Ratnapradipa, Dhititnut
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/4659
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Item Measuring Awareness of the Impacts of Change in the Public Health Workforce: A Precursory Step in Promoting a Shared Vision Via Cross-Sectoral Collaboration(Southern Illinois University (Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development), 2010) Robins, Anthony G.; Ratnapradipa, Dhititnut; Bliss, Kadi R.Public health is currently undergoing significant changes and becoming increasingly dependent on one another to achieve their missions. The restructuring is forcing public health stakeholders to reexamine their present and future roles. This case study examines a local health department’s staff and its awareness of the department’s epidemiology program as a practical framework for thinking about and implementing cross-sectoral collaboration. An OEB (Office of Epidemiology and Biostatistics) Awareness Survey was developed and administered to 492 participants at the Allegheny County Health Department. Cross-sectional analysis examined associations between demographics, behavioral and cultural factors, and help seeking (attempts at collaboration). Results indicate an awareness deficiency for the epidemiology program and collaboration attempts among employees (only 54% of respondents were familiar with the OEB, and only 8% could identify an OEB employee). Strong implications suggest that collaborative relationships can help public health professionals deal with the challenges they face in today’s turbulent environment.Item Evaluating Pre-Service Teacher Workforce: Environmental Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior(Southern Illinois University (Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development), 2011) Ratnapradipa, Dhititnut; Rhodes, Darson L.; Brown, Stephen L.Research has shown that personal health behaviors and actions established early in life are often carried through adulthood. Thus, working with children to increase environmental health literacy may improve the environmental health literacy of future adults, potentially improving the health of the Nation. Given the amount of time children spend in school, this setting could be an ideal place to address environmental health with children. According to social cognitive theory, observation is one way in which learning takes place. Consequently, the environmental behaviors and attitudes modeled by teachers would likely impact the environmental behaviors and attitudes learned by students. A research study including 101 pre-service teachers from a large Midwestern university was conducted to determine participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding environmental health. Results indicated major deficiencies in basic knowledge as well as many unfavorable environmental behaviors. On average, participants answered only 49.7% of knowledge items correctly. Less than half (46.0%) recycle bottles or cans “often” or “almost always.” Given these results, pre-service teachers are likely ill-prepared to address environmental health literacy in their classrooms. Teacher education programs need to address this deficiency in pre-service teachers through the implementation of new courses focused on environmental health or the redesign of current courses to include environmental health content.Item Military Veteran Residential Location and Risk for Lyme Disease(Virginia Tech Publishing (Journal of Veterans Studies), 2018) McDaniel, Justin T.; Middleton, Wendi K.; Albright, David A.; Thomas, Kate H.; Fletcher, Kari; Black, Eric; Ratnapradipa, DhititnutSome research has shown that Lyme disease cases among U.S. military veterans have increased since the early 2000s. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether high concentrations of military veterans live in areas where Lyme disease is hyper-endemic. Lyme disease case-report data for 2015 were retrieved at the county-level from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Veteran population density at the county level was determined using data from the U.S. Census. County control variables, such as weather patterns, forestation, and socioeconomic conditions were retrieved from various sources. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations between variables. After controlling for county-level environmental and social conditions, results showed that military veteran population density was positively associated with Lyme disease incidence rates. Military veterans, due to their choice of geographic residence and recreation, may be a population at risk for developing Lyme disease.