Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Barriers In Health Care Leading To High Maternal Mortality Rates In Southern New Jersey, Katarina Rusinak, Muznah Khan, Ava Dinardo, Nayarith Lopez

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Maternal mortality remains a significant issue in New Jersey, particularly in the Southern counties where rates are alarmingly high. This study investigates barriers faced by mothers in these areas, utilizing data from state health departments, as well as the CDC. Findings reveal clear disparities in healthcare access and resources, exacerbated by high poverty and rural settings. Proposed interventions include educational posters and community workshops to empower expecting mothers and families. However, challenges such as low attendance and limited effectiveness of interventions underscore the need for comprehensive, sustainable solutions to tackle maternal mortality in Southern New Jersey.

Community Healthcare Workers (Chw) High-Risk Stabilization Study: Does The Ability Of Chws At Mobile Covid Clinics To Link Patients With Uncontrolled Diabetes To A Physician Improve Short Term Outcomes?, Mo Hadaya, Venkateswar Venkataraman, Jaimy D. Jabon, Kenneth W. Stagliano, Richard T. Jermyn

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Uncontrolled diabetes may cause preventable but significant effects. One major preventative measure is early screening; there are hopes that community healthcare workers can increase awareness and screening availability, especially in underserved populations. We hosted and recorded logs of patients at mobile COVID health clinics, educating those with uncontrolled diabetes and connecting them to healthcare. We then looked to see if any patients had improvements in blood glucose to non-diabetic levels. 378 patients were logged, but only 138 were in events that had a significant amount of repeat visits. Twenty-five of them had blood sugar indicative of uncontrolled diabetes. Out of …

The Effects Of Sleep Quality, Covariates And A Possible Intervention, Pranav S. Reddy, Mia Tarditi, Adarsh Gupta, Richard Jermyn, Venkat Venkataraman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Sleep is an essential biological process needed to maintain adequate physiologic function. Research has provided growing evidence that chronic failure to get enough sleep is associated with increased risk for obesity, depression, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Sleep deprivation is threatening the health of up to 45% of the world's population. Furthermore, sleep disorders were found to be associated with significantly higher rates of health care utilization and cost, accounting for $94.9 billion in costs each year in the United States. Earlier data from this project demonstrated a correlation between sleep quality and pain. METHODS: Patients were recruited …

A Novel Approach To Hiv Testing: Group Harm Reduction And Testing For High Risk Women In Nj, Gabrianna A. Andrews

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Outreach programs have been implemented aimed at providing healthcare to minority populations and those considered high-risk for acquiring HIV. Variables such as these cause hesitance in community members, preventing HIV screenings and adherence to follow-ups. This study provides and evaluates a new approach: group HIV testing. Data was collected from 6/2/2023 to 4/19/2024 by surveying participants at the end of the interaction. 87.5% of participants rated their care at the mobile clinic as ‘Excellent’, 8% as ‘Very Good’, and 4.5% as ‘Good’. 95.6% of participants ranked Group Harm Reduction Counseling as ‘Definitely’ helpful. 84.4% of participants did not find that …

Sunscreen Cost And Its Effect On Skin Cancer In Low-Income Communities: A Systemic Review, John Sauer

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This research examines the pivotal connection between sunscreen affordability and its impact on skin cancer prevalence, especially in low-income communities. Despite universal dermatological recommendations for daily sunscreen use, stringent criteria contribute to elevated prices, averaging around $10 for a 6 oz unit. This financial strain is compounded for families adhering to recommended application rates, leading to significant economic burdens. Outdoor laborers, less likely to follow guidelines, face heightened risks. Government programs' excluding sunscreen costs further exacerbate challenges for low-income communities, contributing to increased skin cancer incidence. This review aims to establish a correlation between sunscreen cost and skin cancer rates, …

Case Report: Babesiosis Presenting To The Emergency Department, Daniel M. Zaayenga, Daniel A. Weeks

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Babesiosis is a tick-borne illness caused by the parasitic protozoa Babesia transmitted by the Ixodes tick. Babesia infect the red blood cell of its host and requires the cell for its replication. It is a disease process that can range from asymptomatic infection to organ failure and death. This case presentation reviews a 68-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with flu like symptoms and was found to have babesiosis.

Barriers To Healthcare Access Between English And Spanish Speakers In An Underserved Population, Adeena Javed, Dale Johnson, Gerardo J. Rivera-Colón, Nathaniel J. Byrnes, Kristin Bertsch, Anne C. Jones

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• According to the NJ State Department of Health, Atlantic County has higher rates of smoking, respiratory disease, hypercholesterolemia, as well as death rates due to coronary heart disease, HIV, and all cancers compared to the NJ state average1,2.

• With over 20% of Atlantic County's population identifying as Hispanic, Spanish speakers encounter greater obstacles compared to their English-speaking counterparts in accessing healthcare services and improving health outcomes1,2 .

• Existing research indicates that various factors, including health insurance coverage, proximity to healthcare facilities, transportation options, health literacy levels, and trust in the medical profession, significantly influence access to healthcare …

Community Health Worker: High Risk Stabilization Study, Benjamin Infosino, Richard Jermyn, Jaimy Jabon

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Hypertension is a common health concern among Americans of all age groups. Unregulated hypertension can lead to complications such as atherosclerosis that contributes to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The identification of individuals with hypertensive blood pressures allows for the targeted distribution of health management advice and resources.

Methods: Blood Pressure measurements are obtained by Community Health Workers at public events through free health screenings

Results: Assessing the efficacy of CHW’s efforts to direct high-risk individuals to proper resources for control of their blood pressure relies on the presence of follow up BP measurements that can …

Cut The Pressure: Blood Pressure Screening In A Community Based Setting, Harold Kareem Knight Jr., Katharine Milani

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This study addresses the pressing issue of cardiovascular health disparities in African American males through community-based interventions, specifically blood pressure screenings and surveys conducted in a local barbershop setting. Despite a preference among participants for clinical settings, an overwhelming 97.7% expressed high comfort levels in the community-based environment, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in healthcare delivery. With 92.5% indicating willingness to return for future screenings, the study underscores the efficacy of non-traditional settings in fostering healthcare engagement. Findings suggest the potential for broader impact through scalable, community-centric initiatives, offering promising avenues for improving health outcomes in underserved populations.

A Nursing Point Of View: Investigating The Causes Of Medical Errors And Strategies For Prevention, Lauren Shillo

University Honors College

Bedside nursing is more of an art then what is seen or heard of from news articles or stories depicting a day in the life of a healthcare worker. “250,000 people die every year from medical errors, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States” (James, 2013). While there is no definitive answer or clear-cut solution to avoiding medical errors within nursing practice, indefinitely, there are possible ways to greatly reduce the effects and harm that accidental human errors have within the world of medicine. Through time, thousands of new policies and protocols have evolved from …

The Threshold Of Rural Placement Frequency And Duration: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Examining Rural Career Aspirations Among Student Nurses, Daniel Terry, Blake Peck, Jessica Elliott, Leah East, Liz Ryan, Ed Baker, David Schmitz

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aim: This study aimed to explore what changes rural placement had on the perceptions of nursing students and the impact of placement frequency and duration on student considerations for rural practice.

Background: A strong rural healthcare workforce is a global concern and has led countries to look for creative ways to address this challenge. One approach is to train more health professionals, however, nursing students who grew up or lived in metropolitan or urbanised areas are suggested to be less inclined to pursue a rural career. As such it is posited that recurrent exposure to rural settings may exert a …

Evaluation Of Community Healthcare Workers Of Faith-Based Workers In Northern Omaha, Ashley Piwkiewicz

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) developed a training and certificate program for Community Health Workers (CHWs) in faith-based organizations in Northern Omaha. Each recruited trainee developed an experimental program they implemented in their faith-based community. This research study aims to explore and analyze the implementation of these programs in the community, the effects that these programs have on the community, and the extent to which the goals of the CHWs' implemented programs were met.

To achieve this, data was collected through a 41-question survey administered via REDCap to 12 CHW trainees. Descriptive statistics of this data were analyzed …

Identifying Barriers To Healthcare Access And Utilization Experienced By Lgbtq+ Adults With Chronic Diseases Through The Lens Of The Social Ecological Model, Devin Mottier

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The purpose of this literature review is to comprehensively examine and synthesize existing research on present barriers to health access and utilization that contribute to the disparities in chronic disease prevalence within the adult LGBTQ+ population. In the context of this review, the social-ecological model (SEM) was used to describe the nuanced and multifaceted nature of healthcare access and utilization. This literature review was based upon the following question: ‘Using the social-ecological model, what are the barriers to health access and utilization that contribute to high rates of chronic disease in LGBTQ+ adults?’ Outcome measures of interest included the following …

Examining The Impact Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Screening Compliance In The United States And The Potential Of Targeted Interventions., Jessica Ware

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives:

Examine Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening compliance among racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US) based on the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations.

Identify targeted interventions to promote screening compliance, early diagnosis, and CRC survivorship.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized 165,878 selected participant responses from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We modeled and investigated CRC screening compliance based on the USPSTF recommendations as inclusion criteria between racial/ethnic groups in the US while adjusting for covariates using a weighted stepwise logistic regression.

Results: With covariates adjustment, Hispanics (POR 1.16 95%CI 1.04-1.29), Asian …

Examining The Relationship Between Deafness And Mental Health Status: An Analysis Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss) 2022, Brianna Stroud-Williams

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: The objective of the research is to examine the association between mental health status as measured by number of mentally healthy days in the past month and deafness and binge drinking.

Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study was conducted via telephone survey in 50 states, including the District of Columbia and US territories. The sample size is 402,156 participants. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regressions, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval were used to measure the data.

Results: Deaf respondents have 1.56 times the odds of having poor mental health than those who are not deaf. (95% …

Does Appearance Matter? The Relationship Of Perceived Body Size And Physical Appearance On Students' Attraction To Physical Activity At Recess, Danielle Belcher

Master's Theses

Drastic declines in recess physical activity (PA) have been observed within recent years (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2017). Due to recess’ discretionary nature, psychosocial variables associated with PA are predictors of students’ PA levels. Recess is also a time of heightened bullying occurrences (Vaillancourt et al., 2010). Appearance-based bullying is the most common type of victimization that occurs in schools, transpiring more often in children with larger body max indexes (BMI), and possibly altering students’ physical self-perceptions. Physical self-perceptions have been shown to impact PA motivation, however, it is still unknown the extent to which appearance-based bullying, body size, …

Social Influences On Quitting E-Cigarette Use: A Mixed Method Analysis, Olivia Peterson, Page Dobbs

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social Influences on Quitting E-Cigarette Use: A Mixed Method Analysis

Page Dobbs, Olivia Peterson, Erin Arthur, Jessica Seymore, Jenn Veilleux, Robert Davis, Mance Buttram, Mufazzela Tabassum

Words: 250/250

Introduction. Young adult e-cigarette users report peers as a reason for using these products; however, it is unclear how social influences are associated with attempting to quit e-cigarettes. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the relationship between social factors and quitting e-cigarettes.

Methods. E-cigarette users from a large southern university were recruited to take part in an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods study. First, participants (n=423) completed a cross-sectional survey about …

Targeted Accurate Rna Consensus Sequencing (Tarc-Seq) Reveals Mechanisms Of Replication Error Affecting Sars-Cov-2 Divergence, Catherine C Bradley, Chen Wang, Alasdair J E Gordon, Alice X Wen, Pamela N Luna, Matthew B Cooke, Brendan F Kohrn, Scott R Kennedy, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Pedro A Piedra, Olivier Lichtarge, Chad A Shaw, Shannon E Ronca, Christophe Herman

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, depend on their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) for replication, which is error-prone. Monitoring replication errors is crucial for understanding the virus’s evolution. Current methods lack the precision to detect rare de novo RNA mutations, particularly in low-input samples such as those from patients. Here, we introduce a new targeted Accurate RNA Consensus sequencing method (tARC-seq) to accurately determine the mutation frequency and types in SARS-CoV-2, both in cell culture and clinical samples. Our findings show an average of 2.68×10−5 new errors per cycle with a C>T bias that cannot be solely attributed to APOBEC …

A Multimodal Approach To Decreasing Hesitancy Of The Influenza Vaccine In The Family Care Setting, Carley J. Ellenberger

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The uptake of the influenza vaccine is the most effective and proactive action an individual can take to defend themselves against the influenza outbreak each season; therefore, it is recommended that everyone at least six months of age and older should receive the annual flu vaccine (CDC, 2022; WHO, 2023). Unfortunately, influenza vaccine hesitancy is demonstrated on a global level affecting the uptake compliance annually each influenza season despite the millions of people that experience influenza symptoms annually (CDC, 2022, WHO, n.d.; Healthy People 2030, n.d.). The PICOT question for this project was in adults, over the age of 18, …

Stopping The Bleed At Uri, Emily Lefebre

Senior Honors Projects

The number one cause of preventable death is uncontrolled bleeding from traumatic injury. From the unlikely scenario of a school shooting, to a campus car accident or an injury during a sports or club event, possessing skills to effectively stop a life-threatening bleed becomes a matter of life or death. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) STOP THE BLEED® program is a campaign to teach communities how to respond effectively and efficiently to life-threatening bleeding in emergencies. STOP THE BLEED® aims to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to stop severe bleeding by tourniquet application, …