Public health reports
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Public health reports · Sep 1994
A case study in planning for public health education: the organ and tissue donation experience.
The chasm between the supply and demand of donated organs and tissues continues to grow despite widespread public awareness of transplantation and numerous efforts to educate the public about organ donation. It is fast becoming a significant public health problem in this country. The need for more effective public education is well documented in the literature on transplantation and is a primary objective of organizations in the transplant field. ⋯ Its major steps consisted of assessing the status of donation-related public education in the United States, identifying existing needs in donation education by applying principles learned from other public health education programs, and identifying roles that could be assumed to help strengthen the American public's commitment to organ and tissue donation. These roles, which could be adopted by an transplant-related organization, were as broker of knowledge, producer of educational strategies, energizer through communications research, and catalyst by bringing together other groups. This approach to needs assessment and planning may provide useful insights both for those concerned with transplants and for professionals conducting education campaigns related to other public health issues.
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Public health reports · Sep 1994
ReviewEpidemiology of fetal alcohol syndrome in American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Canadian Aboriginal peoples: a review of the literature.
A critical review of available reports on the epidemiology of fetal alcohol syndrome among American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Aboriginal peoples of Canada was completed. A search of Medline, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Database, and other relevant data bases was conducted. The reference lists of several publications on fetal alcohol syndrome were reviewed, and four prominent researchers and four government agencies were contacted to identify unpublished articles. ⋯ Other study designs, including longitudinal cohort studies, are needed. Additional studies of populations of the American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Aboriginal peoples of Canada, where low rates of fetal alcohol syndrome are suspected, should be completed. Reviews of death certificates may also bea potentially important source of cases.
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Public health reports · Sep 1994
Prevalence of risk factors for residential fire and burn injuries in an American Indian community.
Fatality rates from residential fires are high among American Indians. Contact burns and scalds are also among the leading types of thermal injuries. Information about the prevalence of risk factors for burn injuries is required to design interventions aimed at reducing residential fire and burn injuries. ⋯ Thirteen percent of households had at least one fire during the previous 3 years, and the incidence of burns due to all causes and requiring medical treatment was 1.5 per 100 persons per year. Hot water temperature was measured to determine the potential risk for scald burns, and 48 percent of households had a maximum hot water temperature of 130 degrees or more Fahrenheit. Such surveys can guide intervention strategies to reduce residential fire and burn injuries in American Indian communities.