Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Environmental And Genetic Factors Affecting Antibiotic Resistance Of Extended Spectrum Î?-Lactamase Bacteria From The Rio Grande River In El Paso, Tx And Cd. Juarez, Mexico, Maria D. Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The Rio Grande River provides a major source of potable and agricultural water for the population of the Texas/Mexico border region. Cattle farming and ranching are the most prevalent activities, which may contribute to the microbial burden of pharmaceuticals into our state's water resources. Antibiotics, presumably released into the environment by discharges originating from waste-water treatment plants, septic disposal systems, animal feeding operations and urban runoff have a definite impact on the ecosystem and may contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that waters of the Rio Grande River contained Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) and mobile …

Formative Evaluation Of The Health Belief Model As A Valid Theoretical Framework For "The Diabetes Garage", Renee Alexandria Orrantia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance. Recent studies estimate the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics/Latinos (H/L) to be 16.9% and 18.7% among H/L men specifically. To address this disparity, the Diabetes Garage (DG), a culturally tailored Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSME/S) program, was designed to engage H/L men in diabetes self-management. Because seriousness of diabetes best predicts men’s engagement in self-care, the Health Belief Model (HBM) was chosen as the central theoretical framework. The HBM hypothesizes that the cue to action (i.e. DG) increases men’s perceived diabetes risk/severity/threat, self-efficacy in self-care, and health outcomes. Aims & Objectives. This research was aimed to …

Evaluation Of Pertussis Knowledge Within The Child Daycare Staff And Management In The El Paso, Texas, Diana Jaqueline Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Child daycare centers have an enormous influence on the children's health, which is important to maintain daycare staff and management informed on how to prevent communicable diseases, such as pertussis. Bordetella pertussis (Bp), the causative agent of whooping cough, is a small gram-negative bacterium that infects the nasopharynx of humans, which are the only reservoir. Bp is a highly contagious respiratory disease, which continues to be a severe disease in infants. The disease affects all ages and is easily transmitted from person to person, through respiratory droplets. Even though there is a vaccine available for all ages there are …

Instilling Positive Beliefs About Organ Donation: An Information Processing Approach, Gerardo Jose Moreira

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The number of those seeking a kidney donation in the United States continues to increase while the number of donors is not growing at the same rate (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services USDHHS, 2010). The lack of donations is more prevalent in low health literate communities which suffer from misinformation and ultimately negative beliefs toward organ donation. Thus, it is important to understand how marketing efforts can effectively change individuals' beliefs about organ donation.

Drawing on the Self-Determination Theory and Schema Theory, I proposed that the effectiveness of health education programs, which is to motivate individuals to be …

Evaluation Of A Nutrition Education Program Targeting Home-Based Child Care Centers, Cassandra Nicole Urrutia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The development of a highly obesogenic culture promoting sedentary behavior and the consumption of calorie-dense foods has led to increased levels of overweight and obesity globally. While children and adults are both at increased risk of developing obesity, the risk is even higher in minority and low socioeconomic populations. Changes in familial structure and an increase in mothers of younger children (below the age of 6) entering the workforce have created a new demand for child care services. Although some studies have researched the effectiveness of nutrition programs to increase healthy eating within the child care setting, few have …

Utilizing Historical Mosquito Surveillance Data To Investigate The Efficacy Of Municipal Fogging In Controlling Mosquito Population Density, Andrea Betina Carzoli

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Mosquito borne diseases are the cause of many different disease syndromes and deaths in animals, both wild and domesticated, and humans of all ages and ethnicities. Though El Paso, TX is located in an arid region, mosquito populations are still rapidly growing in urban and agricultural communities and so are the mosquito borne illnesses. The most common vectors associated with mosquito borne illnesses in El Paso County are Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex tarsalis, and Aedes aegypti. Vector management is often the primary option to prevent and control outbreaks of mosquito borne illnesses and very often utilize fogging as the primary …

Evaluating The Impact Of A High School Garden In El Paso, Texas For Fruit And Vegetable Intake Using A Valid Biomarker, Patrick Vaughn Hopkins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: School gardens are an educational tool used to increase children's exposure to, and intake of, fruits and vegetables (F/V). Diets rich in F/V reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes, and can aid in weight management as a strategy to reduce obesity prevalence. Objective data of the impact of school gardens on F/V intake are lacking, as most studies have relied on dietary self-reporting to validate F/V intake. Self-reporting of dietary intake is inherently an unreliable method for assessing F/V intake. Carotenoids, a family of phytochemicals, are a reliable biomarker of dietary intake …

Prevalence Of Dental Caries In Mexican-American Children And Adolescents Attending Rawlings Pediatric Dental Clinic In El Paso, Texas, Andrea Aguila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

Background and significance: Dental caries is the most common infectious disease in childhood, causing negative long and short term effects in a child’s life. Children living in poverty are twice as likely to be affected by dental caries compared to those living above the poverty level. Of this poverty group, Mexican-American children are the most affected. In the US-Mexico border communities 83% of the population is Hispanic with the majority of them being of Mexican descent, and 30% of those live in poverty. The United States Mexico border is also characterized by a rapid population growth, high unemployment rates, …

Prevalence Of Risk Factors For Metabolic Syndrome In Uninsured Hispanic Adults From Low Income Communities In El Paso, Texas, Juan Antonio Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of a group of associated risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other related chronic diseases. In the U.S. it is estimated that nearly 35% of the adult population have metabolic syndrome. According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines risk factors for developing MetS include large waistline, high blood pressure, high triglyceride level, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and elevated fasting blood glucose level. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of risk factors for MetS among uninsured, low socioeconomic status adult Hispanics in El Paso, Texas. The study population resided …

A Comparison Of The 2013 Aha/Acc/Tos Guideline For The Management Of Overweight And Obesity In Adults To Clinical Outcomes Of A Plmm Intervention Among Hispanics, Silvia Salinas-Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Obesity is a serious and costly condition, causing a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and having an average medical cost of $1,430 higher than non-overweight patients (Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, & Dietz, 2009). With more than two thirds of U.S. adults suffering from overweight or obesity, health organizations have recognized the disease as a threat to the well-being of the nation. In 2013, the American Health Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) among other stakeholders developed a set of guidelines and recommendations for primary health providers in order to reduce overweight, obesity and concomitant conditions (Jensen et al., …

Gender Differences In Initiation Into Methamphetamine Use In A Mexico-U.S. Border City, Amir Gerardo Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: The literature indicates that there are gender differences in drug use patterns but there is minimal information available on initiation into methamphetamine (meth) use by gender, especially on the border region. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, Cd. Juarez and Tijuana have been described as being in a potential state of a meth outbreak due to drug trafficking, substance abuse, migration, violence, and poverty. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to describe current methamphetamine users in Cd. Juarez and their drug using behaviors and identify gender differences in their socio-demographic characteristics, initiation into meth use, recent …

Attitudes And Barriers To Intimate Partner Violence Screening And Follow-Up During Prenatal Care As Reported By Survivors In The El Paso, Texas Region, Luz Maria Luna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

About 37.1% of Hispanic women in the United States have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) (Breiding, 2014). In Texas, family violence cases among women comprised 73% of the total complaints (Texas Department of Public Safety 2012), and fatalities of women by an intimate partner totaled 102 women in 2011 (Office of Court Administration, 2013). In El Paso, Texas, the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV) received 823 people in its emergency shelter from 2012 to 2013 and 70% of those residents were women (Center Against Family Violence, 2015). The Healthy People 2020 has assigned developmental objective IVP-39, under the …

Identification Of Leishmania Spp. And Trypanosoma Cruzi In Sylvatic Animals In El Paso County, Texas, Mariel Christina Matamoros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background Leishmaniasis and Chagas's Disease are two of the seventeen diseases considered as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTF) by the CDC. Ten million people worldwide are at risk of being infected by Leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease affects six million people in the world; however, these are mostly cases in Latin America. The vector for Chagas' disease, triatomine, has been identified near El Paso, Texas region to be positive for Trypanosoma cruzi. Recent studies have also shown positive results for Chagas' disease and Leishmaniasis in sylvatic animals in El Paso.

Objective To determine the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and/or Leishmania spp. infection …

Gender Differences In Risk Behaviors And Health Outcomes Due To Methamphetamine Use In A Mexico-U.S. Border City, Priscilla Guevara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine (meth) is a stimulant known to affect the central nervous system (CNS). When individuals are under the influence of meth, their judgment is impaired which can lead them to make irrational decisions and engage in high-risk behaviors, such as having unprotected sex and needle sharing. Thus the behaviors of meth users can place them at high risk of contracting infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Few studies highlight gender differences in meth use, fewer studies address high-risk behaviors and health outcomes attributed to meth use by gender. El Paso, TX …

The Sweet Taste Of Health: A Positive Deviance Inquiry Into Communicative Acts That Lead To Effective Management Of Diabetes Among Hispanics, Claudia Martinez Boyd

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is among the fastest growing diseases in the world. In the U.S., Hispanics are the third most affected population. Nonetheless, there are Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes who have, against all odds, found solutions to manage their disease. This study focused on the intrapersonal and interpersonal acts and behaviors of "positive deviant" Hispanics living on the U.S. - Mexico border that effectively managed their diabetes. They are referred to as "positive deviants" because they accrue "positive" outcomes and "deviants" because they are not the norm.

A PD inquiry was conducted and twelve PD respondents between the ages of 20 …

A Pilot Study Of Arsenic In Young Children From Two Rural West Texas Communities: Blood Levels, Household Water Levels, And Behavioral Outcomes, Michelle Del Rio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance: Heavy metals have been identified as a child health hazard because children are highly vulnerable to the effects of exposure, which can be physical, cognitive, and behavioral. Levels of arsenic (As) greater than the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (10μg/L) were identified in some household water samples in two rural west Texas communities located within 20 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border by a Health Impact Assessment conducted in 2013 (Hargrove, Juarez-Carillo, & Korc 2015). Whether home water samples predicted child blood As levels needed to be examined. Since lead (Pb) is another common heavy metal contaminant in the …

Ethnic Disparities In The Reproductive And Sexual Health Screening Practices Of Ecuadorian Women, Ruth Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Evidence suggests that reproductive and other health disparities disproportionately affect Indigenous and Afro-Hispanic ethnic minority groups throughout the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Factors associated with reproductive health disparities in LAC countries include low social economic status (SES), poor health care access, racial and gender discrimination, machismo, health beliefs and low perceived risk for breast cancer, cervical cancer, sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and other conditions. Preventive measures such as health education and early screening is vital for disease prevention and detection. However, screening rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and STIs are lower in most LAC countries compared …

Identification Of Leishmania Spp. And T. Cruzi Parasites In Stray Felines In El Paso, Texas Through Polymerase Chain Reaction, Patricia Isabela Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are considered neglected parasitic diseases, and although dogs are considered the main domestic reservoirs, infected cats have recently been found in endemic areas in several countries and became a public health concern. These diseases can be transmissible to other animals and are known to infect humans as well. Natural infection of cats by Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi has been demonstrated in several European, Latin American, and Asian countries. A recent field study found dogs and wild animals tested positive for both Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi in the El Paso, Texas Region. Cats, however, have not …

Detecting Enzootic Leishmaniasis And American Trypanosomiasis In Stray Dogs In El Paso County, Texas And The Potential For Autochthonous Transmission To Humans, Evan James Kipp

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cutaneous leishmaniasis and Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) are two vector-borne, protozoal zoonoses whose emergence into the southern United States is a public health problem of increasing significance. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by several species of intracellular protozoa in the genus Leishmania and is most often characterized by the formation of large, ulcerative skin lesions that can result in considerable scarring and permanent disfigurement. Infection with Leishmania is prevalent throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical regions and in areas where people are regularly exposed to the hematophagous sand fly vectors that transmit the disease. Chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the …

Low Level Lead Exposure And Inflammatory Markers In The Brains Of C57bl/6j Mice, Miguel A. Cervantes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance: Prior studies have indicated that early chronic low-level lead exposure may be associated with adverse effects on motor and cognitive functions. The mechanisms by which low-level lead affects brain function are unknown. Objectives: The current study aimed to (1) determine whether early chronic low-level lead exposure altered the expression of pro- or ant-inflammatory cytokines and markers of oxidative stress in mouse brain studied at two ages, pre-adolescence (PND 28) and early adulthood (PND 40); and (2) in the same pre-adolescent and early adulthood mice, compare and contrast the levels of pro- or ant-inflammatory markers in three brain …

The Association Between Dietary Sodium, Salt, And Elevated Blood Pressure Among Hispanic Adults In El Paso, Texas, Cynthia Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) which represents a worldwide public health concern, and continues to be the number one cause of death among both men and women affecting 1 out of 3 adults in the United States. Furthermore, there is evidence suggesting that high levels of dietary sodium and salt consumption intake can not only increase an individual's blood pressure level, but also their risk for CVD, heart attack, or stroke. Objective: To conduct a secondary data analysis to assess the association between sodium and salt intake and blood pressure among Hispanic …

An Ethnic Comparison Of Intimate Partner Violence Among Ecuadorian Women Of Reproductive-Age, Marlene Lara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Afro-Ecuadorian and Indigenous women in Ecuador are ethnic minorities that may be at a greater risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) and adverse physical, sexual, and psychological health outcomes compared to Mestizo/White majority women. Prior studies have suggested factors such as SES, age, marriage, marital status, prior history of abuse and violence, attitudes regarding IPV, and alcohol and/or drug use are associated to IPV. Aims: The aim of this secondary analysis was to compare IPV prevalence and sociodemographic and health-related correlates by ethnicity (minority versus majority) among Ecuadorian women. Methods: A total of 10,730 Mestizo/White, Indigenous, and Afro-Ecuadorian Ecuadorian …

Coaching Relationships With Walk-On Athletes, Cortland Blake Dubose

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover what communication practices coaches used on walk-on athletes and to determine whether the coach was successful or unsuccessful from the athletes' perspective. 15 present and former walk-on athletes who played for The University of Texas at El Paso football team served as the participants for the present study. In order to obtain data, the researcher interviewed the walk-on athletes using the phenomenological approach (Sparks, 1993) which utilizes open-ended questions to find out what kind of experience(s) the walk-on athletes shared in relationship to their coach. Results suggested that six major themes surfaced …

Identification Of Stroke Risk Factors In The Adult Population In The Texas And New Mexico Border Region: A Gis And Statistical Approach, Nancy Ulloa Rondeau

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death among adults. Annually, an approximated 800,000 adults will suffer a stroke, and one victim will die every four minutes. In El Paso County and Dona Ana County it is estimated that the age-adjusted prevalence is 2.9% and 3.4% respectively. Little is known about the percentage of adults at risk for stroke in this border region. In this secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study conducted by the Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico Regional Advisory Council on Trauma and Emergency Healthcare (Border RAC), over 900 participants in these counties and rural …

Social Determinants Affecting The Mental Health Of Hiv Infected Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men Living On The U.S. - Mexican Border, Oscar Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The HIV/AIDS global pandemic is more than three decades old, and although the continual advancement of antiretroviral therapies have successfully decreased the mortality rates of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), little has been done to improve their mental health status and positive inclusion in society (eliminating discrimination and stigma). This is especially true with the Latino PLWHA living in the U.S.-Mexico border area.

This paper presents data from a qualitative study focused on exploring the mental health issues of a subsample of 40 Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV/AIDS on the U.S.-Mexico Border. This subsample …

A Pilot Study Examining The Impact Of A Brief Health Education Intervention On Food Choices And Exercise In A Hispanic College Student Sample, Julie Ann Blow

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

It has been suggested that intervention efforts should focus on prevention of weight gain and the adoption of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. There is a dearth of literature as to what theoretically-based interventions would be most amenable and efficacious in a Hispanic college student sample. This study assessed the impact of a pilot intervention based on components derived from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) that focused on increasing healthy eating and physical activity in Hispanic college students. Measures in the study included demographics, theoretical constructs from SDT and the TTM, eating behavior, and a food …

A Comparison Of Water-Related Perceptions And Practices Among Residents Living In Colonias In West Texas And South New Mexico, Relying On Container Or Well Water, Lydia Berenice Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the U.S. - Mexico border region, colonia residents must cope with the lack of clean water supply and other basic sanitary services. Because of the lack of infrastructure, colonia residents rely on alternative water supplies including either private wells or hauled water stored in large above-ground containers. Little is known about residents' perceptions of their water supplies, their use practices, and how water-related use and perceptions might differ between colonia residents relying on well water or container water. The purpose of this study was to examine the water-related perceptions and practices of people living in colonias, and to …

Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Alcohol Use Among Hispanic Women In The Border Region, Sujehy Arredondo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Hispanic/Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States and are disproportionately affected by alcohol use and intimate partner violence (IPV). Although a strong relationship between substance use and IPV has been documented in the literature, no studies have explored this relationship among Hispanic women in the El Paso, TX. STUDY AIMS: The aims of this study are to (1) determine the prevalence of alcohol use and intimate partner violence and (2) assess the association between IPV and alcohol use among Hispanic women living in the El Paso Border Region. METHODS: Project VIDA …

Psychographic Characteristics And Health Behaviors In Young Adults, Jose Alonso Cabriales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Non trivial smoking rates are observed among young adults and Hispanics, particularly as light and intermittent smoking is on the rise. Additionally, the assessment of other health behaviors including alcohol use, physical activity, and dietary practices seems warranted in young adults. The primary aim of this study was to identify clusters of individuals based on psychographics (e.g., lifestyle, preferences, personality characteristics), and their relation to tobacco use within a primarily Hispanic young adult border sample. Secondary aims were the assessment of group differences with respect to alcohol use, …

A Comparison Of Perceived Stress And Body Mass Index In Hispanic And Non-Hispanic College Students, Luisa Ileana Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Hispanic population in the United States is rapidly increasing and for this reason it is critical to better understand positive and negative factors that may impact the health of Hispanics. Past studies have focused mostly on physiological stress but fewer studies have examined possible differences in cognitively perceived stress. Past studies have suggested that stress reactivity may be lower among Hispanics; and that overall, females experience greater stress than males regardless of ethnicity. Other studies have shown that stress increases the likelihood of increased body mass index (BMI) and body fat accumulation. The purpose of this study was to …