Immunizations for vaccine preventable diseases are ordinarily completed by young adulthood, and the school system is typically the institution required to determine compliance with state immunization requirements prior to enrollment. In recent years, outbreaks of measles on college campuses across the United States have led to the implementation of immunization requirements. Kentucky fouryear postsecondary institutions are not required by state law to request proof of immunization. The purpose of this study was to assess prematriculation immunization policies of Kentucky four-year colleges and universities. Participants completed a survey which appraised the existence of a university prematriculation policy, the diseases covered by their policy, year of policy implementation, and university departments responsible for initiating the policy. In addition, participants were asked if immunizations are available on campus, which vaccinations are available, if an immunization policy had been considered and how recently, and feedback from students, parents and faculty/staff. The survey assessed the attitudes of the respondent regarding policy benefits/dislikes, need for state legislation, and institutional attitude toward governmental intervention of their policy making. Future research on this topic should address the following: the status of prematriculation immunization policies among Kentucky state postsecondary institutions from an epidemiological/public health perspective; explore in greater detail the reason(s) affecting the institutional decision to implement or abandon a prematriculation immunization requirement; investigate or survey the attitudes of students, parents, and faculty/staff toward vaccination programs; include attempts to interview in person a representative from institutions that did not respond to the mailed survey. Further investigation should be conducted; Kentucky four-year colleges and universities would benefit from additional research on vaccine preventable diseases among college students and information gathered from other states with regard to PMIR policies.

There is limited study of the relationship between current farming exposures and childhood asthma, respiratory symptoms, and lung function. This thesis examined the prevalence of asthma in children living on and off farms and the risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms of children exposed to farming activities as well as the relationship between participation in selected farm related activities and lung function values in school age children.<p>The analysis for this thesis was based on data collected from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2004 of 636 children ages 6-13 from an agricultural community in rural Saskatchewan. Parents on behalf of children completed a questionnaire of respiratory health and environmental exposures. Asthma was defined as doctor diagnosis of asthma. Respiratory symptoms were determined by report of cough, wheeze, phlegm. Individual farming activities assessed were; haying, harvesting, moving or playing with hay bales, feeding livestock, cleaning or playing in barns, cleaning pens, and emptying or filling grain bins. The health assessment, conducted at the schools with children, included measurements of height, weight, skin prick test for atopy and lung function (FEV1, FVC, FEV 25-75, FEV1/FVC ratio).<p>There were 553 subjects with questionnaire data for a response rate of 86.9%. Of those subjects participating in the study, lung function was available for 532 subjects. The overall prevalence of asthma was 18.8% and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms was 39.8%. The prevalence of asthma or respiratory symptoms did not differ between children who lived on farms or in towns. <p>After adjusting for significant or clinically important risk factors, children who were exposed to emptying and filling of grain bins were more likely to have asthma (OR=2.42, 95%CI:1.19-4.92). Children with respiratory symptoms were more likely to be exposed to haying activities (OR=1.92, 95% CI:1.03-3.56), playing on or near hay bales (OR=1.93, 95%CI:1.2 -2.96) or cleaning pens (OR=2.55, 95% CI:1.04-6.26). Lung function variables were not associated with participation in any of the seven farming activities tested.<p>Although there were no differences in the prevalence of asthma and respiratory symptoms between farming and non-farming children, certain farming practices may be important in the etiology of asthma and related respiratory symptoms in children.

Confidentiality is considered an integral component of medical practise, yet there has been debate within the medical community as to whether there should be exceptions to the obligation to protect patient’s confidences. In the cases involving medical patients with deadly sexually transmittable disease like HIV/AIDS, physicians feel caught between two basic principles – keeping of medical confidentiality and public safety. Bioethicists would favour breaking of confidentiality when the public safety and the life of someone are endangered. However, considering the complexities and discrimination in connection with HIV/AIDS in Nigerian context, many would be tempted to discourage the notification of partners who risk being infected, through the moral obligation of 'duty to warn', but some others would argue that not notifying people of such threat to life would only help in spreading the virus to ignorant partners of an index patient. I argued that there is an overridden utilitarian principle to save others from harm, but some others cite the negative effects the breaking of medical confidentiality would have on the healthcare system as a reason not to favour partner notification. Nevertheless, people would appreciate the value of breaching confidentiality in HIV/AIDS related cases when various forms of discrimination and stigmatisations are criminalised and policies to protect the fundamental rights of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are strictly adhered to.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 4, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-04, Section: B, page: 2251. Adviser: Mohammad R. Torabi.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 8, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-05, Section: B, page: 2874. Adviser: Michael Reece.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN. / CO-CHAIRMEN: I.A. BERNSTEIN; R.S. MITRA.

Thesis (DR. P.H.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (DR. P.H.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.