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Partnership Pulse
| January/February 2014
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The past few months were good for prevention and public health. CVS's announcement to stop selling tobacco was great news! Johnson & Johnson's decision to release results from its clinical trials was great news!
2013 was a good year at Partnership for Prevention, too. From critical acclaim for our communication efforts through ActionToQuit, to the publication of our implementation guide for community health centers (Help your Patients Quit Using Tobacco), to our information-rich new website for the National Sexual Health Coalition, to our monthly e-newsletter sent to Congress, we are fighting to get practical, evidence-based information and resources out to health care and public health professionals and policymakers.
Although much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. The disparities in the availability of preventive services and their use among minority populations cannot be tolerated. Despite the preponderance of evidence of tobacco's harms, 18% of adults still smoke. Childhood obesity is declining, but not conquered.
As the new CEO of Partnership for Prevention, I'm excited to lend my experience in building collaborative organizations to achieve Partnership's mission of creating a "prevention culture." I'm on a steep learning curve, and have much to understand and know. If you are in the DC area, I'd love to meet you and learn from you. And if you are somewhere else, let's connect by phone or email.
We can continue to progress toward our mission of putting prevention at the center of our national health care agenda, but we need your help and support to do so. Join us in our efforts - and share with us your needs, your thoughts, your ideas, your experiences!
Let's build a healthy nation together!
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Elissa Matulis Myers
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New Leading by Example Highlights Actions of Successful Businesses to Improve Employee Health
|  Creating a Corporate Health Strategy: The American Health Strategy Project Early Adopter Experience tells the stories of four business coalitions (Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Virginia) that are empowering companies to enhance their strategic approaches to health. These companies designed initiatives to improve the health of employees and their families, promote wellness and prevention, unlock the full value of health benefits, and manage health care costs. This newest Leading by Example publication was produced by Partnership for Prevention, the National Business Coalition on Health, and Pfizer. Inc.
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Physical Activity: Partnership and more than 100 organizations from across the country urged President Obama to promote the benefits of physical activity during the State of the Union address.
Partnership also thanked Congressman Kildee and Congresswoman DeLauro for introducing the Afterschool for America's Children Act (HR 4086). The bill would strengthen the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, which can provide opportunities for children attending high-poverty schools to be physically activity.
Tobacco: Partnership joined other leading health organizations to call on retailers, particularly those with pharmacies, to follow CVS Caremark's lead and stop selling tobacco products.
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Pediatricians Not Discussing Sex with Teen Patients
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A new study shows that pediatricians are missing critical opportunities to  discuss sexual health with their adolescent patients. Adolescents are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy. Researchers analyzed recorded medical conversations between teens and physicians and discovered that only 4% of teens had an in-depth discussion about sex. The average time spent discussing sex with adolescents was 36 seconds.
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New Prevention Recommendations
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 In February, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) released recommended immunization schedules for adults and children.
The Community Preventive Services Task Force recently issued recommendations addressing .jpg) tobacco cessation and physical activity.
Tobacco: The Task Force issued three tobacco recommendations:
- Quitline interventions, particularly proactive quitlines, to help tobacco users quit. This recommendation is based on strong evidence of effectiveness in increasing tobacco cessation among those interested in quitting.
- Reducing out-of-pocket costs for cessation treatment. This recommendation updates a previous one and is based on strong evidence of effectiveness in increasing the number of tobacco users who quit.
- Mass-reach health communication interventions. This recommendation is based on strong evidence of effectiveness in decreasing the prevalence of tobacco use, increasing cessation and use of services (such as quitlines), and decreasing initiation of tobacco use among young people.
Physical Activity: The Task Force updated its recommendation for enhanced physical education (PE) in schools. This recommendation is based on strong evidence of effectiveness in increasing the amount of time students spend in moderate or vigorous physical activity during PE classes.
In January and February, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued final recommendation statements for the three services listed below..
Lung Cancer: Annual screening for lung cancer is now recommended for adults ages 55-80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and who current smoke or quit within the past 15 years (B grade).
Gestational Diabetes: The USPSTF recommends screening for gestational diabetes in asymptomatic women after 24 weeks of pregnancy (B grade). It concludes that there is insufficient evidence to recommend screening in asymptomatic women before 24 weeks of pregnancy (I grade).
Vitamin Supplements: The USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend the use of multivitamins, or single- or paired-nutrient supplements, to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer (I grade). The USPSTF recommends against the use of beta-carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer (D grade).
The USPSTF also made the following draft documents available for public comment: |
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Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs Now Updated
|  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 2014 version of its guide on best practices for tobacco control programs is now available. The guide is intended to help states and the District of Columbia plan and implement comprehensive tobacco control programs. A comprehensive program optimizes the synergies that result from implementing a mix of different strategies (e.g., educational, clinical, economic).
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New Website Illustrates Variation in State Laws for School Snacks and Drinks
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Aside from school meals, many of the foods and drinks available at school are high in fat, sugar, and/or calories. A new interactive website from Bridging the Gap illustrates the wide variation that exists in state laws governing the nutritional quality of food items offered on school grounds.
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Last Call to Register for Health Promotion Conference
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 The 24th Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference will be held March 24-28, 2014. The conference brings together more than 600 professionals with a passion for health promotion - individuals who represent the most successful programs in workplace, clinical, educational and community settings. The three-day core conference will feature three inspiring and thought-provoking keynote addresses, concurrent sessions presented by the top scientists and practitioners in the field, plus, many opportunities to collaborate through interactive discussions, networking sessions, fitness activities and social events.
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Partnership for Prevention was founded in 1991 by leaders dedicated to making disease prevention and health promotion a national priority and America a healthier nation. Partnership seeks to increase understanding and use of clinical preventive services and population-based prevention to improve health. |
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