HCA 402: Term Paper Guidelines
Healthcare is a multidisciplinary field, e.g., there are primary care physicians, specialists, nurses,
technicians, pharmacists, administrators, and others. They all work together as a single unit for
common goals…”safe and quality in patient care.”
Public health is no different. Public health is also a multidisciplinary field composed of
epidemiologists, environmentalists, biostatisticians, behavioral scientists, and/or health
educators. Public health also includes specialists in clinical research, chronic disease, infectious
disease, emergency medical services, food safety, global emergency preparedness, and
response professionals. Some public health specialists focus on health disparities,
international/global health, laboratory practices, maternal and child health concerns, women’s
health, mental health, nutrition/dietetics, occupational health and safety, and toxicology.
Finally, there are public health officials that focus on the economics or finance, of public health
and communities, in addition to public health laws and public health policies.
You Decide!
For your class term paper, choose a public health topic or public health profession that most
interests you. Research your topic and show how your topic or profession chosen is integrated
and/or has a positive effect on populations and community health. Example topics would be,
Environmental: Recycling Waste, or Chronic Disease: Risk Factors and Prevention, or
Biostatisticians’ Effect on Positive Social Change…or any other that relates to this class.
Term Paper Topics
You do not have to use one of these topics. If you choose a topic that is not on this list, email it
to the Professor for approval to ensure it is appropriate for the course.
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AIDS
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Air quality, indoor
Ammonia
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Anthrax
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Arboviruses
Blue-green algae
Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy
(BSE)
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Arsenic
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Carbon Monoxide
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Asbestos
Asphalt
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CCA-treated wood
Chemical exposure
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Avian Flu
Biological Agents Registry
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Chlorine
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Communicable Disease Control
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
Biological indoor contaminants
Bioterrorism
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DEET
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Dioxins
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Dusty Trades (asbestos,
silica)
Eastern equine encephalitis
(EEE)
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e-Cycling
Environmental contaminants
(example Oil Spills)
Fish consumption advisories
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Fish kills
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Fish, contaminants in
Floods – Health, Safety,
Cleanup
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Kid’s pages: Rabies (DHHS Web
Site)
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La Crosse encephalitis (LAC)
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Lead
Mad Cow disease
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Mercury in fish
Methamphetamine Labs
Saint Leo Core Value
Integration/Evaluation Mold &
mildew
• Mosquito-borne diseases
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Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Flu (Seasonal)
Formaldehyde
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Nitrates in well-water
Nuclear power plants
Harmful Algal Blooms
Hazardous Substances
Emergency Events
Surveillance (HSEES)
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Occupational contaminants
Occupational disease and injury
reporting
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Occupational Surveillance
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Health Hazards Control
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Hepatitis
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Ozone
Pesticides
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HIV/AIDS
Hydrochloric Acid
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Pfiesteria
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
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Indoor air pollutants
Infection control measures
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Influenza Sentinel
Surveillance
Program
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Potassium Iodide Program (DPH
Web Site)
Public Health Preparedness and
Response
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Insect repellant safety
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Intensive Livestock
Operations
KI (potassium iodide) (DHHS
Web
Site)
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Rabies
Rabies: kids’ pages (DHHS Web
Site)
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Radon
Salisbury asphalt plant studies
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Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS)
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Sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs)
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Tick-borne Illness
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Tuberculosis
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Silica
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West Nile virus (WNV)
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Smallpox
In about 250 words, following the conclusion of your paper, apply the Saint Leo University core
value of excellence in a brief proposal for a community health improvement initiative to turn a
negative into positive regarding your chosen topic. For example, this could be an advertising
campaign promoting the usage of insect repellant while outdoors. Incorporate at least one
additional reference above and beyond the textbook, and cite both the textbook and your
external reference(s) using APA style.
Submit the Final Term Paper to Chalk and Wire using the link in the Module 7 folder.
Students who do not submit the assignment to Chalk and Wire will receive a zero. This is a
key program assessment; the results are used to ensure students are meeting program
goals. Video and PDF instructions can be found on the course home page. PDF instructions
are also located in the Start Here folder.

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