Epidemiology Commons^™

Factors Influencing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Hispanic Youth In Bexar County, Texas, Timothy Edward Wallum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high number of Hispanic youth in Bexar County, Texas, face morbidity and mortality related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection due to inadequate vaccination coverage youth. A better understanding of the factors that influence vaccination might help public health authorities to increase coverage. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study, which was based on the socioecological model and involved analysis of weighted survey data from the 2016 to 2018 National Immunization Survey-Teen, was to better understand the multilevel factors influencing HPV vaccine use among Hispanic youth. The weighted sample was representative of the study population in terms of survey characteristics …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Weight Change And Hyponatremia As Predictors Of Polydipsia Among Persons With Schizophrenia, Kingsley Okechukwu Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPolydipsia is found in 20% of inpatients with chronic severe mental disorders. Of this, 80% are diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia, hence polydipsia is strongly associated with chronic schizophrenia. Despite the prevalence and serious health complications of coexisting polydipsia in this population, its current method of detection is flawed. The purpose of this quantitative study was to accurately identify comorbid polydipsia in schizophrenia using periodic weight change and hyponatremia. The Wilson’s complexity theory and primary data were used to attempt to explain the relationship between weight change and hyponatremia and polydipsia, in a cross-sectional study design. The dependent variable was polydipsia, …

Risk Factors Associated With Access To Intermittent Preventive Treatment For Malaria Among Pregnant Women In Uganda, Mayanja Simon Peter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) is an intervention consisting of the full course of therapeutic antimalarial medicine administered to pregnant women during routine antenatal visits regardless of whether the woman is infected with malaria. The use of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) has been reportedly low in most of the malaria endemic areas, including Uganda. The coverage of IPTp in Uganda has been estimated to be as low as 17%. An in-depth secondary data analysis using the 2016 Uganda Department of Health Services survey was conducted to understand the causal relationships between …

Depression, Drug Use, And Hsv-2 Among Women Who Have Sex With Women, Viani Picchetti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the main cause of genital herpes, is an incurable sexually transmitted infection responsible in 2018 for 18.6 million infections in the United States. HSV-2 is twice as frequent in women than in men. Women who have sex with women (WSW) have a higher prevalence of depression and drug use than women who have sex exclusively with men (WSM), which are each related to HSV-2 as they increase the likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive relationship between depression status, nonprescription drug use status, and …

Diabetes, Obesity, Geographic Location Of The Patient And Clostridium Difficile Infection In The United States, Mary (Maribeth) Greenway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major nosocomial threat to be reckoned with in the current health care setting in the United States. Advancing age, underlying chronic disease associated with inflammation (including Diabetes Mellitus Type I ([DMI]), Diabetes Type II ([DMII]), and obesity), trauma, immunodeficiency and other factors that diminish the overall health of an individual, and increase an individual’s susceptibility to CDI. The ecological framework was used to determine the relationship between geographic, chronic diseases and the occurrence of infectious diseases. To continue enhancing knowledge related to CDI susceptibility this quantitative study used the 2010 National Hospital Discharge Survey …

Bullying, Participation In Violence, Suicidal Ideation, And Behavior Among African American Youth, Kierystan Lorquoyea Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescent, teens, and young adults. Suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempts. Guided by the integrated motivational-volitional model and social cognitive theory, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data were used to investigate whether traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and participation in physically violent behavior (independent variables) were associated with suicidal ideation and behavior (dependent variables) among African American high school aged youth controlling for age, gender, physical, and sexual abuse. It was found that experiencing traditional bullying increased suicidal ideation significantly, as there is an 82% increase in likelihood. There was also …

Microaggression Experiences Among African American Women And Their Effects On Health In Academia, Anta'sha Moni Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial microaggressions are brief daily negative verbal behaviors and environmental slights directed as intentional or unintentional towards minorities. These negative interactions lead minorities to feel powerless and oppressed in their environments. These adverse experiences result from stressors in their environment that negatively affect the human body by causing acute and chronic stress. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the relationship between personal, racial microaggression experiences, and their impact on health through a phenomenological approach. The critical race theory provided a framework to explore and understand how systematic discrimination experiences impacted the 17 African American faculty member participants’ health. A phenomenological …

External Validation And Modification Of A 30-Day Readmission Risk Prediction Model For Heart Failure Patients, Debra Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The development and validation of 30-day readmission risk prediction models, such as the LACE index, have been of interest to researchers and healthcare organizations, especially since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began to impose monetary penalties on hospitals with higher than expected 30-day readmission rates. However, there is a lack of consensus concerning the efficacy of the LACE index in the heart failure population. The purpose of the study was to examine the discriminative accuracy of the LACE index to predict all-cause 30-day readmission for heart failure patients and to build a modified 30-day readmission risk prediction model …

Stigma And Discrimination’S Effect On Hiv Testing Of Pregnant Women In Nigeria, Charles Echezona Nzelu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The utilization of HIV testing services among pregnant women in Nigeria has not been optimal. Although much is known about the determinants of HIV testing among pregnant women, there is a gap in knowledge on determinants for pregnant women infected with the virus, specifically whether stigma and discrimination are barriers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of stigmatizing attitudes and personal knowledge of discriminatory practices towards persons living with HIV/AIDS on the decision by pregnant Nigerian women aged 15-49 years to test for HIV during antenatal visits or childbirth. The health belief model served as the …

Evaluating The 2012 Vaccination Reporting Mandate: Applications To Adventist Health Network, May Abdalla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Influenza is a public health concern that claims up to 56,000 lives annually in the United States, though it is a vaccine-preventable disease. Influenza vaccination among health care personnel (HCP) is highly encouraged to prevent influenza transmission in health care settings. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between mandatory reporting of HCP influenza vaccination rates (implemented in 2012) and HCP influenza vaccination intake in a health care network with 20 hospitals. The protection and motivation theory was used as the theoretical framework. Data collected from surveys of hospital administrators and archives of the Center for Medicare …

Treatment Outcomes And Associated Factors In Tb/Hiv-Coinfected Patients In Namibia, Esland Shilongo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHIV and TB have merged into a deadly co-epidemic in Namibia. Currently, though, TB and HIV data at the national, regional, and district level might be underreported and insufficient to understand the full burden and outcome rates of TB and HIV. Targeting the TB outcomes rate among TB/HIV-coinfected individuals is an effective strategy for decreasing future TB burden and furthering the gains in the control of both diseases. The objective of this study was: to assess the outcomes of patients registered for anti-TB treatment in //Karas Region which has the largests burden of TB in Namibia. A 5-year retrospective cohort …

Prophylactic Antimalarial Intermittent Preventive Therapy In Pregnancy And Birth Weight In Togo, Epiphane Awokou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Togo, prophylactic antimalarial intermittent preventive therapy in pregnancy (IPTp) is provided to disrupt suboptimal pathways leading to the issue of low birth weight. However, there is a lack of nationally representative data on the determinants of this adverse birth outcome. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine pregnancy-related determinants of low birth weight through a nationally representative dataset. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model guided this study to explore potential associations between the covariates IPTp, utilization of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets, age of pregnant women, socioeconomic status of pregnant women, and gravidity type of pregnant women and the …

The Association Of Suicidality With Video Gaming And Physical Inactivity Among U.S. Adolescents, Mary Colleen Cyrus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide represents a leading cause of death in U.S. young people, and the rate is increasing. Although young people are spending more time each day playing video or computer games, there is limited research on the association, if any, between playing video games and suicidality. The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is a statistically significant association between video gaming, physical inactivity, and suicidality (suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts). Age, race, gender, and being bullied electronically and in school were assessed as potential confounding variables. The interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior and the social-ecological theory served as …

Alternative Diet Practices As Predictors For Vaccine Confidence, Nancy Dolin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceived risks and side effects have left some with a lack of confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. This may lead to not adhering to the recommended vaccination schedule and result in outbreaks that have the potential to harm those who are unable to get vaccinated due to age or infirmity. It is vital to seek and address the characteristics that may predict one’s confidence in vaccines. The aim of this study was to identify whether an individual’s alternative diet behavior may be able to predict their confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The theoretical …

Health-Related Quality Of Life For Veterans Transitioned Into Civilian Life, Vicki Ann Guerra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Texas veterans transitioning to civilian life have experienced health issues after discharge. There are processes to follow before seeking treatment or diagnosis for any health issue prior to military discharge. Given the gaps in the literature on veteran health, quality of life and transition to civilian life, scholars lack understanding of the transitional events that take place. Veteran health issues are impacted by medical appointment wait-times, day to day life events, and this can lead to decreased quality of life. The purpose of this mixed-methods study (N=36) was to evaluate veterans’ health related quality of life who had transitioned from …

Exercise-Induced Myokines Downregulates The Ace2 Level In Bronchial Epithelial Cells: Implications For Sars-Cov-2 Prevention, Vaishali Bhardwaj, Mart Dela Cruz, Deepika Subramanyam, Rohit Kumar, Sandeep Markan, Beth Parker, Hemant K Roy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as the leading public health challenge of our time (20th century). While vaccinations have finally blunted the death rate, concern has remained about more virulent forms highlighting the need for alternative approaches. Epidemiological studies indicate that physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of infection of some respiratory viruses. Part of the salutary effects of exercise is believed to be through the elaboration of cytokines by contracting skeletal muscles (termed myokines). The objective of this study was to investigate whether exercise-induced myokines would mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity of the bronchial epithelium through …

Identification Of Lung Cancer Drivers By Comparison Of The Observed And The Expected Numbers Of Missense And Nonsense Mutations In Individual Human Genes, Olga Y Gorlova, Marek Kimmel, Spiridon Tsavachidis, Christopher I Amos, Ivan P Gorlov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Largely, cancer development is driven by acquisition and positive selection of somatic mutations that increase proliferation and survival of tumor cells. As a result, genes related to cancer development tend to have an excess of somatic mutations in them. An excess of missense and/or nonsense mutations in a gene is an indicator of its cancer relevance. To identify genes with an excess of potentially functional missense or nonsense mutations one needs to compare the observed and expected numbers of mutations in the gene. We estimated the expected numbers of missense and nonsense mutations in individual human genes using (i) the …

Use Of Modeling To Inform Decision Making In North Carolina During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study, Karl Johnson, Caitlin B Biddell, Kristen Hassmiller Lich, Julie Swann, Paul Delamater, Maria Mayorga, Julie Ivy, Raymond L Smith, Mehul D Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has popularized computer-based decision-support models, which are commonly used to inform decision making amidst complexity. Understanding what organizational decision makers prefer from these models is needed to inform model development during this and future crises. Methods. We recruited and interviewed decision makers from North Carolina across 9 sectors to understand organizational decision-making processes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 44). For this study, we identified and analyzed a subset of responses from interviewees (n = 19) who reported using modeling to inform decision making. We used conventional content analysis to …

Cerebral Infarctions In An Infant With Covid-19 Delta Variant Infection And Disseminated Tuberculosis, Stuart Fraser, Misti Ellsworth, Norma Perez, Hunter Hamilton, Stephen Fletcher, Deborah Brown, Lakshmi Srivaths

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.