Public Health News - OnCall EOS

Supporting Local Public Health and Planning Professionals to Implement Built Environment Changes: A Technical Assistance Program to Promote Physical Activity in Texas

Published on: 20 Jun 2024

Supporting Local Public Health and Planning Professionals to Implement Built Environment Changes: A Technical Assistance Program to Promote Physical Activity in Texas

Chronic Disease Indicators: 2022-2024 Refresh and Modernization of the Web Tool

Published on: 20 Jun 2024

Chronic Disease Indicators: 2022-2024 Refresh and Modernization of the Web Tool

Modernizing CDC's Practices and Culture for Better Data Sharing, Impact, and Transparency

Published on: 21 Mar 2024

Data sharing with the public and relevant partners is foundational to data modernization and an obligation of public health agencies at all levels.

Modernizing CDC's Practices and Culture for Better Data Sharing, Impact, and Transparency

Published on: 21 Mar 2024

Data sharing with the public and relevant partners is foundational to data modernization and an obligation of public health agencies at all levels.

Modernizing CDC's Practices and Culture for Better Data Sharing, Impact, and Transparency

Published on: 21 Mar 2024

Data sharing with the public and relevant partners is foundational to data modernization and an obligation of public health agencies at all levels.

Modernizing CDC's Practices and Culture for Better Data Sharing, Impact, and Transparency

Published on: 21 Mar 2024

Data sharing with the public and relevant partners is foundational to data modernization and an obligation of public health agencies at all levels.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Adults With Chronic Medical Conditions: BRFSS 2012-2020

Published on: 22 Feb 2024

Identifying CRC at an early stage through screening is crucial not only to improve CRC outcomes but also to manage other chronic conditions

Appeal of Tobacco Quitline Services Among Low-Income Smokers

Published on: 02 Mar 2023

Research shows that matching cessation services or bundles of services to groups of low-income smokers may increase their engagement in quitline use and smoking cessation.

Erratum, Vol. 19, October 27 Release Disparities in Flu Vaccination Coverage and Associated Factors Among Adults with Heart Disease

Published on: 17 Nov 2022

Because of a technical error, several lines of text were omitted in the online version of the first paragraph of the Results section of the article "Disparities in Influenza Vaccination Coverage and Associated Factors Among Adults with Cardiovascular Disease, United States, 2011-2020." The missing text was added, and the corrected article was posted on October 28, 2022: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2022/22_0154.htm. We regret any confusion this error may have caused.

How Smokers Hear About Quitlines

Published on: 22 Jun 2022

In this study researchers aimed to determine how tobacco smoking quitline callers heard about quitline services.

Pilot Youth Diabetes Prevention Program

Published on: 22 Jun 2022

The objective of this study was to compare clinical sites with community sites in the recruitment of teenagers for a new youth diabetes prevention program in East Harlem, New York.

Leveraging Pharmacists in Rural Areas to Promote HPV Vaccination

Published on: 13 Mar 2020

Rural pharmacists have the potential to be effective collaborators for HPV vaccine administration and promotion, but barriers, such as lack of education and capacity, exist.

Measurement of Nutrition Environments in Places in the Mississippi Delta Where Food Is Sold

Published on: 13 Mar 2020

The 5 Lower Mississippi Delta towns included in this study scored low on nutrition environment measures associated with healthful eating.

Relationship Between Polypharmacy and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV

Published on: 06 Mar 2020

New research found that polypharmacy was strongly associated with poorer health-related quality of life outcomes among people living with HIV.

Feasibility of Administering an Electronic Version of the National Youth Tobacco Survey in the Classroom

Published on: 05 Mar 2020

Administering the National Youth Tobacco Survey electronically in school classroom settings was feasible, was well accepted by respondents, and improved efficiency of survey administration.

Addressing Obesity in Rural Louisiana Using Community Coalitions and Extension Partnerships

Published on: 28 Feb 2020

Researchers share the process through which coalitions in rural Louisiana implemented Policy, systems, and environmental change.

The Influence of Removing the Ten-Minute Bout Requirement on National Physical Activity Estimates

Published on: 28 Feb 2020

This report indicates that including short bouts (less than 10 min) of self-reported physical activity in total volume of self-reported physical activity has minimal impact on national physical activity estimates.

Hydrate Philly

Published on: 21 Feb 2020

Researchers found that the average daily gallons of water used nearly doubled and water consumption was more than twice as high in intervention sites than in control sites.

Use of Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes and Dual Use Among Adult Employees

Published on: 21 Feb 2020

Employment type, age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and health care coverage were associated with e-cigarette use and dual cigarette and e-cigarette use. Recent quit attempts were higher among dual users.

Effect of a Statewide Media Campaign on Smoking Cessation Among Florida Adults

Published on: 21 Feb 2020

This is the first study to assess the multiyear impact of Florida's tobacco education campaign on statewide quit attempts in the context of other nationwide mass media campaigns airing over the past 8 years.

Community Health Worker-Based Chronic Care Management for Patients With High Health Care Costs

Published on: 14 Feb 2020

This model offers a unique look at the process by which insurance companies offered their resources in support of a policy using community health workers that improves public health.

Addressing Latent Tuberculosis Infection With Community Pharmacies and a Health Department

Published on: 14 Feb 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel collaborative care model using community pharmacies as additional access points for latent tuberculosis infection treatment for patients using combination weekly therapy with isoniazid and rifapentine plus directly observed therapy for 12 weeks.

Traditional Foods Have Become a Way to Talk About Health

Published on: 07 Feb 2020

Traditional foods and food sovereignty are important areas for American Indian/Alaska Native communities to address the public health issues of chronic disease, specifically type 2 diabetes, locally and nationwide.

Home Visits for Children With Asthma Reduce Medicaid Costs

Published on: 07 Feb 2020

The community health worker home visiting intervention improved trigger management, clinical outcomes, and Medicaid cost savings, demonstrating that asthma home visits improve health quality and reduce costs.

Sex-Specific Association of Blood Pressure Categories With All-Cause Mortality

Published on: 31 Jan 2020

Results of this prospective study, in a rural Chinese population, showed that risk of all-cause mortality with hypertension based on the 2017 US hypertension guidelines was increased for men but not women.

Disparities in Cessation Behaviors Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Adult Cigarette Smokers

Published on: 31 Jan 2020

In 2015, Hispanic people who smoked were less likely to get advice about quitting from their healthcare provider than non-Hispanic white people who smoked.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Adults, by Residence in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties

Published on: 24 Jan 2020

This is the first report describing differences at the state level in daily sugar-sweetened beverage intake among adults residing in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties.

Interventions for High Blood Pressure and Glycemic Control Among Illinois Health Systems

Published on: 24 Jan 2020

This study underscores the variability that can occur within and across federally qualified health centers in Illinois around the number and type of policies, systems, and processes implemented.

Onset of Regular Smoking Before Age 21 and Subsequent Nicotine Dependence

Published on: 17 Jan 2020

Adult smokers who started smoking regularly at age 18 to 20 years were more likely to experience high levels of nicotine dependence and less likely to attempt or intend to quit in adulthood compared with those who started at age 21 or older.

Cluster Analysis and Ranking for Asthma Inpatient Hospitalizations Among Children and Adolescents

Published on: 17 Jan 2020

Researchers mapped crude rates of asthma inpatient hospitalizations among children, adolescents, and young adults aged 0 to 19 years, by zip code, in Cook County, Illinois, during 2011-2014.

Effect of Vitamin D on Blood Pressure and Hypertension

Published on: 10 Jan 2020

The results of this meta-analysis indicate that supplementation with vitamin D does not lower blood pressure in the general population.

Food Bank-Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention Addresses Food Security

Published on: 10 Jan 2020

After a 6-month food bank-based diabetes prevention program, scores for food security, dietary intake, physical activity, health status, and depression improved significantly.

Sidewalk Conditions in Northern New Jersey

Published on: 05 Sep 2019

This study uses maps to describe sidewalk characteristics at the address level in densely populated urban and suburban areas of northeastern New Jersey, where 51.7% of adults do not participate in at least 150 minutes of weekly aerobic physical activity

Application of GIS to Address Chronic Disease Priorities

Published on: 05 Sep 2019

In this essay, researchers ask state and local health departments about their experiences using GIS to address chronic disease priorities.

Improving the Health of Alaska Native People Through Policy Change

Published on: 29 Aug 2019

New research shows training and technical assistance activities increased Alaska tribal staff members' ability to effect policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change, resulting in 30 PSE improvements across the state.

Evaluating the Environmental Burden of Cancer at the County Level

Published on: 23 May 2019

This study quantified environmental burden of disease by using population health indicators and exploratory factor analysis at the county level across the United States.

Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy for Noncommunicable Diseases

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers developed a 1-year training program to build implementation research and leadership capacity among public health professionals in low- and middle-income countries.

Targeting Prevention Programs: Tracking Senior Falls and Fall-Related Injury EMW Calls

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers mapped dispatched emergency medical services calls for falls and fall-related injuries among adults aged 65 years or older and identified areas with high prevalence.

The Burden of Cerebrovascular Disease in the United States

Published on: 23 May 2019

This study provides the latest burden estimates of fatal and nonfatal cerebrovascular disease events in the United States by age, sex, and region, from 2006 through 2014.

Diagnosed Diabetes Prevalence and Risk Factor Rankings

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers used a ring map to depict the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes and 5 associated risk factors for adults in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Diet Quality of Pregnant Northern Plains American Indian Women

Published on: 23 May 2019

New research shows pregnant American Indian women aren't getting enough vitamins and minerals in their diet.

Identifying County-Level All-Cause US Mortality Rates

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers detected 8 unique county-level mortality rate trajectory groups. Disparities widened from 1999 to 2016.

Secular Trends in Soda Consumption in California

Published on: 23 May 2019

Weekly soda consumption among Californians declined from 2011-2014, but new research shows it rose again to 2011 levels in 2015 and 2016.

Changes in Postpartum Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among Women With Recent Gestational Diabetes

Published on: 23 May 2019

This report shows that changes in weight and waist circumference in the postpartum year among women with recent gestational diabetes are significantly correlated with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors.

Community-Level Breast Cancer Screening Estimates in Alaska

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers used GIS mapping to analyze breast cancer screening rates among women in Alaska.

Comparing Program Resources Required for Colonoscopy and Fecal Screening

Published on: 23 May 2019

Researchers collected 5 years of cost data from 29 Colorectal Cancer Control Program grantees by using a standardized data collection instrument and assessed differences in costs by screening test used.

Overweight and Obesity Among Arkansas School Bus Drivers

Published on: 16 May 2019

New research finds 90% of Arkansas school bus drivers are overweight or struggle with obesity and do not meet the recommendations physical activity and nutrition.

PCD Editor in Chief Discusses What's Ahead for Journal

Published on: 09 May 2019

PCD's Editor in Chief discusses ways the journal is working to disseminate public health interventions that address chronic disease prevention and health promotion.

Identifying Risks for Cardiovascular Disease Among Black Residents in Southern Neighborhoods

Published on: 09 May 2019

Researchers performed an ecologic analysis to identify areas with high levels of cardiovascular disease resilience and risk among blacks from a large southern, US metropolitan area.

Developing a Web-Based Cost Assessment Tool for Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs

Published on: 02 May 2019

Researchers describe the development of the web-based cost assessment tool, evaluate the quality of the data obtained, and discuss lessons learned.

Patterns of Polysubstance Use Among White and American Indian/Alaska Native Youth

Published on: 05 Apr 2019

Research finds American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents tended to use steroids and injected drugs together, whereas non-Hispanic white adolescents used cocaine and ecstasy together.

Using GIS to Highlight Diabetes Prevention Program Expansion in Pennsylvania

Published on: 05 Apr 2019

Researchers identified counties in Pennsylvania with no in-county access or limited access to sites offering diabetes prevention program classes and their relative need.

Secondhand Smoke and E-Cigarette Exposure Among Middle and High School Students

Published on: 05 Apr 2019

In 2017, over 14.3 million youth were exposed to secondhand emissions from tobacco products in public places.

Mississippi Town and Park Characteristics Related to Physical Activity

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

The built environments of the Lower Mississippi Delta towns included in this study lacked key programs, policies, and amenities associated with physical activity among residents.

Residential Racial Isolation and Patterns of Hypertension in North Carolina

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

Researchers identified US Census blocks with the highest overall odds of hypertension in Durham, North Carolina, and estimated cross-sectional associations between racial isolation and odds of hypertension.

Spatial Clustering of Suicide and Associated Community Characteristics

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

This study identified spatial clusters of suicide at the census block group level in Idaho.

Generating Stable Local-Level Measures of Chronic Disease

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

Researchers created an ArcGIS Tool - the Rate Stabilizing Tool - that produces age-adjusted rate estimates from record-level data and indicates which rates should be considered statistically reliable.

The Link Between Parents' Stress and Childhood Obesity

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

Researchers found that among non-Hispanic black and low-income families, higher parent-perceived stress was associated with greater BMI among children.

Cost Effectiveness of Vermont WISEWOMAN Program Interventions

Published on: 22 Mar 2019

Researchers evaluated the cost effectiveness of the weight-loss programs, conducted from April 2014 through March 2016, to determine which represented the best investment of WISEWOMAN program funds.

Sugary Cereals Served at Early Childhood Education Centers

Published on: 22 Mar 2019

Thirty percent of Child and Adult Care Food Program-participating early childhood education centers did not meet the sugar-in-cereal standard at the time of this study.

Economic Hardship and Life Expectancy in Florida

Published on: 15 Mar 2019

New research shows the average life expectancy in Nassau County, Florida was about 78 years, comparable to the national average of about 79 years.

Using the BRFSS to Assess Mental Health in Texas

Published on: 15 Mar 2019

By assessing poor mental health in addition to diagnosed depression, researchers identified at-risk and potentially undiagnosed populations in Travis County, Texas.

Dental Sealants Awareness for Cavity Prevention Among US Adults

Published on: 15 Mar 2019

In 2015, about half of US adults knew the purpose of dental sealants, according to new research.

Health Care Industry Insights

Published on: 15 Mar 2019

This essay discusses why the use of preventive services for chronic disease prevention is still low.

Going the "Extra-Mile" for Chronic Disease Prevention

Published on: 08 Mar 2019

Researchers examined geographic and social factors associated with participation in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and the Diabetes Self-Management Program implemented at 144 sites in Illinois.

State-Specific Cessation Behaviors Among Adult Cigarette Smokers

Published on: 08 Mar 2019

During 2014-2015, as many as 6 in 7 US adult cigarette smokers were interested in quitting smoking and 3 in 5 made a past-year quit attempt, according to new CDC research.

Evaluating Caregiver Support at Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System

Published on: 01 Mar 2019

Researchers demonstrated how caregiver services improved participants' daily caregiver experiences and identified caregiver-perceived program gaps at an Atlanta Veterans Health Care System.

Diabetes Among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders and Asians in Hawaii

Published on: 21 Feb 2019

Researchers examined diabetes prevalence by age and race/ethnicity and assessed how socioeconomic status and lifestyle behaviors affected prevalence among Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, NHOPI, and white populations in Hawaii.

Healthy Behaviors Among US Adults With and Without History of Stroke

Published on: 21 Feb 2019

This study updates and compares population-based estimates for 3 lifestyle behaviors among US adults with and without history of stroke.

Breast Cancer Risk Among Immigrant Asian American Women Versus Those Born in US

Published on: 15 Feb 2019

This study provides preliminary evidence that immigrant Asian American women have a higher risk of breast cancer than US-born Asian American women.

Trends in Stroke Death Rate Among Mississippi Adults

Published on: 15 Feb 2019

New research shows that among Mississippians aged 35 or older, the age-adjusted stroke death rate declined by nearly 31% from 2000 to 2016.

Diabetes Disparities In Illinois

Published on: 14 Feb 2019

New GIS research shows that although the average diabetes prevalence by county in Illinois is 9.1%, diabetes prevalence by county ranged from 7% to 13%.

Casino Ownership and Community Health Resources Among Native American Tribes in California

Published on: 08 Feb 2019

Agricultural workers had a higher prevalence than construction workers of almost all sun-protection behaviors, according to new CDC research.

Living Alone and Homelessness as Predictors of Preventable Hospitalization

Published on: 08 Feb 2019

Researchers assessed 2 social factors collected from electronic health records - social isolation and homelessness - in predicting 30-day potentially preventable readmissions to hospital.

Skin Cancer Prevention Behaviors By Occupation

Published on: 08 Feb 2019

Agricultural workers had a higher prevalence than construction workers of almost all sun-protection behaviors, according to new CDC research.

Patterns of Cigarette Smoking and Tobacco Use Among US Adults

Published on: 08 Feb 2019

New research shows that as many as 1 in 4 adults in the United States were current cigarette smokers in 2016.

Patterns of Chronic Diseases Among Older Adults in Japan

Published on: 01 Feb 2019

This study aimed to describe common 3-way disease patterns and examine the factors associated with the co-occurrence of 3 or more diseases in elderly Japanese patients.

Prevalence and Trends in Childhood Blood Pressure Levels in the United States

Published on: 01 Feb 2019

This study estimated the prevalence of hypertension and high blood pressure among children aged 8 to 17 years in the United States.

Housing, Food Insecurity, and Chronic Disease in Hawai'i

Published on: 01 Feb 2019

Researchers identified differential relationships between levels of housing and food insecurity and chronic disease when stratified by racial group in Hawai'i.

Chronic Hepatitis B and C Infection in Mongolian Immigrants in Washington, DC

Published on: 25 Jan 2019

Using data from community-based screenings, this is the first study to report the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection in Mongolian American immigrants.

Improving Access to Fruits and Vegetables Among Arkansas Food Patry Clients

Published on: 25 Jan 2019

This study evaluates the outcomes of an intervention aimed at improving the nutritional quality of foods distributed by food pantries.

Low-Tension Glaucoma

Published on: 25 Jan 2019

In this essay authors answer controversial questions about low-tension glaucoma.

Improving Consumer Food Environments and Physical Activity Resources

Published on: 18 Jan 2019

From 2014 through 2018 a variety of nutrition and physical activity strategies were implemented across 6 counties in rural Kentucky with the goal of improving food access and resources for being physically active.

Understanding Restaurant Locations in LA County to Inform Public Health

Published on: 18 Jan 2019

This study provides insight into the potential reach of program or policy strategies that target chain restaurants.

Rural-Urban Differences in Diet and Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents

Published on: 04 Jan 2019

In this study, researchers compare baseline dietary intake and physical activity of adolescents by rurality.

Factors Affecting Obesity and Waist Circumference of US Adults

Published on: 04 Jan 2019

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal established by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. PCD provides an open exchange of information and knowledge among researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others who strive to improve the health of the public through chronic disease preventioThe objective of this study was to explore how physical activity, sedentary activity, and food intake factors affect waist circumference and obesity prevalence among adults. n.

Medicaid Claims for Contraception Among Women With Certain Medical Conditions

Published on: 04 Jan 2019

This study examines provision of contraception to women enrolled in Medicaid who had 1 or more medical conditions that increase a woman's risk for adverse outcomes in pregnancy.

Behavioral Risk Profiles of Cigarette and E-Cigarette Use Among Minnesota Youth

Published on: 28 Sep 2018

The objective of this study was to examine the association of socioeconomic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors with cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among adolescents in Minnesota.

Variation in Life Expectancy Estimates by ZIP Code in Hawaii

Published on: 21 Sep 2018

Life expectancy estimates are often used to compare population health across geographic region. Researchers looked at variation in life expectancy by ZIP Code Tabulation Area across Hawai`i.

National Food Affordability

Published on: 21 Sep 2018

This study explores the sociodemographic factors that contribute to food affordability across space, with specific emphasis on rural and urban differences in the United States.

Racial and Ethnical Approaches to Community Health for Asian Americans

Published on: 14 Sep 2018

Researchers use GIS mapping to visual the reach of the REACH FAR program in New York and New Jersey.

Screen Time Among Rural Mexican-American Children

Published on: 14 Sep 2018

Researchers interviewed 202 parents of Mexican-origin children aged 6 to 10 years in 2 rural communities near the US-Mexico border to determine screen use among children.

Availability of the National Diabetes Prevention Program in US Counties

Published on: 07 Sep 2018

Researchers assessed the presence of publicly available in-person lifestyle change program classes, as of March 1, 2017, by diabetes incidence and socioeconomic status at the county level.

Medicaid Coverage of Guideline-Based Asthma Care Across 50 States

Published on: 07 Sep 2018

This project tracked coverage for 7 areas of guidelines-based asthma care and 9 barriers related to accessing care in Medicaid programs for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

PCD Advances Recommendations From External Review

Published on: 07 Sep 2018

This Editor in Chief column provides information on how the journal is increasing the number of publications focusing on population-based interventions, upcoming 2018 collections, and the future direction of the Student Research Paper Contest.

Creating Walkable Communities

Published on: 31 Aug 2018

Researchers report that 1 in 3 adults surveyed strongly favored the trade-off of safer street designs for walking even if it meant driving slower.

Health Care Costs Associated With Food Insecurity and Chronic Conditions Among Older Adults

Published on: 31 Aug 2018

Researchers estimated the incremental health care costs of food insecurity and selected chronic health conditions among adults aged 50 or older.

Differences in Treating Tobacco Use Across Public Health System Surveys

Published on: 17 Aug 2018

This study compared smoking behavior, provider adherence to the 5 A's tobacco cessation intervention, cessation assistance awareness, quit attempts, and treatment preference among respondents to a Tobacco Control Initiative survey with a sample of respondents from the National Adult Tobacco Survey and a sample from the Louisiana Adult Tobacco Survey.

Smoking and Mortality in Tianjin, China

Published on: 17 Aug 2018

Researchers conducted a mortality case-control study to assess the risks of all-cause and major causes of death attributable to smoking in Tianjin from 2010 through 2014.

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Health Care Systems

Published on: 13 Aug 2018

Researchers report that evaluation, including changes in colorectal cancer screening rates, suggesting the CDC-funded Colorectal Cancer Control Program is working.

Changes in Physical Activity After Installation of Park Fitness Zone

Published on: 13 Aug 2018

Researchers investigated the effect of a fitness equipment installation on the intensity of park users' physical activity at a community park.

Adverse Health Outcomes Among Industrial and Occupational Sectors

Published on: 13 Aug 2018

Researchers estimated the prevalence of adverse health outcomes by industry and occupation and to examine the association of adverse health outcomes with industry and occupation while controlling for demographics and personal lifestyle behaviors.

National and State-Specific Unit Sales and Prices for E-Cigarettes

Published on: 03 Aug 2018

Researchers used US retail scanner data to assess national and state-specific trends in e-cigarette unit sales and prices for 4 product types sold from 2012 through 2016.

Patterns and Trends in Cancer Screening in the United States

Published on: 27 Jul 2018

This study examines the prevalence of cancer screening reported in 2015 among US adults.

Housing Assistance and Physical Activity Among Low-Income Adults

Published on: 20 Jul 2018

The objective of our study was to assess whether participation in HUD housing assistance programs is associated with increased physical activity among low-income adults.

Self-Perceived Health, Mental Distress, and Health Insurance Status Among Adults

Published on: 20 Jul 2018

Researchers examined associations of health insurance status with self-perceived poor/fair health and frequent mental distress among working-aged US adults using data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Support for Building Capacity for Evidence-Based Chronic Disease Prevention

Published on: 13 Jul 2018

The objectives of this case study were to assess facilitators and challenges of applying management practices to support evidence-based decision making in chronic disease prevention programs in the public health system in Georgia.

Resources and Need for a Lung Cancer Screening Pilot Program in Maryland

Published on: 13 Jul 2018

The map shown in this GIS Snapshots shows the current smoking rates and location of lung cancer screening facilities in Maryland.

Promoting Prevention Behavior Using State Aging Services Structure

Published on: 06 Jul 2018

State infrastructure for aging services, such as programs in county senior centers, can help promote prevention of chronic disease and reach large numbers of older adults. The objective of this study was to assess how well such infrastructure can support prevention efforts.

Food Choice and Food Consumption in Middle- and High-School Cafeterias

Published on: 06 Jul 2018

Researchers measured treatment effects of a year-long behavioral economics intervention implemented by kitchen managers in secondary school cafeterias. The intervention encouraged more students to choose fruit and fruit juice and encouraged those students to take a greater quantity of fruit and juice items, but to have limited effects on healthy food consumption.

Patterns of Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among Youths

Published on: 29 Jun 2018

Researchers report that 70% of students surveyed as part of the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey said they currently use flavored tobacco products.

Development of the PEA-PODS Survey for Students

Published on: 29 Jun 2018

This study describes development of PEA-PODS (Perceptions of the Environment and Patterns of Diet at School), a survey assessing students' perceptions of the school environment and students' usual dietary patterns at school.

Health Education Workforce

Published on: 29 Jun 2018

This essay highlights how health educators' skill sets can address public health challenges, the need for improved health educator workforce data, and a call to action for various stakeholders to optimally deploy health educators to improve the public's health.

Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease

Published on: 22 Jun 2018

Researchers found that adults aged 65 or older with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were at increased risk of falling and of suffering an injury as a result of a fall compared with adults in the same age range without CKD.

Developing Smoke-Free Policies in Public Housing

Published on: 22 Jun 2018

Researchers examined the policy development and adoption process undertaken by conventional and nonconventional public housing authorities before the new US Department of Housing and Urban Development rule.

Examining Worksite Health Promotion and Physical Activity

Published on: 22 Jun 2018

This scoping review highlights evidence-based worksite health promotion strategies promoted through the CDC's Worksite Health ScoreCard .

Engaging Native American Caregivers in Youth-Focused Diabetes Prevention and Management

Published on: 22 Jun 2018

Researchers evaluated Together on Diabetes, a diabetes prevention and management program, among 257 participating Native American youths with or at risk for type 2 diabetes and their adult caregivers.

Primary Care Patients' Interest in Gameplay for Mental Health

Published on: 22 Jun 2018

This study shows that primary care patients were significantly more interested in a gameplay-based problem-solving intervention than a group interpersonal therapy intervention.

Behavioral Weight Management for Underserved Postpartum African American Women

Published on: 15 Jun 2018

Researchers aimed to test the feasibility of an in-person behavioral weight-loss intervention for underserved postpartum African American women with overweight or obesity in an urban hospital setting.

Physical Activity Resources in Parks for Pregnant Women and Women of Childbearing Age

Published on: 15 Jun 2018

Researchers used the physical activity resources assessment instrument to determine the availability, quality and quantity of physical features, and amenities in 19 neighborhood parks randomly selected from the Jackson, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing

Published on: 15 Jun 2018

This article provides guidance and practical recommendations to help both inexperienced and experienced authors working in public health settings to more efficiently publish the results of their work in the peer-reviewed literature.

Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests by State

Published on: 15 Jun 2018

This GIS Snapshot describes the estimated percentage of adults aged 50 to 75 who reported being up to date with colorectal cancer screening in 2016, and the change in the percentage from 2012 through 2016, by state.

Implementing a Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Assessment Service

Published on: 15 Jun 2018

This study aimed to explore community pharmacists' experiences and perceived barriers of implementing a CKD risk assessment service.

An Online Physical Activity Monitoring Program

Published on: 07 Jun 2018

This study confirms that social motivation contributes to greater participation in and adherence to exercise programs, as seen in the use of an online activity monitoring program used in Georgia.

Health Practices and Systems That Excel in Hypertension Control

Published on: 07 Jun 2018

This study shows that about 90% of US adults with uncontrolled hypertension reported having a usual source of health care.

Policies and Practices for Food Marketing in US School Districts

Published on: 07 Jun 2018

Researchers examined associations between state-level guidance and the policies and practices in school districts regarding food and beverage marketing and promotion.

Visualizing Colonoscopy Capacity for Public Health Use

Published on: 07 Jun 2018

This GIS map shows relative capacity of facilities to perform colonoscopy screening in North Dakota.

Identifying Patterns of Chronic Kidney Disease in 500 Cities Project

Published on: 01 Jun 2018

Researchers used cluster analysis to explore patterns of chronic kidney disease in 500 of the largest US cities.

Most Afterschool Programs Offer Fruit and Vegetables Daily

Published on: 01 Jun 2018

This study estimated the frequency and quality of fruit and vegetables offered during snack time in US afterschool programs.

State Prevalence and Ranks of Adolescent Substance Use

Published on: 01 Jun 2018

This study statistically ranked states' performance on adolescent substance use related to cancer risk.

Impact of the Tips From Former Smokers Campaign

Published on: 01 Jun 2018

New research finds that CDC's Tips campaign helped more than 500,000 US adults quit smoking for good from 2012 - 2015.

Physical Activity in Cancer Survivors

Published on: 31 May 2018

Researchers examined the prevalence of adherence to established aerobic physical activity guidelines in addition to related medico-demographic factors among cancer survivors during re-entry.

Evaluating the Implementation of Physical Activity in Health Systems

Published on: 31 May 2018

The purpose of this work is to provide a pragmatic framework to guide health care systems in assessing the implementation and impact of Exercise is Medicine.

Implementing a Health Food Distribution Program

Published on: 25 May 2018

Researchers describe key challenges and next steps to scaling the Community Markets Purchasing Real and Affordable Foods program.

Proportion of Adults Who Identified Walking As a US Surgeon General Priority

Published on: 25 May 2018

This descriptive study reports the proportion of adults who responded to the 2016 Summer Consumer Styles survey who identified walking as the activity the US Surgeon General recently promoted in the Call to Action to help Americans be more physically active.

Using Storytelling to Address Oral Health Knowledge

Published on: 25 May 2018

Researchers evaluated the acceptability of using storytelling as a way to communicate oral health messages regarding early childhood cavity prevention in the American Indian and Alaska Native population.

Public Libraries As Partners for Health

Published on: 25 May 2018

Pennsylvania library directors surveyed in this study reported frequently interacting with patrons around health and social concerns, including help with employment, nutrition, exercise, and social welfare benefits.

Community-Centered Health Homes

Published on: 25 May 2018

This essay describes how partnering agencies collaborated to work toward solving 2 common problems among families living in poverty: food insecurity and substandard housing.

Indicators of Progress Toward Policy Change

Published on: 21 May 2018

Researchers sought to understand whether early outcomes from obesity-prevention advocacy efforts predict interim outcomes related to eventual policy change.

Financial Sustainability of Healthy Food Service Guidelines in Hospital Cafeterias

Published on: 18 May 2018

This study provides insights into how hospital food service directors can maximize revenue and remain financially viable while selling healthier options in on-site dining facilities.

Increasing Filipino American Participation in Heart Health Promotion

Published on: 18 May 2018

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess what is known about increasing access to and participation in cardiovascular disease prevention and control programs among Filipino Americans.

Evaluating Behavioral Health Surveillance Systems

Published on: 11 May 2018

To address the gap in behavioral health surveillance, researchers present a revised framework for evaluating behavioral health surveillance systems.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption at Lunch Among Elementary Students

Published on: 11 May 2018

In this systematic review, researchers identify, describe, and categorize studies that quantitatively measured the consumption of fruits and vegetables during the school lunch meal among US elementary school students.

Outcomes of Penn State Extension's Dining With Diabetes Program

Published on: 10 May 2018

New research shows that participants who completed the Dining with Diabetes program had significant improvements in diabetes-related biomarkers and lifestyle behaviors.

We Run This City

Published on: 04 May 2018

Learn how a school-based fitness program led to significant improvements overall in fitness and blood pressure among Ohio middle school students.

Impact of MCCs on Activity Among Older Mexican-American Adults Receiving Care

Published on: 04 May 2018

Researchers found that care recipients with 3 or more chronic conditions needed caregiving assistance with mobility, self-care, and activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living-related tasks, regardless of their combination of chronic conditions.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices in the National Early Care and Education Learning Collaboratives Project

Published on: 27 Apr 2018

The objective of this study was to identify and describe technical assistance characteristics and explore associations with Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment in Child Care outcomes.

Cigarette Smoking Status Among US Adults Receiving Housing Assistance

Published on: 27 Apr 2018

New research finds 2 of 3 HUD-assisted residents are former and never smokers. They are susceptible to secondhand smoke exposure in their homes.

Evaluation of Health Fit

Published on: 27 Apr 2018

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of Healthy Fit in reaching Hispanic Americans facing health disparities, and helping participants access preventive health services and make behavior changes to improve heart health.

Health Care Disparities in Men and Women With Type 2 Diabetes

Published on: 20 Apr 2018

This study investigated the use of health care services by men and women and its impact on the control of their type 2 diabetes.

Online Searching and Adherence to Guidelines for Breast and Prostate Cancer Screening

Published on: 20 Apr 2018

Researchers found little evidence that online information-seeking significantly affected screening for breast or prostate cancer.

Rochester Epidemiology Project Data Exploration Portal

Published on: 13 Apr 2018

Researchers developed an interactive, web-based tool to explore patterns of prevalence and co-occurrence of diseases using data from a medical records-linkage system.

Analytic Errors in Analysis of Public Health Survey Data Are Avoidable

Published on: 13 Apr 2018

In this essay, Brian W. Ward, PhD, discusses avoidable errors in the analysis of public health survey data.

Public Awareness of Risks From Uncontrolled Hypertension

Published on: 06 Apr 2018

Researchers used data from a nationwide panel survey to assess the awareness of risk associated with uncontrolled hypertension, stratified by cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Operationalizing Surveillance of Chronic Disease Self-Management

Published on: 06 Apr 2018

Researchers expound on previous chronic disease surveillance research by proposing operationalized indicators at each socio-ecologic level and suggest that the indicators be embedded in existing surveillance systems at national, state, and local levels.

Enhancing PCD's Worldwide Usefulness

Published on: 06 Apr 2018

PCD Editor in Chief Leonard Jack Jr, PhD, MSc, details PCD's first ever external review, which assisted PCD in revising its mission and vision, refining content areas, and streamlining article types.

US Deaths Associated With Inadequate Physical Activity

Published on: 29 Mar 2018

Researchers estimate the percentage of deaths attributable to levels of physical activity that were inadequate to meet the aerobic guideline.

When Should "Pre" Carry as Much Weight in the Diabetes Comorbidity Debate?

Published on: 22 Mar 2018

This report examines sociodemographic, behavioral, and health factors in people diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes and associated leading indicators and comorbidities.

Diabetes Preventive Care Practices in North Carolina

Published on: 22 Mar 2018

New research shows an increasing trend in 5 of 8 measures of diabetes preventive care among adults in North Carolina from 2000 to 2015.

Smoke-Free Rules in Homes and Cars Among Minnesota Smokers and Nonsmokers

Published on: 15 Mar 2018

Researchers examined prevalence and predictors of comprehensive smoke-free household rules among smokers and nonsmokers in Minnesota.

Changes in Serving Size, Calories, and Sodium in Processed Foods

Published on: 15 Mar 2018

Researchers measure changes in serving sizes, calories, and sodium in top-selling processed foods that were on the market in 2009 and 2015.

Disparities in Adverse Prenatal Outcomes Among Pacific Islanders

Published on: 09 Mar 2018

Research finds that indigenous Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands mothers and other Pacific Islander mothers were significantly more likely to have a preterm birth than Chinese mothers.

Programs Promoting Colorectal Cancers Screening Among Latino Men

Published on: 09 Mar 2018

Researchers evaluated the literature on colorectal cancer screening interventions among Latino men to characterize intervention components effective in increasing colorectal cancer screening.

Trends in Mortality Among Females in the United States

Published on: 08 Mar 2018

This study analyzes trends in US female mortality rates by decade from 1900 through 2010, assesses age and racial differences, and proposes explanations and considered implications.

Hypertension in Florida

Published on: 01 Mar 2018

Researchers found that of the 838,469 patients who met the criteria for hypertension, 68% had received a diagnosis and 61% had elevated blood pressure.

Opportunities for Active Living and Healthy Eating Policies in Connecticut

Published on: 01 Mar 2018

Researchers examined the relative importance of 23 community issues among elected officials and health directors in Connecticut in 2016.

Improving Community Capacity for Childhood Obesity Prevention

Published on: 22 Feb 2018

Researchers evaluate the Healthy Lifestyles Initiative, which aimed to strengthen community capacity for policy, systems, and environmental approaches to healthy eating and active living among children and families.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Among Low-Income Hispanic Women

Published on: 22 Feb 2018

Research shows Hispanic women, regardless of pregnancy status or insurance, had greater odds of having had Pap tests than non-Hispanic white women during the study period.

What Drives Health Professionals to Tweet About the HPV Vaccine?

Published on: 15 Feb 2018

In this study researchers aim to learn how health professionals use Twitter to communicate about the human papillomavirus vaccine.

Improving Senior Meal Programs and Hospital Food Environments

Published on: 15 Feb 2018

Researchers describe how the Sodium Practices Assessment Tool was developed and used in 19 hospitals and senior meal facilities in upstate New York.

Population-Tailored Care for Homeless Veterans

Published on: 15 Feb 2018

Researchers looked at the impact of enrollment in a Veterans Health Administration homeless-tailored patient-centered medical home (PCMH) on health services use, cost, and satisfaction compared with enrollment in a traditional, nontailored PCMH.

Hookah Use Trends Among New York Teens

Published on: 08 Feb 2018

Study results show that ever and current hookah use among middle school, female, and Latino and black students increased over time, while current use among white and Asian students decreased.

Delivery-Related Health Care Among Pregnant Women With Multiple Chronic Conditions

Published on: 08 Feb 2018

New research finds that women with multiple chronic conditions had worse health outcomes, higher levels of health care utilization, and greater hospital costs associated with obstetric delivery compared with women with no chronic conditions or 1 chronic condition.

Spurring Systems Thinking Using Behavior Over Time Graphs

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

Researchers look at how Behavior Over Time (BOT) graphs can spur discussion and systems thinking around complex challenges for public health practitioners.

Environmental Health and Premature Death From Heart Disease

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

New research found a significant racial differences in premature cardiovascular disease death rates and disparities in neighborhood-level characteristics of food access and walkability.

E-Cigarette Use Among Young Adults Not Susceptible to Cigarette Use

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

Researchers examined correlates of e-cigarette use and susceptibility among adolescents not susceptible to future cigarette smoking.

Tobacco Use Among Teens in Pennsylvania

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

New research finds that e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle school students currently using tobacco products, and cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among high school students.

Sub-County Life Expectancy

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

To accelerate widespread scaling, researchers describe several successful case examples, identify user-friendly validated tools, and provide practical tips that resulted from lessons learned surrounding sub-county l life expectancy.

Pricing Interventions to Promote Healthier Beverage Purchases

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

Researchers used simulations to identify a range of plausible pricing combinations that are likely to improve the consumption of healthier beverages and the profits of store owners.

Telemedicine in the Management of Type 1 Diabetes

Published on: 01 Feb 2018

In this study, researchers evaluated telemedicine's effectiveness in delivering endocrinology care from Atlanta-based endocrinologists.

Strengthening State and Local Public Health Actions to Prevent Chronic Disease

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers reflect on ways to strengthen the prevention of some of the chronic diseases responsible for the leading causes of death in the United States and high health care costs.

Implementing Key Drivers for Diabetes Self-Management and Support Programs

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

This essay reflects on the first 3 years of activity of a cooperative agreement to prevent chronic conditions among 4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention divisions and all 50 state health departments, and the District of Columbia.

California Principal and Teacher Knowledge of School Policies on Sun Protection

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

A recent study finds only about 32% of principals in California public school districts were aware that their school district had a sun protection policy.

Comparing Physical Inactivity Among US Adults With Disabilities

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

New research finds that the prevalence of inactivity among adults with disabilities is higher than among those without disabilities.

Linking Data From Health Surveys and Electronic Health Records

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers assess whether data from self-administered surveys could be collected electronically from patients in urban, primary-care, safety-net clinics and subsequently linked and compared with the same patients' electronic health records.

Hours Lost to Planned and Unplanned Dental Visits Among US Adults

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers estimate work or school hours lost to dental visits among adults aged 18 and older by the types of visits and to determine the factors associated with hours lost.

Fitness Levels and Absenteeism Among New York City Middle Schools Youth

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers examined the longitudinal association between individual children's fitness and lagged school absenteeism over 4 years in urban middle schools.

Self-Reported Cognitive Impairment Across Racial/Ethnic Groups in the U.S.

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers examine trends and differences of self-reported cognitive impairment among 5 major racial/ethnic groups during 1997-2015 in the United States.

Characteristics of Users and Tweets Using #thinspo and #fitspo Hashtags

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers look at characteristics of senders and content of tweets using fitness and weight loss-focused hashtags.

Pragmatic Applications of RE-AIM for Health Care Initiatives

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

Researchers provide simplified, pragmatic, user-centered and stakeholder-centered recommendations to increase the use of RE-AIM in community and clinical settings and in translational research.

Availability of Healthy Foods in a Large American Indian Community

Published on: 31 Jan 2018

To understand the local food environment in a rural American Indian community, researchers assessed the availability and price of healthy foods offered at stores within a 90-mile radius of the town center of a large American Indian reservation in the North-Central United States.

HPV Vaccination Success in Wisconsin

Published on: 28 Sep 2017

Researchers assessed what steps Wisconsin stakeholders are taking to increase HPV vaccination in the state.

Consumers' Understanding of Nutrition Labels

Published on: 28 Sep 2017

Recent updates to the nutrition label may improve consumer understanding, but many consumers may still have trouble interpreting the labels.

Health Literacy's Influence on Childhood Obesity

Published on: 28 Sep 2017

Regardless of parents' health literacy status, children enrolled in a childhood obesity treatment program saw benefits after completion.

Nut Consumption Linked to Lower BMI

Published on: 21 Sep 2017

African American women in rural Alabama and Mississippi who ate nuts were more likely to also eat other nutritionally rich foods and have lower BMIs.

Payment Methods and Produce Consumption

Published on: 21 Sep 2017

Expanding access to EBT machines at New York mobile produce carts may increase purchases of fruits and vegetables.

Promotion of E-Cigarettes Among US Adults

Published on: 21 Sep 2017

Study investigates the prevalence of direct marketing promotion of e-cigarettes and its association with e-cigarette use among US adults.

Hypertension Control Algorithms in Electronic Medical Record Data

Published on: 14 Sep 2017

Researchers used electronic medical record data to analyze variation between blood pressure control estimates calculated by using thresholds derived from treatment guidelines.

Measuring Cancer Control Efforts

Published on: 14 Sep 2017

New research measures progress of cancer control efforts using the North American Cancer Survival Index.

Evaluating Physical Activity Programs in Schools

Published on: 14 Sep 2017

Researchers use web-based tool to estimate physical activity minutes provided before, during, and after school.

Best Practices in Childhood Obesity Prevention

Published on: 07 Sep 2017

Researchers evaluate the implementation practices of a childhood obesity prevention program in Arizona child care facilities.

Age and Multiple Chronic Conditions

Published on: 07 Sep 2017

Study finds most Americans with multiple chronic conditions are working age. Find out what researchers think is the problem.

Aspirin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Published on: 07 Sep 2017

In 2013, more than a third of eligible Mississippians without heart disease were taking a daily aspirin for prevention, while most of those with heart disease were taking aspirin daily.

Public Health 3.0

Published on: 07 Sep 2017

This article summarizes key findings and recommendations from listening sessions from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Public Health 3.0 initiative.

Marketing Healthy Foods Could Increase Purchase

Published on: 31 Aug 2017

Using marketing strategies at farmers markets may be an effective way to improve fruit and vegetable purchases in rural communities.

Obesity Prevention in Early Care and Education Programs

Published on: 31 Aug 2017

Obesity prevention programming via a learning collaborative and train-the-trainer model may lead to health behaviors in early care and education programs.

Building More Active Communities

Published on: 31 Aug 2017

Community workshops supporting public officials and other health advocates in their efforts to promote active living led to more active communities.

Implementing Diabetes Prevention Programs in California

Published on: 24 Aug 2017

Researchers developed a practice-grounded framework for implementing the National Diabetes Prevention Program in Los Angeles County, California.

Increasing Availability of Healthful Foods

Published on: 24 Aug 2017

WIC-mandated changes helped increase the availability of low-fat milk and the variety of produce in small Tennessee grocery stores.

Food Distress and Smoking

Published on: 24 Aug 2017

New research looks at the association between food distress and smoking among racially and ethically diverse adults in New York.

Supporting Universal Colorectal Cancer Screening

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Practice facilitators may help physicians and staff at federally qualified health centers increase colorectal cancer screening rates.

Maximum Lifetime BMI and Risk of Mortality

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

New research shows that Mexican-Americans with a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 had an increased risk of death.

Stroke Education for Indigenous Children

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Researchers aimed to learn what children understand about stroke and developed an age-appropriate and culturally appropriate educational product.

Multiple Chronic Conditions Among Israeli Adults

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Study explores prevalence, trends, and factors associated with multiple chronic conditions among Israeli adults.

Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Intervention in Guatemala

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

This study evaluates a home-based diabetes self-management education intervention in rural Guatemala.

Improving Culturally Appropriate Care

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Cultural competency training program helped improve delivery of culturally appropriate care in Arkansas.

Participation in Diabetes Self-Management Classes

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Researchers identified factors that contribute to patients' low participation in diabetes self-management education.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults With Arthritis

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

A study of Medicare Advantage patients with arthritis reported lower health-related quality of life and greater activity limitations than those without arthritis.

Improving Hypertension Control Among Low-Income Californians

Published on: 17 Aug 2017

Health plans that collaborated to share ways to best reach and treat patients with hypertension saw significant improvement in keeping high blood pressure under control.

Evaluation of Diabetes Prevention Program Using the RE-Aim Framework

Published on: 25 Jul 2017

Using the RE-AIM framework, researchers conducted a formative evaluation of the first year of the Intermountain Healthcare Diabetes Prevention Program.

Role of Age and Acculturation in Diet Among Mexican Americans

Published on: 25 Jul 2017

New research indicates that the diet quality of Mexican Americans, similar to the general population, improved with increasing age.

Availability, Promotion of Healthy Food in Guam Stores and Restaurants

Published on: 25 Jul 2017

A study of healthy foods in Guam found that healthier food options in stores and restaurants were limited.

Hypertension Medication Adherence Among Hispanic

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

New research indicates that the diet quality of Mexican Americans, similar to the general population, improved with increasing age.

Leveraging Community Resources for Health Care Delivery

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

Massachusetts parents and community partners identify resources to support behavior change for childhood obesity prevention.

Pharmacist-Driven Strategies for Hypertension Management

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

This needs assessment suggests challenges and opportunities for scaling up pharmacist-led medication therapy management interventions.

Recent Uptrend in Teens' Whole-Grain Consumption

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

National data show that low-income teens are not experiencing gains when it comes to recent positive trends in the consumption of whole grains.

Diabetes Prevention Programs in North Carolina

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

Researchers assessed willingness to pay for diabetes prevention programs from the perspective of potential recipients and the cost of providing these programs from the perspective of community health centers and local health departments in North Carolina.

Promoting Adherence to Blood Pressure Control Medication

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

Massachusetts parents and community partners identify resources to support behavior change for childhood obesity prevention.

Overweight and Obesity Among Mississippi Adults

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

From 2001 to 2010, overweight prevalence decreased while obesity and extreme obesity prevalence increased significantly among Mississippi adults.

HPV and HBV Immunization Rates Among Refugees

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

Researchers analyze human papillomavirus and hepatitis B virus immunization rates among refugees in Massachusetts.

Sleep Apnea Among US Male Veterans

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

US male veterans who experienced psychological distress and had unmet mental health care needs were more likely to have sleep apnea.

Moving Beyond Body Mass Index

Published on: 24 Jul 2017

Essay discusses if weight loss programs are the best ways to improve the health of African American women.

Electronic Health Records and Population Health Surveillance

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

We explored a novel application of the two one-sided t test to assess the equivalence of prevalence estimates in 2 population-based surveys to inform margin selection for validating EHR-based surveillance prevalence estimates derived from large samples.

Parents' Intent to Vaccinate Adolescents for HPV

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

Among parents of US teens, maternal education and Hispanic ethnicity were the strongest predictors of parental intent to vaccinate their children for HPV.

PCD Editor in Chief Column

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

PCD Editor in Chief recognizes 2016 accomplishments and gives overview of progress and priorities for 2017.

Contrasting Trends of Smoking Cessation Status

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

A study of Thai and Turkish adult smokers found that the number of smokers thinking about quitting remained the same in Turkey but declined in Thailand between 2008 and 2012.

Evaluating Healthy Corner Stores

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

Stakeholders from healthy corner store programs in the San Francisco Bay Area convened in November 2015 to discuss the future of programmatic and collaborative efforts.

Teaming Up for Asthma Control

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

Study says school nurses who provide asthma checkups and education can improve student health outcomes and lower medical costs.

Do Adults Think E-Cigarette Aerosol Is Harmful to Children?

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

More than 45% of US adults believe children's exposure to secondhand aerosol from e-cigarette products causes no harm or little/some harm.

CDC's Public Health Surveillance of Cancer

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

CDC researchers explain ways they collect information about cancer cases and the importance of data collection in this Special Topic report.

Risks for Obesity and Heart Disease Among Chinese Americans

Published on: 15 Jun 2017

Chinese American adults were significantly more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol than their leaner counterparts.

Affordability of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Published on: 17 May 2017

Researchers found that sugar-sweetened beverages became more affordable during the 27-year period from 1990 to 2016 in 79 of 82 countries studied.

Veggie Van for Community-Based Food Access

Published on: 17 May 2017

Researchers describe the approaches involved in recruiting community partners to participate in a mobile market in North Carolina.

Hypertension in New York City

Published on: 17 May 2017

Study finds one third of New York City adults had hypertension, with a greater prevalence among minorities.

Moving Beyond Weight Loss to Emphasize Physical Activity

Published on: 17 May 2017

Focusing more on healthy behaviors, not body weight, could help reduce stigmas among obese patients, researchers report.

Impact of Comorbidities Among Those With COPD

Published on: 20 Apr 2017

Study analyzes impact of comorbidities among Medicaid enrollees with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Quit Methods Used by US Adult Cigarette Smokers

Published on: 20 Apr 2017

Three out of 4 US cigarette smokers who tried to quit in the past 3 months used multiple quit methods. .

Tobacco Use at U.S. Federally Qualified Health Centers

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

In 2013 tobacco use among populations using federally qualified health centers was higher compared to the general US population.

Placement and Enrollment in YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

Approximately 16 percent of patients referred to the New York State YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program from the local hospital system enrolled in the program.

Implementing Health Promotion Program in Minnesota Churches

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

Body and Soul, a Minnesota church-based program focused on promoting healthy eating among African Americans, helped participants increase their fruit and vegetable consumption.

Study Estimates Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

Over a third of US adults met the criteria for metabolic syndrome in 2012, a number that's up more than 35% since 1988.

Obesity and Untraditional Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

A small minority of overweight and obese people have none of the traditional risk factors that typically predict heart disease and diabetes.

Predicting Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Published on: 06 Apr 2017

In an effort to reconcile differences in current type 2 diabetes screening guidelines, researchers developed a statistical model to identify cut-off points for key risk factors among adults aged 20 and older.

Reducing Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Korean Americans

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

Faith-based, culturally tailored programs could help reduce secondhand smoke exposure among Korean Americans, researchers report.

Cost-Effectiveness of Simulated Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

Using simulated screening interventions, researchers identified mailed reminders for Medicaid enrollees, mass-media campaigns targeting African Americans, and colonoscopy vouchers for the uninsured as the most cost-effective ways to target disparities in colorectal cancer screening.

Fluoride Varnish Use Among Young US Children

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

New research further confirms that fluoride varnish is safe to use in young children for prevention of tooth decay.

Turning the Curve on Childhood Obesity

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

Despite positive signs of progress in reducing childhood obesity among fifth graders in the Los Angeles Unified School District, researchers say prevention efforts will need to be greatly intensified in community and school settings to reduce childhood obesity rates to pre-epidemic levels.

Community Health Worker Self-Management Support

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

In-home diabetes self-management support from community health workers could improve the glycemic control of people with severe hyperglycemia, even among patients who frequently participated in primary care.

Facilitating Park Use and Physical Activity Among Youth

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

An incentivized scavenger-hunt-style program designed to increase young people's park use may help them get more physical activity.

Home-Based Exercise Program for Frail Older Adults

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

Frail older adults provided with regular coaching and a stable Internet connection could benefit from home-based video exercise programs combined with a mobility-monitoring sensor.

Shared Use of Physical Activity Facilities

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

A study of North Carolina faith communities showed that many are opening up their spaces for shared use, including physical activity, which could encourage public health practitioners to expand or enhance faith community partnerships.

The Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

The evaluation of a Massachusetts-based project aimed at preventing childhood obesity identified important successes and lessons learned that may benefit future obesity-prevention programs.

Cancer Screening Among Adults With Disabilities

Published on: 28 Feb 2017

People with disabilities tend to get fewer cancer screenings than those without disabilities - a problem health care providers could help improve by discussing test importance with patients, researchers say.

Nutrition Standards for Foods Sold in Government Buildings

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

In this study, researchers examine written nutrition standards for foods sold or served in local government buildings or worksites among US municipalities.

Improving Physical Activity Behaviors Using Text Messaging

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

Researchers use discrete-choice experiment to determine health-focused text messaging preferences of low-income Latinos with diabetes.

Engaging Latino Residents in Discussions of Food Access

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

Contrary to previous research findings, this study found that in the vast agricultural region of Central California, Latino-majority residents of traditionally defined "food deserts" did not report a lack of access to healthy produce.

Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US Schools

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

Researchers examined how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by school district.

Pathways to Health

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

Researchers' findings suggest that trail use is associated with healthier weight status and higher self-rated health among South Carolina adults.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

This study focused on the colorectal cancer screening practices of 145 practitioners who served at American Indian health facilities in the Northern Plains.

Neighborhood Connectedness and Physical Activity

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

In this study researchers concluded that neighborhood social cohesion was associated with meeting physical activity guidelines.

SNAP and Farmers Markets

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

Researchers look at how to strengthen the connection between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and farmers markets.

School-Based Physical Activity Interventions

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

In this study researchers evaluated the success of a physical education program at a rural school in southwestern Oklahoma with a large American Indian population.

GIS Maps Depict Medicare Spending

Published on: 28 Dec 2016

The maps within this GIS Snapshot highlight the need for targeted chronic disease prevention programs and policies in areas with the highest levels of Medicare spending.

Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers examined the success of a unique online tool aimed at reducing misuse and diversion of prescription drugs across northern New England.

Heart Disease and Cancer Death Trends

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers' projections indicate that cancer will soon become the leading cause of death in the United States if trends in risk of death from cancer and heart disease and population growth and aging continue.

Health Technology and African American Health

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

This study aimed to assess the association between eHealth literacy and access to technology, health information-seeking behavior, and willingness to participate in mobile health research among African Americans.

Work Breaks and Workday Physical Activity

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers examined the effect of 15-minute work breaks on desk-based workers physical activity and behavior health.

Cervical Cancer Screening and Access to Care

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey to examine nonfinancial barriers to cervical cancer screening among women who reported having insurance and a personal doctor or health care provider.

Healthfulness of Foods Advertised in Small Stores

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

The objective of this study was to examine advertisements and product placements for healthful and less healthful foods and beverages at small stores in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Food Insecurity and Heart Health in Pregnant Women

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers found that participation in program that connects food insecure women to food resources was associated with modestly better blood pressure trends during pregnancy.

Medicaid's Affect on Tobacco Cessation Therapy

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Medicaid policies that require patients to obtain counseling to get medications reduced the use of cessation medications by approximately one-quarter to one-third.

Clinical Preventive Services by Community Pharmacists

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

In this report, researchers present 4 descriptive summaries of clinical preventive services that can be offered by community pharmacists.

Smoking and Public Housing

Published on: 28 Nov 2016

Researchers assessed resident exposure to secondhand smoke, support for no-smoking policies, and the health impacts of no-smoking policies in multiunit housing in Colorado.

Hospitalizations for Substance Abuse Disorders Before and After Hurricane Katrina

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

This study compared spatial patterns in the distribution of hospitalizations for substance abuse disorders and associated area-level predictors before and after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Perspectives of Urbans Store Owners on Community Health

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

Researchers sought to explore the views of store owners and managers on the role of their stores in the community and their beliefs about health problems and solutions in the community.

Who Is Food Insecure?

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

Researchers examined health status, behaviors, and health care access associated with food insecurity and receipt of food assistance among US adults aged 20 years or older using data from participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 through 2010.

Disparities in Who Receives Weight-Loss Advice

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

This study aimed to describe the determinants of receiving weight-loss advice among a sample with a high proportion of low-income, racial/ethnic minority individuals.

Workplace Absenteeism and the Cost of Chronic Disease

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

Employers may incur costs related to absenteeism among employees who have chronic diseases or unhealthy behaviors. Researchers examined the association between employee absenteeism and 5 chronic conditions.

Vaping Advertisements on Twitter

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

People are exposed primarily to vaping advertisements on the Internet, and Twitter is an especially popular social medium among young people. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of vaping-related advertisements on Twitter.

Age-Associated Perceptions of Physical Activity

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

The purpose of this research was to understand age-specific perceptions of barriers and facilitators to rural women engaging in PA and to identify strategies to promote PA among these women.

Material Deprivation and Access to Healthcare

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

The objective of this study was to provide information on the effect of disparities in material deprivation, access to health care services, and lifestyle on the likelihood of undergoing screening for disease prevention.

Workplace Health Promotion and Improvement Tool

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

This descriptive analysis compares 2 national organization-level healthy workplace tools and presents data from both to describe workplace health promotion practices across the United States.

Walking to Work

Published on: 27 Oct 2016

Researchers examined trends from 2005 through 2014 in walking to work compared with other modes of travel.

Ever-Use and Curiosity About Tobacco Products Among Teens

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

Researchers examined whether curiosity about and ever-use of tobacco products among US middle and high school students changed from 2012 to 2014.

Engaging Families in Cancer Prevention

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

Community Health Worker programs engage clients to recruit family members for cancer preventive interventions.

Developing High-Resolution Descriptions of Urban Heat Islands

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

The objective of this study was to use spatial analytics at previously unattained resolutions to answer the following research question: to what extent can we observe temporal variation in urban heat islands and the physical features that induce heat stress?

Diabetes Screening in US Women With a History of Gestational Diabetes

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

A greater number of health visits in the prior year was associated with diabetes screening among US women with a history of Gestational Diabetes.

Ecological Analysis of Parking Prices and Active Commuting

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

This study was conducted in order to determine whether parking prices are associated with active commuting across US cities.

Promoting Sleep Health Among Families of Young Children

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

Researchers determine that integrating sleep health literacy into early childhood programs could affect the life-course development of millions of children.

Identifying African-Born People With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

This study aimed to determine testing and detection rates of HBV infection among African-born people residing in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Adherence with Nutritional and Health Literacy in Children

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

This study examined the relationship of health literacy, nutrition knowledge, nutrition knowledge-behavior concordance, and medication adherence in a sample of children and young people with chronic/end-stage kidney disease and hypertension.

Perceptions of Secondhand Smoke Among Heart Disease Patients

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

Researchers examined the understanding of the harms of secondhand smoke exposure among low-income, hospitalized adults with cardiovascular disease.

Differences in Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Published on: 03 Oct 2016

Study says differences in fruit and vegetable consumption among WIC participants by race/ethnicity and by Hispanic origin and nativity may have implications for WIC nutrition policies and nutrition education efforts.

Smoke-Free Housing Policies, Smoking, and Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Smoke-free housing policies may be an effective strategy to reduce exposure to indoor secondhand exposure and promote decreased cigarette smoking among residents of affordable housing.

Environmental Scanning as a Public Health Tool

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Researchers describe a federally funded environmental scan for a human papillomavirus vaccination project in Kentucky.

Patient Perspectives on Lung Cancer Screening Options

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

This study presents findings from in-person qualitative interviews of high-risk patients, with or without lung cancer, regarding low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer, smoking cessation, and decision-making support.

Community-Based Diabetes Interventions

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

In this study, researchers examine the perceived and actual presence of community assets that may aid in diabetes control.

Improving Students' Nutrition and Physical Activity

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Researchers developed and tested a theory-derived measure of the capacity of out-of-school time program providers to improve students' level of nutrition and physical activity through changes in policies, systems, or environments.

Cervical, Breast Cancer Screening Among Mexican Migrant Women

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Researchers examined rates of cervical and breast cancer screening and screening practices of Mexican migrant women who return to Mexico from the United States.

E-Cigarette Use Among High School Students

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

This study assessed trends and patterns of e cigarette use and concurrent cigarette smoking and the relationships between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation intentions and behaviors among high school students in North Carolina.

Adherence with Nutritional and Health Literacy in Children

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Cardiovascular Health and Health-Related Quality of Life

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

Researchers examined the association between cardiovascular health and health-related quality of life measures in a population-based surveillance system.

US States' Childhood Obesity Surveillance Practices

Published on: 31 Aug 2016

The objective of this study was to describe the extent to which state governments conduct child BMI surveillance.

A Call to Preventive Action to Support Caregivers

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

One key element to ensuring that a caregiver has the information and access to support is an actively engaged health care provider - either the caregiver's health care provider or the provider for the person receiving care. The authors of this essay recommend that it be both.

Differences in Race and Health of Prostate Cancer Survivors

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

In a study of prostate cancer survivors, researchers found that more white prostate cancer survivors reported drinking alcohol and receiving a pneumococcal vaccination than black survivors, and more black survivors reported being obese than white survivors.

Trends for Cross-Sector Collaboration on School Nutrition and PE

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

This study describes secular trends in collaboration between state agency staff responsible for school nutrition and physical education activities and other organizations from 2000 to 2012.

Independent Children More Likely to Better Manage Diseases in Adulthood

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Young people who feel they can control their chronic illnesses without adult assistance are more likely to learn the self-management skills needed for disease control later in life, researchers find.

Moving for Better Balance

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Researchers recruited rural faith-based organizations in West Virginia to implement tai chi exercise programs in an effort to offer fall prevention exercises to older adults in the community.

Optimizing Stroke Prevention in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Researchers find that computerized antithrombotic risk assessment tool for atrial fibrillation patients has a minimal impact on actual treatment.

Simple Water Station Setup Increases Students' Water Consumption

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Providing water dispensers with cups in school cafeterias and promoting their use led to a nearly 20 percent increase in the number of California students who drank water at lunchtime compared with school cafeterias with only traditional drinking fountains.

Immigrant Worker Health Interventions

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Researchers used social network analysis to describe interagency structure needed to design and deliver a comprehensive community-based chronic disease prevention program for immigrant workers.

Physical Activity, Weight Management Among Bangladeshis in NYC

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

Researchers explored the contextual factors affecting physical activity patterns and weight management in the Bangladeshi community of New York City.

Legal Preemption and the Prevention of Chronic Conditions

Published on: 27 Jul 2016

The objective of this article is to unravel the legal concept of preemption, explain its use as a tool to both thwart or further public health interventions, and offer practical guidance for how to legally navigate around it to address factors underlying chronic conditions.

Opportunities for Increased Physical Activity in the Workplace

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

The objective of this pilot study was to examine the implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of using a Walking Meeting protocol to increase the level of work-related physical activity among a group of sedentary white-collar workers.

The Unfulfilled Promise of Pay-for-Performance Policies in Health Care

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

In this article, researchers aim to help the public and policy makers understand how a pervasive bias can undermine the results of poorly designed studies of pay-for-performance programs published in even the world's leading medical journals.

Prevalence of Diabetes Among Underserved Populations

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

Researchers estimated diabetes prevalence using a cohort developed from the electronic health records of 3 networks of safety net clinics that provide care to underserved populations.

Statewide Comprehensive Smoke-Free Laws and Cigarette Excise Taxes

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

Researchers examined state laws related to smoke-free buildings and to cigarette excise taxes from 2000 through 2014 to see how implementation of these laws from 2000 through 2009 differs from implementation in more recent years.

USDA Snack Policy Implementation

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

This study examined snack policy implementation in exemplary high schools to learn best practices for implementation.

The Healthy Hospital Food Initiative

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

In this study, hospitals were recruited to receive nutrition assistance from health department staff with the goal of increasing healthy foods and beverages in New York City Hospitals.

Trends in Early Childhood Obesity

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

The purpose of this study was to report trends in prevalence of early childhood obesity and severe obesity in a diverse, metropolitan school district in the southwestern United States and determine whether these trends vary by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability status.

Immigrant Worker Health Interventions

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

Researchers used social network analysis to describe interagency structure needed to design and deliver a comprehensive community-based chronic disease prevention program for immigrant workers.

Clinical, Economic Burden of Mental Disorders Among Children

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

Researchers assessed whether having mental disorders is associated with increased health care costs for children with chronic physical conditions, using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from 2008 through 2013.

Health-Related Behaviors for Chronic Disease Prevention

Published on: 28 Jun 2016

Only 6 in 100 US adults say they participate in all of 5 key health-related behaviors for preventing chronic disease

Vape Shop Operators' Perceptions of Risks, Benefits of E-Cigarettes

Published on: 27 May 2016

This study examined vape shop operators' perceptions of benefits and risk of electronic nicotine delivery systems use.

The Impact of a US State Alcohol Tax Increase

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers assessed the impact of hypothetical state alcohol tax increases on the cost of alcohol for US adults on the basis of alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics.

Snacking on Television

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers conducted a content analysis on shows that were named as favorites by adolescents to characterize portrayals of snacking on popular television.

Literacy Level of Sickle Cell Patient Education Materials

Published on: 27 May 2016

The objective of this study was to assess the health literacy level of publicly available patient education materials for people with sickle cell disease.

School Health Policies and Practices Study

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers examined school demographic and other characteristics to determine their association with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school.

Tobacco Availability, Advertising, and Ownership Changes of Food Stores

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers assessed 12-year trends of tobacco availability, tobacco advertising, and ownership changes in various food stores in Albany, New York.

Multiple Chronic Conditions and Alternative Medicine Use

Published on: 27 May 2016

The aim of this study was to determine the association between use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies and multiple chronic conditions in a large nationally representative population of US adults.

Adolescent Views of Sugary Beverage Taxes

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers gathered information on adolescent views of how a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would affect adolescents' consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.

Smoking by Geographic Areas in King County, Washington

Published on: 27 May 2016

Researchers estimated the prevalence of current smoking among adults at the level of subcounty geographic areas, including census tracts and health reporting areas.

Women's Opinions About Food Access in Rural Illinois

Published on: 27 May 2016

The objective of this study was to identify resources and solutions to the food access problems of women in rural, southernmost Illinois.

Tobacco Control and Obesity Prevention Initiatives at Retail Outlets

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

The objective of this article is to describe the potential for interdisciplinary efforts to transition retailers away from selling and promoting tobacco products and toward creating retail environments that promote healthful eating and active living.

Smoking and Prostate Cancer Mortality in Four US States

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

Researchers examined state prostate cancer mortality rates in relation to changes in cigarette smoking.

Cancer Incidence and Mortality Through 2020

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

In this video, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist Dr Hannah Weir talks about her work to predict cancer incidence and mortality through 2020.

Effect of Financial Stress on Health

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

This study examined the relationships between positive financial behaviors, financial stress, and cost-related nonadherence to health regimens.

Evaluation of CDC's Tips Campaign

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

In this study, researchers evaluated phase 2 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national tobacco education campaign to encourage quitting, Tips From Former Smokers.

Smoking Among Veterans With Coronary Heart Disease

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

According to this study, cigarette smoking is more prevalent among male veterans with coronary heart disease than among their civilian counterparts.

Improvements, Disparities in Elementary School Lunches

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

Children consume much of their daily energy intake at school. This study evaluated changes and disparities in school lunch characteristics from 2006-2007 to 2013-2014.

Increasing Community Access to Fruits, Vegetables

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

This case study describes the development of the Farm Fresh Market through a community engagement process and presents evaluation results from the project's pilot implementation.

Competitive Beverages in Boston Schools

Published on: 25 Apr 2016

Researchers described competitive beverage availability 9 years after the introduction in 2004 of district-wide nutrition standards for competitive beverages sold in Boston Public Schools.

Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking and Susceptibility to Cigarette Smoking

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

This study examined the relationship between waterpipe tobacco smoking and susceptibility to cigarette smoking among young adults in the United States.

Health Promotion Through Radio Programming

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

The objective of this project was to engage young people in an American Indian community to create locally relevant stories of a fictitious family working to make lifestyle changes and to share the stories with the community through a local radio station.

Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

Researchers find that time constraints influenced the fruit and vegetable consumption of Oakland, California residents.

Diabetes Status and Colorectal Cancer Screenings

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

Researchers found that regardless of diabetes status, people who had a routine checkup within the past year were more likely to be up-to-date than people who had not.

Assessment of a University Campus Food Environment

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

The objective of this project was to describe the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthful food choices in dining venues and food stores at or near a public, 4-year university in California.

Do Patients Discuss Memory Issues With Their Doctor?

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

This study was conducted to determine how many adults reporting subjective memory complaints discussed their memory problems with a health care professional, the factors associated with that action, and the proportion who received treatment.

Health Care Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

Researchers find that breast cancer survivors are more likely to engage in cancer screening and less likely to be current smokers than female survivors of other types of cancer or women with no history of cancer.

How Smokers Hear About Quitlines

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

In this study researchers aimed to determine how tobacco smoking quitline callers heard about quitline services.

Cigarette Smoking and Socioeconomic Status

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

This study examined the association of food insecurity with smoking and its patterns among socioeconomically disadvantaged young adults.

Pilot Youth Diabetes Prevention Program

Published on: 25 Feb 2016

The objective of this study was to compare clinical sites with community sites in the recruitment of teenagers for a new youth diabetes prevention program in East Harlem, New York.

Re-Engaging Tobacco Quitline Users in Treatment

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

Most smoking cessation programs lack strategies to reach relapsed participants and encourage a new quit attempt. In this study, researchers used diverse communication strategies to encourage past quitline users to re-engage in services.

US Alcohol Policies and Cirrhosis Deaths

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

In this study, researchers examined the relationship between the strength of states' alcohol policies and alcoholic cirrhosis mortality rates.

Feasibility of Restaurant Health Promotion

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

This study sought to identify barriers and facilitators to promotion of tobacco cessation, physical activity, and influenza vaccination in Seattle restaurants.

Retailer Compliance With US Tobacco Regulations

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

In this study, researchers investigated the neighborhood characteristics associated with retailer noncompliance with specific FDA advertising and labeling inspections under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

Food Insecurity, Hunger, and Obesity Among Caregivers

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

Many Americans rely on informal caregiving from friends and family members, taking a substantial health and financial toll on caregivers. This study addressed whether those impacts have an effect on caregivers' household food insecurity, individual hunger, and obesity.

Understanding Barriers to Heart Health

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

In this study researchers aimed to understand how African American adults and adolescents conceptualize cardiovascular health and perceive related barriers and facilitators.

Health Status of Older US Workers and Nonworkers

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

After pooling data from the National Health Interview Survey data from 1997 through 2011, researchers found that employed older adults had better health outcomes than unemployed older adults.

Effects of Age and Weight on Blood Pressure

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

In this study researchers examined whether race and age, risk factors for obesity and hypertension, affect the association of obesity with elevated blood pressure.

Children's Diet and Activity Recommendations

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

The objective of this study was to describe parents' and caregivers' perceptions of the healthfulness of their young child's diet and body weight and to assess their adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics' 5-2-1-0 recommendations.

Effects of the A Matter of Balance Program

Published on: 28 Oct 2015

This study investigated the effects of the A Matter of Balance program on falls and physical risk factors of falling among community-dwelling older adults living in Tampa, Florida, in 2013.

Integration of Community Health Workers Into Health Care Teams

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

The objective of this study was to provide insight on the challenges and the support required for optimal community health workers integration and answer the question, how are community health workers integrated into their health care organization?

Snack Foods in Appalachian Virginia Middle Schools

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

The objective of this study was to examine the nutritional quality of competitive foods and beverages available to rural middle school students, before implementation of the US Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in School standards in July 2014.

Preventable Hospitalizations Among Korean Americans

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

Older Korean American patients may have significant disparities in preventable hospitalizations, suggesting poor access to or poor quality of health care. Researchers conclude that improving primary care for Korean Americans may prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and reduce health care costs.

The Process of Smoking Cessation

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

In this study, researchers analyzed data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey from 21 countries to categorize smokers by stages of cessation and highlight interventions that could be tailored to each stage.

Health Care Travel Among Congestive Heart Failure Patients

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

This article explores the nonclinical factors that prompt congestive heart failure patients to seek distant instead of local hospitalization.

Impact of Healthy Beverage Policy in Boston

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

Researchers found that after the implementation of the Healthy Beverage Executive Order for city agencies in Boston, Massachusetts, the average number of high-sugar beverages available to city workers decreased.

Food Environments, Diet, and Obesity in LA County

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

In this article, researchers examined the association between the number and type of food outlets in a neighborhood and the dietary intake and body mass index of adults in Los Angeles County, California.

The Costs of Chronic Diseases

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Chronic Disease Cost Calculator by providing an example of chronic disease costs across all states and payers.

Parental Education and Tooth Sealant Prevalence

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

Despite marked improvements in US children's oral health over the past decades, cavities remains one of the most common chronic childhood diseases. This study examined the association between dental sealant prevalence and parental education among varying family incomes.

Lack of Healthy Foods Among SNAP Retailers

Published on: 01 Oct 2015

This study measured the number of healthy foods stocked in small-size to mid-size retailers who accept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program.

Trends in Obesity Among Pennsylvania Students

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

In an analysis of childhood obesity rates among students in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, researchers found that over 7 school years, the prevalence of childhood obesity declined about 1%.

BMI and Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

This study investigated whether the relationship between body mass index and poor self-rated health differed by sex in low-income countries and middle-income countries.

Tobacco Use Screening During Outpatient Visits

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

In this study researchers assess the prevalence, correlates, and trends of tobacco use screening and cessation assistance offered to US adults during their hospital outpatient clinic visits.

Perceptions of Tobacco Quitlines

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

The objective of this study was to better understand basic knowledge and perceptions of quitlines among populations that have a disproportionate share of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality and are underrepresented in quitline research.

A Review of Mall Walking Programs

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

Researchers summarize the evidence on the health-related value of mall walking and mall walking programs.

Quality of Fruits and Vegetables in Montana

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

Researchers found a significant difference in the quality of fruits in vegetables available in rural and less rural grocery stores in Montana.

Beyond Neighborhood Food Environments

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

In this article researchers examine the relevance of different definitions of food environments.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

The study objectives were to examine prostate screening at 5 time points over a 12-year period among American Indian/Alaska Native men aged 50 to 75 years, and to compare their screening rates to African American men and white men in the same age group.

Hospital Support of Breastfeeding

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

The purpose of this study was to assess hospital policy compliance with New York laws and regulations related to breastfeeding.

Hookah-Related Twitter Chatter

Published on: 01 Sep 2015

In this study, researchers explored normalization or discouragement of hookah smoking, and other common messages about hookah on Twitter.

Blood Pressure Measurement at Pediatric Care Visits

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

Data from this study document high compliance with recommendations that blood pressure measurement should be part of examinations at well-child visits; however, only 69% of nonwell-child primary care visits included blood pressure measurements.

Lasting Effects of Cancer Detection Programs

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

Researchers found that women who participated in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCP) in Ohio were nearly twice as likely as low-income non-BCCP women to have undergone screening mammography in the previous year.

Activity Profiles of Active Seniors

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

In this study, researchers concluded that the relationship between activity intensity and caloric expenditure in athletic seniors in British Columbia is similar to that observed in young adults, but active older adults still spend a substantial proportion of the day engaged in sedentary behaviors.

Housing Insecurity and Health Outcomes

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

Researchers find that Washington State residents who were worried or insecure about their housing situation were about twice as likely as those who were not housing insecure to report poor or fair health status or delay doctor visits because of costs.

Very Light Smoking Among Young Women

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

This study examines the differences between the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors associated with young women who are very light smokers and similar women who are at other smoking levels.

Health Insurance Expansions and Hypertension

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

Federal and state efforts to expand insurance coverage among nonelderly adults could produce significant health benefits in terms of cardiovascular disease occurrence and death rates, researchers find.

Trends in Cancer Death Rates

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

Researchers predict that the total number of cancer deaths from 2007 to 2020 will increase more than 10% among men and black women and will begin to stabilize among white women, increasing only 4.4% during this period.

A Guide to Health Care Study Design

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

This article focuses on a fundamental question: which types of health care studies are most trustworthy? That is, which study designs are most immune to the many biases and alternative explanations that may produce unreliable results?

National Asian-Language Smokers' Quitline

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of callers of the national Asian Smokers' Quitline, how they heard about the quitline, and their use of the service.

Smoke-Free Policies in Multiunit Housing

Published on: 28 Jul 2015

In this study, researchers found that people living in multiunit housing with smoke-free policies engaged in less use of various tobacco products.

Many Children Not Protected by Smoke-Free Home Rules

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Voluntary smoke-free home rules protect children from dangerous secondhand cigarette smoke - yet more than a third of US homes with a parent who smokes have no such rule, researchers find.

Cigarette Use and Smoking Prevalence in Kansas

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Researchers find that smoking prevalence declined in Kansas between 1999 and 2010 - but the average annual number of cigarettes smoked stayed the same.

Nutrition Practices in Family Child-Care Homes

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Researchers explored nutrition-related practices and attitudes of family child-care home providers in Rhode Island and assessed whether these differed by provider ethnicity or socioeconomic status of the enrolled children.

Drinking Water Availability in Child Care Sites

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

The aims of this study were to identify how water was provided to young children in child care and to determine the extent to which water access changed after a federal and state child care beverage policy was instituted in 2011 and 2012 in California.

NYC Adults Report Sitting 7-Plus Hours Every Day

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

The average New Yorker reports sitting for more than 7 hours per day-and may actually sit still even longer, according to this study.

Alcohol Outlets' Impact on Violent Crime

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Reducing the number and concentration of bars, restaurants, and other locations where people can go to drink in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia significantly reduced violent crime, researchers find.

Colonoscopy Screening Rates

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Despite a 5-fold increase in colonoscopy screening rates since 2005, rates among first-degree relatives younger than the conventional screening age of 50 have lagged, researchers find.

Program Could Help Reduce Childhood Obesity

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in California schools, from inception in 2006 through 2012.

The Most Distinctive Causes of Death by State

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

This GIS map depicts a variety of distinctive causes of death based on a wide range of number of deaths, from 15,000 deaths from HIV in Florida to 679 deaths from tuberculosis in Texas.

Smoking in Georgia Restaurants and Bars

Published on: 25 Jun 2015

Researchers found that the percentage of restaurants and bars in Georgia that allowed smoking nearly doubled, from 9.1% in 2006 to 17.6% in 2012.

Depression and Unemployed Young Adults

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

The findings from this study suggest that unemployed emerging adults have 3 times greater odds of reporting depression compared with employed emerging adults.

Reducing Chronic Disease Through Policy Changes

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

In this process evaluation researchers identified specific challenges and facilitators to building and implementing a regional public health model to reduce chronic disease risk factors through policy, environment, and systems changes.

Disparities in Idaho Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

This study suggests that disparities may exist for Idaho Women's Health Check enrollees in the timely diagnosis of breast cancer.

Secondhand Smoke Among Pregnant Women in China

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

According to this study, 60% to 70% of pregnant women in the Henan and Sichuan Provinces of China are exposed to secondhand smoke and 50% to 60% of pregnant women are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

Program Teaches Latinos About Heart Health

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

The objective of this study was to implement cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention activities of the Salud para su Corazón model in a high-risk, impoverished, urban community in Mexico City.

Program Leads to Better Nutrition Habits

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

Researchers find that areas in California with the greatest amount of residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education was associated with adults and children eating more fruits and vegetables and adults eating fast food less frequently.

Physical Activity of Urban Public School Children

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

Racial/ethnic minority children residing in low-resource areas of St. Louis, Missouri, may benefit the most from school-based opportunities for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, according to this study.

Memory Loss Affects Millions in US

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

Based on the results of this study, researchers found that an estimated 4 million households in 13 US states have a member suffering with increased confusion or memory loss, potentially affecting more than 10 million people.

Communications Program Teaches About Health

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

This study outlines a communications project in Lima, Peru, aimed at helping students learn about noncommunicable disease prevention and how to promote health-related messages to their peers.

Diets of Childbearing Women

Published on: 25 Mar 2015

Researchers compared diet quality among childbearing women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the diet quality of childbearing women without a history of GDM.

Evaluation of Health Impact Assessments

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

The Center for Community Health and Evaluation conducted a 3-year evaluation to assess results of health impact assessments in the United States and to identify elements critical for their success.

Trends in Heart Disease Risk Factors

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

From 2001 to 2010, researchers found a significant increase in the prevalence of high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity in the Mississippi Delta. They also observed racial differences in those prevalences.

MCCs Among Outpatient Pediatric Patients

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

Researchers analyzed outpatient evaluation and management claims for patients under age 18 years and insured by the Beaumont Employee Health Plan to study multiple chronic conditions prevalence, cost, and use from 2008 through 2013.

Family Income and Children's Health

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

Researchers find that children with lower family incomes tend to have less healthy physical fitness status and have higher risk of obesity than children with higher family incomes.

Food Insecurity and Hypertension

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

To evaluate the impact of food insecurity on blood pressure reduction in a pilot clinical trial, researchers tested the effectiveness of 2 behavioral interventions for hypertension in people with and without food security.

Tobacco Ads at SNAP and WIC Stores

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

Researchers investigated the relationship between the amount and type of tobacco advertisements on tobacco outlets and the outlet type and location.

Patient Perspectives on Tobacco Cessation

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

Researchers explored smokers' personal interactions with health care providers to better understand what it is like to be a smoker in an increasingly smoke-free era and the resources needed to support quit attempts and to better define important patient-centered outcomes.

Behavioral Health Care and Tobacco Control

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

To address the needs of smokers who experience psychological distress, the California Tobacco Control Program surveyed county and private behavioral health care programs to assess their readiness for adopting tobacco control strategies at behavioral health treatment facilities.

Chronic Conditions and Health Spending

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

The objective of this study was to estimate the annual average total expenditures and out-of-pocket spending burden among US adults by combinations of conditions.

Hypertension Facebook Groups

Published on: 28 Feb 2015

In this study, researchers analyzed Facebook groups related to hypertension to characterize their objectives, subject matter, member sizes, geographical boundaries, level of activity, and user-generated content.

Nation's Access to Exercise Opportunities

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

In this study, researchers sought to develop a county-level measure to evaluate residents' access to exercise opportunities.

Sugary Beverages in Federal Health Centers

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

This study examined the relationships between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and demographic, health behavior, health service, and health condition characteristics of adult patients of a network of federally qualified health centers in a low-income, urban setting.

Trends in Fast-Food Nutrition

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

In this study, researchers examined the variability of popular food items in 3 fast-food restaurants in the United States by portion size during the past 18 years.

Healthy Kids Out of School

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

The objective of this article was to describe principles to guide policy development in support of healthy eating and physical activity practices in out-of-school settings to promote obesity prevention.

Gastric Bypass Surgery and Veterans

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the number of nutrition visits a patient attended and change in body mass index after gastric bypass surgery for the veteran population.

Impact of Tobacco Cessation Media Campaigns

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

This study examines the effects of Florida's tobacco cessation media campaign and a nationally funded media campaign on telephone quitline and Web-based registrations for cessation services from November 2010 through September 2013.

Social Support, Healthier Habits for Black Women

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

According to this study, overweight and obese African American women in the rural Deep South experience minimal social support from family and friends for healthy eating and exercise.

Improving Children's Menus

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

The objective of this study was to improve San Marcos, Texas, children's access to healthy diets through partnerships with local restaurants, removing sugar-sweetened beverages, decreasing the number of energy-dense entrées, and increasing fruit and vegetable offerings on restaurant menus.

Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

This study investigated whether cross-sectional associations between physical activity, assessed by the Exercise Vital Sign, and cardiometabolic risk factors can be detected in clinical settings.

Using Fear and Disgust in Antismoking Ads

Published on: 26 Jan 2015

This study tested the hypothesis that advertisements rated highest in fear- and disgust-eliciting imagery would be rated as the most effective type of antismoking advertisement.

Blood Glucose Testing Among MN Adults

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

In this study, researchers analyzed 2011 Minnesota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to describe the proportion of adults with hypertension screened for diabetes.

Beliefs About HPV Among Puerto Rican Women

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

This study explored psychosocial factors associated with HPV vaccination uptake decisions among Puerto Rican mothers and daughters.

Students' Beliefs About Hookah Smoking

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

This study sought to determine the prevalence of hookah use and describe the social and behavioral factors associated with hookah smoking among university students in a large urban university in Florida.

Teens Not Getting Enough Sleep

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

In this study of high school students' sleep patterns, researchers found that only 6.2% to 7.7% of females and 8.0% to 9.4% of males reported obtaining the recommended 9 or more hours of sleep.

Effectiveness of Graphic Antismoking TV Ads

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

This study tested the hypothesis that antismoking advertisements rated highest in fear- and disgust-eliciting imagery would be rated as the most effective.

Exercise and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

This study investigated whether cross-sectional associations between physical activity, assessed by the Exercise Vital Sign, and cardiometabolic risk factors can be detected in clinical settings.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Cancer Screening

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

Because Chinese Americans often use traditional Chinese medicine, researchers conducted a pilot study to explore the feasibility and acceptability of having traditional Chinese medicine providers deliver education about colorectal cancer screening.

Cancer Disparities Among Alaska Natives

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

Increases in colorectal screening among Alaska Native people may be responsible for current declines in colorectal cancer incidence; however; improvements in treatment of colon and rectal cancers may also be contributing factors, study says.

Adolescent Obesity in Southern Appalachia

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

The objective of this study was to examine weight status among southern Appalachian adolescents and to identify risk factors for obesity.

Fast Food Intake Among South-Asian Americans

Published on: 29 Dec 2014

The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between generational status and fast food consumption among South-Asian Americans.

Most Excessive Drinkers Aren't Alcohol Dependent

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for 88,000 deaths annually and cost the United States $223.5 billion in 2006. The objective of this study was to update prior estimates of the prevalence of alcohol dependence among US adult drinkers.

More Than 1 in 10 MT Adults Has Tried E-Cigarettes

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

Researchers used data from the 2013 Montana Adult Tobacco Survey to estimate the prevalence of electronic cigarette use and reasons for initiation among Montana adults.

Testing for HIV Among Cancer Survivors

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

In this study, researchers sought to provide estimates of the proportion of cancer survivors tested for HIV and to characterize factors associated with having had HIV testing.

Tracking Youth Self-Inflicted Injury, Hospitalizations

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

The Illinois Department of Public Health's Youth Suicide Prevention Project defines the burden of self-inflicted injury among youth at the county level with the analysis the number and rate of hospitalizations among various youth populations. The data will be used to drive program decisions, identify high-risk counties, and market an interactive online training program.

Dentists' Role in Offering Tobacco Cessation Services

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

The purpose of this analysis was to assess factors that may influence patterns of tobacco-use-related practice among a national sample of dental providers.

Cooking Classes and Children's Food Behaviors

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

Cooking programs have been used to promote healthful eating among people of all ages. This review assesses the evidence on childhood cooking programs and their association with changes in food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of school-aged children.

Using Text Messaging to Motivate Latino Exercise

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

Text messaging has been used to motivate physical activity in other groups, but less is known about its impact on Latinos. In this study, researchers sought to determine text messaging's capacity and its effect on increasing physical activity among Latino adults.

Blood Pressure Control and Health Care

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

The objective of this study was to describe how health care delivery changes improved hypertension control in a multiethnic population.

Early Education Nutrition and Exercise Programs

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

This study presents a new conceptual framework to measure organizational readiness to implement nutrition and physical activity programs in early childhood education centers serving children aged 0 to 5 years.

Blood Pressure and Latina Women

Published on: 25 Nov 2014

The purpose of this study was to assess a broad range of correlates including intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors on measured blood pressure category in a sample of Latina women residing in San Diego, California.

Smoke-Free Laws Could Save US Millions

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

Prohibiting smoking in US subsidized housing would yield annual cost savings of $496.82 million, including $310.48 million in secondhand smoke-related health care, $133.77 million in renovation expenses, and $52.57 million in smoking-attributable fire losses.

Living Alone and Physical Inactivity Among the Disabled

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

People with disability may be at risk of developing diseases due to physical inactivity. Researchers hypothesized that living alone will more negatively affect engagement in physical activity among people with disability in Florida than among those without disability.

Influence of Parents, Physicians on Child Obesity

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

Reducing childhood obesity remains a public health priority given its high prevalence and its association with increased risk of adult obesity and chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the joint influence of multiple risk factors on adolescent overweight status.

Acculturation and Diabetes in US Latinos

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

Acculturation may increase the risk of diabetes among all Latinos, but this hypothesis has not been studied in a nationally representative sample. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that acculturation was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in such a sample.

NYC's Regs for Child Care Centers

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

In 2006, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene passed regulations for child care centers that established standards for beverages provided to children and set a minimum amount of time for daily physical activity. This article analyzes the association between training and technical assistance provided and compliance with the regulations in child care centers.

NYC Regs and Children's Physical Activity

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

Researchers examined whether children in New York City group child care centers that are compliant with the city's regulations on child physical activity engage in more activity than children in centers who do not comply.

Compliance With NYC's Beverage Regs

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

This article examines the association between the New York City regulations on beverages served in child care centers and beverage consumption among enrolled children. The regulations include requirements related to beverages served to children throughout the day.

Childhood Obesity: Before and After NYC Regs

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

The reductions in early childhood obesity prevalence in some high-risk and low-risk neighborhoods in New York City suggest that progress was made in reducing health disparities during the years just before and after implementation of the 2007 New York City Child Care Regulations.

NYC's Regs on Nutrition, Exercise, and Screen Time

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

In 2007, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene implemented new regulations for early childhood centers to increase physical activity, limit screen time, and provide healthful beverage offerings. This article explains why these amendments to the Health Code were created and how implementation was ensured.

Compliance: NYC's Health Regs for Child Care Centers

Published on: 21 Oct 2014

The objective of this study was to explore the extent and consistency of compliance with a policy intervention designed to promote nutrition and physical activity among licensed child care centers in New York City.

Trans Fats in US Packaged Foods

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

Researchers estimated the prevalence of partially hydrogenated oils in 4,340 top-selling US packaged foods. Nine percent of products in the sample contained partially hydrogenated oils; 84% of these products listed "0 grams" of trans fat per serving, potentially leading consumers to underestimate their trans fat consumption.

Public Health Approaches for Epilepsy

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

This article summarizes recent federally supported activities promoting an integrated public health approach for epilepsy, highlighting progress in response to the landmark 2012 Institute of Medicine report and identifying opportunities for continued public health action.

Depression Care for Latino Diabetes Patients

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

The prevalence of comorbid diabetes and depression is high, especially in low-income Hispanic or Latino patients. The Diabetes-Depression Care-Management Adoption Trial examined whether the collaborative depression care model is an effective approach in safety-net clinics to improve clinical care outcomes of depression and diabetes.

Antismoking Mass Media Campaigns

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

In 2011, an Alabama health department began a 12-month antismoking educational media campaign that overlapped with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 3-month national antismoking Tips from Former Smokers. Researchers aimed to evaluate the effect of these campaigns on support for smoke-free environments and knowledge of the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Buying Food on Sale

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

In this study, researchers explored the associations of discounted prices on supermarket purchases of selected high-calorie foods and more healthful, low-calorie foods by a demographic group at high risk of obesity.

Park Visitation and Physical Activity

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

Identifying park amenities that promote visitation during winter would increase year-round activity. The purpose of this study was to determine how park visitation, amenity choice, and physical activity intensity change across seasons.

Placement of Mobile Fruit and Veggie Vendors

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

In 2008, the New York City health department licensed special mobile produce vendors (Green Carts) to increase access to fruits and vegetables. Researchers examined characteristics of areas with and without Green Carts to explore whether Carts are positioned to reach the intended populations.

Reducing Barriers to Health

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

American Indian communities have a high prevalence of chronic disease. Innovative community-based approaches are needed to identify, prioritize, and create sustainable interventions to reduce environmental barriers to healthy lifestyles and ultimately improve health.

Oral Health Conditions of Women

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

The objective of this study was to assess and compare national estimates on self-reported oral health conditions and dental visits among pregnant women and nonpregnant women of childbearing age by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Muscular Strengthening Recommendations for Adults

Published on: 26 Sep 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of meeting the US Department of Health and Human Services muscular strengthening recommendations by middle-aged and older adults and the sociodemographic characteristics associated with meeting these recommendations.

Teens' Use of Sunscreen and Tanning Beds

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to engaging in poor skin-protection behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine use of sunscreen and indoor tanning devices among a nationally representative sample of high school students during a 10-year period.

Lessons From a Healthful Vending Program

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

Nemours Health and Prevention Services, in conjunction with partners in Delaware, conducted a 6-month pilot program to assess the feasibility and impact of requiring that 75% of the items in vending machines in 3 state agency buildings have healthful items.

Evaluating the WillTry Tool

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

Children's fruit and vegetable intake is mediated by a preference or willingness to try them. This study's primary objective was to adapt the previously validated WillTry tool and to evaluate the adapted version among children in Guam.

Rural-Urban Differences in Physical Activity Measures

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

In this study researchers examined rural-urban differences in 4 objective physical activity measures and 4 subjective measures in a nationally representative sample of participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006.

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Among Men

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was developed to help clinicians in determining their patients' coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Researchers hypothesize that the FRS will be significantly predictive of CHD events among men in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) population.

Weight Misperceptions in US Adolescents

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

The objective of this study was to describe perceptions of child weight status among US children, adolescents, and their parents and to examine the extent to which accurate personal and parental perception of weight status is associated with self-reported attempted weight loss.

Hypertension Among Disabled Adults

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

In this study, researchers combined data from the 2001-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to obtain estimates of hypertension prevalence by disability status and type and assess the association between disability and hypertension.

Health Departments' Use of Academic Journals

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

Use of scientific evidence aids in ensuring that public health interventions have the best possible health and economic return on investment. Researchers describe the use of academic journals by state health department chronic disease prevention staff to find public health evidence.

Making Vending Machines Healthier

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

The objective of this case study was to evaluate the acceptability, sales impact, and implementation barriers for the Chicago Park District's 100% Healthier Snack Vending Initiative to strengthen and support future healthful vending efforts.

Disparities in Advice to Quit Smoking

Published on: 25 Aug 2014

Not all smokers receive tobacco cessation advice from health care providers. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCP-delivered advice and the characteristics of patients who receive advice to quit smoking from any HCP and, separately, from a physician or a dentist.

Cancer Prevention and Worksite Health Promotion

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

The workplace is recognized as a setting that can profoundly influence workers' health and well-being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workplace health promotion efforts address cancer prevention by focusing on cancer screening programs, community-clinical linkages, and cancer risk factors that also influence risk for other chronic diseases.

Using Barbershops for Blood Pressure Screening

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

The Mississippi State Department of Health designed the Barbers Reaching Out to Help Educate on Routine Screenings (B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S.) initiative to encourage barbers to routinely screen adult black men in the Mississippi Delta region for high blood pressure.

Impact of Toy Ordinance on Restaurants, Kids' Food Purchases

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

In 2011, San Francisco passed the first citywide ordinance to improve the nutritional standards of children's meals sold at restaurants by preventing the giving away of free toys with meals unless nutritional criteria were met. This study examined the impact of the Healthy Food Incentives Ordinance at ordinance-affected restaurants on restaurant response and food purchase for children 0 to 12 years.

Contraceptive Use and Gestational Diabetes

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

Of the 2,741 women who completed the 2007-2008 PRAMS survey, 8.3% were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and 17.9% of the respondents had used hormonal contraceptive methods. Women who used hormonal methods of birth control had higher odds for gestational diabetes than did women who used no contraception.

Severe Obesity Among Kids in NYC Schools

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

Although studies have shown that childhood obesity overall is on the decline among New York City public school children, the prevalence of severe childhood obesity has not been studied.

Weight Recommendations for Obese Firefighters

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

Health care providers (HCPs) are important sources of health information for firefighters. Overweight and obese firefighters, particularly those who are younger, do not consistently receive HCP advice to lose weight. This marks a missed opportunity to prevent further weight gain and reduce obesity-related health outcomes.

Walking and Use of Public Transportation

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between personal characteristics and public transportation use with meeting national recommendations for moderate physical activity through walking for transportation and to examine associations between personal and perceived environmental factors and frequency of public transportation use.

Associations of Diabetes With Obesity

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

This study examined trends in the prevalence and sociodemographic distributions of diabetes and the associations of diabetes with obesity over time in adult Pennsylvanians from 1995 through 2010.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality; however, its geographical variation in older adults in the United States has not been characterized. Researchers compared HRQOL among older adults in the 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Deaths Due to Excessive Drinking

Published on: 25 Jul 2014

Excessive drinking accounted for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults in the United States. Alcohol-attributable deaths rates vary across states, but excessive drinking remains a leading cause of premature mortality nationwide.

Implications for Reducing Racial Health Disparities

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

Rates of screening colonoscopies, an effective method of preventing colorectal cancer, have increased in New York City over the past decade, and racial disparities in screening have declined. However, vulnerable subsets of the population may not be reached by traditional surveillance and intervention efforts to improve colorectal cancer screening rates.

US Prevalence Estimates of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

The true prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is unknown. The objective of this study was 1) to provide the most current GDM prevalence reported on the birth certificate and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) questionnaire and 2) to compare GDM prevalence from PRAMS across 2007-2008 and 2009-2010.

Flavored Tobacco Use Among Canadian Students

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

This study examined patterns of use of flavored tobacco products in a nationally generalizable sample of Canadian students in grades 9 through 12 after the implementation of a national ban on certain flavored tobacco products.

Weight Gain Among Children: Summer Versus School Year

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

The objective of this study was to compile and summarize research examining variations in weight gain among students during the summer in comparison to the school year, with a focus on racial/ethnic disparities and students who are at risk of overweight.

Public Opinion on Nutrition Policies to Combat Child Obesity

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

Researchers assessed public opinion on nutrition-related policies to address child obesity: a soda tax, restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods and beverages to children, and restrictions on siting fast food restaurants and convenience stores near schools. Researchers analyzed data from 998 adults in the 2011 Los Angeles County Health Survey.

Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

National nutrition guidelines emphasize consumption of powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk; yet efforts to define PFV are lacking. This study developed and validated a classification scheme defining PFV as foods providing, on average, 10% or more daily value per 100 kcal of 17 qualifying nutrients.

Counseling on Physical Activity

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

Limited time and lack of knowledge are barriers to physical activity counseling in primary care. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a clinician-targeted intervention that used the 5As (Ask, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange) approach to physical activity counseling in a medically underserved patient population.

Hypertension Control in Shangdong Province, China

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

In China, sodium intake, a major risk factor for hypertension, is high. In 2011, to develop intervention priorities for a salt reduction and hypertension control project in Shandong Province, a survey was conducted to collect information on sodium intake and hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control.

Comparing Farmer's Market Revenue Trends

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

Researchers examined the influence of an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers' markets for recipients of food assistance, Shop N Save, on revenue trends at a farmers' market located at a federally qualified health center in rural South Carolina.

Measuring Child Activity With Wearable Monitors

Published on: 27 Jun 2014

Understanding physical activity is key in the fight against childhood obesity. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using certain wearable devices to measure physical activity among children.

Prevalence of Cigarette Advertising Near Schools in St Louis

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

The US Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act allows states to implement policies requiring that tobacco products be placed out of sight, and the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning point-of-sale advertising within 1,000 feet of schools. The objective of this study was to compare cigarette point-of-sale advertising near schools with grades prekindergarten through 12 and by store type.

Plumbing Codes and the Availability of School Drinking Fountains

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Caloric intake among children could be reduced if sugar-sweetened beverages were replaced by plain water. School drinking water infrastructure is dictated in part by state plumbing codes, which generally require a minimum ratio of drinking fountains to students. Actual availability of drinking fountains in schools and how availability differs according to plumbing codes is unknown.

Heart Disease Risk Among Mexican American Immigrants

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between immigrant status, length of residence in the United States, age, and cardiovascular disease markers in a sample of Mexican American adults living in Brownsville, Texas.

Effectiveness of a Shortened Youth Nutrition Education Program

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Targeting diet and exercise in schools could help prevent childhood obesity. Researchers have previously shown the effectiveness of a 90-minute nutrition program in improving elementary school students' food-label literacy. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 45-minute version of the program.

Comparison of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Alaska Native colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are the highest of any ethnic/racial group in the United States. This study evaluated whether the newer immunochemical FOBT (iFOBT) resulted in a lower false-positive rate and higher specificity for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia than guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests in a population with elevated prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Understanding the Relationship Between Health Literacy, Stroke Education

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Inadequate health literacy is a pervasive problem with major implications for reduced health status and health disparities. Despite the role of focused education in both primary and secondary prevention of stroke, the effect of health literacy on stroke education retention has not been reported. Researchers examined the relationship of health literacy to the retention of knowledge after recommended stroke education.

Addressing Obesity With Parents of Middle School Students

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Although involving parents in obesity prevention programs for youth may improve the potential of these programs, less is known about parents' preferred methods of engagement, especially among racial/ethnic minority parents and parents whose primary language is not English. In this study, parents of middle-school-aged children were asked how best to engage their children in obesity prevention and control efforts.

Reaching Those With Undetected Hypertension

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Researchers used data from a community-based participatory research initiative, Hub City Steps, to quantify the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and determine the relationship between hypertension status at baseline and postintervention improvements in blood pressure and health-related quality of life.

Effect of a Federal Cigarette Tax Increase on Smokers

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

This study used a Web-based, result-reporting application to monitor and assess the effect of the 2009 federal cigarette tax increase. Researchers assessed readiness to quit tobacco use before and after a cigarette tax increase among low-income tobacco users who were outpatients in a public hospital system in Louisiana.

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Montana

Published on: 28 Apr 2014

Colorectal cancer screening participation in Montana is low. To increase screening participation among Montanans with health insurance, the Montana Cancer Control Programs partnered with a small association health organization to implement a postcard campaign to increase colorectal cancer screening participation

Sodium Reduction Strategies in Small and Rural Hospitals

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Sodium reduction strategies on a population-based level are promoted as a public health intervention. Small and rural hospitals in Illinois were funded to adopt sodium reduction strategies as an intervention, have their hospital cafeteria and vending machines assessed via an environmental scan, and participate in an evaluation.

Detecting Geographic Targets for Colorectal Cancer

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Using cluster detection to identify geographic areas with high-risk populations and then screening those populations for disease can improve cancer control. This study uses gives an overview of an example that uses SaTScan to detect geographic targets for colorectal cancer screening interventions.

Promoting Cancer Screenings Among Latinas Using Phone Messages

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Cancer screening rates among Latinas are suboptimal. The objective of this study was to explore how Latinas perceive cancer screening and the use and design of interactive voice response (IVR) messages to prompt scheduling of 1 or more needed screenings.

Local Public Health Challenges, Opportunities in Obesity Prevention

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

The extent of obesity prevention activities conducted by local health departments (LHDs) varies widely. The purpose of this qualitative study was to characterize how state obesity prevention program directors perceived the role of LHDs in obesity prevention and factors that impact LHDs' success in obesity prevention.

Improving Nutrition and Exercise Using Churches

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition have been linked to many chronic diseases. Research indicates that interventions in community-based settings such as houses of worship can build on attendees' trust to address health issues and help them make behavioral changes.

Relationship Between Homelessness, Mental Distress, and Insufficient Sleep

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Housing insecurity and food insecurity may be psychological stressors associated with insufficient sleep. Frequent mental distress may mediate the relationships between these variables. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between housing insecurity and food insecurity, frequent mental distress, and insufficient sleep.

Assessing the Food Environment of a Rural Community

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

The purpose of this study was to assess the consumer food environment of a rural community with high rates of obesity and low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Findings were used to identify food environment intervention strategies to be implemented as part of a larger community-based heart disease prevention program.

Native American Breast and Lung Cancer Survival Rates in Florida

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Limited research has documented associations among Native American race, use of Indian Health Services (IHS), and survival time after cancer diagnosis. In this study, researchers used the Florida Cancer Data System, to examine breast and lung cancer survival by Native American race and IHS use for the Seminole and the Miccosukee tribes

Sustaining and Developing Comprehensive Wellness Policies

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Given the potential of school environments to affect student well-being, the Louisiana Tobacco Control Program developed and tested a pilot program with the goal of assisting school districts in developing a school wellness policy and engaging the community to generate environments that support healthful choices and behaviors.

Differences in Delivery of Health Education to Patients by Provider Type

Published on: 27 Mar 2014

Few studies have examined how physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners differ in the provision of health education. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of health education provision by physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners/certified midwives.

First Responders Patient Education Intervention

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

This study investigated facilitators and barriers to adoption of an at-scene patient education program by firefighter emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in King County, Washington.

Disability Status as an Antecedent to Chronic Conditions

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

In this study researchers concluded that adults with lifelong disabilities were more likely to have chronic conditions than adults with no limitations, indicating that disability likely increases risk of developing poor health.

Building Cancer Control Capacity

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

In this article, researchers describe the National Cancer Institute's Research to Reality Pilot Mentorship Program's competencies and its evaluation results and the program's ability to improve participants' evidence-based public health competencies and appropriateness of program components.

Smoking Cessation Strategies Among Chinese and Vietnamese Smokers

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

The aim of this study was to assess understanding and use of nicotine replacement therapy and nonpharmacologic treatments among Chinese and Vietnamese American male smokers and their families.

How Topeka, Kansas, Passed a Complete Streets Resolution

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

One barrier to physical activity is a lack of safe places to be active, such as bike paths and sidewalks. Complete Streets, streets designed to enable safe access for all users, can help provide safe places for activity.

Knowledge and Behavioral Effects in Cardiovascular Health

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and disparities in cardiovascular health exist among minorities. To address these health disparities, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) created the Community Health Worker (CHW) Health Disparities Initiative, drawing on science-based materials, resources, and educational programs to improve health in minority and underserved communities.

Implementing a Colon Cancer Screening Reminder Program

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

The objective of this study were: 1) develop a collaborative partnership with 1 Michigan Cancer Consortium organization in which to pilot the intervention and 2) increase colorectal cancer screening rates by implementing a client reminder intervention and measuring the increase in screening rates.

Liver Cancer Education and Hepatitis B Screenings Among Asian Americans

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

Researchers tested the effectiveness of a culturally tailored liver cancer education program for increasing screening for chronic hepatitis B virus among Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans residing in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

Diabetes Interactive Atlas

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

The Diabetes Interactive Atlas is a recently released Web-based collection of maps that allows users to view geographic patterns and examine trends in diabetes and its risk factors over time across the United States and within states.

Public Support for Smoke-Free Air Strategies

Published on: 25 Feb 2014

In this study researchers investigated trends in awareness of existing smoke-free rules publicized with new signage and public support for new smoke-free air strategies.

Menu-Labeling Usage and Its Association with Diet and Exercise

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between menu-labeling usage and healthy behaviors pertaining to diet (consumption of fruits, vegetables, sodas, and sugar-sweetened beverages) and exercise.

Physical Activity Surveillance in Parks Using Direct Observation

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Previous studies have reported the validity and reliability of Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to estimate park and user characteristics. The purpose of this investigation was to establish the use of SOPARC as a surveillance instrument and to situate the findings from the study in the context of the previous literature.

Obesity Prevalence by Occupation in Washington State

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity by occupation, examine the association of occupational physical activity and a range of health behaviors with obesity, and identify occupations in which workers are at high risk of obesity in Washington State.

The Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health Partnership Study

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Multisector partnerships are promoted as a mechanism to improve population health. This study explored the types and salient features of multisector partnerships in US counties with improving population health metrics.

Online Grocery Store Coupons and Unhealthy Foods

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Researchers performed a content analysis of online store coupons from 6 national grocery chains. Of 1,056 online store coupons available during the 4-week study period, 25% were for processed snack foods, candies, and desserts (the largest category).

Policy Changes to Intramural Sports in North Carolina Middle Schools

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Extracurricular school sports programs can provide adolescents, including those who are economically disadvantaged, with opportunities to engage in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to simulate the potential effect of implementing intramural sports programs in North Carolina middle schools on both the rates of sports participation and on energy expenditure related to physical activity levels.

Prevalence of Smoke-Free Car and Home Rules in Maine

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Researchers found that the prevalence of smoke-free car and home rules among Maine adults was significantly higher after the passage of a statewide smoke-free vehicle law. This apparent change in smoke-free rule prevalence may be indicative of changing social norms related to the unacceptability of secondhand smoke exposure.

Online Promotion of Physical Activity Among Overweight African American Women

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Innovative approaches are needed to promote physical activity among young adult overweight and obese African American women. The authors of this study sought to describe key elements that African American women desire in a culturally relevant Internet-based tool to promote physical activity among overweight and obese young adult African American women.

Are Medicare Beneficiaries Getting Sicker?

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic conditions are responsible for a disproportionate share of Medicare fee-for-service expenditures. The objective of this study was to analyze the change in the health of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part A between 2008 and 2010 by comparing the prevalence of 11 chronic conditions.

Opportunities for Sodium Reduction in Restaurants

Published on: 28 Jan 2014

Restaurant foods can be a substantial source of sodium in the American diet. This article discusses the role of the public health practitioner in restaurant sodium reduction and highlights select strategies that have been taken by state and local jurisdictions to support this effort.

Racial Differences in Heart Health Among Mississippi Adults

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and health disparities in Mississippi. The objective of this study was to assess racial differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular health metrics among Mississippi adults.

Views on Childhood Obesity in NY by City, County, and State Policy Makers

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Beliefs of many policy makers about childhood obesity are similar to those of the general public. Findings inside this study highlight the need for future research to inform the development of communication strategies to promote policy action among those with authority to pass and implement it.

Physical Activity Among Urban Students During Outdoor and Indoor Recess

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Low physical activity levels contribute to poor physical fitness and are associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in children. In this study, researchers measured the quantity and intensity of physical activity in 106 urban public school students during recess outdoors, recess indoors in the gym, and recess indoors in the classroom.

The Value of Cancer Surveillance and Reporting by American Indian Clinics

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Cancer incidence and mortality rates for American Indians in the Northern Plains region of the United States are among the highest in the nation. Reliable cancer surveillance data are essential to help reduce this burden; however, racial data in state cancer registries are often misclassified, and cases are often underreported.

Multiple Chronic Conditions and Limitations in Daily Activities Among Seniors

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Nationally, 60% to 75% of older adults have multiple chronic conditions (MCCs), and the burden is even higher among low-income, racial/ethnic minority populations. Researchers examined the association of MCCs with activities of daily living in a racially/ethnically diverse population of low-income older adults living in New York City public housing.

Reducing Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Among Latinos

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

The findings of this study indicated that a tailored healthy lifestyle program integrating genomics and family history education was socioculturally appropriate and may feasibly be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk in a Latino community with limited health care resources.

Impact of Philly Clean Indoor Air Act on Bars and Restaurants

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Philadelphia enacted its Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) nearly 2 years before the statewide CIAA. In this study, researchers assessed the economic impact of CIAAs on 4 types of food services and drinking places and addressed the predominant limitation of previous pre-post ban studies, namely the lack of control for confounders and changes in secular trends over time.

Food Security and Heart Disease Risk Among US Adults

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Little is known about the relationship between food security status and predicted 10-year cardiovascular disease risk. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between food security status and cardiovascular disease risk factors and predicted 10-year risk in a national sample of US adults.

Zoning Ordinances and Access to Fruits and Vegetables

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Zoning ordinances and land-use plans may influence the community food environment by determining placement and access to food outlets. The objective of this study was to examine associations between healthful food zoning scores as derived from information on local zoning ordinances, county demographics, and residents' access to fruit and vegetable outlets in rural northeastern North Carolina.

Changes in Children's Oral Health, Receipt of Dental Visits

Published on: 23 Dec 2013

Oral health represents the largest unmet health care need for children, and geographic variations in children's receipt of oral health services have been noted. This study examined changes in parent-reported children's oral health status and receipt of preventive dental visits in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Are Arthritis Patients More Likely to Exercise if Told to do so by Doc?

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Health care providers' recommendations act as a catalyst for changes in health behavior. However, information about the effectiveness of such recommendations is limited in the arthritis literature. Researchers examined the association between providers' recommendations for physical activity and adherence to physical activity guidelines for adults with arthritis and whether adults' age influenced this association.

Breast Cancer Screening Among Chinese Women

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer among women in China. However, China does not have a national screening program or national screening guidelines. Little information on participation in breast cancer screening among Chinese women is available. Researchers analyzed data from the 2010 China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine information about screening participation.

Success of School Wellness Policy After 5 Years

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

The federally mandated Local Wellness Policy (LWP) was intended to promote student health in schools. This study assesses the 5-year effects of the LWP on the health practices of rural elementary schools in Colorado.

Veteran Peer Support in a Weight-Management Program

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has implemented MOVE!, a weight-management program for veterans designed to address the increasing proportion of overweight and obese veterans. The objective of this study was to determine whether peer support employing motivational interviewing could positively influence lifestyle changes, thus expanding the reach of the MOVE! program.

Obesity, Mortality, and Life Years Lost Associated With Breast Cancer

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

The relationship between obesity and breast cancer has been extensively investigated. However, how obesity and breast cancer interplay to affect mortality and life expectancy of women in the United States has not been well studied. This study is the first to consider BMI in the relationship between breast cancer and mortality rate as well as life years lost associated with breast cancer.

Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Diabetes and Obesity in California

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of illness and death for African Americans and people of African descent throughout the United States and in the city and county of Sacramento, California. The involvement of families and communities in developing prevention strategies can increase the likelihood that behavioral changes will be sustained.

Encouraging Fruit and Veggie Purchase Through Monetary Matched Incentive

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Farmers market programs may increase access to more healthful foods and reduce the high prevalence of obesity in low-income communities. The objective of this study was to examine outcomes of the Fresh Fund farmers market program serving low-income neighborhoods in San Diego, California.

Supporting Healthful Eating Through Retail Environmental Change

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

This collection of articles in Preventing Chronic Disease presents findings from the first 7 of those 39 communities to publish results from their Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) retail food environment initiatives. Three communities focused their efforts on improving access in corner stores. The other 4 communities chose to improve access at farmers markets in low-income areas via incentive programs or increased acceptance of food assistance benefits.

Public Health Resources: What Happens When Funding Disappears?

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Although various factors affect the sustainability of public health programs, funding levels can influence many aspects of program continuity. The objective of this study was to describe the effect of funding loss following expiration of a 5-year federal grant awarded to state health departments for development of statewide obesity prevention partnerships.

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screenings: Community-Clinic Outreach

Published on: 25 Nov 2013

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Wisconsin. From 2010 through 2012, the Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Control Program awarded grants to 5 regional health systems for the purpose of planning and implementing events to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in underserved communities.

Raising Awareness of Sleep as a Healthy Behavior

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

Sleep may play an important role in metabolic regulation, emotion regulation, performance, memory consolidation, brain recuperation processes, and learning. Because of the importance of these functions, sleep should be viewed as being as critical to health as diet and physical activity. This essay briefly summarizes the scientific literature about hours of sleep needed and why sleep is an important public health issue.

Assessing Public Policies and Assets That Affect Obesity Risk

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

The New Hampshire Obesity Prevention Program and the 9 New Hampshire regional planning commissions assessed the state's obesity-related policies and assets by using community measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through collaboration, researchers gathered baseline information that can be used to set priorities and assess progress over time.

Adult Caregivers in the United States

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

This study examined the characteristics of adults providing regular care or assistance to friends or family members who have health problems, long-term illnesses, or disabilities. Data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to examine caregiver characteristics. Understanding the characteristics of caregivers can help enhance strategies that support their role in providing long-term care.

Improving Fruit and Vegetable Inventories Through Community Agriculture Program

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

Direct-to-consumer marketing efforts, such as community-supported agriculture (CSA), have been proposed as a solution for disparities in fruit and vegetable consumption. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a CSA intervention to increase household inventory of fruits and vegetables and fruit and vegetable consumption of residents of an underresourced community.

Reproductive Health Outcomes Among US Hispanic and Mexican Women

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

The US-Mexico border region has 15 million residents and 300,000 births annually. Reproductive health concerns have been identified on both sides of the border, but comparable information about reproductive health is not available. The objective of this study was to compare reproductive health indicators among populations in this region.

Bringing Bike Share to a Low-Income Community

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

Active transportation (cycling or walking) is associated with better health outcomes, and bike-sharing programs can help communities increase use of active transportation. The Minneapolis Health Department funded the Nice Ride Minnesota bike share system to expand to the Near North community, a diverse, low-income area of the city where residents experience health disparities, including disparities in physical activity levels.

Assessing the Needs of Caregivers of Stroke Patients in Southern Vietnam

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

Care for stroke patients has improved steadily in southern Vietnam. This study aimed to characterize the caregivers of stroke patients who were treated in state-owned acute-care hospitals and to learn about their needs when patients are discharged. Such information can be used to enhance the caregiver's support system.

Frequent Mental Distress, Chronic Conditions, and Adverse Health Behaviors

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

In the Middle Eastern country of Jordan, chronic diseases and frequent mental distress (FMD) are increasing; however, the capacity for mental health care is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the association between FMD, chronic conditions, and adverse health behaviors in Jordan.

Screening for Fall Risk Through Community-Academic Partnerships

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

Older adults should be screened for fall risk annually. Community providers (people without formal medical training who work with older adults in senior centers or aging services) may be a viable group to expand the reach of screenings. The community-academic partnership detailed in this study developed a program to increase and assess fall risk screenings by community providers.

Are Physical Education Policies Working?

Published on: 25 Sep 2013

School physical education (PE) has been identified as a critical public health tool to increase physical activity among youths. The authors of this paper sought to objectively assess compliance with PE quantity mandates and quality recommendations in a large urban California school district.

Preventing Diabetes-Related Hospitalizations

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Approximately 25% of individuals aged 65 years or older in the United States have diabetes mellitus. Diabetes rates in this age group are higher for Asian American and Pacific Islanders than for whites. Researchers examined racial/ethnic differences in diabetes-related potentially preventable hospitalizations among people aged 65 years or older for Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Native Hawaiians, and whites.

Health Partnerships in Community Parks and Recreation

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Although partnerships between park and recreation agencies and health agencies are prevalent, little research has examined partnership characteristics and effectiveness among communities of different sizes. The objective of this study was to determine whether park and recreation leaders' perceptions of partnership characteristics, effectiveness, and outcomes vary by community size.

Increasing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in Nashville's Urban Food Deserts

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Food deserts, areas that lack full-service grocery stores, may contribute to rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases among low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents. This corner store project, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, aimed to increase availability of healthful foods in food deserts in Nashville, Tennessee.

Preventable Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits for Angina

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Preventable hospitalizations for angina have been decreasing since the late 1980s - most likely because of changes in guidance, physician coding practices, and reimbursement. Researchers examined whether this national decline has continued and whether preventable emergency department visits for angina show a similar decline.

Farmers Markets an Integral Partner in the Patient-Centered Medical Home

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

The number of medical center-based farmers markets has increased in the past decade, but little is known about how such organizations contribute to the preventive health goals of the patient-centered medical home. Researchers obtained descriptive data on the farmers market from hospital and market records and computed summary measures to characterize how the market has begun to meet the 6 standards of the 2011 National Committee for Quality Assurance's report on the medical home.

Study: Smoke-Free Laws Don't Affect Restaurants, Bar Industry

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Smoke-free air laws in restaurants and bars protect patrons and workers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, but owners often express concern that such laws will harm their businesses. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the association between local smoke-free air laws and economic outcomes in restaurants and bars in 8 states without statewide smoke-free air laws. A secondary objective was to examine the economic impact of a 2010 statewide smoke-free restaurant and bar law in North Carolina.

Ranking Counties on Population Health Measures

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has published County Health Rankings (The Rankings) since 2010. These rankings use population-based data to highlight variation in health and encourage health assessment for all US counties. However, the uncertainty of estimates remains a limitation. Researchers sought to quantify the precision of The Rankings for selected measures.

Clinical Improvement Among Primary Care Practices Using Electronic Health Records

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Studies showing sustained improvements in the delivery of clinical preventive services are limited. Fewer studies demonstrate sustained improvements among independent practices that are not affiliated with hospitals or integrated health systems. This study examines the continued improvement in clinical quality measures for a group of independent primary care practices using electronic health records and receiving technical support from a local public health agency.

Declines in Sugary Beverage Consumption Among LA County Children

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

This study assessed changes in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among children in Los Angeles County. We analyzed children's data from the 2007 and 2011 Los Angeles County Health Survey. The percentage of children who consumed 1 or more SSB per day decreased from 43.3% in 2007 to 38.3% in 2011.

Radon Control Activities for Lung Cancer Prevention

Published on: 30 Aug 2013

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer among smokers and the leading cause among nonsmokers. Comprehensive Cancer Control programs develop cancer coalitions that coordinate funding and resources to focus on cancer activities that are recorded in cancer plans. Radon tests, remediation, and radon mitigation techniques are relatively inexpensive, but it is unclear whether coalitions recognize radon as an important carcinogen.

Hospital Nutrition Environments

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

This study used the Hospital Nutrition Environment Scan for Cafeterias, Vending Machines, and Gift Shops to quantitatively describe the consumer nutrition environments of 39 hospitals in Southern California. Data were collected by visiting each facility once from February 2012 through May 2012.

Recession May Be to Blame for Teens' Declining Health-Related Quality of Life

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

Researchers assessed trends in adolescent health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by using data from the 2001-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adolescents' self-rated health and reported mental health declined significantly, especially among those in low-income families, but their physical health and activity limitation did not change. Researchers conclude that these declines are consistent with recession effects and warrant further study.

Weight Management Programs Needed for Overweight, Obese VA Patients

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans (MOVE!) in achieving weight loss in veterans who attended the multidisciplinary weight management program in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Findings from this study support the need for a long-term weight management program to assist overweight and obese VA patients.

Family Child Care Providers' Compliance With State Physical Activity Regulations

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

This study describes the Delaware family child care environment and providers' knowledge of and compliance with physical activity regulations. Researchers analyzed the data to determine characteristics associated with predictors of knowledge of and compliance with these regulations.

Adherence to Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Wellness Program Participants

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

Employee wellness programs have been used to implement worksite-based cancer prevention and control interventions. However, little is known about whether these programs result in improved adherence to cancer screening guidelines. This study was conducted to describe cancer screening behaviors among participants in a state employee wellness program.

Adoption of Smoke-Free Policies at Philly Rec Centers and Playgrounds

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

Adoption of outdoor smoke-free policies has been slow in certain regions. Critical to widespread adoption is the sharing of knowledge about the policy development and implementation process. In this article, researchers describe their experience in making City of Philadelphia recreation centers and playgrounds smoke-free.

Determining the Success of Dutch Healthy Weight Program for Youth

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

A public-private partnership is an essential component of the Dutch community-based approach toward overweight prevention. Beginning in 2010, 25 Dutch municipalities implemented Youth on Healthy Weight (JOGG), but little is known about determinants of successful partnerships. This study aims to identify these determinants to guide other municipalities in creating successful partnerships.

Barriers to Physical Activity Among Special Needs Children

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

Obesity is especially prevalent among children with special needs. Both lack of physical activity and unhealthful eating are major contributing factors. The objective of this study was to investigate barriers to physical activity among these children.

Formative Evaluation for a Healthy Corner Store Initiative in North Carolina

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

In this study researchers examined the feasibility of increasing access to healthful food in corner stores to inform a Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative by engaging stakeholders (corner store owners and customers) in a formative evaluation.

Assessing Rural Food Environments for a Health Corner Store Initiative

Published on: 26 Jul 2013

Obesity prevalence in the rural United States is higher than in urban or suburban areas, perhaps as a result of the food environment. Because rural residents live farther from supermarkets than their urban- and suburban-dwelling counterparts, they may be more reliant on smaller corner stores that offer fewer healthful food items. Researchers discuss results and lessons learned and their efforts to plan, evaluate, and advocate promotion of more healthful food options in rural corner stores.

Are Physical Education Policies Working?

Published on: 25 Jul 2013

Does Incarceration of a Household Member Affect Child Health?

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

Incarceration of a household member has been linked to poor mental and behavioral health outcomes in children, but less is known about the health behaviors of these children once they reach adulthood. Researchers analyzed data from survey respondents to identify associations between children having a household member incarcerated and adult smoking status, weight status, physical activity, and drinking patterns.

Health Departments' Use of Social Media for Diabetes Education

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

Adopting a healthful diet and increasing physical activity are effective in preventing type 2 diabetes and decreasing the severity of diabetes-related complications. Educating and informing the public about health problems is a service provided by local health departments (LHDs). The objective of this study was to examine how LHDs are using social media to educate and inform the public about diabetes.

Hookah Smoking Up Among Canadian Youth

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

Although cigarette use among Canadian youth has decreased significantly in recent years, alternative forms of tobacco use are becoming increasingly popular. Surveillance of youth tobacco use can help inform prevention programs by monitoring trends in risk behaviors. Researchers examined the prevalence of bidi and hookah use and factors associated with their use among Canadian youth by using data from the 2010-2011 Youth Smoking Survey.

Projecting 2020 Lung Cancer Morbidity Rates in Georgia

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. In Georgia, approximately 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 87% of men's lung cancer deaths and 70% of women's lung cancer deaths are due to smoking. The objective of this study was to use the current prevalence of adult cigarette smoking to project future incidence of lung cancer through 2020.

Survey Response Status Among Women Enrolled in Cancer Study

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

The main objective of this analysis was to examine survey responder status by sociodemographic characteristics and by salience of study variables among respondents. Researchers analyzed data from a survey on family cancer history and perceived cancer risk among women at a large managed health-care organization.

Most NY Resident Docs Believe COD Reporting is Inaccurate

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

Death certificates contain critical information for epidemiology, public health research, disease surveillance, and community health programs. In most teaching hospitals, resident physicians complete death certificates. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences and opinions of physician residents in New York City on the accuracy of the cause-of-death reporting system.

Reducing Heart Disease Overreporting as Cause of Death

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

The quality of cause-of-death reporting on death certificates affects the usefulness of vital statistics for public health action. Heart disease deaths are overreported in the United States. Researchers evaluated the impact of an intervention to reduce heart disease overreporting on other leading causes of death.

Smoke-Free Rules and Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

An increasing number of US states and localities have implemented comprehensive policies prohibiting tobacco smoking in all indoor areas of public places and worksites. However, private settings such as homes and vehicles remain a major source of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) for many people. This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of voluntary smoke-free rules and SHS exposure in homes and vehicles among US adults.

Effective Heart Attack and Stroke Awareness Messaging

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

National initiatives to improve the recognition of heart attack and stroke warning signs have encouraged symptomatic people to seek early treatment, but few have shown significant effects in rural American Indian communities. This study reports data from the evaluations of 2 awareness campaigns and provide information about key processes that were used successfully to reach residents of rural Indian communities in Montana.

Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child Care Centers: the Impact of a Wellness Policy

Published on: 26 Jun 2013

The child care environment has emerged as an ideal setting in which to implement policies that promote healthy body weight of children. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a wellness policy and training program on the physical activity and nutrition environment in 24 child care centers in Georgia.

Co-Occurrence of Leading Lifestyle-Related Adult Chronic Conditions

Published on: 28 May 2013

The articles in the multiple chronic conditions collection address the high prevalence and substantial clinical burden of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) among adults. All of these papers further the goals outlined in the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) MCC Strategic Framework. The article by Goodman, Posner, Huang, Parekh, and Koh introduces the topic and describes the origin of the 20 conditions originally selected by the DHHS for emphasis.

Defining and Measuring Chronic Conditions

Published on: 28 May 2013

Current trends in US population growth, age distribution, and disease dynamics foretell rises in the prevalence of chronic diseases and other chronic conditions. These trends include the rapidly growing population of older adults, the increasing life expectancy associated with advances in public health and clinical medicine, the persistently high prevalence of some risk factors, and the emerging high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions.

Prevalence of Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults

Published on: 28 May 2013

Preventing and improving chronic conditions has long been a priority in the United States; however, the increasing recognition that people often have multiple chronic conditions (MCC) has added a layer of complexity with which to contend. The objective of this study was to present the prevalence of MCC and the most common MCC groupings by selected demographic characteristics.

Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults Who Visited Doc Offices

Published on: 28 May 2013

Most research on adults with chronic conditions focuses on a single disease or condition, such as hypertension or diabetes, rather than on multiple chronic conditions (MCC). This study's objective was to compare physician office visits by adults with MCC with visits by adults without MCC, by selected patient demographic characteristics.

Health Care Costs for Adults With Multiple Treated Chronic Conditions

Published on: 28 May 2013

The objective of this article is to illustrate the usefulness of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data for examining variations in medical expenditures for people with multiple chronic conditions (MCC). Researchers analyzed 2009 MEPS data to produce estimates of treated prevalence for MCC and associated medical expenditures for adults in the US civilian noninstitutionalized population.

Hospital Utilization, Costs, and Mortality for Adults With MCC

Published on: 28 May 2013

The objective of this study was to provide a national estimate across all payers of the distribution and cost of selected chronic conditions for hospitalized adults in 2009, grouped by demographic characteristics. Researchers analyzed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer inpatient database in the United States.

Prevalence of Multiple Chronic Conditions Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Published on: 28 May 2013

The increase in chronic health conditions among Medicare beneficiaries has implications for the Medicare system. The objective of this study was to use the US Department of Health and Human Services Strategic Framework on multiple chronic conditions as a basis to examine the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries.

Co-Occurrence of Leading Lifestyle-Related Adult Chronic Conditions

Published on: 28 May 2013

Public health and clinical strategies for meeting the emerging challenges of multiple chronic conditions must address the high prevalence of lifestyle-related causes. Researchers' objective was to assess prevalence and trends in the chronic conditions that are leading causes of disease and death among adults in the United States that are amenable to preventive lifestyle interventions.

Feasibility of Internet Grocery Service in an Urban Food Desert

Published on: 28 May 2013

Researchers explored the feasibility and acceptability of an Internet grocery service (IGS) as an approach to improving food access in urban neighborhoods. In the pilot study, caregivers residing in a documented Chicago food desert received a voucher to use a commercial IGS to purchase groceries for their household. Caregivers most frequently purchased fruits, vegetables, meats, and caloric beverages, and endorsed 4 factors as potentially important determinants of future IGS use.

Estimating Small Area Childhood Obesity Prevalence Using Geocoding

Published on: 28 May 2013

Traditional survey methods for obtaining nationwide small-area estimates of childhood obesity are costly. This study applied a geocoded national health survey in a multilevel modeling framework to estimate prevalence of childhood obesity at the census block-group level.

Study Says Most Learn About Cognitive Health From TV, Magazines, Not Doctor

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Limited research has examined primary care providers' (PCP) communication with patients about maintaining cognitive functioning. The objective of this study was to compare the perceptions of consumers and PCPs related to beliefs and communication practices for preserving memory. Only about 8% reported receiving this kind of information from providers but reported learning about strategies to maintain memory, primarily from television, magazines, and newspapers.

About 1.4 Million Vietnamese Hookah Smoke, Believe There's No Harm

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking is increasing globally and is associated with adverse outcomes requiring tobacco control interventions. Researchers estimated the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco use among adult populations in Vietnam in 2010 and examined its association with sociodemographic factors.

ACHIEVE Model Used to Prevent and Reduce Chronic Disease

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

In the United States, 133 million people live with 1 or more chronic diseases. To prevent and reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) provided technical assistance and funding to local health departments in Washington State to implement the Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) model.

Environments for Healthy Aging

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Safe and well-designed community environments support healthful behaviors that help prevent chronic conditions and unintentional injuries and enable older adults to be active and engaged in community life for as long as possible. Researchers describe the work of the Healthy Aging Research Network (HAN) and partners over the past decade to better understand place-based determinants of health and translate that knowledge to real-world practice, with a focus on environmental strategies.

Study: Regulating Alcohol Density is Key in Reducing Excessive Drinking

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Excessive alcohol use causes approximately 80,000 deaths in the United States each year. Researchers review the research on density of alcohol outlets and public health and describe the powers localities have to influence alcohol outlet density.

Increasing Use of Clinical Preventive Services Among Older US Adults

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

The researchers' objective was to obtain professionals' perceptions of system-level strategies with potential to increase use of clinical preventive services (CPS) among adults aged 50 years or older through community settings. Findings provide insights about preferences for system-level strategies that align with national and state initiatives to increase CPS use.

Study: Only 22% of Surveyed US Adults Drink Enough Water

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of people who have a low intake of drinking water and to determine associations between their behaviors and attitudes and their intake of water. Researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 3,397 US adults who participated in the National Cancer Institute's 2007 Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.

Supermarket-Based Interventions to Promote Healthful Food Choices

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Increasingly high rates of obesity have heightened interest among researchers and practitioners in identifying evidence-based interventions to increase access to healthful foods and beverages. Because most food purchasing decisions are made in food stores, such settings are optimal for interventions aimed at influencing these decisions. The objective of this review was to synthesize the evidence on supermarket and grocery store interventions to promote healthful food choices.

Demand for Weight Loss Counseling After Copayment Elimination

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Overweight and obesity are public health issues in the United States, and veterans have a higher rate of overweight and obesity than the general population. The objective of this study was to examine whether copayment elimination increased use of a weight loss clinic by veterans.

Study Find Only 1% of Summer Magazine Ads Were for Skin Cancer Prevention

Published on: 25 Apr 2013

Magazines focused on parenting are popular in the United States, and parents may use them to guide decisions about the health of their children. Researchers analyzed issues of 2 popular parenting magazines published in the past 11 years during the months of peak ultraviolet radiation exposure for content related to sun protection and for advertisements for skin products that did and did not contain sun protection factor.

Gaps in Cancer Survey Data on American Indians and Alaska Natives

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Population-based data are essential for quantifying the problems and measuring the progress made by comprehensive cancer control programs. However, cancer information specific to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population is not readily available. This study identifies major population-based surveys conducted in the United States that contain questions related to cancer, documented the AI/AN sample size in these surveys, and identified gaps in the types of cancer-related information these surveys collect.

Comparing GYTS Data Editing With Other Data Editing Approaches

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Researchers compared data editing methods in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) with other editing approaches and evaluated the effects of these on smoking prevalence estimates. Five approaches were evaluated for handling inconsistent responses to questions regarding cigarette use: GYTS, do-nothing, gatekeeper, global, and preponderance.

Screening Performance of Diabetes Risk Scores Among Asians and Whites

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Researchers compared the screening performance of risk scores for Asians and whites for diabetes, dysglycemia, and metabolic syndrome. Four hundred and fifty-one people participated in a cohort study from May 2003 through September 2010 in a rural area of the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. All outcome measures showed overlap in the range of area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of Asian and white diabetes risk scores.

Exercise and Its Association With Metabolic Risk Factors in Iranian Adults

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

The association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) was examined among 4,665 randomly selected adults who participated in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 2005-2008. Researchers found that normal-weight participants with light LTPA had higher risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated levels of triglycerides than those with vigorous LTPA.

Comparing Neighborhood Food Outlets, Diet, and Obesity in CA

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Varying neighborhood definitions may affect research on the association between food environments and diet and weight status. The objective of this study was to examine the association between number and type of neighborhood food outlets and dietary intake and body mass index measures among California adults according to the geographic size of a neighborhood or food environment.

Identified: 6 Barriers to Accessing Fruits, Veggies in Low-Income Areas in NC

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help manage and prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Low-income communities often lack stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables and have instead stores that sell foods low in nutritional value. The objective of this study was to understand perceived community-level barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income people.

Promoting Fruit and Veggie Consumption Among Members of Black Churches

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Evidence-based health promotion programs that are disseminated in community settings can improve population health. However, little is known about how effective such programs are when they are implemented in communities. We examined community implementation of an evidence-based program, Body and Soul, to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables.

ORBIT Aims to Reduce Obesity Rates

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Substandard diets and low levels of physical activity have been identified as key determinants of overweight, obesity, and many other chronic conditions. The problem is particularly evident in vulnerable and underserved populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, some low-income groups, and children. In light of the serious health effects posed by the obesity problem, new and potentially more potent interventions for reducing obesity and obesity-related behaviors are needed, especially in high-risk populations.

In-Person Recruiting Most Effective When Seeking Pregnant Women for Study

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Recruiting participants for research studies can be challenging. Many studies fall short of their target or must prolong recruitment to reach it. Researchers examined recruitment and retention strategies and reported lessons learned in a behavioral intervention developmental trial to encourage healthy pregnancy weight gain and stress reduction in low-income overweight pregnant women.

Faith-Based Partnership: Recruiting & Retention

Published on: 26 Mar 2013

Faith-based organizations are recognized as an influential venue for behavioral health interventions. However, less is known about efficient approaches for identifying and recruiting these organizations and about the processes that enable successful partnership.

The Chronic Care Model and Diabetes Management

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

The Chronic Care Model (CCM) uses a systematic approach to restructuring medical care to create partnerships between health systems and communities. The objective of this study was to describe how researchers have applied CCM in US primary care settings to provide care for people who have diabetes and to describe outcomes of CCM implementation.

Reduced Pricing May Increase Consumption of Healthful Foods

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a price reduction on salad bar purchases in a corporate cafeteria. The price of salad bar purchases were reduced by 50% during March 2012 and sales data was analyzed by month for February through June 2012. Salad bar sales by weight more than tripled during the price reduction and returned to baseline afterward.

Racial Differences in Rates of Hospitalization for High BP

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Preventable hospitalization for hypertension is an ambulatory care-sensitive condition believed to indicate the failure of outpatient and public health systems to prevent and control hypertension. Blacks have higher rates of such hospitalizations than whites. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) seeks to implement higher quality health care, which may help close the racial gap in these rates.

Stories From the Field May Help in Obesity Prevention

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

As obesity prevention initiatives increasingly shift toward approaches focused on policy, systems, and environmental change, opportunities to share experiences from the field and lessons learned are growing. Stories are a tool to illustrate processes and outcomes of initiatives that can complement quantitative results. This study describes the methods used to collect, develop, and disseminate stories featuring comprehensive obesity prevention efforts.

IOM: The Value of Community-Based Prevention

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Since the early 1900s, the major causes of illness and death in the United States have changed from infectious disease to chronic disease. Recognition is growing that nonclinical community- and population-based prevention has a large role in improving the public's health and well-being. This essay answers the following questions: How should the value of community-based prevention be assessed? What should be measured? What should be counted, for whom, over what time period, and how?

Understanding Active Living Collaboratives in the US

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Changing the built environment to promote active lifestyles requires collaboration among diverse sectors. Multisectoral collaborative groups in the United States promote active lifestyles through environmental and policy changes. The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of these collaborative groups and the extent to which they have achieved change.

Sugary Beverage Taxes: Will They Reduce Obesity Rates?

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Dramatic increases in obesity and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption over the past several decades have become major public health and clinical concerns. Obesity rates tripled in 30 years, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children more than doubled in the last 2 decades of the twentieth century. A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report suggests that governments implement a sizeable tax to reduce the overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

HPV Prevention Among Women in Kentucky

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Few studies have assessed barriers to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake and adherence, particularly among women of Appalachian Kentucky, a population with higher rates of cervical cancer, lower rates of HPV vaccination, and lower socioeconomic status compared with the rest of the nation. The objective of this study was to address women's reasons for declining the HPV vaccine and, among women who initiated the vaccine series, barriers to completion of the 3-dose regimen.

Evaluating the Diabetes Health Plan: Does it Improve Care and Prevention?

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Investigators from the University of California, Los Angeles, and members of the leadership and data analysis teams at UnitedHealthcare are partnering to evaluate the Diabetes Health Plan (DHP), an innovative disease-specific insurance product designed by UHC specifically for patients with prediabetes or diabetes. The evaluation will use a quasi-experimental design, comparing patients from employer groups that offer the DHP with patients from groups that do not, to determine the effect of the DHP on incidence of diabetes, adherence to metformin, and costs of care among patients with prediabetes.

Reducing Diabetes Risk With Work and Health-Plan Wellness Programs

Published on: 26 Feb 2013

Primary prevention of diabetes is increasingly recognized by both health plans and employers as an important strategy to improve the health of insured populations. As a part of the Natural Experiments in Translation for Diabetes (NEXT-D) network, the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Division of Research is assessing the effectiveness of 2 health plan-initiated programs to prevent the onset of diabetes in patients at high risk.

Genetics Research Needed in States' Cancer Prevention Plans

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Public health genomics strategies are increasingly important in prevention and treatment of cancer. The objectives of this study were to assess the extent to which Comprehensive Cancer Control plans have incorporated genomics-related terms since 2005, determine which of the 3 core public health functions were fulfilled by genomics components, and identify facilitators of and barriers to integration of genomics.

Montana, Arkansas Most At Risk for Chronic Disease

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

The objective of this study was to examine and compare 3 key health behaviors associated with chronic disease. Data was used from the National Health Interview Survey from 1997 through 2010 to calculate the prevalence of these behaviors among older Americans. Older adults residing in Arkansas and Montana had the worst chronic disease risk profile compared with other states.

Research Finds Link Between Obesity and Disabilities

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Obesity is associated with adverse health outcomes in people with and without disabilities; however, little is known about disability prevalence among people who are obese. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of disability among obese adults in the United States. Among the 25.3% of adult men and 24.6% of women in our pooled sample who were obese, 35.2% and 46.9%, respectively, reported a disability.

Smoking Ban Causes Decline in Tobacco-Related Diagnoses

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

The objective of this study was to examine hospital discharge data on 5 tobacco-related diagnoses before and after implementation of a smoking ban in a small Texas city. Researchers compared hospital discharge rates for 2 years before and 2 years after implementation of the ban with discharge rates during the same time in a similar city with no ban. The discharge rates for blacks and whites combined declined significantly after the ban in the intervention city.

Follow PCD Through a Decade of Publishing

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Ten years are a blink. Ten years are a lifetime. It has been 10 years since the first issue of Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy (PCD). A perusal of journal content between December 2011 and July 2012 finds articles on not only subjects of ongoing public health interest such as social determinants, nutrition, and breast health but also topics such as health financing, veterans' health, and health informatics.

PCD Moves Forward, Marks 10 Years

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

In 2003, Drs James Marks and Lynne Wilcox began developing a plan to realize their vision of creating a scholarly journal that would strengthen the links connecting public health research, practice, and policy with regard to chronic diseases. Their vision resulted in the publication the following year of Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy (PCD). As we start our 10th year of publication, we can reflect on what has been accomplished and what might be on the horizon.

Chronic Disease Common Among Sub-Saharan African Population

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health threat, particularly in developing countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, the scarcity of reliable data on NCDs in the general population makes it difficult to develop efficient prevention strategies. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of 4 cardiometabolic NCDs among 402 private-sector workers in Dakar, Senegal.

Youth in Support of Smoking Bans

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

In the United States, little is known about youth attitudes toward smoke-free policies. Our research measures North Carolina middle school and high school students' opinions about smoke-free policies in indoor and outdoor public places as well as private places such as vehicles, homes, and work environments.

Risk Factors for Chronic Disease in Viet Nam

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Chronic diseases account for most of the disease burden in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those in Asia. Researchers reviewed literature on chronic disease risk factors in Viet Nam to identify patterns and data gaps. This study summarizes relevant study information in tables listing available studies, risk factors measured, and the prevalence of these risk factors.

DASH Diet Helps African Americans With Hypertension

Published on: 28 Jan 2013

Randomized trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) program for lowering blood pressure; however, program participation has been limited in some populations. The objective of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of using a culturally modified version of DASH among African Americans in an underresourced community.

Wellness While You Work

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Public health in the United States can be improved by building a workplace culture that supports healthful lifestyles. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes the Prevention and Public Health Fund, will support a new focus on prevention and wellness, offering opportunities to strengthen the public's health through workplace wellness initiatives. This article describes the opportunity the ACA provides to improve worker wellness.

Family Activity Levels Affect Childhood Obesity Rates

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Parents can set household practices that influence children's behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine whether children who live in a household that practices healthful behaviors associated with body weight have a lower body mass index. The study findings indicated that households that being active as a family may counteract the increase in childhood obesity.

Program Uses Youth Advocacy to Target Hispanic Obesity

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

In response to the rise in obesity rates among minorities, researchers developed a pilot program in South Omaha, a Nebraska Latino community, based on a community readiness model, called SaludableOmaha. The program was used to explore the potential of youth advocacy to shift individual and community norms regarding obesity prevention.

Study: Follow-Up Articles Helpful in Depression Care Research

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Information on external validity enables public health practitioners to generalize conclusions about an intervention, which is critical to moving research into practice. Prior reviews examining external validity focused on efficacy publications only. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which secondary articles could enhance information about external validity presented in efficacy studies.

Program Reduces Eating Disorders Among Middle School Students

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

The Planet Health obesity prevention curriculum has prevented disordered weight control behavior (DWCB), including purging and abuse of diet pills, among middle-school girls in randomized trials, but the effects of the program on DWCB when implemented by schools under dissemination conditions are not known. Researchers attempted to determine the effects of the program by executing a 3-year obesity prevention program in middle schools.

Researchers Say Licensing Could Increase Access to Healthful Foods

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

More than 2 million people live in low-income rural areas where the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away. This study proposes a solution that would ensure these areas have improved access to healthful foods. Researchers say that implementing regulations similar to tobacco retailer licensing laws could help improve access to healthful foods throughout entire jurisdictions.

Primary Care Providers and Cognitive Health

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

To facilitate national efforts to maintain cognitive health through public health practice, the Healthy Brain Initiative recommended examining diverse groups to identify stakeholder perspectives on cognitive health. In response, the Healthy Aging Research Network coordinated projects to document the perspectives of older adults, caregivers of people with dementia, and primary care providers (PCPs) on maintaining cognitive health. This study's goal was to describe PCPs' perceptions and practices regarding cognitive health.

Population-Based Strategies Needed to Reduce US Salt Intake

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Approximately 90% of Americans eat too much sodium. This practice leads to increased blood pressure, which increases the risk for stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and renal disease. Population-based strategies to reduce sodium intake can be effective and are needed at national, state, and community levels. This article describes the role of communities and environments in influencing health and strategies being implemented and evaluated by communities implementing sodium reduction programs.

Military Children Less Likely to Be Obese

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Children raised on military bases are less likely to be overweight or obese when compared with children raised in traditional homes. Researchers assessed the prevalence of high body mass index in a group of military children aged 2 to 18 and compared it with BMI data from nonmilitary children. The military children were significantly less likely than their civilian counterparts to be overweight or obese.

New Policies Needed to Reduce Hookah Smoking Among US Youth

Published on: 20 Dec 2012

Many believe that hookah smoking carries less health risk than cigarettes, but a recent study says that isn't true. The study reports that hookah smoking has been associated with many of the same risk factors as cigarettes, including lung cancer and respiratory illness. Researchers say policy interventions such as equalizing tobacco tax rates are needed to reduce the risk among young smokers.

Military Children Less Likely to Be Obese

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

New Policies Needed to Reduce Hookah Smoking Among US Youth

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Smoke-Free-Home Rules Needed to Reduce Infant Smoke Exposure

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Approximately 32 million US children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 were exposed to secondhand smoke during 2007 and 2008. These large numbers led researchers in this study to determine how many mothers with infants in a sample from five northern states enforced rules for a smoke-free home.

Smokers With Chronic Diseases Less Likely to Quit

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Among more than 195,000 state quitline callers, 32.3% reported having one or more of the following chronic diseases: asthma, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. Callers who had a chronic disease were typically older, female, and less likely to quit smoking at 7 months than the nearly 30% of callers who had none of the mentioned chronic diseases.

Depictions of Tobacco Use In Youth-Rated Movies Rebound

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Youth who are heavily exposed to smoking in movies are approximately 2 to 3 times as likely to begin smoking as young people who are lightly exposed. A recent Preventing Chronic Disease study revealed that depictions of smoking have increased in the past few years. This editorial reviews the recent PCD article and reinforces the importance of eliminating tobacco imagery in youth-rated movies.

Diet and Diabetes: Better Communication Needed

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

The authors of this study set out to examine the lifetime prevalence rates of health care professionals giving low-fat diet advice to patients with diabetes. It was found that while many participants received low-fat dietary advice, almost one-third did not. Researchers concluded that increasing rates of diabetes are outpacing increases in provision of low-fat dietary advice.

Tobacco and Dental Hygiene

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

The US Public Health Service calls for health professionals to provide tobacco dependence counseling for patients. This study aimed to understand how dental hygiene programs make decisions about and provide training for tobacco dependence counseling to help them graduate more fully competent hygienists.

Self-Reports vs. Examination-Based Heart Disease Risk Factors

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which accounts for about 20% of deaths in Washington State. For most states, self-reports from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System provide the primary source of information on these risk factors. This study compares prevalence estimates of self-reported obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol with examination-based measures of obesity, high blood pressure, and high-risk lipid profiles.

MOVE! Participant Retention

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

Participant retention is a frequent concern in structured weight-management programs. Although research has explored participant characteristics influencing retention, little attention has been given to the influence of program characteristics. This study examined how program characteristics relate to participant retention in the Veterans Health Administration's weight-management program, MOVE!

Cancer Prevention Program Needs Help to Increase Screenings

Published on: 20 Nov 2012

CDC's Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) funds 25 states and 4 tribal organizations to promote and increase colorectal cancer screening population-wide. The findings presented in this study provide the first picture of CRCCP information resources and interests and point to specific gaps that must be addressed to increase screening.

Factors of Variable Glycemic Control

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Although glycemic control is known to reduce complications associated with diabetes, it is an elusive goal for many patients who have the disease. This study aims to identify factors associated with sustained poor glycemic control, some glycemic variability, and wide glycemic variability among diabetes patients over 3 years.

Workplace Stress May Lead to Obesity

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Acute stress has been associated with diet and physical activity in some studies; however, the relationship between everyday stress and such behaviors is unclear. Researchers examine the associations between perceived stress, dietary behavior, physical activity, eating awareness, self-efficacy, and body mass index among healthy adults in the workplace.

Smoke-Free Air Laws in Indiana

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Despite the evidence of the negative health effects of smoking, 17.3% of the US population and 21.2% of Indiana residents were smokers in 2010. This study evaluates the effects of selected personal characteristics on attitudes and beliefs about secondhand smoke in Indiana and on support for smoke-free air laws.

Break in On-the-Job Sitting Has Health Benefits

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Prolonged sitting has emerged as a risk factor for various negative health outcomes. Researchers designed a practice-based study intended to reduce prolonged sitting time and improve various health factors among workers with sedentary jobs. The Take-a-Stand Project reduced time spent sitting by 224%, reduced upper back and neck pain by 54%, and improved mood.

Public Health and Health Care Reform

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Discussions of health care reform have been a major part of American public discourse in nearly every decade since President Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 platform for re-election included proposal for universal health insurance. This essay covers the topic of health care reform as it relates to today's public health infrastructure.

Improvements Needed in Cause-of-Death Reporting

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Poor-quality cause-of-death reporting reduced reliability of mortality statistics used to direct public health efforts. In response to the overreporting of heart disease as a cause of death (COD) in New York City (NYC), researchers aimed to evaluate the immediate and longer-term effects of a COD educational program that NYC's health department conducted in 8 hospitals on heart disease reporting.

Discrimination Shown to Cause Minority Distress

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Little is known about the relationship between discrimination and distress among minorities. The objective of this study was to assess the association between self-reported experiences of racial discrimination and symptoms of psychological distress among 5 racial/ethnic groups in California.

Are HIV/AIDS Patients Receiving Adequate Dental Care?

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

The American Dental Association has identified several barriers to adequate dental care, including appropriate case management, for vulnerable populations. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of dental patients living with HIV/AIDS on the role and value of the dental case manager and the effect of its services on their oral or overall health.

Affordable Care Act Not as Helpful for Uninsured Women

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) will increase insurance coverage for US citizens and for breast and cervical cancer screenings, but a number of low-income and uninsured populations may still need National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program services. This study aims to estimate the number of low-income women who would gain health insurance after implementation of the ACA and thus be able to obtain cancer screenings.

Are Nutritious Foods Available in Small Food Stores?

Published on: 26 Oct 2012

Small food stores are prevalent in urban neighborhoods, but the availability of nutritious foods at such stores is not well known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether data from 3 sources would yield a single, consistent, healthful food store category that can be used to accurately characterize community nutrition environments for public health research.

Suicide Risk Is Tied to Local Economic and Social Conditions

Published on: 10 Sep 2024

One person dies by suicide an average of every 11 minutes. Over 49,000 people lost their lives to suicide in 2022. Every year, millions of Americans think about, plan, or attempt suicide.

Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program 30 Years of Protecting Children

Published on: 13 Aug 2024

Vaccines have saved lives for over 100 years and are essential to protecting people from deadly diseases. Getting vaccinated on time is essential throughout childhood. This helps protect children before they are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.

Drowning Increases in the U.S.

Published on: 14 May 2024

Over 4,500 people drowned each year in the United States from 2020-2022. This is about 500 more drowning deaths each year compared to 2019. Groups already at higher risk saw the greatest increases in deaths, including young children and older adults of all races and ethnicities, and Black people of all ages.

Health-Related Social Needs Can Keep Women from Getting Lifesaving Mammograms

Published on: 09 Apr 2024

Breast cancer causes more than 40,000 deaths in women each year in the United States. Deaths due to breast cancer have decreased over time, yet some groups experience more deaths than others.

Health Workers Face a Mental Health Crisis

Published on: 24 Oct 2023

Workers Report Harassment, Burnout, and Poor Mental Health;Supportive Workplaces Can Help

Many Women Report Mistreatment During Pregnancy and Delivery

Published on: 22 Aug 2023

Maternal death rates in the U.S. rose from 2018 to 2021. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

Eliminating HIV as a Global Public Health Threat

Published on: 14 Mar 2023

Eliminating HIV as a Global Public Health Threat. Building on Tremendous Progress Will Save Lives and Make the World Safer.

Preventing Bloodstream Infections in People on Dialysis

Published on: 06 Feb 2023

Dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease puts patients at higher risk for staph bloodstream infections, which can be serious and even deadly.

Inequities in Flu Vaccine Uptake

Published on: 18 Oct 2022

More flu vaccination is needed for people from some racial and ethnic minority groups.

Preventing Sickle Cell Anemia Complications in Children

Published on: 20 Sep 2022

Too few children with sickle cell anemia get screening and treatment for life-threatening problems.

Hepatitis C Treatment

Published on: 09 Aug 2022

Hepatitis C is curable in more than 95% of cases. Yet, even among insured people, only about 1 in 3 receive timely treatment. Learn how reducing barriers can increase hepatitis C treatment and save lives.

Drug Overdose Deaths & Disparities

Published on: 19 Jul 2022

Drug Overdose Deaths Increase and Disparities Widen.

Firearms Deaths

Published on: 10 May 2022

Learn more about firearm deaths and what can be done to prevent them.

HIV and Gay and Bisexual Men

Published on: 30 Nov 2021

Gay and bisexual men account for about two-thirds (66%) of new HIV infections each year.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)

Published on: 04 Aug 2020

Recognize symptoms. Hospitalize immediately.

Ending HIV Transmission

Published on: 03 Dec 2019

About 38,000 new HIV infections still occur each year. The US Government recently proposed Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America to reduce HIV transmission.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Published on: 05 Nov 2019

Preventing early trauma to improve adult health.

Vaccinating Pregnant Women

Published on: 08 Oct 2019

Influenza and whooping cough can be deadly, especially in a baby's first few months of life. Vaccinating women against these diseases during each pregnancy helps protect both them and their babies. Studies show flu and whooping cough vaccines are very safe for pregnant women and developing babies.

Life-Saving Naloxone from Pharmacies

Published on: 06 Aug 2019

More dispensing needed despite progress.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)

Published on: 09 Jul 2019

Promptly recognize and rapidly report.

Rabies: A Forgotten Killer

Published on: 12 Jun 2019

Rabies is a virus that infects wildlife, especially bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes in the US.

Ending the HIV Epidemic

Published on: 18 Mar 2019

HIV Treatment Is Prevention

Staph Infections Can Kill

Published on: 05 Mar 2019

Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a germ found on people's skin. Staph can cause serious infections if it gets into the blood and can lead to sepsis or death.

Tobacco Use By Youth Is Rising

Published on: 11 Feb 2019

Tobacco product use among US youth is increasing. More than 1 in 4 high school students and about 1 in 14 middle school students in 2018 had used a tobacco product in the past 30 days.

Life expectancy drops again in 2021

Published on: 28 Mar 2024

Life expectancy for the U.S. population in 2022 was 77.5 years, an increase of 1.1 years from 2021. To learn more about this topic, visit FastStats

Diet/Nutrition

Published on: 14 Jul 2023

Data for the United States on Diet/Nutrition

15,600 nursing homes

Published on: 05 Jul 2023

69.3% of nursing homes are for-profit ownership

Osteoporosis

Published on: 05 Jul 2023

Data for the United States on Osteoporosis

Men's Health

Published on: 05 Jul 2023

Data for the United States on Men's Health

Adolescents Health 12-17 years old

Published on: 26 May 2023

Adolescents aged 12-17 years who smoked cigarettes, used alcohol in the past month, who are obese, and more.

Physician Office Visits for Mental Health Disorders

Published on: 26 May 2023

55.7 million physician office visits with mental disorders as the primary diagnosis - understanding symptoms and trends by different characteristics. Visit FastStats to review the data

Assault or Homicide

Published on: 26 May 2023

Data for the United States on Assault or Homicide

Reproductive Health

Published on: 26 May 2023

Visit FastStas to find data on reproductive health

Digestive Diseases and Ulcers

Published on: 22 May 2023

There were 7.9 million visits to emergency departments in 2018 with digestive diseases as the primary diagnosis

Cholesterol

Published on: 22 May 2023

How many physician office visits resulted in a cholesterol measure being ordered or provided by the physician

Adult Day Services Centers

Published on: 22 May 2023

Learn more about the data on adult day services centers. Visit FastStats

Infertility

Published on: 22 May 2023

Between 2015 and 2019, 11.5% of women 15-49 years of age have ever received infertility service.

Anemia or Iron Deficiency

Published on: 22 May 2023

Visit FastStats for more data on anemia or iron deficiency

AIDS and HIV

Published on: 11 May 2023

Learn more about the trends in HIV and AIDS in the United States.

Health of Black or African American non-Hispanic Population

Published on: 11 May 2023

Let's take a closer look at the health of Black or African American non-Hispanic Population

Teen Births

Published on: 11 May 2023

Visit Faststas for more information

Therapeutic Drug Use - provided or prescribed

Published on: 09 May 2023

Visit Faststas for more information

Kidney Disease

Published on: 09 May 2023

Visit FastStats for data on number of deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis

Body Measurements

Published on: 08 May 2023

What is the average height and weight for men and women?

Health of White non-Hispanic Population

Published on: 08 May 2023

Let's take a closer look at the health of the White, non-Hispanic population.

Alzheimer Disease

Published on: 08 May 2023

Ranked #7 Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020

Trends in Mammography

Published on: 08 May 2023

Percent of women aged 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years: 69.1% (2019)

State and Territorial Data

Published on: 08 May 2023

Births, births rates, deaths, and death rates by state and territory

Older Person's Health

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

Do you know the life expectancy for men and women?

Leading Causes of Death

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

In 2020, heart disease was the leading cause followed by cancer. Nine of the top 10 causes of death remain unchanged in 2020.

Electronic Medical Records/Electronic Health Records (EMRs/EHRs)

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

In 2019, 89.9% of office-based physicians use EMR/EHR systems

Hospice Care: 1.6 million patients in 2018

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

Learn more about the data on hospice care. Visit FastStats

81.1% of residential care communities with for-profit ownership

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

Learn more about the data on residential care communities. Visit FastStats

Health of Mexican American Population

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

Births, deaths, healthcare, diseases, and more data on the Mexican American population in the United States

Number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) cases by county

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

Visit Faststats to learn about which areas have the highest STD rates based on the year

Number of infant births and deaths

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

low birthweight, preterm, and leading causes of infant deaths

$3.8 trillion in Health Expenditures

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

2019 data on the total national health expenditures as a percent of Gross Domestic Product

Number of emergency department visits for injuries

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

Injuries from poisonings and motor vehicles cause emergency department visits, and even death. Visit FastStats to learn more

Hypertension

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

48.1% of adults aged 18 and over have hypertension (measured high blood pressure and/or taking antihypertensive medication).

Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

Published on: 11 Apr 2023

Trends in Infectious diseases from Health, United States

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Includes: Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema

Published on: 06 Apr 2023

Physican office visits and emergency department visits for COPD

Pneumonia

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

How many people received a pneumonia vaccination? Visit FastStats.

Hepatitis A, B, and C

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Are Hepatitis cases increasing?

Pap Tests

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Visit FastStats to see data on women aged 18 and over who had a Pap test within the past 3 years

Number Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes Cases

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Find out how many visits to emergency departments are associated with diabetes using FastStats

Marriage and Divorce

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Visit FastStats to find data on marriage and divorce rates in the U.S.

Oral and Dental Health

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Untreated dental caries in children aged 5-19 and adults aged 20-44

Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

In 2018, there were 4.5 million adults diagnosed with liver disease. Visit FastStats for more information

Child Health: access to healthcare, obesity, death rates, and more

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Visit FastStats to find out how many children in different age groups are in fair or poor health.

Allergies and Hay Fever

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Learn about hay fever, respiratory allergies, skin allergies, food allergies, and more with FastStat

Number of twins, triplets, quadruplets, and other higher order births

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Is Twin Childbearing on the Decline? Visit FastStat

Less than 2500 grams - Low birth weight in babies

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Check out FastStats for information on low birthweight births (less than 1500 grams), preterm deliveries, and more.

Births - Method of Delivery

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

For information about different types of birth deliveries, visit FastStats

Births in unmarried women

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Has the number of unmarried childbirths increased since the 1990s?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Published on: 04 Apr 2023

Is ADHD more common in boys or girls?

Arthritis

Published on: 03 Apr 2023

In 2021, 21.3% of adults aged 18 and over had diagnosed arthritis.

860.4 million Ambulatory Care Use and Physician office visits (2018)

Published on: 03 Apr 2023

How many children or adults had a visit with a doctor or other health care professional?

Birth Defects or Congenital Anomalies

Published on: 17 Mar 2023

Find data on birth defects and congenital anomalies. Visit FastStats

Alcohol-induced deaths

Published on: 17 Jan 2023

Percent of adults aged 18 and over who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year

130.0 million Emergency Department Visits

Published on: 17 Jan 2023

Data on patient seen in fewer than 15 minutes, admission to critical care unit, transfer to a different hospital, and more.

Annual number of office visits for asthma

Published on: 09 Jan 2023

Percent of adults aged 18 and over who currently have asthma

2.2 million physician offices with stroke as the primary diagnosis

Published on: 09 Jan 2023

Number of adults who ever had a stroke and Number of deaths from strokes in 2018

The #1 cause of death, Heart Disease

Published on: 06 Jan 2023

2020 data available on coronary heart disease, physician office visits, and emergency department visits. Visit FastStats

Hospital Utilization (in non-Federal short-stay hospitals)

Published on: 06 Jan 2023

7.9% of persons with overnight hospital stays

Number of new whooping cough cases

Published on: 06 Jan 2023

What percent of children vaccinated by age 24 months with 4 or more doses of DTaP vaccination?

Body measurements growth charts for children 2-20 years old

Published on: 15 Dec 2022

From 2017 to March 2020, 12.7% of children ages 2 to 5 years had obesity. See how the updated growth charts assess body measurements.

Electronic cigarettes become more popular for younger age groups

Published on: 27 Oct 2022

Among adolescents, electronic cigarette use was 20.8% in the last 30 days.

Cancer rates on the rise in the U.S.

Published on: 27 Oct 2022

Are there more people in the U.S. with cancer than there used to be?

Health insurance by the numbers

Published on: 04 Oct 2022

Public, private or uninsured? The NHIS early release estimates that 63.3% of Americans under the age of 65 have private insurance.

Births, Deaths, Healthcare, Diseases, and more

Published on: 04 Oct 2022

Let's take a closer look at the health of the Asian and Pacific Islander populations.

Births, Deaths, Healthcare, Diseases, and more

Published on: 04 Oct 2022

Let's take a closer look at the health of America Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Tis the season for influenza

Published on: 04 Oct 2022

October marks the start of flu season. Influenza and pneumonia rank 9th among the leading causes of death in the US.

Is your child vaccine ready for this school year?

Published on: 04 Oct 2022

92.5% of children have been vaccinated against polio by 24 months. Is your child up to date on all their vaccinations?

What health indicators affect access to care?

Published on: 03 Oct 2022

In 2021, 6.3% of adults reported not getting needed medical care due to cost in the past 12 months. Visit FastStats Access-to-Care.

Leading cause of suicide in 2020

Published on: 30 Sep 2022

Firearm suicides account for the highest number of suicides and self-harm injuries in 2020

Mental health, Physician office visits, and Emergency department visits.

Published on: 30 Sep 2022

10.6% of physician office visits indicated depression on the medical record. Visit FastStats to learn more

Accidents and unintentional injuries a leading cause of death

Published on: 30 Sep 2022

In 2020, all unintentional injury deaths ranked number 4 as a leading cause of death in the US.

Births, Deaths, Healthcare, Diseases, and more

Published on: 30 Sep 2022

Let's take a closer look at the health of the Hispanic and Latino population.

Are you meeting physical activity guidelines?

Published on: 30 Sep 2022

How many adults aged 18 and older are meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity?

National Recovery Month

Published on: 27 Sep 2022

This month we celebrate people in all forms of recovery. In 2020, drug overdoses accounted for 91,799 deaths in the United States. Learn more at FastStats.

Back to school ready

Published on: 23 Sep 2022

Are Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccinations on your back to school check list?

Did death rates change in 2020?

Published on: 01 Sep 2022

Have death rates changed for certain age groups? Latest data show there was an increase in death rates for teenagers and adults in 2020. Visit FastStats www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm to learn more about this topic

Women's Health: Alcohol use, physical activity, smoking, obesity, and more

Published on: 20 Apr 2021

In 2021 13.9% of women aged 18 and over were in fair or poor health

Difficulties in physical functioning and selected sensory problems

Published on: 14 Apr 2021

Visit FastStat to find data on adults who have difficulty walking, climbing stairs, seeing, hearing and more.

Chronic Sinusitis: Emphysema, Asthma, Bronchitis, and more

Published on: 25 Jan 2021

Find out more about chronic sinusitis as the primary diagnosis for physician office visits by visiting FastStats.

Contraceptive Use

Published on: 10 Nov 2020

How many females aged 15-49 years use contraceptives?