Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

“The Invisible Disability:” Perceptions And Potential Of Children With Autism In Kisumu, Kenya, Talia Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Awareness and prevalence of autism around the world is on the rise; however, much remains unknown about this developmental disability. This study is a survey of perceptions of individuals with autism in Kisumu and the services available to facilitate their development. Two areas of interest arose during this study. First, many children do not receive intervention services until a very late age, seriously hindering the success of the intervention. Many special schools do not accept children until they are well into vital stages of development, and the Educational Assessment and Resource Center (EARC) lacks the personal and funding to provide …

Do No Harm: Perceptions Of Short-Term Health Camps In Nepal, Dena Seabrook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Short-term health camps are a growing form of delivering health care services to needy populations. Often these camps, usually lasting around 2 weeks, are led by I/NGOs in developing nations like Nepal and are staffed with volunteers from the Global North. These camps are largely ungoverned, and there are no evaluative techniques in place to monitor the effectiveness of the work done, raising concerns about the unintended consequences of short-term health camps camps. Nepal is particularly vulnerable to this issue because of the vast number of I/NGOs currently operating within its boundaries.

This research sought to expand the conversation surrounding …

Measles Vaccinaiton In Developing Nations: A Statistical Analysis Looking At Factors That Affect Measles Vaccination Percentages, Jeffrey Judkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Why do two developing countries in the same region have vastly different vaccination rates? What specific factors have the greatest influence on the vaccination rates in differing developing nations? This papers objective is to use a statistical model to try to determine what factors, education, healthcare system and infrastructure, play the largest role in impacting both positively the measles vaccination rate in 20 African countries. The results found only two of the six variables originally chosen to be statistically significant. These variables were the percentage of paved roads and the percentage of the GDP spent on education.

Lo Personal Es Político: La Lucha Por La Legalización Del Aborto En Chile, A Través De La Organización Feminista, Católicas Por El Derecho A Decidir, Gavin Odabashian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the work of a small collective of women—Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir—and the practice of their activism in Valparaíso, Chile. I focus on the ways in which these women are strategically mobilizing as an organization to fight for justice for women in Chile—more specifically, for gender equality, access to reproductive rights, and the legalization of abortion in all cases. I examine the history of the organization, its form and structure, the projects and campaigns they are currently working on, the individual experiences of the women working within the organization, their perspectives on their work, …

Indicadores De Maduracion Sexual Y Su Relacion Con Indices De Masa Corporal (Imc) Y Habitos De Alimentacion En Escolares Femeninas De Arica, Chile, Melissa Colden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The basis of this investigation came from recent evidence that the age of puberty, specifically with respect to young girls, has fallen notably in the past decade. This trend exists in Chile, as well as other countries such as the United States, and has presented itself alongside a portentous epidemic of obesity and malnutrition. Knowing the risks of both disorders, and how their affects have already been manifested in the adolescent population in Chile and the city of Arica, this study sought to develop a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and pubertal development, including the appearance of secondary sexual …

Il Faut Manger: A Study Of Women’S Body Image And Obesity In Mali, Jennifer Denike

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Africa has long been a region of the world marked by the media as one of rail thin children with distended bellies and older men and women with cracked and wrinkled skin sagging off their bones. Media outlets like BBC, CNN, and the New York Times focus entire sections of their websites to special reports entitled ‘Famine in Africa’2, ‘Food Crisis in Niger’3, and ‘East Africa Famine 2011’4. Photos of children curled up on the ground, ribs and bones protruding at every angle grace the pages of nearly every magazine and newspaper. Nongovernmental organizations plead for donations and host fundraisers …

Reproductive Realities: Fulani Women & Contraception, Corrina Regnier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the product of three weeks of research on contraception and the lives of married Fulani women in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Based on interviews with Fulani women, conducted both in French and in the Fulani language of Fulfulde with the aid of a French interpreter, I discuss the cultural and religious influences on women’s lives that impact their decisions or abilities to use contraception, as well as the ways these influences and realities have changed, are changing, and are expected to change in the future. I also look into the more practical concern of the availability and accessibility of …

The Perfect Storm: How Pro-Abortion Activists In The Netherlands Incite Social Change From International Waters, Julia Ellis‐Kahana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is a sociological ethnography of the Women on Waves foundation, founded in 1999 by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts. As an international non-profit organization, they employ a direct action method: sailing to countries where abortion is illegal and providing safe abortion access. Local women board the ship that then travels 12 miles to international waters, where Dutch law applies, and the abortion pill can be administered legally. Using a feminist perspective, I interviewed five of the women at the organization in addition to the ship’s captain in order to understand the ideological beliefs about the reproductive rights that have inspired …

Differentiating The Vulnerability Of Kothis And Hijras To Hiv/Aids: A Case Study Of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Poonam Daryani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study aims to begin the process of differentiation between the various subpopulations that fall under the agenda of interventions targeted at Males who have Sex with Males (MSM). This separation is accomplished though an investigation of the sociocultural factors and behavioral patterns impacting the vulnerability of MSM and transgender (TG) 5 communities to HIV/AIDS. Specifically, the situation of kothi and hijra populations are compared in order to understand how the differences in their cultural practices and lifestyles create unique sexual health needs. The study was completed in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh under the guidance of Bharosa Trust and MAAN …

“La Percepción Social De Vih/Sida En Chile Y Sus Efectos”, Philip Krause

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question—How does the social perception of HIV/AIDs in Chile affect the country’s prevention and treatment programs?

Background-- This paper investigated the social perception of HIV/AIDs in Chile through the opinions of experts who work closely to the issue, including regional and national political professionals, medical professionals on HIV/AIDs treatment teams in hospitals, and leaders of social organizations that had a relationship to HIV/AIDs representation and prevention. The professionals were also asked how they believed this perception affected the efforts of the Chilean government and national organizations in prevention and management of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Chile. An …

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 …

The Different Perceptions Of Breast Cancer In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda, Karen Im

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: To assess breast cancer perceptions in Northern Uganda for the purpose of informing necessary cancer initiatives.

Methods: Breast cancer patients and the Gulu District community development officer participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative data analysis.

Results: The concept of cancer is relatively new in Northern Uganda. In conjunction with a lack of understanding and competing priorities, many women are often diagnosed in late and advanced stages. Most women go to the hospital when they feel distinctive pain in the body instead of getting regular check-ups.

Conclusions: Educating people on needs for more proactive health-seeking behavior could …

Understanding Social Marketing In A Not-For-Profit Ngo Setting: An Internship With Pace In Eastern Uganda, Veronica L. Tuerffs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The organization PACE (Programme for Accessible health, Communication and Education) focuses on generating a positive health impact throughout Uganda by the means of social marketing and other proven, evidence based techniques. An internship with the organization took place over the course of six weeks and was conducted under the A2L (Access to Life) program which is located in four of the country’s eastern districts. The focus of the health and sales communication internship was the implementation of PACE’s marketing scheme on their life-saving products and how the products and organization are perceived.

Any of the information gathered during this time …

Western Influence, Latent Racism, And Their Impact On Access To Health Care In Madagascar, Jessica Joy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While the Malagasy commemorate their Independence Day on June 26 as the day they were freed from colonization and allowed to function as their own country with their own cultures and practices, colonization and Western influence has left an indelible mark on Madagascar that continues to exert its power to this day, shaping Malagasy social behaviors, values, and lives. The introduction of the slave trade to Madagascar in the mid-1800s, as well as French colonization, has left behind a thriving latent and structural racism in the country; a Western ideal of beauty, made complete by its valorization of fair skin, …

The Benefits Of Having An Integrated Health Care System In Madagascar, Elizabeth Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my individual research, I wanted to look into all the benefits that could be offered by collaborating allopathic and traditional healthcare systems and how such a system is accomplished in Madagascar, in order to weigh and to discover the feasibility of using integrated healthcare systems as sustainable development in other parts of the world. Furthermore, as Madagascar sets the example in my research this summer, the use of traditional and modern medicine as an integrated health care system best serves the majority of the Malagasy population for several important reasons.

“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 …

Medical Pluralism In Morocco: The Cultural, Religious, Historical And Political-Economic Determinants Of Health And Choice., Tyler Martinson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco is a culturally diverse intersection between the African continent, the Arab world and Europe. This multiplicity is mirrored in the country’s pluralistic medical system and beliefs surrounding the concepts of illness and health. Explanations of health are endorsed by culturally specific knowledge and are then naturalized and taken as objective. A synthesis of theoretical descriptions and political-economic of medical pluralism, along with historical analysis, explains the presence of multiple health practices and how a person’s choice of medical practice is heavily influenced by dynamic socio-cultural, religious, historical, political and economic factors. This study will help improve practitioner/client narratives of …

El Uso Escondido De Anticonceptivos Modernos: Una Reflección Del Machismo De Los Hombres Y El Empoderamiento De Las Mujeres En El Alto Y La Paz, Kathleen Elizabeth Trocin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contraception use has proven to be an extremely important public health issue in Bolivia since the later 20^th century given its relationship with the country’s high maternal and infant mortality rate in comparison to other nations in South America. In this research paper, I explore the hidden use of contraception in Bolivia. More specifically, I study women in the areas of El Alto and La Paz who hide their contraception use from their partners. This paper discusses machismo as the cause of the hidden use of contraception, the effects of hidden contraception use on the women, and the broader …

Influence Of Sexual Education On Sexual Behavior And Contraceptive Use Among 15 To 19 Year-Olds At Colégio Azevêdo Fernandes In Salvador, Brazil, Julia Still

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although sexual health education provided by the government through schools has shown positive results, such as those distributed by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, it is not the only source, nor the most implemented source, in which adolescents are exposed to and gain knowledge on the subjects of sexual behavior and sexual health. Just as Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child details, parents, schools and communities play important roles in the process of sexual education and are required to provide guidance and direction to youth (Pan American Health Organization, 2010). In addition to sexual health …

A Case Study Of Health Interventions And The Caste System: Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health Through Development At Crhp Jamkhed, Laura Kroart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Southeast Asian country of India, the ancient but in some cases still rigidly intact caste system plays a role in determining health status and outcomes for much of its population of over 1.2 billion people.[1] The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, located in Jamkhed in the state of Maharashtra, India, approaches health interventions from a development standpoint, addressing biomedical needs, structural and environmental concerns, and the social and economic determinants of health that impact the lives of over a million villagers in the surrounding area.[2] This independent study project was designed to analyze how the Comprehensive Rural …

La Correlación Entre El Autoestima Y La Intención De Cambiar En Seis Ámbitos De La Vida De Un Fumador Adolescente., Aaron Picus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: According to a study in 2008 by the National Agency for the Control of Narcotics, 26.1% of Chilean adolescents between the ages of 12-18 had used tobacco at least once during the month of the study and 13% used tobacco daily. Even though smoking has negative health effects, many adolescents in Chile still smoke. Since the 1970s, low self-esteem has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of poor health behaviors. Recent investigations have shown that, when measured in the social, school, family, self-body image, sports and physical activity, and global realms of the life of an …

More Than Just Biology: Creating An Informational Website For Teens On Sexuality And Lifelong Sexual Health, Sarah Cyr-Mutty

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“More Than Just Biology – Creating an informational website for teens on sexuality and lifelong sexual health” is the product of four weeks’ research in Amsterdam, NL on sexuality education and the use of the Internet as an educational tool for youth. The research defied a “Dutch approach” to sexuality education and used it to create a website for American teenagers to get confidential and accurate information regarding their sexual lives and health. Information was gathered primarily through personal interviews, as well as a review of existing literature on the subject. Through this research, it was found that the Dutch …

El Papel De La Educación Y Las Ong’S En Mejorar El Acceso A Derechos Para Inmigrantes: El Caso De Los Derechos Sexuales Y Reproductivos = The Role Of Education And Ngo’S In Helping Immigrants Obtain Better Access To Their Rights: The Specific Case Of Sexual And Reproductive Rights, Amy Torres

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In January of 2004, Argentina approved a new immigration law that guaranteed the protection of human rights for all immigrants in the country regardless of their legal status with the State. Among the rights explicitly guaranteed by this law were the right to migrate, the right to education and the right to health care. While this law represents a significant advance by the Argentine government in protecting the human rights of immigrants, oppressive mechanisms still remain in everyday practices that inhibit actual access to their rights.

Considering the changes in the law and the breach between the laws and everyday …

Bridging The Gap: Identifying Social Factors That Affect The Knowledge Of Sexually Transmitted Infections And Use Of Prevention Methods In Young Women, Ariel Spigel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the social factors that affect the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) in young women, focusing on their knowledge of the subject and use of prevention methods in order to discover why STIs, though preventable, are still prevalent in the lives of young adults, and more often, young women. Sixty-one anonymous, closed questionnaires were distributed to female students of at least eighteen years at the Colegio Estadual Francisco da Conceição Menezes in Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia, Brazil, and six structured interviews were conducted with students from the same pool. Results showed varying levels of knowledge, educational …

An Approaching Epidemic: Exploring Diabetes Awareness & Care In Mombasa, Kenya, Benjamin Marhan Dropkin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The prevalence of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has become an increasing problem in virtually every city in the world due to lifestyle changes in recent decades that have greatly reduced healthy eating habits as well as exercise. Research has shown that T2DM is largely preventable through healthy lifestyle choices. It is crucial for every country’s population to be aware of the risk factors and complications of diabetes so that they can take active steps to avoid the monumental physical and financial burden of the disease. This study attempted to gauge diabetes awareness among patients living with diabetes and to …

Salud Reproductiva De Mujeres En Edad Fertil De La Zona De Intag: Deteccion Oportuna Del Cancer Cervico Uterino (Doc) Papanicolaou, Astia Roper-Batker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El cáncer delcuello uterino es el segundo más frecuente tipo de cáncer entre las mujeres a nivel mundial (15). La falta de planificación resulta en una alta incidencia de partos y abortos. Estos factores, junto con otros, significan una predisposición al cáncer del cuello uterino (18). El tratamiento más efectivo en la lucha contra este cáncer, es la prevención a través de la detección temprana por el examen de papanicolaou (16, 15,17). En la zona de Intag, localizada en Ecuador, 289 mujeres se realizaron papanicolaou y fueron encuestadas sobre su salud reproductiva. El estudio presente tiene por objetivo determinar si …

Responsibility For Disease Management On Rusinga Island: Reconciling The Limitations Of External Aid And The Role Of Community-Based Initiatives, Allyson Russell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rusinga Island has been on the receiving end of many non-governmental and government-run health interventions. Though ample money has been invested in disease control, malaria and HIV/AIDS transmission and death rates remain higher than in any other location in Kenya. This study employs the use of interviews, both formal and informal, focus group discussions and observation in order to discover possible factors which have confounded the success of previous disease management programs. The study seeks the community's perspective on these programs as well as ideas for community-based, bottom-up strategies which might be able to curb the high rates of malaria …

Lamu Sensitive Aid: Barriers To Distribution, Acceptance, And Use Of Malaria Prevention In Lamu District, Kelan Stoy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

his study examines how organizations work locally to distribute malaria aid and education for malaria prevention. Additionally, it analyzes the effectiveness this aid has in improving malaria preventative techniques used by the people of Lamu District. This effectiveness was compared in the contexts of several regions of the district to further understand differences in rural and urban settings. Information was gathered using a variety of interviews with organizations and prominent community leaders to gauge their ideas on malaria in Lamu and strategies used to prevent it, and informal field interviews to observe different communities’ perspectives on malaria and also their …

Conocimientos, Percepciones, Y Prácticas De Mujeres Jóvenes Acerca Del Papiloma Virus Humano, Michelle Marie Picón Ruiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Efforts by the Chilean Ministry of Health to reduce the mortality rates due to cervical cancer by 40% during 2000 - 2010 have successfully impacted every age group except for young women between the ages of 20-24. Cervical cancer is caused by Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), the most common Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Both are detected by the Papanicolaou test, or Pap smear. Cervical cancer found in older women most likely developed from an HPV infection contracted in their youth. This study aims to understand the knowledge, practices, and perceptions that young women in Arica, Chile have about their …

The Birds & The Bees Of The West Usambaras: Family Planning & Population Of Sagara & Kizanda Villages, Melissa Neville

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My study in the West Usambaras took place November 2009. The main objectives of the study were to identify the principle family planning methods of women in Sagara and Kizanda villages, why those specific methods were used, and how they may be changing over time. The study also focused on the population growth and fertility rates of the two villages. I predicted that fertility rates were high and constant, and that most women would use traditional methods of birth control, with only a few choosing to use medication available at the local health clinic or dispensary. My predictions turned out …