Healthy Communities and civil discourse: a leadership opportunity for public health professionals.
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The author argues that the Healthy Communities movement provides public health professionals with an opportunity to become not just community leaders but also agents of change in a broad political sense. Extending the work of Kohlberg and other developmental psychologists, the author describes five levels of civil discourse. Professionals who practice the inclusive, consensus-oriented level of discourse, which is consistent with the philosophy of Healthy Communities, can help reinvigorate civil society and democracy as a part of making their communities healthier. (+info)
Improving collaboration between researchers and communities.
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Active collaboration between communities and researchers is critical to developing appropriate public health research strategies that address community concerns. To capture the perspectives of inner-city Seattle communities about issues in community-researcher partnerships, Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities conducted interviews with community members from the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Central and Southeast Seattle. The results suggest that effective community-researcher collaborations require a paradigm shift from traditional practices to an approach that involves: acknowledging community contributions, recruiting and training minority people to participate in research teams, improving communication, sharing power, and valuing respect and diversity. (+info)
Backing onto sacred ground.
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It is widely recognized that the health of individuals and communities is determined by the interaction of physical, mental, social, and spiritual factors. Public health leaders can find precedent for the resulting holistic strategies in the collaboration with religious structures that characterized the early years of public health. The modern context is more pluralistic, democratic, and complex in terms of its institutional array of partners. (+info)
Community exposures to chemical incidents: development and evaluation of the first environmental public health surveillance system in europe.
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OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency, nature and location of acute chemical incidents in Wales, and the morbidity in employees, emergency responders and the general public who were exposed. DESIGN: Active multi-agency community-based surveillance system. SETTING: Wales, 1993-5. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency, nature and location of incidents, populations potentially exposed and with symptoms. RESULTS: Most of the 402 incidents identified were not associated with sites governed by the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations but with smaller industrial sites and commercial premises. About two in every thousand of the estimated 236 000 members of the public considered to be at risk from exposure reported symptoms, which were mainly nausea, headaches, and irritation of the eye, skin and respiratory tract. The most commonly reported chemicals that members of the public were exposed to were smoke toxins, miscellaneous organics, toxic gases and flammable gases. A health authority was reported to be involved in only 34 (8%) of the incidents and in only 3 of the 29 incidents where more than 100 members of the public were exposed. CONCLUSION: A geographically defined, multi-agency surveillance system can identify high risk locations and types of incidents, together with the chemicals most likely to be involved. Such ongoing surveillance information is essential for appropriate policy making, emergency planning, operational management and training. (+info)
The global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.
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Ten years ago, no one foresaw that in the year 2000 there would be a Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) that is already 2 years old, active in 18 of the 80 endemic countries, and operating under a wholly new paradigm in public health - a paradigm affirming that public/private sector partnerships are essential in sharing both responsibilities and responses to global health problems. What has driven the LF Elimination Programme to this point? Where it is now headed? What will be required to sustain its momentum? What will its impact be? These are the issues addressed below. (+info)
Race/ethnicity and OMB Directive 15: implications for state public health practice.
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OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the impact of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) 1997 revised standards for the collection of race and ethnicity data on state health departments, using the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) as the primary example, and we make recommendations for states' implementation of these standards. METHODS: After analyzing the revised OMB standards, existing MDPH data sets were assessed for the impact of the revised standards on data collection, tabulation, analysis, and reporting for state health departments. RESULTS: The revised OMB standards will have an impact on the MDPH and other state health departments. Similarities and differences exist between federal and state health agencies regarding the purpose of data collection, tabulation, analysis, and reporting. These similarities and differences will affect state implementation of the revised OMB standards. CONCLUSIONS: States need to plan for the implementation of the revised OMB standards and to understand the impact of this revision on the collecting and reporting of public health data. The revised OMB standards will introduce added complexities to the collection and analysis of race and ethnicity data, but they will also produce a more nuanced understanding of the relationship of race and ethnicity to the health of the American people. (+info)
The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network: constructing and operating a statewide epidemiologic intelligence system.
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Working with the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) and researchers at the University of Akron, Wright State University's Center for Interventions, Treatment, and Addictions Research developed the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network to provide a statewide summary of substance abuse trends. Ten key informants across the state collect qualitative and statistical data on substance abuse trends in their regions and prepare biannual reports. The OSAM network has a rapid response capability through which key informants can investigate special issues related to substance abuse identified by ODADAS and provide policymakers with timely, statewide reports. Within 12 months after operations began, the key informants produced reports on drug abuse trends and rapid response issues for the state. These reports prepared policymakers to respond more effectively to prevention and substance abuse treatment needs. (+info)
Attitudes and practices regarding varicella vaccination among physicians in Minnesota: implications for public health and provider education.
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OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine physicians' attitudes and practices regarding varicella vaccine. METHODS: A sample of Minnesota family physicians and pediatricians was surveyed in January 1997. RESULTS: Of 255 physicians surveyed, 108 (42%) reported routinely offering varicella vaccine. Physicians who perceived their professional organization's recommendations as "very important" were more likely to routinely offer varicella vaccine. Physicians who preferred natural disease over vaccination and those concerned about waning immunity were less likely to routinely offer vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations of professional organizations have encouraged varicella vaccine use and may further enhance future use. Differences in pediatricians' and family physicians' attitudes and practices regarding this vaccine suggest that education of providers by specialty may be needed to increase acceptance of newly licensed vaccines. (+info)