A family history of neural tube defects (NTDs) can increase the risk of a pregnancy affected by an NTD. Periconceptional folic acid use decreases this risk. Purpose: Our objective was to determine whether second-degree relatives of NTD-affected children showed differences in folic acid use compared with the general population and to provide them…

Patient health literacy skills are critical to effective healthcare communication and safe care delivery in primary care settings. Methods and strategies to identify patient health literacy (HL) capabilities and provider/staff knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (KAB) regarding HL must be known before addressing provider/staff communication skills.…

This study determined the effects of health instruction upon the Objective Reference Test (ORT) scores of students in grades one through five of the Troy School District in Troy, Michigan. In September 1971, all elementary teachers in Michigan were instructed to begin teaching substance use and abuse. An Elementary Health Committee was established…

Public librarians have been providing consumers access to health and medical information for approximately 20 years. Changes in the American health care environment in the 1990s suggest that the role of public librarians in the provision of health and medical information will grow exponentially in the 21st century. This report describes a study of…

The Michigan Community Health Electronic Library (MCHEL) serves the public health and other community health workers in Michigan. It is committed to desktop delivery of the best health information to its primary clientele, with as much as possible in digital full-text form. It collaborates with other libraries in the state to make this possible.…