America's Health in Two Centuries

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73589/1/j.1746-1561.1977.tb01061.x.pd

The Administration and Practice of Public Health Nutrition in the Michigan Department of Public Health

(From Chapter IV) The eight weeks of field experience in the Michigan Department of Public Health and several local health departments provided the student with an accelerated orientation to the philosophy and practice of public health at the state and local level. With regard to the practice of public health, the student observed that organization, leadership, communication, and well-defined program plans were important determinates of progress in meeting the health needs of the population

Oral Health Knowledge and Sources of Information Among Elementary Schoolchildren

The dental health knowledge and sources of health information of 848 elementary schoolchildren (aged 9–12) in southwestern Michigan were assessed. Demographic parameters (education level, percent below poverty level, median income level) of the area were similar to state and national averages. The children were found to have some knowledge of caries and periodontal disease prevention, yet basic misconceptions were evident. More than one-third of the children thought that plaque should only be removed by a dentist. While 75 percent of the subjects knew that fluoride protected teeth from decay, only 4 percent of the children identified fluoridated water as the best source of this preventive agent. Knowledge of pit and fissure sealants was limited. Extent of correct dental knowledge was not related to age, sex, or mean DMFS scores. Children who answered the most questions correctly named parents and family as their source of information; dentist's office was the second most frequently mentioned source. Findings suggest a need to correct basic misinformation about dental health and to inform children about current efficacious preventive agents.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66129/1/j.1752-7325.1989.tb02019.x.pd

\u3ci\u3eIxodes Dentatus\u3c/i\u3e (Acari: Ixodidae) in Michigan: First State Records and Occurrence on a Human

An Ixodes dentatus adult female was taken from a cottontail rabbit in Kalamazoo County, and a nymph from a child in Berrien County, in 1992 in Michigan. These findings represent the first records of I.dentatus in the state, and document an unusual parasitization of a human being by this species of tick

Report on the Battle Creek health study

In 1981, the aquifer serving the Battle Creek area, Calhoun County, Michigan, was found to be contaminated with volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). The most seriously affected city wells were closed down, and residents in the adjacent Verona Park, whose private wells were contaminated, were offered bottled water and municipal shower facilities until their homes were connected to the city water mains. In 1986, new city wells north of the city's well field (the Verona well field) came into operation.Groundwater contamination with the same VOCs was later detected in Springfield, southwest and adjacent to Battle Creek, and la Dowagiac, Cass County. The source of contamination was identified in Battle Creek and Dowagiac, but not in Springfield. Responding to public concerns, the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted a comprehensive epklemiologic study of the potential health effects of the groundwater contamination. This report describes the rationale, design, implementation, and the results of the study.This study was largely supported by funds from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act trust fund, by Interagency Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.CEHS-183 (12-88)927901.pdf1988https://semspub.epa.gov/work/05/927901.pdf871

The relationship between functional health literacy of African American veterans and nonveterans and their ability to read and comprehend medical information for a chronic illness

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences between male African Americans who have served in the military and those who are not veterans in their ability to read and comprehend medical information for a chronic illness prevalent among African Americans, such as type 2 diabetes. The participants included 92 African American men of whom 44 were veterans and 48 were nonveterans. The participants were drawn from fraternal organizations and churches in a large metropolitan area located in the Midwestern part of the United States. The Short Test of Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA), a knowledge questionnaire, and a short demographic survey were used as the data collection tools. Four research questions were developed for the study. Each of these questions were addressed using inferential statistical analysis. The findings indicated that veterans and nonveterans did not differ in their health literacy levels or in their ability to read and comprehend medical information contained in a pamphlet about diabetes prepare by the Michigan Department of Public Health. One variable, scores on the STOFHLA, was a statistically significant predictor of the ability to read and comprehend medical information on the pamphlet. Health literacy is an important indicator of the ability to read and comprehend medical information in written form that is given to patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Further study is needed to continue research on how to provide this information to individuals, especially those with limited health literacy

Arsenic in drinking water and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease in Michigan: a standardized mortality ratio analysis

BACKGROUND: Exposure to arsenic concentrations in drinking water in excess of 300 μg/L is associated with diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system, several types of cancer, and diabetes; however, little is known about the health consequences of exposure to low-to-moderate levels of arsenic (10–100 μg/L). METHODS: A standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis was conducted in a contiguous six county study area of southeastern Michigan to investigate the relationship between moderate arsenic levels and twenty-three selected disease outcomes. Disease outcomes included several types of cancer, diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system, diabetes mellitus, and kidney and liver diseases. Arsenic data were compiled from 9251 well water samples tested by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality from 1983 through 2002. Michigan Resident Death Files data were amassed for 1979 through 1997 and sex-specific SMR analyses were conducted with indirect adjustment for age and race; 99% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. RESULTS: The six county study area had a population-weighted mean arsenic concentration of 11.00 μg/L and a population-weighted median of 7.58 μg/L. SMR analyses were conducted for the entire six county study area, for only Genesee County (the most populous and urban county), and for the five counties besides Genesee. Concordance of results across analyses is used to interpret the findings. Elevated mortality rates were observed for both males (M) and females (F) for all diseases of the circulatory system (M SMR, 1.11; CI, 1.09–1.13; F SMR, 1.15; CI, 1.13,-1.17), cerebrovascular diseases (M SMR, 1.19; CI, 1.14–1.25; F SMR, 1.19; CI, 1.15–1.23), diabetes mellitus (M SMR, 1.28; CI, 1.18–1.37; F SMR, 1.27; CI, 1.19–1.35), and kidney diseases (M SMR, 1.28; CI, 1.15–1.42; F SMR, 1.38; CI, 1.25–1.52). CONCLUSION: This is some of the first evidence to suggest that exposure to low-to-moderate levels of arsenic in drinking water may be associated with several of the leading causes of mortality, although further epidemiologic studies are required to confirm the results suggested by this ecologic SMR analysis