Both childhood and adult obesity are associated with increased risk of numerous chronic disease morbidities as well as increased risk of mortality. Thus, the increase in the prevalence of obesity for children and adults in the United States during the past two decades has received significant attention. An optimal public health response to this epidemic requires high quality surveillance. Public health surveillance is defined as “the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice.” 1 A variety of existing data sources have provided fragmented pieces of the data necessary to address the obesity epidemic. However, we believe that this data has been inadequate to address all the public health issues related to obesity and that a more comprehensive approach is needed. The objectives of this presentation are: (1) to describe the how existing federal and state data systems can be used for obesity surveillance; (2) to identify the limitations of existing data; and (3) to propose new data elements for comprehensive obesity surveillance.
1Teutsch SM, Churchill RE. Principles and practice of public health surveillance. 1994.
Learning Objectives: The objectives of this presentation are: (1) to describe how the existing federal and state data systems can be used to for obesity surveillance; (2) to identify the limitations of existing data; and (3) to propose new data elements for comprehensive obesity surveillance.
Keywords: Surveillance, Obesity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.