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The current paper describes the process and results of an effort to find a way to effectively manage and diffuse prevention knowledge. This study shows the role that today's communication technologies can play in ensuring collaboration and participation in both the design and use of a knowledge management system (KMS) for prevention research, practice and policy. In the context of this study, 'prevention research' includes primary through tertiary prevention efforts consistent with general applied public health research in the US. An online Delphi study was used to engage a set of prevention research constituencies in the design of a mechanism to enhance the potential for effective technology transfer. A three-round Delphi was conducted with 58 stakeholders and key informants involved in prevention: government-level policy makers, researchers and front-line practitioners. The study resulted in consensus on 34 functions and 32 output/content elements of a proposed web-based KMS called Prevention-Effects.net. The paper also describes the implications of both the processes of development and the benefits of the proposed system for those interested in prevention.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a modern technological tool that provides otherwise infertile individuals and couples an opportunity to conceive. As a multimillion dollar business, ART faces challenges common to other highly profitable enterprises, such as how and when to measure success. This poses ethical challenges as well, though these are unlike the ethical challenges faced by businesses which trade in consumer goods. ART makes babies. Individuals and couples seeking ART may be both vulnerable and fragile, thus ART providers must gently balance smart business practices with ethical care delivery. Applying Laura Nash's integrated approach to business ethics may offer ART providers a suitable model that combines ethically sound care with economically sound business practice. Key to Nash's approach are value creation, economic and social benefit, and relationship building. Not a short-term approach to quick business decisions, Nash's approach requires a long-term commitment as a way of doing business. © Common Ground, Deborah Flynn, All Rights Reserved.

Objectives: Assess the association of helmet use with motorcycle crash mortality and identify characteristics of riders who do not wear helmets in Connecticut crashes. Methods: Police crash data for Connecticut motorcycle crashes 2001-2007 were analyzed. Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regressions were performed including age, gender, seating position, road type, season, time of day, and recklessness. Results: Of the 9,214 crashes with helmet use data available, helmets were worn in 4,072 (44.2%). Non-helmeted riders, age > 18, riding interstate or state roads, in the evening or at night, and whowereridingrecklesslywere associated withhigher odds of fatality. Predictors of nonhelmet use included males, passengers, age <18 or 30 to 59, and riding in the summer, evening or at night, and on US, state, and local roads. Conclusion: Current crash data affirm that helmets reduce fatal crashes in Connecticut. A set of factors help predictnon helmeted riders to whom safety training could be targeted.

Introduction: Like medicine, public health practitioners seek to understand causes of mortality, practices of humans and issues that can change population conditions, in order to preserve and care for life. The murder pandemic has been such in Jamaica that the World Bank sponsored a qualitative study on crime in urban areas in Jamaica in the late 1990s to provide a platform to guide policy intervention and programmes. As a result this study will fill the gap in the literature by providing the evidence to support that divorce and marriage are public health concerns from the perspective of murders. Objective: To evaluate the role of divorce and marital relationships on murders. Materials and methods: The data for this study are taken from various Jamaica Government Publications. The period for this work is from 1950 through 2013. Data were recorded, stored and retrieved using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, Version 21.0. The level of significance that is used to determine statistical significance is less than 5% (0.05). Ordinary least square (OLS) regression analyses and curve estimations were used to determine models and best fitted models. Results: On average, annually, 523 Jamaicans are murdered (± 484), with there being 9,531 marriages (±22,747) and 904 divorces (±468). Logged marriage rate and divorce rate are factors of murder rate, with both independent factors accounting for 82.2% of the variability in the murder rate. Both factors are positively correlated with the murder rate, with the divorce rate accounting for most of the variance in the murder rate (R2 = 79.2%). Conclusion: Death can be extremely devasting to families, however, murder among married couples can severely disrupt the lives of both families along with any children from such relationship. © 2014, Chevron Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Purpose: Evaluate five different recruitment strategies for their capacity to enroll and retain both healthy and vulnerable older adults as part of a multiyear influenza vaccination study. Methods: We analyzed recruitment methods and other characteristics of individuals who participated in or were considered for five sequential one-year studies. Results: Of 940 screened individuals, 820 met eligibility criteria with 795 enrolled over the five-year study (307 primary participants). Among these enrollees, 63.4% were female and 95.5% were white, with mean ages of 75.3 (older group) and 30.6 (younger group). More than a half (56.7%) of the participants enrolled more than once, participating an average of 2.56 (SD=1.6) times. The majority (81.9%) of individuals recruited each year were return participants identified during earlier recruitments. Physician referrals resulted in only 5.3% recruitments. Conclusions: Recruitment and retention of study subjects, especially older adults, was facilitated by the existence of a database listing past participants.

Introduction: The educational system of Jamaica is designed whereby performance is assessed based on formal evaluation (or test). This test culture places immense pressure on students at the primary level to successful complete some examinations in order for placement into select schools. Objectives: The present study seeks to evaluate psychological stress among students who take the G.S.A.T examination in the Corporate Area schools in Jamaica and assess whether psychological stressors influence academic performance. Methods: For this research, mixed methodology was employed to investigate the phenomenon of stressors among students who took the 2013 G.S.A.T examination. For the survey instrument (questionnaire), the large volume of data were stored, retrieved and analyzed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (S.P.S.S) for Windows version 21.0 (SPSS Inc; Chicago, IL, USA). Findings: The overall academic performance of the surveyed respondents was high (75.8 ± 19.4; 95% CI: 72.4- 79.2), with students in the preparatory school (92.4 ± 4.1) outperformed those in the primary school (71.0 ± 19.4)- t-test =10280, P < 0.0001. The level of stress experienced by those in the public school was greater (29.9 ± 6.0; 95% CI: 28.9 - 30.1) than those in the private school (26.0 ± 3.9; 95% CI: 24.5- 27.4- t-test=-3.300, P=0.001). Five factors determine overall academic performance: 1) stress level, 2) parental involvement, 3) school type, 4) nervous on taking the first G.S.A.T examination and 5) school choice (traditional or non-traditional high school). The five factors accounted for 35.8 percentage points of the variance in overall academic performance (Adjusted R2). Conclusion: Parental involvement is crucial in academic performance among students who took the 2013 G.S.A.T examination and students experienced moderately high stress, which offers some insight in the examination and the information can be used to better guide policy formulation. © 2015 Bourne PD, et al.

Background: For millennia, women with multiple sexual partners have been labeled and stigmatized as whores, prostitutes, promiscuous and commercial sex workers. However, there is little literature comprehensively addressing factors related to reproductive health in this group. Aim: The aim of the current study is to elucidate the reproductive health matters of women who have multiple sexual partners. Setting and design: The data use for this research is taken from the Jamaica Reproductive Health Survey, 2007. Stratified random sampling is used to design the sampling frame. Materials and Methods: The current study extracts a sample of 225 respondents (from 7,168 women ages 15-49 years) who indicate having had multiple sex partners. Statistical analysis used: Data are analyzed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences for Windows, Version 21.0. Multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze factors that explained current method of contraception. Results: Women with multiple sex partners on average are involved with men at least 9.5 years their senior, and 72% of them have become pregnant. Currently, contraception use can be explained by social class (middle class, Odds ratio (OR) = 0.08, 95% CI= 0.01 – 0.59); age at first sexual intercourse (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.68 – 1.21); employment status (employed, OR = 5.07, 95% CI = 1.06 – 24.36); and marital status (married or common-law, OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.02 – 0.38). Conclusion: The early sexual initiation among young women is a public health problem because of the increased incidence of teenage pregnancy and increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, which must be addressed with the same intensity and resource allocation used to fight against Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). © 2015, Chevron Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Background: The bullying phenomenon, an aspect of aggression, has gained attention in many countries thus making it a very important issue in schools. Many studies have been done on this issue resulting in deeper analysis and review on the matter because the matter covers physical, verbal or psychological acts of aggression that may be intentional, and, which may occur once or repeated over time. Objectives: This study seeks to examine the following research questions: 1) How is bullying manifested in grades 4-6 in primary schools identified for this study?; 2) What are the specific bullying behaviours exhibited by class bullies in grades 4-6?; 3) How does the behavior of bullies affect the conduct of classes?; 4) What are the characteristics of the students who are targeted by in-class bullies?, and 5) What strategies are currently used by the teachers to deal with bullying in class? Materials and Methods: Two hundred students were conveniently identified (n = 200) for the study in the three schools of which 153 participated in the survey (i.e., response rate of 76.5%). The sample comprises of pupils in grades 4, 5 and 6, which 67 pupils in grades 4 and 5, and 66 in the 6th grade. Likewise 50 students ages 9, 10, 11 and 12 years were recruited for participation, with the least respondents being ages 9 years (46%) and the most being 11 years old (94%). Results: The principals and guidance counselor reported that the bullying phenomenon is a daily occurrence at their schools and that on a daily basis they are called upon to address at least 3 cases and a maximum of 10 cases of bullying. All the parents in this study noted that the bullying phenomenon is widespread in primary schools in St. Thomas and that schools are now considered an unsafe environment. Of the 26 surveyed parents in this research, 92.3% indicated that ‘schools are no longer fun for children to be anymore because of the bullying phenomenon. Conclusion: Now there is empirical evidence that the bullying phenomenon is creating psychological issues that extend beyond the aggressor to those around him/her. The psychology of the bullying phenomenon is far-reaching more than a social issue and as such clearly the psychology of the matter is crying out for public health efforts and/or intervention in Jamaica. © 2015, Chevron Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Since the advent of medical treatments for HIV, the promotion of adherence to these difficult treatment regimens has proven critical to disease management. Three Connecticut state-funded HIV medication adherence programs were evaluated. The purpose of this process evaluation was to explore and compare the goals and modality of each adherence program, assess client and staff satisfaction, and provide recommendations for the improvement of these programs. Focus group interviews with clients and individual interviews with staff were conducted at each of the programs. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed with a code-and-retrieve method of theme identification. Focus group themes included the importance of social support on medication adherence and the “lifesaving” effect the program has had. The staff expressed that although complete adherence should be the long-term objective, more intermediate objectives should be considered (e.g., behavioral changes to increase clients’ ability, selfesteem, and self-efficacy to take medications). © 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2001 by Taylor & Francis.

In the current U.S. military operational environment, it has been estimated that up to 700,000 troop years (cumulative years of service including multiple tours of duty) have been logged over the past decade since offensive campaigns began, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (Smith, Benight, & Cieslak, 2013). With this influx of eligible beneficiaries, the utilization of Veterans Administration (VA) education benefits more than doubled between 2001 and 2012 (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2013). This study examined the relationship between peer emotional support and perceived self-efficacy and their implications for, or relationship to, mental health morbidities in a postsecondary educational setting. The study included 39 matriculated student-veterans at an accredited postsecondary institution in New England. Participants answered 32 questions related to three constructs: perceived self-efficacy, peer emotional support, and mental health morbidity. It was found that a moderate, but significant, positive correlation exists between perceived self-efficacy and peer emotional support in student-veterans. A moderate but significant negative correlation was uncovered between perceived self-efficacy and mental health morbidity. In addition, this study found that first-year students report significantly lower peer emotional support than seniors and graduate students. It was also found that those veterans with only one deployment reported significantly greater self-efficacy than those who had deployed twice. This study serves as a conduit into future research on the multifaceted issues facing student-veterans. Copyright © 2017, Association for Continuing Higher Education.

An interpretive qualitative approach insists on the plural and negotiated nature of the meanings that humans attach to their social realities. Thus, the qualitative researcher must navigate multiple and sometimes conflicting commitments to method, data, oneself, participants, and one’s reader. This can lead us to obscure the messiness of data analysis in final research reports and to downplay how methodological choices can make our participants ‘say things.’ In this article, we compare two interpretive methods, thematic and narrative analysis, including their shared epistemological and ontological premises, and offer a pedagogical demonstration of their application to the same data excerpt. However, our broader goal is to use the divergent results to critically examine how our choice of analytic method in interpretive research influences how we (researcher + method) ‘author’ data stories. Ultimately, researcher reflexivity must go beyond acknowledging how one’s position may influence the data analysis or the participant. © 2019, © 2019 Australian and New Zealand Communication Association.

When our photovoice research intersected with the COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrust into a new world of adapting the method in the virtual environment. Between both authors, we had over two decades of experience implementing photovoice. However, that involved tried and true methods of working face to face and side by side with people in community-based settings. This article describes lessons learned from two virtual photovoice projects. One involved pivoting from a project already well underway in person to online and the other was designed for virtual implementation since that was the only option available. Key considerations discussed are navigating our institutional review boards, adapting project management, building community online, and sharing results and advocacy for social change. Dilemmas and key decisions in each of these areas are described for practitioners and community-based researchers who need or seek to transition their photovoice research to the virtual environment. Practical tips and strategies for implementation are described and offered to photovoice researchers.

Relationship strain or dissolution between new parents can affect the co-parenting relationship and parenting engagement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a relationship-strengthening intervention on parenting behaviors among adolescent couples. Data from a pilot randomized control trial conducted with predominantly Black and Latino couples were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Observed intervention * time effects and intervention * time * gender effects were not statistically significant, but had small to moderate effect sizes. Intervention couples demonstrated increased parenting sense of competence compared to control couples. Gender differences in intervention effects were observed for both parenting experiences and parenting engagement. Given the pilot nature of the study, these findings provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of this couple-based intervention for improving parenting outcomes. Future research should assess the intervention in a larger sample and leverage technology-based approaches as methods for content delivery. © The Author(s) 2022.

Black women faculty and administrators in the United States are tackling a force of socioeconomic and racial disparities, emotional tolls and invisible burdens within academia, political turmoil, social unrest, and public health crises. COVID-19 has added an additional layer related to work responsibilities, the overall well-being of Black women faculty and administrators and the diverse students they encounter, and management of work and home responsibilities. This paper discusses perspectives and evidence-based strategies regarding Black women faculty and administrators who navigate academia and teach during times of COVID-19 and social unrest. We also outline strategies for university leaders to mitigate cultural and racial gaps in the classroom or workplace and foster diversity and inclusion in academia. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

COVID-19, the pandemic of highly contagious respiratory disease, presents a global public health emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness of the role of public health and its professionals in responding to the pandemic. Racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States are more likely to contract and die from COVID-19 versus Whites, highlighting health disparities. Higher education schools and programs in public health can help prepare students to address this global pandemic through expanded curriculum on social determinants of health disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, teachings on implicit bias and anti-racism, interprofessional education, and practice-based learning. Moreover, eliminating health disparities is a leading public health priority in the United States and can help attain the World Health Organization goal of achieving health equity. This chapter highlights the need for public health curriculum that outlines strategies to address racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 to prepare and motivate a future healthcare workforce. How to cite this chapter: Njoku, A. (2022). COVID-19 and health disparities opportunities for public health curriculum enhancement. In  R. Ammigan, R. Y. Chan, &amp; K. Bista, (eds), COVID-19 and higher education in the global context: Exploring contemporary issues and challenges (pp. 139-153). STAR Scholars. https://starscholars.org/product/covid-19-and-higed/

Black and Latinx communities have faced disproportionate harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and access has the potential to mitigate mortality and morbidity from COVID-19 for all communities, including those most impacted by the pandemic.To investigate and understand factors associated with facilitating and obstructing COVID-19 vaccine access and acceptance among Black and Latinx communities.This community-partnered qualitative study conducted semistructured, in-depth focus groups with Black and Latinx participants from March 17 to March 29, 2021, using a secure video conferencing platform. Participants were recruited through emails from local community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, social service agencies, the New Haven, Connecticut, Health Department, and in-person distribution of study information from community health workers. A total of 8 focus groups were conducted, including 4 in Spanish and 4 in English, with 72 participants from a diverse range of community roles, including teachers, custodial service workers, and health care employees, in New Haven, Connecticut. Data were analyzed from March 17 to July 30, 2021.Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. Themes and subthemes were identified on the acceptability and accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine among participants who identified as Black and/or Latinx.Among 72 participants, 36 (50%) identified as Black, 28 (39%) as Latinx, and 8 (11%) as Black and Latinx and 56 (78%) identified as women and 16 (22%) identified as men. Participants described 3 major themes that may represent facilitators and barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations: pervasive mistreatment of Black and Latinx communities and associated distrust; informing trust via trusted messengers and messages, choice, social support, and diversity; and addressing structural barriers to vaccination access.The findings of this qualitative study may impact what health care systems, public health officials, policy makers, health care practitioners, and community leaders can do to facilitate equitable uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Community-informed insights are imperative to facilitating COVID-19 vaccine access and acceptance among communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Preventing the further widening of inequities and addressing structural barriers to vaccination access are vital to protecting all communities, especially Black and Latinx individuals who have experienced disproportionate death and loss from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Although a promising solution of the COVID-19 vaccination offers hope, disparities in access again threaten the health of these communities. Various explanations have arisen for the cause of disparate vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minorities, including discussion of vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, the role of vaccine accessibility rooted in structural racism as a driver in these disparities should be further explored. This paper discusses the impact of structural barriers on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We also recommend public health, health system, and community-engaged approaches to reduce racial disparities in COVID-19 disease and mortality. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure is widespread in the general population and previous research has suggested that it contains endocrine-disrupting properties that can adversely affect the reproductive health system. The objective of this study was to use the 2013–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to assess the potential association between DEHP exposure and infertility in women. Using a nationally representative, cross-sectional study design, we used multiple logistic regression to measure the association of urinary metabolites of DEHP with self-reported history of infertility among women. Four metabolites of DEHP were examined: mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxy-hexyl)phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxy-hexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxy-pentyl)phthalate (MECPP). These metabolites were calculated into a molar sum of DEHP (∑DEHP) and split into quartiles for analysis. After adjusting for age and race, ∑DEHP was associated with increased odds of infertility for the second quartile (AOR = 2.35, 95% CI [1.24,4.44], p = 0.01) and third quartile (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI [1.57, 5.10], p ¡ 0.01) when compared to the first quartile (reference). The adjusted OR for the highest quartile of ∑DEHP found no association and it was not statistically significant (AOR = 0.99, 95 %CI [0.57, 1.73], p = 0.98). The findings of this study add to the already complex existing literature on phthalate exposure and infertility. These findings warrant further population-based cohort studies on phthalate exposure and their relationship to infertility in humans. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.