Healthy Homes is the focus for the September/October 2010 supplement of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Access to this supplement is free courtesy of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The importance of housing conditions to poor health including illness and injury are the impetus for this publication.
Supplement Editor, Pamela A. Meyer, PhD, MSPH, has developed a series of articles setting forth interventions to protect the health and safety of people in their homes. Dr. Meyer was Healthy Homes Goal Team Lead in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention at the time of this work. These include systematic reviews of housing interventions and health; control of asthma-related biologic agents; health-related chemical agents and injury-related structural deficiencies. The issue also includes case studies in lead poisoning prevention; development of a residential fire prevention tool kit, energy-efficient housing and developing capacity for healthy homes through training.
The findings from the reviews of interventions and case studies reported in this supplement can be used by programs planning to adopt a healthy homes approach. A healthy homes approach addresses more than one health issue during the home visit. In 2009, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes urging efforts to improve health through improved housing. This supplement provides a foundation for the healthy homes approach. As Dr. Meyer states: “Expansion of these programs will increase the number of healthy and safe homes and lead to healthier people and ultimately a healthier nation.
Lloyd F. Novick, MD, MPH
Editor in Chief
The September/October 2010 HEALTHY HOMES E-Supplement was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention. Enjoy this full length E-Supplement and share it with your colleagues through the 'E-mail to Colleague' feature.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided complimentary access to the January/February 2010 issue of JPHMP focusing on Quality Improvement in Public Health. Take advantage of that content and share it with your colleagues through the 'E-mail to Colleague' feature.