Maternal Health Risk Assessment and Behavioral Intervention in the NICU Setting Following Very Low Birth Weight Delivery.

Objectives To investigate whether maternal health risk assessment and behavioral intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) improves women's health care seeking and health behaviors following the birth of a very low birth weight (VLBW) infant. Methods Using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest/posttest design, 80 women who had given birth to a VLBW infant that was admitted to the NICU were enrolled into one of two cohorts: 40 into a 'Minimal Intervention' cohort, who received a single session risk assessment and health education pamphlets, and 40 into an 'Enhanced Intervention' cohort, who received five counseling sessions targeting identified risks. The proportion of women with specific health care seeking and health behaviors in the two cohorts were compared at baseline and 3- and 9-months post-intervention.

The engagement of academic institutions in community disaster response: a comparative analysis.

Objective: Using comparative analysis, we examined the factors that influence the engagement of academic institutions in community disaster response.

Methods: We identified colleges and universities located in counties affected by four Federal Emergency Management Agency-declared disasters (Kentucky ice storms, Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, California wildfires, and the Columbia space shuttle disintegration) and performed key informant interviews with officials from public health, emergency management, and academic institutions in those counties. We used a comparative case study approach to explore particular resources provided by academic institutions, processes for engagement, and reasons for engagement or lack thereof in the community disaster response.

Acceptability and potential impact of brief preconception health risk assessment and counseling in the WIC setting.

Purpose: To determine the reproductive risks of women using the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the acceptability of delivering preconception screening and counseling with the WIC encounter.

Design: A mixed methods approach to include quantitative analysis of reproductive risks and qualitative analysis of post-counseling interviews.

Setting: A WIC clinic in Clayton County, Georgia.

Change in women's knowledge of general and personal preconception health risks following targeted brief counseling in publicly funded primary care settings.

Purpose: To explore knowledge of general and personal preconception health risks among women in publicly funded clinics and whether brief counseling can improve knowledge.

Design: Interventional cohort study.

Setting: Five publicly funded primary care clinics.

Facilitators and Barriers for Effective Academic-Community Collaboration for Disaster Preparedness and Response.

Context: For academic institutions to meaningfully contribute to community-disaster preparedness and response, they must effectively collaborate with governmental public health and emergency management agencies.

Objective: To explore the opinions of leaders of public health and emergency management agencies and academic institutions regarding the facilitators for and barriers to effective collaboration for disaster preparedness and response.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We convened focus groups of leaders of state and local public health and emergency management agencies and academic institutions in conjunction with the 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit and the 2010 Southeastern Center for Emerging Biological Threats Meeting.

Role of academic institutions in community disaster response since september 11, 2001.

Objective: To describe the role of academic institutions in the community response to Federal Emergency Management Agency-declared disasters from September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009.

Methods: We conducted a review of the published literature and Internet reports to identify academic institutions that participated in the community response to disaster events between September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009, inclusive. From retrieved reports, we abstracted the identity of the academic institutions and the resources and services each provided.

Preconsent education about research processes improved African Americans' willingness to participate in clinical research.

Objective: To determine whether preconsent education about research processes and protections affects the willingness of African Americans to participate.

Study Design And Setting: This study examined the willingness of 192 African American outpatients (stratified by age, gender, and education) to participate in a hypothetical clinical study under varying consent conditions: phase I participants underwent a typical informed consent process and were asked to indicate whether they would be willing to participate in the hypothetical clinical study and the reasons for their decision; their responses were used to develop a preconsent educational digital video disk (DVD). Phase II participants viewed the DVD before the consent process.

Integrating reproductive planning with primary health care: an exploration among low-income, minority women and men.

Introduction: Despite recommendations to integrate reproductive and preconception health care services with primary health care, integration of such services is uncommon. The purpose of this study was to explore the acceptability and utility of integrating an assessment of reproductive plans into primary care encounters.

Methodology: Using a purposive sampling strategy, we purposively selected 144 African-American and Hispanic females and males from publicly-funded clinics.