I recently got back from a wonderful vacation in Alaska and am still trying to catch my breath. As a result, today’s post is a collection of disparate topics, beginning with the “quantified self.”
The Quantified Self
As promised last time, I want to begin with an introduction to the concept of “quantified self.” Many of us researchers spend a great deal of time looking for ways to improve our strategies, measures, and analytic techniques to understand the health of populations and the interventions designed to influence their status. We also gather varying amounts of information about ourselves – but I’m guessing use these same techniques less effectively on ourselves than on the populations we study. An intriguing new pastime is beginning to capture the imagination – using “gadgets” to track and analyze our own bodies, moods, diets, behaviors related to spending, and just about every other thing that can be measured. There is significant controversy about the value, benefit, and strategies involved, but expect to hear more about the quantified self. I want to share a brief introduction by journalist Gary Wolf in a 5-minute TED talk called the quantified self and refer you to a website very supportive of this issue – QS: Quantified Self, Self Knowledge Through Numbers, as well as an opposing view – The Quantified Self: Making the Personal Public. These are just two sides of a growing phenomenon. Undoubtedly there are many other views, but regardless of yours, it’s worth learning more about.
Children’s Mental Health
I am just catching up with a publication from last year from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Their important April 2010 policy brief, Children’s Mental Health: What Every Policymaker Should Know, is based on the premise that a child’s mental health is a key component of healthy development and that the current mental health systems do not meet the needs of children and youth. The report provides significant detail on how widespread children’s mental health problems are in the U.S., and shows that most children and youth with mental health problems struggle to succeed in all aspects of their lives, many of the most affected do not have access to needed services, and the public mental health service delivery system is largely ineffective. Included in the report are recommendations for effective policy strategies to enhance mental health for children, youth and families.
NCCP is a “public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children.” Their website highlights some quick facts about children in poverty that are always striking and heart-wrenching. Among them: 1) 21% of children in the U.S. live in families that are considered officially poor; and, 2) Child poverty rates are highest among black, Latino, and American Indian children.
Global Tobacco Epidemic
The Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently released the third in a series of reports on the status of global tobacco control policy implementation. The report contains updates on data representing countries’ achievement for the six MPOWER measures related to tobacco control. The report focuses on two primary strategies for providing health warnings regarding tobacco use: 1) labels on tobacco product packaging; and 2) anti-tobacco mass media campaigns. Also contained in the report is a comprehensive overview of the evidence base on warning people about harms related to tobacco use and country level data on the status of these warnings. The report is entitled - WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2011: Warning about the dangers of tobacco.
MPOWER’s six strategies:
- Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
- Protect people from tobacco smoke
- Offer help to quit tobacco use
- Warn about the dangers of tobacco
- Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
- Raise taxes on tobacco
National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy
In June, the Obama Administration, led by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, and Senator Tom Harkin, released the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. This strategy was envisioned as a critical component of the Affordable Care Act and focuses on four strategic directions:
- Building Healthy and Safe Community Environments: Prevention of disease starts in our communities and at home; not just in the doctor’s office.
- Expanding Quality Preventive Services in Both Clinical and Community Settings: When people receive preventive care, such as immunizations and cancer screenings, they have better health and lower health care costs.
- Empowering People to Make Healthy Choices: When people have access to actionable and easy-to-understand information and resources, they are empowered to make healthier choices.
- Eliminating Health Disparities: By eliminating disparities in achieving and maintaining health, we can help improve quality of life for all Americans.
For more, see the press release, or download the full National Prevention Strategy report.
How We’ll Stop Polio For Good
In closing, I want to share another opportunity to view a great speech about an incredibly interesting and critical issue – the eradication of polio. This is a 23-minute talk by Dr. Bruce Aylward, a Canadian physician and epidemiologist who heads the polio eradication program at WHO, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Highly recommended.
