Guide to Community Preventive Services Released

An independent Task Force sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a book containing evidence-based guidelines to help communities counteract nine preventable health concerns: physical inactivity, cancer, diabetes, vaccine-preventable diseases, tobacco, interventions in education and housing sectors, motor vehicle injury, oral health and violence. The Task Force makes its recommendations based on systematic reviews of topics in three general areas: changing risk behaviors; reducing diseases, injuries and impairments; and addressing environmental and ecosystem challenges. The actions recommended by the Guide all have sufficient to strong evidence supporting their effectiveness. Other actions and interventions may also be effective, but there is as yet insufficient evidence for recommending them.

According to information from the American Public Health Association,

Under each of the main health topics, the guide focuses on areas that if addressed could lead to better health outcomes. For example, the chapter on oral health addresses dental caries (cavities and decay), oral cancers and sports-related injuries, while the chapter on motor vehicle occupant injury looks at issues such as child safety seats and alcohol-impaired driving. In the chapter about tobacco, the guide provides readers with evidence on strategies used to increase cessation and strategies to reduce youth tobacco use initiation as well as on programs that aim to lower people's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.