Increasing Access to Food: A Comprehensive Report on Food Supply Options

Access to food is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, sustainable community. Grocery stores and other suppliers can serve as an economic anchor to provide social benefits to communities. Unfortunately, many communities do not have convenient and/or affordable access to grocery items, particularly fresh produce. As part of Virginia Commonwealth University\u27s Fall 2019 graduate course on Urban Commercial Revitalization, class members researched 13 retail and other food access options, which are described in this report. Each chapter covers a food access option and provides basic information that will be useful to individuals, organizations, or government agencies that wish to attract and/or develop grocery operations in their communities

Exploring Personal Growth in Individuals Living with Heart Failure

This exploratory study described levels of personal growth and examined relationships among personal growth, demographic, clinical, and cognitive factors in a convenience sample (N = 103) of community-residing adults with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV heart failure (HF). The study was guided by Mishels reconceptualized uncertainty in illness theory and Tedeschi and Calhoun\u27s post-traumatic growth model. The following research questions were addressed: (1) Do adults living with NYHA class II-IV HF report personal growth following their diagnosis of HF? (2) To what extent are age, sex, ethnicity, disease severity, time since diagnosis, symptom status, and uncertainty levels associated with personal growth in individuals with HF? and (3) Which variables (age, sex, ethnicity, disease severity, time since diagnosis, symptom status, or uncertainty levels) make independent contributions to personal growth in individuals living with NYHA class II-IV HF? Participants completed a demographic and clinical survey, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community Version, and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale—Heart Failure. Participants reported moderate levels of personal growth (M = 48.6, SD = 28.6). There were no significant differences in personal growth by sex, ethnicity, or disease severity. Personal growth had a weak, negative correlation with age (r = —.20, p \u3c .05) and a weak, positive correlation with symptom burden (r = .20, p \u3c .05). Uncertainty was positively correlated with symptom burden (r = .49, p \u3c .01) and disease severity (r = .28, p \u3c .01), but was not significantly correlated with PTGI scores. A hierarchical regression model that included age, sex, ethnicity, NYHA classification, years since diagnosis, uncertainty, and symptom burden did not account for significant variance in PTGI scores. Findings provide foundational knowledge to guide future study of personal growth in HF and add to the overall literature on personal growth in relation to uncertainty and symptoms within chronic illness

2014 Annual Research Symposium Abstract Book

2014 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College

2023 EIS Conference

Welcome or welcome back. Four years have passed since our last in-person conference of CDC\u2019s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone and especially for our public health workforce. The EIS classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020 were remarkable for having completed EIS during the pandemic and while transitioning to virtual training. Thank you to our officers for your service under the most challenging of circumstances. And thank you to our EIS alumni, supervisors, and partners for your service and continued support of the EIS program. We are thankful you are back with us at the EIS conference.The conference is a core element of EIS training. It is an opportunity for EIS officers to refine their scientific communication skills, gain experience responding to questions about their work, and share their stories. For all of us, the conference is an opportunity to learn from their analyses, investigations, and practice of consequential epidemiology.Publication date from document properties.https://www.cdc.gov/eis/downloads/eis-conference-2023-508.pd

Preparing for climate change in three New England coastal communities: Lessons on motivations, approaches, and outcomes

This case study research investigated three coastal communities in New England engaged in climate change adaptation. The research goals were to (1) Identify and describe the factors that prompt communities to plan for climate change impacts, (2) To elucidate the types of approaches taken by communities in planning for climate change impacts, and (3) To identify outcomes that transpire from engaging in climate adaptation. The major factors prompting climate adaptation included experience with extreme weather events, local leadership on climate change, and access to technical assistance. Each adaptation process was largely stakeholder-driven. The approaches varied and included utilizing local stories and experiences, updating a traditional hazard mitigation planning framework, and using a technical modeling tool. Major enduring outcomes included increased capacity for adaptation and other local issues, new collaborations or strengthened partnerships, increased attention to existing vulnerabilities, and a foundation for iterative action on adaptation

Chronic Pain in Chidlren and Adolescents. A study in Lebanon.

El dolor crònic en els nens és un greu problema de salut pública a tot el món. La prevalença està augmentant i el seu impacte és aclaparador per als nens, les famílies i els sistemes sanitaris. El tractament òptim del dolor crònic en els joves és multimodal i es basa en l’enfocament biopsicosocial. Tot i els avenços en la investigació sobre l'estudi i el tractament del dolor crònic, aquest continua estant mal tractat, sovint infratractat, especialment en països de renda baixa com el Líban. Per determinar la situació actual del dolor crònic en els i les joves que viuen al Líban es va realitzar un seguit d’estudis, incloent una revisió bibliogràfica, tres estudis sobre escales utilitzades per a l'avaluació de la intensitat del dolor, una enquesta sobre l'educació i la formació en dolor dels professionals sanitaris i sobre els tractaments que actualment que s'ofereixen als nens amb dolor crònic al Líban, i un estudi epidemiològic. Els resultats d'aquests estudis van mostrar, entre altres, diferents àrees de millora en relació amb el tractament dels joves amb dolor crònic que viuen al Líban, mostrant que (1) els nens al Líban pateixen diferents problemes de dolor, (2) que les versions en Àrab de l’ Escala Numèrica de Qualificació-11 i l’ Escala de Dolor de Cares: revisada són vàlides i fiables per a mesurar la intensitat del dolor en nens i adolescents, (3) que l'Escala Visual Analògica i l'Escala Analògica de Colors poden utilitzar indistintament en adolescents, (4) que la formació i educació dels professionals sanitaris és insuficient i (5) que el maneig del dolor crònic al Líban es limita principalment als tractaments farmacològics.El dolor crónico en los niños es un grave problema de salud pública en todo el mundo. La prevalencia está aumentando y su impacto es agobiante para los niños, las familias y los sistemas sanitarios. El tratamiento óptimo del dolor crónico en los jóvenes es multimodal y se basa en el enfoque biopsicosocial. Todo y los adelantos en la investigación sobre el estudio y el tratamiento del dolor crónico, este continúa estando mal tratado, a menudo *infratractat, especialmente en países de renta baja como el Líbano. Para determinar la situación actual del dolor crónico en los y las jóvenes que viven en el Líbano se realizó una serie de estudios, incluyendo una revisión bibliográfica, tres estudios sobre escalas utilizadas para la evaluación de la intensidad del dolor, una encuesta sobre la educación y la formación en dolor de los profesionales sanitarios y sobre los tratamientos que actualmente que se ofrecen a los niños con dolor crónico en el Líbano, y un estudio epidemiológico. Los resultados de estos estudios mostraron, entre otros, diferentes áreas de mejora en relación con el tratamiento de los jóvenes con dolor crónico que viven en el Líbano, mostrando que (1) los niños en el Líbano sufren diferentes problemas de dolor, (2) que las versiones en Árabe de la Escala Numérica de Calificación-11 y la Escala de Dolor de Caras: revisada son válidas y fiables para mesurar la intensidad del dolor en niños y adolescentes, (3) que l'Escala Visual Analógica y l'Escala Analógica de Colores pueden utilizar indistintamente en adolescentes, (4) que la formación y educación de los profesionales sanitarios es insuficiente y (5) que el manejo del dolor crónico en el Líbano se limita principalmente a los tratamientos farmacológicos.Chronic pain in children is a serious public health issue worldwide. Its prevalence is increasing, and its impact is overwhelming for the children, their families, and the healthcare systems. The optimal management of chronic pain in young people is multimodal and built on the biopsychosocial approach. Despite advances in research on study and treatment of chronic pain, it remains mal- and under- treated especially in low-income countries like Lebanon. To determine the current situation of chronic pain in children in Lebanon a literature review, three pain intensity assessment studies, a survey about the education and training in pain of healthcare professionals and the current practices provided in Lebanon for children with chronic pain, and an epidemiological study were conducted. The findings of these studies altogether identified different areas of improvement in relation to the management of chronic pain in children in Lebanon, showing that (1) Children in Lebanon suffer from different pain problems, (2) the Arabic version of the Numerical Rating Scale-11 and Faces Pain Scale-Revised have good validity and reliability to measure pain intensity in children and adolescents there, (3) the Visual Analogue Scale and the Colored Analogue Scale can be used interchangeably in adolescents, (4) training and education of healthcare professionals is far from being satisfactory and (5) pain management in Lebanon is mainly limited to pharmacological treatments

Co-design of health literacy interventions to improve understanding, access and use of health services

This study examined the relationship between health literacy and use of hospital services. Having both low and high health literacy resulted in higher use of hospital services. An established relationship with a health professional may act as a potential mediator and prevent avoidable emergency department presentations and hospital admissions

Fracking and Induced Seismicity Mitigation in Ohio

This research analyzes the extent to which the hydraulic fracturing process contributes to seismic activity in the State of Ohio and compares Ohio’s fracking induced seismicity with other case studies from the States of Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. It distinguishes and addresses the differences in risks that fracking poses in conventional natural gas wells versus unconventional horizontal wells where natural gas is extracted from reservoirs with low permeability. Ohio’s earthquake history, fracking history, current fracking regulations, and restrictions on local regulations were thoroughly investigated to determine just how much fracking has affected the state’s seismicity rate. Since 2011, when unconventional natural gas development began occurring, Ohio has experienced a significant increase in both microseismicity and 2.0+ magnitude earthquakes. Earthquakes and hydraulic fracturing were studied from an emergency management perspective through the examination of local hazard mitigation plans from each of the state’s 88 counties to determine what, if any, mitigative strategies were being implemented by local emergency management agencies. Potential mitigative strategies that local emergency management agencies could implement to reduce the risks that fracking poses have also been discussed