of knowledge concerning the safety of exercising during pregnancy. Healthcare providers play an integral role in providing pregnant women with the necessary knowledge to promote antenatal physical activity. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess healthcare providers’ beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and practices related to antenatal physical activity counseling.

Study Design: 188 Providers (i.e. obstetricians, midwives, and family medicine physicians) completed a 39 closed-item survey. Characteristics among healthcare providers’ physical activity counseling practices as well as belief, attitudes and knowledge were explored.

Results: The majority of all providers agreed that physical activity …

A Geographical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Infection In Nigeria, 1991-2001, Chinekwu Azuka Obidoa, Robert G. Cromley

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Abstract

Objectives: Within the gradually accumulating literature on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria, investigations concerning the spatial dimensions of the infection are virtually non-existent. An understanding of the spatial dimensions of the epidemic is central in the development and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies. This study is a geographic analysis of HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria from 1991 – 2001. The three objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the geographic pattern of the epidemic, 2) to examine the spatial-temporal trend and diffusion pattern of the epidemic, and 3) to explore the factors associated with the spatial …

Surveillance Of Infectious Diseases Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, Jeanne Bertolli, Amy Roussel, Jennie Harris, Dan Lentine, Julia Gable, Ron Fichtner, Joann Kauffman, Michael Landen, Ralph T. Bryan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

We assessed participation in public health surveillance networks among Indian Health Service, tribal, and urban (I/T/U) Indian health facilities for a group of infectious diseases, and barriers to participation. We conducted surveys of I/T/U facilities and key informant interviews with representatives of tribal, urban, and national American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) agencies. For the surveys, frequencies and percentages of responses in each response category were calculated. Qualitative methods were used to analyze interview content. The proportion of facilities participating in case reporting is suboptimal across facility types and diseases. Even when reporting is occurring, there is little feedback to tribal agencies. …

Perbandingan Tingkat Kepuasan Kerja Perawat Dan Kepuasan Pasien, Jamilla Upik Noras, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika

Kesmas

Perawat adalah ujung tombak pemberi pelayanan langsung pada pasien selama 24 jam. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk membandingkan tingkat kepuasan kerja perawat dengan kepuasan pasien terhadap pelayanan keperawatan kelas 3 di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat (RSUP) X Jakarta. Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif dengan desain studi cross sectional, pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Populasi adalah seluruh perawat yang bertugas sebagai pelaksana keperawatan kelas 3 sebanyak 40 orang ser- ta pasien yang dirawat di ruang rawat inap kelas 3 sebanyak 120 orang. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara purposive sampling sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi dan ekslusi. Hasil pengukuran kuantitatif menunjukkan bah- wa tingkat kepuasan kerja perawat …

Facing An Epidemic: An Analysis Of Hiv/Aids, Antiretroviral Drug, And International Response To The Aids Pandemic, Michael Tate

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

More than 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS around the globe with 68% of all cases occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The global prevalence rate is shocking considering that the disease was relatively unknown just 30 years ago. After reviewing medical, health policy, and health statistical journals, I will argue in this paper that international aid to nations struggling with AIDS needs to be redirected and refocused on supplying antiretroviral therapy to afflicted nations because ARV has been proven to be effective in managing the disease in countries that can afford the costs of treatment. International aid to countries that …

Preventable Asthma Episodes Among Urban/Rural Children And Adolescents: A Comparative Study, Saundra Glover, Crystal N. Piper, Edith Williams, Kevin Bennett, Winifred Thompson, Lucy Annang, Shaniece Charlemagne, Rahnuma Hassan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Context: Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness that is increasing in prevalence among children in the United States. A limited number of studies have examined the relationship between rurality and the prevalence of asthma in minority children, and those studies found mixed results. The aim of this study is to examine urban/rural locality and its impact on asthma episodes and preventable emergency department visits, and to provide quantitative evidence concerning the relationship between patient characteristics and geographic location. Methods: This is a retrospective study and secondary data analysis of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey. Parametric testing using Univariate/Bivariate/Multivariate analysis …

A Health Needs Assessment Of Arab-Americans In The Washington, Dc Area, Reem N. Ghoneim, Amita N. Vyas

GW Research Days 2012 and Earlier

Although Arab-Americans often face various health challenges due to the stress associated with immigration, cultural conflict in the U.S., and limited knowledge of the complex U.S. health system, there is a paucity of research examining health risks and behaviors among this ethnic group. This cross-sectional study assessed the health needs among Arabs living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Participants were recruited to take the survey online, reporting on health care access and utilization, risk behaviors, and health status. It also measured for associations between reported depression, discrimination, acculturation, and health. Quantitative analysis showed correlations between age and current tobacco …

Does Access To A Family Physician Matter For Adolescents?, Bridget L. Ryan, Moira Stewart, M. Karen Campbell, John Koval, Amardeep Thind

RDC@Western Research Highlights

No abstract provided.

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Nursing Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods. We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between …

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Life Course Socio-Economic Measures As Predictors Of Bmi Trajectories And Prevalence Of Diabetes In Adult Life, Tabassum Zarina Insaf

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Few studies have analyzed the effect of lifecourse socioeconomic position (LSEP) on racial disparities in body mass index (BMI) trajectories and Diabetes. Four waves of the Americans' Changing Lives study (1986-2002) were used to compute BMI trajectories and diabetes prevalence for 3497 Black and White participants. Multivariate associations of LSEP variables (father's education, perceived childhood SEP, education, income, wealth and financial stress) with baseline BMI and BMI change were assessed using mixed models. We also evaluated whether disparate LSEP predictors are influential in Blacks as compared to Whites. Finally we evaluated the presence of latent, pathway and cumulative models of …

Health Behind And Beyond Bars : Understanding The Link Between Incarceration And Health, Lauren C. Porter

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary aim of this dissertation is to better understand the link between incarceration and health. Drawing on a sample of young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the effect of incarceration on self-rated health, serious injury, STD infection, cold/flu symptoms, and blood pressure is assessed. The effect of incarceration on health behavior is also examined, including diet, smoking, binge drinking, and physical activity. In order to rule out selection bias, current and former inmates are compared to respondents who have been arrested (or arrested and convicted of a crime), but not incarcerated. Findings suggest …

Intimate Partner Physical Violence Against Women In Saudi Arabian Primary Healthcare Clinics, Halah M. Eldoseri

Health Services Research Dissertations

Intimate partner violence against women (IPPVAW) is a serious public health concern. The Ecological Model provides a model to study several factors associated with IPPVAW. In Saudi Arabia, studies addressing IPPVAW are limited and do not cover the various aspects of the problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors associated with IPPVAW at the personal, interpersonal, community and societal levels. Methods: 200 ever-married women attending six PHC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were recruited via convenient sampling method. Women were interviewed on factors related to IPPVAW using an adapted version of WHO survey for violence against …

A Comparative Study Of Indicator Bacteria Present In Ice And Soda From Las Vegas Food Establishments, Kimberly Jo Hertin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Microbial analysis has long been used as an indicator of water quality. Since the passing of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, microbial standards have been strictly set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the public health is protected from bacterial pathogens. The bacteriological quality of water generally deteriorates as it travels from water treatment facilities through the main distribution system and into private plumbing and distribution systems. For example, Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) values typically increase once the water has entered plumbing devices such as beverage vending machines. Upon reaching a private facility, the opportunity …

Hiv And Concurrent Sexual Partnerships: Modelling The Role Of Coital Dilution, Larry Sawers, Alan G. Isaac, Eileen Stillwaggon

Economics Faculty Publications

Background: The concurrency hypothesis asserts that high prevalence of overlapping sexual partnerships explains extraordinarily high HIV levels in sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier simulation models show that the network effect of concurrency can increase HIV incidence, but those models do not account for the coital dilution effect (nonprimary partnerships have lower coital frequency than primary partnerships).

Methods: We modify the model of Eaton et al (AIDS and Behavior, September 2010) to incorporate coital dilution by assigning lower coital frequencies to non-primary partnerships. We parameterize coital dilution based on the empirical work of Morris et al (PLoS ONE, December …

Perflurorochemical (Pfc) Exposure In Children: Associations With Impaired Response Inhibition, Brooks B. Gump, Qian Wu, Amy K. Dumas, Kurunthachalam Kannan

Falk College Research Center

Background: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been used widely in consumer products since the 1950s and are currently found at detectable levels in the blood of humans and animals across the globe. In stark contrast to this widespread exposure to PFCs, there is relatively little research on potential adverse health effects of exposure to these chemicals.Objectives: We performed this cross-sectional study to determine if specific blood PFC levels are associated with impaired response inhibition in children. Methods: Blood levels of 11 PFCs were measured in children (N = 83) and 6 PFCs: perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), …

The Health Of Latinos In Massachusetts: A Snapshot, Dharma Cortés, Rodolfo R. Vega

Gastón Institute Publications

People’s health outcomes are shaped in part by non-biological factors. Most immediately, limited access to health care services can have a deleterious impact on individuals’ health outcomes (Andrulis, 1998). In turn, access to healthcare services is influenced by socioeconomic factors such as whether a person has health insurance or the financial means to pay for their health care. Familiarity with the health care system is another important factor that may influence an individual’s access to healthcare services (Morgan et al., 2008). Language also plays an important role in health outcomes. For instance, individuals with limited English proficiency may find it …

Concurrent Sexual Partnerships Do Not Explain The Hiv Epidemics In Africa: A Systematic Review Of The Evidence, Larry Sawers, Eileen Stillwaggon

Economics Faculty Publications

The notion that concurrent sexual partnerships are especially common in sub-Saharan Africa and explain the region’s high HIV prevalence is accepted by many as conventional wisdom. In this paper, we evaluate the quantitative and qualitative evidence offered by the principal proponents of the concurrency hypothesis and analyze the mathematical model they use to establish the plausibility of the hypothesis.

We find that research seeking to establish a statistical correlation between concurrency and HIV prevalence either finds no correlation or has important limitations. Furthermore, in order to simulate rapid spread of HIV, mathematical models require unrealistic assumptions about frequency of sexual …

The Role Of Unrealistic Optimism In Explaining Preventive Behaviors In High Versus Low Endemic Malaria Settings In Belize, Daniel G. Handysides

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Of all the diseases an individual can encounter in the world, malaria is one of the most destructive. Simple measures like sleeping under a bednet would greatly reduce the burden (Abeku, 2007). When people estimate their risk relative to others, they are most often unrealistically optimistic, which may explain why those at risk often fail to perform behaviors, such as using a bednet that will reduce their risk. However, one study showed that people at high risk for malaria held pessimistic perceptions of their risk for the disease, but the reasons for this finding are unclear (Morrison, Ager, & …

Plasma Prekallikrein Levels Are Positively Associated With Circulating Lipid Levels And The Metabolic Syndrome In Children., James A. Mackenzie, Kristen A. Roosa, Brooks B. Gump, Amy K. Dumas, Kestutis G. Bendinskas

Falk College Research Center

Plasma prekallikrein (PK) has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors, but these associations have not been investigated in children. The present study examined PK activity in relation to well-established cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of children aged 9–11 years (N = 97). We found a significant and positive association between PK and fasting levels of total cholesterol (p < 0.01), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.01), and triglycerides (p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant association between PK activity and the metabolic syndrome, a clustering of risk factors considered to have an impact on atherosclerosis and CVD mortality. Finally, we found that children with a family history of CVD had significantly elevated PK activity. These novel findings warrant further investigations into the relationship between circulating PK levels and CVD risk factors because PK may be involved in the progression of the disease state. Il est bien connu que la pre´kallicre´ine (PK) est associe´e a` la maladie cardiovasculaire (CVD) et a` ses facteurs de risque, mais ces associations n’ont pas e´te´ ve´rifie´es chez les enfants. Cette e´tude se propose de ve´rifier l’association entre l’activite´ de la PK et les facteurs de risque de CVD aupre`s d’une cohorte d’enfants aˆge´s de 9 a` 11 ans (N = 97). On observe une corre´lation positive significative entre la PK et les variables suivantes : la concentration totale de choleste´rol a` jeun (p < 0,01), les concentrations des lipoprote´ines non a` haute densite´ (p < 0,01) et la concentration des triglyce´rides (p < 0,001). De plus, on observe une corre´lation significative entre l’activite´ de la PK et le syndrome me´tabolique constitue par un ensemble de facteurs ayant un effet sur l’athe´roscle´rose et la mortalite´ due a` la CVD. En dernier lieu, les enfants avec des ante´ce´dents familiaux de CVD pre´sentent une plus importante activite´ de la PK, et ce, de fac¸on significative. Ces premie`res observations sugge`rent d’autres e´tudes sur la relation entre la concentration sanguine de PK et les facteurs de risque de CVD, car la PK pourrait eˆtre implique´e dans la progression de la maladi

A Gis Analysis Of The Environmental Variables Related To Rift Valley Fever Outbreaks, Jacqueline Florette Jackson

Health Services Research Dissertations

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne disease that causes widespread febrile illness and mortality in domestic animals as well as humans (Gaff, 2007). Rift Valley fever virus was first isolated in 1931 (Daubney, 1931), and since then, outbreaks have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Madagascar, proving it to be a virus able to invade ecologically diverse regions (Gaff, 2007). The potential introduction of Rift Valley fever into the United States suggests the potential for human infection and major economic disruption. It is important to understand the role environmental variables have played in historical outbreaks …

Effects Of Leas And Mecury On The Blood Proteome Of Children, Robert E. Birsall, Michael P. Kiley, Zaneer M. Segu, Christopher D. Palmer, Milan Madera, Brooks B. Gump

Falk College Research Center

Heavy metal exposure in children has been associated with a variety of physiological and neurological problems. The goal of this study was to utilize proteomics to enhance the understanding of biochemical interactions responsible for the health problems related to lead and mercury exposure at concentrations well below CDC guidelines. Blood plasma and serum samples from 34 children were depleted of their most abundant proteins using antibody-based affinity columns and analyzed using two different methods, LC-MS/MS and 2-D electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/MS and tandem mass spectrometry. Apolipoprotein E demonstrated an inverse significant association with lead concentrations (average being one microgram/deciliter) as …

The Utility Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System In Testing Quality Of Life Theory : An Evaluation Using Structural Equation Modeling, Evelyn Marie Kintner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study is a secondary data analysis that uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the utility of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)--the Centers for Disease Control's premier surveillance tool for monitoring behavioral risk factors--in predicting health related quality of life (HRQoL). Employing the statistical package SPSS/AMOS (version 7), the study utilizes New York State data extracted from the 2007 BRFSS national dataset to assess how well the observed pattern of variances and covariances of the state level data fit with a well-known HRQoL model developed by Wilson and Cleary (1995). Interaction effects are examined, utilizing a multigroup …