Epidemiology Commons^™

The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Power Of Numbers, Jessica Ancker

Numeracy

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced a deluge of news coverage of quantitative concepts. In this viewpoint, we provide examples of effective and poor quantitative communication by the professional news media as well as social media communicators. Effective examples include a number of online animations and engaging interactive simulations. Examples of poor quantitative communication include the widespread reporting of raw numbers rather than rates, failing to address uncertainty, not providing sufficient context for numbers, and not discussing the implications of false negative and false positive diagnostic test results. Educators can draw from this body of news to develop compelling quantitative literacy …

Does Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Increases The Risk Of Preeclampsia Among Primigravid Women?, Astha Kakkad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia are serious complications of pregnancy which are associated with both short- and long-term adverse health outcomes for the mother as well as the fetus. The increase in prevalence of these conditions has become a major public health concern. The purpose of this study is to examine the association and risk imposed by GDM for preeclampsia in primigravid women. This descriptive study was conducted using data retrieved from the electronic medical records of a large integrated health system in Florida. The data for this analysis included pregnancy records for patients at least 18 years of …

Identifying Barriers And Facilitators To Improve Hepatitis C Virus Screening, Linh M. Duong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Birth cohort hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening recommendations were issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Despite this, studies have reported low HCV screening rates. Currently, the prevalence of HCV screening rates nationally is unknown and there are no in-depth studies that have evaluated the barriers or facilitators of HCV screening. Our study aimed to fill this gap by 1) conducting a systematic literature review to assess the national HCV screening prevalence, 2) evaluating temporal trends in HCV screening using a large academic …

The Relationship Between Continuous Glucose Monitor (Cgm) Derived Metrics And Indices Of Glycemic Control, Ryan Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Both hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) are common among individuals with type 1 diabetes and are associated with severe medical complications, therefore it is essential that health care providers are able to accurately measure glycemic control. Measures derived from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may provide more accurate measurements of glycemia than the commonly used HbA1c blood test.

Methods: Data from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) clinical trial to assess the efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring was used to estimate the ability of CGM composite scores to predict time in range, time in hyperglycemia and …

Mitigating Barriers To Chronic Disease Risk Factor Prevention And Management In Disadvantaged Communities, Krys M. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: The incidence and prevalence of chronic disease (CD) has increased in recent decades due to the advent of CD management and life-extending technologies. To address this burden on the population and healthcare system, evidence-based CD prevention programs have been developed to reduce the incidence and therefore the prevalence of these diseases. Despite the development and dissemination of effective interventions, African-Americans and Hispanics have disproportionately higher prevalence of CD and associated risk factors and disproportionately lower participation in CD prevention programs. Overweight/obesity and CDs may have intergenerational effects, with overweight adults being more likely to have overweight children who are …

Evolutionary Dynamics Of Influenza Type B In The Presence Of Vaccination: An Ecological Study, Lindsey J. Fiedler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of influenza type B in human hosts is a public health concern as we strive to minimize the disease burden in seasonal epidemics. Vaccination is considered the best defense against contracting influenza, and everyone over the age of 6 months is advised to get vaccinated before each season. The effect that vaccine-acquired immunity has on the evolution of influenza B remains unclear. In the U.S., vaccine-uptake is irregular across the states, and the differing coverages present an opportunity to study how vaccination influences viral evolution. This thesis analyzes the evolutionary patterns of influenza B in the …

A Retrospective Study Of The Opioid Epidemic And Fentanyl Related Overdose Fatality Cases In A Florida West Coast Medical Examiner District Population, Anne Terese Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Opioids are scheduled by the propensity for misuse and abuse with a high rate of dependency and risk of fatal overdose. Opioids can be divided into different classes, including, natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic. Opiates are naturally occurring and come directly from the opium poppy plant; whereas the semi synthetics opioids are chemical modifications of the poppy plant. Synthetic opioids attach to the opioid receptor but contain no part of the poppy plant. The increased variety and frequency in opioid prescriptions contributed to an opioid epidemic in the United States which is still on going.

According to the CDC, the opioid …

Effects Of Medications With Anticholinergic Properties And Opioids On Cognitive Function And Neural Volumetric Changes In Elderly Australians, Malinee Neelamegam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Multiple comorbidities are common among older adults. Pharmaceutical interventions are the most common form of medical management of the multiple health conditions that the older adult population faces. Almost 90% of adults aged 65 years and above take at least one prescription medication. Polypharmacy (5 medication or more) occurs with 50% of the older adult population. Most medications used to treat common ailments affecting the geriatric population have anticholinergic properties. These medications are known to cause a range of side effects from peripheral effects to central nervous system effects. These adverse effects are of particular concern in the older …

Respiratory Infections And Risk For Development Of Narcolepsy: Analysis Of The Truven Health Marketscan Database (2008 To 2010) With Additional Assessment Of Incidence And Prevalence, Darren Scheer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background and Significance: Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder. These patients experience various psychiatric and physical comorbid diseases and mortality at an increased rate compared to the general population. Additionally, patients with narcolepsy experience approximately a doubling of various annual healthcare related facility visits, transactions, and costs comparatively. Narcolepsy with cataplexy is generally believed to be more prevalent than narcolepsy without cataplexy. However, incidence and prevalence estimates of narcolepsy (with or without cataplexy) vary widely with few large epidemiological studies conducted worldwide and none in the U.S evaluating these proportions in both children and adults utilizing a large health care …

Impact Of Obesity And Expression Of Obesity-Related Genes In The Progression Of Prostate Cancer In African American Men, Mmadili Nancy Ilozumba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the US, the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are higher among African American men compared to European American men. Obesity is an important risk factor of PCa. Obesity is known to alter the gene expression profiles in prostate tumors. This study evaluates the impact of obesity and the expression of obesity-related genes on the progression of PCa in African American men.

The primary outcome of interest is biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa. There were 48 African American prostate cancer patients in the study. The tissue samples included 42 normal tissues, 40 Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and …

Angiostrongylus Cantonensis: Epidemiologic Review, Location-Specific Habitat Modelling, And Surveillance In Hillsborough County, Florida, U.S.A., Brad Christian Perich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode endemic to tropical and subtropical regions and is the leading cause of human eosinophilic meningitis. The parasite is commonly known as rat lungworm because the primary host in its lifecycle is the rat. A clinical overview of rat lungworm infection is presented, followed by a literature review of rat lungworm epidemiology, risk factors, and surveillance projects. Data collected from previous snail surveys in Florida was considered alongside elevation, population per square kilometer, median household income by zip code territory, and normalized difference vegetation index specific to the geographic coordinates from which the snail samples …

Sleep And Alzheimer’S Disease: A Critical Examination Of The Risk That Sleep Problems Or Disorders Particularly Obstructive Sleep Apnea Pose Towards Developing Alzheimer’S Disease, Omonigho A. Michael Bubu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a critical examination of the relationship between sleep problems and/or disorders, particularly Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Alzheimer Disease (AD). First, I conducted an exhaustive systematic review of existing literature, and identified gaps in research that led to specific research aims. For the first aim, I conducted the first ever-published meta-analysis examining sleep, cognitive decline and AD, providing an aggregate effect of sleep on AD. Second, focusing on OSA, I conducted a study examining OSA’s effect on longitudinal changes on AD biomarkers in cognitive normal, MCI and AD subjects, using data from the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative …

Ambient Ozone And Cadmium As Risk Factors For Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Rema Ramakrishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) results from a defect in the diaphragm through which abdominal contents enter the thorax displacing the heart and the lungs. This causes lung hypoplasia and varying degrees of pulmonary hypertension resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. Though CDH has a prevalence rate of 2.61 per 10,000 live births it is an expensive birth defect with an estimated annual cost of nearly $250 million for all CDH survivors. Maternal exposure to air pollutants have not been studied as risk factors for CDH in humans. Ambient ozone has been found to be risk factors for certain …

The Effects Of Maternal Folate On Fetal Brain And Body Size Among Smoking Mothers, Korede K. Adegoke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The adverse effects of maternal smoking on infant mortality and morbidity has been well documented in the literature. Maternal tobacco use is causally associated with fetal growth restriction and correlates negatively with folate intake and metabolism. Studies have examined the association between smoking and folate levels during pregnancy, but very few have assessed this relationship using objective and accurate measures of both variables. Furthermore, despite evidence of a causal association between smoking in pregnancy and intrauterine growth restriction, and a plausible relationship between tobacco use and low maternal folate which is required for optimal fetal growth, no experimental study has …

Ambient Benzene And Pm2.5 Exposure During Pregnancy: Examining The Impact Of Exposure Assessment Decisions On Associations Between Birth Defects And Air Pollution, Jean Paul Tanner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, approximately 3% of infants are diagnosed with a major birth defect each year. Whereas prevention efforts have led to decreases in some birth defects, the cause of approximately 70% of birth defects remains unknown. More recently, there has been increasing concern regarding exposures to environmental agents, such as air pollution during pregnancy, and the risk of birth defects. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in research studies examining the association between air pollution and birth defects. The results have been inconsistent, with some studies reporting that higher levels of exposure from the same …

Deployment, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy Among U.S. Active-Duty Military Women, Michelle C. Nash

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Today women comprise 15% of the U.S. active-duty military, but are often overlooked in research of the Armed Forces. While some of the challenges faced by women are similar to men, they encounter unique stressors related to childcare while deployed, sexual harassment and assault, and gynecological needs. Women are also more likely than men to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both stress and PTSD have been linked to the development of chronic hypertension and some adverse birth outcomes. We hypothesized that post-9/11/2001 era military women who deployed or who had indicators of PTSD would be at greater risk of …

Severe Maternal Morbidity In Florida: Risk Factors And Determinants Of The Increasing Rate, Lindsay Shively Womack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe maternal morbidity generally refers to the most severe complications of pregnancy and includes: hemorrhage, embolism, acute renal failure, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and other complications. These complications affect more than 50,000 women in the United States every year, with rates significantly increasing from 1998 to 2011. In an effort to reduce these increasing complication rates, clinicians and researchers have emphasized the need to identify potential modifiable risk factors for severe maternal morbidity, and the need to study the relationships between these risk factors and severe maternal morbidity. The overall goal of this study is to improve the understanding of …

Neighborhood Deprivation, Food Insecurity And Gestational Weight Gain, Sabrina Luke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gestational weight gain outside the recommended ranges puts women at risk for pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. Food insecurity and environmental factors including neighborhood deprivation may influence gestational weight gain. This research 1) examines the impact of neighborhood deprivation on gestational weight gain, 2) identifies if the association varies by selected maternal characteristics, 3) examines the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, 4) determines if stress mediates the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, and 5) examines whether selected maternal characteristics mediate this relationship. The research was conducted through the analysis of the Pregnancy Risk …

Rhabdomyosarcoma Incidence And Survival In Whites, Blacks, And Hispanics From 1973-2013: Analysis From The Surveillance, Epidemiology, And End Results Program, Heather Tinsley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

Our objectives were to 1) determine the difference in Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) incidence and survival between different race/ethnicity groups, and 2) evaluate the difference in survival of RMS between children and adults of these race/ethnicity groups, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database between 1973-2013.

Patients and Methods

We analyzed racial characteristic and incidence data from 4,280 patients diagnosed with RMS, between 1973-2013, that were reported to the SEER database. Survival and hazard analyses were conducted on 4,268 patients with known follow-up data, with end point being death from any cause.

Results

Over the 40-year study period …

Association Between Folate Levels And Preterm Birth In Tampa, Florida, Carolyn Heeraman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity and poses extensive economic liability. The rate of preterm births globally is approximately 11.1%, and in the US, the preterm birth rate has been estimated to be 12-13%. Folate and B₁₂ requirements increase during pregnancy as a result of increased cell division to accommodate maternal and fetal growth; inadequate levels can result in placental abnormalities and thus present implications for preterm birth.

Objective: To investigate the association between red blood cell (RBC) folate and B₁₂ concentrations with the risk of preterm birth.

Methods: Study …

Hiv/Stis And Intimate Partner Violence: Results From The Togo 2013-2014 Demographic And Health Surveys, Anthony H. Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Among clinic based studies, intimate partner violence (IPV) has been shown to contribute to HIV/AIDS among young girls and women. Results from studies among the general population have been less consistent. This study evaluated the associations between HIV infection, any sexually transmitted infections, and IPV in a population based sample of Togolese women.

Methods: Data from the Togo 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys were utilized for these analyses. Women aged 15-49 who were currently married, had HIV test results and answered the Domestic Violence Module were analyzed (n = 2386). Generalized linear mixed-models adjusting for sociodemographic variables, risk behaviors, …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Low-Risk Cesarean Deliveries In Florida, Yuri Combo Vanda Sebastiao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background and Significance: Cesarean delivery rates increased by more than 50% between 1996 and 2011 in the United States. The large increase in rates for the procedure was generally not associated with significant improvements in obstetric outcomes, raising concern about quality and prompting recommendations for prevention. Primary cesareans provide the best opportunity to reduce overall cesarean rates, and the group of first-time mothers considered low-risk for cesarean (known as nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex, NTSV) constitutes the focus of prevention efforts. Studies increasingly report racial and ethnic differences in NTSV cesareans, which remain after controlling for health factors. However, the reasons …

The Effects Of Personal And Family History Of Cancer On The Development Of Dementia In Japanese Americans: The Kame Project, Adam Lee Slotnick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of studies have shown an inverse association between a personal history of cancer (PHC) and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease (AD), both in those using dementia/AD as the outcome or cancer as the outcome. This is the first study to examine this potential association in Japanese Americans; and to examine family history of cancer and its association with incident dementia. Also, the association between these two diseases in the parents of participants were analyzed.

The Kame Project, conducted from 1992 through 2001 in King County, Washington was a population-based, prospective cohort study of older Japanese Americans. Conversion to incident dementia …

Sleep Duration Patterns From Adolescence To Young Adulthood And Their Impact On Asthma And Inflammation, Chighaf Bakour

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes three studies that examined the impact of inadequate sleep duration in adolescents and young adults on asthma and systemic inflammation. We used data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), years 2009-2013, and from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add health), which was conducted between 1994 and 2008.

The first study used data from 16,738 high school students participating in the Florida YRBS. We examined the cross-sectional association between sleep duration and asthma, and the interactive effects of sleep duration and BMI. We found that short and long sleep durations were associated …

Association Of Known And Unknown Oncoviruses With External Genital Lesion (Egl) Manifestations In A Multinational Cohort Of Men, Shams Ur Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are double-stranded, DNA, epitheliotropic viruses that infect skin and mucosal membranes. Over 200 types of HPV have been identified and classified into alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ), mu (µ), and nu (ν) genera. HPV in the genus α mainly infect mucosal membranes, cause the majority of the ano-genital cancers, and are widely studied. However, epidemiology of HPV in the other genera, which mainly infect skin, is poorly understood. Few studies have reported the seroprevalence of cutaneous HPV among healthy individuals, and to date, no study has prospectively examined the association between cutaneous HPV seropositivity and development …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Health Data: A Longitudinal Study, Bhikhari Prasad Tharu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer has been considered one of the leading causes of deaths while cancer re- mains the second most common cause of deaths in the USA. Understanding the behavior of a disease over time could yield important information to make decisions about the disease. Statistical models could provide crucial clues and help to make a decision about the dis- ease, budget allocation, evaluation, and implement prevention. Longitudinal trend analysis of the diseases helps to understand long term effects and nature. Cholesterol level is one of the most contributing risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease. Studying cholesterol statistically helps to know …

Investigating Pakistan’S Contraception Rate Plateau: A Multilevel Analysis To Understand The Association Between Community Contextual Factors And Modern Contraception Use, Mahmooda Khaliq Pasha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

South Asia has the highest absolute number of women with an unmet need for contraception in the world. The total number of women with unmet need is 142 million. Of this, Asia accounts for 84 million followed by Sub-Saharan Africa at 32 million. Within South Asia, some countries have seen unmet need decrease and the contraception rate increase; however, Pakistan remains the exception to the rule. Pakistan has a low rate of contraception use, high rate of contraception discontinuation, high unmet need and high rate of unwanted fertility.

A number of theories have hypothesized that community-level factors influence a couple’s …

Quantifying The Association Between Active Tuberculosis Incidence And Migrant Farm Worker Populations Among Florida Counties, 2009-2013: An Ecological Study, Ryan Nicolas Ortega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 20 studies conducted in the last 40 years indicate that tuberculosis (TB) represents a major health concern among migrant farm worker (MFW) populations, but their role in the transmission of TB within the broader community is poorly understood. To this end an ecological study was undertaken which examined 67 Florida counties between years 2009 through 2013. Its aims were as follows: (1) to describe the demographic, geographic, and temporal distribution of the incidence of active TB, (2) to examine the effect of agriculturally relevant seasonal periods on the incidence of active TB, and (3) to quantify the strength and …

An Examination Of The Distribution Of Diabetes Mellitus Among Tb Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis And Drug Resistant Tuberculosis In The State Of Florida, Usa., Mandzisi Mbongeni Mkhontfo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) is considered a disease of the past but it remains a major cause of mortality among immune compromised patients and continues to be a significant threat to public health globally. Notably, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased over the years. The biological link of TB and DM has been reported in numerous literature with DM attributed to three folds increase in the risk of TB and linked to Drug Resistant TB, especially amongst aged diabetic patients. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution of DM among TB patients and explore …

Incidence, Persistence, And Recurrence Of Anogenital Α- Mucosal Hpv Infections (Hpv 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 And 58), Shitaldas J. Pamnani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The aims of this study were to: 1) Assess whether naturally induced anti-HPV antibodies are associated with subsequent acquisition of genital HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 infections in men, 2) assess the recurrence (redetection) of genital HPV infections of the 9-valent vaccine HPV types and investigate factors associated with recurrent infections among men, and 3) assess the risk of type-specific sequential acquisition of anal HPV infection following a genital HPV infection of the 9-valent vaccine HPV types among men who have sex with women (MSW).

Methods: 4,123 healthy men were followed every six months (median follow-up time 4.1 …