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The article reports on the Do Not Board (DNB) list developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the U.S. According to the list, domestic and international public health officials have authority to not allow persons with communicable diseases who pose threat to board a commercial aircraft from or abound for the country. The DNB only applies to commercial air travel.

The article presents information on the 47th Capitol Hill conference convened by the Middle East Policy Council which was held on January 19, 2007, at the New America Foundation. The conference was presided by W. Freeman, Jr., president of the Middle East Policy Council, who discussed the issues affecting American standing, not just in the Middle East, but in the world at large. Other participants included Anatol Lieven, senior research fellow at the New America Foundation.

Presents an edited transcript of the 40th in a series of conferences convened by the U.S. Middle East Policy Council held in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 2005. Effect of the U.S. strategy of insurgency in Iraq; Order of the Kurdish militias' loyalty; Policy issues faced by the U.S. government.

Objective: This paper identifies differences in prevalence of established periodontitis and evaluates factors that might explain the differences between non-Hispanic African Americans (n = 232) and whites (n = 199) in the Detroit tricounty area.Methods: Subjects from a disproportionate probability sample of community-dwelling adults were interviewed regarding demographic, psychosocial and enabling factors, dental health-related behaviors, and other risk factors, and had comprehensive in-home dental examinations.Results: The overall prevalence of established periodontitis was 20.8 percent; African Americans exhibited a significantly higher prevalence than whites (29.8% vs 17.7%). The crude association between race and prevalence of established periodontitis was significant (odds ratio [OR] for African Americans = 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17,3.34). After controlling for other covariates, we found the effect of race may be modified by dental checkup visit frequency: African Americans with dental checkups at least once a year had almost a fourfold higher odds of established periodontitis (OR = 3.64; 95% CI = 1.43, 9.24) than their white counterparts with dental checkups at least once a year (the referent group); while African Americans with a dental checkups once every two years or less often were more than fourfold less likely to have established periodontitis (OR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.59) than their white counterparts in the referent group.Conclusions: This analysis supports the disparity in periodontal health as part of the black:white health disparity when taking other factors into account. However, periodontal health disparities may be more complex than previously recognized, requiring greater understanding of factors related to dental care utilization in future studies evaluating this disparity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug abuse treatment programs in six regions of the United States collaborated in a study aimed at monitoring trends in the seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. The wide disparities in HIV seroprevalence in the face of similarities in drug using behavior have important implications for prevention. In the New York City area (Harlem, Brooklyn), 61 per cent; of samples (N=280) obtained in late 1986 were positive, up from 50 per cent; of samples (N=585) in early 1985. In Baltimore, Maryland, 29 per cent; of samples (N = 184) representing 11 programs were positive. In contrast, samples from programs distant from the Northeast corridor had far lower rates: Denver, Colorado 5 per cent; (N=100); San Antonio, Texas 2 per cent; (N=106); Southern California, 1.5 per cent; (N=413); and Tampa, Florida, 0 per cent; (N=102). Contrary to expectations, there was no corresponding difference in reported lifetime needle sharing experiences, which ranged from 70 per cent; in New York to 99 per cent; in San Antonio. HIV seropositivity was associated only with geographic location and ethnicity; however, because needle sharing is practiced by parenteral drug abusers in areas where seroprevalence is still relatively low, these areas are potentially vulnerable to the same catastrophic spread seen in the Northeast. A window of opportunity exists where prompt, vigorous, and aggressive efforts at prevention could have major impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) production by adipose tissue is increased in obesity, and its circulating levels are high in type 2 diabetes. PAI-1 increases cardiovascular risk by favoring clot stability, interfering with vascular remodeling, or both. We investigated in obese diabetic persons whether an intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss (ILI) would decrease PAI-1 levels independently of weight loss and whether PAI-1 reduction would be associated with changes in fibrinogen, an acute phase reactant, or fibrin fragment D-dimer (D-dimer), a marker of ambient coagulation balance., Methods and Results: We examined 1-year changes in PAI-1, D-dimer, and fibrinogen levels; adiposity; fitness; glucose; and lipid control with ILI in 1817 participants from Look AHEAD, a randomized trial investigating the effects of ILI, compared with usual care, on cardiovascular events in overweight or obese diabetic persons. Median PAI-1 levels decreased 29% with ILI and 2.5% with usual care (P < 0.0001). Improvements in fitness, glucose control, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with decreased PAI-1, independently of weight loss (P = 0.03 for fitness, P < 0.0001 for others). Fibrinogen and D-dimer remained unchanged., Conclusions: Reductions in PAI-1 levels with ILI in obese diabetic individuals may reflect an improvement in adipose tissue health that could affect cardiovascular risk without changing fibrinogen or d-dimer levels. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00017953. Unique identifier: NCT00017953.

Background: There are widespread assumptions that a large proportion of American adults use a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. The goal of this study is to explore the clustering or linkages among CAM categories in the general population. Linkset analysis and data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used to address two specific aims. First, the dominant linkages of CAM categories used by the same individual were delineated, and population estimates were generated of the percentage of American adults using different linksets of CAM categories. Second, it was determined whether dominant linkages of CAM modalities differ by age, gender, ethnicity, and education., Methods: Linkset analysis, a method of estimating co-occurrence beyond chance, was used on data from the 2002 NHIS (N = 29,862) to identify possible sets of CAM use., Results: Most adults use CAM therapies from a single category. Approximately 20% of adults combined two CAM categories, with the combination of mind-body therapies and biologically based therapies estimated to be most common. Only 5% of adults use therapies representing three or more CAM categories. Combining therapies across multiple CAM categories was more common among those 46-64, women, whites, and those with a college education., Conclusions: The results of this study allow researchers to refine descriptions of CAM use in the adult population. Most adults do not use a wide assortment of CAM; most use therapies within a single CAM category. Sets of CAM use were found to differ by age, gender, ethnicity, and education in ways consistent with previous research.

Across the health disciplines, clinical prevention and population health activities increasingly are recognized as integral to the practice of their professions. Most of the major clinical health professions organizations have begun incorporating clinical prevention and population health activities and services into educational curricula, the accreditation process, and training to affect clinical practice. Students in each health profession need to understand the roles played by those in other health professions. This understanding is a prerequisite for better communication and collaboration among the professions and for accomplishing the educational objectives included in Healthy People 2020 and organized using the Education for Health framework. To help accomplish these goals, this article summarizes each health profession's contributions to the field of prevention and population health, explains how the profession contributes to interprofessional education or practice, reviews specific challenges faced in the provision of these types of services, and highlights future opportunities to expand the provision of these services. Several general themes emerge from a review of the different health professions' contributions to this area. First, having well-trained prevention and population health professionals outside of the traditional public health field is important because prevention and population health activities occur in almost all healthcare settings. Second, because health professionals work in interprofessional teams in the clinical setting, training and educating all health professionals within interprofessional models would be prudent. Third, in order to expand services, reimbursement for health promotion counseling, preventive medicine, and disease management assistance needs to be appropriate for each of the professions., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: The study objectives were to identify types of complementary therapy that are most predictive of health outcomes, including functional status, physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and mental HRQoL among older adults., Design: This was a prospective study., Settings/location: The study comprised computer-assisted interviews conducted in participants' homes., Subjects: Subjects included 1683 adults aged 55 and older who participated in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey and the 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey., Intervention: None., Outcome Measures: Functional status, physical HRQoL, and mental HRQoL at 1-year follow-up., Results: The use of biologically based therapies predicted better functional status, such that users reported less functional impairment than nonusers (p < 0.01), adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, health insurance, household income, and comorbid conditions. Users of manipulative and body-based methods reported less functional impairment (p < 0.05). They also reported better physical and mental health-related quality of life, though these relationships were marginally significant. Other groups of therapies, alternative medical systems, mind-body therapies, and prayer were not predictive of either functional status or HRQoL., Conclusions: Favorable effects were observed among users of biologically based therapies and users of manipulative and body-based methods. Other types of complementary therapy had no effects on health status over a 1-year follow-up period.

Purpose: Most studies comparing the effects of fitness and fatness on cardiovascular (CVD) risk have been done with young, healthy participants with low rates of obesity and high levels of fitness. The present study examined the association of cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity with CVD risk factors in an ethnically diverse sample of overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes., Method: Baseline data from Look AHEAD, a study of 5145 overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, were used to examine the association of BMI categories (overweight, class I, II, or III obesity) and cardiorespiratory fitness (assessed with a maximal graded exercise test and categorized by age- and gender-specific quintiles) on cardiovascular risk factors and on the odds of having hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or HbA1c > or = 7%., Results: BMI categories and fitness quintiles were highly associated with each other (P < 0.0001), with the heaviest participants being the least fit. Only 2-3% of participants had class III obesity and were in the two fittest quintiles or, conversely, were overweight and in the two least-fit quintiles. When fitness and BMI were included in the same model (adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes duration, and race), HbA1c, ankle/brachial index (ABI), and Framingham risk score were most strongly associated with fitness. Systolic blood pressure was most strongly associated with BMI category. Similar results occurred when waist circumference and fitness were considered together., Conclusion: In this large, ethnically diverse sample of overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, fitness and fatness were highly related to each other but seemed to have different impact on specific CVD risk factors.

Drawing on models of health self-management, we develop hypotheses that age and ethnicity will modify associations among indicators ofpoor health and use of complementary and alternative medicine. These hypotheses are evaluated using the 2002 National Health Interview Survey with the Alternative Health Supplement. Results produced partial support for hypotheses that the effects of ailments on use of complementary and alternative medicine differ by age. Results suggest that ailments such as bodily pain, chronic conditions, and functional impairment are associated with use of complementary and alternative medicine among midlife and younger adults, but these associations are generally attenuated among older adults. Hypothesized ethnic differences received weak support. These findings suggest that different interpretations of ailments and appropriate responses may explain why complementary and alternative medicine is used by fewer older adults. The results also highlight the significance of social and cultural factors in understanding patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use in the adult population.

Objective: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used in the United States, but information is lacking on CAM use among older minority adults. This analysis documents CAM use among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White adults age > or =65 and delineates the importance of ethnicity in predicting CAM use., Methods: Data are from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The 2002 NHIS oversampled Blacks and Hispanics and included a special module on CAM use. Logistic regression models were fit to examine the effects of ethnicity, sex, age, educational attainment, number of health conditions, and US census region on any CAM use and use of CAM within five major groupings., Results: 27.7% of older adults use CAM, with the highest level of use among Asians (48.6%), followed by Hispanics (31.6%), Whites (27.7%), and Blacks (20.5%). Asian elders have significantly greater odds than Whites of using any CAM, alternative medical system, biologically based therapies, and mind-body medicine and lower odds of using body-based and manipulative methods. Hispanic elders have greater odds than Whites of using any CAM and biologically-based therapies. Black elders differ significantly from Whites only in their lesser use of body-based and manipulative methods. Overall, more women than men are CAM users. CAM use declines amongthose age > or =75 years., Conclusion: CAM is an important component of older adults' health self-management, and research should examine how they learn about CAM and delineate the decision process in selecting CAM modalities.

Objective: To assess the frequency of statistical errors in the dermatology literature., Design: Original studies published in the Archives of Dermatology and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology from January through December 2003 were analyzed for correctness of statistical methods and reporting of the results., Results: Of 364 studies published, 155 included statistical analysis. Of these, 59 (38.1%) contained errors in the methods or omissions in reporting of the statistical results. Fourteen percent of the articles with statistical analysis contained errors in the methods used (considered to be more significant errors), 26.5% contained errors in the presentation of the results, and 2.6% contained errors in both., Conclusions: The misuse of statistical methods is prevalent in the dermatology literature, and the appropriate use of these methods is an integral component of all studies. Readers should critically analyze the methods and results of studies published in the dermatology literature.

Objectives: Determine if complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use for treating existing conditions and for health maintenance differs by age and ethnicity., Methods: Data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey were used to operationalize distinct types of CAM in terms of (a) no use, (b) use for treatment only, (c) use for prevention only, and (d) use for both treatment and prevention. Differences in CAM use by age and ethnicity were examined using SUDAAN to adjust for design effects., Results: Associations of age with CAM use are curvilinear but differed by ethnicity. Some types of CAM are used primarily for treatment; others are used for health maintenance., Discussion: CAM use is one component of adults' overall approach to health self-management. Patterns of CAM use by age and ethnicity likely reflect differences in CAM availability and prevailing public health policies when adults began making their own health-related decisions.

Background: Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in the United States. The prevalence of health care provider advice to lose weight is not clear., Methods: We examined the percentage of individuals who reported being advised to lose weight by a health care practitioner in the past year by population subgroup. Participants were individuals in the 10 states participating in the 1996 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which assessed advice to lose weight, hypertension awareness, and cholesterol awareness., Results: The prevalence of reporting advice to lose weight was most strongly associated with body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) and weight-related comorbidities. In individuals with a BMI of 25 to 27, only 5.6% of those with no comorbidities and 13.6% of those with comorbidities received advice. These rates were increased to 32.4% and 47.3%, respectively, in those with a BMI greater than 30. Middle-aged individuals, those with more education, and those living in the northeast were also more likely to receive advice. Receiving advice to maintain weight was reported by only 2. 5% of respondents. Receiving advice to lose weight was strongly associated with trying to lose weight, especially in those with a BMI of 25 to 27, where 77.5% who received advice reported trying to lose weight vs 33.4% of those who did not receive advice., Conclusions: Advice to lose weight is uncommon and is given primarily to those who are already obese, are middle-aged, and have comorbidities. Practitioners may be missing important opportunities to counsel mildly overweight individuals to lose weight or to maintain their weight and thereby prevent comorbidities.

Objective: This study compared the preventive oral health behaviors of African-Americans and whites., Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a probability sample of 384 African-American and 358 white adults living in the greater Detroit area. Questions focused on brushing, flossing, and dental visits., Results: More than 95 percent of both groups reported brushing daily; however, whites were more likely to brush all teeth, including parts that do not show. Frequency of flossing did not differ between groups. African-Americans, however, were less likely to floss all of their teeth. Whites were more likely than African-Americans to get dental check-ups at least once a year and much less likely to indicate they had never had a dental check-up. African-Americans tended to have less education and lower family income than whites and were more likely than whites to have Medicaid. Race differences in brushing thoroughness and annual check-ups were greatly reduced when income, education, and insurance were controlled statistically., Conclusions: African-Americans are less likely than whites to brush thoroughly, floss thoroughly, and get dental check-ups. These differences are partly traceable to differences in socioeconomic status and access to professional oral health care.

Objectives: The goals of this investigation were (1) to evaluate the Oral Health Status Index in relation to demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and preventive behaviors of an adult population; and (2) to understand how individual index components performed as indicators of oral health status compared to the composite index., Methods: The Oral Health Status Index (OHSI) was used on a probability sample of adults, aged 18-93 years, living in the Detroit tricounty area. Data were collected on 509 subjects via in-home dental examinations. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the OHSI and its components, including decayed, missing, and replaced teeth, free ends, and moderate and severe periodontal disease measures., Results: The mean OHSI score for subjects was 77.3 (SE = 1.83) with a range of -8.0 to 100.0. In regression analyses, OHSI scores were positively correlated with subjects' education level, self-rated oral health scores, and frequency of dental checkups and negatively correlated with age, nonwhite race, and smoking. Of the index components, missing teeth performed well as an indicator of oral health status. Missing teeth were positively correlated with age, nonwhite race, and smoking and negatively correlated with education level, self-rated oral health, and use of Medicaid. About 53 percent of variance in OHSI scores was explained by the multivariate models, compared to 46 percent for missing teeth., Conclusions: Choosing an indicator of oral health status likely will depend upon the characteristics of the population to be studied. As a composite measure of oral health status, the OHSI performed acceptably; however, missing teeth, an index component, also worked well. Continued evaluation of the OHSI is warranted.

Objective: This study investigated knowledge, opinions, and experience regarding dental informatics and computers among first-year dental students (D1s) and fourth-year dental students (D4s)., Design: First-year (N = 95) and fourth-year (N = 91) students in 1990 and first-year (N = 97) and fourth-year (N = 91) students in 1993 at a school of dentistry were surveyed., Measurements: Demographic characteristics and computer ownership were assessed. Knowledge was measured using an 18-item scale (range 0-18). Opinions were measured using a 13-item scale (range 13-65; alpha = 0.81). Experience was measured using a 28-item scale (range 28-140)., Results: Response rates were all nearly 100%. Computer ownership by the D1s increased from 17.9% to 43.8% in the three years between surveys. Knowledge and opinions of the 1990 and 1993 D1s were similar, although the latter reported more experience with hardware and software. Experience with dental informatics applications was lacking in both groups. The 1993 D4s had completed more computer courses than had the 1990 D4s (2.3 vs 0.9), and demonstrated significantly more knowledge and experience. Opinion scores were nearly identical for these groups. The D4s in 1993 who had been D1s in 1990 had increased their knowledge of and experience with informatics applications during dental school. A difference in computer knowledge between the entering D1 males and females was observed in 1990, but was essentially gone by 1993 for the same individuals., Conclusions: Entering students had more computing knowledge and skill than their predecessors. Informatics knowledge and experience increased during dental school, and knowledge disparities between genders disappeared.