Background: For the older population of the United States, lack of dental insurance coverage is a substantial health problem. The purpose of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between dental coverage and self-reported health among older adults. Methods: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative biennial cohort study of community-dwelling individuals, includes 19,595 adults (aged 50 and older) living in the United States. For the 2010, 2012, and 2014 waves, the independent variable of dental coverage and the outcome of self-reported health were examined. Results: At each time point, dental coverage for older adults had a positive association with self-reported health (parameter estimate, β=0.340, standard error (SE)=0.039, p<0.0001), controlling for sociodemographic variables of age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and the status of edentulism. There were no significant longitudinal effects for dental coverage associated with self-reported health. Conclusions: At each time point, the results show a positive association between having dental coverage and better self-reported health of older adults. This is relevant, because, in the United States, there is an increasing population of older people.

Background: The elderly, especially those who reside in institutions and have a minority or low-income background, often have unmet oral health needs. As life expectancy increases, so will the need for oral health providers skilled in addressing the unique challenges presented by geriatric patients. Methods: Dentists for Della is a student organization at the Dental College of Georgia that aims to improve the oral health status of residents at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home (GWVNH) in Augusta, Georgia. The students conduct fundraising activities so that third and fourth year students can provide needed dental treatment at no cost to the residents. Students also regularly rotate at GWVNH in order to provide tooth brushing help, denture cleanings, and head and neck examinations, including oral cancer screenings. Results: Dentists for Della has funded approximately $40,000 worth of dental work since 2013. The program also provides an educational experience valued by students: the ability to interact with patients as early as their first semester of dental school. Conclusions: Dentists for Della is a vital program which not only provides educational opportunities in institutional public health dentistry and geriatrics for dental students, it also provides a much needed safety net for Georgia veterans with no ability to access other means of dental care

Background: Early detection can reduce colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality by 15%–33%, and screening is widely recommended for average-risk adults beginning at age 50 years. Colorectal cancer mortality rates are higher in African Americans than in whites, while screening rates are somewhat lower. Individual social networks can reduce emotional and/or logistical barriers to health-promoting but distasteful procedures such as CRC screening. The aim of this study was to examine social network interactions, and their impact on CRC screening among African Americans. We hypothesized a positive association between social network index (SNI) scores and CRC screening. Methods: In a community intervention trial with four arms, we previously demonstrated the efficacy of a small group educational intervention to promote CRC screening among African Americans. This intervention outperformed a one-on-one educational intervention, a reduced out-of-pocket expense intervention, and a control condition. In the present analysis, we compared the SNI scores for participants in the small group intervention cohort with a comparison group comprised of the other three cohorts. Social networks were assessed using the Social Network Index developed by Cohen. Results: Small group participants had a significantly higher network diversity score (Mean difference 0.71; 95% CI, 0.12-1.31; p=0.0017) than the comparison group. In the second component of the SNI score - -the number of people talked to over a two week period -- the small group intervention cohort also scored significantly higher than the comparison group. (Mean difference, 9.29; 95% CI, 3.963-14.6266; p=0.0004). Conclusions: The findings suggest that social interaction and support was at least partially responsible for the relatively high post-intervention screening rate in the small group intervention participants. Education in small groups could foster strong social networks. Strong and positive network diversity and a large number of people in social networks may enhance CRC screening rates among African Americans.

Background: The airway inflammatory response is likely the mechanism for adverse health effects related to exposure to air pollution. Increased ventilation rates during physical activity in the presence of air pollution increases the inhaled dose of pollutants. However, physical activity may moderate the relationship between air pollution and the inflammatory response. The present study aimed to characterize, among healthy adolescents, the relationship between dose of inhaled air pollution, physical activity, and markers of lung function, oxidative stress, and airway inflammation. Methods: With a non-probability sample of adolescents, this observational study estimated the association between air pollution dose and outcome measures by use of general linear mixed models with an unstructured covariance structure and a random intercept for subjects to account for repeated measures within subjects. Results: A one interquartile range (IQR) (i.e., 345.64 μg) increase in ozone (O3) inhaled dose was associated with a 29.16% average decrease in the percentage of total oxidized compounds (%Oxidized). A one IQR (i.e., 2.368E+10 particle) increase in total particle number count in the inhaled dose (PNT) was associated with an average decrease in forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75) of 0.168 L/second. Increasing activity levels attenuated the relationship between PNT inhaled dose and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). The relationship between O3 inhaled dose and percent oxidized exhaled breath condensate cystine (%CYSS) was attenuated by activity level, with increasing activity levels corresponding to smaller changes from baseline for a constant O3 inhaled dose. Conclusions: The moderating effects of activity level suggest that peaks of high concentration doses of air pollution may overwhelm the endogenous redox balance of cells, resulting in increased airway inflammation. Further research that examines the relationships between dose peaks over time and inflammation could help to determine whether a high concentration dose over a short period of time has a different effect than a lower concentration dose over a longer period of time.

Background: High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause most anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, and virtually all cervical cancers. In 2014, in Georgia (GA), fewer than half of adolescent females and males aged 13-17 years received the three doses of the HPV vaccine. Increasing vaccination coverage among this age group, education of adolescents in regard to HPV risks, and cervical cancer screening of adults can prevent HPV-associated cancers. Methods: The incidence of HPV-associated cancers for 2008-2012 in GA was obtained from GA Comprehensive Cancer Registry data. Case definitions for HPV-associated cancers were based on standard definitions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data for anatomic sites known to have HPV-associated cancers, including the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx, were analyzed. Also derived were ageadjusted rates, age-specific incidence rates, the percentage of each cancer found attributable to HPV, and ageadjusted incidence rates by geography. Results: During 2008-2012, a total of 6,056 HPV-associated cancers were diagnosed (males, 2,408; females, 3,648). Of these, 4,629 cancers were attributable to HPV (males, 1,574; females, 3,055). The most common cancers attributable to HPV were oropharyngeal cancers among males (1,182); and cervical cancers (1,862) among females. Females living in smaller urban counties had a higher cervical cancer incidence rate than females living in metropolitan counties and metro areas (1 million or more population). Males living in rural counties had a lower oropharyngeal cancer incidence compared to the state incidence rate. Conclusions: Since HPV vaccination at age 11-12 years can prevent HPV-related cancers in adulthood, clinicians should promote HPV vaccination along with routine immunizations to adolescents. Surveillance of HPVassociated cancers using GA cancer registry data is needed to track future changes in incidence data due to administering the HPV vaccine, increasing cervical cancer screening, and educating youth in GA about HPV risk factors.

Background: In Georgia, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a substantial health issue, particularly among young adults in vulnerable and minority populations. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that sexually active adolescents and at-risk adults receive behavioral counseling and education in primary care settings, community organizations, departments of health, and schools Methods: The present approach used in Georgia for educating adolescents at high risk for STIs about these diseases was assessed. The data collected included standards for sexual health education, survey results from educators and students, and observations from a pilot study with adolescents detained by the juvenile justice system. Results: In Georgia, most health educators for middle (87.3%) and high (93.8%) schools have health and/or physical education backgrounds. They indicated a need for further education about STIs. For grades 6-12, 24% of students reported that they had not received HIV/AIDS education during the academic year. Preliminary observations from a study with juvenile detainees indicate that this population has limited knowledge about STIs, their effects and modes of transmission. Conclusion: Sexual health education, including that for HIV/AIDS, is essential to curtail the STI crisis, and educational endeavors should be culturally sensitive and evidence-based. In Georgia, many citizens, including teachers, are not adequately equipped to make informed decisions regarding STI risk. Georgia, home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is in a unique position to adapt evidence-based sexual health interventions for its population.

Background: Public health department accreditation administered by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) began in 2007 after a series of policy briefs, field demonstration initiatives, and completion of a national feasibility study. Methods: Evidence for accreditation was gathered from both national and state-based standards that had been tested and evaluated. Evidence from accreditation was obtained from surveys and focus groups. Results: Preliminary analyses have indicated that the accreditation program is having its intended impact, although longitudinal analyses are planned for the future when a larger number of health departments can respond to surveys over time. Conclusions: PHAB will continue to utilize long-term evaluation methods to describe the long-term impact of the accreditation process on health department performance.

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is mandated to ensure that public swimming pools are safe for those who use them. This mandate is carried out by the DPH and local environmental health professionals through regulations and inspections. In 2015, legislation was introduced proposing to reduce the authority of the DPH to inspect certain pool types (apartments, subdivision, condominiums) and thus reduce regulatory protections in place for swimmers. To ensure that the DPH had current information on the risks associated with pools, the EH team, with assistance from a graduate student, analyzed inspection data to evaluate risk factors associated with these pool types and summarized drownings and waterborne disease outbreaks (WBDOs). Methods: Pool inspection data (n=4,441 pools) for 2014 were retrieved from the Environmental Health Information System (EHIS) of the DPH. Data from the 2010 Census and epidemiological data on drownings and water-borne disease outbreaks (WBDOs) were also evaluated. Data were stratified by public health district and type/number of pools and analyzed for selected violations of health risk factors (pH, barriers, disinfectant residual). Drownings and WBDOs were described and summarized. Results: Approximately 55% of inspected pools were for apartments, condominiums, and subdivisions. These pool types were consistently cited by inspectors for the selected risk factors and ranked in the top five for these violations. In 2013, children aged 1-17 had the highest percentage (30%) of deaths from drowning. In 2001-2014, there were 28 WBDOs, with 39% occurring at public pool venues. Conclusions: Data from this research provided information on risks associated with pools and supported the importance of inspection programs for public swimming pools. The data were used to inform policy makers on the risks associated with the pool venues under legislative review. These data, combined with other risk factor information, were utilized by the DPH to inform training needs and to reinforce public health messaging on protecting swimmer health.

Background: The SafeCare model is a behaviorally-based parenting model used in the prevention of child maltreatment. SafeCare targets three proximal risk factors for child neglect and abuse: parent-child interactions, home safety, and child health. SafeCare is one of only a few evidence-based practices for preventing child neglect, the dominant problem in child welfare, accounting for over 75% of child maltreatment cases. SafeCare has been broadly implemented in several states in the US, including Georgia, and is disseminated by the National SafeCare Training and Research Center (NSTRC) at Georgia State University. The presentation will (1) describe SafeCare and associated data, (2) describe the SafeCare implementation. Methods: SafeCare has been implemented in Georgia since 2008 using a rigorous implementation model, which includes on-going quality assurance of SafeCare providers and skill acquisition evaluation in families. Providers of child welfare services have been trained to deliver SafeCare and have been coached by trainers from NSTRC. Evaluation data are regularly collected which include provider fidelity via observed sessions, family outcomes relating to completion of SafeCare, and skill acquisitions (i.e., changes in parenting behaviors, reductions in home hazards, and increases in knowledge and behaviors regarding child health care). Results: Recent evaluation data (2013-2015) indicate 115 families have been referred to a SafeCare provider and 100 families completed at least one session. Thirty-eight (38%) have completed the program in its entirety. Provider fidelity data collected monthly indicate high program fidelity (mean of 91% of desired behaviors performed). Family behavior data indicate excellent skill acquisition among families completing each SafeCare model. Parenting skills increased by 104%; home hazards were reduced by 85%, and child health care skills increased by 34%. Conclusions: The SafeCare model is an effective parenting program for reducing child maltreatment, and has been implemented successfully in Georgia. Broader impact of SafeCare will require increased implementation of the model to increase reach.