Other Public Health Commons^™

Exploring Hypertension Prevalence Among Ill-Housed Individuals In Urban Environments, Lia Summer Goldberg, Sameer Shah, Nikhila Archakam, Murod Khikmatov, Kesha Choksi, Anddee White

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study explores the interrelations of hypertension, homelessness, and access to healthcare in urban ill-housed populations. It was found that conditions such as heart disease and diabetes significantly exacerbate hypertension, which remains highly prevalent due to the population's limited access to consistent medical care. Homelessness further complicates the management of hypertension due to unstable living conditions, making adherence to treatment and follow-up with healthcare providers challenging. Additionally, factors like higher rates of substance abuse and malnutrition among homeless populations contribute to worsening hypertension, which, if untreated, can lead to severe health crises including heart attacks and strokes.

The research underscores …

Pros, Cons, And The Barriers To Implementing A Universal Healthcare System In The United States, Arpun Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Despite that, it also has worse health outcomes than that of several other countries. The United States is also the only wealthy/developed country without universal healthcare. Universal healthcare, also known as a single-payer healthcare system, refers to the concept that the government finances and governs healthcare for most, if not all residents of the country. The United States currently has a multi-payer system, which means that healthcare is financed through various sources such as the public and private sectors. Purpose: The purpose of this is …

A Brief Overview Of Food Insecurity In Southern New Jersey, Lisa Ting Huang, Krisha Darji, Jariatou Diallo, Amin Abdul Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Atlantic County, located off the Jersey Shore, faces the highest level of food insecurity in New Jersey, with a rate of 11.2% as of 2021, surpassing the state's overall rate of 8.8%. This situation contributes to health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

The objective of this research is to understand and address the persistence of food insecurity in Atlantic County. Community stakeholders and local physicians were interviewed to identify barriers and disparities contributing to food insecurity.

Methods included a literature review using keywords like "food insecurity" and "southern New Jersey". Proposed interventions suggest collaboration with health centers …

How Do Differences In Sex Education Alter Perception Of Consent?, Hannah G. Stone

ATU Scholars Symposium

The following research was conducted to answer the question: how do differences in sex education alter perception of consent? As of 2021, only 7 states and the District of Columbia mandate comprehensive sex education policies that include consent education, and in contrast, 17 states do not mandate comprehensive or non-comprehensive sex education (“Sex and HIV Education” 2021). Because sex education in schools is where a large proportion of young adults receive all of their instruction on sexual topics, it can be inferred that the lack of sex education would constitute a lack of consent education as well (Deluna 2019; “Section …

Health And Healthcare: Designing For The Social Determinants Of Health And Blue Zones In North Nashville, Rebecca Tonguis, Honor Thomas, Olivia Hobbs

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Owned by North Nashville’s First Community Church, a now empty site in the Osage-North Fisk neighborhood of North Nashville has been identified as a potential site for a new location of The Store, in addition to a community-centric architectural development based on the social determinants of health and informed by the principles behind Blue Zones, the locations with the highest lifespans in the world. Opened by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store is a free grocery store that “allow[s] people to shop for their basic needs in a way that protects dignity and fosters hope”, for which North Nashville …

Human Zoo Healthcare At The 1904 World’S Fair, Angel Blake

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Human Zoo Healthcare at the 1904 World’s Fair

Were precautions taken or put into place for the Human Zoo performers at the 1904 World’s Fair? This topic has been overlooked and understudied by historians, there are few articles written and we do not know the true death toll which shows the racism towards these indigenous peoples. The research for this project was conducted at the State Historical Society of Missouri, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, Newspapers.com, Archives.com, St. Louis Public Library, and the Missouri Historical Society, including research on primary sources such as official World’s Fair committee meeting minutes, hospital …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Implementing Social Determinants Of Health Data Collection In A Large Urban Pediatric Hospital Setting, Stormee Williams, Kristina Hill, Barry Owen, Forest Melton

Research

No abstract provided.

An Appalachian Perspective On Suicide: A Focus On West Virginia’S Unique Context, Erin Delaney Caswell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

INTRODUCTION: The Appalachian region, spanning 13 states from New York to northern Mississippi, experiences the suicide rates in the United States (U.S.), underscoring a public health crisis exacerbated by persistent socioeconomic challenges. West Virginia (WV), the only state entirely within Appalachia, serves as a focal point for understanding the broader suicide crisis in the region, as WV has the highest suicide rates in the region. Moreover, the state has several unique socioeconomic factors, like increased poverty, lower educational attainment, limited access to healthcare, and a high prevalence of chronic pain and substance that may contribute to elevated rates of suicide. …

High-Risk Individuals And Naloxone Use: Implications For Thn Programs In Rural Appalachian Communities, Victor Garcia, Lisa Mccann, Erick Lauber, Christian Vaccaro, Melissa Swauger, Alex Daniel Heckert

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Take-home naloxone (THN) is being made available across rural Appalachia to curb opioid overdose fatalities. Despite this initiative, some opioid users do not possess naloxone, and if they do, do not administer it to others.

Purpose: Research findings on risk factors that contribute to opioid overdose are presented. These factors, identified in a sample of 16 overdose cases, are (1) early onset age of opioid use; (2) progressive opioid use; (3) a transition from pain medication to heroin and fentanyl; (4) fears of being arrested at a naloxone intervention if first responders are contacted, and (5) limited knowledge of …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Well-Being Of People Incarcerated In United States Prisons, Kimberly Rivera

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the population as a whole. However, the incarcerated population (which also experiences a variety of health disparities) has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Due to overcrowding, poor ventilation, and lack of resources, the incarcerated population already is at a heightened risk for negative health outcomes, made worse by the recent pandemic. To adapt to the rapidly changing conditions during the pandemic in 2020 and into 2022, new safety measures were implemented, but the unintended consequences associated with the implementation of these procedures have yet to be examined empirically. I conducted a qualitative content …

The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health And Acculturation On Quality Of Life In Older Chinese American Adults With Chronic Pain: A Quantitative Study, Chi Lam

Dissertations

Despite a rapid increase in the older Chinese American adult population, there are very few research studies examining the impact of social determinants of health and acculturation on the quality of life in older Chinese American adults. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of social determinants of health and acculturation on quality of life in older Chinese American adults with chronic pain. This quantitative, descriptive correlational study utilized Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Theory as its theoretical framework. Two research questions guided this study: (1) Was there a difference in the quality of life in older Chinese American …

Services Provided To Aging Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: Survey Of Speech Language Pathologists, Claire H. Gatewood

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Purpose: The present study explored current speech-language pathology service provision for aging individuals with intellectual disabilities in the United States, including areas and domains of services, factors restricting service provision, and reported knowledge and confidence of individuals within the field of speech-language pathology in providing services, to identify possible gaps of service and needed improvement.

Methods: Participants (n = 272) from across the United States completed an online survey to gather descriptive information about current speech-language pathology service provision for aging individuals with intellectual disabilities. Participants were recruited through state speech-language hearing associations and universities with speech-language pathology clinics …

Assessment Of Personal Care Product Use And Perceptions Of Use In A Sample Of Us Adults Affiliated With A University In The Northeast, Adana A. M. Llanos, Amber Rockson, Kylie Getz, Patricia Greenberg, Eva Portillo, James A. Mcdonald, Dede K. Teteh, Justin Villasenor, Carolina Lozada, Jamirra Franklin, Vaishnavi More, Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, Carolyn W. Kinkade, Emily S. Barrett

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Evidence supports unequal burdens of chemical exposures from personal care products (PCPs) among some groups, namely femme-identifying and racial and ethnic minorities. In this study, we implemented an online questionnaire to assess PCP purchasing and usage behaviors and perceptions of use among a sample of US adults recruited at a Northeastern university. We collected PCP use across seven product categories (hair, beauty, skincare, perfumes/colognes, feminine hygiene, oral care, other), and behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of use and safety across sociodemographic factors to evaluate relationships between sociodemographic factors and the total number of products used within the prior 24–48 h using …

Dance/Movement Therapy Used As An Intervention To Heal Racial Trauma Within The Black Community: A Literature Review, Jennifer Noboise

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The history of dance within the black community has served an important role while living through a racist and discriminatory society. Dance has been used to express anger, grief, and joy during hardships and moments of rejoicing from the black experience. African American people have endured years of trauma and abuse from oppressive systems. Research has been conducted to demonstrate that dance/movement therapy has been effective in treating those who have experienced a form of trauma since the trauma is stored in the body. Examining trauma symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and substance use, the research found these symptoms diminished …

Calculating Risk: A Scoping Review Of Ncaa D1 Football Players’ Motivations To Play And The Correlation To Demographic Characteristics And Injury Experiences, Kathleen D. Walsh

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to investigate the motivations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 (D1) football players for playing the game and how these motivations are associated with their socioeconomic status (SES). Further, the research aimed to investigate how the uncovered motivations were linked to injury experiences. The original project was designed as a survey-based mixed methods study on a national scale. However, issues with participant recruitment led to sidelining of that primary research. The research presented is a scoping review of the available literature pertaining to the research question: What is known from existing literature …

Cardiovascular Disease Prediction Modelling: A Machine Learning Approach, Usmaan Al-Shehab, Maduka Gunasinghe, Yousuf Elkhoga, Nimay Patel, Juliana Yang

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The objective of this project is to utilize the UCI Heart Disease dataset to identify physiological biomarkers that are highly correlated with heart disease incidence. A predictive model can then be developed using these biomarkers to estimate the likelihood of someone having or developing a heart-related condition. This study compares the efficacy of predicting cardiovascular disease as an outcome using three machine learning algorithms: Support Vector Machine, Gaussian Naive Bayes, and logistic regression. Support Vector Machine works by creating hyperplanes between data points to conduct classification. Gaussian Naive Bayes works by using the conditional probabilities of events to classify the …

The Correlation Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Incarceration Among Adult Males In The United States, Shadi Shams

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the …

Covid-19 And Employee Job Performance Trajectories: The Moderating Effect Of Different Sources Of Status, Xin Liu, Xiaoming Zheng, Byron Y Lee, Yu Yu, Mengyi Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee job performance trajectories, and further examines the moderating effects of different sources of status. Drawing from event system theory (EST), we propose that employee job performance decreases upon COVID-19 onset, but gradually increases during the postonset period. Furthermore, we argue that status from society, occupation, and workplace functions to moderate such performance trajectories. We test our hypotheses with a unique dataset of 708 employees that combines survey responses and job performance archival data over 21 consecutive months (10,808 observations) spanning the preonset, onset, and postonset periods of the initial …

Obesity Heterogeneity By Neighborhood Context In A Largely Latinx Sample, Ashley W. Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac, Zeev N. Kain, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Brooke N. Jenkins

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Neighborhood socioeconomic context where Latinx children live may influence body weight status. Los Angeles County and Orange County of Southern California both are on the list of the top ten counties with the largest Latinx population in the USA. This heterogeneity allowed us to estimate differential impacts of neighborhood environment on children’s body mass index z-scores by race/ethnicity using novel methods and a rich data source. We geocoded pediatric electronic medical record data from a predominantly Latinx sample and characterized neighborhoods into unique residential contexts using latent profile modeling techniques. We estimated multilevel linear regression models that adjust for …

Review Of Literature Regarding Ethnic Disparities And Minority Student Mental Health And Wellness, Teja Reaves-Mckee

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Breast Cancer Knowledge Among Students At A State Comprehensive University, Calvin Odhiambo, Shimia Hunter

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second-leading cause of death among women in the United States. While lack of knowledge about breast cancer is a key factor in breast cancer mortality, little is known about breast cancer knowledge among women and men under the age of 30. The goal of the current study was to investigate the knowledge and awareness of breast cancer among female and male undergraduate students at a State Comprehensive University in the Southeastern United States.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 265 male and female undergraduate …

Experiences Of Covid-19-Related Racism And Impact On Depression Trajectories Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents, Sabrina R. Liu, Elysia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Hal S. Stern, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

In 2020, racially/ethnically minoritized (REMD) youth faced the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism, both significant stressors with potential for adverse mental health effects. The current study tested whether short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic differed between REMD adolescents who did and did not endorse exposure to COVID-19-era-related racism (i.e., racism stemming from conditions created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

Methods

A community sample of 100 REMD adolescents enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of mental health was assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 51% girls, mean …

Smoking Behaviour And Its Impact On The Quality Of Life Of The Beneficiary Families Of Social Assistance Funds In East Java, Indonesia, Renny Nurhasana, Suci Puspita Ratih, Rara Warih Gayatri, Tika Dwi Tama, Ni Made Shellasih, Aryana Satrya, Fadhilah Rizky Ningtyas, Nurul Muhafilah

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

The government implements social assistance programs for poor families and vulnerable groups. Therefore, the implementation is still facing various challenges. One of the toughest challenges is smoking behaviour. As the income has been increasing, the cigarette’s expense is also high. Cigarette’s expenditure substitutes other basic needs, such as nutritional foods, health, and education expenses. This study analyses smoking behaviour in social assistance recipients and its impact on quality of life. By using qualitative method, particularly the Rapid Assessment Procedure, data were obtained through in-depth interviews. The study uses purposive method to collect samples in East Java, both Malang City and …

Sheprep: Examining The Influence Of The Messaging And The Messenger Associated With Prep Uptake Among African American Women, Christian C. Spears

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

African American Women (AAW) make up less than 15% of the female population in the United States but account for over 50% of new HIV diagnoses among females. This largely preventable health disparity can be mitigated by advocating and prescribing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive HIV medication, to persons at risk. Despite advances in medication options, there are less than 13% of Black people who could benefit from having been prescribed PrEP, and limited research and promotion on the effectiveness of PrEP for AAW. The “ShePrEP Study” aimed to assess awareness, perceptions, and receptivity toward PrEP among AAW. This study …

The Digital Divide: The Path Towards Digital Inclusivity, Angelica Gonzalez Almanza

Social Justice | Senior Theses

The gap between those Americans who use or have access to ICTs and those who do not is referred to as the digital divide (PACEs, 2002). The pandemic has increased dependence on technology and exacerbated the digital divide, which perpetuates existing systems of racism and poverty (Early et al., 2021). In this study, a mixed-method approach was conducted to understand what digital literacy skills parents need to overcome the digital divide and support their child's education. Specifically, the study explored how the program Impact Technology training has affected parents' involvement with their child's education. There were 175 Latinx parents that …

The Unequal Burden Of Long Covid, Marc A. Garcia, Catherine Garcia, Erin Bisesti

Population Health Research Brief Series

Racial/ethnic disparities in U.S. COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths have been well documented. However, less research has focused on racial/ethnic disparities in long COVID. This data slice summarizes data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey and reports that although there are no significant racial/ethnic differences in overall activity limitations from long COVID, a higher percentage of Black and Hispanic/Latino adults report experiencing “significant” activity limitations compared to Whites.

“We Live On An Island:” Perspectives On Rural Family Caregiving For Adults With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias In The United States, Heather J. Williamson, Andria B. Begay, Dorothy J. Dunn, Rachel Bacon, Mark Remiker, Yolanda E. Garcia, Michael J. Mccarthy, Julie A. Baldwin

The Qualitative Report

As the United States’ aging population grows, there will be increased prevalence of individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD), who largely rely on the support of their family caregivers. Family caregivers residing in rural areas face additional challenges with managing caregiving responsibilities and navigating support services. The purpose of this multilevel phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the assets, unique needs, and resources of rural-residing ADRD caregivers from the caregiver, provider, and policy influencers’ perspectives. The study took place between 2019 through 2021 in northern Arizona, a largely rural and geographically vast area home to caregivers from …

The Social Determinants Of Ideal Cardiovascular Health: A Global Systematic Review, Farah Qureshi, Kelb Bousquet-Santos, Sakurako S. Okuzono, Elaine Tsao, Scott Delaney, Anne-Josie Guimond, Julia K. Boehm, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This systematic review synthesizes research published from January 2010-July 2022 on the social determinants of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) carried out around the world and compares trends in high-income countries (HICs) to those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 41 studies met inclusion criteria (n = 28 HICs, n = 13 LMICs). Most were from the United States (n = 22) and cross-sectional (n = 33), and nearly all evaluated associations among adults. Among studies conducted in LMICs, nearly all were from middle-income countries and only one was carried out in low-income country. Education (n = …

Does Crime Trigger Genetic Risk For Type 2 Diabetes In Young Adults? A G X E Interaction Study Using National Data, Fangqi Guo, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Jason D. Boardman, Jennifer W. Robinette

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Living in neighborhoods perceived as disordered exacerbates genetic risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) among older adults. It is unknown whether this gene-neighborhood interaction extends to younger adults. The present study aims to investigate whether crime, an objectively measured indicator of neighborhood disorder, triggers genetic risk for T2D among younger adults, and whether this hypothesized triggering occurs through exposure to obesity.

Methods

Data were from the Wave I (2008) National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. A standardized T2D polygenic score was created using 2014 GWAS meta-analysis results. Weighted mediation analyses using generalized structural equation models were conducted …