Other Public Health Commons^™

Fiber Content, Total Sugar, And Glycemic Index Of Jackfruit Seed And Pigeon Pea Flour Snack Bar, Dhiyaa Septi Kirana, Tesa Rafkhani

Indonesian Journal of Public Health Nutrition (IJPHN)

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Indonesia is the 7th leading cause of death. Diets high in sugar and glycemic index, and low in fiber are known to trigger hyperglycemia. Snack bars high in fiber and low in glycemic index are known to reduce blood glucose levels. This research aims to determine a snack bar formulation made from jackfruit seed and pigeon pea flour and analyze fiber content, total sugar, and glycemic index value. This study used a completely randomized design analyzing three different proportions of jackfruit seed and pigeon pea flour, namely F1 (30%:70%), F2 (40%:60%), and F3 (50%:50%) with two …

Charity Pharmacies: An Integrative Overview Of Operations: A Continuing Education Program For Pharmacists, Stella Bertram

Honors Theses

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The goal of this activity is to educate pharmacists about Charity Pharmacies by creating an integrative overview of their purpose, laws and regulations, processes and procedures, eligibility, and opportunities for involvement. This course will ensure pharmacists are competent in the operations involved in volunteering or working within a charitable pharmacy.

Additionally, the information provided supports pharmacists in understanding their roles as well as roles of volunteers. They will understand the importance of their role in the community and the depth of their service within Charity Pharmacies.

Spatial Distribution Patterns Of Determinants Of Hypertension In West Java In 2023, Meirina Nur Asih Susanti, Wahyu Septiono

Preventia: The Indonesian Journal of Public Health

Hypertension is a public health issue that is unevenly distributed across regions. The high prevalence in West Java (34.4%) with a large population makes the management of hypertension crucial. Differences in economic and environmental conditions are thought to influence the distribution of hypertension, thus requiring spatial analysis. This study used an ecological approach by analyzing data from districts/cities in West Java in 2023. Secondary data were used to measure hypertension prevalence and to assess socioeconomic and environmental factors. The analysis was conducted using univariate Moran's Index, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and the Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR). The prevalence …

Examining The Psychometric Properties Of The Big Three Perfectionism Scale–Short Form (Btps-Sf) Among Malaysian Chinese Students At A Private University, Kam-Fong Lee, Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh, Shin Ling Wu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Perfectionism is increasingly prevalent among young adults and is a significant predictor of pathological and behavioral outcomes. Despite its relevance, validated and reliable measures of perfectionism tailored to university students, particularly within the Malaysian cultural and academic context, are lacking. This study addresses this gap by examining the psychometric properties of the BTPS-SF among Chinese students at a private university in Malaysia.

Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional design with convenience and snowball sampling from 380 students aged 18–25 years, predominantly from a Chinese student population.

Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis, conducted …

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

Beyond The Numbers: Supporting Young Adults With Diabetes In The Transition To Adulthood, Alexis Salkovick

Honors Projects

This project focuses on the transition to adulthood for young people with diabetes, a chronic medical condition. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are included. The main research focus is two-part: first examining this transition including barriers to health care, changes in lifestyle, and mental health, and then creating a new, innovative tool to support young adults with diabetes. An independent literature review was conducted to investigate diabetes management, barriers to health care, how transitioning to adulthood impacts diabetes care, and the importance of patient support systems. Then, a board game was developed with the dual purpose of educating …

Rural Community Perspectives On Hurricane Helene In Western North Carolina, Jennifer A. Horney, Lilly Moreau, Search Wnc

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: After making landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast in September 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted Western North Carolina (WNC) with historic flooding, landslides, and hurricane-force winds. More than 100 deaths in the region were attributed to the storm’s direct impacts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess community perspectives of long-term recovery in Mitchell and Yancey Counties, two rural WNC counties severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Methods: A 14-question interview guide was developed based on prior disaster research and the community engagement work of Sustaining Essential and Rural Community Healthcare (SEARCH). Questions covered post-Helene experiences related to access …

Starting With Story, Not Symptom: Narrative Collapse And Cultural Repair In Appalachia, Wayne Coombs Ph.D.

Journal of Appalachian Health

Appalachia’s opioid crisis reflects uneven burdens, especially in distressed coalfield counties, and it cannot be solved by symptom tracking alone. This commentary argues for a narrative shift, starting with story and cultural repair alongside clinical care. Narrative collapse is defined here as the loss of shared, dependable public meaning across groups, not the absence of storytelling in families, churches, and recovery circles. Trauma science suggests that chronic threat reshapes nervous systems across generations, making safety a prerequisite for renewed trust. Drawing on narrative identity research, the piece proposes peer story work as infrastructure that can reduce shame, support treatment engagement, …

Perceived Stigmatization Of Mental Health Problems And Utilization Of Academic Accommodations Among College Students, Sabrina Williams, Robert E. Davis Ph.D., Kristin Bogda Ph.D.

2026 Honors Symposium

Background: Higher education is seeing an increase in students utilizing mental health services. Studies on students with disabilities suggest students often have reservations about accessing these accommodations due to anticipated social stigmatization. Purpose: This study aimed to assess relationships among stigmatization and indicators of psychological distress among a sample of students who qualify for accommodations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of students at a large university in the central United States. Data collection measures included previously validated screening instruments for depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and adapted versions of the validated scales to assess specific aspects of stigma related to …

A Scoping Review Of The Objective Structured Assessment Of Technical Surgical Skills (Osats), David J. O'Regan, Christopher Caddy, Retnagowri Rajandram, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) offers an objective tool for assessing bowel anastomosis on a benchtop. It was developed in 1997 to set appropriate standards and expectations for the surgical trainee. OSATS have become the gold standard of assessment across many disciplines. A global Likert rating scale, including respect for tissues, instrument handling, economy of movement, and flow of the operation predominates the literature. This has led to many questioning OSATS objectivity, claiming the process to be time-consuming, subjective, demanding human resources, and requiring extensive training of the trainer. We believe OSATS scoring has omitted the 22-point …

Health Data And Policy Related To Methamphetamine-Use Suicide In Mississippi, Mary C. Drane

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to investigate how methamphetamine use in Mississippi, especially in its rural areas, intersects with public health, policy, and suicide outcomes in the state. Mississippi's methamphetamine crisis has evolved significantly, shifting from locally produced drugs to cartel-supplied crystal methamphetamine, while state and federal policies have struggled to keep pace with the scale and complexity of the problem. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, this research analyzed CDC Wonder multiple causes of death data and SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set Admissions (TEDS-A) data from 2018 to 2024 alongside four qualitative key informant interviews with stakeholders across …

Investigating Social Justice Implications Of Glyphosate Residues In Human Urine, Ananya Malhotra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Glyphosate, the nominal active ingredient in professional-grade Roundup weed and grass killer, is the most extensively used herbicide globally and in the United States (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2020). An increasing level of concern has surfaced regarding its health consequences, particularly because of contamination of our food supplies. Recent research indicates distressing levels of detection of glyphosate in human blood and urine samples, revealing many instances of frequent human exposure (Conrad et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2020).Most of the research about exposure is focused on agricultural workers or individuals living in close vicinity to agricultural lands.  Few …

Aircraft Wastewater Surveillance As A Tool For Monitoring Disease In The Pacific, Carla J. Eaton, Joanne R. Chapman, Brent J. Gilpin

Pacific Journal of Health

Wastewater surveillance is a powerful tool for monitoring infectious diseases within a population. However, as most wastewater surveillance relies on interconnected wastewater networks to provide samples representative of the population, many Pacific Islands have been excluded from benefiting from this tool due to their lack of reticulated sewerage systems. Many diseases of concern for the Pacific are detectable in wastewater even though individuals may be asymptomatic. We investigated whether analysis of wastewater from aircraft arriving in New Zealand from Pacific Island nations could be used as a proxy for in-country surveillance. Flights from the Pacific arrive in Auckland daily, with …

Risk Factors Of Leptospirosis Among Agricultural Workers In Southeast Asia: Literature Review, Ronggo Adi Wibowo, Wawa Najwa Nurzakia, Meirany Sasitha Kirana, Yulia Arthemisia Wijaya, Jasmine Ayumaharani Sekaryudha, Dwi Sarwani Sri Rejeki, Rosita Dwi Jayanti

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

The agricultural sector is the primary source of livelihood for communities in Southeast Asia; however, these activities increase the risk of exposure to zoonotic diseases, particularly leptospirosis. Southeast Asia is one of the regions with the highest incidence of leptospirosis in the world. This literature review aims to identify risk factors for leptospirosis among agricultural workers in Southeast Asia. The search for research articles utilized three databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect) using a descriptive approach based on literature review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 9,800 articles were screened for …

Factors For Successful Craniosynostosis Surgery Gofundme Campaigns, Annarose Taylor, Rena Atayeva, Shikha Trivedi, Phavon Sage, David Park, Brendan Podszus, Jessica Bigner, Yifan Guo

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction

Craniosynostosis surgery costs can be as high as 100,000 dollars. Even with complete insurance coverage, patients often face large out-of-pocket expenses. Thus, patients seek other financial resources. As a crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe (GFM) is one of those resources. The objective of our study was to identify GFM campaign factors associated with greater fundraising success.

Methods

GoFundMe.com was queried for: craniosynostosis, synostosis, brachycephaly, trigonocephaly, scaphocephaly, and fused skull suture. Included campaigns had patients in the U.S. fundraising for craniosynostosis surgery or related expenses. Excluded campaigns were duplicates, for animals, helmets, charities, or other surgeries. Successful campaigns achieved third quartile of …

Thermal Inequities In Public Parks And Open Spaces In Los Angeles Determined By Remote Sensing, Ashley Agatep, Joshua B. Fisher, Kainani Tacazon, Ambar Rivera, Rossmery Zayas, Reginald Archer, Juan Carlos Ruiz Malagon, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Urban heat island (UHI) effects are amplified by disparities in community-level cooling infrastructure—such as urban public parks and open spaces (PPOS)—with the most severe impacts occurring in communities that lack sufficient city-wide cooling resources. We found that the underserved community of South Los Angeles, as compared to their neighboring West Los Angeles counterparts, suffers a double burden of inequitable (1) access to and (2) absence of cooling materials and surfaces within these spaces, resulting in significantly hotter temperatures. Identifying these inequities requires high-resolution temporal and spatial mapping of surface temperatures, which has been previously limited. In this community-based participatory research …

Comparative Outcomes And Costs Of Robotic Assisted, Laparoscopic, And Open Partial Nephrectomy: A Contemporary Analysis Of National Inpatient Sample Data., Manisha Lin, Elizabeth Sottung, Vietbao H. Phan, Mumbi E. Kimani, Costas D. Lallas, Raegan M Davis, Scott W. Keith, Patrick Moeller, Vittorio Maio

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Partial nephrectomy is increasingly favored for small renal masses due to its renal function-preserving benefits. This study compared contemporary utilization patterns, perioperative outcomes, and hospital costs of robotic-assisted (RAPN), laparoscopic (LAPN), and open partial nephrectomy (OPN) among U.S. patients with renal cancer.

METHODS: Using the 2016–2019 National Inpatient Sample, renal cancer patients undergoing RAPN, LAPN, or OPN based on ICD-10-CM/PCS codes were identified. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital characteristics, length of stay (LOS), perioperative complications, and hospital costs, were summarized by surgical approach. Regression analyses adjusted for patient- and hospital-level covariates were used to compare perioperative outcomes, LOS, and costs …

Assessment Of Antimicrobial Transition Errors From Hospitals To Skilled Nursing Facilities, Amy Y. Kang, Guarina A. Garcia Delgado, Ashley Nguyen, Maddie Yeh, Tracy Ly, Richard C. Beuttler, Abisay Ortega, Donna Phan Tran, Evelyn Flores, Charis Tjeong, Andrew Bishop, Praneet Kalkat, Loren G. Miller

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background More than 1 million Americans reside in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Antimicrobial transition errors among patients transferred from hospital to SNFs pose safety risks and may lead to poor outcomes, but data on such errors are limited.   Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infectious diseases clinics from 1 June 2020 through 30 November 2023 at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, a large safety-net health system. We performed logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with antimicrobial transition errors and poor infection outcomes.   Results We screened records of 6865 clinic patients, among whom 112 were …

Heat And Socioeconomic Deprivation Compound To Drive Coronary Heart Disease In Los Angeles, Shutong Huo, Tessa R. Pulido, Reginald S. Archer, Joshua B. Fisher, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Socioeconomic deprivation and environmental heat exposure each increase cardiovascular risk, yet evidence is limited on how these stressors co-occur and jointly shape disease burden within cities. Mapping their overlap can inform equity-oriented planning and needs-based allocation of health and social protection resources.

Methods:

We conducted an ecological geospatial analysis of 2,513 census tracts in Los Angeles County. Adult coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence was obtained from CDC Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (2021). Socioeconomic deprivation was measured using the Social Deprivation Index (SDI), and heatwave surface heat hazard was measured using land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from the …

Firearm Violence Prevention: Analysis Of Physical Therapy Political Action Committee Financial Contributions And Congressional Voting, Kim D. Dao, Edward P. Mulligan, Michael Siegel, Liana Wooten

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) declared firearm violence a public health crisis in 2019. This investigation aimed to understand relationships between the amount of APTA political action committee (PTPAC) donations received by a federal candidate and (1) their voting records on FV prevention legislation; and (2) their voting records on other APTA-supported legislation. Methods. Data pertaining to the identification and amount of PTPAC donations to federal Congressional candidates during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles were gathered from the public resource, Open Secrets. Public voting records were compiled on firearm and other APTA-supported legislation. Results. 222 candidates received …