The role of local mass media in promoting the consumption of iodized table salt.
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Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is currently an important public health problem in Turkey. The use of iodized salt is a sample and cheap solution. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of iodized salt use in the Trabzon region and the effect of a local mass-media education program in increasing usage. The overall aim was to use the findings to inform future health management and health education activities, and shape further development of the IDD program. Prior to the intervention, the prevalence of iodized salt consumption was 54.5%. Following the 3-month education program it increased to 62.4%. There was a significant difference in the pre- and post-intervention findings (P = 0.00237). The results show that the use of local mass media is effective in raising the prevalence of iodized salt use. Local mass media could therefore be used as part of a national strategy to prevent iodine deficiency disorders. (+info)
Emerging areas of research reported during the CDC National Conference on Pfiesteria: from biology to public health.
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Since its identification in 1996, the marine dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger & Burkholder has been the focus of intense scientific inquiry in disciplines ranging from estuarine ecology to epidemiology and from molecular biology to public health. Despite these research efforts, the extent of human exposure and the degree of human illness directly associated with Pfiesteria is still in the process of being defined. Unfortunately, during this same time Pfiesteria has also stimulated media coverage that in some instances jumped ahead of the science to conclude that Pfiesteria presents a widespread threat to human health. Political and economic forces also came into play when the tourism and seafood industries were adversely impacted by rumors of toxin-laden water in estuaries along the east coast of the United States. Amid this climate of evolving science and public concern, Pfiesteria has emerged as a highly controversial public health issue. In October 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored the National Conference on Pfiesteria: From Biology to Public Health to bring together Pfiesteria researchers from many disparate disciplines. The goal of this meeting was to describe the state of the science and identify directions for future research. In preparation for the conference an expert peer-review panel was commissioned to review the existing literature and identify research gaps; the summary of their review is published in this monograph. During the meeting primary Pfiesteria researchers presented previously unpublished results. The majority of those presentations are included as peer-reviewed articles in this monograph. The discussion portion of the conference focused upon researcher-identified research gaps. This article details the discussion segments of the conference and makes reference to the presentations as it describes emerging areas of Pfiesteria research. (+info)
Effectiveness of a mass media campaign to recruit young adults for testing of Chlamydia trachomatis by use of home obtained and mailed samples.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured information campaign aiming to recruit young adults for a Chlamydia trachomatis test by use of a non-invasive, home obtained and mailed sample. METHODS: All individuals aged 21-23 living in Aarhus county, Denmark (30 000 young adults) were offered a mailed home sampling test for C trachomatis as part of a structured 14 week information campaign on chlamydia. The kit for home sampling could be requested by leaving a message on an answering machine or through a website on the internet. RESULTS: During the campaign 119 of 15 000 women (0.8%) and 64 of 15 000 men (0.4%) were tested. Prevalence of infection was 8.4% (10/119) and 7.8% (5/64) in females and males, respectively. Four infections in women (4/10=40%) and three infections in men (3/5=60%) were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: The mass media campaign had only a limited effect, and there is a need for more effective outreach programmes to recruit young asymptomatic individuals for C trachomatis testing. (+info)
Update: Investigation of bioterrorism-related anthrax and adverse events from antimicrobial prophylaxis.
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CDC and state and local public health authorities continue to investigate cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax. As of November 7, a total of 22 cases of anthrax have been identified according to the CDC surveillance case definition; 10 were confirmed inhalational anthrax cases and 12 cases (seven confirmed and five suspected) were cutaneous anthrax (Table 1). The majority of cases have occurred in persons working at postal facilities in New Jersey (NJ) and the District of Columbia (DC) in which letters contaminated with anthrax were handled or processed using high-speed sorting machines, or at media companies in New York City (NYC) or Florida (FL) where letters, either confirmed or presumed to be contaminated with anthrax, were opened or handled. The probable exposures for a case of cutaneous anthrax in NJ and a case of inhalational anthrax in NYC remain unknown. Epidemiologic investigations of these cases and surveillance to detect new cases of bioterrorism-associated anthrax continue. This report updates the investigation of these cases and describes adverse events associated with antimicrobial prophylaxis. (+info)
Paid celebrity endorsement in health promotion: a case study from Australia.
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In late 1998, Australian cricketer Shane Warne was allegedly paid A$200 000 ( pound78 060, US$123 000) by a pharmaceutical company to publicize his attempt to stop smoking. Warne failed to stop, and his continuing smoking remained newsworthy more than a year later. The arrangement caused considerable media controversy about the ethics of payment for charitable or socially worthy actions. This paper explores the community's reaction to payment for modelling a healthy behaviour, discussing the values that Warne transgressed and whether these mattered, given that the campaign caused an unprecedented rise in the use of nicotine replacement therapy. (+info)
Cancer risk assessment for arsenic exposure through oyster consumption.
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Risk is assessed on the basis of assumptions, but this practice might not be well received by the general public. To avoid miscommunication, the assumptions should be stated clearly in reporting the results. Recently, a report on an assessment of the cancer risk associated with consumption of oysters caused a panic among consumers in Taiwan and produced significant effects on related industries. A group of researchers measured the arsenic content in oysters in the Taiwan area and conducted a cancer risk assessment accordingly. The results, published in a research article in an international journal, included a lifetime cancer risk estimate of 5.10/10(-4) as calculated based on the assumption that a person consumes oysters with the highest arsenic level (19.3 mg/g dry weight) at the highest rate (139 g/day) for 30 years. A national newspaper in Taiwan translated part of the article and published results that focused on the finding that this estimate was more than 500 times higher than what would be considered acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, most consumers stopped purchasing oysters, and the related industries suffered substantial losses. The newspaper's omission of the key assumptions in the risk assessment and the extreme assumptions made in the risk assessment led to this tragedy. This event demonstrated the importance of careful communication of risk assessment results. (+info)
Impacts from repeated mass media campaigns to promote sun protection in Australia.
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Campaigns using television, radio and print media were conducted over three summers in New South Wales, Australia, aiming to increase the use of sun protection measures among children under 12 years. The evaluation entailed cross-sectional telephone surveys before and after each of the first two campaigns and following the third campaign. The study group were parents of children under 12 years. Random digit dialling yielded samples of approximately 800 for each survey. Measures addressed campaign recall and sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. The surveys revealed significant levels of campaign recall. Knowledge about the protective benefits of sunscreens, hats and protective clothing was high at baseline and showed little improvement over the campaigns. Knowledge levels about the benefits of shade cover and of the relative risks of skin cancer from childhood sun exposure were lower, and also did not show improvement. Just one of the four attitude factors showed significant improvement, and this concerned the importance that parents placed on the issue of child sun protection. After the final campaign there were increases compared with baseline in childrens' use of sunscreen, protective clothing and shade, but it was notable that between campaigns levels of these behaviours were similar to or below those at baseline. There was no evidence of a campaign-related increase in hat wearing by children. All sun protection measures were used less often by adults than children, but these showed similar trends. Mass media campaigns may contribute to short-term increases in some sun protection behaviours; however, as their impact is not sustained they should be repeated and supplemented by educational, policy and environmental strategies. (+info)
Tobacco control: consensus report of the National Medical Association.
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ISSUES: Tobacco Control remains one of the greatest determinants for reducing the morbidity and mortality of African Americans. OBJECTIVE: To examine the scope and consequences of tobacco use among African Americans and characterize its implications for the National Medical Association physician membership and their patients, and identify policy, education, advocacy and research issues in Tobacco Control for the organization. CONSENSUS PROCESS: Literature review using the MEDLINE database from January 1966 to August 1999 Week 1, searching Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) reading combined with text words "Black" or "African American" and "Tobacco" as a search term, identified 130 articles/110 abstracts published between 1988 and February 1999. The panel selected 61 appropriate articles and a paper summarizing the literature review was developed. The summary paper was used as background material for a formal consensus panel discussion on July 16-17, 1999. Consensus among committee members was reached via mail, fax and e-mail using the summary review paper, annotated bibliographies key informant surveys, and previous NMA resolutions on tobacco control. A formal working session was held on July 16-17, 1999 in which four areas of concentration of issues were determined: Policy, Advocacy, Education and Research. All committee members approved the final report. SUMMARY: Because tobacco control issues in African Americans are both complex and poorly understood, the panel views the NMA's role as pivotal in the coordination of resources and capacity-building to address all four areas identified. Stronger partner-ships with traditional federal and nonprofit agencies associated with tobacco control/advocacy in African Americans as well as nontraditional organizations (i.e., churches, academia, marketing and media organizations) also must occur to strengthen the infra-structure needed to assess needs, design appropriate interventions and evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficacy of tobacco control efforts in African American communities. (+info)