Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Chronic Physical Health Conditions Among Homeless, Nooshin Nikoo, Marjan Motamed, Mohammad Ali Nikoo, Verena Strehlau, Erika Neilson, Sahoo Saddicha, Michael Krausz

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

Objective: Morbidity and mortality among homeless individuals is higher than the general population. This study aims to determine the prevalence of current self-reported, chronic physical health conditions in a large sample of homeless people with sub-samples from shelters and street in British Columbia, Canada. Methods: Cross-sectional survey applying modified version of the ‘National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC)’ questionnaire in multiple sites in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Sample: Five hundred homeless individuals were surveyed between May and September of 2009. A person was defined as homeless if he/she had a …

American Muslim Health Disparities: The State Of The Medline Literature, Aasim I. Padela, Afrah Raza

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health disparities research rarely examines health outcomes by religious affiliation particularly within multi-ethnic minority communities.

Methods: Using a systematic strategy we searched the Medline literature to identify empiric studies that report on health disparities between American Muslims and non-Muslim groups residing in America. In addition to use religious affiliation descriptors for Muslim groups we utilized geographic and ethnicity terms such as “South Asian” or “Pakistani” as proxy terms to help uncover studies of American Muslims.

Results: 171 empirical studies were captured. South Asians and Arabs were the most commonly studied …

Investigating Barriers To Early Cancer Detection For Rural Indian Women: A Qualitative Analysis Of Cancer Outreach In Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Blair Burnett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines barriers to early detection for women’s specific cancers in rural India in and around Dehradun, Uttarakhand, within the framework of existing health outreach programs from tertiary hospitals in the state. The burden of cancer mortality within India is disproportionately affecting women living in rural populations considering the current health education and health care infrastructure in place. Barriers of knowledge, access to knowledge, economic condition, geography, and cultural norms are all examined within this study in the context of early cancer detection. National Indian health policy is currently framed to address the burden of cancer within India; however, …

Permanence And Picnic Tables Perceptions Of Maji Safi Group’S Disease Prevention Center At Shirati Kmt District Designated Hospital, Sarah Muskin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study conducted in Shirati village in the Rorya District of the Mara Region of Tanzania analyzed perspectives on the effectiveness of Maji Safi Group’s Disease Prevention Center at Shirati KMT District Designated Hospital. It took place from April 9th- 24th 2015. The sample frame was those affiliated with or using the Disease Prevention Centers resources. The sample populations were medical professional employed at Shirati Hospital (n = 15), Community Health Workers (n = 11) (CHWs) working for Maji Safi Group, and visitors (n = 113) to the Disease Prevention Center. This study utilized three main methods for data collection: …

Herbs, Home Medicine, And Self-Reliance: A Study On The Current Status Of Traditional Home Medicine In Idukki District, Kerala, Richard Gaunt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Home medical knowledge, or knowledge of how one’s surroundings can be used to maintain and restore health, can be an important tool for health self-sufficiency in rural places as well as for the ecological conservation of important plants and natural materials. The Indian state of Kerala has a rich heritage of traditional medicine, found in the historically inter-related forms of codified Ayurveda and folk knowledge. In Idukki district, a region of Kerala nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats, rural households engage in small-scale home-gardening and agroforestry, which in addition to providing nutritionally diverse food is a source of …

Childhood Obesity In School-Aged Children: A Public Health Crisis, Carrie St. Hilaire (Class Of 2015)

SHU Undergraduate Works

Childhood obesity is a public and community health problem with real and serious consequences. Public health (school) nurses are in prime positions to advance change by promoting healthy food choices, encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle, and educating children, families, and communities as to the benefits of these choices. Our children are our future, and by making lifestyle changes together we can move forward toward a healthier future for all.

Annual Report 2014, Forum Staff

National Health Policy Forum

This annual report describes the activities of the Forum during the 2014 calendar year, and provides a snapshot of our audience and resources.

Healthy Options: A Community-Based Program To Address Food Insecurity, Amy B. Dailey, Audrey Hess, Camille Horton, Emily Constantian, Salma Monani, Betsy Wargo, Kim Davidson, Kathy Gaskin

Center for Public Service Research

The objectives of this study are to better understand the lived experience of food insecurity in our community and to examine the impact of a community-based program developed to increase access to local, healthy foods. Participants were given monthly vouchers to spend at local farmers’ markets and invited to engage in a variety of community activities. Using a community-based participatory research framework, mixed methods were employed. Survey results suggest that most respondents were satisfied with the program and many increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. However, over 40% of respondents reported a higher level of stress over having enough money …

Using Neuroscience To Create A Paradigm Shift In Addiction Treatment And Theory, Tabitha E.H. Moses

Student Works

Drug abuse has long fascinated philosophers and scientists. Many different models have attempted to elucidate the mechanism behind drug addiction and analyze whether an addict has a choice in his behavior. The problem with these models is that they seem to suggest only two ways of viewing addiction. These models suggest either that a person cannot control his addiction and is therefore deserving of treatment, or that suggest a person can control their addictions and is not deserving of treatment, and instead needs threats of punishment to stop their behavior. I believe these approaches are too simplistic and do not …

The Impact Of Vaccine Hesitancy On The Polio Vaccine In South Asia, Leah Everist

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A disease that paralyzes hundreds of children each year, polio is incurable but also entirely preventable through vaccination. Though part of the reason some children are not reached for immunization is that they are in areas too volatile for healthcare workers to access, vaccine hesitancy is increasingly being recognized as an important player. The objective of this study is to ascertain the degree to which vaccine hesitancy affects polio vaccine campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the countries in South Asia where polio continues to be endemic, to assess the drivers behind hesitancy in this region, and to present recommendations for …

Babies First: Ensuring Proper Infant Nutrition During Emergencies, Abigail M. Alonso

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for an infant, living in all regions and cultures. Recommendations apply across the board, from developed nations to refugee camps, from women with HIV to those with time constraints regarding feeding. There also exists a complex relationship between corporations that provide BMS and the NGOs working to promote breastfeeding in emergency situations amongst vulnerable populations.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to expose breastfeeding promotion, using the Dadaab camps in Northeastern Kenya as a case study of IYCF programs and support of breastfeeding among low-literacy populations with an emphasis on women …

Comparing Lung Function Of Textile Workers With The Healthy Pakistani Population, Unaib Rabbani, Asaad Ahmed Nafees

Community Health Sciences

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare lung function of textile workers with healthy Pakistani population, compare predicted values based on the European Respiratory Society (ERS) equations with those based on the Pakistani equations, and to develop predictor equations for textile workers in Pakistan.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from two previous surveys where lung function of textile workers was compared with healthy Pakistani men. Spirometry was performed according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the lung function parameters and multivariate linear regression was used to develop predictor …

A Study Of Low Weight Bearing Exercise And Its Effect On Bone Density, Elizabeth Markle

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Exercise has been a proven key to maintaining overall good health. There are many benefits of exercise: improved blood flood and overall heart strength, stronger muscles, improved cardiovascular system and it actively works to prevent superfluous fat storage on the body (Bassuk, 2013). Among these benefits is also the improvement and strengthening of bones (Bassuk, 2013). Bone strength can also be referred to as bone density and is very important to a person’s overall health because it relates directly to skeletal strength, posture, factors that affect falling and consequentially the fracturing of bones (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, 2011). A higher …

The National Health Security Preparedness Index: Harnessing Evidence & Experience To Drive Improvement, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This presentation profiles the National Health Security Preparedness Index as a mechanism for measuring preparedness and resiliency levels across the U.S. Forthcoming enhancements in measurement and analytic methodologies will allow the Index to play heightened roles in informing policies and practices that protect the U.S. population from a broad range of hazards.

Teaching Health Centers: A Promising Approach For Building Primary Care Work Force For The 21 St Century, Leighton Ku, Fitzhugh Mullan, Christine Cerrano, Zoe Barber, Peter Shin

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Obesity And Estimated Medical And Work Loss Costs Attributable To High Bmi: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study, Khurram Nasir, Emir Veledar, Chukwuemeka Osondu, Ehimen Aneni, Oluseye Ogunmoroti, Sankalp Das, Maribeth Rouseff, Thinh Tran, Don Parris, Leah Holzwarth, Henry Guzman, Theodore Feldman, Michael Ozner, Jonathan Fialkow, Bernie Fernandez, Jack Ziffer, Arthur Agatston

All Publications

No abstract provided.

How Far Will They Go?: Assessing The Travel Distance Of Current And Former Drug Users To Access Harm Reduction Services, Sean Allen, Monica S. Ruiz, Allison O'Rourke

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background

Prior research has explored spatial access to syringe exchange programs (SEPs) among people who inject drugs (PWID), but little is known about service utilization by former PWID who continue to access services (e.g., HIV screenings and referrals for social services) at harm reduction providers. The purpose of this research is to examine differences in access to SEPs between current and former PWID seeking services at a mobile SEP in Washington, DC.

Findings

A geometric point distance estimation technique was applied to data collected as part of a PWID population estimation study that took place in Washington, DC, in March …

Community Health Centers: A 2013 Profile And Prospects As Aca Implementation Proceeds, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Zoe Barber, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Julia Paradise

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

In 2013, more than 1,200 federally funded community health centers provided access to care for low-income populations living in medically underserved communities throughout the country. The Affordable Care Act made expansion of health centers a key part of its strategy for ensuring that these communities would realize the benefits of increased health insurance coverage for their residents. As health insurance coverage expands under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the demand for primary care increases, the role of health centers is likely to increase. A key question going forward is whether health centers’ expanded capacity, developed over the past five …

Sociocultural And Structural Factors Contributing To Delays In Treatment For Children With Severe Malaria: A Qualitative Study In Southwestern Uganda, Radhika Sundararajan, Juliet Mwanga-Amumpaire, Harriet Adrama, Jackline Tumuhairwe, Sheilla Mbabazi, Kenneth Mworozi, Ryan W. Carroll, David Bangsberg, Yap Boum Ii, Norma C. Ware

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Malaria is a leading cause of pediatric mortality, and Uganda has among the highest incidences in the world. Increased morbidity and mortality are associated with delays to care. This qualitative study sought to characterize barriers to prompt allopathic care for children hospitalized with severe malaria in the endemic region of southwestern Uganda. Minimally structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with guardians of children admitted to a regional hospital with severe malaria. Using an inductive and content analytic approach, transcripts were analyzed to identify and define categories that explain delayed care. These categories represented two broad themes: sociocultural and structural factors. Sociocultural …

Reflections And Projections: Prevention, Policy And Health, Drew Harris Dpm, Mph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.