Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

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 …

The Moderating Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Walkability On The Efficacy Of Physical Activity Interventions, Analisa Vavoso, Vincent Berardi, Marc A. Adams

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

To enable physical activity (PA) interventions to better tailor procedures to participant characteristics, we investigated the role of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and walkability on the differential effectiveness of adaptive versus static activity goals (AG vs. SG) and immediate versus delayed (IR vs. DR) reinforcement in a PA trial.

Data was collected as a part of the WalkIT Arizona study, where healthy, inactive adults (n = 512) were instructed to wear an accelerometer daily for one year and were provided with daily goals for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The intersection of goal types (adaptive and static) as well as reinforcement types …

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, …

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, …

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 …

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, …

Community Health Assessment Collaboration: Implementing A Joint Assessment Between A Healthcare System And A Local Health Department, Briar L. Deen

Dissertations: Doctor of Public Health

Non-profit hospitals and local health departments (LHDs) often complete community health assessments (CHAs) to help understand the needs of their community and develop implementation strategies to address the community needs. Hospitals and LHDs in the same community often develop separate CHAs with similar results leading to overlap in work and funds. This project aimed to address this issue in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by convening one local health department, Denton County Public Health, and one non-profit healthcare system, Texas Health Resources, to leverage resources from each other to build a joint CHA. The Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships …

Exploring The Correlates And Predictors Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Uptake Among People Living With Hiv/Aids In Tennessee, Charles Olomofe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background

The administration of the COVID-19 vaccines has met with resistance and hesitance from different population groups including people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It is concerning to know that PLWHAs are showing a higher rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy than the general population. The objective of this study is to synthesize the literature and determine the correlates and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using primary and secondary data.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to identify and summarize studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Extension for …

Mda Foundation: Mda Foundation Grant Helps Huda Clinic Celebrate 20 Years Of Service, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

MDA Foundation Director discusses the 20th anniversary of HUDA Clinic, Detroit's largest free clinic, providing crucial medical, dental, and mental health services to the uninsured. Supported by a $10,000 grant from the MDA Foundation, HUDA plans to expand dental services due to overwhelming demand, aiming to provide daily care. They seek volunteers and donations to meet the significant need, especially for dentures. Expansion plans include collaboration with local dental schools and community colleges.

Reimaging Safety After Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration Of Survivors' Experiences With Formal And Informal Crisis Response Networks., Hallie Ruth Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a highly prevalent public health and human rights concern impacting communities across the United States. SV is associated with a myriad of adverse physical, reproductive, sexual, mental, behavioral, financial, and social health outcomes which may be acute or chronic. Health challenges associated with post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder are particularly common among victims and survivors of SV. Engagement in early psychological/psychosocial intervention strategies may prevent or reduce PTSD-related symptomatology after experiencing an SV encounter. Despite the availability of crisis response and support options to support individuals who have experienced SV, significant barriers exist across social …

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 …