D
Information Sources for Locating Evidence
The following tables provide a listing of selected information sources for locating evidence relevant to obesity prevention.
TABLE D-1 Scientific Literature Databases
Information Sourcea |
Description |
Academic Search Premier |
The world’s largest academic multidisciplinary database; coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and includes information dating as far back as 1975. |
Agricola |
Administered by the National Agricultural Library, indexes more than 2,000 serial titles, as well as books, pamphlets, conference proceedings, research reports, government documents, monographs, theses, patents, software, audiovisual content, and microforms pertaining to all aspects of agriculture, including biotechnology, ecology, entomology, and food and nutrition. |
BIOSIS |
Coverage includes traditional areas of biology, such as botany, zoology, and microbiology, as well as related fields such as biomedicine, agriculture, pharmacology, and ecology. Interdisciplinary fields such as medicine, biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, and biotechnology are also included, as are content summaries, book and meeting abstracts, papers, and posters. |
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |
Includes the full text of the regularly updated systematic reviews of the effects of health care prepared by the Cochrane Collaboration. Two types of reviews are presented: complete reviews (regularly updated Cochrane Reviews, prepared and maintained by Collaborative Review Groups) and protocols (protocols for reviews currently being prepared [all include an expected date of completion]; protocols are the background, objectives, and methods of reviews in preparation.) |
Cochrane Public Health Review Group |
Purpose is to produce systematic reviews of population-level interventions, contribute to methodological developments for research synthesis of public health research, transfer knowledge and exchange initiatives, and develop strategies for building primary research and rigorous evaluations of population-level interventions (policy, programs, legislation, community interventions), including maintaining a specialized studies register. |
Information Sourcea |
Description |
Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) |
The most comprehensive resource for nursing and allied health literature; its other indexes include health care books, conference proceedings, standards of professional practice, and audiovisual material. |
Exerpta Medica (EMBASE) |
Major biomedical and pharmaceutical database indexing more than 3,500 international journals in the following fields: drug research, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, toxicology, clinical and experimental human medicine, health policy and management, public health, occupational health, environmental health, drug dependence and abuse, psychiatry, forensic medicine, and biomedical engineering/instrumentation. |
HealthSTAR |
Contains citations to the published literature on health services, technology, administration, and research. |
MEDLINE |
The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s (NLM’s) premier bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences. MEDLINE contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from more than 4,600 biomedical journals published in the United States and 70 other countries. |
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) |
The major resource for locating U.S. government–sponsored research reports and studies in the physical sciences, technology, engineering, the biological sciences, medicine and the health sciences, agriculture, and the social sciences. |
PsycINFO |
Contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines. |
Science Direct |
Encompasses scientific, technical, and medical peer-reviewed journals. Subject coverage includes the biological sciences, business management and accounting, computer science, the earth and planetary sciences, engineering and technology, environmental science, materials science, mathematics, medicine, physics and astronomy, psychology, and social science. |
SCOPUS |
Coverage includes the life and health sciences; the social sciences; psychology; economics; the biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences; and the general sciences. |
Web of Science |
Searches 9,200 journals in more than 45 different languages across the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. |
WorldCat |
Indexes books, conference proceedings, government reports, dissertations and theses, and even online-accessible publications in all scientific, social science, and arts and humanities disciplines. |
a Note that a subscription may be required to gain full access to some of these databases. |
TABLE D-2 Grey and Unpublished Literature
Information Sourcea |
Description |
Lexis-Nexis |
Includes 9,000 newspapers, news magazines, transcripts, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, public laws, law review journals, and case law. (A subscription is required.) |
New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Page |
Focuses on grey literature resources from the medical field and includes an extensive listing of agencies and organizations that produce health-related materials. The site also features a quarterly Grey Literature Report listing many items that are available free of charge online. (http://www.nyam.org/library/pages/grey_literature_report) |
University of Maryland Libraries Virtual Technical Reports Central |
Contains links to institutions that produce grey literature, such as technical reports, preprints, reprints, dissertations, theses, and research reports of all kinds. The institutions listed provide either full-text reports or searchable extended abstracts of technical reports on the Internet. (http://www.lib.umd.edu/ENGIN/TechReports/Virtual-TechReports.html) |
a Note that a subscription may be required to gain full access to some of these databases. |
TABLE D-3 Surveys, Polls, and Rankings
Information Source |
Description |
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) |
The world’s largest ongoing telephone health survey system. Operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it has collected data in the United States annually since 1984. The state-based system collects information on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access related primarily to chronic disease and injury. States use BRFSS data to identify emerging health problems, establish and track health objectives, and develop and evaluate public health policies and programs. Many states also use BRFSS data to support health-related legislative efforts. (http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/) |
Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) |
Contains results from parent and teacher public opinion polls and web-based surveys conducted through the CHHCS on a number of topics, including nutrition and physical activity at school. (http://www.healthinschools.org/Publications-and-Resources/Polls-and-Surveys.aspx) |
County Health Rankings |
Provides access to 50 state reports, ranking each county within the 50 states according to its health outcomes and the multiple factors that determine a county’s health. Each county receives a summary rank for its health outcomes and health factors and also for the four different types of health factors: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. Each county can also drill down to see specific county-level data (as well as state benchmarks) for the measures upon which the rankings are based. These data could be used to gather information to help answer “Why” questions. (http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/) |
Gallup |
Gathers poll and survey data regarding a number of health and well-being topics. (http://www.gallup.com) |
National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) |
A program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations. (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm) |
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI) |
Provides an overview of key health indicators for local communities to encourage dialogue about actions that can be taken to improve a community’s health. The CHSI report was designed not only for public health professionals but also for citizens who are interested in the health of their community. It contains more than 200 measures for each of the 3,141 U.S. counties, and includes data on morbidity and mortality and health behaviors. (http://www.communityhealth.hhs.gov) |
TABLE D-4 Government
Information Sourcea |
Description |
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports via National Council for Science in the Environment (NCSE) |
NCSE provides CRS reports on a variety of topics concerning the environment and related topics. (http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRS/) |
THOMAS |
Provides full-text coverage of the Congressional Record, committee reports, and public laws, as well as links to committee home pages and House and Senate directories. (http://thomas.gov) |
a Note that a subscription is required to gain full access to these databases. |
TABLE D-5 Policies and Programs
Information Source |
Description |
Website |
CDC’s Guide to Community Preventive Services |
A resource designed to aid in the choice of programs and policies to improve health and prevent disease in communities; systematic reviews are used to answer questions about the effectiveness of program/policy interventions, whether an effective intervention is appropriate for a given community, and what effective interventions cost or will return on an investment. |
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CDC’s Healthier Worksite Initiative |
Provides toolkits containing customizable solutions to help program planners plan, implement, and evaluate a specific health promotion intervention in the categories of general workforce health promotion, healthful eating, physical activity, preventive health screenings, and healthful choices. |
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CDC’s LeanWorks! |
Designed specifically to translate Community Guide recommendations into practical tools for employers in the worksite setting. It offers interactive tools and evidence-based resources for designing effective worksite obesity prevention and control programs, including an obesity cost calculator to estimate how much obesity is costing a company and how much a company could save with different workplace interventions. |
|
Center of Excellence for Training and Research Translation |
Focused on providing practitioners with the best available evidence and approaches related to the prevention and control of obesity. Provides resources designed to support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-supported nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention interventions. |
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Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention |
Initiated by CDC, identifies a core set of community-level measures focused on policy and environmental strategies that impact obesity prevention. These measures can be used for research and can serve as baseline variables for planning and evaluation. |
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International City/County Management Association |
Report on Community Health and Food Access: The Local Government Role |
http://www.icma.org/upload/library/2006-09/%7B5CD4101C2803-4655-9A51465461B3C897%7D.pdf |
Local Government Commission |
Cultivating Community Gardens: The Role of Local Government in Creating Healthy, Livable Neighborhoods Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities: School and Local Government Collaborations |
Information Source |
Description |
Website |
National Academy for State Health Policy |
State Approaches to Childhood Obesity: A Snapshot of Promising Practices and Lessons Learned |
http://www.nashp.org/Files/Obesity_final_with_correct_appendix_C.pdf |
National Association of Counties |
County Government Approaches to Combating Youth Obesity, Encouraging Physical Activity, and Creating Healthy Communities |
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Transportation Solutions to Create Active, Healthy Counties: Collaboration for Childhood Obesity Prevention |
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National Association of County and City Health Officials |
Land Use Planning and Community Design: The Role of Local Public Health Agencies |
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National Association of Latino Elected Officials |
Obesity in Your Community |
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National Association of Local Boards of Health |
Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development |
http://www.activeliving.org/files/NALBOH_land_use_report.pdf |
National Conference of State Legislatures |
Promoting Healthy Communities and Reducing Childhood Obesity: Legislative Options |
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National Governors Association |
Shaping a Healthier Generation: Successful State Strategies to Prevent Childhood Obesity |
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National League of Cities |
Action Kit for Municipal Leaders: Combating Childhood Obesity |
http://www.nlc.org/IYEF/PUBLICATIONS___RESOURCES/actionkits.aspx#obesity |
Prevention Institute |
Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool |
http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa/enact/members/index.php |
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
Health Policy Tracking Service: provides information on important developments in state legislation, policies, and programs affecting health care, primarily through web-based reports and databases. Its primary audience is state legislators and their staffs. |
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
Healthy Eating Research Results |
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Active Living Research Results |
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Information Source |
Description |
Website |
Trust for America’s Health |
F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America |
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2008/Obesity2008Report.pdf |
U.S. Conference of Mayors |
Mayors’ Guide to Fighting Childhood Obesity |
http://usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities/documents/guide20080326.pdf |