Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Childhood Trauma, A Cycle Of Violence: Worcester, Ma, Samantha Arsenault

Sustainability and Social Justice

This research examines the relationship between childhood trauma, indicated by early police contact, and the probability of later negative life experiences, including involvement in and perpetration of violence, criminal activity and gang involvement for men age 0-27 in Worcester, MA. This research was conducted using probit and tobit regression analysis using the Worcester Police Dataset. This study shows a positive and highly statistically significant correlation between childhood trauma and gang involvement as well as involvement in violence, perpetration of violence, and the number of incidents of violence. This suggests that a crisis intervention for childhood trauma, including witness-based childhood trauma, …

Evaluation Of Protein Source At Breakfast On Energy Metabolism, Metabolic Health, And Food Intake: A Pilot Study, Lauren A. Cambias

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Over 30% of adults in the US are obese. A primary contributor to obesity is an unhealthy diet related to imbalanced macronutrients. Diets higher in protein (PRO) are associated with increased energy expenditure (EE) and reduced food intake. The objective of this pilot study was to determine if protein source at breakfast influences EE in young men (n=4; ages 18-35). Participants consumed three isocaloric (whey (WP), pea (PP), beef (BP); 275 kcal, 62% PRO, 23% CHO, 15% Fat) drinks in randomized, crossover design with a one-week washout period. Each test day EE, appetite, and cravings were assessed at 0, …

Health Information Exchange: A Strategy For Improving Access For Rural Veterans In The Maine Flex Rural Veterans Health Access, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ma, Amanda Burgess Mppm, John A. Gale Ms, Andrew F. Coburn Phd, Anush Yousefian Hansen Ms, Ma

Access / Insurance

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a first-in-the nation project to expand rural veterans’ access to healthcare by establishing a bi-directional connection between Maine’s statewide health information exchange (HIE) and Veterans Administration facilities and centers. The paper reviews key factors that have contributed to implementation challenges and successes and lessons relevant to efforts to create interoperable health IT systems across multiple, complex organizational settings.

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents: An Educational Intervention, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

The Behavioral Addiction Indoor Tanning Screener (Baits): An Evaluation Of A Brief Measure Of Behavioral Addictive Symptoms, Jerod L. Stapleton, Joel J. Hillhouse, Rob Turrisi, Katie Baker, Sharon L. Manne, Elliot J. Coups

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Population Health Improvement Through Coordination Of Care, Trevey Davis

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The objective of this Capstone Project is to work with the Mercy Gap in Care Coordinators (GCCs) to document the value of the care coordination at Mercy Health System. A key element of this project was to develop a workflow diagram alongside the GCC in order to track patient outcomes. Additionally, the team developed a system for documenting patient outcomes that is crucial to measuring the impact of care coordination. From the data collected there are a number of outcomes that can be measured. The number of patients who are contacted for screening is measurement of patient experience. Following initial …

Assessing The Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In Health Promotion, Troylyn Braud Francis

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Objective: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship between organizational readiness (OR) and weight loss and physical activity outcomes among faith-based organizations (FBOs).

Methods: Data for this study were collected in two phases. Phase I data were based on a feasibility study and targeted African-American individuals (N = 55) who participated in an obesity prevention program. The intervention was accomplished in two stages, which included a 10-week core period followed by a 6-month maintenance period. Phase II data were based on key informant interviews that were conducted with community health leaders (CHLs) (N=6) from participating …

Leveling The Playing Field Through Partnerships And Collaboration : Neighborhood Revitalizations And The Influence Of Social Determinants Of Health And Institutional Logics., J. M. Bohn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative study guided by grounded theory was on a Midwest US city (population > 50,000 people), three of its inner city neighborhoods, and community coalition and partnership efforts in neighborhood revitalizations. A two-phase semi-structured interview methodology assessed interviewees’ experiences in initiatives focused on improving social determinants of health in the neighborhoods. Phase I interviews (n= 11) identified the spectrum of partnerships and initiatives while Phase II interviews (n=28) captured detailed experiences of interviewees. Inter-institutional systems and institutional logics theory were applied in the post-data collection analysis. Interviewees were from public and private sectors including: built environment, economic development, residential/commercial property …

An Evaluation Of Factors Which Can Affect The Implementation Of A Health Promotion Programme Under The Schools For Health In Europe Framework, Annemarie Bennett, Cara Cunningham, Charlotte Johnston Molloy

Articles

The Health Promoting Schools concept helps schools to promote health in a sustainable and long-term fashion. However, developing the capacity to promote health in this way can be challenging when a busy teaching curriculum must be fulfilled. This study aimed to identify factors which affect the acceptability of health promotion programmes to the everyday school environment.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were audio-taped with primary school teachers in one Irish county and transcribed verbatim. The resulting transcripts were analysed using content analysis.

Thirty-one teachers were interviewed. The factors which may adversely affect the acceptability of health promotion programmes include the: attitude of …

Using An Online Learning Module In A Nursing Program To Improve Knowledge And Skills To Prevent Falls In The Community Dwelling Older Adult Population, Susan Kane Patton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nationally, 28.4% of older adults fall each year. Falls and resulting injury result in decreased mobility, functional impairment, loss of independence, and increased mortality. Utilization of evidence based protocols by providers to identify older adults at risk of falling is limited and rates of participation by older adults in prevention activities is low. Because of nursing’s increasing role in caring for older adults, development of fall prevention education for nursing students would result in increased awareness of the need for fall prevention in community dwelling older adults and increased access of older adults to falls risk assessment. There is a …

Comparative Efficacy Of Foaming And Non-Foaming Handsoap In Reduction Of Microorganisms In Handwashing, Danielle Marie Conover

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Handwashing (HW) is a long established method to prevent disease transmission. Ensuring effectiveness of current HW methods is essential for optimal HW and enhanced disease prevention. The objectives of this research were to 1) conduct a survey of soap type and volume in food service establishments in Washington County, Arkansas; 2) investigate how soap type impacts HW behavior; and 3) determine the difference in microbial reduction between foaming (F) and liquid (L) handsoap. For Objective 1, food service establishments in Washington County, AR were selected based on exclusion criteria and random number generations, and handsoap samples were collected to determine …

Psychological And Sociocultural Influences Of Current And Historical Intimate Partner Violence In Pregnancy, Cindy D. Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.5 million women are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) each year, and 324,000 of these women are pregnant (2013). Research on the predictability of certain factors and their relationship to current and historical IPV is limited. In order to better understand IPV as it related to a sample of 1,016 Appalachian pregnant women selected for the Tennessee Interventions for Pregnant Smokers (TIPS), it was important to evaluate various influences that may predict the prevalence of IPV in this population when compared to the State of Tennessee and the U.S. …

Women And Healthcare In Appalachia: Impeding Circumstance And The Role Of Technology, Ashley Cano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, healthcare access and quality in central and southern Appalachia have trailed the rest of the country. Entrenched poverty and low educational attainment compound healthcare problems. This study examines the healthcare obstacles women encounter in southern and central Appalachia and analyzes how technology use, such as Internet searching and social media affect women’s healthcare decisions. Data were analyzed from four focus groups conducted with women from the region. Results indicate that seeing a physician or not did not influence women’s propensity to search the Internet for health-related information or to seek support through social media sites. Additionally, women reported …

Biosand Water Filter Evaluation: Meta-Evaluation And Pilot Study Of Field Use Indicators, Bethesda O'Connell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diarrheal diseases are a global public health burden, killing 1.8 million people annually. Diarrhea disproportionately affects children and those in poverty. Most diarrheal cases can be prevented through safe drinking water, basic hygiene and/or sanitation measures, with drinking water interventions having the most impact on reducing diarrheal disease. A meta-evaluation was completed of studies evaluating a specific household water treatment method, the biosand water filter. Results from the meta-evaluation illustrate that biosand water filters improve drinking water quality and reduce diarrheal disease. However, there is no generally agreed upon field method for determining biosand water filter effectiveness that is useable …

Juvenile Justice—Translational Research On Interventions For Adolescents In The Legal System (Jj-Trials): A Cluster Randomized Trial Targeting System-Wide Improvement In Substance Use Services, Danica K. Knight, Steven Belenko, Tisha Wiley, Angela A. Robertson, Nancy Arrigona, Michael Dennis, John P. Bartkowski, Larkin S. Mcreynolds, Jennifer E. Becan, Hannah K. Knudsen, Gail A. Wasserman, Eve Rose, Ralph Diclemente, Carl G. Leukefeld, Jj-Trials Cooperative

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this paper is to describe the Juvenile Justice—Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS) study, a cooperative implementation science initiative involving the National Institute on Drug Abuse, six research centers, a coordinating center, and Juvenile Justice Partners representing seven US states. While the pooling of resources across centers enables a robust implementation study design involving 36 juvenile justice agencies and their behavioral health partner agencies, co-producing a study protocol that has potential to advance implementation science, meets the needs of all constituencies (funding agency, researchers, partners, study sites), and can be implemented …

Tuberculosis And Local Health Department Expenditures On Tuberculosis Services, Michelle P. Yip, Betty Bekemeier

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Background: Although tuberculosis (TB) morbidity and mortality have decreased in recent decades, challenges exist regarding disproportionate distributions of TB among specific populations and geographic areas. Inconsistent local health department (LHD) funding for TB programs poses difficulties for LHDs to sustain resources and personnel that predisposes communities to risks of future outbreaks of TB and drug-resistant TB diseases.

Purpose: This study examined relationships between annual TB incidence rates and LHD expenditures on TB-related services to elucidate potential impacts of TB incidence on LHD TB spending.

Methods: This dataset included county-level TB incidence data with comparable, annual (2000–2010) TB-related service expenditures for …

Redefining Medicine: The Epistemology, Political Theory, And Phenomenology Of Health And Disease, Jacqline J. Murillo

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This thesis argues that health needs to be redefined in a more comprehensive fashion, namely as a physiological/biological state, with social, environmental, and individual determinants always related to one’s personal needs to achieve one’s life plan. The benefits of this new definition include more emphasis on the distribution of health as a social good.

Additionally, redefining health puts the value of the individual’s life rather than the strict monetary value of their needed treatment as a focal point. It also draws more attention to medicine as a practice of care, rather than viewing it simply as a technology or science, …

Geographic Distribution Of Maternal Group B Streptococcus Colonization And Infant Death During Birth Hospitalization: Eastern Wisconsin, Jessica J. F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Kiley B. Vander Wyst, Melissa A. Lemke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Maternal group B Streptococcus (GBS) can be transmitted from a colonized mother to newborn during vaginal delivery and may or may not contribute to infant death. This study aimed to explore the geographic distribution and risk factors of maternal GBS colonization and infant death during birth hospitalization.

Methods

We retrospectively studied mothers with live birth(s) in a large eastern Wisconsin hospital system from 2007 through 2013. Associations between maternal and neonatal variables, GBS colonization and infant death were examined using chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U and t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression models also were developed.

Results

Study population (N = 99,305) had …

Epidemiology Crucial To Cracking Elizabethkingia Crisis, Angela Tonozzi

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author explains the epidemiological methods, tools and personnel required to pinpoint the source of Wisconsin’s 2016 outbreak of Elizabethkingia infections.

Quantifying Syringe Exchange Program Operational Space In The District Of Columbia., Sean T. Allen, Monica Ruiz, Jeff Jones

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective structural interventions for HIV prevention among persons who inject drugs. In 2000, a buffer zone policy (the 1000 Foot Rule) was implemented in Washington, DC, that prohibited SEP operations within 1000 feet of schools. We examined changes in the amount of legal SEP operational space over time. We used data pertaining to school operations and their approximate physical property boundaries to quantify the impact of the 1000 Foot Rule on legal SEP operational space from its implementation in 2000-2013. Adherence to the 1000 Foot Rule reduced SEP operational space by more than 50 % …