Public Health Health Article

KEY TERMS

Communicable—Capable of being transmitted.

Epidemiology—The study of disease occurrence in human populations.

Incidence—The rate of development of a disease in a given population over time.

Potable—Safe to drink.

Prevalence—The rate describing the characteristics of a given population at a specific moment in time.

help combat illiteracy, since persons unable to read may be less able to obtain needed health care services. Similarly, they may work with urban planners and housing specialists to identify such health hazards as lead-based paints or asbestos.

The Healthy People 2010 initiative is a national plan to assist states, communities and professional associations to develop programs to improve health. Coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) of the Department of Health and Human Services, the program's goals are to: increase quality and years of healthy life; and eliminate health disparities. Healthy People 2010 targets ten areas for improving health standards in the United States. They are:

• physical activity
• overweight and obesity
• tobacco use
• substance abuse
• responsible sexual behavior
• mental health
• injury and violence
• environmental quality
• immunization
• access to health care

Professional implications

Medical, nursing and allied health professionals and practitioners work in the field of public health. Public health professionals are employed by hospitals, health plans, managed care organizations, clinics, medical relief organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society) and schools as well as federal, state, and local government health departments. Careers in public health include:

• public health nursing
• environmental health technologists and specialists
• restaurant and food safety inspectors
• community health educators
• epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and researchers
• administrators
• patient and consumer health advocates

Public health nursing began in the United States during the late 1800s. Public health nurses helped to prevent and manage outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases. The profession continues to attract nurses interested in community health education and preventive services. Public health nurses (also called community health nurses) work in clinics, schools, voluntary agencies, and provide skilled nursing assessments, visiting nurse services, and home care.

Federal government agencies that belong to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide many vital public health services. The agencies devoted to health care include the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), Office of Development Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HCFA administers Medicare and Medicaid, programs that finance health care services for older adults, persons with disabilities and those unable to afford medical care. The FDA is the agency responsible for ensuring food, drug, and cosmetic safety. It also enforces labeling practices, so that consumers receive accurate, truthful information about the content, benefits, and risks of products).

Each of the 13 institutes of the NIH is involved in organ or disease-specific research activities. The seven centers of the CDC research and track infectious and other diseases in order to identify sources of disease and prevent their spread.

BOOKS

Wallace, Robert B., ed. Public Health & Preventive Medicine Stamford, CT: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

PERIODICALS

Clark, Noreen M., and Elizabeth Weist. "Mastering the New Public Health." American Journal of Public Health 90, no. 8 (August 2000): 1208-1211.

Meyer, Ilan H., and Sharon Schwartz. "Social Issues as Public Health: Promise and Peril." American Journal of Public Health 90, no. 8 (August 2000): 1189-1191.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Public Health Association. 800 I. Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-3710. (202) 777-2532. <http://www.apha.org>.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333. (800) 311-3435. <http://www.phppo.cdc.gov>.

OTHER

Partners in Information Access. <http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/partners/index.htm>.

Barbara Wexler