Ming Ji

University of New Mexico | UNM · College of Population Health

The purpose of this study was to explore Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as a moderator between sleep duration/irregularity and overweight/obesity in U.S. adolescents. Using the National Survey of Children’s Health 2017–2018 cross-sectional dataset, we included adolescents with available sleep and Body Mass Index (BMI) data. In a sample of 24,...

There has been a concerning surge in maternal mortality among Hispanic women in recent years. Compromised mental health is present in nearly half of all maternal deaths, and risk factors include poor social support and depression. Among Hispanic women who were born in the USA versus those not born in the USA, we sought to describe and compare socia...

PurposeWeight loss surgery is an effective, long-term treatment for severe obesity but individual response to surgery varies widely. The purpose of this study was to test a comprehensive theoretical model of factors that may be correlated with the greatest surgical weight loss at 1–3 years following surgery. Such a model would help determine what p...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention, HerBeat, compared with educational usual care (E-UC) for improving exercise capacity (EC) and other patient-reported outcomes at 3 mo among women with coronary heart disease. Methods: Women were randomized to the HerBeat group (n = 23), a behavi...

It is estimated that at least 10% of people who have had COVID-19 will experience ongoing symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and cognitive disturbances. Pulmonary exercise has demonstrated improved dyspnea outcomes in other respiratory conditions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a home-based pulmonary rehab...

Motivation: The human microbiome which is linked to various diseases by growing evidence, has a profound impact on human health. Since changes in the composition of the microbiome across time are associated with disease and clinical outcomes, microbiome analysis should be performed in a longitudinal study. However, due to limited sample sizes and...

Objective: This study examined the association between individual- and neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors and surgical weight loss at 1 year (short term) and 3 years (long term). Methods: Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the BELONG (Bariatric Experience Long Term) prospective longitudinal cohort study. Individual-level sel...

Background: Patients who are discharged from ICU (ICU survivors) often experience persistent physical impairment. Objective: To explore the effects of a self-managed, music-guided exercise intervention on physical outcomes and adherence rates among ICU survivors. Methods: A randomized controlled design was used. Following ICU discharge, partic...

Aims: Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection is not thought to affect pregnancy or birth outcomes, but there are few prospective studies. The study aims were T. gondii immunoglobulin G measurement and relationship of chronic T. gondii infection with gestational age at birth and adverse pregnancy outcomes in 690 Hispanic women in Tampa, Florida. Meth...

Aim To examine the interaction between sleep and social determinants of health (SDOH) [race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES)] on overweight/obesity in adolescents. Design Cross‐sectional. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis using the 2017–2018 National Survey of Children's Health data. We included adolescents (10–17 years old) who h...

Objective: This study examined the association of weight loss following bariatric surgery with self-reported sleep quality after accounting for other sleep-related factors. Methods: Participants were from the Bariatric Experience Long Term (BELONG) study. Participants completed a survey up to 6 months before surgery and approximately 1 year afte...

Background and Objectives Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants, born weighing less than 1500 grams, are at risk for both gut dysbiosis and later neuropsychological developmental deficits. With gut dysbiosis there is a disequilibrium of the gut microbial community. The Gammaproteobacteriadominated gut dysbiosis in VLBW infants likely results from a...

Background and Objectives Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants, born weighing less than 1500 grams, are at risk for both gut dysbiosis and later neuropsychological developmental deficits. With gut dysbiosis there is a disequilibrium of the gut microbial community. The Gammaproteobacteriadominated gut dysbiosis in VLBW infants likely results from a...

BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease afflicts 7 million American women annually and is their leading cause of disability globally. Women are undertreated and underrepresented in research; rectifying sex-specific disparities in coronary heart disease outcomes is a national priority. Effective interventions for improving the cardiovascular health behavi...

Purpose The Bariatric Experience Long Term (BELONG) prospective study cohort was created to address limitations in the literature regarding the relationship between surgical weight loss and psychosocial, health, behaviour and environmental factors. The BELONG cohort is unique because it contains 70% gastric sleeve and 64% patients with non-white ra...

Background Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and understudied consequence of taxane chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment. CIPN symptoms include numbness combined with tingling sensations, persistent shooting, stabbing, or burning pain even in the absence of painful stimuli, lower extremity muscle weakness, and impair...

Background Modifying the environment to promote healthy foods is a population-based approach for improving diet. This study evaluated the outcome effectiveness of a food store intervention that used structural and social change strategies to promote fruits and vegetables. It was hypothesized that intervention versus control store customers would im...

Music engagement is a universal human activity that transcends cultural and geographic boundaries. Current evidence suggests that music engages many diverse brain networks with wide-ranging effects on physiological, cognitive, and affective processes. As a result, music activity engagement may be associated with enhanced cognitive reserves and redu...

Background Common acute medical conditions among older adults with dementia in skilled nursing include falls, delirium, and pneumonia. This study utilized a sensor technology to examine how motor behaviors may predict these acute events. Methods Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology continuously measured time and distance travelled, gai...

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of a self-managed music-guided exercise intervention on muscle strength among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. Methods We used a two-arm randomized-controlled trial. Following ICU discharge, eligible participants were assigned to one of two groups: music group ( n = 13) or active con...

Purpose Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity, but currently, only 1–2% of all eligible patients undergo surgery each year. This study examined which factors were associated with a patient receiving bariatric surgery after referral in a real-world healthcare setting. Materials and Methods The current study used the b...

Bariatric surgery is associated with changing food preferences, but it is not known whether these changes differ by type of operation or are associated with weight loss. The current study presents validation results for a new 27-item scale, Bariatric Surgical Alterations in Tolerability, Enjoyment and Cravings in the Diet (BSATED). This scale measu...

Delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) affects up to 80% of critically ill, mechanically ventilated (MV) adults. Delirium is associated with substantial negative outcomes, including increased hospital complications and long-term effects on cognition and health status in ICU survivors. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to test th...

Background: Mechanically ventilated (MV) patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience disturbed sleep and profound inactivity. Objectives: The aim of this study was to report 5 consecutive days' descriptive analyses on sleep efficiency (SE), total sleep time (TST), daytime activity ratio (DAR), and hourly activity counts among crit...

We aimed to build a predictive model with intrinsic factors measured upon admission to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) post-acute care (PAC) to identify older adults transferred from SNFs to long-term care (LTC) instead of home. We analyzed data from Massachusetts in 23,662 persons admitted to SNFs from PAC in 2013. Explanatory logistic regressio...

Persons with dementia are about two times more likely to be hospitalized than their peers who are cognitively healthy. These individuals are frequently discharged to skilled nursing facilities or nursing home settings, to receive short-term, post-acute, rehabilitative care. The rehabilitative care, Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT...

Introduction The purpose of this study is to report 5 consecutive days’ descriptive data for sleep efficiency (SE), total sleep time (TST), and daytime activity ratio (DAR) among critically ill mechanically ventilated adults from 9 intensive care units (ICU) across two hospitals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe sleep and activ...

Many very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants experience growth faltering in early life despite adequate nutrition. Early growth patterns can affect later neurodevelopmental and anthropometric potentials. The role of the dysbiotic gut microbiome in VLBW infant growth is unknown. Eighty-four VLBW infants were followed for six weeks after birth with week...

BACKGROUND: Older adults who required mechanical ventilation while in an intensive care unit (ICU) require adequate sleep throughout recovery from critical illness. Poor post-ICU sleep quality may contribute to worsening impairments in physical, cognitive, or psychological status after critical illness, known as post-ICU syndrome. Previous research...

Implementing interventions that manipulate food store environments are one potential strategy for improving dietary behaviors. The present study evaluated intervention effects, from the El Valor de Nuestra Salud (The Value of Our Health) study, on in-store environmental changes within Latino/Hispanic-focused food stores (tiendas). Sixteen tiendas w...

Background: Excessive and patterned ambulation is associated with falls, urinary tract infections, co-occurring delirium and other acute events among long-term care residents with cognitive impairment/dementia. This study will test a predictive longitudinal data model that may lead to the preservation of function of this vulnerable population. Me...

Background: The prevalence of dementia, the most expensive medical condition (Kirschstein, 2000 and Hurd et al., 2013 [1,2]), and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing [3]. Finding effective intervention strategies to prevent or delay dementia is imperative to public health. Prior research provides compelling evidence that...

Introduction The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep duration and cognitive function among previously mechanically ventilated older adults recently transferred out of an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods We enrolled 30 subjects, ages 65 and older, who were functionally independent prior to admission, required mechanica...

Cancer pain is an unrelenting symptom with the potential to alter the quality of life of patients. To adequately manage pain, nurses caring for cancer patients need to fully understand each patient's pain experience. The purpose of this study was to identify the intensity, distress, frequency, or constancy of pain in patients treated for cancer or...

The microbiomes of 83 preterm very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants and clinical covariates were analyzed weekly over the course of their initial neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay, with infant growth as the primary clinical outcome. Birth weight significantly correlated with increased rate of weight gain in the first 6 weeks of life, while no...

Background: Older adults in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience sleep disturbances, which may stem from life-threatening illness, the ICU environment, medications/sedation, or psychological stress. Two complementary endocrinological responses occur as a result of compromised sleep and consequently could exacerbate ICU-acquired weakness:...

After hospitalization, the rehabilitative care provided in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) aims to restore the person to their pre-hospitalization functional status and assist the person to return home. This study used MDS assessment data of individuals (N=22,426), age 65 years and older, admitted to SNFs in 2013 from acute care hospitals in Mass...

Persons with dementia are about two times more likely to be hospitalized than their peers who are cognitively healthy. They are frequently discharged to skilled nursing facilities to receive short-term, post-acute, rehabilitative care. Using retrospective Minimum Data Set assessment and Medicare claims data (cohort 2012–2013), this study examined t...

1 Background With suicide rising in the United States, identifying and preventing suicides is increasingly important. To provide a valuable step toward achieving effective suicide risk assessment, this study examines the agreement between self‐report measures and psychiatrist documentation of suicidal ideation and behaviors (SI) at a Veterans Admin...

The knowledge base of cancer-related symptoms is increasing; yet, limited attention has been given to provide evidence on differences in the perception of cancer symptoms between ethnic groups, especially in the Hispanic Puerto Rican (PR) population. To examine whether there are significant differences in the severity, distress, interference, and f...

Background: The Institute of Federal Health Care recently published an executive summary from a round table discussion indicating that active duty and retired female military personnel are at high risk for adverse health outcomes unique to military service including complications related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), unreported sexual...

Identifying why girls participate in safe and risky sexual behaviors is key to developing successful intervention strategies. This study identified motivations for sex in 738 girls enrolled in the Health Improvement Project for Teens (HIPTeens) RCT and analyzed differences in sex motives among at-risk subgroups. Sexually-active girls, ages 15-19 ye...

Objectives: Explore the effect of an automated reorientation intervention on ICU delirium in a prospective randomized controlled trial. Background: Delirium is common in ICU patients, and negatively affects outcomes. Few prevention strategies have been tested. Methods: Thirty ICU patients were randomized to 3 groups. Ten received hourly record...

Introduction: U.S. Latinas do not engage in sufficient leisure-time physical activity. This study examined whether adding promotor-facilitated healthy lifestyle classes to an exercise intervention would promote exercise session attendance and improve health indicators. Methods: The Familias Sanas y Activas II (Healthy and Active Families II) stu...

Background: Despite significant declines in youth cigarette smoking, overall tobacco usage remains over 20% as non-cigarette tobacco product usage is increasingly common and polytobacco use (using 1+ tobacco product) remains steady. Objectives: The present study was designed to identify patterns of youth tobacco use and examine associations with...

Human activity recognition (HAR) by smartphone with embedded sensors is applied in many areas, such as medicinal applications and sensor cars etc. In order to identify real-time activities, an online algorithm need be considered. The necessary constraints of online algorithms are that it should take less amount of running time and it can recursivel...

Objectives: We examined whether social networks and resource awareness for physical activity may mediate the relationship between civic group participation and physical activity. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of a randomly selected sample of 335 Latinos (mean age 42.1 ± 16.4 years) participating in the San Diego Prevention Research Ce...

Background: Female veterans experience multiple stresses during their lifetime. Some of them seek care in the civilian community. Common physical and psychological symptoms among female veterans include pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and depression. Physical activity has the potential to improve their well-being. Objectives: This study was guided...

Objective: To describe longitudinal effects of feeding volume and type of milk on fecal calprotectin (f-CP) in very low-birth weight (VLBW) infants. Study design: Prospective data were collected across Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission for 6 weeks or until discharge in 75 VLBW neonates. The mean gestational age on entry into the stud...

Peer support can promote diabetes control, yet research on feasible and effective peer support models is lacking. This randomized controlled trial tested a volunteer-based model of peer support for diabetes control. Thirty-four volunteer peer leaders were recruited and trained to provide support to 5 to 8 patients each through telephone contact, in...

We hypothesized that red blood cell (RBC) transfusions influence intestinal inflammation in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. We also suspected that hematocrit (Hct) at transfusions and RBC storage time correlate with intestinal inflammation. VLBW infants, without major congenital defects, intestinal perforation or necrotizing enterocolitis, we...

The most commonly used functional status (FS) instruments were examined to determine the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity to change and feasibility in residents in an assisted living facility (ALF). Twenty-six ALF residents were assessed weekly for up to 8 months using six instruments. Group and single-subject analyses were used...

Although Hispanics have a documented high risk of limited health literacy, there is a scarcity of research with this population group, and particularly with Hispanic immigrants who generally confront language barriers that have been related to low health literacy. The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy identified community-based Englis...

Background: Despite recent declines among young children, obesity remains a public health burden in the United States, including among Latino/Hispanic children. The determining factors are many and are too complex to fully address with interventions that focus on single factors, such as parenting behaviors or school policies. In this article, we d...

Our aim was to compare the biopsychosocial characteristics of young women with those of older women who were enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The baseline characteristics of women who prematurely terminated CR participation were also explored. Baseline physiological and psychosocial indices of women ≤ 55 years compared with older women elig...

Suicide prevention in the clinical setting is focused on evaluating risk in the coming hours to days, yet little is known about which factors increase acute risk. To determine the prevalence of factors that may serve as warnings of heightened acute risk. Veterans attending an urgent care psychiatric clinic (n=473) completed a survey on suicidal ide...

ProblemLittle is known about postpartum immune recovery and relationships of common dysphoric moods, stress, immunology, and endocrinology.Method of studyHealthy women (n = 72) were followed for six postpartum months with immune and hormone measures and dysphoric moods and stress scales. A panel of cytokines produced in mitogen-stimulated whole blo...

Malaria remains one of the most prevalent and lethal human infectious diseases worldwide. A comprehensive characterization of antibody responses to blood stage malaria is essential to support the development of future vaccines, sero-diagnostic tests and sero-surveillance methods. We constructed a proteome array containing 4,441 recombinant proteins...

African American patients with colorectal cancer show higher mortality than their Caucasian counterparts. Biology might play a partial role, and prior studies suggest a higher prevalence for microsatellite instability (MSI) among cancers from African Americans, albeit patients with MSI cancers have improved survival over patients with non-MSI cance...

Objective: This study examined the relationship between social network characteristics and health promoting behaviors (having a routine medical check-up, consuming no alcohol, consuming no fast food, and meeting recommendations for leisure-time physical activity and sleep duration) among Latinos to identify potential targets for behavioral interve...

This study examined the prevalence and the determinants of risky sexual behavior (defined as having multiple sex partners and paying for sex) among male rural-to-urban migrants in China. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior associated with increased risk of risky sexual...

Recent studies have established that men are susceptible to cardiotoxicity from methylmercury exposure, which also poses risks to the pregnant woman. Hair samples were obtained and questionnaires for methylmercury exposure assessment were administered to 110 adults (57 men, 53 women) throughout O'ahu, Hawai'i during December 2010 to January 2011. H...

Elevated sympathetic activity is associated with kidney dysfunction. Here we used twin pairs to probe heritability of GFR and its genetic covariance with other traits. We evaluated renal and adrenergic phenotypes in twins. GFR was estimated by CKD-EPI algorithm. Heritability and genetic covariance of eGFR and associated risk traits were estimated b...

To investigate geographical and socioeconomic variation in performance of lymph node dissection for the evaluation of patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer. A population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Cancer Institute's SEER Program for 15 geographic registries and county-level measures. W...

Few studies address methylmercury exposure among healthy adults. Recent studies establish that men are susceptible to cardiotoxicity from methylmercury exposure, as well as known risks to the pregnant woman. This study assessed methylmercury exposure from fish consumption among 110 adults living in Oahu, Hawaii. Hair samples were obtained and quest...

To determine the association of high birth weight (HBW) with the risk of obesity in childhood and adolescence. We also aimed to explore the interactions of HBW with physical activity and dietary habits. In a birth cohort born in 1993, 1994, and 1995 in Wuxi, China, subjects with a birth weight (BW) of >/=4000 g were selected as the exposed group. F...

Objective: The present store-based intervention was designed to promote sales of fruits and vegetables (F&V) to increase intake among store customers--specifically customers of tiendas, small-to-medium-sized Latino food stores. Design: Four tiendas were randomized to a 2-month environmental change intervention or a delayed treatment control cond...

Background: Studies show that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are correlated with psychological distress. Minimal research has been conducted exploring the relationship between psychological distress and CVD risk among Hispanic/ Latinos (H/L) of different background groups. The aim of this study was to investigate which CVD risk factors w...

To explore the effect and heaviness of smoking on the routine parameters of semen quality. A total of 727 eligible subjects including 421 smokers and 306 nonsmokers were selected in 2004 - 2006 in Hebei, Shanxi, Guizhou, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces. Data on background information, general demographic characteristics, exposure to smoking and rel...

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of early childhood (<13 years) exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in the home environment among U.S. Hispanic/Latinos (H/L) living in Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego communities. Background: Exposure to SHS is associated with higher morbidity and mortality risk. Current home SHS exposure levels among US chil...

Background: The development of effective transmission risk reduction strategies among PLWHA requires greater understanding of behavioral determinants. Little is known about pre-diagnosis predictors of behavior change after diagnosis for any population. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected in Tijuana for a study of determ...

Background: Increasing moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is an important public health goal. Pedometers are evidence-based devices for increasing daily activity, but studies have not evaluated the comparative efficacy of step cadence goals for increasing MVPA. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three pedo...

Research supports the favorable effects of exercise on physical and psychosocial outcomes in those with arthritis. Few easily disseminated, multi-component, arthritis-specific programs have been evaluated using both physical function and psychosocial measures. Fitness and Exercise for People with Arthritis (FEPA) is a new community-based, 3-month,...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death for Latino men and women; and Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, which is most likely due to underutilization of CRC preventive screening. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a brief, clinic-based intervention by a community health advisor (CHA)...

Clinical severity scoring systems are used in rotavirus vaccine efficacy and effectiveness studies to define the primary endpoint, severe rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE). Understanding how scoring systems perform in diverse settings is critical for proper design and interpretation. This investigation aims to understand how the Vesikari scoring sys...

This within-participants, single time-series study tested a train-the-trainer, promotor-based physical activity (PA) intervention to improve fitness and health indicators. Thirty unpaid promotores were trained to promote PA through free exercise classes. Measurements of 337 female community participants at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months assessed...

Although the incidence for breast cancer in men is lower than for women, male breast cancer (MBC) patients are diagnosed at a later stage and have a higher mortality rate than women. This study examined male cases reported from 1988 through 2006 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute for differen...

Susceptibility to cigarette smoking in tobacco-naive youth is a strong predictor of smoking initiation. Identifying mechanisms that contribute to smoking susceptibility provide information about early targets for smoking prevention. This study investigated whether sensitivity to secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) contributes to smoking susceptibility...

Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) poses health risks to children living with smokers. Most interventions to protect children from SHSe have coached adult smokers. This trial determined whether coaching and cotinine feedback provided to preteens can reduce their SHSe. Two hundred one predominantly low-income families with a resident smoker and a chil...

To investigate the sensitivity to secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) in preteens aged 8-13 years who have never smoked, and to determine whether it predicts smoking susceptibility. We assessed the sensitivity to SHSe using reactions commonly used for the assessment of sensitivity to the first-smoked cigarette (e.g., feeling dizzy), and investigated t...

To explore the cross-sectional association of nutrient intake with adiponectin in Filipino-American women who had completed a validated food frequency questionnaire. One hundred and sixty-one Filipino women aged 40 to 82 years were recruited from the University of California, San Diego Filipino Women's Health Study. Dietary information was assessed...

Although Korean American women show high levels of involvement in religious practices and high prevalence of alcohol consumption, no studies have assessed the association between religious denomination and alcohol intake among this group of women. This cross-sectional study examined the associations of religious denomination and religious commitmen...

Journal article

To test and compare 2 predictive models of weapon carrying in youth (n = 308) recruited from 4 drop-in centers in San Diego and Imperial counties. Both models were based on the Behavioral Ecological Model (BEM). The first and second models significantly explained 39% and 53% of the variance in weapon carrying, respectively, and both full models sha...

This study examined the reach and impact of a social marketing intervention to reduce HIV risk among heterosexually identified (HI) Latino men who have sex with men and women (MSMW). Repeated cross-sectional intercept surveys were conducted in selected community venues during and after the campaign with 1,137 HI Latino men. Of them, 6% were classif...

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a major threat to public health worldwide. Previous studies have suggested that home smoking bans effectively reduce SHS exposure to nonsmokers in the home. In China, the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, more than 540 million nonsmokers are exposed to SHS. However, to our knowledge, no published studies have...

It is a public health recommendation to accumulate at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity. Although pedometers are widely used as a physical activity-monitoring tool, they are unable to measure activity intensity. Translating current physical activity recommendations into a pedometer-based guideline could increase the...

This study explored social determinants of smoking among a sample of male Chinese adults in Changqiao, a community representing the transition from traditional to a "mobile" urban culture in China. New commercial systems have introduced high profits but also layoffs in the absence of government security systems. In-person interviews were conducted...

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of progressive versus stable peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with the risk of future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. An independent association between PAD, defined by low values of the ankle-brachial index (ABI), and future CVD risk has been demonstrated. However, the prognostic signi...

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 5% of African American women over 50 years of age have osteoporosis and an additional 35% have osteopenia, which puts them at risk for osteoporosis and fractures. Weight-bearing exercise has been shown to maintain bone mineral density (BMD) in white women, but little research has been reported in A...