Graduate
January 14, 2021
Evaluating Measures of HIV Risk Perception with a Mixed Method Approach Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Using PrEP in Kenya
Introduction: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention is a promising HIV prevention option for young African women. The evidence of effective PrEP use in this population group is mixed, and has been tied to poor adherence. Discordance between assessed HIV risk and the actual experience of risk may underlie the dissonance observed between epidemiologic risk,…
Validity of Identification Methods of Lower Extremity Amputation in the Veterans Health Administration Electronic Medical Records
It is not currently known what the best method to identify individuals with lower extremity amputation (LEA) is. The purpose of this study is to determine the positive predictive value (PPV) of algorithms used to identify patients with LEA using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic medical records (EMR) and to determine if PPV varies by…
Prenatal Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution, Gestational Weight Gain, and Offspring Birth Weight
Background. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients have elevated cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality compared to general population comparators of the same age and sex. Although obesity is an important and modifiable CV risk factor, there are few prospective studies addressing the impact of higher body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcomes in AS. The aim of…
Exercise Partially Explains the Impact of Body Mass Index on Disease Activity in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Background. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients have elevated cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality compared to general population comparators of the same age and sex. Although obesity is an important and modifiable CV risk factor, there are few prospective studies addressing the impact of higher body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcomes in AS. The aim of…
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Systemic Inflammation in Adults in the United States
Background and significance: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor behavioral and physical health outcomes in adulthood. Though not fully elucidated, systemic inflammation is one mechanism through which ACEs are thought to affect health outcomes in adulthood. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between ACEs and systemic inflammation and if…
Validity of Self-reported HPV Vaccination History in 18-26 Year Old Men Who Have Sex with Men, 2016-2018
Background Since 2011, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been recommended for men who have sex with men (MSM) through age 26 to prevent infection with the HPV types most commonly associated with cancer. Accurate estimates of HPV vaccine coverage are needed to monitor coverage and impact of HPV vaccine over time. We assessed the validity…
Factors associated with reduced lung function in adolescents living with HIV in Nairobi, Kenya
Background: Over 5 million children and adolescents are living with HIV (ALWH) worldwide as a result of perinatally-acquired disease. Recent data support high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in this population and a predominant phenotype of irreversible airflow obstruction. The objective of this study was to better understand factors associated with chronic lung disease in…
Does the union make us strong? Labor unions, health, and health inequities in the United States
Recently, life expectancy in the U.S. has stagnated or declined for the poor and working classes and risen for the middle and upper classes. Declining labor union density – the percent of workers belonging to labor unions – has contributed to burgeoning income inequity. In this dissertation, we examined the relationship between unionism and health,…
Social Support Regarding Abortion Decision and Mental Health Outcomes at Time of Seeking Abortion Services
Background: While the relationship between social support and mental health in the general population is well established, little is known about the role of social support, particularly decision support, in the mental health of people seeking abortion services. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between social support regarding abortion decision and…
The impact of short message service reminders on returning to test for HIV at a community center in Seattle, WA
Objectives: Using data from Gay City, a community testing center in Seattle, we assessed the impact of short message service (SMS) text reminders on returning for a second HIV test. In addition, we investigated whether certain client characteristics were associated with return. Methods: We evaluated data on HIV testing between September 2016 and December 2019….
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