UMD Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2014 - 20162

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    EXPOSURE TO EXTREME HEAT EVENTS AND CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASES AMONG A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE UNITED STATES POPULATION
    (2016) Romeo, Crystal Eloma; Sapkota, Amir; Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Previous studies have shown that extreme weather events are on the rise in response to our changing climate. Such events are projected to become more frequent, more intense, and longer lasting. A consistent exposure metric for measuring these extreme events as well as information regarding how these events lead to ill health are needed to inform meaningful adaptation strategies that are specific to the needs of local communities. Using federal meteorological data corresponding to 17 years (1997-2013) of the National Health Interview Survey, this research: 1) developed a location-specific exposure metric that captures individuals’ “exposure” at a spatial scale that is consistent with publicly available county-level health outcome data; 2) characterized the United States’ population in counties that have experienced higher numbers of extreme heat events and thus identified population groups likely to experience future events; and 3) developed an empirical model describing the association between exposure to extreme heat events and hay fever. This research confirmed that the natural modes of forcing (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation), seasonality, urban-rural classification, and division of country have an impact on the number extreme heat events recorded. Also, many of the areas affected by extreme heat events are shown to have a variety of vulnerable populations including women of childbearing age, people who are poor, and older adults. Lastly, this research showed that adults in the highest quartile of exposure to extreme heat events had a 7% increased odds of hay fever compared to those in the lowest quartile, suggesting that exposure to extreme heat events increases risk of hay fever among US adults.
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    Dietary and Acculturation Factors Influencing Metabolic Syndrome among South Asian Americans In Two Community Health Centers in Maryland
    (2014) Khan, Saira; Jackson, Robert; Nutrition; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    South Asian's (SA) have been observed to have higher insulin resistance followed by an altered state of metabolism; however, few studies have attempted to explore the acculturation process and dietary practices of immigrant SA's in the U.S. 1401 South Asian Americans living in Maryland from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iran, and Afghanistan were selected from two community health clinics to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in this study group and its indicators. The prevalence of MetS (51%) in adults was higher than African Americans, European Americans, and Mexican Americans. Overall, Indians had the highest percent of MetS 54% compared to Bengali 51%, Pakistani 49%, or Other SA 44%. The results suggest the high prevalence of MetS among SA may be due to a lack of acculturation in this survey group where 80% were classified as Asian low acculturated. Results from a logistic regression analysis showed that the likelihood of developing MetS was high, but future investigations are needed to confirm the role of acculturation from a more representative sample of SA's. We also examined the role of acculturation, diet and exercise in South Asians who acquire MetS. We also examined the diet quality using the 2010 guidelines. The low acculturated South Asians had a greater prevalence of MetS and the overall diet quality of the low income South Asians in Maryland needed improvement. The SA male and female mean scores for the healthy eating index-2010 were 71.9 ± 1.9 and 67.9 ± 1.2, respectively. Males were more acculturated, consumed healthier foods, and had a lower percent of MetS compared to females.