Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has been linked to hypertension, especially among African American youth. Optimistic bias leads youth to underestimate their susceptibility to negative health outcomes. Public health officials want to reduce risk factors to result in significant long term reduction in cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent behavior practices in a school district and prevalence of high blood pressure and obesity in that population. The health belief model guided the framework for this study. Research questions examined relationship between individual health risk practices and optimistic bias on health outcomes. Using a correlational research design, 433 African American high school students were administered a face-to-face survey and had their obesity and blood pressure measured by the school nurse. Canonical correlational analyses were used to examine relationships between health risk practices and descriptive statistics for optimistic bias and health outcomes. Among the health risk practices, engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes in the last 7 days and lower blood pressure was the only statistically significant relationship. Despite presence of clinical risk factors for hypertension and obesity, two-thirds of the students did not perceive themselves to be at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, with males at greater risk than females. Reducing health optimistic bias is viewed as an effective way of motivating young people to adopt more positive behaviors. This study has social change implications for using educational institutions to implement intervention programs that promote positive health behavior among youth not as an individual responsibility but as a way to reduce health disparities at the systemic level.

The United States has set a 90% benchmark for influenza vaccinations for healthcare personnel. Unfortunately, healthcare personnel fall far short of that mark with current rates as low as 62%. Low vaccination rates are responsible for influenza, nosocomial influenza, influenza-like illness, and mortality during influenza season. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to understand the relationship between leadership styles, attitudes towards evidence-based practice, and vaccination intention among New Jersey registered nurses (RNs). Diffusion of innovations theory was the theoretical foundation. The 3 instruments used were the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Evidence Based Practice Attitude Scale, and Behavioral Intention Scales, which measured independent variables such as transformational leadership and attitudes toward evidence-based practice. Vaccination intent was the dependent variable. The results showed that transformational leadership was positively related to vaccination intent r(353) = .16, p < .01. There was no relationship between transactional leadership and vaccination intent r(353) = .01, p > .05 nor between attitudes toward evidence-based practice and vaccination intent r(353) = .09, p > .05. The implication of the study is that the effects of transformational leadership constitute a predictive tool to identify how an organization can increase vaccination rates among RNs. Implementing the recommendations of the study could promote social change by providing nursing leadership with tools to facilitate increased vaccination rates among health care personnel. Increasing vaccination rates for healthcare personnel will decrease vaccine-preventable illnesses and improve outcomes for hospitalized patients.

This study examined the strength of association between food workers and food to norovirus in comparison to bacteria associated with foodborne-related gastroenteritis by whether norovirus had a direct (physical evidence), indirect (statistical evidence), or suspect (neither of the two) association with food or food handlers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers norovirus to cause the largest number of foodborne-related gastroenteritis cases in the United States. The association of norovirus with foodborne outbreaks through its information data collection form focuses on the food worker as the typical source. Yet, many outbreaks are not foodborne in nature. The gap in the research is the evidence supporting the theory that norovirus transmission is the same as bacterial transmission. A secondary data anaylsis was conducted on the data from the electronic Foodborne Outbreak Reporting System between 1998 and 2006. An odds ratio analysis showed no similarity between proportion of the implicated and nonimplicated numbers of outbreaks from norovirus and those from Salmonella. The odds ratios also showed a stronger similarity between proportions of food handler implicated outbreaks from norovirus than from Salmonella. An analysis showed, though, a significant emphasis was not placed on the food handler but on other indirect routes of transmission of norovirus in outbreaks. The analysis also indicated that norovirus transmission was not mainly through food. Norovirus transmission appeared to be through person-to-person rather than food and had more similarities with pandemic influenza than gastroenteritis-associated bacteria. A change in approach to norovirus by local, state, and federal agencies could have social change implications for prevention, surveillance, and public health programs to reduce infection and outbreaks.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

<p>College students are at high risk of experiencing serious problems related to physical and social health issues that include binge drinking, sexual assault, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Despite research reporting that many of these incidents co-occur on campuses, university prevention programs have failed to present the inter-relatedness of these issues. The current study examined combining three topics into a single prevention strategy; excessive alcohol consumption, coercive sexual behavior related to alcohol, and unsafe sexual practices. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study examined an integrated orientation strategy focusing on changing student behaviors in these domains. The study was conducted at a small, independent campus in Southern California. A total of 1,487 students, ages 18 to 24 years of age, participated in this survey design study. A non-randomized control group consisting of 138 students was used. The model was found to have significant effects, the most salient being that students who received the intervention made less risky decisions than those who did not attend the program. This change was observed in all three behavior domains. Special attention was paid to athletes, members of fraternities and sororities, and LGBT students. For Greek students who received the intervention, alcohol risk decreased significantly. For athletes who received the intervention, scores decreased significantly in regard to alcohol use as it relates to consent. Multiple linear regressions revealed that the intervention was a strong predictor of engaging in less risky behaviors around the use of alcohol and around alcohol as it relates to consent. Recommendations for future research include replication of the present study on small and large campuses, comparison to single model instructional methods, investigation of models that address the needs of LGBT students, and the use of bystander intervention skills within an integrated model. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are presented and discussed emphasizing the need to choose integrated prevention strategies that will address individual campus needs and create a safer community for university students. Given the high rates of all three behaviors, campus administrators are urged to implement and enforce prevention programs and consistent policies. </p>

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2006. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, page: 2521. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-88).

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1948.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944. / Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1933.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1945.