Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Moral Panic Over Cats, William S. Lynn, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Joann Lindenmayer, John Hadidian, Arian D. Wallach, Barbara J. King

John Hadidian, PhD

Some conservationists believe that free-ranging cats pose an enormous risk to biodiversity and public health and therefore should be eliminated from the landscape by any means necessary. They further claim that those who question the science or ethics behind their arguments are science deniers (merchants of doubt) seeking to mislead the public. As much as we share a commitment to conservation of biodiversity and wild nature, we believe these ideas are wrong and fuel an unwarranted moral panic over cats. Those who question the ecological or epidemiological status of cats are not science deniers, and it is a false analogy …

A Moral Panic Over Cats, William S. Lynn, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Joann Lindenmayer, John Hadidian, Arian D. Wallach, Barbara J. King

William S. Lynn, PhD

Some conservationists believe that free-ranging cats pose an enormous risk to biodiversity and public health and therefore should be eliminated from the landscape by any means necessary. They further claim that those who question the science or ethics behind their arguments are science deniers (merchants of doubt) seeking to mislead the public. As much as we share a commitment to conservation of biodiversity and wild nature, we believe these ideas are wrong and fuel an unwarranted moral panic over cats. Those who question the ecological or epidemiological status of cats are not science deniers, and it is a false analogy …

Racial Inequality And The Implementation Of Emergency Management Laws In Economically Distressed Urban Areas, Shawna J. Lee, Amy Krings, Sara Rose, Krista Dover, Jessica Ayoub, Fatima Salman

Amy Krings

This study examines the use of emergency management laws as a policy response to fiscal emergencies in urban areas. Focusing on one Midwestern Rust Belt state, we use a mixed methods approach – integrating chronology of legislative history, analysis of Census data, and an ethnographic case study – to examine the dynamics of emer- gency management laws from a social justice perspective. Analysis of Census data showed that emergency man- agement policies disproportionately affected African Americans and poor families. Analysis indicated that in one state, 51% of African American residents and 16.6% of Hispanic or Latinos residents had lived in …

Exponential Growth, Animal Welfare, Environmental And Food Safety Impact: The Case Of China’S Livestock Production, Peter J. Li

Peter J. Li, PhD

Developmental states are criticized for rapid “industrialization without enlightenment.” In the last 30 years, China’s breathtaking growth has been achieved at a high environmental and food safety cost. This article, utilizing a recent survey of China’s livestock industry, illustrates the initiating role of China’s developmental state in the exponential expansion of the country’s livestock production. The enthusiastic response of the livestock industry to the many state policy incentives has made China the world’s biggest animal farming nation. Shortage of meat and dairy supply is history. Yet, the Chinese government is facing new challenges of no less a threat to political …

Noncompliance With Public Health Service (Phs) Policy On Humane Care And Use Of Laboratory Animals: An Exploratory Analysis, Leah M. Gomez, Kathleen Conlee, Martin Stephens

Martin Stephens, PhD

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a major biomedical research-funding body in the United States. Approximately 40% of NIH-funded research involves experimentation on nonhuman animals (Monastersky, 2008). Institutions that conduct animal research with NIH funds must adhere to the Public Health Service (PHS) care and use standards of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW, 2002a). Institutions deviating significantly from the PHS’s animal care and use standards must report these incidents to the NIH’s OLAW. This study is an exploratory analysis of all the significant deviations reported by animal-research facilities to OLAW during a 3-month period. The study identifies …

Why-The-United-States-Needs-A-National-Birth-Cohort-Study.Pdf, Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román

Ezekiel J Dixon-Román

Safe Cities And Gender Budgeting By Prof. Vibhuti Patel, Professor Vibhuti Patel

Professor Vibhuti Patel

Women in the communities make efforts to seek allocation under appropriate budget heads to identify streams of revenue, available revenue and the required expenditure.

Providing Information Across Multiple Devices To The Public Health Workforce: Challenges And Opportunities, E. Hatheway Simpson, Lisa Sedlar

E. Hatheway Simpson

Public health workers are increasingly using mobile technology to access information. PHPartners.org, the web portal of the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, has implemented a responsively designed website to allow users to access and easily view the same information across multiple devices including mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers. This webinar will present an overview of the benefits of responsive web design, the challenges to implementation, and future developments.

Making The Blue Zones: Neoliberalism And Nudges In Public Health Promotion, Eric Carter

Eric D. Carter

This paper evaluates the ideological and political origins of a place-based and commercial health promotion effort, the Blue Zones Project (BZP), launched in Iowa in 2011. Through critical discourse analysis, I argue that the BZP does reflect a neoliberalization of public health, but as an "actually existing neoliberalism" it emerges from a specific policy context, including dramatic health sector policy changes due to the national Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare; a media discourse of health crisis for an aging Midwestern population; and an effort to refashion Iowa cities as sites of healthy and active living, to retain and …

Consumer Hookah Consumption: Is The Hubble Bubble The New Coffee And Cocktail?, Tracy Harmon-Kizer

Tracy R. Harmon-Kizer Ph.D.

Hookah smoking is a growing practice among American teens and young adults. In a single hookah smoking session, a smoker may inhale 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled in a single cigarette. Yet, the risks and adverse consequences of hookah smoking are relatively unfamiliar to health professionals, tobacco policy regulators and consumer behavior researchers. To extend our understanding of this epidemic-like consumption practice, this study explores consumer initiation and continued practice, and the meanings, attitudes and beliefs held by those who smoke hookah, especially with respect to cigarette smoking. Our findings reveal adulterated ways in which hookah …

The Cost Of Confusion: The Paradox Of Trademarked Pharmaceuticals, Hannah W. Brennan

Hannah W Brennan

The United States spends nearly $1,000 per person annually on drugs—40 percent more than the next highest spender, Canada, and more than twice the amount France and Germany spend. Although myriad factors contribute to high drug spending in the United States, the crucial role that intellectual property laws play in inhibiting access to cheaper, generic medications is among one of the best documented. Yet, for the most part, the discussion of the relationship between intellectual property law and drug spending has centered on patent protection. Recently, however, a few researchers have turned their attention to a different exclusivity—trademark law. New …

The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been welldocumented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.

The Human/Animal Interface: Emergence And Resurgence Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Michael Greger

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Emerging infectious diseases, most of which are considered zoonotic in origin, continue to exact a significant toll on society. The origins of major human infectious diseases are reviewed and the factors underlying disease emergence explored. Anthropogenic changes, largely in land use and agriculture, are implicated in the apparent increased frequency of emergence and reemergence of zoonoses in recent decades. Special emphasis is placed on the pathogen with likely the greatest zoonotic potential, influenzavirus A.

Malaria Control In The Tennessee Valley Authority: Health, Ecology, And Metanarratives Of Development, Eric Carter

Eric D. Carter

Starting in the 1930s, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) created a globally influential model of regional development through centralized planning of massive public works to re-engineer social and natural systems in impoverished areas. TVA invested heavily in malaria control, since its own reservoirs created perfect breeding grounds for malaria-carrying anopheles mosquitoes. Eventually, both the TVA and malaria control would become key elements in an influential metanarrative in which an American ideology of 'technological modernism' dominated international development in the post-World War II era, until modern environmentalism and other social movements undermined the assumptions and goals of this ideology. This paper …

Knowledge Gaps On Water Issues And Consumption Habits In At-Risk Chinese Cities, Hong Xiao

Hong Xiao

This research explores awareness of water issues and beverage consumption habits of students at four universities in northern China, the region most at risk for water shortages. While water is treated as a common property resource in China, there are significant demographic differences in attitudes towards state responsibility for water quality and supply, with older respondents, urban residents, and women showing more faith in the government. Surveys of 671 university students reveal a disjuncture between their awareness of shortages and pollution issues at the national level, and awareness of local conditions. A second disjuncture is apparent in respondents’ views of …

Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care: The Invisible Public Health Care Crisis Emergent Findings And Implications For Policy And Practice, Angelique G. Day

Angelique G Day

The purpose of this paper is to review related literature on foster care transitions and identify the implications for practice. Findings indicate that young people aging out of foster care face significant barriers that impede their ability to transition successfully to adulthood. This population is growing, and the collective negative social outcomes constitute a serious public health care crisis that needs to be addressed.

Child Mental Health And Service Needs In Iraq: Beliefs And Attitudes Of Primary School Teachers., A Al-Obaidi, B Nelson, G Albadawi, M Hicks, A Guarino

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Social Enterpriseled Activity On Health And Wellbeing: An Integrative Review, Michael J. Roy, Cam Donaldson, Rachel Baker, Susan M. Kerr

Michael J Roy

No abstract provided.

Emes Phd Summer School Presentation, Michael J. Roy

Michael J Roy

Introduction/Theory

The persistent and well-documented problem of health inequalities has challenged public health researchers since the relationship between income and health was first established. In the context of austerity measures leading to public-sector funding cuts, and faced with continuing, even growing, inequalities, more innovative, community-based solutions have gained prominence. With this in mind, social enterprises - businesses which, rather than distributing profits to shareholders, re-invest their profits in fulfilment of a social mission – could prove to be a potentially innovative response. However there is a significant gap in knowledge of how, and to what extent, social enterprise impacts upon …

Conceptualising Social Enterprise As A Public Health Intervention Through The Lens Of The ‘Assets-Based’ Approach To Health And Well-Being, Michael J. Roy

Michael J Roy

No abstract provided.

Developing A Conceptual Framework Of Social Enterprise As A Public Health Intervention, Michael J. Roy, Cam Donaldson, Rachel Baker, Susan M. Kerr

Michael J Roy

The persistent and well-documented problem of health inequalities has challenged public health researchers since the relationship between income and health was first established. In the context of austerity measures leading to public-sector funding cuts, and faced with continuing, even growing, inequalities, more innovative, community-based solutions have gained prominence.

Health inequalities in many places have persisted and widened in recent years. Our own city of Glasgow serves as useful illustration, with one quarter of our citizens defined as deprived and life expectancy gaps of up to 28 years between the richest and poorest. With this in mind, social enterprises - businesses …

Finger Lickin’ Good: An Analytical Investigation Into The Urban Diet, Jennifer T.R. Tomlinson

Jennifer T.R. Tomlinson

In this analysis, the origins, customs and implications of fast-food culture will be explored with important focus on the customs of fast-food urban eating. Research indicates that lower-income urban areas are more likely to consume fast-food. The high consumption of fast-food subsequently results in the development of social and economical implications, which include health implications, economic dilemmas, a disconnection between consumers and their consumption and issues of social classification. This analysis also explores the customs of fast-food culture of Pine Hills, Florida with added emphasis on Pine Hills’ cultural uniqueness.

Description And Annotation Of Biomedical Experimental Data Sets: Work In Progress, Jen Ferguson

Jen Ferguson

OBJECTIVE: Collaborating with researchers and curators from The Harvard School of Public Health Bioinformatics Core (HSPH/HBC) to annotate experimental descriptions and data sets. METHODS: ISATab is an open source software suite that can be used to annotate and apply metadata to experimental data. HSPH/HBC curators create ISATab records tying together information from PubMed papers and associated data sets (GEO files). Curators annotate and describe both raw and derived data files for each investigation, as well as supplying metadata for the investigation as a whole. Once annotated, the records are validated and sent to an internal data management system. RESULTS: As …

A Public Health Approach To Understanding And Preventing Violent Radicalisation., K Bhui, M Hicks, M Lashley, E Jones

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

No abstract provided.

Suicide Bombing: How To Prevent Death In Civilians? - Authors’ Reply., M Hicks, H Dardagan, P Bagnall, M Spagat, J Sloboda

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

No abstract provided.

Challenges To Australia’S National Health Policy From Trade And Investment Agreements, Thomas A. Faunce

Thomas A Faunce

Recent federal trade policy commitments concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations (against changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and against inclusion of an investor state provision) could protect Australia’s tobacco control legislation and Australia's sovereign capacity to regulate public health and environmental policy

The Transatlantic Gmo Dispute Against The European Communities: Some Preliminary Thoughts, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

Any day now, a World Trade Organization panel is expected to rule in a dispute between the U.S. and the EU concerning market access for genetically-engineered foods and crops. This piece, written before the release of the WTO panel's report, analyzes novel systemic issues concerning the impact of WTO law on regulatory design, at both the national and international levels, that are raised by this dispute. These include (1) the application of WTO disciplines to regulatory schemes that require prior governmental approval to protect the environment and public health from newly-introduced products and substances; (2) the role of precaution as …

China's "Green Leap Forward" Toward Global Environmental Leadership, Robert V. Percival

Robert Percival

This article argues that China may be on the verge of a “Green Leap Forward” that could make it a global environmental leader. This article argues that two principal forces have contributed to this development. First, Chinese officials now realize that a global shift away from fossil fuels will create enormous business opportunities on a global scale. Chinese companies are now making enormous strides in the development of green technology, such as solar power, wind energy, and electric cars, with the active assistance of the Chinese government. Second, realizing that climate change severely threatens China, and stung by the criticism …

Social Marketing, Stages Of Change, And Public Health Smoking Interventions, Paula Diehr

Paula Diehr

As a "thought experiment," the authors used a modified stages of change model for smoking to define homogeneous segments within various hypothetical populations. The authors then estimated the population effect of public health interventions that targeted the different segments. Under most assumptions, interventions that emphasized primary and secondary prevention, by targeting the Never Smoker, Maintenance, or Action segments, resulted in the highest nonsmoking life expectancy. This result is consistent with both social marketing and public health principles. Although the best thing for an individual smoker is to stop smoking, the greatest public health benefit is achieved by interventions that target …

Casualties In Civilians And Coalition Soldiers From Suicide Bombings In Iraq, 2003—10: A Descriptive Study., M Hicks, H Dardagan, P Bagnall, M Spagat, J Sloboda

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

BACKGROUND:

Suicide bombs in Iraq are a major public health problem. We aimed to describe documented casualties from suicide bombs in Iraq during 2003-10 in Iraqi civilians and coalition soldiers.

METHODS:

In this descriptive study, we analysed and compared suicide bomb casualties in Iraq that were documented in two datasets covering March 20, 2003, to Dec 31, 2010--one reporting coalition-soldier deaths from suicide bombs, the other reporting deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians from armed violence. We analysed deaths and injuries over time, by bomb subtype and victim demographics.

FINDINGS:

In 2003-10, 1003 documented suicide bomb events caused 19% (42,928 …