Public Health Blog created by Laura Larsson

Public Health Weblog
collected and organized
by
Laura Larsson
Clinical Faculty, SPHCM
University of Washington

{2004}
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Alanna Shaikh's Blood and Milk: Public Health in Central Asia

Harry Rutter's Public Health Today
(Blog from the UK)

eLearning Blogs

Online Learning Update Blog

Educational Technlogy

Online Higher Ed Notebook

eLearningpost

Internettime

More about Blogs and Their Variations

The Art of Blogging - Part 1
Overview, Definitions, Uses, and Implications
by
George Siemens. December 1, 2002

The Art of Blogging - Part 2
Getting Started, "How To", Tools, Resources
December 6, 2002

Weblog to Moblog
By
Justin Hall, Nov 21 2002

July 2004

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July 15, 2004 11:35 AM

State Fact Sheets (USDA ERS)
http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/

The ERS State Fact Sheets contain frequently requested data for each state and for the total United States. These include current data on population, per-capita income, earnings per job, poverty rates, employment, unemployment, farm and farm-related jobs, farm characteristics, farm financial characteristics, top agricultural commodities, top export commodities, and the top counties in agricultural sales.

The ERS State Fact Sheets have been updated to include new data from the 2002 Census of Agriculture. You can now examine farm characteristics from the last three Censuses (1992, 1997, and 2002). Additional data has been added on land, organic farming, and farm operators.

Source: USDA ERS newsletter. Released Friday, July 16, 2004

See http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/

Evaluating the Impact of School Nutrition Programs: Final Report
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/efan04008/

This study develops estimates of the efficacy of school nutrition programs in improving a broad range of dietary outcomes by comparing the nutritional status of students and their families during the school year with the status when school is out. The study finds evidence that children who have a School Breakfast Program (SBP) available consume a better overall diet, consume a lower percentage of calories from fat, are less likely to have a low intake of magnesium, and are less likely to have low serum levels of vitamin C and folate. For every outcome examined, SBP availability either promotes better outcomes or at the least does not promote worse outcomes. The results of this study suggest that the availability of an SBP has beneficial effects for children. This report describes the study's broad evaluation of the SBP and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The study used the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III (NHANES III)—a nationally representative data set that contains detailed information on food consumption, a complete clinical exam, and a laboratory report for respondents.

Source: USDA ERS newsletter. Released Tuesday, July 13, 2004

July 15, 2004 11:35 AM

More Than 20 Million Consumers Using the Internet to Manage Health Benefits
http://www.manhattanresearch.com/
HospitalHealthPlan_071404_.pdf

Some 21.9 million U.S. adults use health plan Web sites, up 94% from last year, according to an analysis by Manhattan Research. Consumers have expanded their use of these sites from merely obtaining physician information and updates on coverage and benefits, to researching treatment options, conducting routine customer service requests, and finding general health and drug information.

Press Release: More Than 20 Million Consumers Using the Internet to Manage Health Benefits (7/14/04, Manhattan Research)
http://www.manhattanresearch.com/inthenews.htm

Source: Janice Solomon, Program Analyst, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute

July 14, 2004 1:27 PM

Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.maternitywise.org/guide/

The full text of A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth
(Oxford University Press, 2000) is freely available on this website

Release of CDC's School Health Index
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health, is pleased to announce the release of the third edition of the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide. This version of the School Health Index will enable schools to address their policies and programs related to safety (unintentional injury and violence prevention) in addition to the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco-free lifestyle issues addressed in the previous editions.

In addition to the new printed edition, an online version of the School Health Index can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI. This web-based version will allow you to select only those topics (physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use, or safety) your school is interested in and print a customized score card and discussion questions.

The School Health Index is designed for use at both the elementary and middle/high school levels. It was developed to provide schools with a tool to assess their policies and programs in relation to the recommendations of CDC school health guidelines. The School Health Index can help schools: (1) identify strengths and weaknesses; (2) prioritize actions for improvement; and (3) develop a team approach to implementing school guidelines recommendations.

you may obtain a printed copy in the following ways: Request by email: healthyyouth@cdc.gov, request by telephone: (888) 231-6405. Request by fax: (888) 282-7681. Or, download from CDC web site: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI

When ordering, please specify either the elementary school version or the middle/high school and the number of copies desired.

July 12, 2004 4:18 PM

National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO), Health and Human Services
http://www.dhhs.gov/nvpo/pandemics/

In addition to information about pandemics and a short history of past pandemics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a software program to help hospitals and public health officials prepare for the next flu pandemic. Called, FluSurge 1.0, this spreadsheet-based software estimates the potential surge in demand for hospital beds, intensive-care-unit beds and
mechanical ventilators for each week during a pandemic and compares it with actual capacity. It is a companion to the previously released FluAid 2.0. FluAid estimates the total deaths, hospitalizations and outpatient visits that might occur during an influenza pandemic. Both software programs and accompanying manuals are available free of charge under the heading, "Preparing for the Next Pandemic" at the bottom of the page.

July 12, 2004 4:18 PM

In Their Own Words...
http://aidshistory.nih.gov/timeline/index.html

This timeline, 1981-1988, contains "selected events in the history of AIDS related to the response of the National Institutes of Health and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services." Discover who the key players and researchers are during this time period and what research was being done in the early days of AIDS. Visit the document archive, the image archive and the extensive list of links.

Evaluation of Hospital Disaster Drills: A Module-Based Approach
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/hospdrills/hospdrill.htm

"Hospitals must be prepared to respond to natural and manmade mass casualty incidents that may cause sudden demand on services. One of the foci of hospital disaster planning has been the use of drills to train employees in and to test aspects of hospital response. This tool makes it possible to evaluate hospital disaster drills by using evaluation modules and addenda. The value of this approach is to identify specific weaknesses for improvement and to promote continuing efforts to strengthen hospital disaster preparedness."

Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and developed by the Evidence-based Practice Center at Johns Hopkins University, this tool helps hospitals identify their strengths and weaknesses during a disaster drill and improve their ability to meet required emergency management plans. Also included are checklists to help hospitals tailor drills to specific health threats, such as a biological or radiation incidents, and a spreadsheet to track and compare drill performance among hospital units or hospitals. Order the manual or get it and the accompanying CD-ROM by calling (800) 358-9295 and referencing AHRQ Publication No. 04-0032. It also can be downloaded online at
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/hospdrills/hospdrill.htm.

Recent Entries

State Fact Sheets (USDA ERS)

Evaluating the Impact of School Nutrition Programs: Final Report

More Than 20 Million Consumers Using the Internet to Manage Health Benefits

Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Release of CDC's School Health Index

National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO), Health and Human Services

In Their Own Words...

Evaluation of Hospital Disaster Drills: A Module-Based Approach

CDC Collaboration Yields New Test for Anthrax

Number of Cancer Survivors Growing According to New Report

CDC Collaboration Yields New Test for Anthrax