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ODare K, Dillard D, King E, Dilks J, Herzog J, Rotunda R, Close F, Hartman M. The 2nd Alarm Project: Bridging Social Work and Public Health to Improve Mental Wellness in the Fire Service. Soc Work Public Health 2024; 39:93-104. [PMID: 38367222 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2024.2318382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Firefighters are trained to respond to a wide range of emergencies, and over the course of responding to emergencies, are exposed to a variety of potentially traumatic events. Repeated exposure to traumatic events may adversely impact firefighters' mental health. Combined with stigma surrounding help-seeking, lack of systematic resources and referral programs, and other barriers to care, firefighters do not routinely receive a continuum of trauma informed, assessment and treatment services from trained professionals. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evidence-informed approach to a reciprocal, collaborative model among social work and public health practice, policy, and research; and to offer a framework for researchers, clinicians, and policy advocates to more effectively achieve goals of preventing and treating trauma exposure in firefighters. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review, as well as describes a case study of a successful public health intervention for mitigating exposure to trauma among a population of firefighters. The significant contribution of mental health issues to the burden of disease among our firefighters is a matter of considerable public health concern. Effective approaches to mitigating behavioral health needs must bridge both mental health disciplines and public health to minimally, include access to evidence-based assessment and treatment, peer support capacity building, widely available mental health education, and leadership development to promote culture change. When considering a model for services with firefighters, reciprocal collaboration among researchers, health care professionals, first responder organizations, families, and other relevant community stakeholders is essential for success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie ODare
- Institute of Public Health, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Dana Dillard
- Social Work Program, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Erin King
- Department of Social Work, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - John Dilks
- Department of Social Work, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Joseph Herzog
- Department of Social Work, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Robert Rotunda
- Department of Psychology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
| | - Fran Close
- Institute of Public Health, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Megan Hartman
- Department of Social Work, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
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Buxbaum SG, Arigbede O, Mathis A, Close F, Darling-Reed SF. Breastfeeding among Hispanic and Black Women: Barriers and Support. J Biomed Res Environ Sci 2023; 4:1268-1273. [PMID: 37719645 PMCID: PMC10503689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
We describe barriers and supports for the practice of breastfeeding, with particular focus on Black and Hispanic women in the United States. We note that breastfeeding patterns reported by WIC agencies is highly variable across the country and within states. The global campaign to support breastfeeding, Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, and its implementation in the US is described, as well as Healthy People goals and the mixture of policies across the US that provide incomplete support for breastfeeding mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G Buxbaum
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Olumide Arigbede
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Arlesia Mathis
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Fran Close
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Selina F Darling-Reed
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Buxbaum SG, Arigbede O, Mathis A, Close F, Suther SG, Mazzio E, Saunders-Jones R, Soliman KFA, Darling-Reed SF. Disparities in Infant Nutrition: WIC Participation and Rates of Breastfeeding in Florida. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:5988. [PMID: 37297592 PMCID: PMC10253221 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20115988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Being cognizant of the pronounced health advantages of breastfeeding for both the nursing mother and her infant, the breastfeeding dyad, we examined breastfeeding rates among Floridian women who gave birth from 2012 to 2014 (N = 639,052). We investigated the associations between breastfeeding initiation and WIC-based breastfeeding support (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), education level, and race and ethnicity. We compared the percentage of breastfeeding mothers between those in the WIC program and those who were not, and we compared breastfeeding rates across racial and ethnic groups. Consistent with previous reports, black newborns in this study were breastfed at lower rates than other racial groups, and WIC program participants were less likely to breastfeed than non-WIC program participants. However, by breaking down the data by education level and race, and ethnicity, we see a significantly increased rate of breastfeeding due to WIC participation for both Hispanic and black women with less than a high school education. Further, we assessed differences by insurance type, race, and WIC participation. In multivariable logistic regression, we showed that the WIC program has a significant positive impact on breastfeeding rates for all but white non-Hispanic mothers, independent of sociodemographic and geographic variables. We also note a trend of increasing breastfeeding rates over the study period (p-value < 0.0001), which has positive public health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G. Buxbaum
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
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Becker A, Tawk R, Kiros G, Suther S, Hilliard A, Gragg R, Close F, Harris CM. Physician Training Related to Environmental Hazards near Ash Superfund Sites. Eur J Environ Public Health 2021; 5:em0086. [PMID: 34746647 PMCID: PMC8568049 DOI: 10.21601/ejeph/11096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Physicians do not receive formal environmental health training in medical schools. The objectives of this study were to provide health care providers with basic environmental medicine training to better advise, treat or refer patients in the community and to observe any differences in the environmental medicine learning gains pre/post- test assessment. To rectify the problem of the lack of physicians' training related to environmental hazards, we conducted an environmental health workshop which targeted physicians living near Health Zone 1, Superfund ash sites. Fifty health care providers from both St. Vincent Family Medicine and Department of Health, Duval County Health Department (DOH-Duval) participated in a pre-test survey before the training and a post-test survey following the training. We used a non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test to compare pre- and post- knowledge of training participants. At the 10% level of significance, the number of incorrect answers significantly declined in the post-training survey compared to the pre-training survey for all participants from both facilities combined (p=0.083). Site-specific analysis show, while a significant difference was found for participants from the St. Vincent's site (p=0.084), the difference for participants from the DOH-Duval site was not significant (p = 0.102), although the number of incorrect answers declined. The training resulted in learning gains for the 50 participants and the evaluations were very positive with 100% of physicians recommending this training to other health care providers. Additionally, training participants gave a high mark for the environmental medicine pocket guide. In 2019, the ash sites are 90% remediated and cleanup is expected to be completed in 2022. There is still a need for additional training for physicians due to other active sites (i.e., Kerr-McGee) in the community. This study highlights the importance of providing environmental hazards training to physicians and the approach by which it could be delivered effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Becker
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Rima Tawk
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Gebre Kiros
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Sandra Suther
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health, Economic, Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | | | - Richard Gragg
- Florida A&M University, School of the Environment. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Fran Close
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Cynthia M Harris
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
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Becker A, Suther S, Harris C, Pawlowicz G, Tucker G, Dutton M, Close F, Hilliard A, Gragg R. Community-Based Participatory Research at Jacksonville Florida Superfund Ash Site: Toxicology Training to Improve the Knowledge of the Lay Community. Fla Public Health Rev 2019; 15:61-74. [PMID: 32337512 PMCID: PMC7181972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Until the late 1960's, Jacksonville, Florida incinerated its solid waste with the resultant ash deposited in landfills or used to fill flood-prone areas. These filled areas were later developed into parks, school sites and residential areas. Lead in soil at these sites was the major toxicant of concern and driver of clean-up actions. During the period of assessment of lead-levels in soil, there were no established lines of communication between the City and residents of affected neighborhoods resulting in mistrust in the community. To address communication issues, a community-based, culturally sensitive Community Environmental Toxicology Curriculum (CETC) and a short video were developed for community stakeholders to inform them of risks, health effects, remediation processes and preventive measures. Pre-and post-tests were developed to measure knowledge gained from the toxicology training. Learning gains averaged 47% and 24% for the community leaders and residents respectively. Most participants strongly agreed that the community toxicology curriculum was a useful tool for promoting awareness of environmental risks in their community and addressing the gap in trust between residents and agencies involved in site remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Becker
- Florida A&M University, Institute of Public Health, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Sandra Suther
- Florida A&M University, Economic, Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Cynthia Harris
- Florida A&M University, Institute of Public Health, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Grazyna Pawlowicz
- Florida Department of Health, Duval County Health Department, Jacksonville, Florida, 32211
| | - Gale Tucker
- Public Health Programs, Florida Department of Health, Duval County Health Department, Jacksonville, Florida, 32211
| | - Matthew Dutton
- Florida A&M University, Economic, Social and Administrative Pharmacy Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Fran Close
- Florida A&M University, Institute of Public Health, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Aaron Hilliard
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
| | - Richard Gragg
- Florida A&M University, College of the Environment, Tallahassee, Florida, 32307
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Mazzio EA, Close F, Soliman KFA. The biochemical and cellular basis for nutraceutical strategies to attenuate neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. Int J Mol Sci 2011; 12:506-69. [PMID: 21340000 PMCID: PMC3039966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12010506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2010] [Revised: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Future therapeutic intervention that could effectively decelerate the rate of degeneration within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) could add years of mobility and reduce morbidity associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Neurodegenerative decline associated with PD is distinguished by extensive damage to SNc dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons and decay of the striatal tract. While genetic mutations or environmental toxins can precipitate pathology, progressive degenerative succession involves a gradual decline in DA neurotransmission/synaptic uptake, impaired oxidative glucose consumption, a rise in striatal lactate and chronic inflammation. Nutraceuticals play a fundamental role in energy metabolism and signaling transduction pathways that control neurotransmission and inflammation. However, the use of nutritional supplements to slow the progression of PD has met with considerable challenge and has thus far proven unsuccessful. This review re-examines precipitating factors and insults involved in PD and how nutraceuticals can affect each of these biological targets. Discussed are disease dynamics (Sections 1 and 2) and natural substances, vitamins and minerals that could impact disease processes (Section 3). Topics include nutritional influences on α-synuclein aggregation, ubiquitin proteasome function, mTOR signaling/lysosomal-autophagy, energy failure, faulty catecholamine trafficking, DA oxidation, synthesis of toxic DA-quinones, o-semiquinones, benzothiazolines, hyperhomocyseinemia, methylation, inflammation and irreversible oxidation of neuromelanin. In summary, it is clear that future research will be required to consider the multi-faceted nature of this disease and re-examine how and why the use of nutritional multi-vitamin-mineral and plant-based combinations could be used to slow the progression of PD, if possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Mazzio
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; E-Mails: (E.A.M.); (F.C.)
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Bone L, Close F. Podcast Interview Transcript. Prog Community Health Partnersh 2011. [DOI: 10.1353/cpr.2011.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Lefevre MJ, Mormont R, Close F. [Prevention of intoxications by continuous determination of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene in the atmosphere]. Arch Belg Med Soc 1965; 23:145-61. [PMID: 5826864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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