Elizabeth Thomas

Johns Hopkins University

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Trends

Author Order

Document Type

Co-Authors

Christine Marie George

Johns Hopkins University

Jamie Perin

Johns Hopkins University

Tahmina Parvin

Johns Hopkins University

Fatema Zohura

Dhaka International University

Shirajum Monira

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University

M. Tasdik Hasan

Washington State University

Munirul Alam

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research

Jahed Masud

Dhaka International University

Md. Sazzadul Islam Bhuyian

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research

Kelly Endres

Johns Hopkins University

Cooperative Institutions

Johns Hopkins University

105

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

University of the Witwatersrand

Bloomberg (United States)

South African Medical Research Council

University of Maryland, Baltimore

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

University of Edinburgh

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Field

Effect of an Arsenic Mitigation Program on Arsenic Exposure in American Indian Communities: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Community-Led Strong Heart Water Study Program

Environmental Health Perspectives (2024)

Christine Marie George Tracy Zacher Kelly Endres Francine Red Willow Richards Lisa Bear Robe

Chronic arsenic exposure has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease; diabetes; cancers of the lung, pancreas and prostate; and all-cause mortality in American Indian communities in the Strong Heart Study.

mHealth

10.1289/ehp12548

Cite

Citations (4)

Determinants of vaccine coverage and timeliness in a northern Pakistani village

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2021)

Alexandra F Jamison Benjamin McCormick Ejaz Hussain Elizabeth Thomas Iqbal Azam

Data to support analysis of the determinants of vaccine coverage and timeliness in Oshikhandass, a village in northern Pakistan

10.5281/zenodo.5804907

Cite

Citations (0)

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Western Australia, 2010–2020

BMJ Open (2025)

Kanika Mehta Sean Randall Crystal Lee Elizabeth Thomas Aron Chakera

To assess the prevalence and trends of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Western Australia (WA) from 2010 to 2020 using linked pathology data. A retrospective observational cohort study using linked de-identified data from WA pathology providers, hospital morbidity records and mortality records. A Western Australian population-based study. All individuals aged 18 years and older with at least one serum creatinine test. CKD status as determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine albumin-creatinine ratio. Analysing data from 2 501 188 individuals, there was a significant increase in age-sex standardised CKD prevalence from 4.7% in 2010 to 6.0% in 2020, with annual average percentage change of 3.0% (95% CI: 2.3% to 3.7%). Prevalence of CKD stages 3 and above was 4.8% in 2020. Higher CKD prevalence was observed in regional and remote areas compared with major cities, and among individuals in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged quintiles. Sensitivity analysis indicated minor impacts from data exclusions and methodological choices. CKD prevalence in WA has been steadily increasing, reflecting broader Australian trends. The study highlights significant disparities in CKD prevalence based on age, socioeconomic status and geographic remoteness.

10.1136/bmjopen-2024-092320

Cite

Citations (0)

The determinants of safe street food hygiene practices and effectiveness of interventions on food hygiene practices of vendors and consumers and microbial contamination: A scoping review protocol. (Preprint)

Abul Kamal Tarique Md. Nurul Huda Silvana Simi Elizabeth Thomas Farhana Sultana

BACKGROUND Street food comprises prepared and readily available food and drinks sold by vendors, frequently situated along streets. It is popular among people of all classes as it is low-cost and readily available. However, unsafe food hygiene practices contribute to a substantial burden of foodborne illness particularly in insufficient hygiene during street food preparation, handling, storage, and serving leads. There is a gap in understanding how to change food hygiene behaviour sustainably among street food vendors and consumers in low income countries (LICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVE This review aims to identify the determinants of safe food hygiene behaviour and assess the effectiveness of food hygiene interventions for vendors and consumers in LICs and LMICs. METHODS We will search PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus for peer-reviewed articles, and Google and Google Scholar for grey literature published in the English language from inception to 31 October 2023. We will apply the World Bank 2023 definition of LICs and LMICs to include studies from these countries in this review. Two independent reviewers will search, screen, and analyze the included literature. The determinant will be encoded in accordance with the behaviour centered design (BCD) checklist's definitions.Data will be analyzed by narrative synthesis for all objectives. If feasible, a meta-analysis will be performed for intervention studies. RESULTS This proposal outlines our proposed methodology for conducting a scoping review. The finding will generate an overview of the evidence available in the existing literature through searches of different databases. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review investigating the determinants of street food hygiene behaviours and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for vendors and consumers on street food hygiene in LICs and LMICs. Findings will lay the groundwork for a future street food safety network.

Preprint

Food hygiene

10.2196/preprints.68633

Cite

Citations (0)

Evaluation of a water arsenic filter in a participatory intervention to reduce arsenic exposure in American Indian communities: The Strong Heart Water Study

The Science of The Total Environment (2022)

Tracy Zacher Kelly Endres Francine Red Willow Richards Lisa Bear Robe Martha Powers

mHealth

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160217

Cite

Citations (6)

Behavioral determinants of arsenic-safe water use among Great Plains Indian Nation private well users: results from the Community-Led Strong Heart Water Study Arsenic Mitigation Program

Environmental Health (2023)

Kelly Endres Tracy Zacher Francine Red Willow Richards Lisa Bear Robe Martha Powers

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavioral determinants associated with exclusive use of arsenic-safe water in the community-led Strong Heart Water Study (SHWS) arsenic mitigation program. Methods The SHWS is a randomized controlled trial of a community-led arsenic mitigation program designed to reduce arsenic exposure among private well users in American Indian Great Plains communities. All households received point-of-use (POU) arsenic filters installed at baseline and were followed for 2 years. Behavioral determinants selected were those targeted during the development of the SHWS program, and were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Results Among participants, exclusive use of arsenic-safe water for drinking and cooking at follow-up was associated with higher self-efficacy for accessing local resources to learn about arsenic (OR: 5.19, 95% CI: 1.48–18.21) and higher self-efficacy to resolve challenges related to arsenic in water using local resources (OR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.11–8.71). Higher commitment to use the POU arsenic filter faucet at baseline was also a significant predictor of exclusive arsenic-safe water use for drinking (OR: 32.57, 95% CI: 1.42–746.70) and cooking (OR: 15.90, 95% CI: 1.33–189.52) at follow-up. From baseline to follow-up, the SHWS program significantly increased perceived vulnerability to arsenic exposure, self-efficacy, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms. Changing one’s arsenic filter cartridge after installation was associated with higher self-efficacy to obtain arsenic-safe water for drinking (OR: 6.22, 95% CI: 1.33–29.07) and cooking (OR: 10.65, 95% CI: 2.48–45.68) and higher perceived vulnerability of personal health effects (OR: 7.79, 95% CI: 1.17–51.98) from drinking arsenic-unsafe water. Conclusions The community-led SHWS program conducted a theory-driven approach for intervention development and evaluation that allowed for behavioral determinants to be identified that were associated with the use of arsenic safe water and changing one’s arsenic filter cartridge. These results demonstrate that theory-driven, context-specific formative research can influence behavior change interventions to reduce water arsenic exposure. The SHWS can serve as a model for the design of theory-driven intervention approaches that engage communities to reduce arsenic exposure. Trial registration The SHWS is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03725592).

10.1186/s12940-023-00965-0

Cite

Citations (3)

Substantial and sustained reduction in under-5 mortality, diarrhea, and pneumonia in Oshikhandass, Pakistan: evidence from two longitudinal cohort studies 15 years apart

Research Square (Research Square) (2019)

C. Hansen Benjamin McCormick Iqbal Azam Khalil Ahmed Julia M. Baker

Abstract Background Oshikhandass is a rural village in northern Pakistan where a verbal autopsy study from 1989-1991 showed that diarrhea and pneumonia were the top causes of under-5 mortality. Intensive surveillance, active community health education and child health interventions were delivered in 1989-1996; here we assess if any improvements in under-5 mortality, diarrhea, and pneumonia over this period continued 15 years later. Methods Two open-cohort studies in Oshikhandass from 1989-1996 (Study 1) and 2011-2014 (Study 2) enrolled all children under age 60 months. Study staff trained using WHO guidelines conducted weekly household surveillance and promoted knowledge on causes and management of diarrhea and pneumonia. Information about household characteristics and socioeconomic status was collected. Hurdle models were constructed to examine putative risk factors for diarrhea and pneumonia. Results Against a backdrop of considerable change in the socioeconomic status of the community, under-5 mortality, which declined over the course of Study 1 (from 114.3 to 79.5 deaths/1000 live births between 1989 and 1996), exceeded Sustainable Development Goal 3 by Study 2 (19.6 deaths/ 1000 live births). Reductions in diarrhea prevalence (20.3 to 2.2 days/ Child Year [CY]), incidence (2.1 to 0.5 episodes/ CY), and number of bloody diarrhea episodes (18.6% to 5.2%) seen during Study 1, were sustained in Study 2. Pneumonia incidence was 0.5 episodes /CY in Study 1 and 0.2/CY in Study 2; only 5% of episodes were categorized as severe or very severe in both studies. While no individual factors predicted a statistically significant difference in diarrhea or pneumonia episodes, the combined effect of water, toilet and house construction was associated with a significant decrease in diarrhea; higher household income was the most protective factor for pneumonia. Conclusions We report a 2-3-fold decrease in childhood morbidity and mortality from diarrhea and pneumonia in a remote rural village in Pakistan. Household water and sanitation predicted small differences in diarrhea morbidity, but the decrease in disease burden over the first study suggests that promoting tight linkages between health workers and the community to increase knowledge and management of child health can lead to sustainable reductions in child morbidity and mortality.

Verbal autopsy

Bloody diarrhea

10.21203/rs.2.12395/v1

Cite

Citations (1)

Regional distribution of β-thalassemia mutations in India

Human Genetics (1997)

Ishwar C. Verma Renu Saxena Elizabeth Thomas Pawan Kumar Jain

Mutation frequency

10.1007/s004390050475

Cite

Citations (89)

Durability of photometric and radiometric properties of non-prescription sun eyewear following simulated care

Stacy Cullum Elizabeth Thomas

Eyewear

Radiometric dating

Source

Cite

Citations (0)

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and Nutritional Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: REDUCE Prospective Cohort Study

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2022)

Kelly Endres Presence Sanvura Camille Williams Elizabeth Thomas Jennifer Kuhl

The objective of this cohort study was to examine the prevalence of acute respiratory illness among children under 5 years of age and to identify water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and nutritional risk factors. This prospective cohort study was conducted in Walungu Territory, South Kivu, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and enrolled 512 participants. Spot checks of the household environment were conducted at baseline. Baseline minimum dietary diversity (MDD) was defined by consumption of five or more of the following food groups: 1) breast milk; 2) grains, roots, and tubers; 3) legumes and nuts; 4) dairy products; 5) flesh foods; 6) eggs; 7) vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables; and 8) other fruits and vegetables. Acute respiratory illness was defined as caregiver reported rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, lower chest wall in drawing, or coughing in the previous 2 weeks obtained at a 6-month follow-up based on the use of this definition in previous studies in Bangladesh and Kenya. A total of 58% of children had acute respiratory illness, 19% had soap present in the cooking area, and 4% in the defecation area, and 21% of children met MDD. A decreased odds of acute respiratory illness was associated with soap being present in the cooking area (odds ratio [OR]: 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.88) and MDD (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.38-1.00). These findings highlight the need for interventions targeting hygiene and improved dietary diversity among rural DRC households to reduce the rate of respiratory illnesses in children under 5 years.

10.4269/ajtmh.21-0676

Cite

Citations (0)