Epidemiology Commons^™

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Healthcare Professionals Working In Schools Regarding Tickborne Disease Prevention And Lyme Disease In New York State And Maryland, Kristen Howard

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Ticks, Lyme disease, and other tickborne diseases are a concern of public health entities in Maryland and New York State. Children are at an increased risk of contracting a tickborne disease. Healthcare professionals working in schools (HPWS) are often front-line providers and health educators for school-aged children. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of HPWS regarding ticks and tickborne disease is currently unknown. While there are educational materials available, uptake and use of these programs is also unknown.

Implementing A Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative In Rural New York : How Police-Provided Transportation May Reduce Barriers To Treatment Uptake, Emily Mae Bruce

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background:

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Among Medicaid-Insured Women With Preexisting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosed With Breast Cancer : An Epidemiological Analysis Of Linked New York State Medicaid And Cancer Registry Data, Wayne Rashaan Lawrence

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The present study investigated the influence preexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and antidiabetic drugs have on all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Medicaid-insured women diagnosed with breast cancer by menopausal status.

The Cholera Crisis In Yemen: Case Studies On Vulnerability And Resilience In Sana'a, Al Hudaydah, And Ma'areb, Noor Albannein A. Al-Saad

Honors Theses and Capstones

The largest recorded cholera epidemic in history is happening right now in Yemen, a country which has reported over 2 million cases of cholera as of 2020. Yemen has a history of endemic cholera, but prolonged conflict in the country has led to deteriorating conditions that have triggered massive outbreaks of the disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect causes of the cholera epidemic in Yemen by proposing factors that may confer vulnerability and resilience in Yemeni governorates. Case studies were constructed for three governorates: Sana’a and the inner municipality of Amanat Al Asimah; …

Identification And Evaluation Of Epidemic Prediction And Forecasting Reporting Guidelines: A Systematic Review And A Call For Action, Simon Pollett, Michael Johansson, Matthew Biggerstaff, Lindsay C. Morton, Sara L. Bazaco, David Brett-Major, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Julie A. Pavlin, Suzanne Mate, Rachel Sippy, Laurie J. Hartman, Nicholas G. Reich, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Jean-Paul Chretien, Benjamin M. Althouse, Diane Myer, Cecile Viboud, Caitlin Rivers

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: High quality epidemic forecasting and prediction are critical to support response to local, regional and global infectious disease threats. Other fields of biomedical research use consensus reporting guidelines to ensure standardization and quality of research practice among researchers, and to provide a framework for end-users to interpret the validity of study results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether guidelines exist specifically for epidemic forecast and prediction publications.

METHODS: We undertook a formal systematic review to identify and evaluate any published infectious disease epidemic forecasting and prediction reporting guidelines. This review leveraged a team of 18 investigators …

Peer Review Of "Predicting Health Disparities In Regions At Risk Of Severe Illness To Inform Health Care Resource Allocation During Pandemics: Observational Study, Ross Gore

VMASC Publications

This is a peer review submitted for the paper "Predicting Health Disparities in Regions at Risk of Severe Illness to Inform Health Care Resource Allocation During Pandemics: Observational Study."

Correlation Of Circulating Angptl5 Levels With Obesity, High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein And Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein In Adolescents, Maha M. Hammad, Mohamed Abu-Farha, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nada Alam-Eldin, Reem Al-Sabah, Lemia Shaban, Fahd Al-Mulla, Jehad Abubaker, Abdur Rahman

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL) is a family of eight members known to play an important role in metabolic diseases. Of these, ANGPTL5 is suggested to regulate triglyceride metabolism and is increased in obesity and diabetes. However, its role in metabolic diseases in adolescents is not well-studied. In this study, we tested the hypothesis of a positive association between plasma ANGPTL5, and obesity, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) in adolescents. Adolescents (N = 431; age 11–14 years) were randomly selected from middle schools in Kuwait. Obesity was classified by the BMI-for-age based on the WHO growth charts. …

An Ecological Approach To Understanding Lethal Violence In The Us Using Stream Analogy, Jacqueline Seals

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

ABSTRACT OF CAPSTONE

Background: Lethal violence, homicides and suicides, is a growing issue in the US. Historically homicides and suicides have been studied separately, but with stream analogy of lethal violence homicides and suicides are both currents of lethal violence, just branching in opposite directions. The purpose of this study is to understand which county-level factors increase risk of lethal violence.

Methods: This ecological study combined open-source datasets to create one dataset of socioeconomic risk factors of lethal violence. Counties with 10 or more lethal violent deaths were included (n=2751). Negative Binomial models examined the relationship between risk factors and …

Meaningful Measurement Matters: Defining Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use To Target Cognitive Outcomes, Ashley I. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Preventable and unintended consequences of medication use occur in more than 25% of ambulatory and hospitalized patients, and nearly half of long-term care patients. Unfortunately, many medications used to treat common health conditions in older adults (such as anxiety, behavioral disturbances, incontinence, insomnia, depression, and pain) have also been linked to cognitive impairment and decline. Recently, substantial efforts to investigate medications and medication classes that may be associated with cognitive impairment and decline in older adults have been undertaken. Unfortunately, studies have used a wide variety of different tools to define “potentially inappropriate medication” (PIM) use, and no published literature …

Opioid Use In Vulnerable Populations, Gyeon Oh

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Opioid-related negative health outcomes, such as substance use disorder, misuse, and overdose deaths, have risen as long-term opioid use has increased. The benefit of using long-term opioids for pain is yet to be established. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidelines for opioid prescribing in chronic pain, but detailed recommendations on opioid prescribing for vulnerable populations are missing due to lack of evidence-based studies. The purpose of this dissertation is to describe patterns and predictors of opioid use and assess outcomes related to prescribing opioid medications in vulnerable populations, specifically older adults with various levels of cognitive function, …

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …

Short-Term Effects Of Ambient Ozone, Pm2. 5, And Meteorological Factors On Covid-19 Confirmed Cases And Deaths In Queens, New York., Atin Adhikari, Jingjing Yin

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has been rapidly increasing in the United States. Boroughs of New York City, including Queens county, turn out to be the epicenters of this infection. According to the data provided by the New York State Department of Health, most of the cases of new COVID-19 infections in New York City have been found in the Queens county where 42,023 people have tested positive, and 3221 people have died as of 20 April 2020. Person-to-person transmission and travels were implicated in the initial spread of the outbreaks, but factors …

Molecular Typing Of Rickettsia Akari, Marina E. Eremeeva

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsia akari is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes smallpox rickettsia. Rickettsia akari is an atypical member of the rickettsia spotted fever (SFG) group because it circulates in gamasid mites; however, only limited data are available regarding the degree of genetic diversity of R. akari isolates. We examined 13 isolates of R. akari isolated from humans, rodents, and ticks in the United States, the countries of the former USSR, and the former Yugoslavia for the period from 1946 to 2003 for diversity in the composition of tandem repeats (TR) and intergenic regions (IGR). Using the Tandem Repeat Finder software (http://tandem.bu.edu) …

The Covid-19 Response In Nebraska: How Students Answered The Call, Sabrine Chengane, Anlan Cheney, Sierra Garth, Sharon J. Medcalf

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Student Response Team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center answered the statewide call to assist local health departments during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a voluntary student-led effort, the SRT assisted health departments to conduct contact tracing, monitor social media, and educate the public. Their experience demonstrates how students can increase the public health surge capacity of local health departments while gaining applied experience during public health emergencies. This call-to-action commentary proposes that SRTs should be formed, trained, and deployed through academic institutions across the nation and the globe, during and beyond the current pandemic.

Health Outcomes Associated With Gulf War Illness, Shannon K. Barth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background:

Nearlythirty years after the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War a definitive case definition for Gulf War Illness (GWI) is lacking. The objective is to explore health outcomes associated with GWI using currently accepted classifications in order to better understand GWI by examining pre-war medical conditions as predictors of probable GWI, mortality outcomes of veterans with probable GWI, and female-specific medical conditions among women with probable GWI. Additionally, we utilize an alternative GWI case definition.

Methods:

Data come from theDepartment of Veterans Affairs (VA)1995-1997 National Health Survey of Persian Gulf War Era Veterans, a population-based survey of deployed …

Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Disparities In Health Behavior Risks Among Employed And Unemployed Black And White Older Adults, M. Courtney Hughes, Tamara A. Baker, Hansol Kim

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Objective: Examine health behavior risk rates and disparities in health behavior risks related to race and employment among older adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 and older (150,669 in 2015 and 168,011 in 2016) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Self-reported health behavior risks were measured as well as multiple logistic regression analyses assessing the independent effects of demographic variables on health behavior risks.

Results: Employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than unemployed older adults. Black employed older adults have greater health behavior risks than Black unemployed older adults …

Pandemics And Methodological Developments In Epidemiology History, Alfredo Morabia

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Advanced Preparation Makes Research In Emergencies And Isolation Care Possible: The Case Of Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), David Brett-Major, Elizabeth R. Schnaubelt, Hannah M. Creager, Abigail Lowe, Theodore J. Cieslak, Jacob M. Dahlke, Daniel W. Johnson, Paul D. Fey, Keith F. Hansen, Angela L. Hewlett, Bruce G. Gordon, Andre C. Kalil, Ali S. Khan, Mark G. Kortepeter, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Luann Larson, Deborah A. Levy, James Linder, Sharon J. Medcalf, Mark E. Rupp, Michelle M. Schwedhelm, James N. Sullivan Md, Angela M. Vasa, Michael C. Wadman, Rachel E. Lookadoo, John-Martin J. Lowe, James V. Lawler, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The optimal time to initiate research on emergencies is before they occur. However, timely initiation of high-quality research may launch during an emergency under the right conditions. These include an appropriate context, clarity in scientific aims, preexisting resources, strong operational and research structures that are facile, and good governance. Here, Nebraskan rapid research efforts early during the 2020 coronavirus disease pandemic, while participating in the first use of U.S. federal quarantine in 50 years, are described from these aspects, as the global experience with this severe emerging infection grew apace. The experience has lessons in purpose, structure, function, and performance …

Accounting For The Uncertainty Due To Chemicals Below The Detection Limit In Mixture Analysis, Paul M. Hargarten

Theses and Dissertations

Humans are exposed to multiple chemicals every day. Epidemiological studies have shown that chemical mixtures are associated with cancers, allergies, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other adverse health effects. To assess these associations, investigators are increasingly using chemical mixture approaches like weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. In these studies, the research objectives are to determine whether a mixture of correlated chemicals is associated with an adverse health outcome and to identify the important chemicals. However, as experimental equipment measures each exposure to a chemical-specific detection limit, the exposures are unknown between zero and the detection limit. Indeed, the number of exposures below …

Distribution Of Human Exposure To Ozone During Commuting Hours In Connecticut Using The Cellular Device Network, Owais Gilani, Simon Urbanek, Michael J. Kane

Faculty Journal Articles

Epidemiologic studies have established associations between various air pollutants and adverse health outcomes for adults and children. Due to high costs of monitoring air pollutant concentrations for subjects enrolled in a study, statisticians predict exposure concentrations from spatial models that are developed using concentrations monitored at a few sites. In the absence of detailed information on when and where subjects move during the study window, researchers typically assume that the subjects spend their entire day at home, school, or work. This assumption can potentially lead to large exposure assignment bias. In this study, we aim to determine the distribution of …

Colors Of Fruits And Vegetables And Diabetes Risk In The United States Latino Population, Raymond Anthony Colon

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Fruits and vegetables (FV) play an important role in people’s health. The current study aimed analyzed if specific colors of FV are associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) risk in the United States (US) Hispanic/Latino population.

Methods: This study used participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). It is a multi-center, prospective cohort study with 5,740 self-identified Hispanic/Latino individuals from 2008-2011. Data collected include anthropometrics, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), dietary intake, medical history, physical activity, and sociodemographic information. FV are categorized into five color groups: green, white, yellow/orange, red/purple, and uncategorized.

Results: A total …

Impact Of Chlorpyrifos Exposure On Colorectal Cancer In Agricultural Communities In Ohio, Vicky Knisley-Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cancer diagnosis in the United States, and second in Ohio, for both men and women. In 2019, there were an estimated 145,000 cases of new CRC diagnoses and will lead to more than 50,000 deaths. Results from a systematic review indicate that chlorpyrifos use in agriculture is linked to the incidence of breast and lung cancers and has a possible association with CRC. Grounded in the social-ecological model, this study investigated the association between exposure to chlorpyrifos and CRC rates in agricultural communities in Ohio. The quantitative cohort design method utilized secondary data …

Parental Characteristics And Lead Knowledge In The Minimization Of Environmental Lead Exposure, Trina Yvette Redford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A method for guiding lead intervention and minimizing lead exposures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA) is through understanding the relationship between lead knowledge and parental characteristics such as gender, age, income, marital status, and education attainment. Parental characteristic may play a significant role in the identification of population groups where knowledge pertaining to lead exposure is inadequate. Through awareness and intervention, preventive measures can be implemented to minimize and eliminate lead exposure. The theoretical concept used in this quantitative study was Krieger ecosocial theory. The ecosocial theory provides guidance and analyzes differences in existing health relationships, especially those with biological and …

Socioeconomic Status, Benzathine Penicillin Prophylaxis, And Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Rheumatic Heart Disease, Christopher Sabo Yilgwan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the major cause of acquired heart disease and death for children and young adults in developing countries. Poverty and social disadvantage are thought to influence the clinical outcomes in RHD patients. Guided by the health lifestyle theory, this study assessed the relationship between socioeconomic status and clinical outcomes (heart failure events and mortality) in patients with RHD. It also examined how adherence to penicillin prophylaxis mediates the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on clinical outcomes. Using the Nigerian database of the REMEDY study, this study was conducted with 243 participants using Poisson regression and logistic …

Understanding Characteristics Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Readmissions In An Acute Care Hospital, Jordan Danyale Brautigam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) not only face difficulties managing their disease but are also faced with a higher risk of being readmitted to a hospital after an initial visit for acute exacerbation of their condition. Despite hospitals’ many attempts to offset this burden, readmission reduction programs are not effective. The purpose of this quantitative study was to further research an organization’s specific population surrounding patient comorbidities, reasons for readmissions, and demographic characteristics that may lend insight into reasons for readmissions. The research design was a retrospective analysis of a health system’s electronic medical record with a …

The Perception Of Men's Preferred Female Body Size And Weight Control Behaviors Of Afro-Caribbean Women In The United States Virgin Islands, Alice Victoria Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of obesity among Afro-Caribbean women living in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is a health care issue that can have detrimental effects on society. To reverse the spread of this disease, factors contributing to its prevalence must be understood so that they can be addressed. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine Afro-Caribbean women's perception of the female body size preferred by Afro-Caribbean men and the influence of that perception on the women's weight control behaviors of diet and physical activity. The reasoned action approach was the basis for the theoretical foundation. The research problem …

The Caregiver Advise Record And Enable (Care) Act And Compassion Fatigue In The United States, Karen Marie Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition from hospital to home can be complicated, leaving family caregivers in stressful situations that they may not know how to handle. The burden that is placed on these individuals has led researchers to focus on the public health implications of caregiving in hopes of identifying at-risk caregivers. This quantitative analysis identified what relationships exist between caregiver compassion fatigue among family caregivers and training or education received per the Caregiver Advise Record and Enable (CARE) Act and if education influences readmission rates. A purposive sample of 385 family caregivers participated in this study. The Care Transitions Measure (CTM-15), the …

Lifestyle Factors And Social Determinants As Predictors Of Weight/Body Mass Index, Uthman Alhaji Baba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a major public health concern that includes the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults. Previous studies have established the relationship between gender, educational level, household income and respondents’ weight but additional research is needed to factor the nature of education in relation to gender differences, diet, and other important behavioral mediators such as social determinants. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to determine the extent to which frequency of physical activity, household income, social determinants of health (money for balanced meals, finances at the end of month, and poor mental health), respondent …

Mandibular Attachment Device Effects On African American Veterans With Heart Failure, Tracey T. F. Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure is a growing epidemic that affects people nationwide and is disproportionate to African Americans. The purpose of this quantitative repeated measures study was to determine whether mandibular attachment device (MAD) therapy impacts symptoms of heart failure in African American male veterans diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The oxidative stress theory was applied in this study to assess whether MAD therapy received from Veterans Affairs (VA) dental clinics impacted heart failure symptoms, after controlling for patient body mass index (BMI) levels and smoking status. Research questions examined whether MAD had a significant effect on symptoms of heart failure …

Prevention Practices And West Nile Virus Infection Among Ethnic Minorities, Texas, Bayabel Debebe Mengistu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV) is a major public health problem and the cause of nearly 25% of the world's economic burden of disease. While the risk factors for developing West Nile fever and West Nile disease from WNV infection have been identified, it is not known how knowledge, attitude, behavior (KAB), access to health care (AHC), and comorbidities are associated with prevention practices of WNV infection among ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to examine the association between KAB, AHC, comorbidities, and prevention practices of WNV infection among ethnic minorities in Texas. KAB, AHC. Comorbidities were used …