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APHA Annual Meeting  

Nov 15-19, 2014   

National Health Policy Conference   

 Feb 9-10, 2015 

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Partnership Pulse

September and October were busy months for the National Coalition for Sexual Health. On September 4th, Susan Gilbert, NCSH Communications Director, participated on a panel for World Sexual Health Day in New York City. The NCSH then held its 2nd annual meeting on September 22nd in Washington, DC, which was attended by 52 coalition members and guests. The meeting featured a panel discussion on improving patient-provider communication about sexual health, a media training workshop, and breakout sessions for the two Action Groups. Presentations can be accessed here. Lastly, the NCSH presented a poster at the National Coalition of STD Directors' annual meeting in Alexandria, VA. The poster highlighted results from the NCSH's work to audience-test sexual health messages and a user-friendly definition of sexual health. 

Partnership's Council on Aspirin for Health and Prevention (CAHP) and the American College of Preventive Medicine will host a free webinar on December 3, 2014 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm (ET) on the appropriate use of aspirin to prevent vascular diseases and cancer. The webinar will feature the following CAHP members: Craig Williams (Aspirin and Secondary Prevention), Randall Stafford (Aspirin and Primary Prevention) and Andrew Chan (Aspirin and Cancer). Kathy Berra, also a CAHP member, will moderate. Anyone may attend, but registration is required. 

Physical Activity: Partnership joined more than 130 national, state, and local organizations to urge the Department of Transportation to require that public health be included in its proposed Transportation Planning rule. The organizations were responding to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Planning; Metropolitan Planning. 

Tobacco: Partnership and 25 other national health organizations encouraged Chairmen Levin and Ranking Member Inhofe of the Committee on Armed Services to reject efforts that limit the military's ability to restrict sales of tobacco products on bases. The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2015 includes language that would prohibit the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments from implementing policies to limit, restrict, or ban the sale of any legal consumer product currently sold at commissaries or exchanges. This broad language primarily applies to tobacco products, which are steeply discounted on military bases.   

 Prevention News

Despite national near-hysteria over Ebola, influenza poses a far greater threat to our health. Every year roughly 200,000 people are hospitalized due to complications from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza activity is still low so flu season has not yet hit, making this the ideal time for vaccination. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccination for everyone older than 6 months. Priority populations are young children, older adults, pregnant women, Native Americans, and those with medical conditions (e.g., asthma, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes). These groups are at higher risk for flu complications than the general population. Health care professionals and anyone who lives with or cares for babies younger than 6 months also need to be vaccinated.

Want resources to encourage influenza vaccination? Check out Partnership for Prevention's workplace flu guide, as well as free resources from the CDC and Immunization Action Coalition.

In September and October, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued final research plans for four services: screening for syphilis infection in non-pregnant adolescents and adults, screening for latent TB infection in adults, folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects, and screening for obstructive sleep apnea in adults. Final recommendation statements were issued for the following three services:

STI Prevention: The USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and for adults who are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (B grade). Adults at increased risk include those who currently have an STI or have had one within the past year, have multiple partners, or have sex without condoms.  

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening: The USPSTF recommends screening for chlamydia in sexually active women age 24 years and younger and in older women who are risk for infection (B grade). Clinicians should also screen for gonorrhea in sexually active women age 24 years and younger and in older women who are at risk for infection (B grade). The USPSTF found insufficient evidence to recommend screening for either chlamydia or gonorrhea in men (I grade).  

Aspirin for Preeclampsia: The USPSTF recommends the use of low-dose aspirin after 12 weeks of gestation in women who are at high risk for preeclampsia (B grade). Risk factors for preeclampsia include a history of the condition, being pregnant with multiple fetuses, chronic hypertension, type 1 or 2 diabetes, renal disease, and autoimmune diseases.  

The USPSTF also made the following draft products available for public comment:

• Screening for abnormal glucose and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults (draft recommendation statement and draft evidence review, open until November 3)
• Primary care interventions to promote breastfeeding (draft research plan, open until November 5)
• Screening for obesity and interventions for weight management in children and adolescents (draft research plan, open until November 19)
• Screening for thyroid dysfunction (draft recommendation statement, open until November 24)

The CDC has released maps that graphically display adult obesity rates for the 50 states plus Guam and Puerto Rico. Adult obesity rates increased in six states from 2012-2013 (AK, DE, ID, NJ, TN, and WY) and every state now has a rate over 20%. Two states (MS and WV) have rates just over 35%. The map uses 2011-2013 self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Trust for America's Health released The State of Obesity, a resource that also includes maps of adult obesity rates, as well as a special report on racial and ethnic disparities in obesity, policy analyses, and briefs that summarize relevant obesity statistics for each state.

The Built Environment and Public Health Clearinghouse (BEPHC) is a resource for training at the university and professional levels and a source of relevant news about the intersection of community design and health. It includes information about academic training courses that link public health and the built environment, information about professional training opportunities (webinars, primers, toolkits, etc.) for self-taught learning, a glossary of terms, and a listing of upcoming events on topics related to health and the built environment.