Epidemiology Commons^™

Unpacking Misinfodemic During A Global Health Crisis: A Qualitative Inquiry Of Psychosocial Characteristics In Social Media Interactions, Sofia M Olivares, Sahiti Myneni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The pervasiveness of health information in social media has led to a modern misinformation crisis, also known as a misinfodemic. Misinfodemics have upended public health activities as clearly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to characterize social media content and information sources using theory-driven health behavior and psychology constructs to better understand the motifs of misinformation and their role in the dissemination of health (mis)information in Twitter posts. We analyzed 1,400 randomly selected tweets related to COVID-19 to ascertain four important variables, what is the tweet about (content), how is it structured (linguistic features), who …

Latent Linguistic Motifs In Social Media Postings Resisting Covid-19 Misinformation, Tavleen Singh, Sofia Olivares, Sahiti Myneni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Social media has become a predominant source of information for many health care consumers. However, false and misleading information is a pervasive problem in this context. Specifically, health-related misinformation has become a significant public health challenge, impeding the effectiveness of public health awareness campaigns and resulting in suboptimal responsiveness to the communication of legitimate risk-related information. Little is known about the mechanisms driving the seeding and spreading of such information. In this paper, we specifically examine COVID-19 tweets which attempt to correct misinformation. We employ a mixed-methods approach comprising qualitative coding, deep learning classification, and computerized text analysis to understand …

A Preliminary Study Of Proinflammatory Cytokines And Depression Following West Nile Virus Infection, Allison Lino, Timothy A. Erickson, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Kristy O. Murray, Shannon E. Ronca

Faculty Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that can cause acute febrile illness leading to neuroinvasive disease. Depression is a well-described outcome following infection, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are unknown. Proinflammatory cytokines play important roles in WNV infection, but their role in depression post-WNV remains unstudied. This research aimed to retrospectively evaluate associations between proinflammatory cytokines and new onset depression in a WNV cohort. Participants with asymptomatic WNV infection were significantly less likely to report new onset depression when compared to those with symptomatic disease. Participants with encephalitis and obesity were significantly more likely to report new onset …

Are Pregnant Women With Disability Prescribed Opioids More And At Higher Dosages Than Those Without Disability?: A Retrospective Cohort Study Of South Carolina Medicaid Beneficiaries, Chelsea L. Richard Phd, Msph, Bryan L. Love Pharm.D., Nansi Boghossian, James Hardin Ph.D., Suzanne Mcdermott

Faculty Publications

Background: Nationally, individuals with disability have higher rates of opioid use and misuse and are prescribed higher doses than those without disability. Opioid prescriptions during pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes. Objective: To understand the difference in opioid prescribing during pregnancy over time by disability status among Medicaid beneficiaries who gave birth from 2008 to 2017 in South Carolina. Methods: Data from hospital discharges, vital records, and pharmacy were linked to determine the mother's disability status, opioid prescriptions filled during pregnancy, and other maternal characteristics. Disability status was characterized into physical disability, inflammatory conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), …

On The Front Lines Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Occupational Experiences Of The Intimate Partner Violence And Sexual Assault Workforce, Leila Wood, Rachel Voth Schrag, Elizabeth Baumler, Dixie Hairston, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Elizabeth Torres, Jeff R Temple

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the face of increasing risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to understand the experiences of the workforce providing support to survivors, as well as the evolving service delivery methods, shifting safety planning approaches, and occupational stress of frontline workers. We addressed this gap by conducting an online survey of members of IPV and sexual assault workforce using a broad, web-based recruitment strategy. In total, 352 staff from 24 states participated. We collaborated with practitioner networks and anti-violence coalitions to develop the brief survey, which included questions about …

Part I Antimicrobial Resistance: Bacterial Pathogens Of Dermatologic Significance And Implications Of Rising Resistance, Saira George, Fiorinda F Muhaj, Celine D Nguyen, Stephen K Tyring

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been the defining global health crisis of our time, public health officials have been sounding the alarm of another ominous threat for years: an impending antimicrobial resistance crisis. In dermatology, antibiotics are often used for prolonged courses in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections and common inflammatory skin conditions, increasing the risk of microbiome alteration and antibiotic-related adverse effects, all while exerting consequential selective pressures on both pathogenic and bystander bacteria. In this review, we hope to raise awareness of the crisis of antimicrobial resistance and review resistance concerns related to dermatology-relevant bacterial …

Pneumothorax And Pneumomediastinum In Covid-19: A Case Series, Stephan Reyes, Brad Roche, Farah Kazzaz, Daniel Ocazionez, Aditya P Lal, Rosa M Estrada-Y-Martin, Sujith V Cherian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID- 19 has become a major pandemic affecting more than 11 million people worldwide. Common radiological manifestations of COVID-19 include peripheral based ground-glass or consolidative opacities; however, pneumothorax and pneumo-mediastinum are very rare manifestations; even more so within patients not on mechanical ventilation. We present a case series of 5 patients with COVID-19 who either presented with or developed spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumo-mediastinum within the course of hospitalization. With the exception of one patient, all other patients developed pneumothorax as a late manifestation in their illness; more than 10 days after initial symptom onset in COVID-19. From within this case …

Air Pollutant Levels And Asthma Emergency Room Visits In A Highly Populous Us Urban County During 2018-19, Osaremhen Ikhile, Jingjing Yin, Atin Adhikari

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective: Air pollutants are linked to asthma exacerbation. The study purpose was to demonstrate an association between air pollutants levels and asthma emergency room (ER) visit trends in a highly populated US urban county in Georgia during 2018-2019.

Methods: Time series analyses were conducted for the variations in daily numbers of children and adult asthma emergency room visits and changes in daily mean PM_2.5, daily mean PM₁₀ concentrations, daily max 1-hour SO₂ concentrations, daily max 1-hour NO₂ concentrations, daily max 8-hour ozone concentrations, and airborne pollen loads for 2018 to 2019 and potential trends were …

A Multi-Task Gaussian Process Self-Attention Neural Network For Real-Time Prediction Of The Need For Mechanical Ventilators In Covid-19 Patients, Kai Zhang, Siddharth Karanth, Bela Patel, Robert Murphy, Xiaoqian Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has overwhelmed the capacity of healthcare resources and posed a challenge for worldwide hospitals. The ability to distinguish potentially deteriorating patients from the rest helps facilitate reasonable allocation of medical resources, such as ventilators, hospital beds, and human resources. The real-time accurate prediction of a patient's risk scores could also help physicians to provide earlier respiratory support for the patient and reduce the risk of mortality.

METHODS: We propose a robust real-time prediction model for the in-hospital COVID-19 patients' probability of requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). The end-to-end neural network model incorporates the Multi-task …

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Bph): A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Malaise And Summarizing Possible Management Options Through Phytotherapeutic Agents, Shan Sasidharan, Kumarapillai Parameswaran Srinivasakumar, Sandeep Poddar, Amiya Bhaumik, Sreemoy Kanti Das, Hareendran Nair J

Kesmas

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a severe illness affecting middle-aged and geriatric male patients. This disease normally occurs at the age of 40 or above and is also associated with sexual dysfunction. Alpha-blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors are the preferred drugs practiced to treat BPH. However, invasive surgical therapy remains the gold standard for managing the condition in the case of refractory and intricate BPH conditions. Due to the fear of sexual dysfunction and the detrimental influence on their quality of life, most patients seek to avoid synthetic drugs and surgery. For this reason, several patients turn to phytotherapy and other …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Covid-19 Prevention Practices Of Healthcare Workers In Indonesia: A Mobile-Based Cross-Sectional Survey, Besral Besral, Zulvi Wiyanti, Dion Zein Nurizin, Milla Herdayati, R Sutiawan, Martya Rahmaniati, Popy Yuniar

Kesmas

Knowledge of disease can affect attitudes and prevention practices, and wrong attitudes and practices can directly increase the risk of disease infection. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and COVID-19 prevention practice of healthcare workers in Indonesia and factors associated with prevention practices. A mobile-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2020 with 254 healthcare workers in Indonesia. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of four parts: 1) sociodemographic information, 2) knowledge of COVID-19, 3) attitudes and anxiety toward COVID-19, and 4) COVID-19 prevention practices. The results indicated that healthcare workers in Indonesia had excellent knowledge and positive attitudes about …

Treatment Adherence And Incidence Of Coronary Heart Disease In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Ahmad Sahlan Baniu, Rani Sauriasari, Woro Riyadina, Pradana Soewondo

Kesmas

Previous studies showed that uncontrolled blood sugar and long-term use of several types of antidiabetic could increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to compare the incidence of CHD in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients showing treatment adherence and non-adherence behavior over four years. This was a retrospective cohort study with data sets obtained from the Bogor Cohort Study of Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors. All study subjects were not diagnosed with CHD at the beginning of the study. The sample was divided into two groups; one had adhered to treatment from health centers and followed …

Local Wisdom Enriching Complementary Feeding Practices During Disaster Situations In Indonesia, Astuti Astuti, Happy Hayati, Fajar Tri Waluyanti, Dessie Wanda

Kesmas

This study aimed to analyze complementary food fulfillment during disaster situations in Indonesia since it frequently experiences natural disasters and young children face unique challenges related to their feeding needs in disaster situations. This qualitative case study based on the Mount Merapi eruption and Sumedang landslide in 2021 collected data using observations, forum group discussions, and in-depth interviews; then, a thematic analysis was conducted. This study involved 17 participants, including Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) activists, health workers, residents involved in making complementary foods, and primary caregivers of children aged 6–24 months. This study found that there were five themes generated from …

Infarct Diameter For Predicting Cognitive Dysfunction In Ischemic Stroke Survivors In West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Herpan Syafii Harahap, Setyawati Asih Putri, Yanna Indrayana, Hasan Amin, Fransisca Ika Mahardika

Kesmas

Cognitive dysfunction is an important consequence of ischemic stroke, which can progress in the first few years and is primarily determined by clinical factors. This study aimed to investigate the clinical determinants of cognitive dysfunction in stroke survivors in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. This cross-sectional study assessed 255 ischemic stroke survivors with a mean age of 57.1±9.3 years old and 29–79 years old, recruited consecutively in three main hospitals in West Nusa Tenggara Province between March 2019 and October 2021. Categorical data collected included age, sex, education level, clinical determinants of ischemic stroke, and cognitive status of the patients. …

Muscle Dysmorphia In Fitness Center Members: Its Affecting Factors And Impacts, Deny Yudi Fitranti, Nurmasari Widyastuti, Etika Ratna Noer, Ayu Rahadiyanti, Fillah Fithra Dieny, Rachma Purwanti, Dewi Kurnia Sandi, Widya Destikasari

Kesmas

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) has several impacts on the decline in social and health functions. This study aimed to determine the correlation between MD with eating behaviors and exercise loading among fitness center members and analyze the factors affecting it. This study used a cross-sectional design with 100 subjects chosen by a consecutive sampling method at three fitness centers in Semarang City. The subjects were all male members of an active fitness center between 17 and 45 years. The data of MD were obtained using the Drive Muscular Scale (DMS), while eating behavior data were obtained using the Eating Attitude Test-40 …

Determinants Of The Coexistence Dual Form Of Malnutrition In Pairs Of Mother And Child Aged 6 – 59 Months In Bogor District 2019, Maulina Dwi Krismanita, Triyanti Triyanti, Ahmad Syafiq, Trini Sudiarti

Kesmas

The dual form of malnutrition (DFM) is defined as multiple nutritional problems in the same household and time. This study aimed to determine the related factor to DFM incidence in pairs of mothers and children aged 6–59 months in Bogor District in 2019. This cross-sectional study used secondary data on the Nutrition and Health of Babakan Madang Subdistrict Toddlers in 2019 and Nutrition Intake and Stunting of Children Under-Five in Bogor District, West Java Province, involving a total sample of 274 households. The dependent variable in this study was DFM, while the independent variables were maternal age during pregnancy, maternal …

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice And Health Workers Retention At Remote Primary Health Care: Case Study From Nusantara Sehat Team-Based Program, Prastuti Soewondo, Retno Pujisubekti, Ade Widyati Prastyani, Nurul Maretia Rahmayanti

Kesmas

The Nusantara Sehat Team (NST), established in 2015 and consist of multi-professional health workers, implemented to provide comprehensive services at remote primary health cares (PHCs) for two years. This study aimed to explore how the NST leverages the Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) and its impact on the future career prospects of health workers. Using a qualitative approach, the information was gathered from 48 informants drawn from the current 30 NST recruits and 18 alumni through semi-structured interviews. Of these 48, 20 were clinical practitioners, while the rest were non-clinical health workers. The findings revealed several challenges in promoting collaborative practice, including …

The Influence Of Intrapersonal Constraints On Travel Intention Of People At High Risk From Covid-19 During The New Normal, Dyah Widiyastuti, Ikasari Kusuma Wardhani

Kesmas

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism constraints have created a challenge for inclusive tourism, especially for older people and people with comorbidities. This study examined intrapersonal constraints’ effect on the travel intentions of people facing fewer opportunities for tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could disrupt their well-being fulfillment. The data were collected through an online survey of Jakarta citizens aged 46 years and older from the end of June to September 2021, and a total of 337 responses were accumulated. This study applied partial least square structural equation modeling to test the moderating effect of intrapersonal constraints toward …

Zoom Fatigue During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Is It Real?, Putri Winda Lestari, Adhila Fayasari

Kesmas

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused drastic changes to social lives moreover the activities done outside, such as work and school. The policy of large-scale social restrictions (LSRR)/Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar (PSBB), which makes people stay at home, also plays an important role in changing the face-to-face activity online. As a solution to the major change, people use video conferencing to keep in touch and still feel like doing "offline" activities. The increasing use of video conferencing has raised concerns about the resulting fatigue, termed "Zoom fatigue." This study aimed to describe Zoom fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic …

Diabetes Mellitus And Mortality Among Covid-19 Patients In Jakarta, March-August 2020, Endang Widuri Wulandari, Sudarto Rotnoatmodjo, Ngabila Salama

Kesmas

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity is one of the risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. This study aimed to determine the association of comorbid DM and mortality among COVID-19 confirmed cases in DKI Jakarta Province, controlled with confounding variables from March to August 2020. The study design was a retrospective cohort using cox proportional hazard regression, with a total sample of 1,480. The data consisted of 740 COVID-19 cases with and 740 without comorbid DM. The inclusion criteria were COVID-19 confirmed cases with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory testing reported to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Department of Health, and …