Public Health Commons^™

Perspectives Of Health Service Providers In Delivering Best-Practice Care For Aboriginal Mothers And Their Babies During The Postnatal Period, Jocelyn Jones, Angela Durey, Natalie Strobel, Kimberley Mcauley, Karen Edmond, Juli Coffin, Daniel Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Evidence suggests that Aboriginal babies in Western Australia are not receiving adequate primary health care in their first 3 months of life, leading to questions about enablers and constraints to delivering such care. This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project investigating health providers’ perceptions and experiences of best and current practice in discharge planning, postnatal care and health education for Aboriginal mothers and their newborn babies. Methods: Constructivist grounded theory guided this research involving 58 semi-structured interviews conducted with health providers who deliver care to Aboriginal mothers and infants. Participants were recruited from hospital-based and primary health …

Meet Me In The Middle: A Scoping Review On Understanding Adolescent Needs In Climate Communication, Gwendolyn Monica Hoff Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The greatest effects of climate change are likely to be felt by youth. Young people are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their critical developmental stage and lack of power, and they experience both higher severity and prevalence of mental health issues related to climate change. Strong emotions have long been recognized as potential catalysts for action, or they may lead to paralyzing feelings of being overwhelmed. Climate communication is a critical tool to spark climate concern and encourage action. Activism, in turn, may help youth manage their anxiety about climate change. This scoping review examines emerging evidence on …

The Health Impacts Of The Trump Administration Among California Immigrants, Claudia M. Calhoon

Dissertations and Theses

Immigration policy was a marquee issue in the US presidential administration of Donald Trump. Trump’s administration employed both policy and rhetoric related to immigrants to mobilize voters, alter immigration policies and practices, and sustain a narrative of a nation under attack by immigrants. Administration officials were able to undertake these approaches because of existing immigration law, but they did so in more explicitly punitive ways than in recent administrations. The goal of this dissertation is to explore the health impacts of the administration’s practices and their effects. Paper 1 analyzes the immigration rhetoric and policies of US president Donald Trump …

Evaluation Of A Place-Based Asthma Reduction Initiative On Asthma-Related Morbidity Among Children In East Harlem And The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Health Care Utilization And Medication Adherence Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children, Sarah C. Walters

Dissertations and Theses

Background: In New York City, asthma continues to be the leading cause of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits among children, and disproportionally burdens Black and Latino children in low-income neighborhoods. Place-based, or geographically targeted, programs offer upstream strategies for addressing public health issues in these underserved neighborhoods, and given their targeted nature, quasi-experimental or other observational methods are needed to rigorously evaluate their impact. This dissertation uses multiple methodological approaches to assess the impact of the East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence (EHACE) – an equity-focused, multi-faceted, place-based asthma mitigation initiative in the East Harlem neighborhood of a New …

The Impact Of The Tobacco-Free Policy On The Auc New Cairo Campus, Fatimah Badawy

Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, the American University in Cairo (AUC) conducted a research study on campus attitudes towards tobacco use and smoking behaviors within their community, in light of the then newly enforced tobacco-free policy. They found most campus members in support of the policy, with higher rates of disapproval from the smoking community. In 2021, this research aimed to follow-up on changes in attitudes towards the policy as well was smoking behaviors. It hypothesized that over time, levels of support to the policy would increase, smoking habits would be positively impacted and that positive health behaviors would correlate with policy support. …

Building Sustainable Environmental Activism Programs For Youth, Aminah Habib

Master's Projects and Capstones

As the negative impacts of climate change become more and more common across the United States, many youth are experiencing eco-anxiety or other negative mental health impacts due to the state of the environment. Engaging with activism has been named as a potential mitigator of the negative impacts of climate change among youth, but the relationship between activism and youth well-being is an emerging area of research. To explore this relationship, this scoping review explored and synthesized available literature to inform the next steps. In addition to the community-level and society-level contributions that come from youth activism, there are also …

Application Of Informatics Tools To Facilitate The Practice Of Precision Medicine With Genomic Testing And Clinical Data, Michael Sayer

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

The practice of precision medicine considers a variety of sources of information to optimize patient care. Factors such as patient demographics, clinical history, and lab test values have well understood effects on treatment outcomes and influence decision making. However, effective inclusion of biomolecular data such as protein expression and DNA sequencing data within the practice of precision medicine needs continued study. Informatics tools offer solutions to allow these complex data sources to be effectively embraced. Utilization of informatics tools to visualize data pertaining to the gene selection practices of pharmacogenomic (PGx) tests effectively communicated large amounts of information into concise …

Surviving The Stigma: Incorporating Mental Health Literacy To Increase Help-Seeking In California First Responders, Yvonne C. Newson

Master's Projects and Capstones

First responders are at risk of developing mental health problems due to repeated exposure to traumatic incidents, increasing their chance of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide. Unfortunately, first responders do not recognize that they may have a mental illness and are reluctant to seek help. This paper will discuss the prevalence of mental health problems among first responders and the barriers to their help-seeking. These barriers include the stigma around mental illness within the culture, the assessability of professional help, and the lack of mental health literacy regarding their well-being. Further discussion will focus …

Validation Of The Occupational Depression Inventory In Brazil: A Study Of 1,612 Civil Servants, Renzo Bianchi, Danísio Calixto Cavalcante, Cristina Queirós, Blezi Daiana Menezes Santos, Jay Verkuilen, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Objective: The Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) assesses work-attributed depressive symptoms. The ODI has demonstrated robust psychometric and structural properties. To date, the instrument has been validated in English, French, and Spanish. This study examined the psychometric and structural properties of the ODI's Brazilian-Portuguese version.

Methods: The study involved 1612 civil servants employed in Brazil (MAGE = 44, SDAGE = 9; 60% female). The study was conducted online across all Brazilian states.

Results: Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) bifactor analysis indicated that the ODI meets the requirements for essential unidimensionality. The general factor accounted for 91% of the common variance extracted. …

Accuracy Of The Drug-Dependency Checkbox On The Maine Birth Certificate For Medicaid-Covered Births, 2016-2020, Julia Dudley Ba, Catherine Mcguire Bs, Apsara Kumarage Ba, Chinonye Anumaka Mph, Katherine Ahrens Phd

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: The accuracy of the drug-dependency checkbox on Maine birth certificates is unknown. Our objective was to compare the drug-dependency checkbox with information on substance use disorders (SUDs) documented in Medicaid claims.

Methods: Using rule-based deterministic matching, we linked Medicaid enrollment information to Maine birth-record data between 2016 and 2020 (N = 58 584). Among the linked records (n = 27 448), we identified maternal SUD diagnoses during the 280 days before through 7 days after delivery using ICD-CM-9/10 diagnosis codes. We used the following hierarchy to create mutually exclusive SUD categories: opioid use disorder (OUD), cannabis use disorder without …

Sustainable Management Of Facemask Waste Generated From Covid-19 Pandemic In Bhutan, Tshering Yangdon, Twisuk Punpeng, Sirima Mongkolosomit, Kampol Nanthapong, Kinzang Yangden

Journal of Health Research

Background: The rise in facemask waste with the uncertainty of deposition data and all its concomitant pressure on management has resulted in new risks and challenges for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to estimate facemask waste generation and examine management in Bhutan since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: One thousand five hundred and twenty-seventh (1,527) consenting members of the public from Class A Thromdes (self-governing municipalities) were surveyed online from February to April 2022, to estimate mask waste using descriptive statistics. This was supported by the waste characterization conducted in Memelhakha, the biggest …

Workers' Perceptions On The Tolerability Of Their Respirators In Malaysia, Muhammad Z. Yusof, Nor I. Mukhtar

Journal of Health Research

Background: Little is known about Malaysian workers' tolerance for respirators in the workplace. This study aimed to assess Malaysian workers' perceptions of respirator tolerability and its relationship to socio-demographics and compliance.

Method : This cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2021 among respirator users in the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. Background information and respirator compliance were collected using a structured online questionnaire. A R-COMFI questionnaire was used to measure respirator tolerability.

Results: This study recruited 340 participants, but only 278 of them met the inclusion criteria. More than half reported that wearing respirators was uncomfortable, impacted focus, …

Stress And Stress Coping Strategies Among Foreign Bachelor’S Medical Interns In Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Bma) Hospitals, Prakasit Wannapaschaiyong, Kraiwuth Kallawicha

Journal of Health Research

Background– Stress among medical personnel is crucial, as it can cause the adverse health outcome to individuals who suffer from the stress as well as their clinical practice performance, which may cause serious outcomes to patients. This study focuses on the interns who received their medical degree overseas because they may have more stress due to their required clinical work and license examination. We conducted our study to determine the stress level, coping strategies, and associated factors among foreign bachelor’s medical interns in Bangkok, Thailand.

Method – A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 49 interns from Bangkok Metropolitan …

Extreme Weather And Melioidosis: An Endemic Tropical Disease In Penampang District Of Sabah, Malaysia, Sam Froze Jiee, Kai Joo Lim, Daryl Sin Choon Vui, Dina Peter Marius, Nurul Syafiqah Illyana, Anisah Jantim

Journal of Health Research

Background: Melioidosis is a fatal, but preventable communicable disease that is endemic in several parts of the world, including the state of Sabah, Malaysia, which is located in the northern part of Borneo Island. Flooding is one of the most regular natural disasters affecting some parts of Malaysia, including Sabah. The main aim of this study was to determine if rainfall and floods were significant risk factors contributing to the substantial burden of melioidosis in the Penampang district from 2015 to 2020.

Method: We analyzed 64 culture-confirmed cases of melioidosis in the Penampang district, Sabah, between 2015 and 2020 to …

Public Health Officers’ Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, And Behavior After Covid-19 Vaccination In Thailand, Uyen Thi To Nguyen, Charuai Suwanbamrung, Cua Ngoc Le, Wichaya Janhom, Yanika Ratjaran, Alisara Khwansri

Journal of Health Research

Background: Public health officers (PHOs) are the frontline health workforce against the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and therefore need high immunity for protection. The application of the capability, opportunity, motivation, and behavior (COM-B) model aimed to 1) explore the level of COM-B for prevention and control of COVID-19, and 2) analyze the association between factors and behaviors for prevention and control of COVID-19 among PHOs at primary care units (PCUs) of seven provinces in southern Thailand.

Methods: The study design performed an analytical cross-sectional study using information from primary care units from July to September 2021. Data collection used multi-stage …

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: How Cultural Components Play A Role In Programs Tailored For Minority Youth, Sarah B. Maness

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Cultural tailoring of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs has been utilized as a way to reduce persisting racial and ethnic disparities. This study explored how cultural components are included in evidence-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs.

Methods: This study qualitatively assessed curricula of six federally supported evidence-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs specifically tailored for African American and/or Hispanic youth. Patterns were analyzed within and between programs by two independent coders.

Results: Cultural components fell into five major themes: cultural art forms, traditions, history, community, and language. The most commonly included area was traditions (i.e. values, pride).

Conclusions: Variations exist in …

Diabetes Self-Management Support Program In Predominantly Hispanic Faith Community Settings: A Pilot Study, Leah Carrillo, Summer R. Wilmoth, Raymundo Mendoza, Ashton Balarin, Meixia Pan, Elena Martinez,, Erica T. Sosa, Zenong Yin, Sarah Ullevig, Meizi He

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility, facilitators, barriers, and impact of adopting the Self-Management Resource Center Diabetes Self-Management Program (SMRC DSMP) on diabetes-related outcomes.

Methods: The SMRC DSMP was implemented in five churches in San Antonio, Texas. A single group pre-post-test design was used to evaluate program effect on improving T2D outcomes. The primary outcome was glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) and secondary outcomes included Self-Efficacy for Diabetes, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and patterns of eating and physical activity. Program feasibility, facilitators, and barriers were assessed through documentation and in-person interviews with participants.

Results: A total of 96 participants were …

Associated Factors With Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Screening Awareness In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama: A Comparison Among Three Types Of Crc Screening, Hee Yun Lee, Yan Luo, Chiahung Chou, Mi Hwa Lee, Marion Bennett

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: The present study aims to assess the levels of awareness of three types of CRC screening tests (FIT or FBOT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy) among African Americans living in the Black Belt area, and examine the factors associated with awareness of CRC screening tests among this population.

Methods: The current study utilized a survey research design. Univariate analysis was used to assess the awareness of three types of colorectal cancer screening: FIT or FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Three sets of logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with the awareness level of each of the three colorectal …

Advancing Health Equity In The Us Military, James D. Mancuso, John Young, Jennifer Rusiecki, Shauna Stahlman, Natasha Schvey, Toya Randolph, Candy Wilson, Catherine Witkop, Patrick Hyde, Althea Green, Patcho Santiago, Donald Shell, Tracy Sbrocco

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity are central to US national health objectives and the Military Health System’s “quadruple aim,” which has readiness as its core aim. Because military service members enjoy universal eligibility for health care, it is sometimes assumed that health disparities do not exist in the Department of Defense (DoD). However, while some studies have shown that disparities have been attenuated or eliminated in the DoD, others suggest that significant disparities remain. Reasons these disparities may remain include that universal eligibility for care does not necessarily result in equal to access to care, and that equal …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study: Examining Interprofessional Clinical Learning Experiences To Define The Essential Activities That Will Provide Student Transformation, James David Nash

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the interprofessional education clinical experiences that pharmacy preceptors provide to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students during the final year of training within four different academic institutions. The theory guiding this study was Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model (ELM) and its four components comprised of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. These experiences should incorporate all four components of the model to be true experiential learning events leading to transformation. An extensive literature review was provided to support the research. Transcendental phenomenology was the methodology used, as researchers were …