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MMWR
Synopsis for October 15, 1999

MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday.

  1. Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Safer and Healthier Foods
  2. Folic Acid Campaign and Evaluation — Southwestern Virginia, 1997-1999
  3. Self-Reported Asthma in Adults and Proxy-Reported Asthma in Children — Washington, 1997-1998

MMWR
Synopsis for October 15, 1999

Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Safer and Healthier Foods

One of the greatest achievements of this century has been the production of safer and healthier foods.

 

PRESS CONTACT:
Julia Smith, M.P.H.
CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases
(404) 639-4647
(Alternate: Tim Hensley, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, 770-488-5820)
Early in the 20th century, contaminated food, milk, and water were responsible for many foodborne infections including typhoid fever, tuberculosis, botulism, and scarlet fever. Once the characteristics and sources of foodborne diseases were identified, they could be controlled by new technology and procedures: handwashing, sanitation, refrigeration, pasteurization, pesticide application and reduction of foodborne pathogens. Similarly, nutritional sciences were in their infancy at the start of the 20th century. Requirements of protein, calories, vitamins, and other nutrients necessary to prevent diseases caused by dietary deficiencies were unknown. Classic nutritional deficiency diseases such as rickets, scurvy, beri-beri and pellagra were thought to be infectious diseases. By 1916, emerging data led to the discovery that food also contained vitamins.

 

 

Folic Acid Campaign and Evaluation — Southwestern Virginia, 1997-1999

A community based folic acid campaign, with multiple partners and a limited budget, resulted in increases of awareness and knowledge about the benefits of folic acid.

 

PRESS CONTACT:
Kristin Broome, M.P.H.
CDC, National Center for Environmental Health
(770) 488-7160
Southwest Virginia was identified as having a higher rates of birth defects compared to Virginia. With minimal resources, the community implemented a campaign based on the 1992 U.S. Public Health Service recommendation that all women of childbearing age, who are capable of becoming pregnant, consume 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid every day to decrease their risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida or other neural tube defects. The southwest Virginia campaign showed increases in awareness and knowledge about the benefits of folic acid among childbearing age women. National surveys indicate that awareness of folic acid among reproductive-aged women increased from 52% in 1995 to 68% in 1998.

Self-Reported Asthma in Adults and Proxy-Reported Asthma in Children — Washington, 1997-1998

More state and local data on asthma is needed to better target asthma intervention programs.

 

PRESS CONTACT:
Steve Redd, M.D.
CDC, National Center for Environmental Health
(770) 488-7320
This article reports the lifetime prevalence of asthma among adults and children in Washington State. Overall, asthma was reported among 10.8% of adults and 10.1% of children. Adults with asthma were twice as likely to report a fair or poor health status, compared with adults without asthma (18.8% vs. 9.9%). These estimates of asthma prevalence are higher than the current national estimates of asthma in the past year of 5.4%. While differences in the specific questions used may explain the differences between the national and state data, there may also be state and local differences in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma. More state and local data is needed to better target asthma intervention programs.

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