Medicine and Health Commons^™

Sari-Sari Stores As Community Pharmacies? A Qualitative Exploration Of Sari-Sari Stores Selling Medicines In The Philippines, Melissa Louise M. Prieto, Gamaliel P. Galigao, Ana Rica S. Navarra-Cruz, Louise Gabriel R. Jimenez, Gideon Lasco

Medical Anthropology

Background and Objective. Despite laws prohibiting the sale of pharmaceuticals outside licensed pharmacies, sari-sari stores continue to informally sell medicines, bridging access challenges especially in remote areas. The study explores the roles and perceptions of sari-sari stores as informal medicine providers. Methods. The study draws on ethnographic insights from key informant interviews with fourteen (14) sari-sari store owners or tinderas, probing into medicines sold in sari-sari stores and their perceived effectiveness. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results. Sari-sari stores serve as informal yet critical points of access to common medicines for everyday illnesses, especially in remote areas where …

Public Responses About Air Quality In The World’S Ten Most Populous Countries, Noah Lim, Alessandro Del Ponte, Lina Ang, Wei Jie Seow

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding how people view and react to outdoor air quality is crucial to effectively managing and responding to air pollution, which is a major threat to global public health. Using a quota sample of 10,618 respondents from 1,372 localities across the world’s ten most populous countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States), we assessed the association between exposure to fine particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and people’s knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, practices, and concern about air quality. Overall, we find an inverse association between air pollution exposure and knowledge about air …

Examining Data Access Gaps For Tribal Epidemiology Centers: Qualitative Interviews And A 50-State Syphilis Data Audit, Kathleen P. Conte, Ashley Hoover, Levi Mattoon, Brigg Reilley, Jessica Leston

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

Context: Federal law establishes American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) as public health authorities with rights to state data to conduct public health activities. Tribal authorities, however, struggle to access public health data.

Objectives: To examine TECs’ access and barriers to public health surveillance data, and using syphilis as a case study, to assess data availability and timeliness nationwide.

Design: In-depth qualitative interviews and a desk audit of syphilis data by states.

Setting: All 12 TECs who collectively provide epidemiologic and public health support to 574 Tribes and 41 Urban Indian Centers nationwide.

Participants: Sixteen …

Assessing Indoor Heat Vulnerability And Cooling Strategies In Three Mobile Home Communities In Boulder, Colorado, Usa, Mehdi P. Heris, Skye Niles, Alana Wilson, Megan Mccurdy, Amy Lacourse, Nick Lankau

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Extreme heat is an increasing public health and environmental threat shaped by both physical and social factors. This study assesses the vulnerability of mobile homes and their residents at three mobile home parks in Boulder, Colorado. We examined indoor temperature, housing conditions, and social and personal risk factors of the households. We monitored indoor and outdoor temperatures using 27 indoor and 5 outdoor temperature data loggers, comparing mobile homes with air conditioning, swamp coolers, and passive cooling designs. This work provides a detailed analysis of indoor temperature patterns and demonstrates how evaluating trends yields insights into the performance and effectiveness …

El Papel Del Bilingüismo En La Atención Médica A Pacientes Hispanohablantes, Ariela Deleon

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Spanish-speaking patients in the United States frequently face significant barriers to quality healthcare due to language differences between themselves and their providers. This project examines how English-Spanish bilingualism among healthcare professionals meaningfully improves the quality of care delivered to Spanish-speaking patients. To analyze this, the project draws on a review of academic literature on bilingualism, language concordance, medical interpretation, and health outcomes, as well as interviews with healthcare professionals across various fields who possess different levels of Spanish fluency and regularly work with Spanish-speaking patients. This project argues that bilingualism among healthcare providers is not merely a supplementary skill but …

Community As Coping: Mental Illness And Homelessness Within A Tent Camp, Karen A. Snedker, Jennifer Mckinney

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

"Drawing from interview data with residents of Tent City 3, a sanctioned homeless camp, we illustrate the complex connections between mental illness and homelessness from the residents’ perspectives to understand how living in this tent city helps residents manage mental health."

Regional Inequalities In Healthcare Access And Capacity In Brazil, Elena Kossler

Posters - 2026

The Brazilian health system is one of the largest and most comprehensive universal public health systems, fully funded by the government.

Domains That Influence Underrepresented Community Wellbeing And Engagement: A Literature Review, Nicole Sung, Mei Lin Chen-Lim, Phd, Rn, Ccrc, Aunja Richards, Bis, Florence Ling, Phd

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Introduction

Inner-city neighborhoods, such as those in Philadelphia, vary in demographics, resources, access, safety, and overall health. Local non-profits that serve these communities require more understanding of the areas they serve to efficiently align resources and meet the local community needs. Community partnerships, including youth in the community, are key informants as they share lived experiences, navigate neighborhood conditions, and identify barriers and priorities.

Heat And Socioeconomic Deprivation Compound To Drive Coronary Heart Disease In Los Angeles, Shutong Huo, Tessa R. Pulido, Reginald S. Archer, Joshua B. Fisher, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Socioeconomic deprivation and environmental heat exposure each increase cardiovascular risk, yet evidence is limited on how these stressors co-occur and jointly shape disease burden within cities. Mapping their overlap can inform equity-oriented planning and needs-based allocation of health and social protection resources.

Methods:

We conducted an ecological geospatial analysis of 2,513 census tracts in Los Angeles County. Adult coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence was obtained from CDC Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (2021). Socioeconomic deprivation was measured using the Social Deprivation Index (SDI), and heatwave surface heat hazard was measured using land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from the …

The Health Of Latinos In Massachusetts: Inequality In Health Behaviors And Chronic Health Conditions, Phillip Granberry, Alejandro Alvarez, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a portrait of adult Latino health in Massachusetts by exploring and describing selected social indicators and health outcomes. This report is a companion to a 2021 report on Latino children in the state, which found that Latino children are more likely to have asthma, be overweight, and show symptoms of anxiety and depression, and less likely to be engaged in physical activity when compared to Non-Latino children. The foregoing findings suggested that Latino children are not developing in an environment that promotes health behaviors compared to Non-Latinos in Massachusetts.v The collective health of Latinos is said group …

Guidelines For Community Engaged Health Research, Carrie Leach, Hayley Thompson, Alex Sass, Patricia Wren, Rodlescia Sneed, Rhonda Dailey, Elizabeth Towner, Maha Albdour, Carla Caringi, Alyssa W. Beavers, Theresa A. Hastert, Vanessa Rorai, Peter A. Lichtenberg, Angulique Outlaw, Ijeoma Nnodim Opara

Institute of Gerontology

Executive Summary:

Wayne State University’s Guidelines for Community Engaged Health Research provide a practical framework for designing, conducting, and evaluating ethical, equitable, and impactful health research that engages community experts in projects that advance health equity in Detroit.

Purpose 

Developed for WSU faculty, staff, and research teams, the guidelines support the meaningful involvement of community experts across all phases of research. They respond to common challenges in community-engaged work, including limited experience with engagement approaches, the need for reflexive and equitable practices, and the time and coordination required for authentic collaboration.

The document defines Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) as collaborative work …

Educational Inequality In Health Insurance Coverage Before And After The Affordable Care Act, Madelaine R. Adamich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Health insurance and health care accessibility have historically been ongoing issues within the United States. Two key factors associated with the likelihood of an individual being insured are educational attainment and income. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has been the largest overhaul of health care in the US to date, aimed to reduce disparities in health insurance coverage and health care accessibility. My research analyzes the extent to which the ACA succeeded in reducing disparities related to educational attainment. To examine the ACA’s effects, I utilize the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data from 2008 and 2015 …

C.A.S. Full Assessment Report: State Of Florida Government Portal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the cognitive overhead, transparency, and attentional integrity of

official State of Florida digital interfaces using the Cognitive Attentional Standards (C.A.S.) platform.

While the Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR) establishes strict regulatory guardrails for consumer data

transparency, tracking opt-outs, and attentional safeguards, the State of Florida explicitly exempts its own

government agencies, public universities, and non-profit entities from complying with these rules.

This assessment serves to investigate the tension between legislative intent and government execution. By

analyzing public sector websites through the C.A.S. platform, this project will establish a “state-enforced vs.

state-executed” …

Family Dementia Caregivers’ Disaster Preparedness In Chinese American Communities In New York City, Weiyu Mao, Bei Wu, Yaolin Pei, Zhen Cong

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Disaster preparedness is a significant public health concern. Disasters manifest in different forms and often lead to disruption of daily life. This is especially challenging for family dementia caregivers and their care recipients in the community. There remains much unknown regarding dementia caregiver disaster preparedness, especially in ethnic and racial communities. Guided by Protection Motivation Theory, with the backdrop of Hurricane Ida, this study explored the association between caregiving-related characteristics, cognitive appraisals, and disaster preparedness among caregivers in Chinese American communities. Data came from a pilot study on Chinese American family dementia caregivers in New York City between November 2021 …

Accelerated Molecular Aging In Neighborhood Poverty: A Racial/Ethnic Comparison, Jennifer Robinette, Jennifer Smith

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In the US, racial/ethnic health disparities are undeniable and partially stem from residing in low SES neighborhoods. Associations between neighborhood SES and health may have some underlying molecular mechanisms reflected in the epigenome. Yet, neighborhood characteristics are not always experienced the same way for all residents, and questions remain regarding whether those most exposed to low SES neighborhoods build greater resilience to, or embody greater harmful and cumulative outcomes from, such neighborhoods. The present study tested the hypothesis that greater neighborhood poverty would relate to accelerated epigenetic aging on the Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge clocks, and that these associations …

Evaluating The Effect Of Ethnicity And Amyloid On Gait Speed In The Healthy Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities Study, Alexandra M. Reed, Andrew Hooyman, Edward Ofori, Sydney Y. Schaefer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Many novel Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers have been studied in non-Hispanic White populations, despite Hispanic/Latino adults being 1.5 times more likely to develop AD and receiving a later diagnosis. Equitable, accessible assessments are needed to identify individuals at risk earlier. While cognitive screening monitors early AD signs, neuropsychological tests are often inequitable across ethnicity, race, and other social determinants of health. However, we have shown that performance-based motor assessments may be less susceptible to demographic factors than memory tests, and may be more equitable for screening older adults. Gait speed has been linked to elevated amyloid in non-Hispanic White …

Professional Development Program: Sexual And Gender Minorities Education And Training, Aiden Echols, Bs, Madison Via, Bs, Audrey L. Zapletal, Otd, Ms, Otr/L, Cla, Chse, Karla A. Bell, Pt, Dpt, Phd, Fnap

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

LGBTQ+ communities experience health care and health disparities; some reasons include:

• barriers in care
• negative attitudes
• lack of awareness by healthcare providers.

Studies have found healthcare professionals are not adequately trained in LGBTQ+ care

Educators benefit from professional development related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in higher education.

Associations Between Individual And Structural Level Discrimination And Psychological And Physiological Stress Indicators During Pregnancy, Özlü Aran, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez, Julia Dmitrieva, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In the United States (U.S.) pervasive health disparities in prenatal care disproportionately impact marginalized individuals. The present study investigates whether discrimination at the individual and structural levels are associated with indicators of psychological and physiological stress among pregnant Latinx people living in the U.S., including both U.S. and foreign-born individuals. Pregnant participants (n = 109) reported on birthplace, lifetime experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination, perceived levels of stress, acculturation, social support, and provided residential address data and hair samples for cortisol analysis. Regression analysis revealed that individual level discrimination was linked to higher psychological stress during pregnancy ( …

Resilience Of Interdependent Transportation And Healthcare Systems: A Simulation-Driven Framework Incorporating Social Equity And Facility Optimization, S. Yasaman Ahmadi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The overarching goal of this dissertation is to develop an integrated, simulation-driven framework to assess and enhance the resilience of interdependent transportation and healthcare systems before, during, and after natural hazards. By examining how spatial disruptions, social vulnerability, operational constraints, and infrastructure interdependencies affect access to and functionality of hospitals, this research offers a multifaceted evaluation of system performance under stress. This dissertation examines the impact of natural hazards, particularly floods, on the interdependent transportation and healthcare systems. The proposed approach combines and advances GIS-based network analysis, graph-theoretical modeling, and discrete-event simulation to evaluate system performance under different scenarios. The …

Medical Debt In The Mountain West, 2022, Kian Parikh, Lara Karaalp, Otoniel Ramos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents 2022 data on the prevalence of medical debt in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The Urban Institute report, “The Changing Medical Debt Landscape in the United States” includes data on medical debt estimates, hospital market concentration, as well as estimates of uninsured individuals, disabled adults, average household incomes, and racial compositions at the state and county level for the 50 states and Washington, DC. This fact sheet focuses on state-level differences on the prevalence of medical debt, as well as differences in the percentages of uninsured individuals and …

Exploring The Experience Of Embodiment Of Diverse Leaders, Susan Lynn Flaming Yeats

Dissertations

The experience of embodiment is a complex phenomenon that spans a range of feelings: a sense of connection to one's physical body, a sense of capability to accomplish certain physical acts, an attunement to self-care behaviors, a connection to desire, and inhabiting the body as a subjective site (Piran, 2016). This can be a complicated experience for leaders who hold multiple intersecting identities (Hill et al., 2016). As new medical therapies promise radical weight loss possibilities, the experience of embodiment has taken on a new layer of complexity (Giorgis, 2024). For fat leaders who are also women of color, sexual …

From Oversight To Insight: Enhancing Vte Prophylaxis Through System-Level Improvements, Nehar Damle, Jessica Cobb, Jordan Feingold, Yunisse Gonzalez, Lamya Jaigirdar, Sheraz Qamar, Claire Ketchem

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background

- Hospitalized patients – particularly those with prior venous thromboembolism (VTE), reduced mobility, severe sepsis, and operative procedures - are at significantly elevated risk for recurrent VTE events^1-4

- Although clinical evidence supports use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis in highrisk patients, gaps in delivery remain common (highlighted below):

• Miscommunication between managing teams
• Unclear documentation
• Lack of standardized peri-procedural protocols
• Challenges in care coordination

- Missed or delayed VTE prophylaxis represents a frequent and preventable threat to inpatient safety

- We present a near miss event involving a hospitalized patient with severe sepsis and history of pulmonary embolism within …

Utility Of Community Partnership And Sustainable Street Outreach, Daniel Lee, Hannah Klinghoffer, Mallika Kodavatiganti, Luke Benedict, Kelsey Van Housen, Ashley Wetzel, Lele Yang, Alisha Agarwal, Shane Nieves, Charlotte Harris, Jessica Lely, Vinh Dang, Ivel Morales, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background

• 14,088 individuals experience homelessness (IEH) across the state of Pennsylvania, with over 50% concentrated in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia¹
• In late 2021, only 4 medical school programs existed that conducted street outreach to support individuals experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania before the pandemic.² None existed at the undergraduate level.
• Street outreach has been linked to increased motivation of IEH to seek services by removing stigma via positive, nonjudgmental relationships.^3,4

Visiting Medical Student Stipends In The Us | An Analysis Of Equity Within Physiatry, Ashley Otto, Do, Mbs, Jeffrey Gray, Md, Summer Nestorowicz, Md, Adrian Oppong, Md, Ms, Oluseye Raymond, Md, Andrew Walrond, Md, Alexis Tingan, Md, Marisa Moreta, Do

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Introduction & Aims

Health inequities are ubiquitous throughout medicine especially pertaining to accessibility, affordability, and availability. These challenges disproportionately affect minorities- both patients and providers alike [3,4]. Patient outcomes have been shown to improve when treated by physicians of similar backgrounds [3,4,7]. The journey to improve outcomes begins with pre-residency rotations; medical students who can complete audition rotations have an increased opportunity to matriculate into said residency program. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), like many specialties, is disproportionately represented by men and Caucasians [1,5, 8] with the greatest drop in URM representation occurring between applicants and residents [Escalon]. This project …

The Effect Of Targeted Outreach To Improve Cpap Adherence In Patients With Socioeconomic Disparities, Henry Ideker, Md, Ethan Zheng, Ba, Stephen White, Md, Ritu Grewal, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Introduction

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is first line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults given its high efficacy; however, it is limited by poor patient compliance
• Socioeconomic disparities are known to be associated with significantly worse health outcomes and adherence to therapy¹
• Area deprivation index (ADI) is a validated tool that highlights populations with high socioeconomic disparities on a neighborhood level.² Prior research in our department in 2022 demonstrated significantly worse CPAP adherence in OSA patients with higher ADI scores.³
• Initial CPAP use has been shown to predict long-term adherence, and strategies to maximize …

Framing The Future: A Community Health Analysis Of The Pee Dee Region, Stephen Borders, Jean Anton, Rian Fontaine, Donielle Phillips, Treyton Ringer, Jessica Robinson, Caitlin Thompkins

Public Health

This report presents a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of community health across South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, encompassing Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Marion, and Dillon Counties. Using tract-level data from CDC PLACES, the U.S. Census, and the National Provider Identifier registry, it assesses chronic health conditions, health behaviors, and social determinants of health. The analysis incorporates the South Carolina Healthy Communities Index (SCHCI) and a Suitability Analysis to identify the region’s most disadvantaged communities. The findings highlight persistent disparities, particularly in rural counties, where high rates of poverty, chronic disease, and unmet basic needs intersect with limited access to care. Despite …

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.

Assessing The Accessibility Of Wound Care Education For Unhoused Individuals Of South Jersey, Marilyn A. Chen, Selma S. Benkhoukha, Allysone Martinez

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Unhoused individuals face disproportionately high rates of wound-related complications due to environmental exposure, limited access to hygiene facilities, and delayed care. This study assessed the accessibility of wound care for the unhoused population in South Jersey, where approximately 2,607 individuals experience homelessness on any given night. Our research identified significant barriers to wound care access, including transportation limitations, lack of identification documents, absence of a physical mailing address, and language barriers. Data analysis revealed concerning trends: a 24% increase in New Jersey's homeless population in 2024, with Black/African American individuals representing 49% of the homeless population despite comprising only 12% …

Exploring Anticoagulant Prescription Disparities: A Focus On Hispanic Patient Care, Michael Acevedo, Vanessa Veltre

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Anticoagulants play a critical role in preventing thromboembolic events, yet disparities persist in their prescription among minority populations. This presentation explores inequities in anticoagulant prescribing patterns, with a specific focus on Hispanic patient care. Using retrospective electronic health record data, we analyzed the prescription rates of warfarin versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) among adults with clinical indications for anticoagulation. Our findings reveal that Hispanic patients are significantly less likely to receive DOACs compared to non-Hispanic White patients, even after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and insurance status. Contributing factors include language barriers, lack of insurance, and potential implicit bias in provider …

Indirect Cost Cap: Perspectives On Efficiency, Waste, And Equity, Neel B. Patel, Lakshman Segar

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: On February 10, 2025, the NIH enacted a 15% cap on indirect costs, reallocating $4 billion from institutional overhead to direct research within a $35 billion funding framework. The policy follows longstanding concerns about unchecked growth and inefficiencies in indirect cost reimbursements, which rose from 15% in the 1950s to over 70% at some institutions by the 1990s. Notable examples include a $200 million overcharge at Stanford and millions in questionable expenditures identified in federal audits.

Objective: To evaluate the financial, operational, and equity-related impacts of the NIH’s indirect cost cap on U.S. research institutions.

Methods: …