Women's Health Commons^™

Babies First: Ensuring Proper Infant Nutrition During Emergencies, Abigail M. Alonso

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for an infant, living in all regions and cultures. Recommendations apply across the board, from developed nations to refugee camps, from women with HIV to those with time constraints regarding feeding. There also exists a complex relationship between corporations that provide BMS and the NGOs working to promote breastfeeding in emergency situations amongst vulnerable populations.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to expose breastfeeding promotion, using the Dadaab camps in Northeastern Kenya as a case study of IYCF programs and support of breastfeeding among low-literacy populations with an emphasis on women …

Common Threads: An Integrated Hiv Prevention And Vocational Development Intervention For African American Women Living With Hiv/Aids, Liza Marie Conyers, Yung-Chen Chiu, Aisha Shamburger-Rousseau, Vanessa Johnson, Mark Misrok

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Current policies and initiatives call for the integration of social determinants of health into HIV/AIDS prevention and care interventions. According to the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health, the lower a person’s socioeconomic status, the worse the health outcomes. One way to alleviate poverty among African American women with HIV/AIDS is to help foster their vocational development and economic empowerment. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy Implementation Plan specifically directs federal agencies to find ways to integrate people living with HIV/AIDS into broader employment initiatives. The purpose of this manuscript is to examine medical, psychosocial, financial/legal and vocational social …

Project Thanks: A Socio-Ecological Framework For An Intervention Involving Hiv Positive African American Women With Comorbidities, Meena Mahadevan, Ndidiamaka Amutah, Lauren Juliette Ramos, Emily Rose Raines, Jerome King, Jodyann Mcintosh, Constance Leverett

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

HIV-positive individuals are living longer today as a result of continuing advances in treatment but are also facing an increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, and hypertension. These conditions result in a larger burden of hospitalization, outpatient, and emergency room visits. Impoverished African American women may represent an especially high-risk group due to disparities in health care, racial discrimination, and limited resources. This article describes an intervention that is based on the conceptual framework of the socio-ecological model. Project THANKS uses a community-based participatory, and empowerment building approach to target the unique personal, social, and environmental needs of …

Are There Gender Differences In Perceived Sexual Self-Efficacy Among African-American Adolescents?, Michelle L. Redmond, Rhonda K. Lewis

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: African American adolescents accounted for more than half of all HIV/AIDS cases in 2009. Behavioral Strategies are needed to help lessen the incidence of HIV/AIDS among this population.

Purpose: The aim of his study was to examine sexual self-efficacy practices and beliefs among African American adolescents. We also examined gender differences between African American adolescents to better understand their perceptions of sexual self-efficacy, condom use intention, and other safer sex practices and beliefs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 214 African American adolescents using survey instruments to examine their beliefs, perception and intentions on the use of condoms, …

Using Payment Reform Strategies To Strengthen Family Planning Services At Community Health Centers, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Peter Shin, Susan F. Wood, Jessica Sharac

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

No abstract provided.

The Inclusion Of Women’S Health In Sustainable Medical Mission Trip Models: A Pa Student’S Perspective, Jillian G. Goles

VA Engage Journal

Like many disadvantaged countries around the world, Nicaragua is visited by numerous medical missions each year. The efficacy of these missions relies on the organization’s relationship with the communities they serve. Although the general goal of all medical missions is to ultimately help underserved populations, many missions inadvertently do harm. Two critical causes of such inadvertent harm are lack of sustainable practices and failure to form a long-term relationship with the communities. Shenandoah University’s Physician Assistant Program has worked tirelessly to form an ideal medical mission model and relationship with El Ayudante, a local non-government humanitarian organization, and the local …

Quit4baby: Results From A Pilot Test Of A Mobile Smoking Cessation Program For Pregnant Women, Lorien C. Abroms, Judy M. Van Alstyne, Christina L. Heminger, Leah E. Leavitt, Jennifer M. Schindler-Ruwisch

GW Research Days 2015

Background: Text messaging programs have been shown to be effective in helping adult smokers quit smoking. This study describes the results of a pilot test of Quit4baby, a smoking cessation text messaging program for pregnant smokers that was adapted from Text2quit.

Objective: The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of Quit4baby for women currently enrolled in Text4baby, a perinatal health text messaging program.

Methods: Pregnant women enrolled in Text4baby and who were current smokers or had quit within the last 4 weeks (N=20) were enrolled in Quit4baby. Those under age 18, not pregnant, not current smokers, …

Burundi Program Implementation Workshop, 3–5 June 2014: Link Up Meeting Report, Population Council, Alliance Burundaise Contre Le Sida

HIV and AIDS

Link Up is a global consortium of international and local nongovernmental organizations led by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Link Up aimed to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Uganda who are living with HIV or are affected by the HIV pandemic. At a workshop held in Burundi, 3–5 June 2014, the Population Council, Alliance Burundaise contre le SIDA, and local partners in Burundi identified successful activities, highlighted important challenges and best practices, and found innovative ways to improve Link Up programming. This document contains a selection of the most …

Sexual Behaviors And Biomarkers: Baseline Findings, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a program for girls ages 10–19 in rural and urban Zambia that aims to find the best ways to improve their social, health, and economic resources. More than 10,000 girls participated in weekly girls’ group meetings, received health vouchers, and opened savings accounts. More than 5,000 girls, unmarried at baseline, were enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial and followed over four years—two years in the program and two years after the program ended. This brief describes the characteristics of enrolled girls at baseline.

La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica: Investigando Las Preconcepciones Y Generalizaciones, Maya H. Sandalow

CMC Senior Theses

En los Estados Unidos, los latinos suelen tener menos acceso a la educación, el trabajo, y el seguro médico en comparación con los blancos no-latinos, pero aun así el grupo parece superar ciertos obstáculos de la salud. Las estadísticas de la población latina muestran mayor longevidad y otras tasas favorables en comparación con los blancos no-latinos. Los expertos han titulado esta contradicción “La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica”.

Desafortunadamente, la investigación de la paradoja está llena de generalizaciones y presuposiciones erróneas sobre la población latina diversa. Esta tesis investiga los participantes que producen generalizaciones sobre la supuesta paradoja para mostrar que estas …

'Makin' It Out': The Cost Of Dropping Out Of High School On The Health Status Of Afro-American Women In Urban Slums, Sesa E. Bakenra-Tikande

CMC Senior Theses

“We carry our histories in our bodies, how could we not?” – Nancy Krieger

In the United States and abroad, socioeconomic status (income, education, and occupation) greatly impacts health outcomes for a given population. There is a strong and consistent socioeconomic gradient within health outcomes which has been documented as far back as in Ancient Egypt and China (Krieger, Willains, & Moss, 1997; Liberatos, Link, & Kelsey, 1988) The general trend shows that individuals with higher socioeconomic status generally enjoy lower rates of morbidity (disease) and disability, which can ultimately lead to higher mortality rates (House et al. (1992) and …

Participatory Research Results From Training With The Mabinti Tushike Hatamu Out-Of-School Girls Program: Tanzania 2015, Kelly Hallman, Ilan Cerna-Turoff, Neema Matee

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Mabinti Tushike Hatamu (Girls let’s be leaders!) program is designed to test and evaluate strategies for reducing the vulnerability of out-of-school adolescent girls in Tanzania aged 10–19 years to HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, and unfavorable life outcomes. MTH is led by the Tanzania AIDS Commission, implemented by Restless Development, and supported by UNICEF. The Population Council developed a strategy for Restless Development to capture the richness of its activities. The Council designed a training session and a companion toolkit in participatory action research for community volunteers, aged 19–23 years, to use within their girl groups. This report describes the findings from …

Invest In Urban Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health To Achieve A Demographic Dividend In Africa, Joyce Mumah, Jessica Brinton, Carol Mukiira, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara

Reproductive Health

The future of Africa depends on its ability to harness the potential of its young people. Making the right investments in youth—particularly those in urban areas—can enable the region to experience substantial economic growth and sustainable national development for current and future generations. This policy brief reports on a number of recommendations to help African governments and Ministries of Health and Education realize the demographic dividend; incorporate economic empowerment programs into urban programming and budget allocation; integrate training on the provision of quality and effective youth-friendly services for health workers; and revitalize school health programming.

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Implementing Respectful Maternity Care In Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Resource Package was developed by the Heshima project as part of the USAID Translating Research into Action (TRAction) project. The resource package is designed to be used by program managers, supervisors, trainers, technical advisors, and others who organize or facilitate RMC training workshops on sexual and reproductive health as well as skills training in emergency obstetric and newborn care. The resource package provides experienced facilitators with background information, materials, instructions, and tips for promoting respectful care in reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services in both facilities and communities. The resource package also includes tools for …

Strengthening The Role Of Patent Medicine Vendors In The Provision Of Injectable Contraception In Nigeria, Population Council, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

The majority of contraceptive services in Nigeria are offered in private settings, including Patent Medicine (PM) shops. PM shops are informal businesses owned by Patent Medicine Vendors (PMVs) licensed to sell patent or proprietary drugs. Injectable contraception is the most popular modern contraceptive method in Nigeria. However PMVs are not regulated to sell or administer injectable contraceptives because the businesses do not receive formal training. Despite this, some PMVs are selling and administering injectable methods in response to high demand. The Evidence Project, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, conducted implementation research to: demonstrate the feasibility of PMVs …

Domestic Violence In The North Dakota Oil Patch: Barriers To Identifying And Serving Female Victims, Kristi Rendahl

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explored domestic violence in energy boomtowns to answer the questions: What issues are confronting social service professionals who are in a position to identify and respond to female victims of domestic violence in rural North Dakota? What opportunities do professionals cite in identifying and responding to female victims of domestic violence in rural areas and boomtowns? Further, how has the professionals’ experience of the oil boom changed their methods of identifying and responding to female victims of domestic violence? The study used a qualitative approach through a focus group and interviews with the program directors of rural domestic …

Factors That Influence Breast Cancer Diagnoses In Virginia Women 40-64 Years Old Who Utlized The Every Woman’S Life Program 1998-2012, Melanie C. Dempsey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines sociodemographic determinants and preventive health behaviors among women 40-64 years of age who participated in the Virginia Department of Health’s Every Woman’s Life breast cancer screening program. Utilizing secondary data, this research sought to explore patterns of breast cancer incidence, mammography screening utilization and sources of health information among low-income women.

The Virginia Department of Health provided a large sample size (N=34,942) on which to perform binary logistic regression analyses. Sociodemographic determinants and preventive health behaviors were analyzed as potential influencing factors in the diagnosis of breast cancer, the stage at the time of diagnosis and source …

Addressing Health Disparities In Refugees, Claire E. Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

I completed the required 300 hours of my fieldwork internship at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Oakland, CA. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a non-profit international organization that responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and aids displaced individuals in rebuilding their lives in new countries by providing support in health care, finance, education, infrastructure, and resettlement.

I worked as a Health Access/Intensive Case management Intern. As a Health Access Program Intern, it was my job to ensure that refugees coming to the United States had a place to seek medical care, advice, and preventative services. In order …

Knowledge, Practice, And Barriers Toward Cervical Cancer Screening In Elmina, Southern Ghana, Nancy Innocentia Ebu, Sylvia C. Mupepi, Mate Peter Siakwa, Carolyn M. Sampselle

Peer Reviewed Articles

Aims: The aims of this study were: 1) to assess the level of knowledge of women about Pap smear tests, 2) to determine the practices of women regarding Pap smear tests, and 3) to determine the barriers to Pap smear tests in Elmina, Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 392 randomly selected sexually active females aged 10–74 years using structured interview questions. The Institutional Review Board of the University of Cape Coast gave ethical approval for the study and informed consent was obtained from participants. Data were analyzed with SPSS software (v19.0) using frequencies, chi-square test, and exploratory …

Perspectives From Community-Based Doulas And Mothers: Neighborhood Context And Pregnancy, Dara D. Mendez, Jessica Burke, Jennifer Jones, Cynthia Salter

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: Limited research explores the potential pathways by which neighborhoods influence pregnancy or how community members conceptualize and interpret how neighborhood contexts and living environments influence pregnancy and birth.

Study Design: We applied participatory Concept Mapping and a series of focused discussions with community-based doulas and mothers.

Methods: We collaborated with a community-based doula program to investigate how mothers and community doulas perceived the neighborhood to influence reproductive health. We conducted a series of focused discussions including ‘Brainstorming’ to uncover key themes related to how neighborhood context influenced pregnancy, ‘Sorting and Rating’ of key themes in association with pregnancy and …

Fieldwork Summary Report: Reducing Repeat Teenage Pregnancy Through Program Planning And Evaluation, Winnie Y. Chan

Master's Projects and Capstones

This fieldwork summary report provides a synthesis of both my overall fieldwork experience at TAPP, Felton Institute’s Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program, and my Master of Public Health knowledge and skill sets. Since researching the huge social and economic impact that teenage pregnancy and parenting has not only on the teens and their children, but also the society at large, I strived to highlight prevention aspects to reduce repeat unwanted teenage pregnancy. So, I chose to intern at TAPP, focused my fieldwork project mainly on program development and evaluation, along with other aspects of improving wellness.

I begin this report …

An Evaluation Of Mammography Rates For Women, 50-74 Years Old, At The San Francisco Department Of Public Health, Kimberly Litts

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper explores the efforts of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) to increase their overall mammogram screening rate to 76.7% by June 2015 in order to receive funding from the federal government. The target population is women within SF DPH’s primary care program, 50-74 years old, and overdue for a mammogram.

The literature reports there are health disparities among women who receive mammograms and how breast cancer affects them. African American women have the highest mortality rates and women of color are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, …

Implications Of The 2014 Quality Family Planning Services Guidelines Issued By The Cdc And The Office Of Population Affairs, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Susan Wood, Merle Cunningham, Tishra Beeson, Peter Shin

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

The Interplay Of Trait Anger, Childhood Physical Abuse, And Alcohol Consumption In Predicting Intimate Partner Aggression, Rosalita C. Maldonado, Laura E. Watkins, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study examined three well-established risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) within Finkel and Eckhardt’s I³ model, including two impellance factors—trait anger and childhood physical abuse history—and the disinhibiting factor of alcohol consumption. Participants were 236 male and female college students in a committed heterosexual dating relationship who completed a battery of self-report measures assessing childhood physical abuse, trait anger, alcohol consumption, and IPA perpetration. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction showing that as the disinhibition factor alcohol consumption increased, the interaction of the two impelling factors, trait anger and childhood physical abuse, became increasingly more positive. …

Mi Cuerpo, Nuestra Responsabilidad: Using Photovoice To Describe The Assets And Barriers To Sexual And Reproductive Health Among Latinos In North Carolina, Barbara Baquero, Shira Goldman, Florence Siman, Sadiya Muqueeth, Laura Villa-Torres, Eugenia Eng, Scott D. Rhodes

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Latinos in North Carolina experience disparities in sexual and reproductive health. To identify and explore assets for and barriers to sexual and reproductive health in the Latino community, an academic-community partnership engaged community health workers (CHW) in Photovoice, a participatory qualitative research methodology. Five sessions were completed in which CHW agreed on photo assignments and discussed the photos. Themes included the role of men, cultural taboos, and the effect of undocumented immigrant status on access to resources. Findings were presented at a community forum. Building on the strengths of CHW to reduce barriers to sexual and reproductive health is a …

Exploring Obstacles To Perinatal Care-Seeking Behavior In Women Of Rural Odisha, India Using A Community Based Participatory Research Approach, Sarah Law, Runjhun Bhatia

Senior Theses

This project resulted from collaboration between USC student organization GlobeMed and the Alternative for Rural Movement (ARM), a non-governmental organization in Odisha, India. Rajendra Rana, the head of ARM, expressed the need to delineate the factors underlying the tendency of rural Odishan women to deliver with unskilled birth attendants as opposed to institutionally. A literature review was conducted to explore possible economic, cultural, and social factors. During five weeks in Odisha, discussions with women's groups, community health workers, and ARM staff members built on the literature review. A preliminary survey and plan for its dissemination were developed. The community based …

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 …

Implementing A Community-Based Intervention For African American Mothers And Daughters, Teri Aronowitz, Nandini Sengupta

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Adolescents represent one of the fastest growing risk groups for HIV. Inner-city, minority youth are at highest risk because of concentration of HIV in inner-city areas, higher rates of STDs, and early sexual initiation. Mothers are the primary sex educator of daughters, and girls state their relationship with their mother was an important influence on their delaying sexual activity. With 70% of adolescent HIV seroconversions occurring among African American (AA) females, studies are urgently needed to enhance mother-daughter sexual communication. The purpose of this poster is to offer insights on the logistics of carrying out a manualized program.

Two Community Collaborations With Sexual Minority Women’S Ngos In Shanghai & Hong Kong, Connie Chan, Hsin-Ching Wu

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Based on research with sexual minority communities in the United States, Connie Chan, professor of public policy and public affairs, conducted comparative research with community groups in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. She provided capacity building training and resources directly to the organization which provides outreach and service to sexual minority women and girls in Shanghai, China. Professor Chan also supported Queer Sisters – an NGO that provides advocacy and community outreach to sexual minority girls and women in Hong Kong – by co-creating a needs assessment survey and helping them to interview their membership in Hong Kong.

Connie Chan …

Grappling With Gatekeepers: Addressing Gender Hindrances To Mhealth, Jack O’Rourke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was conducted in order to understand the social and economic problems associated with Ugandan women’s usage of mobile phones and the ways in which different mHealth groups are approaching these problems. Seeing how these different groups approach this issue added new information and analysis to a relatively unexplored topic

The qualitative methodology undertaken was two pronged. First, single sex focus groups in rural Mukono District were assembled. Men, women without phones and women and with phones were all talked to in Luganda with the use of a translator. In addition to these focus groups in rural Mukono District, …