Epidemiology Commons^™

Looking Upstream For Factors Influencing Mental Illness In A Low-Resource Setting, Adewole Adebola Adefalu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An investigation into the upstream determinants of mental disorders could provide insight into pathways by which these risk factors could relate to different groups of mental illness. The study was a quantitative inquiry using constructs within the Rothman’s sufficient and component cause framework to examine the pathways existing between upstream risk factors for schizophrenic and mood disorders. The study population was drawn from a convenience sample of clients accessing services at the psychiatry departments of a secondary mental health institution in North-Central Nigeria. The mean age of the participants in this study was 35.5years. The majority were males (53.4%), single …

Predictors Of Glycemic Control Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients In Owerri, Nigeria, Jideuma Ikenna Egwim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant public health concern globally and in Owerri, Nigeria. The deleterious effects of diabetes have been linked to poor glycemic control. According to the International Diabetes Federation, poor glycemic control is reflected in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels greater than 7.0%, which are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown a dramatic rise in diabetic complications in Nigeria, particularly in Owerri. However, evidence is lacking on specific risk factors associated with poor glycemic control among DM patients in Owerri. With health insurance assuming a significant position in healthcare service delivery in Nigeria, addressing this …

Risk Factors Of Infant Mortality Among Sub-Saharan Immigrants In The United States, Roland Lankah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), and birthplace have been suggested to play a key role in predicting infant mortality outcomes, they have not been thoroughly investigated across all races/ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between prepregnancy BMI, GWG, birthplace as independent variables, and infant mortality as the outcome variable within the United States Sub-Saharan African Immigrants (SSAI). A quantitative cross-sectional study design grounded in the biopsychosocial model was used. Data were extracted from the 2017-2018 natality-linked birth/infant death file from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder Database. It …

Risk Factors Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Among Adults In Alabama, Peter Okeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 21stcentury Diabetes mellitus is recognized as one of the most important public

health challenges that carry a substantial individual and community burden.

It is necessary to do a detailed search regarding DM2 from adolescence till adulthood is in

Alabama which should aim to provide recent information. T2D is influenced by a many

factors including demographics including age, sex, income level, educational, BMI,

physical activities, etc. Identification of the associated risk factors is very important to

inform decision making by concerned bodies and T2D management. The study aimed to

examine the risk factors associated with T2D in adults aged …

Identifying Factors Associated With Syringe Reuse Among People Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) In Appalachia Kentucky, Grayson Keith Fuller

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Aim: Syringe reuse contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with syringe reuse among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kentucky.

Methods: PWID (n=238) completed interviewer-administered questionnaires to collect data on syringe reuse and demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics. Negative log binomial regression was used to model the associations.

Results: On average, people reused each syringe 9.3 times (median: 3; IQR: 2-10, range 1-95). Syringe reuse was higher among men [aOR=1.386; 95% CI: 1.041-1.845] and those who injected methamphetamine [aOR=2.122; 95% CI: 1.445-3.116]. Reuse was also higher among those who …

Papanicolaou (Pap) Test And Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Test Adherence: Sexual Violence Victims And Fear Of Retraumatization, Murielle Sighe Ngoumkam

CGU Theses & Dissertations

To include all vulnerable women population who faced barriers to participating in preventive cervical cancer screening, the public health community must better understand the factors that affect their decision for getting Pap and HPV tests. Public health must understand the sexual violence victims, a subgroup of women who faced the onset of trauma and explore their adherence to routine screening. This study investigated whether sexual women with a history of sexual violence (SV), likelihood to get screened for cervical cancer would be impacted given the fear of suffering from secondary trauma during conventional screening procedures. Methods: Knowledge of cervical screening …

Major Depressive Disorder And Perceived Everyday Discrimination Among The Jamaican Diaspora In The United States., Warren Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Overt racial discrimination in the United States has been supplanted by subtle forms of everyday discrimination known as microaggressions. Researchers have found perceived everyday discrimination (PED) to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) among African Americans but have often treated the African American subpopulation as a homogeneous group. The purpose of this cross-sectional study grounded in the theory of microaggression was to illuminate probable associations between microaggressions based on weight, age, gender, ethnicity, and race and lifetime MDD among the Jamaican diaspora in the United States. Secondary data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiologic Surveys were analyzed. Statistically significant associations …

Humidity Reduces Rapid And Distant Airborne Dispersal Of Viable Viral Particles In Classroom Settings, Antun Skanata, Fabrizio Spagnolo, Molly Metz, Davida S. Smyth, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

The transmission of airborne pathogens is considered to be the main route through which a number of known and emerging respiratory diseases infect their hosts. While physical distancing and mask wearing may help mitigate short-range transmission, the extent of long-range transmission in closed spaces where a pathogen remains suspended in the air remains unknown. We have developed a method to detect viable virus particles by using an aerosolized bacteriophage Phi6 in combination with its host Pseudomonas phaseolicola, which when seeded on agar plates acts as a virus detector that can be placed at a range of distances away from an …

Health Department Prevention/Education Plans And Perceived Risks Of Zika Infection, Lacey Jacques

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractZika virus is an infectious disease caused by the bite of an infected mosquito that has been linked to increased rates of microcephaly and other devastating birth defects. The existing body of knowledge has focused on the individual-level factors that influence a person’s decisions about prevention activities and risk perceptions related to Zika virus. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between state-level plans for prevention and education and individual-level risk perceptions. Rosenstock’s health belief model lays a foundation for why individuals make the health decisions they do and helps explain how these can be influenced for …

Attitudes Of State Public Health Laboratory Directors Towards Iso/Iec 17025 Accreditation, Christine Kilonzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in state public health laboratories (SPHLs) is understudied. There is a scarcity of research on SPHLs involving behavioral intent regarding ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was utilized to evaluate SPHL directors’ attitudes towards and intent to seek or maintain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. To test the questions of whether the three constructs of the TPB, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of intent to seek or maintain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, and whether there are significant differences in these constructs towards the accreditation between SPHL directors based on …

Covid-19 Vaccination In Palestine/Israel: Citizenship, Capitalism, And The Logic Of Elimination, Nicolas Howard, Emily Schneider

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite Israel’s responsibility under international law to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics in its occupied territories, Israeli officials have refused to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Through a critical discourse analysis of Israeli officials’ statements regarding Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, this paper explores how Israel evades this responsibility while presenting itself as committed to public health and human rights. We find that Israeli officials strategically present Palestinians as an autonomous nation when discussing COVID-19 vaccinations, despite Israel’s ongoing attempts to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Relatedly, Israel justifies …

Factors Associated With Mask Use In New York City Neighborhood Parks During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Audit Study, Lisa Hitch, Marie A. Sillice, Hanish Kodali, Katarzyna E. Wyka, Javier Otero Peña, Terry Tk Huang

Publications and Research

Background: Mask use is a cost-effective measure to decrease COVID-19 transmission. Mask mandates intend to increase mask compliance but are often ambiguous when it comes to public outdoor spaces.

Methods: We used a field audit study to examine mask use in New York City neighborhood parks during COVID-19. 1453 park visitors were observed in 13 parks during July–August 2020 using a modified and validated park use audit tool (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) that included items on general and proper mask use (i.e., mask covering both nose and mouth). Generalized estimating equation regression was used to determine …

Work-Based Concerns Of Australian Frontline Healthcare Workers During The First Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michella Hill, Erin Smith, Brennen W. Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: This research sought to gauge the extent to which doctors, nurses and paramedics in Australia were concerned about contracting SARS-CoV-2 during the country's first wave of the virus in April 2020.

Methods: Australian registered doctors, nurses and paramedics (n=580) completed an online questionnaire during April 16–30, 2020 (period immediately following the highest four-week period (first wave) of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases in Australia).

Results: During April 2020, two-thirds of participants felt it was likely they would contract SARS-CoV-2 at work. Half the participants suggested Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies were inadequate for them to safely perform their job, with two-thirds …

Sarscov-2 Serostatus Amongst Vaccinated Employees At A Pediatric Hospital System, Sridevi Devaraj, Izmarie Poventud-Fuentes, Matthew Girotto, Jermaine Monroe, Julie Boom, George Delclos, James Versalovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To gain insights on the heterogeneity of immune responses to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and to identify factors that could make individuals vulnerable to infection due to lack of response to vaccination, our hospital started offering free voluntary post-antibody testing against the spike protein IgG for all fully vaccinated employees.

Post-vaccination response against SARS-CoV-2 was assessed using the FDA-EUA approved VITROS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunometric assay specific to the spike protein.

Out of a total of 3266 antibody tests performed in fully vaccinated Texas Children’s, 99.4% had a positive antibody response to the spike protein. From the 21 employees (0.6%) that had …

Analysis Of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection Management In Women Seen In Outpatient Settings Reveals Opportunities For Antibiotic Stewardship Interventions, Marissa A Valentine-King, Barbara W Trautner, Roger J Zoorob, George Germanos, Michael Hansen, Jason L Salemi, Kalpana Gupta, Larissa Grigoryan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: We characterized antibiotic prescribing patterns and management practices among recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) patients, and we identified factors associated with lack of guideline adherence to antibiotic choice, duration of treatment, and urine cultures obtained. We hypothesized that prior resistance to nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), shorter intervals between rUTIs, and more frequent rUTIs would be associated with fluoroquinolone or β-lactam prescribing, or longer duration of therapy.

METHODS: This study was a retrospective database study of adult women with

RESULTS: Among 214 patients with 566 visits, 61.5% of prescriptions comprised first-line agents of nitrofurantoin (39.7%) and TMP-SMX (21.5%), followed by …

A Survey On Self-Medication For The Prevention Or Treatment Of Covid-19 And Distrust In Healthcare Of Veterans In A Primary Care Setting In The United States, Eva Amenta, Larissa Grigoryan, Laura Dillon, Casey Hines-Munson, John Van, Barbara Trautner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic brought the public overwhelming and conflicting information. Rates of trust in healthcare professionals have been declining among laypersons over the past five decades. In this setting, we sought to evaluate the use of medications, both with or without a prescription, to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 as well as trust in healthcare among patients in a primary care clinic.

DESIGN: We surveyed 150 veterans in primary care clinic waiting rooms at a large southwestern tertiary care Veterans Affairs hospital. This survey was performed in March-November 2021.

METHODS: The survey asked about respondents' demographics, use of medications, …

Suicidal Ideation Among American Indian And Alaska Natives In The United States, Lacie Lashawn Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicidal ideation is a silent public health issue across the United States. Evidence suggests that suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempt and completion. Suicide is a leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) in the United States, especially among younger people. Alcohol and illicit drug use, coupled with poor social conditions, can lead to suicidal ideations—and sometimes suicide completion. Using social cognitive theory, this quantitative cross-sectional study compared variables within the 2017, 2018, and 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine the effect that alcohol and/or illicit drug use has on …

Opioid Types And Adolescent Prescription Opioid Misuse, Orchid George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescent prescription opioid misuse (POM) in the United States is a significant public health issue, and there is a lack of studies investigating the association between opioid types and adolescent POM. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to explore possible associations between a set of independent variables: opioid types, gender, religiosity, and education, and the outcome variable, POM among adolescents ages 12 to 17 in the United States. The socio-ecological model was the theoretical framework that guided the study. A sample size of 13,722 from the 2017 Substance Abuse & Mental Health Data Archive was analyzed using descriptive …

Barriers To Blood Availability Within The New Orleans Area, Tishawn Michelle Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An adequate and reliable supply of blood and blood components is becoming an increasing public health concern. Over the past decade, researchers have indicated a continued decline in the collection of blood products. An insufficient blood supply may present a risk to both patients and reserves for emergencies and disasters. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to determine whether gender, age group, ethnicity, year, serological tests, and discard factors were associated with the availability of the donated blood supply throughout the New Orleans region. The donated blood supply chain model guided this study. Secondary data were retrieved from …

Role Of Hypertension In Low-Birth-Weight Racial Disparities Among Virginian Women, Ashli Owen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low birth weight (LBW) is a leading cause of infant mortality globally, but it disproportionately burdens the Black community in the United States, with a rate twice that of White women. Further, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDsP) increase LBW incidence. The purpose of the study was to assess the association between HDsP and LBW, maternal race and LBW, and the moderation effect of HDsP on race and LBW on Black and White women in Virginia. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the lifecourse health development model, which states that health should be viewed as an outcome of …