IOM Topic: Select Populations and Health Disparities

Committee on Ethics Principles and Guidelines for Health Standards for Long Duration and Exploration Spaceflights

5/20/2013

NASA is in the process of planning for exploration class missions of long duration and beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). An ad hoc committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will conduct a study to examine policy and ethical issues relevant to crew health standards for these missions. The committee would consider the application of existing health standards and the potential development of a new set of standards for missions beyond LEO.

First Meeting of the Committee on Ethics Principles and Guidelines for Health Standards for Long Duration and Exploration Spaceflights

5/17/2013

The second meeting of the Institute of Medicine's Standing Committee on Credentialing Research in Nursing will be held on June 12, 2013, in Washington, DC.

Improving the Health, Safety and Well-Being of Young Adults

5/16/2013

Young adults (aged approximately 18-26) are at a significant and pivotal time of life. They may seek higher education, launch their work lives, develop personal relationships, and pursue other endeavors that help set them on healthy and productive pathways that last through adulthood. However, research also shows that the transition to adulthood can be a time of increased vulnerability and risk, including, for example, concerns about unemployment and homelessness; lack of access to health care; mental health issues; and increased binge drinking, illicit drug use, and driving under the influence.

Health Literacy and Numeracy: A Workshop

5/16/2013

Numeracy in Health Literacy, Roundtable on Health Literacy

Roundtable on Health Literacy

5/15/2013

The mission of the Roundtable is to move forward the field of health literacy by translating research findings to practical strategies that can be implemented.

Conference on the History of African Americans in the Medical Professions

5/15/2013

Conference on the History of African Americans in the Medical Professions

Improving the Health, Safety and Well-Being of Young Adults

5/9/2013

The IOM and the NRC will host a two-day public workshop that highlights research on the health, safety and well-being of young adults. The workshop will focus on developmental characteristics and attributs of young adults and its placement in the life course; how well young adults are functioning across relevant sectors such as health and mental health, education, labor, justice, military, and foster care; and how various sectors that intersect with young aduts influence their health and well-being.

Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention

5/9/2013

This committee, comprised of national leaders in various fields such as medicine, disease prevention, sociology, psychology, public policy, the private sector, and nutrition, will be responsible for the oversight and creation of separate ad-hoc committees focusing on the most important topics in childhood obesity prevention.

Creating Equal Opportunities for a Healthy Weight - A Workshop

5/8/2013

The workshop will examine childhood obesity prevention through the lens of working to achieve health equity.

Nutrition During Lactation

5/8/2013

On the basis of a comprehensive literature review and analysis, Nutrition During Lactation points out specific directions for needed research in understanding the relationship between the nutrition of healthy mothers and the outcomes of lactation. Of widest interest are the committee's clear-cut recommendations for mothers and health care providers.The volume presents data on who among U.S. mothers is breastfeeding, a critical evaluation of methods for assessing the nutritional status of lactating women, and an analysis of how to relate the mother's nutrition to the volume and composition of the milk.Available data on the links between a mother's nutrition and the nutrition and growth of her infant and current information on the risk of transmission through breastfeeding of allergic diseases, environmental toxins, and certain viruses (including the HIV virus) are included. Nutrition During Lactation also studies the effects of maternal cigarette smoking, drug use, and alcohol consu

Nutrition During Pregnancy: Part I: Weight Gain, Part II: Nutrient Supplements

5/8/2013

In Part I of Nutrition During Pregnancy, the authors call for revisions in recommended weight gains for pregnant women. They explore relationships between weight gain during pregnancy and a variety of factors (e.g., the mother's weight for height before pregnancy) and places this in the context of the health of the infant and the mother. They present specific target ranges for weight gain during pregnancy and guidelines for proper measurement.Part II addresses vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy, examining the adequacy of diet in meeting nutrient needs during pregnancy and recommending specific amounts of supplements for special circumstances. It also covers the effects of caffeine, alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine use and presents specific research recommendations.

LGBT Health Research Gaps and Needs: IOM Report Release March 31

5/8/2013

Recent findings on the differences in heart disease among women and men and among blacks and whites show that characteristics such as gender and ethnicity matter when it comes to health research. A new report from the IOM, recommends steps to ensure that clinical researchers identify and address the needs of LGBT populations. The report will be released at an 11:00 a.m. public briefing on Thursday, March 31.

Sociologist David Mechanic receives Institute of Medicine's 2009 Sarnat Prize in Mental Health

5/8/2013

The Institute of Medicine awarded the 2009 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health to David Mechanic, University Professor and René Dubos Professor of Behavioral Sciences; and director, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. The Sarnat Prize, consisting of a medal and $20,000, was presented to Mechanic at IOM's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

What You Read 2012

5/8/2013

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the year 2012.

What You're Reading - December 2011

5/8/2013

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the month of December, 2011.

Key Reports in 2011

5/8/2013

Key Reports in 2011

"Like" the IOM on Facebook

5/8/2013

For every new "like" on the IOM's Facebook page, a donor will contribute $1 toward improving the nation's health, up to $5,000.

IOM Elects 65 New Members, Five Foreign Associates

5/8/2013

The IOM announced the names of 65 new members and five foreign associates on October 17 in conjunction with its 41st annual meeting. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

The Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health

5/7/2013

The Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health is awarded annually to individuals, groups, or organizations in order to recognize outstanding achievement in improving mental health services, research, or public policy.

Achieving Health Equity via the Affordable Care Act: Promises, Provisions, and Making Reform a Reality for Diverse Patients

4/18/2013

Infusing Health Equity into the Affordable Care Act

Committee on Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States

4/11/2013

The IOM and the National Research Council will study commercial sexual exploitation of children and sex trafficking of minors in the United States. This study will examine current approaches to addressing the problem at the local, state, and federal levels, and investigate the causes and consequences of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors for both victims and offenders. The study committee will make recommendations that will inform future policy and practices within law enforcement, human services, and health care agencies.

Review of the Department of Labor's Site Exposure Matrix Database

4/10/2013

In 2000, Congress authorized compensation for Department of Energy (DOE) workers and contractors who attest that they suffer from a disease that is linked to their occupational exposure to toxic material at nuclear-related sites and facilities. To assist with compensation determinations for DOE contractors, the Department of Labor (DOL) uses a database, the Site Exposure Matrix (SEM), which was designed to organize, display, and communicate information on the toxic substances found at those sites and health effects associated with exposure to the substances. The IOM reviewed the SEM database and its use of a particular database, Haz-Map, as the sources of its toxic substance-occupational disease link. This report describes the strengths and shortcomings of both databases, and offers recommendations for improvements that could be made in both databases with a focus on enhancing the scientific rigor of SEM for both DOL claims examiners and former DOE workers.

Challenges and Opportunities for Change in Food Marketing to Children and Youth - Workshop Summary

4/10/2013

The childhood obesity epidemic is an urgent public health problem, and it will continue to take a substantial toll on the health of Americans. The most recent data show that almost a third of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Children are exposed to an enormous amount of commercial advertising and marketing for food. In 2009, children age 2-11 saw and average of more than 10 television food ads per day. The marketing of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages is linked to overweight and obesity. The IOM hosted a workshop which examined contemporary trends in marketing of foods and beverages to children and youth and the implications of those trends for obesity prevention.

A Conversation about Parents and Childhood Obesity Prevention

4/8/2013

The Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention will host a public session, "A Conversation about Parents and Childhood Obesity Prevention," on February 21st, 2013.

Implementation of Attributes of Health Literacy: A Workshop

3/22/2013

Roundtable on Health Literacy Workshop

Meeting 5: Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update)

3/11/2013

The fifth and final meeting of the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update).

Combating Tobacco in Military and Veteran Populations

3/5/2013

The health and economic costs of tobacco use in military and veteran populations are high. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) make recommendations on how to reduce tobacco initiation and encourage cessation in both military and veteran populations. In its 2009 report Combating Tobacco in Military and Veteran Populations, the authoring committee concludes that to prevent tobacco initiation and encourage cessa¬tion, both DoD and VA should implement comprehensive tobacco-control programs.

Oral Health Literacy - Workshop Summary

3/4/2013

Limited oral health literacy is associated with inaccurate knowledge about preventive measures such as water fluoridation, dental care visits, and oral health-related quality of life. The public and health care providers are largely unaware of the basic risk factors and preventive regimens for many oral diseases. Oral disease is expensive in terms of teeth, time, and money and results in pain, disfigurement, loss of school and work days, and even death when left untreated. The IOM Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop to examine the field of oral health literacy.

IOM Annual Meeting

2/28/2013

Evidence-Based Medicine was the focus of the 37th annual meeting of the Institute of Medicine.

Meeting 3: Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine

2/28/2013