Medicine and Health Commons^™

Rural Life Census Data Center Newsletter: South Dakota’S Medically Uninsured, Jake Cummings

Census Data Center Newsletter Archive: 2007-2010

The status of our nation’s healthcare system has received a considerable amount of attention, particularly over the past two years. One of the most commonly cited areas of concern among stakeholders, such as the Kaiser Foundation, is the number of uninsured individuals nationwide.
In 2008, the Kaiser Family Foundation stated that the percentage of employers providing health insurance decreased from 69% to 60% (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2008). Kaiser cited increasing premiums as a primary cause of health coverage being dropped. The Kaiser Foundation added that the uninsured “are four times more likely to delay or forgo needed …

Finding And Affording Healthy Food In Rural America: Study Results From New Hampshire, Sally Ward

Carsey Publications

Carsey Institute Child Nutrition Briefings, Washington, DC

Forced Migration And The Survival Needs Of The Nigerian Child, Ngozi Diwunma Obidike

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This article identifies the survival needs of the forced migrant Nigerian child as well as the extent to which the identified needs are satisfied. The population consisted of 600 forced migrant children and 10 emergency workers who were chosen based on their experiences being forced migrants. A questionnaire was used for the study. The result showed) among other things, that although the need for food, clean water, education, peace, and shelter were identified as the five most essential needs, other needs were also identified as necessary for the children's survival. Based on the results, recommendations were made.

Surviving Cancer In Appalachia: A Qualitative Study Of Family Cancer Communication And Changing Personal Identities Through The Cancer Journey., Kathryn L. Duvall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Appalachian region is known for its beautiful mountains, close-knit communities, and health care disparities including higher rates of cancer and premature mortality. Being diagnosed with cancer in the region may present a unique experience for survivors in regards to family cancer communication and changing personal identities. In a multiphasic study, the stories of 29 female Appalachian cancer survivors were collected through either a day-long modified story circle event (n=26) or an in-depth interview (n=3). Qualitative content analysis was used to identify emergent themes in the data. The analysis revealed 5 types of family cancer communication and five barriers to …

The Places Of Birth: Navigating Risk, Control, And Choice, Hannah E. Emple

Geography Honors Projects

Through qualitative research in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and a literature review grounded in health and feminist geography, this paper analyzes how women, their families, and health care providers view and navigate places of birth. Over four million births occur annually in the United States, making birth the most common reason for hospitalization of women. Although 99% of women in the U.S. give birth in hospitals, a small but vocal minority seek alternative places to birth – primarily at home. Where to give birth is a contested subject infused with social and political significance. I suggest that place is highly …

Female Condom Knowledge, Attributes And Behavior: Barriers To Use And Potential For Acceptance Among Sexually Active Undergraduate Students, Paige Nuzzolillo 6368479

Honors Scholar Theses

Minimal research has been conducted on the acceptability of the female condom among college populations despite its existence in the world market since 1992. The FC2, an improved version of FC1, has recently been released in the United States, thus prompting the need for further acceptability studies. Due to increasingly high rates of STDs among those aged 15-24, every method of protection against STDs/HIV and pregnancy must be utilized. This study involved a campus-wide survey which examined University of Connecticut (Uconn) main campus (Storrs) undergraduate students’ knowledge of the female condom, perceptions of and attitudes towards the female condom as …

Impact Belize 2010 Executive Report, Ritchie D. Taylor, Jordan Norris, Molly Calico, Bernie Strenecky, Daniel Carter, Dawn Garrett Wright, Eve Main, Bonny Petty, Molly Kerby, Jill Norris

Impact Belize

No abstract provided.

Challenges In Serving Rural American Children Through The Summer Food Service Program, Barbara Wauchope, Nena F. Stracuzzi

Carsey Publications

When the school year ends, many low-income children rely on the USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) to supplement their diet. But less than one-third of SFSP sites are located in rural communities and rural children participate at a lower rate than those in more urban areas.

What's For Dinner? Finding And Affording Healthy Foods In New Hampshire Communities, Nena F. Stracuzzi, Sally Ward

Carsey Publications

Access to healthy food is becoming increasingly difficult for some households in the Granite State, as grocery stores relocate or consolidate, leaving some residents to depend on convenience stores for basic groceries. This brief looks at recent data on food deserts in New Hampshire.

Analysis Of Primary Risk Factors For Oral Cancer From Us States With Increasing Rates, Anthony Bunnell, Nathan Pettit, Nicole Reddout, Kanika Sharma, Susan O'Malley, Michelle Chino, Karl Kingsley

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives

To examine the primary risk factor for oral cancer in the US, smoking and tobacco use, among the specific US states that experienced short-term increases in oral cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods

Population-based data on oral cancer morbidity and mortality in the US were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for analysis of recent trends. Data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure current and former trends of tobacco usage. To comprehensive measures of previous state tobacco use …

Attachment-Based Family Therapy For Adolescents With Suicidal Ideation: A Randomized Controlled Trial., Guy S. Diamond, Matthew B. Wintersteen, Gregory K. Brown, Gary M. Diamond, Robert Gallop, Karni Shelef, Suzanne Levy

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is more effective than Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) for reducing suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms in adolescents. METHOD: This was a randomized controlled trial of suicidal adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, identified in primary care and emergency departments. Of 341 adolescents screened, 66 (70% African American) entered the study for 3 months of treatment. Assessment occurred at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. ABFT consisted of individual and family meetings, and EUC consisted of a facilitated referral to other providers. All participants received weekly monitoring and access …

Uncertain Health Insurance Coverage And Unmet Children’S Health Care Needs, Jennifer E. Devoe, Moira Ray, Lisa Krois, Matthew J. Carlson

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has improved insurance coverage rates. However, children's enrollment status in SCHIP frequently changes, which can leave families with uncertainty about their children's coverage status. We examined whether insurance uncertainty was associated with unmet health care needs.

METHODS: We compared self-reported survey data from 2,681 low-income Oregon families to state administrative data and identified children with uncertain coverage. We conducted cross-sectional multivariate analyses using a series of logistic regression models to test the association between uncertain coverage and unmet health care needs. RESULTS: The health insurance status for 13.2% of children …

Community Violence And Health Risk Factors Among Adolescents On Chicago's Southside: Does Gender Matter?, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

We assessed community violence, school engagement, negative peer influences, mental health problems, and human immunodeficiency virus risk among 563 black adolescents. Boys reported higher rates of community violence exposures and gang involvement, while girls reported higher mental health distress. In the presence of multiple risk factors, negative peer norms were the strongest correlate of human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviors.

Friendship's 3-Tier Healthcare System: An Innovative Approach To Delivering Healthcare To Geographically And Socially Remote Areas, Runa Khan

Social Space

The hardest communities to reach and treat often live in the most remote, harsh landscapes. On the nomadic islands of the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh, poor migratory communities are so cut off from urban centres that medical treatment is virtually unheard of. Runa Khan, Executive Director of Bangladeshi NGO Friendship, shares the difficult and inspired journey to build a mobile healthcare system using hospital ships, mobile clinics and community medics.

The Medicalization Of Hyperactivity And Inattentiveness : A Social History And Theoretical Perspectives On Adhd, Justin Douglas Brock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigates the rise of the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis. It approaches the topic from a medicalization perspective and frames it under the therapeutic state as proposed by Nicholas Kittrie in 1971. It asks three questions: how has society, and particularly, the medical community changed to allow the medicalization of hyperactivity and social control of active children? How has the continuing diagnosis of hyperactivity in children expanded to include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in both children and adults? And what forces are behind the continuously inclusive diagnosis and why? In an attempt to answer these questions the history of the …

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Understanding The Hiv Risk And Sexual Health Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Horizons Studies 2001 To 2008, Scott Geibel, Waimar Tun, Placide Tapsoba, Scott E. Kellerman

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …

Dementia And Dementia Care: The Contributions Of A Psychosocial Perspective, Phyllis Braudy Harris

Sociology

The social sciences have and continue to play a unique role in the study of dementia and dementia care. For central to the social sciences, particularly the discipline of sociology is a history of critical inquiry that challenges long held societal assumptions, a concern for issues of social justice, social exclusion and the treatment of marginalized populations. All significant areas to consider when caring for a person with dementia. This chapter will trace the development of the study of dementia and dementia care starting with its biomedical roots, examine the contributions of the social sciences in furthering the conceptual development …

Nebraska Risk And Protective Factor Student Survey Results For 2010. Profile Report: State Of Nebraska,, Bureau Of Sociological Research

Nebraska Student Health and Risk Prevention Surveillance System (SHARP)

No abstract provided.

Implications And Impact Of Race On The Health Of Latinos, Luisa N. Borrell, Clara E. Rodriguez

Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prevention With Positives: How Do We Reach Them In The Community?, Avina Sarna, Jerry Okal, Stanley Luchters, Nzioki King'ola, Scott Geibel

HIV and AIDS

In the past, HIV prevention efforts have focused primarily on developing risk-reduction interventions for those presumed to be HIV-negative and therefore at risk of becoming infected with HIV. In recognition of the need for prevention among people living with HIV (PLHIV), programs have been initiated in Africa, but primarily in clinical settings for those who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is little knowledge about how to reach those PLHIV not on ART, and therefore not in regular contact with the health system or with effective prevention messages. This diagnostic study aimed to address the gap in information on how …