TY - JOUR
T1 - Adequacy of state capacity to address noncommunicable disease clusters in the era of environmental public health tracking.
AU - Juzych, Nadia Shalauta
AU - Resnick, Beth
AU - Streeter, Robin
AU - Herbstman, Julie
AU - Zablotsky, Joanna
AU - Fox, Mary
AU - Burke, Thomas A.
PY - 2007/4
Y1 - 2007/4
N2 - OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the capacity of state public health agencies to address noncommunicable disease clusters (NCCs) and to develop recommendations to enhance agencies' NCC response capacity. METHODS: We conducted an inventory of state public health agency Web sites and administered a Web-based survey of state health agency personnel to examine NCC capacity with respect to responsibility and authority, scope, protocols, trends in NCC investigations, and desired assistance. RESULTS: Twenty-six of the state agency Web sites listed an NCC contact, and 12 mentioned a cluster response team. Thirty-seven states completed the Web-based survey, all addressed cancer clusters, and 30 also responded to other NCCs, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism. CONCLUSIONS: NCCs are of key concern to communities, and all of the survey respondents indicated that citizen reports were an impetus for investigations; yet, state-level capacity to address NCCs was inconsistent and disjointed. State agency personnel were committed to responding to NCC inquiries but were hampered by lack of personnel, resources, and prescribed protocols, as well as inadequate interagency communication. We offer recommendations to address these challenges.
AB - OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the capacity of state public health agencies to address noncommunicable disease clusters (NCCs) and to develop recommendations to enhance agencies' NCC response capacity. METHODS: We conducted an inventory of state public health agency Web sites and administered a Web-based survey of state health agency personnel to examine NCC capacity with respect to responsibility and authority, scope, protocols, trends in NCC investigations, and desired assistance. RESULTS: Twenty-six of the state agency Web sites listed an NCC contact, and 12 mentioned a cluster response team. Thirty-seven states completed the Web-based survey, all addressed cancer clusters, and 30 also responded to other NCCs, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism. CONCLUSIONS: NCCs are of key concern to communities, and all of the survey respondents indicated that citizen reports were an impetus for investigations; yet, state-level capacity to address NCCs was inconsistent and disjointed. State agency personnel were committed to responding to NCC inquiries but were hampered by lack of personnel, resources, and prescribed protocols, as well as inadequate interagency communication. We offer recommendations to address these challenges.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2006.096453
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2006.096453
M3 - Article
C2 - 17413060
AN - SCOPUS:34250874461
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 97 Suppl 1
SP - S163-169
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
ER -