Informing the Future Critical Issues in Health: Fourth Edition (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Public Health: The Big Picture
Public Health: The Big Picture
Pages 27-40
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From page 27... ...
Because the IOM is highly respected as an independent resource that can objectively evaluate the science and evidence rather than being involved in politics or marketing, it is able to bring parties with widely differing viewpoints to the table and to craft well-researched, meaningful recommendations based on a firm understanding of the facts -- and the risks and benefits of potential actions. Kicking the Tobacco Habit Since 1964, when the first Surgeon General's report on smoking and health was released, a series of increasingly strong antismoking measures have cut the rate of smoking among U.S.
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From page 28... ...
First, traditional measures that have proven to be effective should be strength ened. These include supporting comprehensive state tobacco control programs, increasing excise taxes, strengthening smoking restrictions, limiting youth access to tobacco products, intensifying prevention interventions, and increasing access to smoking cessation programs.
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From page 29... ...
. outdated public policies and surely benefit from medical advances and inter- practices all too often create obstacles ventions that did not exist in previous decades, to independence and community the sheer number of older adults will strain both involvement for people with retirement and health care programs as this gen- disabilities.
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From page 30... ...
, the IOM called on Congress and appropri ate federal agencies to improve coverage of assistive technologies and services and to eliminate the requirement that individuals who qualify for Social Security disability benefits must wait 24 months before becoming eligible for Medicare. Disability, in the form of limited activities and restricted participation in so cial life, is not an unavoidable result of injury or chronic disease.
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From page 31... ...
However, the report also suggested that most people can gain nutritional benefits from seafood, if they minimize their risk of exposure to contaminants by selecting a variety of fish and shellfish in amounts that fall within current dietary guidelines. Because seafood supplies and cultivation practices change constantly, it would be difficult for federal agencies to develop a list of "good fish" and "bad fish" that would not quickly become obsolete.
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From page 32... ...
only if appropriate after checking your state advisories Yes No Contaminants in seafood vary according to local conditions; consume locally caught seafood only if appropriate after checking your state May benefit from consuming seafood, especially advisories those with relatively higher concentrations of EPA and DHA. Consume seafood regularly, e.g., two 3-ounce A reasonable intake would be two 3-ounce servings weekly.
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From page 33... ...
Choosing a serving of salmon instead of a minimize their risk of exposure to serving of fatty beef will lower a woman's intake contaminants by selecting a variety of of saturated fat and cholesterol and boost her in- fish and shellfish in amounts that fall take of omega-3 fatty acids, but it also will reduce within current dietary guidelines. her iron intake and may increase her exposure to methylmercury slightly.
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From page 34... ...
Behavioral and psychological factors include smoking, drinking, and eat ing habits as well as physical activity and temperament. DNA sequence variation, structural chromosomal changes, and gene expression also affect health outcomes.
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From page 35... ...
This uncomfortable statement of fact resulted in media coverage ranging from WebMD to the New York Times, highlighting the potentially dire state of the nation's ability to respond to an influenza pandemic. Fundamental research both in the epidemiology of influenza and in the material properties of medical masks and respirators is needed before methods of disinfection and reuse can be developed.
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From page 36... ...
Yet at the start of 2006, more than 90,000 people were waiting to receive organs, and approxi mately 40,000 people are added to the organ transplant waiting lists each year. These shortages occur despite the fact that approximately 30,000 to 40,000 people who could be organ donors die each year.
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From page 37... ...
Census Bureau data, 2001. The population distribution adds up to more than 100 percent because of the option in the 2000 census to select multiple categories to accurately describe one's ethnicity.
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From page 38... ...
instituted a new requirement: for health or safety regula tions projected to have costs or benefits greater than $100 million, agencies must also estimate that regulation's cost effectiveness. Whereas cost–benefit analysis compares costs and benefits that are both expressed in monetary terms, cost effectiveness compares monetary costs to benefits expressed as, for instance, cases of a particular illness or injury avoided, years of life extended, or improvements in health-related qual ity of life.
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From page 39... ...
Finally, the report considered the ethical implications of using cost-effectiveness analysis and integrated measures of health impact in regulatory policy development.
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