Epidemiology Commons^™

The Impact Of Cooking Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, And Food Security Status On Diet Quality Of College Students At The University Of Maine, Angela I. Czup

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity in the United States is a complex issue. Nutrition interventions and studies are often designed for high-risk populations with others being overlooked. Until recently, few studies and interventions have focused on college-aged students. In order to understand the nutrition-related needs of students at the University of Maine, it is necessary to determine their cooking knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and food security status. Study participants included college sophomores, juniors, and seniors [n=16 sophomores, (38.1%), n=15 juniors, (35.7%), n=11 seniors, (26.2%)]. The study design was cross-sectional where participants completed a combined Qualtrics online survey and the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment …

The Potential For Dickeya Dianthicola To Be Vectored By Two Common Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Jonas K. Insinga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dickeya dianthicola (Samson) causing blackleg and soft rot was first detected in potatoes grown in Maine in 2014. Previous work has suggested that insects, particularly aphids, may be able to vector bacteria in this genus between plants, but no conclusive work has been done to confirm this theory. In order to determine whether insect-mediated transmission is likely to occur in potato fields, two model potato pests common in Maine were used: the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say) and the green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Olfactometry and recruitment experiments evaluated if either insect discriminates between infected and …

Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes Scapularis) Distribution In Maine, Usa, As Related To Climate Change, White-Tailed Deer, And The Landscape, Susan P. Elias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged (deer) tick (Ixodes scapularis). Geographic invasion of I. scapularis in North America has been attributed to causes including 20th century reforestation and suburbanization, burgeoning populations of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) which is the primary reproductive host of I. scapularis, tick-associated non-native plant invasions, and climate change. Maine, USA, is a high Lyme disease incidence state, with a history of increasing I. scapularis abundance and northward range expansion. This thesis addresses the question: “To …

Prospective Studies Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kevin Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The association of cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, kidney function, and arterial stiffness with cognitive impairment in older adults is a well-studied phenomenon. However, there is considerably less evidence relating cardiovascular health specifically to a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). As a precursor state of dementia, MCI is characterized by a decline in cognitive function from previous level, but not to the degree that activities of daily living are impaired. Not everyone who is diagnosed with MCI will eventually transition to dementia, but the transition rates are much higher compared to the general population (5-15% per year …

Physical Activity Levels And Health Of Passamaquoddy Tribe At Indian Township, Michael R. Best

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on reporting the occupational, household, transportation and leisure time physical activity of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. This study also focuses on health measures and the presence of chronic disease and how they are affected by physical activity, risk factors, and other health related measures.

An interview-administered questionnaire, developed by the CDC, was given to participants age 25-44 years old, with one small change. The original Intertribal Heart Project (ITHP) questionnaire used a shortened version of the WHO’s Monica Optional Study of Physical Activity (MOSPA), in order to reduce the time it takes to administer the …

Estimation Of Standardized Mortality Ratio In Geographic Epidemiology, Anna Kettermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of geographic variation of disease and its representation on a map form an important topic of research in epidemiology and in public health in general. Identification of spatial heterogeneity of relative risk using morbidity and mortality data is required. The usual technique of disease atlas generation consists of data collection (observed number of disease cases). These data are collected during a continuous period of time (5 to 10 years). The second aspect of atlas creation relates to the analysis of these data. A traditional measure of the spatial variation is usually taken as a ratio of the number …