Recorded presentation

Karen S. Taylor Mitchell, MPA, Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.), PO Box 4352, Burlington, VT 05406, 802 863-0555, director@safetables.org and Barbara Kowalcyk, MS, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut St, Madison, WI 53726.

Nearly one in three Americans contracts a foodborne infectious disease each year, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, and the outcomes are often more than a passing stomachache. 325,000 Americans are hospitalized annually, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates indicate that more than 2 million long-term health problems annually result from foodborne diseases. Children are an under-recognized at-risk population for foodborne disease, with nearly half (46%) of all CDC-reported E. coli O157:H7and Salmonella illnesses striking children under 15 years old. Known health outcomes among children include acute kidney failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, blindness, and neurological and learning disabilities, and research shows that foodborne diseases may kill as many children annually as cancer or handguns. This presentation will 1) discuss the physical, emotional, and financial impacts of foodborne disease on America’s children and families; 2) distinguish between preventative measures that fall within and beyond the capabilities of parents; and 3) explore how current government, industry, and media policies and practices around disease prevention, surveillance, and outbreak response may influence the public perception of risk and overall disease rates among children.

Learning Objectives:

After the presentation, the participant will
• have a better understanding of the impact of foodborne disease on American children and families, will
• have a better understanding of the rate of foodborne disease tracking and response relative to illness; will
• be better equipped to teach safe food handling behaviors to consumers, and will
• be able to place the goal of changing consumer handling behaviors within a larger public policy and environmental health policy context.

Related Web page: www.safetables.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.

Recorded presentation