Community Health Commons^™

Effects Of Particulate Matter And Antioxidant Dietary Intake On Blood Pressure, Amy J. Schulz, J. Tomothy Dvonch, Angela G. Reyes, Betty T. Izumi

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives—We assessed 2 pathways through which dietary antioxidants may counter adverse effects of exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) on blood pressure (BP): main (compensatory) and modifying (protective) models. Methods—We used 2002 to 2003 data from the Detroit Healthy Environments Partnership community survey conducted with a multiethnic sample of adults (n = 347) in low- to moderate-income, predominantly Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan. We used generalized estimating equations to test the effects of ambient exposure to PM2.5 and dietary antioxidant intake on BP, with adjustment for multiple confounders. Results—Dietary antioxidant intake was …

Ancillary Challenges Within The Health System: Exploring Connections Between Low-Income Populations In Missoula, Montana And Khayelitsha, South Africa, Rachael Schmoker

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Abstract

Schmoker, Rachael, BS, May 2015 Community Health

Ancillary Challenges Within The Health System

Faculty Mentor: Peter Koehn, Political Science.

This paper outlines the research conducted and the project implementation for the Davidson Honors College Senior Thesis in a joint project with the Global Leadership Initiative Senior Capstone. This project describes the ancillary challenges of healthcare in Missoula, Montana and Khayelitsha, South Africa. Under the Montana branch of this project it is called the UM Volunteers for Global Health Access (UMVGHA). Within Missoula we are associated with Partnership Health Center; a health clinic that caters to the low-income population of …

Improving Depression Care For Older Home Health Patients, Sarah R. Schirmer

DNP Projects

Rates of depression in older home healthcare (HH) patients are highly prevalent. Although depression in this population is associated with increased rates of re-hospitalization, falls, and suicides, it is frequently under diagnosed and under treated. This Capstone Report examined this problem through three interrelated manuscripts. The first manuscript explored the problem through a review of the literature. This review determined that while there are many barriers to adequate depression care, programs that train clinicians to screen for depression and connect patients to depression care encourage adequate evaluation and treatment and can result in clinically significant changes in depression scores. This …

Hiv Infrastructure Study Jackson, Mississippi, Susan S. Reif, Elena Wilson, Carolyn Mcallaster, Miriam Berger

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Building On Social Capital To Improve Health: The Interactional Approach To Community Development, Matthew Charles Tomlin Mr

Student Research – Stevenson Center

Since political scientist, Robert Putnam, (1995) brought the concept of social capital into popular discourse, there has been a surge in debate over its definition, causes, and consequences in a range of social science disciplines. While social capital has been found to support self-rated overall health at the state level (Kawachi et al, 1999), there is still a dearth of data and research on localities in different regions of the country. This study analyzes survey data collected in the United Way of McLean County’s 2014 Community Assessment to better understand the dynamic between social capital and health in one Central …

Inequalities And Approximations Of Weighted Distributions By Lindley Reliability Measures, And The Lindley-Cox Model With Applications, Broderick O. Oluyede, Macaulay Okwuokenye, Karl E. Peace

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

In this note, stochastic comparisons and results for weighted and Lindley models are presented. Approximation of weighted distributions via Lindley distribution in the class of increasing failure rate (IFR) and decreasing failure rate (DFR) weighted distributions with monotone weight functions are obtained including approximations via the length-biased Lindley distribution. Some useful bounds and moment-type inequality for weighted life distributions and applications are presented. Incorporation of covariates into Lindley model is considered and an application to illustrate the usefulness and applicability of the proposed Lindley-Cox model is given.

How Long Does That 10-Year Smoke Alarm Really Last? A Survival Analysis Of Smoke Alarms Installed Through The Saife Program In Rural Georgia, Haresh Rochani, Valamar Malika Reagon, Steve Davidson

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

Background: When functioning properly, a smoke alarm alerts individuals in the residence that smoke is near the alarm. Smoke alarms serve as a primary prevention mechanism to abate morbidity and mortality related to residential fires.

Methods: Using survival analysis, we examined the length of operability of 10-year lithium battery powered smoke alarms installed through the Georgia Public Health/CDC SAIFE program in Moultrie, Georgia. Attempts were made to reach all homes in the city limits. The premise of the study is that geographic clusters (in the case of Moultrie city quadrants) are associated with decreases in the length of time that …

Hiv Infrastructure Study Birmingham, Alabama, Susan S. Reif, Kristen Sullivan, Carolyn Mcallaster, Miriam Berger

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Differences In Health Literacy Knowledge And Experiences Among Senior Nursing Students, Sharon S. Williamson, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: Low health literacy has been identified as a significant public health problem. Also, higher expenditures due to longer hospital stays have been reported for persons with low health literacy. Nurses can assist patients with low health literacy to reduce their hospital stays and increase compliance with discharge instructions.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive research design was employed to assess knowledge and experiences of 192 senior nursing students. These students were administered the Health Literacy Knowledge and Experiences Survey (HL-KES), a 2- part survey that included assessment of knowledge about health literacy and experience in working with populations of …

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Attrition From A Pediatric Weight Management Intervention, Melissa Ann Kwitowski

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a serious health problem in the United States. Numerous weight management programs attempt to address this issue. However, attrition poses significant treatment efficacy challenges. Understanding attendance and attrition from childhood obesity programs is crucial for effective and appropriate resource utilization. NOURISH+ is a community-based treatment program for parents of overweight and obese children (age 5–11 years, BMI ≥ 85th percentile). The current study investigated attrition from NOURISH+ to enhance understanding of pediatric obesity treatment retention factors. NOURISH+ participants (n=70) completed a questionnaire assessing barriers to adherence and general program feedback. Data were analyzed using frequencies, …

One Size Does Not Fit All: What Does High Impact Prevention Funding Mean For Community-Based Organizations In The Deep South?, Carolyn Mcallaster, Jerry Fang

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of The Transgender Community In Montana, Karishma Chainani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transgender individuals face a unique set of challenges in their day to day lives. While issues regarding stigma and discrimination are well documented in the literature, most of the information about transgender people has been gathered in urban settings. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore factors that influence quality of life and risk of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) among transgender people living in Montana. A questionnaire was developed after a thorough review of the literature as well as a review of existing assessments. The questionnaire was reviewed by …

Utilization Of Anc And Pnc Services In Nepal : A Multivariate Analysis Based On Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2001 And 2006, Gehendra Mahara, Collins Asweto, Kai Cao, Ali M. Alzain, Andrea Sebastian, Jill Barr, Xiuhua Guo, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Maternal Mortality is a public health problem in Nepal, which was highest in 1990 among the South Asian countries. Associated factors of maternal mortality are various; among them maternal health sevices such as antenatal (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services are the main. Methods: A multivariate secondary data analysis out based on Nepal Demographic Health Surveys 2001 and 2006. Logistic regression models was performed to compare the utilization of the ANC and PNC services, with background characteristics of women aged between 15 to 49 years old. Results: A total of 8913 reproductive aged groups (15-49) women were taken f …

Health Communication As A Public Health Training And Workforce Development Issue, Nancy L. Winterbauer, Ann P. Rafferty, Katherine A. Jones, Mary Tucker-Mclaughlin, Colleen Bridger

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Effective communication is one of the core competencies for public health professionals and is required for local health department (LHD) accreditation. Public health communication specialists play a critical role as conduits of health information, particularly with regard to managing relationships with media and the message that is ultimately represented by news outlets. However, capacity for engagement with traditional media in community health improvement at the local level has not been well-described. As part of a larger study examining the use and impact of the County Health Rankings in North Carolina, LHD media staffing and interaction with traditional media were examined …

A More Efficient Nonparametric Test Of Symmetry Based On Overlapping Coefficient, Hani M. Samawi, Robert L. Vogel

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

In this paper we provide a more efficient nonparametric test of symmetry based on the empirical overlap coefficient using kernel density estimation applied to an extreme order statistics, namely extreme ranked set sampling. Our simulation investigation reveals that our proposed test of symmetry is at least as powerful as currently available tests of symmetry. Intensive simulation is conducted to examine the power of the proposed test. An illustration is provided using cardiac output and body weight of neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Wellness And Food Preferences Among Children Of Latino Immigrant Families In The Arcadia Community Of Spartanburg County, Sarah Grace Keaveny

Student Scholarship

The topic of this capstone is the result of my synthesis across disciplines. As a student with majors in Biology and Spanish with a concentration in Medical Humanities, I wanted to research a topic that would include my disciplines in a way that would meaningfully prepare me to leave my undergraduate years for medical school. This project seeks to generate an understanding of the culturally created eating habits and perceptions of wellness in Latino children living in the Arcadia Community, as told by their mothers. By seeking this understanding, I hope that this project may serve as a tool to …

La Cesárea Y El Parto Natural: Las Opiniones De Profesionales De La Salud En La Provincia De Buenos Aires / Cesarean Section And Natural Birth: The Opinions Of Health Provinces In The Province Of Buenos Aires, Jacqueline Chipkin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introduction: The ways in which women of society give birth have the power to influence maternal-infant health and shape the economy of the healthcare system. Today, the rates of cesarean sections are increasing throughout the world. In Argentina, on average, more than 35% of pregnant women received cesarean sections in 2008, with large differences observed in the rates between the public and private health sectors. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that healthcare systems should only employ a cesarean section if labor cannot progress safely. According to this standard, the organization estimates that cesarean sections should only be utilized …

Factors That Affect Attachment Between The Employed Mother And The Child, Infancy To Two Years, Naureen Kassamali, Salma Amin Rattani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

To explore a mother's feeling of attachment and the affects her working status on the attachment relationship with her child, upon ethical clearance from the institutional ethics committee, in-depth interviews of nine participants were conducted. Mothers enrolled were those who resumed the employment within the first year of post-delivery and were having a child up to two years of age. Results revealed that maternal employment itself does not enhance or deteriorate attachment with the child. It is combinations of factors that revolve around it impact on their bond. Overall, maternal integration or the balance of the dual roles of employment …

Promoción De La Salud En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires: Un Estudio Sobre El Trabajo De Los Promotores De Salud Y Las Percepciones De Su Rol En La Comunidad. / Health Promotion In The City Of Buenos Aires: A Study Of The Work Of Community Health Workers And Perceptions Of Their Role In The Community, Elizabeth Sherwin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contextual information: At the global level, inequities exist with respect to access and quality of healthcare. Primary Health Care is a strategy to respond to these inequities. It adopts an integral concept of health that includes no only illness but also the wellbeing of a person affected by many environmental factors. It is a strategy that aims to improve access to medical care and health information through health promotion and has the goal of giving the population more control over their health. Community health workers, people from the same neighborhood in which they work promoting health, are recognized on the …

La Atención De Mujeres Con Complicaciones Post-Aborto En Un Hospital Público Del Partido De La Matanza: La Perspectiva De Los Profesionales De La Salud / The Perspective Of Health Professionals On The Quality Oftreatment For Women With Complications Post-Abortion Ina Public Hospital In La Matanza, Hannah Collins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: In Argentina, abortion is illegal under all circumstances except for when a woman has been raped, has a mental disability or her life is in danger. There are approximately 500,000 abortions practiced each year in Argentina, and the majority is performed in an unsafe manner, which can result in complications that require medical attention. In 2010, over 50,000 women were hospitalized because of complications post-abortion. These complications can include hemorrhages, infections, or other toxic illnesses. After the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 they identified post-abortion care as a worldwide problem. Subsequently, Argentina created a guide for …