Nolan Kline is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. His book, “Pathogenic Policing: Immigration Enforcement and Health in the US South,” was released in 2019 and examines the hidden, health-related consequences of immigration enforcement laws and routine police practices. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He received his PhD in Applied Anthropology and a master of public health (MPH) from the University of South Florida. His research areas broadly focus on health equity and social determinants of health, with particular attention to immigrant policing, intersectional LGBTQ+ Latinx social and political mobilization, and the politics of novel vaccine promotion. Much of his research is informed by theories of biopolitics, critical race theory, and the political economy of health. As an applied medical anthropologist, his work intersects with public health, policy, and activism.
Because university campuses are microcosms of broader political and social climates, the increasi... more Because university campuses are microcosms of broader political and social climates, the increasingly polarized climates outside universities can permeate the classroom, challenging faculty who teach topics characterized by controversy and discomfort. We conducted a lesson study project at a college in the southeastern United States in three first-year courses from different disciplines to examine how the broader tensions of the #MeToo movement emerged and affected a class activity focused on gender. We sought to understand our students’ responses to a moment of discomfort generated by discussions of sexual roles, consent, and assault—issues that are relevant in both this cultural moment and in the lives of many first-year college students. We observed responses ranging from affirmation to resistance in what felt at times like our own failure. Without this collaboration, each of us may have been left with a narrower view of what the students learned and an incomplete sense of our ow...
Purpose: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a causal agent for oropharyngeal cance... more Purpose: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a causal agent for oropharyngeal cancers, suggesting a new role for dental hygienists in HPV-related cancer prevention strategies. Health literacy assessment is an approach that can be used to understand providers' informational assets and needs for educating and discussing HPV prevention with patients. This study aimed to understand dental hygienists' level of health literacy regarding HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers.Methods: Four focus group sessions with dental hygienists (n=48) were conducted at a national conference. The constant comparison method, with a priori codes for health literacy competencies (i.e., access/understand/appraise/apply), was utilized for this qualitative study.Results: Participants mentioned a variety of modes (e.g., magazines, journals) for accessing HPV-information; however, descriptions of understanding HPV and its relationship to oropharyngeal cancer varied. Participants considered pat...
Knowledge of dengue fever and perceived self-efficacy toward dengue prevention does not necessari... more Knowledge of dengue fever and perceived self-efficacy toward dengue prevention does not necessarily translate to the uptake of mosquito control measures. Understanding how these factors (knowledge and self-efficacy) influence mosquito control measures in Mexico is limited. Our study sought to bridge this knowledge gap by assessing individual-level variables that affect the use of mosquito control measures. A cross-sectional survey with 623 participants was administered online in Mexico from April to July 2021. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression models were used to explore factors that predicted mosquito control scale and odds of taking measures to control mosquitoes in the previous year, respectively. Self-efficacy (β = 0.323, p-value = < 0.0001) and knowledge about dengue reduction scale (β = 0.316, p-value =< 0.0001) were the most important predictors of mosquito control scale. The linear regression model explained 24.9% of the mosquito control scale...
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and causes... more Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and causes a number of cancers that are preventable through vaccination. The HPV vaccine requires multiple injections, and vaccination completion rates are low among low-income and minority groups. Low rates are exacerbated by structural impediments that prevent vaccination among some populations, such as Latinx (a gender-neutral way to refer to Latino/a) migrant farmworkers. This chapter focuses on how agricultural labour mobility and vaccine policy converge to constrain Latinx migrant farmworkers’ ability to get the HPV vaccine for their children. Using the theoretical lens of motility, the chapter examines how heightened mobility associated with agricultural labour results in never-materializing efforts to complete HPV vaccination for children of migrant farmworkers, despite potential to do so. Overall, our chapter shows how, paradoxically, increased mobility results in a type of public health ...
Because university campuses are microcosms of broader political and social climates, the increasi... more Because university campuses are microcosms of broader political and social climates, the increasingly polarized climates outside universities can permeate the classroom, challenging faculty who teach topics characterized by controversy and discomfort. We conducted a lesson study project at a college in the southeastern United States in three first-year courses from different disciplines to examine how the broader tensions of the #MeToo movement emerged and affected a class activity focused on gender. We sought to understand our students’ responses to a moment of discomfort generated by discussions of sexual roles, consent, and assault—issues that are relevant in both this cultural moment and in the lives of many first-year college students. We observed responses ranging from affirmation to resistance in what felt at times like our own failure. Without this collaboration, each of us may have been left with a narrower view of what the students learned and an incomplete sense of our ow...
Purpose: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a causal agent for oropharyngeal cance... more Purpose: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a causal agent for oropharyngeal cancers, suggesting a new role for dental hygienists in HPV-related cancer prevention strategies. Health literacy assessment is an approach that can be used to understand providers' informational assets and needs for educating and discussing HPV prevention with patients. This study aimed to understand dental hygienists' level of health literacy regarding HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers.Methods: Four focus group sessions with dental hygienists (n=48) were conducted at a national conference. The constant comparison method, with a priori codes for health literacy competencies (i.e., access/understand/appraise/apply), was utilized for this qualitative study.Results: Participants mentioned a variety of modes (e.g., magazines, journals) for accessing HPV-information; however, descriptions of understanding HPV and its relationship to oropharyngeal cancer varied. Participants considered pat...
Knowledge of dengue fever and perceived self-efficacy toward dengue prevention does not necessari... more Knowledge of dengue fever and perceived self-efficacy toward dengue prevention does not necessarily translate to the uptake of mosquito control measures. Understanding how these factors (knowledge and self-efficacy) influence mosquito control measures in Mexico is limited. Our study sought to bridge this knowledge gap by assessing individual-level variables that affect the use of mosquito control measures. A cross-sectional survey with 623 participants was administered online in Mexico from April to July 2021. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression models were used to explore factors that predicted mosquito control scale and odds of taking measures to control mosquitoes in the previous year, respectively. Self-efficacy (β = 0.323, p-value = < 0.0001) and knowledge about dengue reduction scale (β = 0.316, p-value =< 0.0001) were the most important predictors of mosquito control scale. The linear regression model explained 24.9% of the mosquito control scale...
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and causes... more Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and causes a number of cancers that are preventable through vaccination. The HPV vaccine requires multiple injections, and vaccination completion rates are low among low-income and minority groups. Low rates are exacerbated by structural impediments that prevent vaccination among some populations, such as Latinx (a gender-neutral way to refer to Latino/a) migrant farmworkers. This chapter focuses on how agricultural labour mobility and vaccine policy converge to constrain Latinx migrant farmworkers’ ability to get the HPV vaccine for their children. Using the theoretical lens of motility, the chapter examines how heightened mobility associated with agricultural labour results in never-materializing efforts to complete HPV vaccination for children of migrant farmworkers, despite potential to do so. Overall, our chapter shows how, paradoxically, increased mobility results in a type of public health ...
Background: Research has demonstrated oral-systemic health connections that impact women's ov... more Background: Research has demonstrated oral-systemic health connections that impact women's overall health and well-being. Oral-systemic health linkages that only or disproportionately affect women can cause, or be the result of, poor oral health (i.e. periodontitis; oral bone loss; dental caries). These linkages include: a) hormonal changes during puberty, menses, pregnancy and menopause; b) cardiovascular disease; c) diabetes; d) osteoporosis; e) immune-suppression disorders (i.e. cancer; transplant recipients; arthritis; HIV/AIDS); and f) respiratory diseases (i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder). Several psychosocial conditions and behaviors associated with poor oral health also disproportionately affect women: eating disorders; substance use/abuse; sexually transmitted infections; and stress. Additionally, women in poverty are less likely to access oral health care, leading to higher rates of caries and contributing to social stigma due to poor appearance of teeth. P...
ABSTRACT Background: Social network analysis has useful applications for improving health service... more ABSTRACT Background: Social network analysis has useful applications for improving health service delivery such as linking separate professions. Oral-systemic health links have been widely documented, but oral health and medical health professionals continue to operate in separate professional spheres. Improving oral-systemic health outcomes may require scholarly communication such as joint authorship and cross-referencing between health professionals in both domains. To assess current scholarly communication between the two professional communities, we conducted a social network analysis of peer reviewed oral and medical health journals. Methodology: We employed social network analysis utilizing bibliometric methodology to examine communication between oral and medical health professionals, choosing a well-known oral-systemic health issue—pregnancy-related periodontal diseases. Results: A total of 113 keywords applied to pregnancy and birth outcomes, and 31 applied to periodontal diseases were used to identify 824 articles in the top-ranked medical and oral health journals. Statistically significant results revealed oral and medical health professionals typically cite research within their own disciplines. Discussion: Findings from this analysis suggest that oral-systemic health professionals not only practice in separate professional spheres, but also do not typically exchange information and research in scholarly journals. The implications of professional and research boundaries on health conditions with oral-systemic links deserves additional attention. Conclusion: Improving health outcomes for conditions with oral-systemic connections may require increased communication and collaboration between oral and medical health practitioners. An initial step to increase collaborative relationships may be encouraging joint scholarship and readership across professional spheres to ultimately improve delivery of care for oral-systemic health conditions.
Background: A great deal of public health scholarship explores family and intimate partner violen... more Background: A great deal of public health scholarship explores family and intimate partner violence through models of control and power, behavioral cycles, and ecological determinants. However, additional efforts to address violence must explore how family and intimate partner violence may be embedded within broader social systems, including immigration policies and police practices. The objective of this study is to examine how recent immigration laws and police practices in the state of Georgia have impacted family and intimate partner violence among undocumented immigrants. Methods: Guided by a systems-perspective, this qualitative study employed participatory methodologies to gain trust among community members. A total of 51 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders across the socio-ecological levels between fall 2012 and spring 2013: undocumented immigrants (intrapersonal); health providers (organizational); immigrant rights organization leaders (community...
Unauthorized immigration remains a contentious topic worldwide, and measures to constrain unautho... more Unauthorized immigration remains a contentious topic worldwide, and measures to constrain unauthorized immigrants' access to health care have emerged through various legislative processes. This presentation discusses the legal constraints in accessing health services for unauthorized immigrants in Berlin, Germany, and Atlanta, Georgia, USA. In Germany, assisting unauthorized individuals, including for medical treatment, can result in imprisonment and fines, and legal debates have focused on whether or not physicians should be held liable for treating undocumented patients. In Georgia, USA, one of the state's many immigration-focused laws, H.B. 87, potentially implicates health service professionals providing non-emergency care with harboring an illegal alien. Both examples of Germany and the United States present considerable questions about immigrants' health seeking behaviors, as well as providers' obligations to uphold professional ethics while also abiding federa...
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