International Public Health Commons^™

Tuberculosis In People Of Ukrainian Origin In The European Union And The European Economic Area, 2019 To 2022, Krista Stoycheva, Veronica Cristea, Csaba Ködmön, Senia Rosales-Klintz, Dominik Zenner, Anca Vasiliu, Marieke Van Der Werf, Christoph Lange

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Approximately five million Ukrainians were displaced to the EU/EEA following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While tuberculosis (TB) notification rates per 100,000 Ukrainians in the EU/EEA remained stable, the number of notified TB cases in Ukrainians increased almost fourfold (mean 2019-2021: 201; 2022: 780). In 2022, 71% cases were notified in three countries, and almost 20% of drug-resistant TB cases were of Ukrainian origin. Targeted healthcare services for Ukrainians are vital for early diagnosis and treatment, and preventing transmission.

How Individuals’ Opinions Influence Society’S Resistance To Epidemics: An Agent-Based Model Approach, Geonsik Yu, Michael J. Garee, Mario Ventresca, Yuehwern Yih

Faculty Publications

Background: Protecting public health from infectious diseases often relies on the cooperation of citizens, especially when self-care interventions are the only viable tools for disease mitigation. Accordingly, social aspects related to public opinion have been studied in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of opinion-related factors on disease spread still requires further exploration. Methods: We propose an agent-based simulation framework incorporating opinion dynamics within an epidemic model based on the assumption that mass media channels play a leading role in opinion dynamics. The model simulates how opinions about preventive interventions change over …

Optimizing The Community Health Worker (Chw) Program In Belize And Understanding Its Unique Intermediary Position Within The Health System: Perspective From The World Health Organization (Who) Health Systems Approach, Andrei R. Chell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Human resources for health (HRH) are the backbone of a well-functioning and resilient health system. Issues related to HRH recruitment, retention, planning, leadership and governance have been amplified by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and have posed additional and unprecedented challenges in many countries. Community health workers (CHWs) in particular, are uniquely positioned to be frontline health care workers (HCWs) that are considered a vital link between communities and the formal health system. Globally, the benefits of CHW programs have been well documented, and there is substantial evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness of these programs. However, countries are …

Beyond Borders: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of International Migrant Women In Nigeria, A Deep Dive Into Healthcare Realities And Utilization, Juliet Nwafor, Rowland Edet, Ezebunwa Nwokoch

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study explored access to and utilization of healthcare facilities among migrant women in an urban slum community in Nigeria, focusing on factors influencing healthcare-seeking behaviors and the implications for public health interventions. A qualitative case study-oriented research design was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 21 migrant women of reproductive age and 4 key informant interviews with healthcare workers in the Ayobo community of Lagos State, Nigeria. Data collection occurred from June to September 2018, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the findings. Three main themes emerged: living conditions, pattern of healthcare utilization, and factors influencing accessibility and utilization …

Health Equity Policy In Colombia: Improving Equal Access To Health Care Services For Individuals With Low-Income, Marian Marin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In 1993, the last health reform “Law 100” was introduced in Colombia. It has been over 30 years since its implementation, and there have been many changes to the healthcare system in Colombia ever since. The policy increased health insurance coverage to almost 95% of the population, providing better and more affordable patient care. However, increasing the availability of resources does not necessarily make them accessible to all of Colombia’s residents. This study aims to analyze the outcomes of “Law 100” to the system and studies critical obstacles that halt healthcare equity in Colombia, particularly for those in rural and …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Global Effect Of Modifiable Risk Factors On Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality, Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, Christina Magnussen, Francisco M Ojeda, Darryl P Leong, Jesus Alegre-Diaz, Philippe Amouyel, Larissa Aviles-Santa, Dirk De Bacquer, Christie M Ballantyne, Antonio Bernabé-Ortiz, Martin Bobak, Hermann Brenner, Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco, James De Lemos, Annette Dobson, Marcus Dörr, Chiara Donfrancesco, Wojciech Drygas, Robin P Dullaart, Gunnar Engström, Marco M Ferrario, Jean Ferrières, Giovanni De Gaetano, Uri Goldbourt, Clicerio Gonzalez, Guido Grassi, Allison M Hodge, Kristian Hveem, Licia Iacoviello, M Kamran Ikram, Vilma Irazola, Modou Jobe, Pekka Jousilahti, Pontiano Kaleebu, Maryam Kavousi, Frank Kee, Davood Khalili, Wolfgang Koenig, Anna Kontsevaya, Kari Kuulasmaa, Karl J Lackner, David M Leistner, Lars Lind, Allan Linneberg, Thiess Lorenz, Magnus Nakrem Lyngbakken, Reza Malekzadeh, Sofia Malyutina, Ellisiv B Mathiesen, Olle Melander, Andres Metspalu, J Jaime Miranda, Marie Moitry, Joseph Mugisha, Mahdi Nalini, Vijay Nambi, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Karen Oppermann, Eleonora D'Orsi, Andrzej Pająk, Luigi Palmieri, Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Arokiasamy Perianayagam, Annette Peters, Hossein Poustchi, Andrew M Prentice, Eva Prescott, Ulf Risérus, Veikko Salomaa, Susana Sans, Satoko Sakata, Ben Schöttker, Aletta E Schutte, Sadaf G Sepanlou, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Jonathan E Shaw, Leon A Simons, Stefan Söderberg, Abdonas Tamosiunas, Barbara Thorand, Hugh Tunstall-Pedoe, Raphael Twerenbold, Diego Vanuzzo, Giovanni Veronesi, Julia Waibel, S Goya Wannamethee, Masafumi Watanabe, Philipp S Wild, Yao Yao, Yi Zeng, Andreas Ziegler, Stefan Blankenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Five modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. The regional and sex-specific prevalence of these modifiable risk factors and their impact on CVD and all-cause mortality have not been evaluated using individual-level data.

METHODS: The Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium harmonized individual-level data from 112 cohort studies conducted in 34 countries and 8 geographic regions. Associations between body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes with incident CVD and all-cause mortality were examined using Cox regression analyses and stratified by geographic region, age and sex. Population-attributable fractions were estimated for 10-year incident …

Neurotropic Manifestations As A Potential Risk Factor For Schizophrenia Following In Utero Exposure To Sars-Cov-2, Mir Ali R Talpur, Omar H. Elsayed, Rif S. El-Mallakh

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: COVID-19 infection is associated with neurologic and psychiatric morbidity that suggests a direct effect of the virus or secondary effect of an inflammatory process. These neuropsychiatric consequences may increase the likelihood of schizophrenia in the offspring of women who become infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy.

Methods: We performed a directed narrative review of the literature focusing on the proposed pathophysiological processes that lead to schizophrenia and known pathological consequences of COVID-19 infection.

Results: Schizophrenia in adult offspring has been associated with maternal infections during pregnancy by a wide range of respiratory and neurotropic pathogens. Spikes in the incidence …

Why The West Should Help China Reduce Unrecognized And Preventable Covid-19 Deaths, George A. Gellert

Journal of Health Ethics

In an era marked by a ruinous war between a democratic state and a totalitarian regime, political volatility, rightward looking isolationism and nationalism, and heightened competition and disputes between China and the West, it is perhaps difficult to discern why the West should supply China with COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, as well as epidemiological assistance in order to mitigate a potentially unrecognized COVID-19 crisis in that nation. This commentary considers three arguments against Western and international indifference to the plight of China as it transitions to COVID-19 endemicity.

On The Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Amrit Kahlon, Ravina Ramnani, Kartik Rajpal, Yusra Irshad, Sudeep Chapagain, Arushee Bhatnagar, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Building Up Cal Poly Global Brigades Student Group: Reflections On Designing And Implementing One Undergraduate-Led Community Info Session, Caroline Nicole Smith, Jafra D. Thomas

Kinesiology and Public Health

Intro: Global Brigades, an international non-profit organization, trains college students and other pre-professionals in community-based health promotion by mobilizing community service trips around the world, which are taught and led by local community groups. Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group was founded in 2018, and thus far, they have carried out three annual, medically-focused brigades to Honduras (two in-person, one virtual).

Purpose: The aim of this report is to present the findings of one experiential senior project to promote Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group^[1] (conducted January to March 2023).

Methods: The student designed material for …

Identification Of Molecular Markers Associated With Copd In Non-Smokers And Smokers: A Bioinformatics Analysis, Agede O. Ayodele, Isa M. Wasagu, Ademola E. Fawibe, Alakija K. Salami

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Even though the proportional burden of COPD among never-smokers is significant in both developing and developed nations, accounting for around 30% of all COPD in the community, there is little awareness of the prevalence of COPD in this population. Understanding the molecular processes that underlie COPD in nonsmokers is essential.

Methods

Dataset (GSE146560) was acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The limma and clusterProfiler software tools were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and conduct a functional enrichment analysis respectively.

Results

In all, 10,583 DEGs were found, of which 1,065 were up-regulated and 9,518 were down-regulated. The …

Tobacco Smoking Among Saudi College Students: Validation Of An Arabic Health Belief Model Instrument, Saad Abdullah S. Alotaibi

Health Services Research Dissertations

This dissertation intended to learn more about Saudi college students' behavior in relation to the use of tobacco smoking. Multiple interrelated projects have been carried out in order to achieve this ambitious goal. The goal of the first study was to evaluate the scope of the existing smoking issue as indicated by research, by systematically estimating the prevalence of tobacco use among higher education students in Saudi Arabia. The second study aimed to systematically analyze and integrate the existing information on the determinants of smoking among Saudi college students. The last project aimed to develop a psychometric instrument to evaluate …

Comparing Levels Of Situational Empathy Based On Medium Of Exposure To Covid-19 Mortality Information And Proximity To Others, Beth Durkin

Honors Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people expressed a lax attitude to the policies put in place to keep the public safe despite the high risk of infection and its devastating effects on health across the United States. It is possible that this response may be partially due to a “numbness to numbers,” a phenomenon that describes diminished empathy for a large group of people experiencing a negative event (eg. COVID-19). The present study explored the relationship between levels of situational empathy and the medium of exposure to COVID-19 mortality information (eg. personal story or fact sheet) in an …

Migrants Sans Papiers: The Impact Of Cantonal Program And Policy Discrepancies On Undocumented Migrant Healthcare Utilization In Switzerland, Denise Peng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While Switzerland houses what is generally considered one of the best healthcare systems globally, regional policy discrepancies leave undocumented migrants (UDM) in precarious conditions that threaten the nation’s claim to universal health coverage. Critical analyses of existing UDM-catering structures in different cantons, the Swiss Confederation member states, reveal that local discrepancies in healthcare utilization are functional gradients of cantonal support and public endorsement. Relationships with these authorities are instrumental in steering health outcomes not only with program funding and outreach but also management of studies to better understand UDM health determinants and inform future preventative measures.

UDM services and initiatives …

Fixing The System: A Comparative Review Of The United Kingdom, Germany, And United States’ Healthcare Systems And Lessons Learned For Potential Improvements In The United States, Jessica Goddard

Senior Theses

In an effort to provide recommendations to the United States’ considerations of a universal healthcare system, this thesis analyzes the United States healthcare system alongside the sophisticated systems of the United Kingdom and Germany. Literature review and an analysis of 10 health outcomes and indicators guided the framework for a set of interview questions to be asked of healthcare professionals in all three countries. The interview response data was then organized and used to guide the suggested recommendations to the United States in its path towards universal healthcare. While a limited number of solutions could be provided given the time …

Relationship Between Treatment Comorbidities And Hiv Viral Suppression Among People Who Live With Aids In Johannesburg., Nwogo Immaculata Ekeji, Tolulope A. Osoba, Hebatullah Tawfik, Mehdi Agha

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

HIV has globally infected over 37.9 million people, of which 28.2 million (73%) are on antiretroviral treatment, and 66% of those on treatment are virally suppressed. In South Africa, however, low rate of viral suppression (47%) among people living with HIV is a major health problem that has continued to fuel HIV prevalence. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used to investigate the relationship between treatment comorbidities and viral suppression among HIV-infected adults aged 18–49 who were diabetic, had cancer, or tuberculosis in Johannesburg. HIV Care Continuum formed the theoretical framework for this research. An existing HIV-infected patient de-identifiable dataset …

Performance Of A Sars-Cov-2 Rt-Pcr Assay With Non-Traditional Specimen Types, Subathra Marimuthu, Holly Aliesky, Heather Ness, Daniya Sheikh, Sathya Rashmit, Dawn Balcom, Leslie A. Wolf

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

During the first two years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens were the gold standard for clinical diagnostic testing. As information about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the pandemic continued to be shared, it was clear that the virus could be detected in other specimen types during an active infection. The University of Louisville Infectious Diseases Laboratory accepted non-traditional specimen types, most without a paired, positive NP result, for research purposes only to support local epidemiology efforts. A real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay originally validated for NP specimens was used …

What? Now A Respiratory Syncytial Virus Epidemic, Aya Allam, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Investigating Stigma During The Early Stages Of A Pandemic Through The Lens Of Covid-19, Zach Thornton, Bethany Hodge, Sheridan Langford

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Individuals face stigma associated with numerous health conditions. Stigma can arise rapidly during the early spread of a new disease, adding to the burden felt by those affected. COVID-19 can be used as an example to study stigma during the early phases of a pandemic. This narrative review is a descriptive analysis that tracks the ways in which COVID-19 stigma was discussed in the scholarly literature during the first year of the pandemic to understand how stigma was viewed in the context of a rapidly spreading pandemic.

Methods: PubMed was used as a non-exhaustive sample of the literature. Searches …

Coh 1700: Health Care Coordination Syllabus, Sasha Harry

Open Educational Resources

This is the syllabus for a Health Care Coordination course.

The goal of health care coordination is to improve patient outcomes with better health care services. Care coordinators play a critical role in improving patient care. Students will learn how to effectively advocate for patients and interact with members of the healthcare team in finding solutions to provide high quality, value-based, and efficient care. Effective communication styles, assessing patient’s needs and goals, and helping with patients’ transitions of care are among many topics covered in this course. Upon course completion, students will have acquired basic knowledge and skills to educate, …

Health Misinformation During Epidemiological Crises, Bethany Stefan, Alexis L. Emich, Katrina R. Lamp

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Health misinformation is more prevalent than ever in the modern age and poses serious risks for those who believe it. Medical fallacies can become especially harmful during periods of widespread disease when the misinformed respond in ways that increase threats to public health. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe and critically appraise the evidence about how health misinformation during endemics and pandemics can influence behaviors and responses, as well as the implications of interventions affecting these behaviors. A systematic search of the literature with inclusion/exclusion criteria using CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO resulted in …

Impact Of The Covid Pandemic On Mental Health And Training Opportunities Of Public Health Residents From 4 European Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study, Giovanna Failla, Marta Caminiti, José Chen-Xu, Giuseppina Lo Moro, Nausicaa Berselli, Madalena Cabral Ferreira, Filipa Malcata, David Peyre-Costa, Roberto Croci, Giorgia Soldà, Angelo Capodici, Caterina Morcavallo, Francesco Traglia, Fabrizio Cedrone, Ilaria Storti, Alfonso Alonso Jaquete, Martina Antinozzi, Anca Vasiliu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: There is little evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Public Health Residents' (PHR) mental health (MH). This study aims at assessing prevalence and risk factors for depression, anxiety and stress in European PHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Between March and April 2021, an online survey was administered to PHR from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The survey assessed COVID-19 related changes in working conditions, training opportunities and evaluated MH outcomes using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Multivariable logistic regressions were applied to identify risk factors.

RESULTS: Among the 443 respondents, many showed symptoms of depression …

Global Regulatory Reforms To Promote Equitable Vaccine Access In The Next Pandemic, Richard Mahoney, Peter J Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is broad consensus that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic was inadequate, leading to unacceptable levels of avoidable morbidity and mortality. Three strategic missteps led to the lack of equitable vaccine access: The heavy reliance on commercial vaccine manufacturers in high-income countries (HICs) versus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); the emergence of vaccine nationalism restricting and delaying the supply of vaccines to LMICs; and an inadequate support or recognition for LMIC national regulatory authorities. To avoid these inequities in a future pandemic, we focus on three successful vaccine development and technology transfer case studies-the Hepatitis B vaccine produced …

Maternal Perceptions Of Vaccinating Boys Against Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) In Seoul, South Korea: A Descriptive Exploratory Qualitative Study, Jihye Choi, Christine Markham, Irene Tamí-Maury, Sooyoun Kim, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is of paramount importance to reduce HPV-associated cancers in both genders. In South Korea, the prophylactic vaccine is recognized as prevention of cervical cancer with little attention given to male HPV vaccination. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of male HPV vaccination and underlying factors for vaccine hesitancy among mothers of unvaccinated boys in Seoul, Korea using a qualitative method. We used a purposive sampling strategy to recruit mothers of unvaccinated middle school-aged boys living in one of the 25 districts in Seoul, supplemented by a snowball sampling approach. We conducted one-on-one telephone …

What? Is Epstein–Barr Virus Infection Linked To Multiple Sclerosis?, Asha Mahajan, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Do You Know The Pathophysiology Of Cytokine Storm During Covid-19?, Shameera Shaik Masthan, Deekshitha Turaka, Ahmed Abdelhaleem, Mounica Vorla, Steven B. Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Comparing Outcomes For Community-Acquired Pneumonia Between Females And Males: Results From The University Of Louisville Pneumonia Study, Pavani Nathala, Simrat Sarai, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Mahder A. Tella, Stephen P. Furmanek, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Male sex is currently considered to be a risk factor for worsened community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) outcomes compared to female sex; hence, female sex equates to a lower score on the Pneumonia Severity Index. There is no recent update on sex-based outcomes of patients with CAP. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of CAP between females and males.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the University of Louisville Pneumonia Study database. It was a prospective population-based cohort study of all hospitalized adults with CAP who were residents of Jefferson County in the city of Louisville, …

On We Go, With Hope: Remembering Our Founding Editor-In-Chief, Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield, Rachel E. Dixon, Randolph F. Wykoff

Journal of Appalachian Health

With the passing of our founding Editor-in-Chief, Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield, the Journal of Appalachian Health team reflects on a life well lived and a monumental public legacy left behind. We thank "Scutch" for enriching the lives of so many, and we commit to growing the Journal in his honor.