https://www.osu.tests.sfulib4.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/OJPH <p>The <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> (ISSN 2578-6180) is an online, open-access source for peer reviewed publications about public health practice, education, and research in Ohio. </p> The Ohio State University Libraries en-US Ohio Journal of Public Health 2578-6180 <p>This Author Agreement for the <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> ("Agreement") is entered into by and between The Ohio State University, on behalf of its University Libraries ("Publisher") and the author ("Author").</p> <p>For good and valuable consideration, Publisher and Author agree as follows:</p> <p>1. Author hereby grants to Publisher the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, translate, transmit and display his/her submitted work and an abstract thereof ("Work") in the <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> in whole or in part and in all formats and all media. Author also hereby grants to Publisher the right for Publisher to enter into agreements with third parties that grant such third parties any or all of the rights that Author has granted to Publisher herein. The aforementioned rights may include the rights necessary to index and abstract the Work. The Author agrees that any subsequent publication of the Work will credit the <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> as the site of first publication and provide a link to the <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> website. This Agreement is subject to the terms and expectations outlined on Publisher's website (<a href="http://go.osu.edu/publishing-services">http://go.osu.edu/publishing-services</a>).</p> <p>2. Author represents and war­rants that: (1) they are the creator and rights holder of the Work; (2) Publisher's exercise of the rights granted to Publisher herein will not infringe or violate any copyright or any other right of a third party; (3) if the Work contains any third party content, they have obtained the unrestricted permission of the copyright owner or that use of third party material is allowed because the material is in the public domain or an appropriate fair use analysis has been performed and there is a reasonable belief that use is permitted and (4) the Work contains nothing libelous or otherwise unlawful. Author hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Publisher and its trustees, officers, employees, agents, and subgrantees from all claims related to Publisher's exercise of the rights granted to Publisher herein or related to the subject matter covered in Author's representations and warranties.</p> <p>The <em>Ohio Journal of Public Health</em> is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, to allow for certain types of reuse without permission. By submitting this agreement, the Author agrees to apply a CC BY 4.0 license to the Work upon publication.</p> https://www.osu.tests.sfulib4.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/OJPH/article/view/9054 <p><strong>Background:</strong> Preventing the spread of COVID-19 comes with many challenges. Considering the sociobehavioral effects of social distancing in rural communities specifically is incredibly important. No previous studies have been published about adherence to COVID-19 preventative measures and viewpoints on vaccination/other prevention measures in the rural Appalachian region of Ohio specifically. This present study will describe the results of a survey regarding perceptions of COVID-19 in rural communities.<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> A 20-question cross-sectional survey was administered over a 6-week period from February to April 2021. Survey distribution was completed via flyers with QR codes hung at 4 medical offices in Columbiana and Tuscarawas counties. The survey was adapted from the standardized FluTEST survey. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used for comparison.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> We had 23 respondents after removing incomplete/nonconsenting responses. Our data showed that contracting COVID-19 was associated with vaccine distrust. Females and those with health risk factors were found to be more cautious when compared to males and those without risk factors, respectively. Respondents under age 65 years were more likely to trust government health agencies. Those with emotional distress were more likely to take precautions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> To prevent widening health inequalities in the particularly vulnerable population of Appalachia, further study with larger sample size should be conducted. This information can be used by health care providers to tailor patient education regarding COVID-19 vaccine administration, treatment, and prevention measures.</p> Sanjay K. A. Jinka Jay P. Natarajan Matthew Kubina Jennifer A. Glover Julie Nam Sanaa Mansoor Charles Leahy Troy Kotsch Rebecca Fischbein Mike Appleman Copyright (c) 2023 Sanjay K. A. Jinka, Jay P. Natarajan, Matthew Kubina, Jennifer A. Glover, Julie Nam, Sanaa Mansoor, Charles Leahy, Troy Kotsch, Rebecca Fischbein, Mike Appleman http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2023-08-07 2023-08-07 6 1 1 7 https://www.osu.tests.sfulib4.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/OJPH/article/view/9377 <p><strong>Background:</strong> Patients with substance use disorders (SUD) have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and limited utility of preventive and outpatient primary care. Women with SUD are a particularly vulnerable population requiring consistent primary and reproductive health care. This study evaluated the need for providing women’s primary health care to patients in a residential SUD treatment facility in rural southwest Ohio.<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> A retrospective chart review was conducted using intakes at a female-only residential SUD treatment facility from 2021-2022. Variables recorded in this study were: 1) patient-reported substance use; 2) laboratory screenings for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and STIs; 3) reproductive history (contraceptive, Papanicolaou (Pap) test, and pregnancy history); 4) patient-reported connection with a primary care provider (PCP); and 5) patient-reported mental health disorders. The analysis provided descriptive statistics to identify comorbidities and trends in women with SUD.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> All completed intake charts were reviewed (n=159) without exclusions. No current PCP was reported in 59% of patients. Papanicolaou tests were needed in 50% of patients, and, of those completed, six (21%) had abnormal results. Almost 20% of patients were found with a positive STI, with highest prevalence of trichomoniasis (23%). Viral infection rate was 42%, the most common being hepatitis C (35% with active infection). Patient-reported comorbid psychiatric illness was 90%, the most common being generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) at 67.3%.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study supports the need for whole person primary care in residential SUD treatment facilities, particularly in respect to viral and sexually transmitted infections, and for overall women's health.</p> Anna Squibb Bradley Subler Tongfan Wu Vijay K. Rings Khadijah C. Collins Copyright (c) 2023 Anna Squibb, Bradley Subler, Tongfan Wu, Vijay K. Rings, Khadijah C. Collins http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2023-08-07 2023-08-07 6 1 1 5