This article focuses on the author's applied anthropological work with the Ingham County Health Department between 1998 and 2001. Government administrators were reflexively aware that nobody had ever stepped back to assess the area's overall environmental health and rank the issues according to some criteria, such as by the "most urgent…

Collaboration between Alaska Native communities and the academe is very important. This project focused on disseminating research findings to communities in a manner that is culturally appropriate and useful in planning the communities' next steps. The project relied on a collaborative process, described in terms of the activities that transpired,…

The prevalence of obesity and its associated health problems have increased sharply in the past 2 decades. New revisions to Medicare policy will allow funding for obesity treatments of proven efficacy. The authors review studies of the long-term outcomes of calorie-restricting diets to assess whether dieting is an effective treatment for obesity.…

This paper and the accompanying data describe health-related expenditures made by Michigan state government agencies from fiscal year 1978 through fiscal year 1984. Expenditures represented in the data include resources received from the federal government. (The data exclude certain expenditures which might be considered health-related, such as:…

This edition, the sixth in the series of annual reports, is a nontechnical summary updating developments in marihuana research with selected references from the fifth edition. Areas of discussion include: (1) nature and extent of marihuana use in the United States; (2) marihuana use among high school seniors; (3) an overview of use trends; (4)…

This is the first of several publications which bring together staff papers and resource materials relating to the National Guidelines for Health Planning called for by the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. In preparing for the guidelines, the Public Health Service commissioned a number of analytical papers and…

This document reports the hearings on bills H.R. 11317 and H.R. 11472, bills to extend for three fiscal years the programs of assistance under the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970. The programs include grants to the states, special grants for the implementation of the Uniform…

The dangers of asbestos and what can and should be done to make the school a safe place for children are discussed. (DF)

Presents a framework from which individuals can evaluate the health environment in their homes. Questions are arranged to examine the general location of the house, the house's immediate surroundings and building shell, and the finishings. Provides a resource directory for air filters, building consultants, and building supplies. (MDH)

Moving toward universal coverage has the potential to increase access to care and improve the health and well-being of uninsured children and adults. The effects of health care reform on the more than 25 million children who currently have coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are less clear. Increased parental…

An epidemic of obesity has been developing in virtually all OECD countries over the last 30 years. Existing evidence provides strong suggestions that such epidemic has affected certain social groups more than others. In particular, education appears to be associated with a lower likelihood of obesity, especially among women. A range of analyses of…

School science instruction that connects to students' diverse home, cultural, or linguistic experiences can encourage lifelong participation in the scientific dilemmas that impact students' lives. This dissertation seeks effective ways to support high school students as they learn complex science topics and use their knowledge to transform their…

Childhood obesity may be lessened by parent-focused interventions. A pilot parent-directed trial with 46 parents of overweight and obese elementary school students was conducted at two ethnically diverse public schools in Framingham, Massachusetts. Parents were randomly assigned to either the Materials Group, which received mailed educational…

There is little data on the smoking behaviour of the population of Austria. The available information hardly goes beyond some figures on the number of regular smokers and the amount of cigarettes consumed per person per year. Equally, statutory anti-smoking measures in Austria lag considerably behind those of other countries, especially the U.S.…