Epidemiology Commons^™

Bayesian Experimental Design For Control And Surveillance In Epidemiology, Bren Case

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Effective public health interventions must balance an array of interconnected challenges, and decisions must be made based on scientific evidence from existing information. Building evidence requires extrapolating from limited data using models. But when data are insufficient, it is important to recognize the limitations of model predictions and diagnose how they can be improved. This dissertation shows how principles from Bayesian experimental design can be applied to surveillance and control efforts to allow researchers to get more out of their data and direct limited resources to best effect. We argue a Bayesian perspective on data gathering, where design decisions are …

Nonlinear Relationships Between The Environment And Health, Levi N. Bonnell

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Relationships between the environment and health outcomes are complex and likely nonlinear in nature. However, until recently, most studies used ordinary linear regression to model these relationships. The overall goal of this research was to investigate nonlinear relationships between the environment and health. To accomplish this goal, we used several large, national datasets across varying populations and local environments.

Destination accessibility is an important measure of the built environment that is associated with active transport and body mass index (BMI). In the first study, we sought to determine the relationship between the density of nonresidential destinations (a proxy for walkability) …

Modeling The Heterogeneous Temporal Dynamics Of Epidemics On Networks, Andrea Joan Allen

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Mathematical models of infectious disease are important tools for understanding large-scale patterns of how a disease spreads through a population. Predictions of trends from disease models help guide public health prevention and mitigation measures. Most simple disease models assume that the population is randomly mixed, but real-world populations exhibit heterogeneous patterns in the way people interact. These differences in population structure can be represented by networks. Networks can then be incorporated into disease models by using various interdisciplinary concepts and tools. Yet even network disease models often overlook that populations change over time. In this thesis, two models of infectious …

Measuring The Impact Of Rise Vt: Evaluating Community-Based Obesity Prevention Initiatives With A Standardized Intensity Score, Brianna K. Johnson Bsn, Rn, Ocn, Dnpc

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Background. Obesity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Rise VT is a multilevel community-based initiative to reduce obesity. The Community Programs and Policies Intensity Score (CPPI) is a standardized metric to evaluate multisector efforts over time, which has correlated with reductions in childhood obesity.

Purpose. The purpose of this project was to quantify the impact of Rise VT using the CPPI score. A secondary aim was to assess the feasibility of using the CPPI score for ongoing program planning and evaluation statewide.

Methods. Interviews with program managers were conducted to gather data related to …

On The Dynamics And Structure Of Multiple Strain Epidemic Models And Genotype Networks, Blake Joseph Mitchell Williams

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Mathematical disease modeling has long operated under the assumption that any one infectious disease is caused by one transmissible pathogen. This paradigm has been useful in simplifying the biological reality of epidemics and has allowed the modeling community to focus on the complexity of other factors such as contact structure and interventions. However, there is an increasing amount of evidence that the strain diversity of pathogens, and their interplay with the host immune system, can play a large role in shaping the dynamics of epidemics.

This body of work first explores the role of strain-transcending immunity in mathematical disease models, …

Association Of Sickle Cell Trait With Exertional Rhabdomyolysis And Atrial Fibrillation., Daniel R. Douce

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Sickle cell trait (SCT), sickle cell disease’s carrier status, is a common genetic variant found in many people of African, South Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent. While overall considered a benign carrier status, it has been associated with an increased risk of several diseases, including exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER), and chronic kidney disease. While epidemiological evidence links SCT with ER, the actual pathophysiological mechanism less understood. Additionally, while there is an increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) documented in people with sickle cell disease, studies in individuals with SCT are lacking.

The objectives of this thesis are twofold: The first …

An Analysis Of Beverage Consumption In The United States Using The National Health And Examination Survey 2007-2017, Sean Morris

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) are liquids sweetened with various forms of added sugar. They are the leading source of calories and added sugar in the American diet (Drewnowski & Rehm, 2014; National Cancer Institute, 2016; Powell, Chriqui, Khan, Wada, & Chaloupka, 2013). The health and nutrition literature has increasingly identified added sugars and SSBs as a key potential contributor to a host of public health issues including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (Johnson et al., 2009; Malik, Popkin, Bray, Despres, & Hu, 2010; Vartanian, Schwartz, & Brownell, 2007). Concern about these public health crises has recently animated regional …

Chronic Kidney Disease And The Risk Of Venous Thromboembolism, Katharine Lana Cheung

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 30 million adults in the U.S. and is strongly associated with cardiovascular events and mortality. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third leading vascular disease, affects up to 900,000 Americans each year and contributes to as many as 100,000 deaths annually. The relationship of CKD and VTE has been described in patients receiving dialysis, kidney transplants recipients and in nephrotic syndrome, however, data supporting the association of VTE in mild to moderate CKD is conflicted. The overall goal of this research was to study the association of CKD and VTE and to understand the …

Genotypes And Phenotypes Of Staphylococci On Selected Dairy Farms In Vermont, Robert Mugabi

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The genus Staphylococcus contains at least 47 species and 23 subspecies. Bacteria in this genus are ubiquitous; many are commensals on human and animal skin and can be opportunistic pathogens. In dairy cattle, staphylococci are the leading cause of intramammary infections (IMI) and mastitis. Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland, and is one of the leading infectious diseases causing production losses in the dairy industry. Based on the ability to clot blood plasma in vitro, members of the genus can be divided into two groups: coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS) and coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS). In the dairy industry, …

The Cardiovascular Epidemiology And Genome-Wide Associations Of Biomarkers Of Innate And Adaptive Immunity: Scd163 And Sil2ra, Jon Peter Durda

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and worldwide. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries, is a common cause of CVD. For many years, research in atherosclerosis was focused on lipid metabolism and the accumulation of low-density lipoprotein in the arteries. While this research set public health guidelines for lipid management, lipid concentration was not the only factor influencing atherosclerosis and CVD events. Many scientists, as far back as the 1850’s recognized the role of inflammation in the progression of atherosclerotic disease. The continuous low levels of immune activation in the …

A New Evolutionary Algorithm For Mining Noisy, Epistatic, Geospatial Survey Data Associated With Chagas Disease, John P. Hanley

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The scientific community is just beginning to understand some of the profound affects that feature interactions and heterogeneity have on natural systems. Despite the belief that these nonlinear and heterogeneous interactions exist across numerous real-world systems (e.g., from the development of personalized drug therapies to market predictions of consumer behaviors), the tools for analysis have not kept pace. This research was motivated by the desire to mine data from large socioeconomic surveys aimed at identifying the drivers of household infestation by a Triatomine insect that transmits the life-threatening Chagas disease. To decrease the risk of transmission, our colleagues at the …

Maternal Hypertension Influences Mortality And Severe Morbidity In Infants Born Extremely Preterm, Carole Anne Mcbride

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Worldwide, more than 1 million infants die as a result of premature birth. In the United States, where 1 in 10 births occurs preterm, premature birth is the leading cause of infant mortality. Premature infants have high rates of mortality and morbidity, with the highest rates seen in those infants born extremely preterm -- prior to 30 weeks gestation. Severe morbidity in these infants often contributes to life-long health problems. Maternal hypertension (HTN) is one contributor to preterm birth and also contributes to fetal growth restriction, resulting in birth weights which are small for gestational age (SGA, and generally within …

Meta-Analysis Of Studies Investigation Of The Effect Of Smoking Cessation On Impatience, Miriam Claire Dash

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

(DSM-IV-TR/) nor in withdrawal scales. However, a related term, "impatience" is listed in some nicotine withdrawal scales. (Hughes J. R., Measurements of the Effects of Abstinence from Tobacco: A Qualitative Review, 2007). Although impatience is not a synonym of impulsivity, both share the synonym "impetuous". Therefore, impatience can be considered a measure of impulsivity. Although some reviews of the effect of smoking cessation on impatience have occurred, we know of no quantitative review of prospective studies of whether smoking cessation increases impatience.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of smoking cessation on impatience as measured by the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale-Revised …