The Nation's Health back issues from October 2008:
APHA's 136th Annual Meeting in San Diego Oct. 25-29.(13,000 expected)
Oct 01, 2008 ... About 13,000 public health professionals are expected to come together this month to focus on "Public Health Without Borders" during APHA's 136th Annual Meeting in San Diego. To be held Oct. 25-29, the Annual Meeting will focus on cross-border public health issues that impact ...
Number of U.S. uninsured falls to 45.7 million, census shows.(More people in government health programs)
Oct 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Living up to their monikers as "public safety nets," the nation's public health care programs brought coverage to almost 3 million more residents in 2007, helping to cut the nation's overall uninsurance rate by more than 1 million people, according to the ...
Reauthorization of U.S. global program on HIV/AIDS applauded.(New law extends reach of HIV/AIDS effort)
Oct 01, 2008; ... One of the largest global public health endeavors in history, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR, garners its share of both praise and criticism. Most health advocates agree, however, that the U.S. HIV/AIDS program has--and will continue--to save lives ...
APHA supports study on 'food deserts'.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... A federal study on the impact of modern food environments on Americans' health must include input from stakeholders, including residents who live in areas with little access to healthy food choices, says APHA. In a July letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed ...
APHA: workplace rule contrary to health.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Oct 01, 2008 ... APHA is calling on the U.S. Department of Labor to withdraw a proposed rule it describes as "contrary to the most fundamental public health principle of prevention." The proposed rule, "Requirements for DOL Agencies' Assessment of Occupational Health Risks," would modify the ...
APHA urges action on Indian health.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Oct 01, 2008 ... With health disparities and health care access problems continuing to afflict American Indian and Alaska Native communities, APHA is calling on federal policy-makers to support the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008. Known in the U.S. House of Representatives ...
New APHA publication spotlights importance of global health.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)
Oct 01, 2008; ... As health inequalities blur borders and common health concerns transcend national boundaries, the field of global health is emerging to capture a greater portion of the public health spotlight. But global health--the study of the health of people around the world--is constantly reinventing ...
Corrections.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(Correction notice)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Corrections: THE APHA town hall on health reform at the Annual Meeting, session 3395.1, is on Monday, Oct. 27. NATIVE PEOPLE'S Circle of Hope, mentioned ...
Choose accountability: keep the legal U.S. drinking age at 21.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)
Oct 01, 2008; ... In the 1980s in the United States, the minimum legal drinking age was raised to 21. Recently, a group of college presidents joined forces to argue that the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 to decrease binge drinking on campuses. Their rationale was that they're losing the ...
Free Get Ready materials now also available in Spanish.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(Report)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... APHA is now offering some of the materials from its popular Get Ready campaign in Spanish. In August, the Get Ready campaign debuted Spanish-language versions of its popular Helping Handouts series. The colorful handouts--which are also available in English--are aimed at ...
Check your emergency stockpiles as you set your clocks, says APHA.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(Report)
Oct 01, 2008 ... AphA's Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign is calling on Americans to update their emergency supplies when they change their clocks on Sunday, Nov. 2. Launched in February, the APHA campaign is designed to remind people to make sure that their emergency ...
Members: use Strategic Map to improve APHA, committee says.(Advancing work of the Association)
Oct 01, 2008 ... APHA members are being encouraged to use the Association's Strategic Map in their public health work, both within and beyond APHA. Created by APHA's Executive Board, the Strategic Map charts the way APHA can strengthen its work as the voice of public health, lists overall ...
Sign up now for career coaching at the 136th Annual Meeting.
Oct 01, 2008 ... PUBLIC health professionals looking for a new career direction or starting out in the work force can take advantage of career coaching services at the APHA Annual Meeting. APHA's Public Health CareerMart will be offering one-on-one and group sessions with professional career ...
Waxman is APHA's 2008 public health legislator of the year.
Oct 01, 2008 ... U.S. REP. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is APHA's 2008 Distinguished Public Health Legislator of the Year. The award is presented annually to legislators serving at the federal, state and local levels who have made significant contributions to advancing legislation for public health ...
Finlayson to be recognized with 2008 Drotman award.(Report)
Oct 01, 2008 ... TRACY L. Finlayson, PhD, has been named winner of the 2008 Jay S. Drotman Memorial Award for young professionals. She will receive the award during APHA's 136th Annual Meeting in San Diego. The award recognizes a health worker or student, ages 30 or younger, who has demonstrated ...
Frieden is recipient of 2008 Roemer prize.
Oct 01, 2008 ... Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, New York City's commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is the winner of APHA's 2008 Milton and Ruth Roemer Prize for Creative Local Public Health Work. The annual award recognizes a health professional who has demonstrated ...
APHA's Executive Director's Citation to go to Shipp.
Oct 01, 2008 ... IN RECOGNITION of his extraordinary support and service to APHA during a time of fiscal challenges, Melvin D. Shipp, OD, DrPH, MPH, is being honored with the 2008 Executive Director's Citation at the 136th APHA Annual Meeting in San Diego. Shipp, who served as APHA treasurer ...
Wellstone Action to receive Presidential Citation.
Oct 01, 2008 ... TO RECOGNIZE its nationwide efforts to provide training and leadership for advocates of social change, the group Wellstone Action will receive the 2008 APHA Presidential Citation. The group, which honors the legacy of the late Paul and Sheila Wellstone by continuing their work ...
Kennedy to be honored with special lifetime achievement award.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from)
Oct 01, 2008 ... SEN. EDWARD M. Kennedy, D-Mass., is being honored with a special lifetime achievement award in recognition of his longstanding commitment to the health of Americans. The APHA Executive Board voted earlier this year to recognize Kennedy with a special award for his service as a ...
New CDC technology reveals higher U.S. HIV infection rate.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Oct 01, 2008; ... The United States is home to thousands more new HIV infections than previously thought, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Released in early August and published in a special edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, ...
Public transit plays critical role in urban preparedness.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During an emergency evacuation, many urban residents will need to use public subways, buses and other transit to leave an area, yet not enough cities integrate such systems into their emergency plans, according to a recent report from the National Research ...
Statement defines public health quality measurements.
Oct 01, 2008; ... A national movement to improve quality across all levels of the public health system received a tangible boost recently with the September release of a consensus statement that defines why and how to uniformly track quality in public health. All members of the U.S. Public Health ...
Media can play key role in youth tobacco use, prevention.
Oct 01, 2008 ... With mass media more prominent than ever in the lives of young people, action must be taken now to reduce exposure to tobacco marketing, according to some of the nation's leading public health and anti-tobacco advocates. At an August news conference in Washington, D.C., ...
Many among growing U.S. Hispanic population lack usual source of care.
Oct 01, 2008 ... More than one-fourth of U.S. Hispanics do not have a usual health care provider, according to a new survey. Released in August by the Pew Hispanic Center, the survey found a similar proportion reported obtaining no medical information from medical personnel in the past year. Yet ...
Screening for prostate cancer could harm.(NATION IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Men ages 75 and older should not be screened for prostate cancer, and younger men should discuss the benefits and risks of the prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA, with their health provider before being tested, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task ...
FDA approves 2008-2009 flu vaccines.
Oct 01, 2008 ... In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of this year's seasonal influenza vaccines, which include new strains of the virus likely to cause flu in the United States during the 2008-2009 season. Each year, federal health officials modify the season's ...
Highway deaths down, motorcyle deaths up.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The number of people who died on the nation's roads dropped to historically low levels in 2007 in the United States, a public health victory tempered by the fact that motorcycle fatalities rose by more than 6 percent. In 2007, the overall number of traffic deaths fell to 41,059, ...
GAO: RU-486 approval process consistent.
Oct 01, 2008; ... Despite charges from critics that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was irresponsible in its approval and oversight of the drug Mifeprex, a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report found FDA acted consistently in regard to the drug. Also known as RU-486, the drug ...
APHA groups elect new leaders, members to Governing Council.(Terms begin at close of 2008 meeting)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Chair-elect Linda Bosma, PhD, MA Secretary-elect Amanda Woodfield, MPH Section Council Linda Frazier, MA, RN, CHES Deborah McLellan, MHS Governing Council Cynthia Hallett, MPH Johnnetta Davis-Joyce, MA Donald Zeigler, PhD, MA ...
Resolution urges chiropractors to join APHA, support public health.(The SECTIONS: News about APHA's Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups & Caucuses)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Members of APHA's Chiropractic Health Care Section are celebrating a recent resolution that encourages chiropractors to join APHA. In February, the American Chiropractic Association's House of Delegates passed a resolution "encouraging all American Chiropractic Association ...
APHA member groups gear up for 136th Annual Meeting.
Oct 01, 2008; ... APHA's member groups will offer a full slate of activities at the 136th Annual Meeting in San Diego, Oct. 25-29. From scores of scientific sessions and business meetings to social hours and award ceremonies, APHA's Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups, Caucuses, Forums and ...
How to sort health facts from fiction on the Web.(Healthy You)
Oct 01, 2008; ... It's Saturday night. You suddenly feel a stabbing pain in your big toe. You wonder, "Could it be serious?" So you do what 80 percent of American Internet users do--you run to the computer and type "big toe pain" into a search engine. You get 346,000 results. One site warns you to stop ...
Public health without borders.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition is the place to experience cutting edge public health educational and networking opportunities! Learn from experts in the field, hear about the latest research and exceptional best practices. Discover the latest public health products and services and ...
Washington state Affiliate launches new online public health journal.(The AFFILIATES: State, regional public health associations)
Oct 01, 2008 ... With the launch of a new online journal this month, the Washington State Public Health Association has joined the growing ranks of APHA Affiliates to introduce electronic journals in recent years. WSPHA is scheduled to publish the inaugural issue of the Washington State Journal ...
Affiliate mentoring programs help pass the public health torch.(Students, mentors connect online, on the job)
Oct 01, 2008; ... To guide and grow future public health professionals, some APHA affiliated public health associations are flexing their mentoring muscles. The Connecticut Public Health Association, the New Jersey Public Health Association and the Ohio Public Health Association are among a growing list of ...
Q&A with public health advocate Marmot: ending inequities 'matter of social justice'.(Marmot to deliver keynote at APHA's 136th Annual Meeting)(Interview)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Sir Michael Marmot, PhD, MPH, MBBS, FRCP, FFPHM, FMedSci, is chair of the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health, which was launched in March 2005 and brings together some of the world's leading scientists and practitioners to address the social conditions ...
National Guard troops at high drinking risk.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... U.S. National Guard and reserve combat troops in Iraq are more likely to develop drinking problems than active-duty soldiers, according to a study in the Aug. 13 Journal of the American Medical Association. Among reserve or National Guard personnel who deployed with combat ...
Interventions can prevent elderly falls.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Dissemination of evidence about fall prevention, coupled with interventions to change clinical practice, could reduce fall-related injuries among the elderly, according to a study in the July 17 New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers compared rates of injuries from falls ...
Smoke-free laws cut heart attack risk.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Enactment of a smoke-free indoor air law reduced coronary-related hospitalizations among both smokers and nonsmokers in Scotland, according to a study published in the July 31 New England Journal of Medicine. The study looked at hospitalizations linked to acute coronary ...
Pneumonia linked to 1918-1919 flu deaths.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... The majority of deaths during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 were not caused by the influenza virus acting alone but were due to bacterial pneumonia following flu virus infection, according to a study in the Oct. 1 Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers said a future ...
Health departments on alert for malaria.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Following five imported cases of malaria in Washington state, federal health officials are advising health departments nationwide to be on the alert for malaria among refugees. Five cases of malaria were reported in Burundian refugees from Tanzania from June 27-Oct. 15, 2007, in ...
Half of Americans have poor eyesight.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Half of the U.S. population ages 20 and older has poor eyesight, according to a study in the August Archives of Ophthalmology. Based on a study of more than 12,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, "clinically important refractive ...
Health problems from West Nile virus abate.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... People who suffer long-term health issues because of West Nile virus infection usually see problems abate within a year, according to a study in the Aug. 19 Annals of Internal Medicine. In what they described as the largest study of the long-term outcomes of West Nile virus ...
Pre-pregnancy diabetes raises risk of birth defects.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Women diagnosed with diabetes before they become pregnant are three times to four times more likely to give birth to a child with one or even multiple birth defects than a nondiabetic mother, according to a study in the Aug. 1 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. ...
Students can benefit from blogging.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Besides keeping readers up to date on the latest gossip, blogs can be a useful way to enhance the learning experience among public health students, according to a study published in September's American Journal of Public Health. In a survey of 60 graduate public health students, ...
Menthol cigarettes attract young smokers.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Oct 01, 2008 ... By manipulating cigarettes' menthol content, tobacco companies are attracting new and young smokers, found an AJPH study. Published in the journal's September issue, researchers found that in 2006, almost 44 percent of current smokers between ages 12 and 17 smoked menthol ...
Live phone operators can respond faster.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Local health departments improve their response times when phone callers can reach a live person at all times, found a study in the September issue of AJPH. In a 2006 study of 74 health departments' telephone-based disease surveillance systems, callers answered by a live person ...
APHA's Benjamin again named a top leader in the health care field.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health)
Oct 01, 2008 ... APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), has once again been named one of the nation's top leaders in health care. In August, Modern Healthcare magazine released its annual list of the "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare." The 2008 list ...
New Orleans residents still face uncertain future, survey finds.(STATE & LOCAL: Issues at the state and community levels)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Almost three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated communities across the U.S. Gulf Coast and before Hurricane Gustav hit in September, residents of New Orleans continue to face struggles in housing, employment and health, found a recently released survey of city residents. ...
Los Angeles takes on fast food growth.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved an interim ordinance preventing new fast food restaurants from opening in several city areas. The ordinance, approved July 29, seeks to address the imbalance in food options currently available in South Los Angeles. It proposes a ...
Safety violations in most local restaurants.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Two-thirds of U.S. restaurants have high-risk food safety violations mentioned in their inspection reports, according to an analysis of 539 such reports by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The advocacy group is calling for restaurants to clearly display food ...
Adult obesity rates rose in 37 states.(STATES IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Adult obesity rates increased in 37 states in the past year, according to a recent report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2008" found rates rose for a second consecutive year ...
Connecticut debuts new online, personalized health assessments.
Oct 01, 2008 ... A NEW ONLINE tool is helping Connecticut residents assess their personal health and find ways to improve and sustain healthy lifestyles. Unveiled in late July, the Protective Health Assessment tool helps residents--or anybody who goes online--assess their risk factors for ...
Social inequalities are global killers, WHO commission finds.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)(Report)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Social inequities are killing people on a "grand scale," concluded a commission convened by the World Health Organization that found where people live greatly influences their lifespan and health. A girl in the African country of Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than a ...
Impaired driving law in Brazil praised.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Pan American Health Organization director Mirta Roses, MD, praised Brazil for a recent law on driving and alcohol that "sets an example and represents a true model for the Americas to follow with regards to road safety and the prevention of deaths and injuries in the hemisphere," according ...
Rising obesity levels transforming China.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Rapid social and economic change are transforming China, where more than one-fifth of the adult population is overweight and the country is seeing large increases in such weight-related problems as hypertension, stroke and adult-onset diabetes. A study in the July/August Health ...
Indonesia has most bird flu cases.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Indonesia has had the most human cases of H5N1 influenza, or bird flu, and one of the highest case-fatality rates worldwide, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Lancet. Between June 2005 and February 2008, there were 127 confirmed human bird flu infections in ...
Mediterranean people adopting poorer diets.(GLOBE IN BRIEF)
Oct 01, 2008; ... The traditional Mediterranean diet based on high consumption of grains and vegetables and little saturated fat is being abandoned for a higher fat, saltier and more calorie-laden diet among people in Mediterranean regions. Josef Schmidhuber, senior economist with the Food and Agriculture ...
EPA kids Web site focuses on healthy fish consumption.
Oct 01, 2008 ... A new federal Web site is designed to help kids identify the healthiest fish to eat. Debuted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August, the site, at www.epa.gov/fish advisories/kids, uses interactive stories and games to help both children and their parents make ...
Learn to work with media, advocate for health at APHA meeting.
Oct 01, 2008 ... Health professionals can pick up tips on how to work with the media and advocate for public health during sessions at APHA's 136th Annual Meeting this month. The Annual Meeting, which will be held Oct. 25-29 in San Diego, will feature a day-long schedule of advocacy sessions on ...
Groups work to prevent injuries among U.S. high school athletes.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The National Athletic Trainers' Association and 16 other organizations, including APHA, have developed a consensus statement on preventing and treating injuries among school-aged athletes. The statement applies to the more than 7 million high school-age students participating in ...