Biostatistics Commons^™

Religious Leader’S Support Toward Individual At Risk Ofhiv/Aids To Attend Voluntary Counselling And Testing Service, Imelda Februati Ester Manurung, Chatarina Umbul Wahyuni, Ari Probandari

Kesmas

Religious leader is a figure who is believed to have the gift of healing. A person with illness will follow any advice the religious leader gives for his/her recovery.Based on the phenomenon, religious leader is a potential local figure to give support for individuals at risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) andacquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study aimed to determine factors related to religious leader’s support toward individuals at risk of HIV andAIDS to attend voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) service. This study was an observational analytical with cross-sectional design. The population of thisstudy was religious leader in Kupang …

Adaptation And Validation Of The Tamil (Sri Lanka) Version Ofthe Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Pethirupillai Amal Dinesh Coonghe, Pushpa Fonseka, Sampasivamoorthy Sivayogan, Ajantha Keshavaraj, Rahul Malhotra, Truls Ostbye

Kesmas

The study aimed to develop the Tamil (Sri Lanka) version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and investigate its reliability and validity as a briefscreening tool for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Tamil-speaking Sri Lankan elderly with normal cognition and MCI were recruited from a neurology clinic.Adaptation of the English MoCA to the Tamil (Sri Lanka) involved context-specific content modification and translation. The content validity, reliability, sensitivity,and specificity of the tool were evaluated. Study participants were 184 older adults, comprising 85 with normal cognition and 99 neurologist-diagnosed MCI.The tool had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83). Receiver operating characteristic curve …

Integrated Multiple Mediation Analysis: A Robustness–Specificity Trade-Off In Causal Structure, An-Shun Tai, Sheng-Hsuan Lin

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Recent methodological developments in causal mediation analysis have addressed several issues regarding multiple mediators. However, these developed methods differ in their definitions of causal parameters, assumptions for identification, and interpretations of causal effects, making it unclear which method ought to be selected when investigating a given causal effect. Thus, in this study, we construct an integrated framework, which unifies all existing methodologies, as a standard for mediation analysis with multiple mediators. To clarify the relationship between existing methods, we propose four strategies for effect decomposition: two-way, partially forward, partially backward, and complete decompositions. This study reveals how the direct and …

A Call For Consistency In The Official Naming Of The Disease Caused By Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 In Non-English Languages, Lu Dong, Zhe Li, Isaac Fung

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigated the adoption of World Health Organization (WHO) naming of COVID-19 into the respective languages among the Group of Twenty (G20) countries, and the variation of COVID-19 naming in the Chinese language across different health authorities. On May 7, 2020, we identified the websites of the national health authorities of the G20 countries to identify naming of COVID-19 in their respective languages, and the websites of the health authorities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Singapore and identify their Chinese name for COVID-19. Among the G20 nations, Argentina, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Turkey do …

Brain Structure Changes Over Time In Normal And Mildly Impaired Aged Persons, Charles D. Smith, Linda J. Van Eldik, Gregory A. Jicha, Frederick A. Schmitt, Peter T. Nelson, Erin L. Abner, Richard J. Kryscio, Richard R. Murphy, Anders H. Andersen

Neurology Faculty Publications

Structural brain changes in aging are known to occur even in the absence of dementia, but the magnitudes and regions involved vary between studies. To further characterize these changes, we analyzed paired MRI images acquired with identical protocols and scanner over a median 5.8-year interval. The normal study group comprised 78 elders (25M 53F, baseline age range 70-78 years) who underwent an annual standardized expert assessment of cognition and health and who maintained normal cognition for the duration of the study. We found a longitudinal grey matter (GM) loss rate of 2.56 ± 0.07 ml/year (0.20 ± 0.04%/year) and a …

Age At Migration And The Risk Of Psychotic Disorders: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Kelly K. Anderson, Jordan Edwards

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing evidence on the association between age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders.

METHODS: Observational studies were eligible for inclusion if they presented data on the association between age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders among first-generation migrant groups. We used two random effects meta-analyses to pool effect estimates for each stratum of age at migration relative to (i) a native-born reference category and (ii) the youngest age stratum (0 to 2 years).

RESULTS: Ten studies met inclusion criteria, and five were included in the meta-analysis. …

Doubling Time Of The Covid-19 Epidemic By Province, China, Kamalich Muniz-Rodriguez, Gerardo Chowell, Chi-Hin Cheung, Dongyu Jia, Po-Ying Lai, Yiseul Lee, Manyun Liu, Sylvia Ofori, Kimberlyn M. Roosa, Lone Simonsen, Cecile Viboud, Isaac Fung

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

In China, the doubling time of the coronavirus disease epidemic by province increased during January 20–February 9, 2020. Doubling time estimates ranged from 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–2.0) days for Hunan Province to 3.1 (95% CI 2.1–4.8) days for Xinjiang Province. The estimate for Hubei Province was 2.5 (95% CI 2.4–2.6) days.

Auspicious Symbols Of Rank And Status, Byron Breedlove, Isaac Fung

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Work published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Limited Early Warnings And Public Attention To Coronavirus Disease 2019 In China, January–February, 2020: A Longitudinal Cohort Of Randomly Sampled Weibo Users, Yuner Zhu, King-Wa Fu, Karen A. Grépin, Hai Liang, Isaac Fung

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective:

Awareness and attentiveness have implications for the acceptance and adoption of disease prevention and control measures. Social media posts provide a record of the public’s attention to an outbreak. To measure the attention of Chinese netizens to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a pre-established nationally representative cohort of Weibo users was searched for COVID-19-related key words in their posts.

Methods:

COVID-19-related posts (N = 1101) were retrieved from a longitudinal cohort of 52 268 randomly sampled Weibo accounts (December 31, 2019–February 12, 2020).

Results:

Attention to COVID-19 was limited prior to China openly acknowledging human-to-human transmission on …

Concordance Between Health Administrative Data And Survey-Derived Diagnoses For Mood And Anxiety Disorders, J. Edwards, A. Thind, S. Stranges, M. Chiu, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Objective: To assess whether estimates of survey structured interview diagnoses of mood and anxiety disorders were concordant with diagnoses of these disorders obtained from health administrative data.

Methods: All Ontario respondents to the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH) were linked to health administrative databases at ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences). Survey structured interview diagnoses were compared with health administrative data diagnoses obtained using a standardized algorithm. We used modified Poisson regression analyses to assess whether socio-demographic factors were associated with concordance between the two measures.

Results: Of the 4157 Ontarians included in our …

Effects Of Diabetes On The Output Of Farmer And Its Policy Implications, Syed Asif Ali Naqvi, Bilal Hussain, Syed Ale Raza Shah, Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum

Kesmas

This study investigated the impact of diabetes on work performance of different farming communities from Punjab, Pakistan. This study was based on cross-sectional data. A representative sample of 374 farmers was collected from five selected districts. Three types of respondents were analyzed in the study e.g.,laborer, small and large growers. Poisson and logistic regression techniques were used for the sake of analysis. According to the investigated results for thelabor category, respondents with more age, less qualification, low earning per month (Rupees), and having positive record of family diabetes, would havemore leave per month. In the same way, findings for small …

Qualitative Exploration Of Experiences And Consequences Of Health-Related Stigma Among Indonesians With Hiv, Leprosy, Schizophrenia And Diabetes, Sarju Sing Rai, Irwanto Irwanto, Ruth M.H. Peters, Elena V. Syurina, Annisa Ika Putri, Altana Mikhakhanova, Denise Naniche, Marjolein B.M. Zweekhorst

Kesmas

Health-related stigma causes a negative impact on the lives of affected people and undermines the effectiveness of public health programs. This study aimedto explore experiences and consequences of stigma among people affected by four health conditions relevant in Indonesia– HIV (Human ImmunodeficiencyVirus), leprosy, schizophrenia and diabetes. In this qualitative study 40 people affected by the four health conditions in Jakarta and West Java, Indonesia–,were interviewed between March and June 2018. Data were analyzed thematically by following an integrative inductive-deductive approach. The experiencesand consequences of people with stigma were similar, but such experience were more severe among people affected by HIV, …

Entomological Index And Home Environment Contribution­ ­To Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever In Mataram City, Indonesia, Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto, Nur Alvira Pascawati, Tri Wibawa, Roger Frutos, Sylvie Maguin, I Kadek Mulyawan, Ali Wardana

Kesmas

Indonesia is a member of Southeast Asia Regional Office (SEARO) ranked the first in dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) problem based on incidence rate (IR) and case fatality rate (CFR). Several provinces in Indonesia experience an outbreak, one of which is the Mataram City in West Nusa Tenggara Province. Mataram City is an endemic area of DHF because the DHF cases are always found in three consecutive years with the number of cases that fluctuate and tend to increase. This study aimed to obtain factors that could be used to improve early warning systems in controlling DHF. This study used a …

Utilization Of Family Planning Contraceptives Among Women Inthe Coastal Area Of South Buru District, Maluku, 2017, Christiana Rialine Titaley, Ninik Sallatalohy

Kesmas

Maluku Province is one among provinces in Indonesia with a contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) lower than the national average. This study aimed toexamine factors associated with the utilization of family planning contraceptives among women of reproductive age living in the coastal area of South BuruDistrict, Maluku, Indonesia. Data were derived from a household health survey conducted in five subdistricts in South Buru, e.g., Namrole, Leksula, Waesama,Kapala Madan and Ambalau Subdistricts on November 2017 by the Faculty of Medicine, Pattimura University in Ambon. Information on contraceptive usewere collected from 390 married women aged 20 - 49 years. Bivariate and multivariate logistic …

Determinants Of Stunted Children In Indonesia: A Multilevel Analysis At The Individual, Household, And Community Levels, Febri Wicaksono, Titik Harsanti

Kesmas

This study aimed to examine the risk factors of childhood undernutrition in Indonesia. Determinants of childhood stunting were examined by using the 2013 Indonesia Basic Health Research Survey dataset. A total of 76,165 children aged under 5 years were included in this study. The analysis used multivariate multilevel logistic regression to determine adjusted odds ratios (aORs). The prevalence of stunting in the sample population was 36.7%. The odds of stunting increased significantly among the under-five boys, children living in slum area, and the increase of household member (aOR = 1.11, 95 %CI: 1.06–1.15; 1.09, 95%CI: 1.04–1.15; and 1.03, 95%CI: 1.02–1.04 …

Health Risk Behaviors: Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs, And Dating Among Youths In Rural Central Java, Zahroh Shaluhiyah, Syamsulhuda Budi Musthofa, Ratih Indraswari, Aditya Kusumawati

Kesmas

Adolescents are more likely to adopt risky health behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol use, and sexual activity. This study examined the links betweensmoking, alcohol use, and risky dating behavior and analyzed how these factors influenced risky dating and other behaviors. It is expected that this studywould be used as a foundation for developing appropriate integrated intervention for multiple risk behaviors among youths. This study was an explanatory research study with a cross-sectional approach. It involved 160 youths aged 15-24 years randomly selected from purposive villages. Participants completedself-administrated questionnaires with an enumerator present. Data were analyzed using univariate, chi-square, and multiple …

Evaluation Of Program For Overcoming Intestinal Worm Infections Among Children, Henny Febriyanti, Haerawati Idris

Kesmas

Prevalence of intestinal worm infection in generall is extremely high in Indonesia among the poor population with poor sanitation. One of the government programs to address this problem is the distribution of medicines to prevent intestinal worm infections. However, the coverage of the achievement for this program is still low in several areas of public health centers in Palembang. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the national program for preventing intestinal worm infections. The qualitative research design used evaluation model approach Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model. This study was conducted in one of health …

After-Hours Incentives And Emergency Department Visits: Evidence From Ontario Forthcoming At Canadian Public Policy, Rose Anne Devlin, Koffi Ahoto Kpelitse, Lihua Li, Nirav Mehta, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Aquatic Therapy On Mobility, Balance, And Level Of Functional Independence In Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Alice Mary Iliescu, Amanda Mcintyre, Joshua C. Wiener, Jerome Iruthayarajah, Andrea Lee, Sarah Caughlin, Robert Teasell

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

OBJECTIVE: To meta-analyze and systematically review the effectiveness of aquatic therapy in improving mobility, balance, and functional independence after stroke.

DATA SOURCES: Articles published in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to 20 August 2019.

STUDY SELECTION: Studies met the following inclusion criteria: (1) English, (2) adult stroke population, (3) randomized or non-randomized prospectively controlled trial (RCT or PCT, respectively) study design, (4) the experimental group received >1 session of aquatic therapy, and (5) included a clinical outcome measure of mobility, balance, or functional independence.

DATA EXTRACTION: Participant characteristics, treatment protocols, between-group outcomes, point measures, and measures of variability …

Short-Term Effects Of Ambient Ozone, Pm2. 5, And Meteorological Factors On Covid-19 Confirmed Cases And Deaths In Queens, New York., Atin Adhikari, Jingjing Yin

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has been rapidly increasing in the United States. Boroughs of New York City, including Queens county, turn out to be the epicenters of this infection. According to the data provided by the New York State Department of Health, most of the cases of new COVID-19 infections in New York City have been found in the Queens county where 42,023 people have tested positive, and 3221 people have died as of 20 April 2020. Person-to-person transmission and travels were implicated in the initial spread of the outbreaks, but factors …

Molecular Typing Of Rickettsia Akari, Marina E. Eremeeva

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsia akari is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes smallpox rickettsia. Rickettsia akari is an atypical member of the rickettsia spotted fever (SFG) group because it circulates in gamasid mites; however, only limited data are available regarding the degree of genetic diversity of R. akari isolates. We examined 13 isolates of R. akari isolated from humans, rodents, and ticks in the United States, the countries of the former USSR, and the former Yugoslavia for the period from 1946 to 2003 for diversity in the composition of tandem repeats (TR) and intergenic regions (IGR). Using the Tandem Repeat Finder software (http://tandem.bu.edu) …

Rickettsialpox – A Rare But Not Extinct Disease: A Review Of The Literature And New Directions, Marina Eremeeva, Kamalich Muniz-Rodriguez

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Smallpox rickettsia is an urban zoonosis caused by Rickettsia akari. To date, R. akari is the only characterized representative of the group of spotted fevers transmitted by the gamasid mite Liponyssoides sanguineus, which is common among peridomic rodents. This disease was first described in New York in 1946, and a few years later a similar outbreak occurred in the Ukrainian SSR. Numerous serological studies and diagnostics of sporadic cases of smallpox rickettsiosis suggest its widespread occurrence on the planet; however, the current geography and incidence of smallpox rickettsiosis is unknown. Smallpox rickettsiosis is characterized by the classic clinical triad of …

A Comparative Spatial And Climate Analysis Of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis And Human Babesiosis In New York State (2013-2018), Collin J. O'Connor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human babesiosis are tick-borne diseases spread by Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged or deer tick) and are the result of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, respectively. In New York State (NYS), incidence rates of these diseases increased concordantly until around 2013, when rates of HGA began to increase more rapidly than human babesiosis, and the spatial extent of the diseases diverged. Surveillance data of tick-borne pathogens (2007 to 2018) and reported human cases of HGA (n=4,297) and human babesiosis (n=2,986) (2013 to 2018) from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) showed a …

Lifestyle Factors And Social Determinants As Predictors Of Weight/Body Mass Index, Uthman Alhaji Baba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a major public health concern that includes the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults. Previous studies have established the relationship between gender, educational level, household income and respondents’ weight but additional research is needed to factor the nature of education in relation to gender differences, diet, and other important behavioral mediators such as social determinants. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to determine the extent to which frequency of physical activity, household income, social determinants of health (money for balanced meals, finances at the end of month, and poor mental health), respondent …

Accounting For The Uncertainty Due To Chemicals Below The Detection Limit In Mixture Analysis, Paul M. Hargarten

Theses and Dissertations

Humans are exposed to multiple chemicals every day. Epidemiological studies have shown that chemical mixtures are associated with cancers, allergies, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other adverse health effects. To assess these associations, investigators are increasingly using chemical mixture approaches like weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. In these studies, the research objectives are to determine whether a mixture of correlated chemicals is associated with an adverse health outcome and to identify the important chemicals. However, as experimental equipment measures each exposure to a chemical-specific detection limit, the exposures are unknown between zero and the detection limit. Indeed, the number of exposures below …

Distribution Of Human Exposure To Ozone During Commuting Hours In Connecticut Using The Cellular Device Network, Owais Gilani, Simon Urbanek, Michael J. Kane

Faculty Journal Articles

Epidemiologic studies have established associations between various air pollutants and adverse health outcomes for adults and children. Due to high costs of monitoring air pollutant concentrations for subjects enrolled in a study, statisticians predict exposure concentrations from spatial models that are developed using concentrations monitored at a few sites. In the absence of detailed information on when and where subjects move during the study window, researchers typically assume that the subjects spend their entire day at home, school, or work. This assumption can potentially lead to large exposure assignment bias. In this study, we aim to determine the distribution of …

Sex And Age Differences In Prevalence And Risk Factors For Prediabetes In Mexican-Americans, Kristina Vatcheva, Belinda M. Reininger, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

AIMS:

Over 1/3 of Americans have prediabetes, while 9.4% have type 2 diabetes. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes in Mexican Americans, with known 28.2% prevalence of type 2 diabetes, by age and sex and to identify critical socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with prediabetes.

METHODS:

Data were collected between 2004 and 2017 from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort in Texas. Weighted crude and sex- and age- stratified prevalences were calculated. Survey weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for prediabetes.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of prediabetes (32%) was slightly higher than …

Social Ecological Factors Affecting Substance Abuse In Ghana (West Africa) Using Photovoice, Ahmed Kabore, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu, James Awuah, Andrew R. Hansen, Ashley Walker, Melissa Hester, Moussa Aziz Wonadé Sié, Dhruv Medarametla, Nicolas Meda

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Introduction: substance abuse is an important public health issue affecting West Africa; however, there is currently a dearth of literature on the actions needed to address it. The aim of this study was to assess the risks and protective factors of substance abuse in Ghana, West Africa, using the photovoice method.

Methods: this study recruited and trained 10 participants in recovery from substance abuse and undergoing treatment in the greater Accra region of Ghana on the photovoice methodology. Each participant received a disposable camera to take pictures that represented the risk and protective factors pertinent to substance abuse …

Validity Study Of The R-Pla, A Resilience Scale For People Living With Hiv, Jinxiang Hu, Julianne M. Serovich, Monique J. Brown, Judy A. Kimberly, Yi-Hsin Chen

Faculty Publications

This study provides psychometric assessment of a resilience scale with a sample of women living with HIV. Baseline data were used from a longitudinal HIV disclosure study of 124 women aged between 18-63 collected between 2001 and 2004 in a large Midwestern city. The Rasch model was used to examine the psychometric properties of the resilience scale. Results indicated that the resilience instrument meets the Rasch model application assumptions. Evidence of validity suggested the resilience instrument demonstrated good item and person fit, as well as good item and person reliability. Most items showed measurement invariance across different age and racial …

Evaluating Parents Sociodemographic Factors And Childhood Vaccine Decisions, Mehret Girmay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Vaccination is considered one of the most successful public health achievements of the 20th century. However, with increasing vaccine skepticism emerging over the past decades, there is a threat to the ongoing sustainment of vaccine coverage within all US communities. This study evaluated and compared parents’ sociodemographic factors associated with childhood vaccine decisions. This study is a secondary analysis of 893 parents/guardians, age 18-55 years with child(ren) < 7 years living in the U.S.

Predictive analysis was conducted using multinomial logistic regression modeling was used to examine vaccine decisions (accept, hesitant, and refuse) in relation to parents’ sociodemographic factors. Overall, (66.6%) of parents accepted recommended vaccines, while …