Large Number Of Concerns Proposed As
Public Health Issues In First Two Months Of 2019
Previous articles in
The Epidemiology Monitor have noted the large number of concerns which
have been labeled or proposed for consideration as public health
issues. Some of these, such as “All season tires”, “Hoarding”,
“Achieving a good death”, and “Chemsex” have received relatively
little attention in mainstream media and were surprising to learn
about. Others such as “Gaming addiction”, “pornography”, and “human
trafficking” have received more recognition and at first glance may be
more plausible to adopt within a public health framework.
Candidates For Public
Health Issue
This same duality of
surprising versus less surprising topics appears to characterize the
concerns we have encountered just in the last two months that are
being put forth as a public health “crisis”, “emergency”, “threat”, or
“problem”.
Below is the list of
topics we have read about, followed by the list of previously
published criteria that have been proposed as helpful in determining
if an issue qualifies to be adopted as a public health issue.
What is the difference
between a social concern and a public health problem? Are all social
concerns qualified to be public health problems? Readers are invited
to share their opinions about the specific issues mentioned here or
the criteria which should be paramount in determining what constitutes
a public health problem. Also, we are interested in learning from
readers what difference it makes if an issue is thought of or adopted
as a “public health problem". Will epidemiologists be more likely to
investigate or contribute in some way?
List of Issues
Candidate public health issues encountered
so far in 2019, in no particular order:
·
Teen
vaping
·
Tax on
ammunition
·
Ebola in
Congo
·
Drug
resistant superbugs
·
Refusal
to promote e-cigs by the FDA
·
Scooters/Shareable 2-wheeled vehicles
·
Traffic
·
Benzodiazepam prescriptions
·
Insomnia
in teens
·
Illegal
gun sales
·
Sub-zero
weather
·
Lack of
sleep
·
Background check for guns
·
Separating children from parents
·
Physician burnout
·
Climate
change
·
Wildlife
killing contests
·
Area
traffic deaths in DC
·
Potholes
(impact on ambulances)
·
Pornography
·
Opioid
epidemic
·
Violent
conflict
·
Chronic
wasting disease in deer
The criteria which have been proposed as relevant in determining
whether or not to adopt public problems as public health issues.
1. The concept of preventability
2. High prevalence of a risk factor, condition, or disease
3. A rapid increase in the incidence or prevalence
4. Cost of the condition
5. Burden of disease
6. Has the capability of affecting the population as a whole
7. Will require group action to solve.
Please send your comments to the editor at
epimon@aol.com
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