PUBH 2131C: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Introduces the student to the core functions of public health with an emphasis on community health programs and current trends of population health. Exposes the student to the role of community health practice in maximizing the health status of all populations. Course will include an overview of the organizational structure of federal, state, and local health-related agencies and examine the interrelationship of political, social, cultural and economic dimensions of community based population health activities

Public Health Workforce Perceived Impact of Emerging Issues in Public Health

Background: In an era where public health has been viewed as a global, multi-disciplinary field, the public health workforce has remained united to unfailingly holding fast to the mission of protecting, promoting, and improving the health of the public. However, the practice of public health is consistently evolving, and the workforce is continually facing a mirage of challenges. In order to overcome these challenges, practitioners need to be up-to-date on the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver the core public health services. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the perceived impact of emerging trends in public health on the day-to-day work of state and local public health workforces, as well as, if the workforce environment was associated with variations in perceived individual impact. Also, this research examines the extent to which the awareness of the emerging public health tends mediated the relationship between workforce environment and the perceived individual impact levels was examined. Methods: Multinomial logistic regression and mediation was performed to analyze data from the 2017 PH WINS, a cross-sectional survey utilizing a nationally representative sample of the public health workforce. Results: The majority of the state and local public health workforce perceived that their day-to-day work was at least marginally impacted by the emerging public health trends. Workforce environment has significant positive association with the perception of being significantly impacted by the emerging trends during their day-to-day work; cross-jurisdictional sharing (AOR=1.020, p=0.002), QI (AOR=1.035, p= Conclusion: This study was consistent with prior studies that reported that organizational climate and culture have an effect upon the workplace environment, as well as, work engagement and meaningfulness. As practitioners shift into the role of chief health strategists, it may become necessary for all of them to have formal training in public health foundations and tools to efficiently deliver the essential public health services to their communities

PUBH 3232B: FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND PROMOTION PRACTICE

This course examines current issues and topics related to the practice of health promotion and education including philosophical foundations of health promotion and education, ethical issues in health education and promotion, the Certified Health Education Specialist Competencies, organizations and associations in public health education and employment potential. Prerequisite(s): A minimum grade of C in PUBH 2131

PHLD 9231 – Health Informatics & Decision Making

This course focuses on the fundamental concepts of managing information as an asset in public health and healthcare delivery contexts. Emphasis will be placed on converting data into information and converting information into decision support models

Public Health Agencies’ Health Informatics Capacity and Its Impact on Activities to Address Health Disparities

This study examines LHDs’ activities and strategies that seek to address health disparities and inequities and whether the LHDs’ informatics capacities shape the likelihood of performing those activities

A Nationwide Study of the “July Effect” Concerning Postpartum Hemorrhage and Its Risk Factors at Teaching Hospitals across the United States

Objective To assess the “July effect” and the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and its risk factors across the U.S. teaching hospitals. Method This study used the 2018 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and included 2,056,359 of 2,879,924 single live-birth hospitalizations with low-risk pregnancies across the U.S. teaching hospitals. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) medical coding was used to identify PPH and other study variables. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to compare the adjusted odds of PPH risk in the first and second quarters of the academic year vs. the second half of the academic year. Results Postpartum hemorrhage occurred in approximately 4.19% of the sample. We observed an increase in the adjusted odds of PPH during July through September (adjusted odds ratios (AOR), 1.05; confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.10) and October through December (AOR, 1.07; CI, 1.04–1.12) compared to the second half of the academic year (January to June). Conclusions This study showed a significant “July effect” concerning PPH. However, given the mixed results concerning maternal outcomes at the time of childbirth other than PPH, more research is needed to investigate the “July effect” on the outcomes of the third stage of labor. This study’s findings have important implications for patient safety interventions concerning MCH

HIV clinical stage progression of patients at 241 outpatient clinics in Democratic Republic of Congo: Disparities by gender, TB status and rurality

Background: HIV clinical care programs are increasingly cognizant of the importance of customizing services according to patients’ clinical stage progression (WHO\u27s four-tiered staging) and other risk assessments. Understanding factors associated with Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) patients’ progression through the treatment cascade and clinical stages is essential for programs to provide patient-centered, evidence-based services. Methods and materials: To analyze patient characteristics associated with disease progression stages for PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART), this quantitative study used data, from January 2014–June 2019, from 49,460 PLHIV on ART from 241 HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in 23 health zones in Haut-Katanga and Kinshasa provinces, Democratic Republic of Congo. To assess bivariate and multivariate associations, we performed Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Among PLHIV receiving ART, 4.4% were at stage 4, and 30.7% at stage 3. Those at the less severe stages 2 and 1 constituted 22.9% and 41.9%. After controlling for covariates, patients with no TB were significantly more likely than those with TB (p\u3c = .05) to be at stage 1, rather than 3 or 4 (adjusted odds ratio or AOR, 5.73; confidence interval or CI, 4.98–6.59). Other characteristics significantly associated with higher odds of being at stage 1 included being female (AOR, 1.35; CI, 1.29–1.42), and shorter duration on ART (vs. \u3e 40.37 months); for ART duration less than 3.23 months the AOR was 2.47, for 3.23–14.52 months duration the AOR was 2.60, and for 14.53–40.37 months duration the AOR was 1.77 (quartile cut points used). Compared to patients in urban health zones, those in rural (AOR, 0.32) and semi-rural health zones (AOR, 0.79) were less likely to be at stage 1. Conclusion: Significant and substantial variation in HIV clinical progression stage by geographic location and demographic characteristics existed, indicative of the need for targeted efforts to improve the effectiveness of HIV care. Patients with TB coinfection compared to those without coinfection had a much greater risk of being at stage 3 or 4, implying a need for customized approaches and clinical regimens for this high-risk population

A scoping review of theoretical models and conceptual frameworks used in Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) literature

Objectives Theoretical models and conceptual frameworks are often used to design research methods. This study aims to provide an overview of the application of theoretical models and conceptual frameworks in Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR). We also examine how the integration of such terms in research can improve intervention designs and support the decision-making process within the field of public health practice. Methods A scoping review was conducted using publications from public health journals to identify relevant articles in the field of PHSSR. The eligibility of studies was determined after performing evaluations through a full-text review of each article. The inclusion criteria included the requirement that articles applied a theoretical model or conceptual framework. Results Eighteen published articles were selected for this review to detect the impact of theories and frameworks on research designs and processes. In the studies, various conceptual frameworks and theoretical models were used in the research design. Our review showed that researchers opted to use conceptual frameworks more frequently than theories and theoretical models. Given the variety of public health topics, it was challenging to identify which types of theories and conceptual frameworks are best suited for the field of PHSSR. Conclusion Although the application of theory and framework is of great importance in designing and strengthening the research process, we observed that certain challenges often accompany the successful use of theories and conceptual frameworks. Researchers should use appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks to guide research design, to render more credibility and to make study findings more relevant to practice and policy

Socioeconomic status and other factors associated with HIV status among OVC in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Background: Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are a high-risk group for HIV infection, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Purpose: This study aims to portray the socioeconomic profile of OVC and examine the association of household and parent/guardian characteristics with the HIV status of OVC. Methods: For this quantitative retrospective study, we obtained data from ICAP/DRC for a total of 1,624 OVC from households enrolled for social, financial, and clinical services between January 2017 and April 2020 in two provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haut-Katanga and Kinshasa. We computed descriptive statistics for OVC and their parents\u27 or guardians\u27 characteristics. We used the chi-square test to determine bivariate associations of the predictor variables with the dichotomous dependent variable, HIV positivity status. To analyze the association between these independent variables and the dichotomous dependent variable HIV status after controlling for other covariates, we performed firth\u27s logistic regression. Results: Of the OVC included in this study, 18% were orphans, and 10.9% were HIV+. The chi-square analysis showed that among parents/guardians that were HIV+, a significantly lower proportion of OVC (11.7%) were HIV+ rather than HIV- (26.3%). In contrast, for parents/guardians with HIV- status, 9.0% of OVC were HIV-negative, and 11.7% of OVC were OVC+. The firth\u27s logistic regression also showed the adjusted odds of HIV+ status were significantly lower for OVC with parents/guardians having HIV+ status themselves (AOR, 0.335; 95% CI, 0.171–0.656) compared with HIV-negative parents/guardians. The adjusted odds of HIV+ status were significantly lower for OVC with a monthly household income of \u3c $30 (AOR, 0.421; 95$30. Conclusions: Our results suggest that, with the exception of a few household and parent/guardian characteristics, the risk of HIV+ status is prevalent across all groups of OVC within this study, which is consistent with the existing body of evidence showing that OVC are in general vulnerable to HIV infection. With a notable proportion of children who are single or double orphans in DRC, HIV+ OVC constitute a high-risk group that merits customized HIV services. The findings of this study provide data-driven scientific evidence to guide such customization of HIV services