[Oregon_EPHT_News] Fwd: CDC's Environmental Public Health Tracking Network: More Data, Tools and Results

[Tara A CHETOCK]

One year after launch, CDC's Environmental Public Health Tracking
Network offers users more important data and improves our knowledge base
about how the environment affects people's health. 
The Tracking Network is an online system you can use to find out how
the environment may be affecting your health or the health of your
community. You can access information about environmental hazards such
as air and water contaminants, and some chronic health conditions such
as asthma and cancer. The most common queries conducted on the Tracking
Network since its 2009 launch include asthma rates and air quality.
In a new, exciting development, CDC is now funding seven morestates (
http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showStateTracking.action )to build local
Tracking Networks as components of the National Tracking Network. 
Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Carolina, and
Vermont have joined the 16 states and New York City (NYC) already
tracking and reporting environment and health data. CDC's goal is that
one day all 50 states will have statewide Tracking Networks. 
Another big addition to the Tracking Network is U.S. Census Bureau data
on population characteristics. These data include demographic measures
such as sex, age, race, and ethnicity. The data also include
socioeconomic measures such as poverty, occupation, education, and
income. The association between population characteristics and the
environment is difficult to measure, but some research shows these
factors affect a person's exposure to environmental hazards. These data
allow us to better understand the factors that influence environmental
exposures and human health across the UnitedStates.  
Over the past year,public health officials used the state Tracking
Networks to identify trends such as increased asthma and lead poisoning
rates and areas at high-risk of consuming contaminated drinking water.
These findings inform targeted outreach efforts to educate and protect
citizens in these communities and to improve our understanding of the
links between exposure to environmental hazards and risk of chronic
illnesses.  These types of discoveries and public health actions are now
faster and easier because the Tracking Network makes standardized
environmental and health data available in one place. 

Other important updates made to the Tracking Network throughout the
past year include:  
Reproductive health and
birth outcomes ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showRbMain.action )
·      State Vital Records Departments, through the National Center for
Health Statistics, now provide the 
               following reproductive and birth outcomes data to the
Tracking Network for all 50 states:
o      Prematurity among singleton births (births of a single baby, as
opposed to twins, etc.),
o       Growth retardation among singleton births, and
o       Sex ratio.     

Air ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showAirLanding.action )    
 ·      Modeled air data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
is now available to examine air quality 
               for locations without air monitors, and to fill in the
time gaps when air monitors may not be recording 
               data. 
·      Two more years (2007-2008) of air data-the most recent
available-were also added.      
Cancer ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showCancerMain.action ) 
·      Information is now available for ten types of cancer in 42
states and the District of Columbia. Since the 
               Tracking Network launch, these cancer types have been
added: 
o      Acute lymphocytic leukemia in children
o       Acute myeloid leukemia
o       Acute myeloid leukemia in children
o       Breast cancer
o       Chronic lymphocytic leukemia   
Birth defects ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showBirthDefects.action )
·      Information for 12 different birth defects, including spina
bifida, gastroschisis, Down syndrome, and more 
               are available for four states. In the coming year, more
states are expected to contri
bute birth defects  
               data.       
Carbon monoxide poisoning (
http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showCarbonMonoxideLanding.action )      
·      Mortality data for all 50 states
·      Additional years of data       

Asthma ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showAsthma.action ),andheart attack
hospitalizations ( http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHeartAttack.action )  
    
·      Additional years of data       

In the coming year, CDC will continue to add new data and tools to the
Tracking Network. Expansion plans include adding data and information
about climate change, the prevalence of asthma, and the built
environment. 
To learn more, please visit the Tracking Network
today:www.cdc.gov/ephtracking


 
   
Tara Chetock, MHA | Health Educator
Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Oregon Public Health Division
Phone: 971.673.1496  |  E-mail: Tara.A.Chetock at state.or.us
 
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