Search

The article announces awards for authors of 2019 papers to the journal and peer reviewers of the journal, including the reviewers Farshad Pourmalek and Marie Bragg and authors D.A. Broniatowski, A.M. Jamison, S. Qi, L. AlKulaib, T. Chen, A. Benton, S.C. Quinn and M. Dredze for their paper "Weaponized health communication: Twitter bots and Russian trolls amplify the vaccine debate."

The article announces the recipients of the journal's 2018 Paper and Review of the Year awards, including reviewers Matthew Miller and H. Westley Clark, and authors C.K. Crifasi, M.L. Doucette, E.E. McGinty, et al. for their paper "L. Storage practices of US gun owners in 2016" in volume 108, issue 4.

The article announces that Associate Editor Deborah Holtzman received the journal's Reviewer of the Year Award and the article "The Epidemic of Despair Among White Americans: Trends in the Leading Causes of Premature Death, 1999–2015" by E.M. Stein and others won the Paper of the Year Award.

Objectives: Cloth diapers with front closure and all-in-one design were compared with paper diapers containing absorbent gel material for their influence on fecal contamination of the environment in licensed child day care centers., Methods: One infant room and two toddler rooms in each of four day care centers were monitored for the presence of fecal bacteria. Microbial samples were taken from the play/sleep area, the diaper-changing area, and the hands of the caregivers and the children. Sampling was done twice weekly for two 4-week periods. Each center used either cloth or paper diapers during the first period, changing to the other diaper type during the second period., Results: A total of 1722 samples were cultured, 881 during the first 4 weeks and 841 during the second 4 weeks. The frequency of isolation of fecal organisms ranged from a low of 12% of the total bacteria isolates at a center using cloth diapers, to highs of 46% and 45%, respectively, at a center using first paper and then cloth diapers. Sink faucets and the hands of the caregivers and the children were often contaminated., Conclusions: Analysis of the results of comparisons between cloth and paper diapers showed no significant difference in the frequency (F = .380, P < .535) or the intensity of fecal contamination in child day care centers.

The article announces that several individuals and papers received awards from the "American Journal of Public Health" in 2016, including Paper and Reviewer of the Year award winner Deborah Holtzman, as well as Reviewer of the Year award recipients such as John Brill and Angela Beck.

We reviewed the authorship characteristics, editorial processing, and final fate of 126 papers dealing with data from countries other than the United States and Canada and submitted to the American Journal of Public Health in 1989. The acceptance rate of these international health papers was 22%, similar to that of all papers (25%). Authors from developed countries had higher acceptance rates than authors from developing countries, but the highest acceptance rate (36%) was for international health papers with joint authorship from both developed and developing countries. Of 83 rejected papers, 72% were published in other journals. Of these, 45% were published in journals covered by Index Medicus, a figure similar to that for all papers rejected by the Journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a call for persons interested in presenting a paper at the 1998 meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM). The 1998 meeting of the AAHM will be held May 7 through 10, 1998, in Toronto, Ontario. Those interested in presenting a paper at this meeting are invited to submit an abstract, with seven copies of the original format. Any subject in the history of medicine is suitable for presentation, but the paper must represent original work not already published or in press. Presentations are limited to 20 minutes. Abstracts must be typed single-spaced on one sheet of paper and must not exceed 350 words in length. Abstracts should include not only a statement of a research question but also findings and conclusions to allow assessment by the committee.

Wisconsin pulp and paper mill processing plants were evaluated for fecal coliform and total Klebsiella (i.e., thermotolerant and thermointolerant) bacterial concentrations. Using thc standard feca: coliform test. up to 90 per cent of non-fecal source thermologiterant K. pneumonia was falsely identified as fecal source bacteria. Since there is a lack of specificity in the currently used standard for feca, coliform evaluation, a more reliable health risk assessment for feca coliform bacteria is recommended. (Am J Public Health 1984; 74:1273-1275.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of reviewers to the American Journal of Public Health publication process cannot be underestimated. Without the reviewers, the journal would not only be worse off but would actually fail to exist as the quality vehicle for dissemination of public health information that it strives to be. As editors, one is proud to read submissions and screen them for validity and but relying heavily on the expertise of reviewers for their precise comments and critical responses that maintain the Journal's quality and significance. The past year has brought many exciting changes to the journal including the hiring of new editorial and production staff and most notably the unveiling of a new web-based electronic submission system. These changes have inspired considerable conversation among the editorial staff about the value of the review process and ofcourse the value of the reviewers. Since one has the utmost appreciation for the reviewers, it has been made a priority to provide as much support and guidance as they would like. As part of the commitment to the process one has developed reviewer recommendations to make the job of the reviewer easier and more efficient.

An excerpt from the book "Health Care for the Community: Selected Papers of Dr. John B. Grant," edited by C. Seipp.

The article presents information on several articles which were nominated for the 2014 "American Journal of Public Health" Paper of the Year Award, including "Solitary Confinement and Risk of Self-Harm Among Jail Inmates" by F. Kaba, A. Lewis, J. Hadler et al., "The Role of Prevention in Promoting Continuity of Health Care in Prisoner Reentry Initiatives" by L. N. Woods, A. S. Lanza, W. Dyson et al. and "Centering Perspectives on Black Women, Hair Politics and Physical Activity" by H. S. Versey. Individuals who were nominated as reviewers of the year by the "American Journal of Public Health" are also noted.

Objectives. To study the effects of several survey features on response rates in a general population health survey. Methods. In 2012 and 2013, 8000 households in British Columbia, Canada, were randomly allocated to 1 of 7 survey variants, each containing a different combination of survey features. Features compared included administration modes (paper vs online), prepaid incentive ($2 coin vs none), lottery incentive (instant vs end-of-study), questionnaire length (10minutes vs 30minutes), and sampling frame (InfoCanada vs Canada Post). Results. The overall response rate across the 7 groups was 27.9% (range = 17.1-43.4). All survey features except the sampling frame were associated with statistically significant differences in response rates. The survey mode elicited the largest effect on the odds of response (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.61, 2.59), whereas the sampling frame showed the least effect (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.34).The highest response was achieved by mailing a short paper survey with a prepaid incentive. Conclusions. In a mailed general population health survey in Canada, a 40% to 50% response rate can be expected. Questionnaire administration mode, survey length, and type of incentive affect response rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a team based approach which staff at the "American Journal of Public Health" use to screen and review papers which are submitted to the journal for publication. A discussion of the time which is required for screening and review from the time of electronic submission to formal online publication is presented.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the impact of cesarean section delivery on the initiation and duration of breast-feeding in the 1987 Mexican Demographic and Health Survey. METHODS: The subsample (n = 2517) was restricted to women whose delivery of their last-born children (aged 5 years and younger) was attended by a physician. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between cesarean section and likelihood of either not initiating breast-feeding or doing so for less than 1 month. Among women who breast-fed for 1 month or more, multivariate survival analysis was used to examine the relationship between cesarean section and breast-feeding duration. RESULTS: Cesarean section was a risk factor for not initiating breast-feeding (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50, 0.82) and for breast feeding for less than 1 month (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.37, 0.91) but was unrelated to breast-feeding duration among women who breast-fed for 1 month or more (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.86, 1.11). CONCLUSIONS: It is desirable to provide additional breast-feeding support during the early postpartum period to women who deliver via cesarean sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We investigated child labor violations among US adolescents working in the retail and service industries. Methods. We used interview data from a nationally representative sample of working adolescents, and investigated reports of select child labor violations (e.g., hours, equipment, and work permits). We computed weighted percentages of respondents reporting each type of discrete (and aggregated) violation. Results. Nearly 37% of respondents reported a violation of the hazardous occupations orders (i.e., prohibited jobs or use of equipment), and 40% reported a work permit violation. Fewer than 2% reported working more than the maximum weekly hours allowed during the school year, but 11% reported working past the latest hour allowed on a school night, and 15% reported working off the clock. Conclusions. Significant numbers of US adolescents are employed in violation of the child labor laws and as a result are exposed to safety risks. Although our data did not allow for an analysis of enforcement, our findings demonstrate gaps in employer compliance with the law. We suggest that closer attention to enforcement policy and practice is needed. (Am J Public Health. 2008;98:1693-1699. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.122853) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the article "Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in the Progressive Era," by E. Richard Brown, including one that gives credit to Brown's used of historical footnote on the paper, and two other which comments on his use of historical documentation.

OBJECTIVES: This study described factors related to colorectal cancer stage at diagnosis. METHODS: Logistic regression analyses were used on data from the New York State Tumor Registry and US Census area-level social class indicators. RESULTS: After the effects of other predictors were controlled for, the odds of late-stage cancer increased as age decreased; women and African Americans were significantly more likely to have late stage than men and Whites; and individuals living in areas of low socioeconomic status (SES) were significantly more likely to be diagnosed at late stage than those living in higher SES areas. Stratified analyses showed that living in a low SES area was the most important determinant of stage for all age, race, gender, and source-of-care groups. CONCLUSIONS: While all populations would benefit from the systematic use of screening, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may also benefit from targeted screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the relationship between lead-contaminated house dust and urban children's blood lead levels. METHODS: A random-sample survey was used to identify and enroll 205 children, 12 to 31 months of age, who had resided in the same house since at least 6 months of age. Children's blood and household dust, water, soil, and paint were analyzed for lead, and interviews were conducted to ascertain risk factors for elevated blood lead (> or = 10 micrograms/dL). RESULTS: Children's mean blood lead level was 7.7 micrograms/dL. In addition to dust lead loading (micrograms of lead per square foot), independent predictors of children's blood lead were Black race, soil lead levels, ingestion of soil or dirt, lead content and condition of painted surfaces, and water lead levels. For dust lead standards of 5 micrograms/sq ft, 20 micrograms/sq ft, and 40 micrograms/sq ft on noncarpeted floors, the estimated percentages of children having blood lead levels at or above 10 micrograms/dL were 4%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, after adjusting for other significant covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Lead-contaminated house dust is a significant contributor to lead intake among urban children who have low-level elevations in blood lead. A substantial proportion of children may have blood lead levels of at least 10 micrograms/dL at dust lead levels considerably lower than current standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether there were significant differentials between US-born and foreign-born women in risks of infant mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth and whether these differentials, if they existed, varied across major US racial/ethnic groups. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression was applied to national linked birth/infant death records for 1985 through 1987 to estimate overall and ethnic-specific maternal nativity effects on pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Substantial maternal nativity differences in risks of infant mortality and low birthweight were found, with the magnitude of the nativity effect varying significantly across racial/ethnic groups. Overall, foreign-born status was associated with 7% and 20% lower risks of low birthweight and infant mortality, respectively. However, the reduced risk of adverse pregnancy outcome associated with immigrant status tended to be substantially larger for Blacks, Cubans, Mexicans, and Chinese than for other ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal nativity status, along with ethnicity, may serve as an important axis of differentiation in birth outcome studies. Further research needs to be conducted to assess the effects of behavioral, cultural, and psychosocial factors in explaining the nativity differentials observed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An exhaustive bibliography which assesses the methodological rigor of the patient compliance literature, and citation data from the Science Citation Index (SCI) are combined to determine if methodologically rigorous papers are used with greater frequency than substandard articles by compliance investigators. There are low, but statistically significant, correlations between methodological rigor and citation indicators for 138 patient compliance papers published in SCI source journals during 1975 and 1976. The correlation is not strong enough to warrant use of citation measures as indicators of rigor on a paper-by-paper basis. The data do suggest that citation measures might be developed as crude indicators of methodological rigor. There is no evidence that randomized trials are cited more frequently than studies that employ other experimental designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the 2013 winners of the periodical's Paper of the Year awards, including reports on topics such as aging and climate change, infant mortality, and housing insecurity, as well as 2013 Reviewers of the Year jimi adams and Janet Golden.

The article presents information on award winners for the 2015 American Journal of Public Health paper of the year, including the paper "The collateral damage of mass incarceration: Risk of psychiatric morbidity among nonincarcerated residents of high-incarceration neighborhoods" by M.L. Hatzenbuehler and others, the paper "The moral challenge of Ebola" by Mark A. Rothstein, and a noination of Dr. Paul Campbell Erwin as reviewer of the year.

The article discusses editor's decisions about the selection of research to be published. The editor emphasizes that his purpose in presenting the selection process of manuscripts to be published is to help authors understand the procedure. He mentions that "The Lancet," a medical journal, handles 70 percent of its contributions without peer review. Moreover, he admits that editorial decisions are not based upon the scientific merit of a paper. In this journal, the editorial staff appoint 704 reviewers to help them in the selection process.

This article presents a call by the Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center for the best student paper on injury.

Objectives. Despite national support for electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), the transition from paper to electronic reporting has been slow both nationally and locally. We assessed the ELR experience of New York City's surveillance programs to identify barriers to ELR implementation and generalizable lessons about automated electronic notifiable disease surveillance. Methods. We conducted interviews with key staff of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to evaluate ELR implementation. A review of paper and ELR disease reports enabled a comparison of the reporting systems. Results. The completeness and timeliness of ELR were similar to, and sometimes better than, paper reporting for certain diseases. Incorporating electronic data into surveillance databases created new problems with data quality, shifted work demands, and required additional skills for data monitoring. ELR improved the handling of high-volume and time-sensitive diseases but did not completely automate reporting for diseases that required complicated assessments by staff. Conclusions. Although ELR streamlines data processing, electronic reporting has its own limitations. A more successful use of ELR can be achieved by understanding its strengths and limitations for different disease types. (Am J Public Health. 2007;97:S142-S145. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.098996) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article encourages the submission of papers needed for a symposium on analysis of soils contaminated with petroleum constituents.