UCLA Blum Center: Spotlight on three students’ summer field work
August 12, 2016
Iris Guzman
Site: National Autonomous University of Nicaragua-Leon (UNAN) Leon, Nicaragua
Mentors: Andres Herrera, PhD (Nicaragua)
Iris is a first-year graduate student at UCLA’s Master of Public Health program (MPH) in the department of Community Health Sciences. Her exposure to research has solidified her commitment to pursue training and research on the social, cultural and environmental determinants of health that contribute to the persistence of health inequalities among Latino communities.
Iris has been involved in a variety of research projects, each focused on investigating issues that affect underserved populations. In 2010, she was selected to participate in a competitive summer research fellowship program at the University of California, Irvine where she developed an independent research project exploring the link between discrimination and subjective health in pregnant women who were born in the United States and Mexico.
After completing her MPH, Iris aspires to pursue a career in which she can make meaningful advancements toward the improvement of health in underserved communities through research-based interventions.
Update from the Field
by Iris Guzman, graduate student, Master of Public Health
Research Updates
This summer I am working on a mixed-methods study on the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in León, Nicaragua. Specifically, I am working on a population-based household survey that will be used to interview women of child-bearing age about their health and experiences with physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence. These interviews hope to examine the prevalence, characteristics, and trends of VAWG, as well as, to give a deeper understanding of the social norms around violence. The interviews will be conducted by trained fieldworkers; my role is to supervise data collection for quality assurance.
Training and Fieldwork
During the last week of June, I met the research team and attended a training session on how to read maps. Surprisingly, I learned that it is particularly important to learn how to read maps for this study because the houses in Nicaragua do not have addresses! We used maps from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System in León to locate our participants for this study. In early July, we began interviewing women in León’s urban and rural areas. Within our first week of doing field work, I quickly realized how
challenging this task can be. For example, women fieldworkers walk many miles under the hot sun (or in the rain) in order to locate
homes, while, at the same time remaining vigilant of their surroundings. In just two weeks of being in Nicaragua, I have learned
how to read maps and locate myself without a compass, as well as, establishing safety plans when working out in the field.
Next Steps
Our research goal is to complete 1,700 interviews. My ultimate goal is to write a report on this fieldwork to inform research design and data collection from Nicaraguan communities to help improve the health and wellbeing of Nicaraguan women and girls.
Anthony Bui, MPH
Site: Centro De Excelencia En Enfermedades Cronicas (CRONICAS), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Lima, Perú
Mentor: Jaime Miranda, MD, MSc, PhD
Anthony has experience in consulting, data analysis, and quantitative global health research. His research interests in population health and health systems strengthening are underpinned by a deep-seated desire to combat global poverty and improve human and economic development for underprivileged communities.
Anthony’s research aims to assess how migration is associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. In particular, he would like to develop a cardiovascular risk score to help better predict cardiovascular risk mortality.
Anthony is a candidate for a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, 2015–2019 at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In addition, he completed his Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Washington School of Public Health, 201–2015, and holds a BA, Economics and Public Health Double Major from UC Berkeley, 2006–2010.
Update from the Field
by Anthony Bui, candidate, Doctor of Medicine
Research and Field Work
Based in Lima, I am working with the CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, a research institute at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano
Heredia (UPCH). With my mentor, Dr. Jaime Miranda, director of CRONICAS,
I am working on three projects that are related to chronic diseases and health systems. My research will address the following population health questions in Peru:
1. Perceptions of weight and body fat: Among Peruvian communities, how well does an individual’s perception of his or her weight line up to actual objective measures of body fat? How does this perception influence changes in body fat over time?
2. Mobile health interventions and cardiovascular health: What are the different factors that may influence the implementation of new mobile health interventions for health among Peruvians?
3. Shortage of human resources for health: How many Peruvians are trained in medicine, nursing, and midwifery each year, and what fraction of them enter the public healthcare system? How does this fraction need to change to fill the gap to meet universal health coverage?
I am interested in these questions because of their policy relevance. Often one’s views of his or her own body image dictates one’s behaviors. Understanding the nuanced differences in this specific community can provide Peruvian health policymakers and clinicians better context for addressing behavior change as it relates to obesity. Similarly, the rising use of mobile phones and applications by Peruvians present opportunities to engage with individual’s health behaviors. Learning about appropriate implementation of these mobile programs can provide better insight in practical solutions to combating cardiovascular diseases.
One of the exciting aspects of my work has been my ability to gain new research skills and practices. Prior to starting medical school, I spent three years as a research fellow at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, where I obtained an MPH in Global Health Metrics and trained in quantitative and data science skills. At CRONICAS, I am learning new data and statistical techniques to analyze both cohort and randomized control trial data, two types of data I have yet to work with. In addition to learning from my mentor, I interact with other health researchers weekly to discuss methods, critique approaches, and learn from each other. The opportunity to collaborate with other health researchers has expanded beyond CRONICAS to the larger Peruvian community. For example, I am collaborating with another Peruvian researcher at the World Bank to produce a peer-reviewed article on the human resources needed for a health project. The experience of synthesizing meaningful data to generate evidence drives me and further excites my passion in accelerating public health progress.
Experiencing Health First Hand
In addition to conducting data analysis and reviewing literature on chronic diseases and health systems, I have had the opportunity to witness aspects of Peru’s health system first hand. In late June, I spent a few days in Iquitos, the capital of the Loreto region, which is home to indigenous peoples of the Amazon and a region with one of the highest poverty rates in Peru. I visited the region’s public hospital, going on rounds with physicians across the medical field, pediatrics, and infectious disease wards, observing the emergency room, and shadowing surgeons in the operating room. Through my research, I have learned that Loreto has one of the lowest ratios of doctors to people; anecdotally, it is clear this is true. In 2013, only six surgeons served a population of more than 850,000. During my visit, I learned there was only one neurosurgeon in the entire region, and that they have been having difficulty recruiting other surgeons and physicians in general to stay in Loreto. The shortage of human resources is also met with inequality in human resources across regions. With poorer regions already facing more difficult health problems, this situation is only exacerbated without enough trained clinicians, resulting in greater barriers to health care and worse health outcomes. By studying the shortage of human resources for health in Peru, hope to add to the evidence that policy makers can use to better address systemic challenges that impact health care in Peru.
Reflecting
As the child of Vietnamese refugees, I was exposed to poverty and health inequality from a young age. I heard stories from my parents and relatives in Vietnam about lack of health care, education and economic opportunity. Joining a diverse community of socially minded students, including many first-generation college students, like myself, I attended UC Berkeley. I not only studied economics and public health, but also delved into courses and experiences that confronted poverty and welfare. Through UC Berkeley’s Blum Center, I took a Global Poverty course that shaped my views as a future health professional; the following summer, I was supported by Blum to conduct water and sanitation research in Indian slum communities. So when, five years later, I was selecting a medical school, it is no surprise I was excited about the prospect to work with the UCLA Blum Center as a medical student, given its mission and vision to improve health in disadvantaged communities.
This summer, I have the privilege to serve as one of the UCLA Blum Center Summer Scholars. I am particularly excited to work in Peru, because I see the country, and many of its neighbors, as an important model for future low-income countries on their path toward economic development. Unlike 20 years ago, today, Peru faces a double burden of disease, both communicable and infectious diseases as well as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Given the more recent shift of NCDs in Peru, I was motivated to learn more about how to combat these diseases in Peru.
Being a Bruin in Lima
It has been a wonderful opportunity being in Lima as a UCLA student. I feel supported by two faculty who have been based here in Lima for over 10 years as researchers and educators, as well as by three DGSOM classmates also conducting health research.
Skye Allmang, MSW, MPP
Site: Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) Mexico City, Mexico
Mentor: Carlos Vilalta, PhD, CIDE
Skye is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Social Welfare at UCLA. Her research aims to explain the relationship between adolescent mental health and poverty through careful analysis of the prevalence and factors related to youth suicide in Mexico. She has experience working in research in Mexico City, and has completed two graduate research mentorship projects at UCLA during 2015–2016, where she developed both qualitative and quantitative research skills.
Before coming to UCLA in 2008, Skye worked with a community action agency at Brandeis University. There, she developed communication skills and increased her interest in working with local communities to address issues related to health and poverty.
Skye has earned a Masters in Social Welfare from the Luskin School of Public Affairs, a Masters of Public Policy from Brandeis University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from Boston University.
Update from the Field
by Skye Allmang, candidate, PhD in Social Welfare
¡Hola from Guadalajara!
To prepare for my research in Mexico City from July 24 -September 17, I have just completed coursework in Spanish at the University of Guadalajara. I was part of a program called the Programa de Español para Extranjeros (PEPE) with about 28 students enrolled from various universities around the world. Our classes took place daily, Monday — Thursday from 9AM to 5:30 PM.
Research and Fieldwork
On July 24, I traveled to Mexico City, where I will conduct research with Dr. Carlos Vilalta at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE). CIDE is both a think tank and university in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Mexico City; it offers bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees in public administration, economics, international studies, political studies, and history. Dr. Vilalta studies the spatial and temporal aspects of crime, using quantitative research methods.
Reflecting
I have been particularly struck by the kindness and generosity that has been shown to me since I have been in Guadalajara. The PEPE staff has gone above and beyond their duties: from showing us the best taco and gordita stand down the street, to accompanying us to get Mexican SIM cards, to explaining how much to tip in restaurants and more. The staff at the University of Guadalajara has been endlessly patient, and have made us feel like we are a part of their community.
