The Nation's Health back issues from June 2008:
Global food shortages, rising prices threaten public health: advocates call for food aid restructuring.
Jun 01, 2008; ... EVEN THOUGH it tops global development goals at No. 1, eliminating hunger may be moving even farther from the world's grasp. Rising food prices are pushing the planet's poorest communities further into poverty and threatening to unravel hard-won successes in health and economic ...
National Public Health Week 2008 a success: annual celebration links healthy climate, healthy people.
Jun 01, 2008; ... THE EFFECTS of climate change jeopardize not only health today but future public health gains, particularly in communities with few resources to protect themselves, warned advocates during the 2008 celebration of APHA's National Public Health Week in April. In turn, they say, ...
Cancer disparities widening for under-served Americans: some Americans missing out on care.
Jun 01, 2008; ... CELESTE Whitewolf, JD, who learned that she had Stage 3 breast cancer 10 years ago, knows all too well how it feels to be under-served. Whitewolf had been unable to afford private health insurance, but as an American Indian, she was eligible for treatment coverage through the ...
APHA praises San Diego's fluoridation.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... APHA commended the city of San Diego in May for beginning to fluoridate its water supplies--a long-held public health tool for preventing tooth decay. San Diego County's Metropolitan Water District of Southern California began to fluoridate parts of the water supply in November ....
APHA: abstinence-only leaves youth in dark.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Abstinence should be presented to young people as part of comprehensive sexuality education that also addresses issues such as contraception, responsible decision-making and communication skills, APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), told federal policy-makers in ...
APHA gives support to federal sick leave act.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... In March, APHA added its voice to the ranks of advocates calling on federal policy-makers to support the "groundbreaking" Healthy Families Act and bring much-needed relief to families who must choose between caring for a loved one or risking their jobs. In a letter sent to ...
APHA urges Medicaid, SCHIP funding relief.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Jun 01, 2008 ... With the nation's economic future uncertain and growing numbers of uninsured, APHA gave its support in April to federal legislation that would curb funding cuts and regulations that make it difficult for states to bring health coverage to residents. In an APHA letter to Sens ....
APHA acts on injury control, osteoporosis.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Jun 01, 2008 ... In other APHA advocacy news, the Association: * urged federal policymakers in April to provide an additional $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control to create a network on the medical aspects of child ...
Corrections.(Correction notice)
Jun 01, 2008 ... ABOUT 5.8 MILLION Americans older than 65 fell at least once in the past three months, according to a federal study, making falls a serious public health problem among older residents. The figure was incorrect in the last issue. ...
Clarification.(Correction notice)
Jun 01, 2008 ... RESEARCH RESULTS from a study examining the Chicago Housing for Health Partnership are preliminary and based on ...
Be a part of the solution: support public health policy.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)
Jun 01, 2008; ... THINK OF all of the resolutions that we make in our personal lives, our professional lives, as part of organizations and as governments. We resolve to stop the war, to ensure that every child has access to health care, to stop the violence in our community, to decrease morbidity and ...
Surgeons general at Annual Meeting closing session: San Diego meeting to highlight 'Public Health Without Borders'.
Jun 01, 2008 ... ATTENDEES OF APHA's 136th Annual Meeting will want to make sure and set aside time in their busy schedules on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 29. In a can't-miss event, the Annual Meeting closing session will feature insights and conversations with three former recent U.S. surgeons ...
APHA's Executive Board holds meeting.
Jun 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Members of APHA's Executive Board, above, met in early May at Association headquarters in Washington, D.C. Members ...
Magazine honors APHA's Benjamin as a top national health care leader.
Jun 01, 2008 ... APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), has again been named a top national leader by a well-known health care magazine. Modern Healthcare magazine released its 2008 list of the top 25 minority executives in health care in April, choosing Benjamin as ...
Peer intervention can reduce hepatitis C.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Peer mentoring can be an effective way to help injection drug users living with hepatitis C decrease the chances of transmitting the life-threatening virus, found a study in the May issue of APHA's American Journal of Public Health. Peer mentoring participants were less likely ...
Water damage linked to respiratory ills.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Water-ravaged homes in post-Katrina New Orleans compounded many of the health problems residents faced in the storm's wake, according to a May AJPH study. In a 2006 survey of almost 600 New Orleans residents taken six months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, researchers found a ...
SCHIP, Medicaid kids suffer tooth decay.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health)(Clinical report)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Children enrolled in public health care programs are more likely to suffer from tooth decay, a May AJPH study found. Researchers found that children covered via Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program were almost two times more likely to have untreated tooth ...
Campaigns could target active smokers.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Targeting smokers who are physically active may be an effective technique to promote quitting, reported an AJPH study. Published in the journal's May issue, researchers found that a "modest" number of daily smokers are physically active--a characteristic related to greater ...
APHA's Sections meet in D.C.
Jun 01, 2008 ... LEADERS from some of APHA's Sections met in Washington, D.C., in April to discuss past successes and future plans. Among the Sections ...
Geriatric work force shortage risks health of aging boomers.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Jun 01, 2008; ... THE GOLDEN years, thought to be a time to relax and enjoy the fruits of one's labors, are in jeopardy. New findings show that the health care work force is insufficient and woefully unprepared to meet the health care needs of the 78 million baby boomers who will begin turning 65 in 2011. ...
EPA lead paint rule should go further, advocates say.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Jun 01, 2008; ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules for working with lead-based paint in March, eliciting praise for moving building practices forward but also frustration for not going as far as many advocates had hoped. Officially titled the "Lead: Renovation, Repair and ...
GAO report: SCHIP directive violated federal review rules.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Jun 01, 2008; ... THE CENTERS for Medicare and Medicaid Services overstepped its boundaries in August when issuing a directive severely limiting states' abilities to expand children's health care, according to a legal opinion from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Released in April, the ...
More working families facing loss of employer health care coverage.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Jun 01, 2008 ... WITH health insurance premiums rising faster than incomes, families with employer-based coverage are facing an increasing possibility of joining the nation's growing ranks of uninsured, according to a report released in conjunction with this year's Cover the Uninsured Week. ...
Federal agency raises concern over commonly used plastics.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Jun 01, 2008 ... THE NATIONAL Toxicology Program has raised concerns over bisphenol A, a chemical in some plastics that may be linked to a host of serious reproductive and developmental problems. The chemical, which is used in some baby bottles, infant formula containers and other food and drink ...
Little change in foodborne illness rates in recent years, CDC reports.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)(Report)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... A NEW 10-STATE report shows little change in the incidence of some foodborne illnesses after a significant period of decline. The report, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April, found that in 2007 common foodborne pathogens such as campylobacter, ...
Medicare trust fund expenses growing.(NATION IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... A Medicare Trustees annual report found both the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund expenditures are growing faster than the rest of the U.S. economy. According to the report, released in late March, the hospital trust fund, ...
Feds cover screening, brief intervention.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008; ... About 5.6 million federal workers will now be covered for a substance abuse prevention and treatment procedure known as screening and brief intervention. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced that the new benefit is now covered by the majority of ...
Measles outbreak in two states reported.(NATION IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... A recent measles outbreak in the United States underscores the need to continue immunization programs and raise awareness about the ability of the disease to be imported from other countries. Federal health officials who track measles cases declared the United States virtually ...
Violence-related injury takes heavy U.S. toll.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Report)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008; ... About 50,000 people die in the United States each year from violence-related injuries, according to data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, which showed suicides were the most common violent deaths followed by homicides, capital punishment and unintentional firearm deaths. ...
Ozone contributes to premature deaths.(NATION IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Short-term exposure to current levels of ozone in many areas is likely to contribute to premature deaths, according to a recent National Research Council report. The report, released in late April, concludes that evidence is strong enough for the U.S. Environmental Protection ...
Amnesty International calls for end to death penalty in United States.
Jun 01, 2008 ... IN THE wake of a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on lethal injections, Amnesty International is calling on U.S. leaders to re-evaluate the nation's stance on the death penalty. In April, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Kentucky's procedures for lethal ...
Lack of health coverage has dire consequences, new report shows.(STATE & LOCAL: Issues at the state and community levels)
Jun 01, 2008 ... MORE THAN seven working-age Texans die each day due to lack of health insurance, according to a new report on the devastating impact uninsurance has on residents in each state of the nation. Other findings in the state-by-state analysis include the fact that about 960 people in ...
Oregon health cuts up emergency visits.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Cuts to Oregon's Medicaid program led to a 20 percent increase in emergency department visits by uninsured patients and doubled visits by uninsured psychiatric patients, according to a study published online April 15 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. A 15 percent cutback in ...
Georgia's minorities suffer poorer health.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Report)
Jun 01, 2008; ... A county-by-county analysis of Georgia's health disparities found the state's minority residents have poorer health and health care access than other Georgians. Among the disparities highlighted in the April report, released by the Georgia Department of Community Health and ...
Maine passes soda, beer taxes for health.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Maine lawmakers recently approved a package of tax increases on soda, beer and wine to help pay for a state health insurance program for small businesses and the self-employed. Under the measure signed by Maine Gov. John Baldacci in April, the excise taxes on beer will increase ...
New Jersey finds lead in artificial turf fields.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008; ... New Jersey health officials have asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the artificial turf used on athletic fields, play areas and homes after testing in the state found high lead levels. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The New Jersey Department of ...
Mumps comeback in 2006 alarming.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... An alarming comeback of mumps reported in the United States in 2006 may take years to eradicate, according to a study in the April 10 New England Journal of Medicine. Almost 6,600 mumps cases were reported nationally in 2006, with 76 percent of those cases occurring between ...
Migraine frequency linked to heart disease.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Women who suffer weekly migraines are significantly more likely to have a stroke, and those with fewer migraines could be at increased risk of heart attack, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April. Based on data from the ...
Study links breast cancer to alcohol.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Excessive alcohol consumption is a substantial risk factor for development of the most common type of breast cancer, according to a recent study. Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in April, the study found even moderate alcohol ...
TV in bedroom tied to poor teen health.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Teens with televisions in their bedrooms tend to have poorer diets and exercise habits as well as lower grades, according to a study in the online edition of Pediatrics. Nearly two-thirds of the 781 adolescents surveyed, who had an average age of 17, had a TV in their bedrooms ....
Income tied to postpartum depression.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Younger women, Medicaid enrollees and those with low education are more likely to report postpartum depression, pointing to a need for health departments to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted mental health outreach. In a study published in the April 11 Morbidity and ...
Mercury detected in birds' food supply.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mercury in contaminated rivers can enter the food chain on nearby land via spiders, moths and grasshoppers that are eaten by birds, according to a study published April 18 in Science. Scientists studied 12 bird species near Virginia's Shenandoah ...
Survival rates lower for scalp, neck cancer.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Jun 01, 2008; ... People with melanoma on their scalp or neck are less likely to survive for five or 10 years than those with melanoma on other parts of the body, according to a study in the April Archive of Dermatology. About 63 percent of people with scalp or neck melanomas survived for five ...
Rise in emergency room visits tied to people with higher incomes.
Jun 01, 2008; ... THE NEARLY 30 percent jump in U.S. emergency department visits between 1992 and 2005 has been attributed to the uninsured and the poor, but a recent study found those with higher incomes and a usual source of care were responsible for a large share of the nationwide increase. ...
Washington, D.C., public health students work to free condoms.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)
Jun 01, 2008; ... WHEN a group of Washington, D.C., public health students learned that condoms were being locked up in neighborhoods hit hardest by HIV/AIDS, they decided to speak out, stand up and take on a national drug store chain. Today, because of the students' activism, D.C. residents can ...
Pilot program brings public health to high school students.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)
Jun 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: Who is the father of the field of modern epidemiology? If you don't know the answer, some science students at Carver High School in Birmingham, Ala., will be happy to tell you. To raise awareness about public health and bring it into focus as a career ...
Many college students lack health insurance, report says.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)
Jun 01, 2008; ... RESEARCH PAPERS, homework, exams, tuition expenses and competition for top jobs and internships are but a few of the many challenges facing today's college students. On campuses around the nation, however, another worry is taking a toll on students' health and safety: uninsurance. ...
Mental health anti-stigma campaign kicks off at colleges.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)
Jun 01, 2008 ... FOR COLLEGE students who have mental illnesses, a caring friend can make a real difference. To encourage college students to support friends who are experiencing mental health problems, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, working in collaboration with the Ad ...
Students using mobile media to fight spread of HIV/AIDS.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)
Jun 01, 2008; ... THANKS to an innovative project by students at the University of Georgia's New Media Institute, HIV/AIDS public service awareness videos are heading to students' cell phones. With the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Verizon Wireless, the public ...
Students call for action on health care.(STUDENT FOCUS: News of interest to students in public health)(Conference notes)
Jun 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Almost 300 medical student, resident and fellow members of the American Medical Association, some of whom are above, made their voices known on Capitol Hill in late March as part ...
In academic world, 'publish or perish' still rings true.(ON THE JOB: News for the public health profession)
Jun 01, 2008; ... STANTON Glantz, PhD, will never forget his excitement in 1974 when a letter arrived in the mail telling him that a paper he'd submitted to a peer-reviewed journal had been accepted for publication. Glantz, at the time a graduate student at Stanford University, had already learned that ...
Top tips for getting your manuscript published in today's health journals.
Jun 01, 2008 ... FROM initial submission to the much-anticipated letter of acceptance, getting a paper published is a lengthy process. To improve your chances of getting a paper published, editors recommend that you: Do your homework Familiarize yourself with a range of journals, but ...
Peace Corps program combines public health, global experience.(ON THE JOB: News for the public health profession)
Jun 01, 2008; ... HEALTH workers and students looking for educational and international health experience have long faced a choice: Go to graduate school or work overseas? Under a unique program from the Peace Corps, however, that decision could be an easy one, as the answer is "both." Created ...
Performance standards a success in New Hampshire: New England state uses standards to fuel progress, training.(ON THE JOB: News for the public health profession)
Jun 01, 2008; ... HEALTH and community leaders in New Hampshire have found that performance standards can do more than just measure health services and generate data. Through their use of the National Public Health Performance Standards Program, New Hampshire state and community leaders are building ...
Climate change a challenge for U.S. public health workers, departments.
Jun 01, 2008 ... A GROWING number of public health workers consider climate change a pressing concern, though few have the resources to confront the problem, according to a national survey released in April. Conducted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Environmental ...
Water safety: be in the know around [H.sub.2]0.(Healthy You)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Ever wonder why the Earth looks mostly blue from outer space? It's because water occupies roughly two-thirds of the surface of our planet. We weren't born with gills, but millions of Americans are drawn to the wet stuff for swimming, surfing, fishing, sailing, boating, water skiing and ...
Certification offered for student health educators.(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... HEALTH educators who work with students ages 11 and older can now earn a new certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The Health Education Certificate, announced in March, aims to provide accomplished teachers with a way to document that they ...
Computer reporting of infectious diseases is faster, more efficient.
Jun 01, 2008 ... USING a computer system to report contagious diseases can help health departments and medical facilities improve disease detection and reporting timeliness, a recent study found. Massachusetts researchers tested a specially designed computer system, called the Electronic Medical ...
World Health Day marks global health effects of climate change.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)
Jun 01, 2008 ... AS SCIENTIFIC evidence linking climate change to adverse health consequences continues to mount, global public health advocates marked World Health Day 2008 by bringing attention to the problem as well as possible ways to protect against worsening health problems linked to climate change. ...
First World Malaria Day highlights prevention, control.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)
Jun 01, 2008 ... THIS YEAR'S first-ever World Malaria Day allowed international public health leaders and advocates to spotlight continued efforts to control and prevent a disease that affects 500 million and kills more than 1 million people each year. Commemorated on April 25, the day was ...
Maternal, child health still grave global public health concerns.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)
Jun 01, 2008 ... REDUCING child mortality and improving maternal health--two of the international public health community's Millennium Development Goals--will require ongoing and widespread efforts on behalf of the world's most vulnerable people, according to a new report from the World Health ...
Much of heart disease in India by 2010.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Sixty percent of the world's heart disease will be in India by 2010, where the disease now affects younger patients and has worse outcomes than in developed countries, according to a study in the April 26 issue of the Lancet. The study of more than 20,000 patients who had ...
Russia ratifies tobacco control convention.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Jun 01, 2008 ... In April, Russia became the 154th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty aimed at reducing tobacco's global death toll. The United States has not yet ratified the treaty. Tobacco use is a major public health problem in Russia, which has a ...
New campaign encouraging men to seek preventive care.
Jun 01, 2008 ... IN AN attempt to encourage more men to seek preventive health care, the U.S Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently launched the "Real Men Wear Gowns" public service campaign. The campaign, developed in conjunction with the Advertising Council, encourages men older ...
New guide on osteoporosis treatment, prevention offered.
Jun 01, 2008 ... THE NATIONAL Osteoporosis Foundation has released a new clinician's guide to help U.S. health care providers make the best treatment decisions and better predict those at risk for fractures. The Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis, released in late ...