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Faculty Spotlight - KRLD 1080 interviews Mandy Golman, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor Mandy Golman, Ph.D., of TWU Health Studies discusses with KRLD 1080 the "alarmingly high birth rates" among adolescent girls, ages 15 to 19 in several zip codes in the Dallas area.

"We have several zip codes in the Dallas County and Dallas area that have significantly higher birth rates [...]" Dr. Golman explains as she emphasizes: "Alarmingly higher birth rates than the national birth rates!"

Here are the facts that Dr. Golman gives in terms of numbers.

• Nationally the birth rate is 26 per 1,000 girls, ages 15-19, every year.
• In Texas that hovers around 41.
• In Dallas that number is around 50 girls per 1,000 - ages 15 to 19, per year.

"In some of these [Dallas] zip codes, we have anywhere from 84 up to 112." Dr. Golman concludes.

Source: Paul Mann (News Director). (Sep. 24 2015) News Radio 1080 KRLD, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth.

Undergraduate Students to Present Research Findings at Regional Conference

Right to left: Nicole Tien, Karen Asay,
Megan Nawrocki, and Mariah Lewchuk 

TWU undergraduate students in the department of Health Studies Mariah Lewchuk, Karen Asay, Megan Nawrocki, and Nicole Tien will have the opportunity to present their findings on Dallas teen pregnancy rates at a state conference with the Texas Society for Public Health Education (TSOPHE), a regional professional service organization formed to promote public health across Texas.

“Presenting research findings at a state conference is a big thing for undergraduate students because they usually don’t get research opportunities,” explains TSHOPE President Laura Valentino.

As part of a project extension in their Community Health class with professor Mandy Golman, Ph.D., these four students will present their research poster entitled ‘Adolescent Pregnancy Rates in the Dallas Area’ during the 2015 TSOPHE Conference on October 23, 2015 in Austin TX. 

Professor Golman is also part of a recent $4.9 million grant project that seeks to address teen birth rates in Dallas.

September: National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Am I at Risk For Ovarian Cancer?

Every woman is at risk of developing ovarian cancer.  Because there are no early detection tests, many women are diagnosed when the disease is in advanced stage.   A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 75. A woman’s lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 100.   Early diagnosis is the key to survival.

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries.  Ovaries are the female sex organs that produce eggs and make the hormones estrogen and progesterone.  It accounts for 3% cancers among women, but causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.

                                         

Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer

• Family history of ovarian cancer
• Age - Average age of diagnosis is 63
• More common after menopause and using hormone therapy may increase risk.
•  Obesity
• Reproductive history – women who have been pregnant and carried it to term before age 26 have a lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who have not.

Symptoms

• Abdominal bloating
• Feeling of pressure in abdomen
• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• Frequent urination
• Feeling satiated quickly when eating. 

Prevention Strategies

• Pregnancy – women who had never given birth are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who have biological children
• Breastfeeding
• Birth control pills
• Tubal ligation (tied tubes) or hysterectomy
• Removal of ovaries
• Diet
• Increase intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Decrease intake of fat
• Minimize intake of cured, pickled and smoked foods
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise.

Screening tests

• Only recommended for women at high risk
• Ultrasound of the ovaries
• Measurement of levels of protein called CA-125 in the blood.

 Diagnosis

• Sampling of the ovarian tissue (biopsy)

Resources:

American Cancer Society.  http://www.cancer.org/

Foundation for Women’s Cancer.  http://www.foundationforwomenscancer.org

Bola Sijuwade, RN, RHIA, CPHRM, BSN, MS

I am a Registered Nurse and I have been in the health care field in both clinical practice and health education for over thirty years.  I have a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Health Information Management and a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration.  I am currently a doctoral candidate in the Health Studies department at Texas Woman’s University.

Faculty Spotlight: Mandy Golman, Ph.D. (Health Studies), and Nila Ricks, Ph.D. (Social Work) Partner in $5 Million Grant

"Texas Woman’s University faculty members Mandy Golman, Ph.D., [right] and Nila Ricks, Ph.D., are part of a North Texas coalition working to reduce teen pregnancy in Dallas County through a $4.9 million grant ($987,500 a year for five years) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Golman, an assistant professor of health studies..." -TWU Press release. Read more here.

2 Graduate Research Assistant Positions

Applications are invited for a graduate level research assistant (GRA) position to begin immediately. Dr. Mandy Golman, Department of Health Studies, and Dr. Nila Ricks, Department of Social Work are seeking two GRA positions to participate in a teen pregnancy prevention research project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health. The project is a 5 year project, refunded annually. The GRA position will be renewed each semester. This project includes conducting a community needs assessment in 5 targeted zip codes in South and West Dallas for the first six months. Subsequent months will be focused on managing the program intervention with several community partners. Hours will be flexible as will require some weekend and evening data collection. Potential Job Tasks: Conducting focus groups with parents, teens, and teen parents Distributing surveys to community partners. Intervention fidelity monitoring and data collection and entry. Working on quantitative and qualitative research projects using statistical software. Providing assistance in all phases of this project, including data collection, analysis, presentation, and dissemination. Helping to make results accessible for lay audiences (newsletter articles, results flyer). Frequent travel to Dallas to the program locations. Preferred qualifications: Interests in community health, public health, women’s health, adolescent health, health disparities, social work, sociology, psychology. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Strong computer skills. Mode of transportation for travel to Dallas. Women and members of underrepresented minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply. To apply: Submit your name, CV or resume, and a one paragraph statement of interest to mgolman@twu.edu as soon as possible.

Guest Post: August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month by R. Courtney Fiess

You may have seen someone with the red, itchy, scaly skin condition known as psoriasis, but did you know that psoriasis can develop into a disease that is much more serious than just an annoying skin ailment?  August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month, so it is a great time to learn more about this disease.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin condition where skin layers sluff off due to over production, which results in spots and lesions on affected skin areas (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015a).  The skin condition itches, stings, and burns, and can be very uncomfortable for those with the disease.  As alarming as Psoriasis skin patches may look on an individual’s skin, the disease is not contagious.  Psoriasis is caused by genetic factors in a person’s body, that are activated by an event, such as a skin injury, stress, some types of infections, or taking certain medications (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015a).  Scientists are still researching the exact genes involved and what triggers the infection in multiple clinical trials and research studies to learn more of the specifics about the disease and how to treat it.

It is believed that around 10% of the population has the genetic markers for Psoriasis, but only 2-3 %actually have the disease activated to cause the skin reaction (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015a).  Around 10% of those with Psoriasis will develop Psoriasis Arthritis, which is swelling of the joints and joint pain due to Psoriasis (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015a).  Severe cases of Psoriasis Arthritis can be debilitating and cause major lifestyle disruption.   Being overweight increases the chances of severe complications from Psoriasis, and Psoriasis can be linked to other diseases, such as diabetes or kidney disease (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015b).

Psoriasis Treatment

 There are a variety of treatments available for Psoriasis, including oral medications, Ultraviolet light therapy and topical ointments and creams (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2015a; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2013).  In addition therapy for the stress and depression associated with the condition is valuable for patients.

If you have skin symptoms or joint pain that you believe may be linked to Psoriasis, you should see your doctor or a local clinic for diagnosis.

For More Information

 The following websites are good resources to learn more about Psoriasis:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/psoriasis/index.htm
• The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: 
• http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/psoriasis/default.asp
• National Psoriasis Foundation:  https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis (This website is full or resources such as online support groups and webcasts of Psoriasis information).

References:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (2015). Psoriasis.  Retrieved from:  http://www.cdc.gov/psoriasis/index.htm

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.  (2013). Questions and answers about Psoriasis.  Retrieved from:  http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/psoriasis/default.asp

National Psoriasis Foundation.  (2015a). About Psoriasis.  Retrieved from:  https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis

National Psoriasis Foundation.  (2015b). Psoriasis Awareness Month.   Retrieved from:  https://www.psoriasis.org/wellness

Written by: R. Courtney Fiess. 

Ms.  Fiess is a Masters student in Health Studies at Texas Woman’s University. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Houston.  Her current focuses in Health Studies are West Nile Virus and Women’s Health.

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