International Public Health Commons^™

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Kathryn E. Brackett

Senior Honors Theses

Abstract

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a worldwide movement started by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that is aimed at providing hospitals with a certification that guarantees the best possible patient-centered care for mothers and infants. It focuses on breastfeeding as optimal infant nutrition, and implements strategies to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed their infants exclusively for six months after birth. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are a set of 10 simple, easy to understand guidelines developed by WHO and UNICEF for implementing this initiative in the hospital setting and …

Reduce Contraception Discontinuation In Bangladesh By Improving Counseling On Side Effects, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Sabiha Chowdhuri

Reproductive Health

High rates of contraceptive discontinuation and method failure could cause Bangladesh to lose the progress made in increasing contraceptive use over the past 20 years. This policy brief concludes that if women are adequately counseled and supported to sustain their use of more effective contraceptive methods, they will need less medical attention, have fewer unintended pregnancies, and reduce the workload for medical clinics. Furthermore, if providers are adequately trained and supported in counseling and managing side effects and in helping women to switch methods when they do have a problem, the Family Planning Clinical Contraception Services Delivery Program would meet …

Factors Influencing The Decision And Ability To Seek Health Services Among Hiv/Aids Patients In Tanzania, Savitri Grover

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Understanding the barriers to treatment for individuals with HIV/AIDS in developing countries could have a major impact on their ability to seek healthcare services. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively analyze the effect of daily activities and structural factors, which act as barriers to seeking health services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.

The study is based on the hypothesis that (1) Individuals living with HIV/AIDS who face both personal and structural barriers have poor health compared to those not facing the barriers. (2) Individuals living with HIV/AIDS demonstrate different decisions and abilities to seek health services …

The Pertinence Of Maternal Education On Child Immunization In Rural Uttarakhand: More Than Just Increased Rates, Sarah Banerji

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Child immunization rates in India continue to remain low, despite the 1985 implementation of a Universal Immunization Program that provides free basic immunizations to all children. There are numerous logistical factors that contribute to the low rates of immunization, but rates are made further worse by a lack of parental awareness and education about immunization, especially in village communities. This study examines the maternal understanding of immunization in rural Uttarakhand, both in villages in which an NGO has been working to improve maternal immunization education and in villages with no NGO involvement. It finds a positive correlation between increased immunization …

Factors Influencing Access To Healthcare Services, Melissa Delia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Following several political upheavals, the country of Madagascar has become one of the poorest countries in the world. This level of poverty affects many aspects of life, especially access to healthcare services. The availability of both allopathic and traditional healthcare to the impoverished citizens of Madagascar was examined through discussions, interviews, and journal articles. It was found that although both the allopathic and traditional medicinal systems do not charge their patients for general consultations and care, there is a high cost for pharmaceutical medications in the allopathic system. These medications are sometimes too expensive for many Malagasy patients to afford. …

Empowerment-Based Positive Youth Development: A New Understanding Of Healthy Development For African American Youth, Raphael Travis Jr., Tamara Leech

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

A shift occurred in research about adolescents in the general population. Research is moving away from deficits toward a resilience paradigm and understanding trajectories of positive youth development. This shift has been less consistent in research and practice with African American youth. A gap also exists in understanding whether individual youth development dimensions generate potential in other dimensions. This study presents an empowerment-based positive youth development model. It builds upon existing research to present a new vision of healthy development for African American youth that is strengths-based, developmental, culture-bound, and action-oriented. It emphasizes the relationship between person and environment, the …

Associations Between Alcohol Consumption And Fasting Blood Glucose In Young Adults, Julie Ann Lucca

Master's Theses

Current research shows moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of diabetes and excessive consumption or binge drinking can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. In 2010, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United Statesand was responsible for significant health complications: blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations, and is a large national economic burden. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) is a tool used to help diagnose diabetes. Abnormally high FBG, ≥100 mg/dl, is indicative of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Few studies have observed diabetic prevalence among young adults or college students. Studying young adults can help provide added …

Humanitarian And Civic Assistance Health Care Training And Cultural Awareness Promoting Health Care Pluralism, Rose E. Facchini

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

Integration between traditional and contemporary health care in a host nation can be beneficial to nation- and capacity-building and, subsequently, to the overall health of the society. Traditional health care in this sense refers to the indigenous health care system in the host nation, which includes characteristic religious or cultural practices, whereas contemporary health care is also known as conventional or Westernized; integration is a synchronization of these two health care forms. However, the choice of integration depends on the political and cultural situation of the nation in which the Department of Defense health care personnel are intervening. Thus, cultural …

An Ethical Analysis Of Incentives As “Nudges” Toward Better Health Outcomes: A Case Study Of Seva Mandir’S Immunization Program In Rural Udaipur, Julika Kaplan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Seva Mandir, a non-governmental organization working on tribal development issues in the Udaipur District of India, offers pregnant women and mothers one kilogram of lentils for every visit they make to the organization’s monthly immunization camps. This study assesses whether it is ethical to use incentive-based systems, as opposed to empowerment through health education, to “nudge” the rural poor in Udaipur toward immunization. The information presented in this study is based on twenty-nine interviews with pregnant women and mothers of children less than two years old conducted during six field visits to Seva Mandir’s immunization camps. Through data obtained from …

The Impact Of The Chinese Rural Healthcare System On Infectious Disease: A Study Of The History And Reform Of Chinese Healthcare, And The Global Implications Of Infectious Disease Control In China, John Barbadoro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

China’s healthcare system has gone through significant changes in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. These changes have mirrored not only the political focus of the time, but also the social issues facing China. The NRCMCS for rural residents is a cheap annual fee that covers a percentage of medical costs. There are two urban equivalents, the BMIUE and BMIUR for urban employees through their job, and residency respectively. Despite the focus on cheaper healthcare for rural residents, the problems of income inequality and mistrust in the medical system are major problems that affect the health of this large …

Las Multiplicidades De Salud Integral: Medicina Plural, Medicina Holística, Louise Highleyman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Hospital Andino Alternativo de Chimborazo (H.A.A.CH.) es un hospital relativamente pequeño ubicado en la ciudad de Riobamba, la capital de la provincia de Chimborazo. Un proyecto de la Diócesis de Riobamba, lo que diferencia este hospital es la unión de tres áreas de medicina en el mismo lugar: medicina andina (o ancestral), medicina alternativa, y medicina alopática (o química).Los tres tipos de medicina “dan la libertad al paciente de elegir con qué tipo de medicina desea curarse.”[1] Aunque actualmente la mayoría de pacientes (70%, según la gerente) están transferidos por el Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS) para …

Exploring The Efficacy Of The Community Organization Health Model As A Tool For Evaluating Sport-For-Development Programs: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Three Model Programs, Lauren Faye Denman

Master's Theses

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is currently one of the most pressing world-wide concerns regarding the health and well-being of our global population. Due to the lack of a cure, recent efforts have focused on prevention measures for the disease. HIV prevention, particularly with the youth population, has spawned creative programs, such as the use of sport as an educational tool to equip youth with the skills to avoid contracting HIV. Due to the potent effect sport-for-development efforts exhibit on both individual and cultural level change, it can be assumed that HIV prevention sport-for-development programs are worth maintaining. Within the use of …

Los Factores Sociales Que Influyen En El Embarazo Y En El Uso De Anticonceptivos De Adolescentes En El Barrio 25 De Mayo, Maipú, Mendoza., Isabel Odean

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a common phenomenon among those living in poverty. Adolescent pregnancy is influenced by many social and cultural factors, leading to lack of use of contraceptives. This study took place in the neighborhood 25 de Mayo, in the city of Maipú, Mendoza in Argentina. This community is mostly composed of people with low incomes and limited education. Socioeconomic and the attitudes toward teenage pregnancy, as well as the use of contraceptives by adolescents, are distinct from those in wealthier better educated groups. This neighborhood is approximately 10,000 people, the majority of whom are women. Most of the …

Assessment Of Migrant Health And Health Disparities Between Immigrants And Swiss Nationals Living In Switzerland, Gabriela Mujica-Martorell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Switzerland is one of the most diverse nations within the OECD and boasts one of the highest net migration rates; it also has one of the highest rated health care systems in the world. Nevertheless, it has been shown that health disparities exist between the Swiss migrant and Swiss national populations: migrants are especially more prone to overweight/obesity, dental health problems, various forms of physical pain, and psychological distress. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate to what extent certain health conditions are a problem to the immigrant and Swiss national populations. The study also will explore some of …

Nutrition And Diabetic Management In Urban Kenya, Madeline Jackson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study project sought to identify the changes in nutrition from the traditional Luo culture to the new urban setting and explore the management, perceptions and prevalence of Type II diabetes in an increasingly urban area. The focus was on Type II diabetes since the majority of disease burden stems from this acquired form of the diabetes. Through speaking with elderly community members and shadowing the first line diabetic treatment centers in Kisumu, an assessment of the relationship between changing nutrition and diabetic management showed numerous gaps in the system that will continue to increase unless something is done. …

Book Review: Dream Of Ding Village By Yan Lianke, Mike Frick

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government levied a “three nos” ban—no sales, no distribution, and no promotion—against Dream of Ding Village after its publication in 2005. Though the storytelling relies heavily on dream sequences, Yan takes little poetic license when exposing the depth of the state’s culpability in spreading HIV among poor, medically-naïve farmers. He is just as uncompromising when detailing how officials denied responsibility for the ensuing AIDS epidemic, even as they profited from its human tragedy. No one in Ding Village receives medical care, mental health counseling, food assistance, or a chance to hold the blood heads legally accountable. Cast …

The Antecedents, Process, And Consequences Of Female Sterilization For Low-Income Women In Mumbai, Marie A. Brault

Master's Theses

Surgical sterilization is the primary method of family planning among low-income women in India; the result of limited knowledge and poor access to family planning alternatives. To understand the dynamics of sterilization, 37 in-depth interviews were conducted with sterilized women from the study community, as well as key informant interviews with community men, providers and government officials. The results indicate that sterilization decisions are made after exceeding ideal family size, that the procedures for sterilization frequently do not follow official protocol, but that for the most part women are highly positive about being free of the risk of unwanted conception.

Conocimientos Y Conductas Sexuales En Trabajadores Migrantes (Arica, Chile), Anna Conley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to be prevalent and to expand in Chile, as in many other regions of Latin America and around the world. Furthermore, it continues to concentrate in distinct, vulnerable populations. Migrant workers represent one such vulnerable population. The HIV/AIDS epidemic disproportionately impacts migrant workers because of the social, economic, and psychological factors that are involved in both migratory behaviors and disease construction.

Aim: This study identified sexual health knowledge and sexual health behavior in the migrant laborer population of Arica, Chile. More specifically, it identified risk factors for HIV/AIDS and explored possible strategies for a preventative …

Conflict Situation For Health Care Workers: A Case Study Of The Occupational Challenges In Kasangati Health Centre Iv And Their Implications For Patient Care., Shannon Mcdowell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many factors influence a country’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Particularly, quality health care hinges upon the availability of properly trained and equipped health care workers (HCWs) to deliver effective care. Resource-strained countries committed to the Millennium Development Goals are confronting the reality that shortages and uneven distribution of HCWs threaten their capacities to encourage and establish healthy communities. A scarcity in HCWs is one challenge of public health initiatives and places stress on existing HCWs. Other challenges faced by HCWs severely affect performance, motivation, and overall care-giving ability.

This study aims to examine the particular …

Assessing And Improving Self-Reporting Of Male Circumcision In Zambia And Swaziland, Paul C. Hewett, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Louis Apicella

HIV and AIDS

The Male Circumcision (MC) Partnership was established with the support of the Gates Foundation and PEPFAR to scale up MC services in Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian government. The MC Partnership is a five-year project led by Population Services International (Society for Family Health, Zambia), in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International (MSI), and the Population Council. The ultimate objective of this study is to provide researchers and program managers with evidence-based recommendations for the collection of self-reported data on MC status through an assessment of different methods to describe and explain MC. Specifically, the study assessed tools for …

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Birth Spacing And Family Planning Uptake In Pakistan: Evidence From Falah, Arshad Mahmood

Reproductive Health

The Population Council was the lead implementing agency for the Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH) project in Pakistan. The project’s main objectives were to achieve a 10 percent increase in the use of moden contraceptives, to equip 80 service delivery points to provide family planning services, and to ensure birth-spacing understanding and ways to achieve it by three-quarters of the target population. The main conclusion of this research is that a sharp uptake of family planning is possible in a relatively short time, if certain investments are made to ensure better communication and greater access to quality family …

Economic Empowerment And Hiv Prevention Among Young Women And Girls In Kenya: Lessons From The Study Of Economic Empowerment Programs, Samantha Van Putten

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of the major issues facing Kenya is HIV/AIDS. With recognition by the global community that providing women with economic opportunities can help both those who are HIV positive, as well as in prevention for those who are not infected, programs combining microfinance and HIV education have started to emerge. While women in these programs 3 3 have shown preliminary signs of success, young girls did not respond as well in part due to lack of interest in the particular programs themselves. As such, this study examines two economic empowerment programs for girls and young mothers at the non-governmental organization …

Reproductive Health Education In The Kibera Slum: Developing A Slum-Specific Curriculum, Susanna Schneider Banks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The principal objective of this Independent Study Project is to make recommendations for a slum-specific reproductive health curriculum to be used in primary schools that serve the Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya. In order to obtain data and form a credible basis for the recommendations, interviews were conducted with teachers, focus groups were facilitated with students, and questionnaires were distributed to parents. Additionally, observations were made about the current state of reproductive health education at each school. Data was collected at Kibera School for Girls, a private school in Kibera, and Olympic Primary School, a public school at the edge …

Effectively Filling Gaps In Care: A Comparative Study Of Models Of Government Partnerships With Community Health Organizations In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Madeline Ross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study conducted Amatkiulu, Impendle, and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, utilizes three case studies to form a comparative analysisof the effectiveness of different models of public-private partnerships. Two expert interviews, three informal interviews, and many hours of observation inform this analysis of community health worker organizations employed through government clinics, tuberculosis tracer teams hired by government clinics, and independent non-governmental organizations heavily subsidized by the government. Subjective analysis found that the partnership between the Department of Health and a primary healthcare NGO, providing a wide range of comprehensive services, operated with the best efficiency and quality of care.

“Mind The Gap” Addressing The Gap Between Health Care Policy & Health Care Reality In Madagascar & The Way Forward Integrating Traditional Medicine & Ethical Reform Within Health Care, Laura Dillon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

At first glance the health care system in Madagascar looks pretty good. No health care system is perfect, in fact most are far from perfect, but some certainly work better than others. On paper it seems that the current system in Madagascar would be among those that “work better”. Sadly, there is oftentimes a disconnect between what a government writes on paper and what happens in reality; looking around the streets of Antananarivo it quickly became apparent that Madagascar is an example of this disconnect. You do not have to be a health care professional to see the lack of …

Bitewing Radiographic Evaluation Of Interproximal Carious Lesions On Permanent First Molars In 6 And 12 Year-Olds In The Public Health System Of Chile, Rodrigo Alejandro Haristoy Dr.

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Migration And Hiv In India: Study Of Select Districts, Niranjan Saggurti, Bidhubhusan Mahapatra, Suvakanta N. Swain, Madhusudana Battala, Alka Narang, Umesh Chawla

HIV and AIDS

Report of a study assessing the important role of migration in the spread of HIV in districts with high out-migration in India. The study suggests a considerable spread of HIV linked to migrants’ extramarital sexual behaviors, and subsequent delay in treatment for infected spouses. In order to control the spread of HIV, the study provides programmatic recommendations made by the study participants and the counselors from ICTCs and ART centers. These suggestions include village-level mapping of at-risk persons, mainstreaming HIV prevention interventions within current health resources, improving various village level HIV prevention programs, and involving women left behind by migrant …

Hiv Transmission Among Married Men And Women In Districts With High Out-Migration In India: Study Brief, Niranjan Saggurti, Bidhubhusan Mahapatra, Suvakanta N. Swain, Madhusudana Battala, Umesh Chawla, Alka Narang

HIV and AIDS

This brief describes a study examining the links between male out-migration and HIV transmission among married men and women and other mechanisms by which HIV is transmitted within marital relationships in districts with high out-migration.

Evaluation Of The Informed Consent Process For Male Circumcision Scale-Up In Swaziland, Barbara Friedland, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Meredith Sheehy, Paul C. Hewett

HIV and AIDS

This report evaluates the informed consent process for male circumcision conducted through the Male Circumcision Partnership for Swaziland, led by Population Services International, in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International, and the Population Council. The study assesses participants' comprehension of the circumcision process, the informed consent process, as well as the affect of male circumcision counseling on their experience.