Strengthening Community, News & Research

This searchable online version of the widely-used reference book represents the latest printed version, published in 1999, but includes color plates, audio clips, and updates that the print version does not.

A coalition of community organizations in Kansas City, MO is fighting to reduce substance abuse problems, especially among the youth in their city. City government agencies, churches, health agencies, the police department, and non-government organizations are working together as part of Robert Wood Johnson's "Fighting Back" project.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry hosts a Web site that identifies resources available to support community health improvement programs

The Pew Charitable Trust has an ongoing national program to put into place a system to track and monitor chronic diseases. The long-range goal is to help prevent diseases. Tracking trends and providing systematic information on chronic diseases, like childhood asthma and birth defect, could help discover causes and stimulate prevention efforts. A 3-page spring update on this project can be downloaded at the Trust's Web site.

Faced with environmental health problems, volunteers in Anniston, Alabama joined together to build an education and outreach organization to deal with environmental health problems. Anniston residents have higher-than-normal levels of PCBs in their blood face the effects of chronic diseases like asthma, cancer, diabetes and kidney problems.

A recent study shows that errors associated with doctors using an
interpreter to assess a patient's ailments or to prescribe treatment can be costly to all parties involved. Losing important information in the translation leads to mistakes that more than half the time result in a threat to the welfare of the patient. Furthermore, a hired interpreter that makes an error can open the care facility to the risk of litigation.

A new study reveals that physically fit adults are more likely to maintain
mental sharpness as they age. The study, performed at the VA Medical Center
in San Francisco, links cardiorespiratory fitness to mental function, though
the exact biological link is not quite clear.

LCATP is a national organization dedicated to reducing the harm caused by
alcohol and
tobacco in the Latino community. Its Web site is a rich resource for
journalists and other health professionals, including a clearinghouse
collection of pamphlets, brochures and posters, in English and Spanish, on
alcohol, tobacco, and health focusing on Latino issues.

The military conflict abroad, combined with increased security presence and
heightened terrorist alerts at home, is raising the stress levels of many
Americans. This article offers advice for coping with fear and anxiety
associated with such concerns.

Contrary to common belief, dementia is not an inevitable symptom of old age.
A recent Mayo report found half of the nonagenarians studied to be perfectly
alert. The study's findings, to be published in the journal Neurology,
represent increased attention to the mental powers of the oldest old, who
until recently have drawn little medical interest.