Epidemiology Commons^™

Cost And Variations In Trauma Types For Pediatric Er Visits By South Carolina County, Cokeitha James Gaddist

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Children between the ages of 0 to 19 are treated in South Carolina emergency rooms (ER) and hospitals for unintentional injuries at an alarming rate which contributes to high medical cost and high mortality and morbidity rate. The objective of the study is to examine ER visits and hospital discharge data for pediatric patients in South Carolina by county to identify trauma types for unintentional injuries, cost, distribution by high-risk populations and by rural or urban classification to determine appropriate interventions. This is a quantitative study using retrospective analysis of archival data from ER visits and hospital discharge data for …

Structural Equation Modeling To Detect Correlates Of Childhood Vaccination: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Abraham Degarege, Karl Krupp, Vijaya Srinivas, Boubakari Ibrahimou, Purnima Madhivanan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: This study used a health belief theory derived framework and structural equation model to examine moderators, mediators, and direct and indirect predictors of childhood vaccination.

METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected from a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 1599 parents living in urban and rural areas of Mysore district, India. Applying two-stage probability proportionate-to-size sampling, adolescent girls attending 7th through 10th grades in 23 schools were selected to take home a questionnaire to be answered by their parents to primarily assess HPV vaccine intentions. Parents were also asked whether their children had received one …

Intravenous Lidocaine As A Non-Opioid Adjunct Analgesic For Traumatic Rib Fractures., Jeff Choi, Kirellos Zamary, Nicolas B Barreto, Lakshika Tennakoon, Kristen M Davis, Amber W Trickey, David A Spain

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

INTRODUCTION: Pain management is the pillar of caring for patients with traumatic rib fractures. Intravenous lidocaine (IVL) is a well-established non-opioid analgesic for post-operative pain, yet its efficacy has yet to be investigated in trauma patients. We hypothesized that IVL is associated with decreased inpatient opioid requirements among patients with rib fractures.

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated adult patients presenting to our Level 1 trauma center with isolated chest wall injuries. After 1:1 propensity score matching patients who received vs did not receive IVL, we compared the two groups' average daily opioid use, opioid use in the last 24 hours of …

Association Between Breastfeeding And Child Stunting In Mexico, Ana Paola Campos, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Summer Sherburne Hawkins

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Globally, the prevalence of child stunting has been decreasing over the past decades. How-ever, in low-and middle-income countries such as Mexico, stunting is still the most prevalent form of undernutrition affecting a large number of children in the most vulnerable conditions. Breastfeeding has been identified as one of the key affordable and modifiable maternal health behaviors protecting against child stunting. Objective: To examine the association between breastfeeding (defined as never breastfed, any breast-feeding for <6 months, and any breastfeeding for ≥6 months) and other individual-, household-, and area-level factors with child stunting (defined as length/height-for-age-z-score for sex under –2 standard deviations of the World Health Organization child growth standards’ median) in Mexico. Methods: Secondary data analysis using the 2012 Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, which allowed representativeness of rural and urban areas at national level and among 4 regions in Mexico. Our subset included data on 2,089 singleton Mexican children aged 6–35 months with information on previously identified risk and protective factors for stunting. We conducted fixed-and mixed-effects logistic regression models sequentially controlling for each level of factors. Findings: Overall, 12.3% of children were stunted and 71.1% were breastfed for ≥6 months. Any breast-feeding and being female were consistent protective factors against child stunting across all models. In contrast, child low birthweight, maternal short stature, higher number of children aged <5 years per household, and moderate to severe food insecurity were consistent risk factors for child stunting across all models. Conclusions: According to our findings, efforts to reduce child stunting in Mexico should include prenatal strategies aiming to prevent low birthweight offspring particularly among short-stature women, moderate to severe food insecure households, families with a higher number of children aged <5 years, and indigenous communities. Postnatal components should include multilevel strategies to support breastfeeding.

Real-Time Public Health Communication Of Local Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Epidemiology, Chaney C. Kalinich, Cole G. Jensen, Peter Neugebauer, Mary E. Petrone, Mario Peña-Hernández, Isabel M. Ott, Anne L. Wyllie, Tara Alpert, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Joseph R. Fauver, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Anderson F. Brito

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Genomic epidemiology can provide a unique, real-time understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. Yet the potential for genomic analyses to guide local policy and community-based behavioral decisions is limited because they are often oriented towards specially trained scientists and conducted on a national or global scale. Here, we propose a new paradigm: Phylogenetic analyses performed on a local level (municipal, county, or state), with results communicated in a clear, timely, and actionable manner to strengthen public health responses. We believe that presenting results rapidly, and tailored to a non-expert audience, can serve as a template for effective public health response to …

Increased Motor Vehicle Fatalities Tuesday Through Thursday During The Us Thanksgiving Holiday (1980-2018), Kendra Ratnapradipa, Motao Zhu

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death in the United States; holidays are known to have increased travel and traffic fatalities. Our purpose was to determine which days during Thanksgiving had the highest crash fatality risk compared to non-holiday periods. Using time series and binomial approximations, we analyzed Fatality Analysis Reporting System data (1980-2018) with a Monday-Sunday holiday and matching comparisons the weeks before and after. Fatalities included 31,263 during the holiday, 30,361 the previous week, and 29,399 the following week. Deadliest days during the holiday were Saturday (16.7% of fatalities) and Wednesday (16.0%), but odds of a traffic …

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 …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Chest Computed Tomography Scans For Suspected Patients With Covid-19: Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis, Lianpin Wu, Qike Jin, Jie Chen, Jiawei He, David Brett-Major, Jianghu James Dong

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) scans are increasingly available in clinical care globally. They enable a rapid and detailed assessment of tissue and organ involvement in disease processes that are relevant to diagnosis and management, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to identify differences in the CT scan findings of patients who were COVID-19 positive (confirmed via nucleic acid testing) to patients who were confirmed COVID-19 negative.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was proposed to compare patient clinical characteristics and CT scan findings in suspected COVID-19 cases. A multivariable logistic model with …

Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake: Differences Between Rural And Urban Privately-Insured Population, Mesnad Alyabsi, Jane L. Meza, K. M. Monirul Islam, Amr Soliman, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Earlier studies investigated rural-urban colorectal cancer (CRC) screening disparities among older adults or used surveys. The objective was to compare screening uptake between rural and urban individuals 50-64 years of age using private health insurance. Data were analyzed from 58,774 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska beneficiaries. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between rural-urban and CRC screening use. Results indicate that rural individuals were 56% more likely to use the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) compared with urban residents, but rural females were 68% less likely to use FOBT. Individuals with few Primary Care Physician (PCP) visits …

Analysis Of Genetic Structure And Pathogen Dynamics Of Ixodes Scapularis In Southwestern Virginia, Leemu Jackson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ixodes scapularis, or the blacklegged tick, is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi. This pathogen is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most common vector-transmitted disease in the United States. Although I. scapularis is distributed throughout the eastern U.S., Lyme disease is only considered endemic in the northeastern region of the country. Prior to 2007, Lyme disease was uncommon in Virginia, but since then cases of Lyme disease have increased dramatically with a hotspot forming in the Roanoke-Blacksburg area. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether B. burgdorferi prevalence and the genetic structure of I. …

Spina Bifida Mortality By Clinical And Demographic Characteristics Using The New York State Birth Defects Registry, 2008-2016, Anaclare Mackenzie Sullivan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect. It has been associated with increased mortality, disability, and may require lifelong medical care. Few previous studies have assessed the impact that maternal race/ethnicity or variations in clinical features of the disease may have on mortality.

The Impact Of The Residency Area On Risk Factors For Tuberculosis Among People Living In Three Different Regions Of Kazakhstan, Assel Bukharbayeva

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background and introduction:

A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human babesiosis are tick-borne diseases spread by Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged or deer tick) and are the result of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In New York State (NYS), incidence rates of these diseases increased concordantly until around 2013, when rates of HGA began to increase more rapidly than human babesiosis, and the spatial extent of the diseases diverged. Surveillance data of tick-borne pathogens (2007 to 2018) and reported human cases of HGA (n=4,297) and human babesiosis (n=2,986) (2013 to 2018) from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) showed a …

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 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 …

Reducing Morbidity: Establishing A Relationship Between Perioperative Normothermia And Colon Surgical Site Infections, Nychie Dotson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are an emerging public health threat. Every day in the United States, HAIs impact 1 in 31 hospitalized patients. Surgical site infections (SSIs) account for over 40% of all reported HAIs and have an increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Surgery associated with colon procedures present an increased risk for infection, morbidity, and mortality. There has been vast work to prevent colon SSIs; however, there remain areas for improvement and exploration. The main research question evaluated the relationship between maintaining perioperative normothermia and colon SSIs. Secondary research questions explored additional risk factors to include age, gender, obesity, …

Health Behaviors Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Physical Activity, And Breast Cancer Among African American Women, Nicole Ekoue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer incidence is suddenly increasing among African American women. Recent studies indicate that health behaviors are thought to confer important health benefits and have the potential to lowering breast cancer incidence. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between health behaviors of fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, and physical activity and breast cancer after adjusting for age, body mass index, and smoker status. Social support and income level were assessed as modifiers. Using the 2012 to 2017 Health Information and National Trends Survey data, this study was conducted with …

Factors Contributing To Community-Associated Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections In The United States, Zabrina Lockett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) health care acquired infections are a serious public health threat due to a high mortality rate, economic burden, and depletion of last resort CRE antimicrobials. CRE infections have emerged as community-associated type infections in the United States. For CRE to now have that type of potential is cause for immediate and extensive action. The prevalence of CRE infection cases that were reported as community-associated CRE and health care acquired CRE by examining specific clinical characteristics between 4 selected states that were reported to respective state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control were explored in this …

Microcystins And Liver Disease Mortality, Insights From An Ecological Study, Rajesh Tirpaul Melaram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. Algal bloom subsidence can stimulate MC release, which can impair liver function if orally exposed to in large doses. The purpose of this retrospective, U.S. ecological study was to determine if MC exposure represented an environmental risk factor for liver disease mortality using a socioecological approach. A longitudinal ecological substudy investigated the association between average total MCs in Lake Washington and Lake Manatee and age-adjusted chronic liver disease (CLD)/cirrhosis death rates in Brevard County and Manatee County, Florida (FL). A prediction model of total MCs was deduced by quantifying levels …

Childhood Blood Lead Levels And Adolescent Crime Rates In The United States, Jude Juiye Soweh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile violent crime rates in the United States have been on a continuous decline since 1996. Despite this decrease, youth violence as well as racial differences in crime rates continues to be a public health issue in the United States. Researchers have linked externalization behavior in children to factors including genetics, parental upbringing, abuse, school environment, and media exposure but have not fully considered the relationship between early childhood lead contamination and youth violence. This was an ecologic study of the relationship between early childhood blood lead levels (BLLs; ≥ 10µg/dL before 2012 or ≥ 5µg/dL after 2012) and crime …

Population Density And Spatial Distribution Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In Sierra Leone, Abou B. Funna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are the most common health conditions affecting the poorest residents of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These infections affect an estimated 2 billion people worldwide, including 500 million people living in SSA. About 85% of NTD infections are a result of helminth infections; hookworm is also a common occurrence among SSA’s poorest people, especially children. Schistosomiasis is the 2nd most prevalent NTD after hookworm. This quantitative correlational study investigated population distribution and the spread of NTDs in Sierra Leone. The focus was on 5 major NTDs: ascariasis, hookworm, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and trichuris. Data were obtained from the …

Health Literacy And Diabetes Among Refugee Women Residing In Arizona, Aline Nina Indatwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited research available linking health literacy and diabetes knowledge to poor health outcomes among refugees. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of health literacy and diabetes knowledge and examine whether different factors (age, education, employment status, number of years lived with diabetes and length of stay since resettlement) are associated with health literacy and diabetes knowledge. A cross-sectional study was performed among 82 refugee women with a known diagnosis of diabetes and residing in Maricopa County, Arizona. A modified two part questionnaire (self-reported health literacy extracted from the European Health Literacy Questionnaire [HLS-EU-Q16] and …

Meat Intake And Prostate Cancer In African American Men, Uchenna Njoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men have more prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die of the disease as Caucasian men, and the reasons for this racial disparity have not been clarified. Identifying lifestyle and dietary risk factors of prostate cancer is an important public health issue. Studies on the association between meat intake and prostate cancer risk have produced inconsistent results. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine whether there is an association between total meat intake and total prostate cancer risk among African American men when controlling for age, income, educational level, physical activity, …

Impact Of Demographic Characteristics And Therapy On Tuberculosis Incident Cases, Iliedor Garcon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For more than two decades, tuberculosis (TB) has ranked second among the top killers of infectious diseases, with an estimated 10.4 million incident cases in 2018. Demographic characteristics and drug susceptibility influence TB incidence worldwide. Using a retrospective cohort design, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether race/ethnicity, age, sex (gender), therapy completion within one year (COT), and testing for isoniazid and rifampin susceptibility (TIRS) were predictors of 672 cases of TB in New York-Newark-Jersey City from 1993 to 2017. Guided by the epidemiological triad theory, this research was conducted using a secondary TB dataset from the …

Sexual Orientation, Body Mass Index, And Methamphetamine Use Among Chicago Youth, Nileshkumar Panchal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug use and obesity are two of the most challenging health-related issues that young people face. Obesity, substance abuse, and drug addiction lead to brain dysfunction, which can decrease the quality of life and academic performance as well as increase the vulnerability of developing chronic diseases. To date, there has been little research to determine whether sexual orientation influences the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and methamphetamine use. Focusing on youth, the relationship between BMI, methamphetamine use, and sexual orientation were examined in this study through secondary data analysis of the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System in Chicago. Guided …

Association Between Metabolic Syndrome And Second Primary Cancer Among Colorectal Cancer Patients, Olukayode Ayodeji Agbeyomi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common diagnosed cancer in both women and men in the United States. The gradual increase of incidence of second primary cancer (SPC) among CRC individuals has been a concern in recent times. Many CRC survivals have been forced back to be hospitalized for life-threatening cancers that are nonmetastatic cancers of CRC. Literature has suggested that there may be a relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and CRC cases. The importance of early surveillance, detection, and treatment of SPC in CRC patients is significant to achieve better survival rates. The aim of this retrospective quantitative …

Predictors Of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Maryland Adults, Aged 50–75 Years, Pamela Manwi Asangong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Screening plays an essential role in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates, yet CRC screening use remains low in Maryland and lower in some age and racial/ethnic groups with limited resources to participate in CRC screening programs. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study is to investigate whether age group, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, income level, health insurance coverage, and access to health care professional can predict an individual, 50–75 years of age, in Maryland to take action to fully meet the United States Preventive Services Task Force CRC screening test recommendation within the recommended time interval. The …

Association Between Childhood Secondhand Smoke Exposure And Inflammatory Bowel Disease Development, Stephanie Eve Walsh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Environmental factors, such as smoking, have been shown to play a role in the development of IBD; however, minimal research regarding secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and the development of IBD has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a relationship between childhood SHS exposure and the development of IBD. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used in this study as a basis that the environment can aid in the development of disease. The research questions addressed the potential association between childhood …