Tuesday, January 31, 2006
smoking cessation
http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/january/quitting.pdf
BMJ
"Almost half of smokers’ most recent attempts to stop involved no previous planning, and unplanned quit attempts were more likely than planned ones to be successful."
BMJ
"Almost half of smokers’ most recent attempts to stop involved no previous planning, and unplanned quit attempts were more likely than planned ones to be successful."
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
older consumers
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/section_node/0,1042,sid=96536,00.html
Deloitte Development LLC
"In 2008, the dominant customers in the U.S. and the world will be consumers age 50 and older. Regardless of your industry or sector, you could prosper by focusing on these aging consumers and understanding their evolving needs. New research, a podcast and articles from Deloitte & Touche USA LLP can help you understand these older consumers—what they want, how their needs will change over the years and how your business can serve them best."
Deloitte Development LLC
"In 2008, the dominant customers in the U.S. and the world will be consumers age 50 and older. Regardless of your industry or sector, you could prosper by focusing on these aging consumers and understanding their evolving needs. New research, a podcast and articles from Deloitte & Touche USA LLP can help you understand these older consumers—what they want, how their needs will change over the years and how your business can serve them best."
health insurance premium increases and effect on the labor market
http://www.epionline.org/studies/baicker_01-2006.pdf
Employment Policies Institute
"In the United States, two-thirds of the non-elderly population is covered by employer-provided health insurance. The cost of this insurance has increased by more than 59 percent since 2000, with no accompanying increase in the scale or scope of benefits. These increases in health insurance premiums may have significant effects on both health insurance markets and labor markets, including changes in the number of jobs, hours worked per employee, wages, and compensation packages. The increase in premiums could increase unemployment and uninsurance, as employers face a choice between discontinuing health insurance benefits or employing fewer workers as benefit costs rise."
Employment Policies Institute
"In the United States, two-thirds of the non-elderly population is covered by employer-provided health insurance. The cost of this insurance has increased by more than 59 percent since 2000, with no accompanying increase in the scale or scope of benefits. These increases in health insurance premiums may have significant effects on both health insurance markets and labor markets, including changes in the number of jobs, hours worked per employee, wages, and compensation packages. The increase in premiums could increase unemployment and uninsurance, as employers face a choice between discontinuing health insurance benefits or employing fewer workers as benefit costs rise."
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
parental drug use and children
http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/adb194352.pdf
"A new study by David Flora, PhD of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (now at York University), and Laurie Chassin, PhD of Arizona State University, shows that parental alcoholism represents a risk factor for maladaptive behaviors in adulthood that extend beyond alcoholism and into illicit drug use."
"A new study by David Flora, PhD of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (now at York University), and Laurie Chassin, PhD of Arizona State University, shows that parental alcoholism represents a risk factor for maladaptive behaviors in adulthood that extend beyond alcoholism and into illicit drug use."
Monday, January 23, 2006
World report on human rights
http://hrw.org/wr2k6/wr2006.pdf
"The Human Rights Watch World Report 2006 contains information on human rights developments in more than 60 countries in 2005."
"The Human Rights Watch World Report 2006 contains information on human rights developments in more than 60 countries in 2005."
Medicare perscription drug benefit savings
http://www.cepr.net/publications/efficient_medicare_2006_01.pdf
Center for Economic and Policy Research
"Medicare could pay lower prices for prescription drugs if it negotiated directly with the pharmaceutical industry rather than through private insurance companies, according to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research."
Center for Economic and Policy Research
"Medicare could pay lower prices for prescription drugs if it negotiated directly with the pharmaceutical industry rather than through private insurance companies, according to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research."
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Medical expenses and poverty
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/dd129_poverty.pdf
AARP Public Policy Institute
"The results from the Census Bureau reports and our analysis show that the experimental poverty rates are higher than the current official poverty rates, particularly for older persons in 2001. The results indicate that it is important to precisely include medical out-of-pocket expenditures in experimental poverty estimates. The results also suggest that reducing the burden of medical out-of-pocket expenditures on older persons, (through prescription drug coverage under Medicare, for example), could potentially have a significant effect on reduction of poverty in this population."
AARP Public Policy Institute
"The results from the Census Bureau reports and our analysis show that the experimental poverty rates are higher than the current official poverty rates, particularly for older persons in 2001. The results indicate that it is important to precisely include medical out-of-pocket expenditures in experimental poverty estimates. The results also suggest that reducing the burden of medical out-of-pocket expenditures on older persons, (through prescription drug coverage under Medicare, for example), could potentially have a significant effect on reduction of poverty in this population."
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Planning for a pandemic threat
http://www.irpp.org/pm/archive/pmvol6no5.pdf
Institute for Research on Public Policy
"In this Canadian study, Kumanan Wilson, MD, and Harvey Lazar argue that some of the emergency response problems that were highlighted in the reports examining the SARS outbreak remain unresolved. In particular, there are important limitations in the current federal legislative framework to address emergencies, which impede the federal government’s ability to act at the early stage of an outbreak. They argue that legislative reform to provide the federal government with the freedom to act on an outbreak that is initially within the confines of only one province but is potentially of national concern should be a priority."
Institute for Research on Public Policy
"In this Canadian study, Kumanan Wilson, MD, and Harvey Lazar argue that some of the emergency response problems that were highlighted in the reports examining the SARS outbreak remain unresolved. In particular, there are important limitations in the current federal legislative framework to address emergencies, which impede the federal government’s ability to act at the early stage of an outbreak. They argue that legislative reform to provide the federal government with the freedom to act on an outbreak that is initially within the confines of only one province but is potentially of national concern should be a priority."
press release: disease outbreak control
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb331193.htm
Press Release Newswire 1/12/06
""The U.S. government must deal with disease outbreaks just like a terrorist attack", the newly appointed chief medical officer of the Department of Homeland Security told graduates of the Health Policy and Administration certificate programs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health."
Press Release Newswire 1/12/06
""The U.S. government must deal with disease outbreaks just like a terrorist attack", the newly appointed chief medical officer of the Department of Homeland Security told graduates of the Health Policy and Administration certificate programs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health."
Saturday, January 14, 2006
immunization schedule
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5451-Immunizationa1.htm?s_cid=mm5451-Immunizationa1_x
CDC
"The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) periodically reviews the recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule to ensure that the schedule is current with changes in vaccine formulations and reflects revised recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines, including those newly licensed. The recommendations and format of the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule and catch-up schedule for January--December 2006 were approved by ACIP, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)."
CDC
"The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) periodically reviews the recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule to ensure that the schedule is current with changes in vaccine formulations and reflects revised recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines, including those newly licensed. The recommendations and format of the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule and catch-up schedule for January--December 2006 were approved by ACIP, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)."
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Employment and Wages, 2004
http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn04.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics
"The data contained in this bulletin represent the complete count of employment and wages for workers covered by Unemployment Insurance programs during 2004 in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These data are the product of a Federal-State cooperative program known as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program (also known as ES-202). State Workforce Agencies compile the data from reports filed by employers each quarter. The Bureau of Labor Statistics aggregates the data by industry and ownership. The aggregations are available at the county, metropolitan statistical area, combined statistical area, State, and national levels. County-, State- and national-level aggregates appear in the tables in this publication. All of the data, at each level of geography, can be found at www.bls.gov/cew/home.htm. In addition, all tables and charts in this publication are available in Portable Document Format (PDF) on this Web site."
Bureau of Labor Statistics
"The data contained in this bulletin represent the complete count of employment and wages for workers covered by Unemployment Insurance programs during 2004 in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These data are the product of a Federal-State cooperative program known as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program (also known as ES-202). State Workforce Agencies compile the data from reports filed by employers each quarter. The Bureau of Labor Statistics aggregates the data by industry and ownership. The aggregations are available at the county, metropolitan statistical area, combined statistical area, State, and national levels. County-, State- and national-level aggregates appear in the tables in this publication. All of the data, at each level of geography, can be found at www.bls.gov/cew/home.htm. In addition, all tables and charts in this publication are available in Portable Document Format (PDF) on this Web site."
Bird Flu
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/img/assets/5096/120105_birdflu_2.pdf
U.S. Department of State
From press release: "Meeting the Challenge of Bird Flu, produced by the State Department’s International Information Programs bureau, offers readers a concise summary of the events giving rise to warnings that a form of animal influenza plaguing Asia will transform into a human illness and sweep the world. Such a virus, to which humans likely would have no immunity, could cause hundreds of millions of illnesses and deaths, bringing widespread economic and social disruption."
U.S. Department of State
From press release: "Meeting the Challenge of Bird Flu, produced by the State Department’s International Information Programs bureau, offers readers a concise summary of the events giving rise to warnings that a form of animal influenza plaguing Asia will transform into a human illness and sweep the world. Such a virus, to which humans likely would have no immunity, could cause hundreds of millions of illnesses and deaths, bringing widespread economic and social disruption."
Thursday, January 05, 2006
press release: depression and exercise
http://www.psycport.com/showArticle.cfm?xmlFile=comtex_2005_11_22_pr_0000-5878-ma-harvard-health-let.xml&provider=PR%20Newswire
"How useful is exercise for people with severe depression, anxiety, or chronic mental illness? According to the December issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, hundreds of studies show that it can help -- but there are qualifications."
"How useful is exercise for people with severe depression, anxiety, or chronic mental illness? According to the December issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, hundreds of studies show that it can help -- but there are qualifications."
article: burgeoning senior population
http://kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=34535
(links to a report on this article, and not the article itself)
"The Washington Times on Friday in the last installment of a five-part series on baby boomers examined how the "burgeoning senior population" will "shock" the U.S. health care system in future years. The senior population is expected to double from 35 million to 70 million over the next 20 years, in part because the health of seniors older than 65 has been improving since the 1980s."
(links to a report on this article, and not the article itself)
"The Washington Times on Friday in the last installment of a five-part series on baby boomers examined how the "burgeoning senior population" will "shock" the U.S. health care system in future years. The senior population is expected to double from 35 million to 70 million over the next 20 years, in part because the health of seniors older than 65 has been improving since the 1980s."
Monday, January 02, 2006
Gay Marriage
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsproj/publications/New%20Hampshire%20Econ%20Study.pdf
The Williams Project on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law
"This study finds that giving marriage rights to same-sex couples in New Hampshire will have a positive impact on the state budget. The study estimates that the state would save up to $500,000 each year for the state."
The Williams Project on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law
"This study finds that giving marriage rights to same-sex couples in New Hampshire will have a positive impact on the state budget. The study estimates that the state would save up to $500,000 each year for the state."
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Bioterrorism Readiness and Information Technology
http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/btbriefs/btbrief5.htm
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
"While traditional disease surveillance relies on often time-consuming laboratory diagnosis, a new breed of syndromic surveillance systems has the potential to significantly speed up detection of disease outbreaks. These new, computer-based surveillance systems offer valuable and timely information to hospitals as well as to State, local, and Federal health officials. This Issue Brief describes syndromic monitoring systems and how they are used to track trends within patient populations and to establish early warning of disease outbreaks, including potential bioterrorist activity."
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
"While traditional disease surveillance relies on often time-consuming laboratory diagnosis, a new breed of syndromic surveillance systems has the potential to significantly speed up detection of disease outbreaks. These new, computer-based surveillance systems offer valuable and timely information to hospitals as well as to State, local, and Federal health officials. This Issue Brief describes syndromic monitoring systems and how they are used to track trends within patient populations and to establish early warning of disease outbreaks, including potential bioterrorist activity."
Cancer Trends Progress Report -- 2005
http://progressreport.cancer.gov/
National Cancer Institute
"The Cancer Trends Progress Report, first issued in 2001 as the Cancer Progress Report, summarizes our nation’s progress against cancer in relation to Healthy People 2010 targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report includes key measures of progress along the cancer control continuum and uses national trend data to illustrate where advancements have been made."
National Cancer Institute
"The Cancer Trends Progress Report, first issued in 2001 as the Cancer Progress Report, summarizes our nation’s progress against cancer in relation to Healthy People 2010 targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report includes key measures of progress along the cancer control continuum and uses national trend data to illustrate where advancements have been made."
State Enforcement of Immigration Law
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/MPI_report_Blurring_the_Lines_120805.pdf
Migration Policy Institute
"The findings contained in this report confirm that the immigration records in the NCIC are not effective for widespread use. Not only do these innacurate records clutter the database, they also appear to divert officer time and attention from local public safety priorities."
Migration Policy Institute
"The findings contained in this report confirm that the immigration records in the NCIC are not effective for widespread use. Not only do these innacurate records clutter the database, they also appear to divert officer time and attention from local public safety priorities."
House Rules Manual
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/hrm/index.html
U.S. House of Representatives
"The House Rules and Manual is published by the the House Parliamentarian's Office. This document is formally entitled Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and Rules of the House of Representatives and contains the fundamental source material for parliamentary procedure used in the House of Representatives, including:
+ the Constitution of the United States;
+ applicable provisions of Jefferson's Manual;
+ rules of the House;
+ provisions of law and resolutions having the force of rules of the House; and
+ pertinent decisions of the Speakers and other presiding officers of the House and Committee of the Whole interpreting the rules and other procedural authority used in the House of Representatives.
It is published during the first session of each Congress." Search or browse.
U.S. House of Representatives
"The House Rules and Manual is published by the the House Parliamentarian's Office. This document is formally entitled Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and Rules of the House of Representatives and contains the fundamental source material for parliamentary procedure used in the House of Representatives, including:
+ the Constitution of the United States;
+ applicable provisions of Jefferson's Manual;
+ rules of the House;
+ provisions of law and resolutions having the force of rules of the House; and
+ pertinent decisions of the Speakers and other presiding officers of the House and Committee of the Whole interpreting the rules and other procedural authority used in the House of Representatives.
It is published during the first session of each Congress." Search or browse.
Telework in the U.S. Government
http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_rpt05/
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
"In 2004, the survey was sent to 86 agencies with 82 responding. The telework data collected from these 82 agencies represent more than 1.7 million Federal workers. As a result of the survey, our findings show the number of eligible teleworkers and teleworking employees continues to grow. In 2004, 140,694 employees teleworked, representing a 37% increase from 2003. This growth demonstrates a steady escalation over time as the overall number of teleworkers in the Federal Government has grown since 2001 with 72,844 teleworkers, in 2002 with 90,010 teleworkers, and in 2003 with 102,921 teleworkers. More than half of the agencies reporting in 2004 show an increase over 2003 in the number of teleworkers. Of the agencies responding to the survey, 85 percent have a telework policy in place and over 40 percent of agencies either provide employees with equipment to telework or share in the cost of the equipment."
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
"In 2004, the survey was sent to 86 agencies with 82 responding. The telework data collected from these 82 agencies represent more than 1.7 million Federal workers. As a result of the survey, our findings show the number of eligible teleworkers and teleworking employees continues to grow. In 2004, 140,694 employees teleworked, representing a 37% increase from 2003. This growth demonstrates a steady escalation over time as the overall number of teleworkers in the Federal Government has grown since 2001 with 72,844 teleworkers, in 2002 with 90,010 teleworkers, and in 2003 with 102,921 teleworkers. More than half of the agencies reporting in 2004 show an increase over 2003 in the number of teleworkers. Of the agencies responding to the survey, 85 percent have a telework policy in place and over 40 percent of agencies either provide employees with equipment to telework or share in the cost of the equipment."
Adults and Physical Activity
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5447a3.htm?s_cid=mm5447a3_x
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"The findings in this report indicate that, in 2003, the majority (54.1%) of U.S. adults did not engage in physical activity at the minimum recommended level and that the prevalence of meeting recommend levels of physical activity was similar in 2001 and 2003 (45.3% and 45.9%, respectively). From 2001 to 2003, the prevalence of adults participating in recommended levels of physical activity increased significantly in nine states and decreased significantly in three states and Puerto Rico. The remainder of the states had no statistically significant differences. In addition, the prevalence of lifestyle physical inactivity was similar for the two years (16.0% in 2001 versus 15.6% in 2003)." Includes individual state statistics.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"The findings in this report indicate that, in 2003, the majority (54.1%) of U.S. adults did not engage in physical activity at the minimum recommended level and that the prevalence of meeting recommend levels of physical activity was similar in 2001 and 2003 (45.3% and 45.9%, respectively). From 2001 to 2003, the prevalence of adults participating in recommended levels of physical activity increased significantly in nine states and decreased significantly in three states and Puerto Rico. The remainder of the states had no statistically significant differences. In addition, the prevalence of lifestyle physical inactivity was similar for the two years (16.0% in 2001 versus 15.6% in 2003)." Includes individual state statistics.
Health, United States, 2005
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"Health, United States is an annual report on trends in health statistics. The report consists of two main sections: A chartbook containing text and figures that illustrates major trends in the health of Americans; and a trend tables section that contains 156 detailed data tables. The two main components are supplemented by an executive summary, a highlights section, an extensive appendix and reference section, and an index."
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"Health, United States is an annual report on trends in health statistics. The report consists of two main sections: A chartbook containing text and figures that illustrates major trends in the health of Americans; and a trend tables section that contains 156 detailed data tables. The two main components are supplemented by an executive summary, a highlights section, an extensive appendix and reference section, and an index."
Foster Youth and Higher Education
http://www.ihep.org/Pubs/PDF/fosteryouth.pdf
Institute for Higher Education Policy
"Foster youth are among America’s most disadvantaged in terms of opportunities for higher education, and targeted strategies are required to increase their college-going, according to a new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy. The report recognizes that the root of the unique barriers foster youth face is their common traumatic experience: the neglect or abuse that brought them to the attention of public authorities and subsequent removal from their family. The report recommends several key areas where changes in policy could alleviate obstacles such as low educational expectations; frequent disruptions and changes in school placements; underdeveloped independent living skills; and lack of access to mental health care and treatment."
Institute for Higher Education Policy
"Foster youth are among America’s most disadvantaged in terms of opportunities for higher education, and targeted strategies are required to increase their college-going, according to a new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy. The report recognizes that the root of the unique barriers foster youth face is their common traumatic experience: the neglect or abuse that brought them to the attention of public authorities and subsequent removal from their family. The report recommends several key areas where changes in policy could alleviate obstacles such as low educational expectations; frequent disruptions and changes in school placements; underdeveloped independent living skills; and lack of access to mental health care and treatment."
Mens and Womens use of the Internet
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/171/report_display.asp
Pew Internet & American Life Project
"A wide-ranging look at the way American women and men use the internet shows that men continue to pursue many internet activities more intensively than women, and that men are still first out of the blocks in trying the latest technologies. At the same time, there are trends showing that women are catching up in overall use and are framing their online experience with a greater emphasis on deepening connections with people."
Pew Internet & American Life Project
"A wide-ranging look at the way American women and men use the internet shows that men continue to pursue many internet activities more intensively than women, and that men are still first out of the blocks in trying the latest technologies. At the same time, there are trends showing that women are catching up in overall use and are framing their online experience with a greater emphasis on deepening connections with people."
Depression among Adolescents
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/youthDepression/youthDepression.cfm
SAMHSA
"As reported in SAMHSA's 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 9% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (approximately 2.2 million adolescents) had experienced at least one major depressive episode during the past year. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 who experienced at least one major depressive episode during the past year, 40.3% reported having received treatment for depression during the past year. Adolescents who had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year were more than twice as likely to have used illicit drugs in the past month than their peers who had not experienced a major depressive episode in the past year (21.2% vs. 9.6%)."
SAMHSA
"As reported in SAMHSA's 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 9% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (approximately 2.2 million adolescents) had experienced at least one major depressive episode during the past year. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 who experienced at least one major depressive episode during the past year, 40.3% reported having received treatment for depression during the past year. Adolescents who had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year were more than twice as likely to have used illicit drugs in the past month than their peers who had not experienced a major depressive episode in the past year (21.2% vs. 9.6%)."
