This year, Global WACh graduated its largest class ever of Certificate Program students. Nine students from the Schools of Nursing, Public Administration, Public Health, and Social Work presented their capstone project posters at the \u201cNext Big Thing\u201d annual year-end celebration in May at the UW HUB Lyceum.<\/p>\n
The students\u2019 poster presentations marked the end of their academic journeys in the program.\u00a0 As students completed coursework and attended monthly meetings, they received mentorship, a foundation of knowledge and skills, and hands-on practical experience in the field of global health related to women, adolescents, and children.<\/p>\n
Each student also completed a capstone project on a topic related to woman, adolescent, and child health and created a poster to highlight the outcome of their work.\u00a0 Through their capstone work, students made invaluable contributions to ongoing projects at Global WACh, local health organizations, and institutions around the world.<\/p>\n
We wish them the best in their future endeavors and look forward to seeing how they serve as leaders in global woman, adolescent, and child health!\u00a0 Read more about the students\u2019 capstone projects below.<\/p>\n
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Alyssa Bosold, MPH, Maternal Child Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAssessing contraceptive discontinuation to inform design of a mobile health survey in Kenya\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Alyssa conducted preliminary research for Dr. Alison Drake\u2019s Mobile Data Collection of Contraceptive Use, Behaviors, and Experiences (mCUBE) study<\/strong>, <\/strong><\/a>which aims to learn more about contraception discontinuation behaviors among women through short SMS surveys.\u00a0 Alyssa reviewed existing data related to contraceptive satisfaction, discontinuation, initiation, and method switching.<\/p>\n Major reasons included negative side effects reported by women, such as irregular bleeding, headaches, cramping, vaginal discharge, and discomfort during sexual intercourse to name a few.\u00a0 Women also reported forgetting to use contraceptives or feeling too inconvenienced by the method to take them (specific to pills and condoms); concern about effectiveness and their partner\u2019s disapproval.\u00a0 Alyssa\u2019s findings helped informed the design of mCUBE\u2019s SMS survey questions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yilin Chen, MPH, Global Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cA cost analysis of Mobile WACh X study in Kenya\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Yilin estimated incremental costs associated with one-way and two-way SMS interventions in Dr. Jennifer Unger\u2019s Mobile WACh X study<\/strong>, which evaluates an interactive human-computer hybrid SMS intervention to encourage pregnant women to continue antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Kenya.\u00a0 ART can reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT).\u00a0 Through a combination of interviews with health facility staff at two sites (in an urban and rural setting) and analysis of expense report data, Yilin found the average cost of the intervention per patient ranged between $29 and $45. Due to higher patient numbers, costs were cheaper in the urban health center compared to the rural center.<\/p>\n Yilin\u2019s results showed that a larger share of total costs relates to system development and communication factors, such as internet costs and mobile phone minutes.\u00a0 This suggests that as the Mobile WACh X model scales up, there are opportunities to lower the costs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chantal Donahue, MPH, Global Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMulti-level correlates influencing provider deviations from established pediatric treatment and guidelines: A systematic review and meta-analysis\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The global research network, Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition Network (CHAIN)<\/strong><\/a>, led by Dr. Judd Walson as the UW Site Principal Investigator, learned through household surveys conducted in 39 countries that many acutely ill children aren\u2019t provided with evidence-based interventions when they arrive at health care facilities.\u00a0 Chantal teamed up with the UW CHAIN staff to screen over 2,800 abstracts and narrow down 57 eligible publications to lay the context for writing a new manuscript.\u00a0 The literature review aimed to identify factors that influence provider behaviors and how far the behavior strays from pediatric care guidelines.<\/p>\n Chantal helped identify 18 correlating factors, with provider training, perceived disease severity, and patient age emerging as the most commonly studied.\u00a0 This summer, Chantal is hired as a research assistant to help complete the review, which will help the team conduct a meta-analysis (a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies) to write a manuscript for publication.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christina DuJardin, MSW, MPH, Global Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHuman trafficking in Washington State: A demographic landscape\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n As a dual Public Health and Social Work graduate student, Christina viewed a global issue through a local lens.\u00a0 The International Labour Organization estimates that nearly 21 million people are trapped in forced labor and forced sexual exploitation. \u00a0WA State is considered an ideal location for human trafficking due to its shared international border with Canada, abundant seaports, rural areas, and economic centers.\u00a0 Christina collected national and state data to create a demographic landscape.\u00a0 She found 163 human trafficking cases reported in 10 counties across WA State, with more cases likely unreported.\u00a0 Christina\u2019s finding suggests the need for a single reporting system to better collect data, and inform strategies to intervene and prevent human trafficking practices on a local and global scale.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sheldon Halsted, MPH, Global Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSituational analysis of infant feeding and religious fasting in North Gondar, Ethiopia\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n As a Strengthening Care and Opportunities in Partnership in Ethiopia (SCOPE)<\/strong> Fellow last Fall<\/a>, Sheldon explored the intersection between infant breastfeeding and religious fasting.\u00a0 Religious fasting is an integral component of the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, with over 200 fasting days per year, which poses a risk for poor health implications for mother and baby. \u00a0From a combination of literature reviews on religious practices related to breastfeeding, research on the Ethiopian infant feeding guidelines, and interviews with religious leaders and health care workers, Sheldon concluded that an intervention that advises pregnant and lactating women to change their fasting practices is not feasible.\u00a0 Instead, the intervention could focus on the importance of a nutritional diet while fasting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Elizabeth Karman, MPH, Global Health Track<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTeaching and Assessing Communication and Interpersonal Skills for Health Care Workers: A Video Analysis and Literature Review\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n