Part B:
Operational Definitions

An operational definition for each Healthy People 2010 objective is shown in this section, organized by focus area. Some of the objectives have more than one statistical measure. For these objectives operational definitions are shown separately for each measure. In this section, both the 467 Healthy People 2010 objectives and their subparts are referred to as “objectives.”

These definitions are provided to assist in the interpretation of the data presented for each Healthy People 2010 objective and to facilitate comparable measurement of these objectives by researchers from the national, State, and local government agencies as well as those from private organizations. A contact for each objective is listed in Appendix A; this contact can provide further information, if necessary.

The first page of each focus area includes a list of objectives (short text) and subobjectives. The operational definitions include the following elements about the baseline data for each Healthy People 2010 objective and subobjective measure:

n     Full text of the objective

n     National data source

n     State data source

n     Healthy People 2000 objective (see below)

n     Leading Health Indicator (if applicable, see below)

n     Type of measure (percent, rate, number, etc.)

n     Baseline data

n     Numerator

n     Denominator

n     Population targeted

n     Survey questions used to obtain the data (if applicable)

n     Expected periodicity (of the statistical measure)

n     Additional comments

 

The operational definitions shown this section are as complete as possible at the time of publication. For all objectives with measurable Healthy People 2010 baseline data, the operational definition is either complete, partially complete, or not known. If the operational definition is complete all elements will be filled out appropriately. If the operational definition is either partially complete or not known, all available information is shown in the “Comments” area.

In each operational definition there is a description of the comparability of the objective to the Healthy People 2000 objectives. Each Healthy People 2010 objective measure is identified as either (a) identical to a Healthy People 2000 objective, identified with the Healthy People 2000 objective number; (b) identical to a Healthy People 2000 objective, except for a change in calculation methodology (for example, age adjustment to the 2000 standard population where the comparable Healthy People 2000 objective was either not adjusted or adjusted to a different standard), identified with the Healthy People 2000 objective number and the new calculation methodology in parentheses; (c) adapted from a Healthy People 2000 objective, with changes in the type of measure, definition, or data source, identified with “adapted from Healthy People 2000 objective __”; or (d) as having no counterpart in Healthy People 2000, identified with “Not applicable.”

If the objective was adapted from a Healthy People 2000 objective, the differences between the objectives are described in the Comments section of the operational definition. If the comparable Healthy People 2000 objective was duplicated in more than one priority area, the primary objective number is shown, with the duplicate objective numbers shown in parentheses. Several reports have been published showing the operational definitions for the objectives in selected Healthy People 2000 priority areas.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Complete crosswalks between the Healthy People 2000 objectives and the Healthy People 2010 objectives are shown in Appendices F and G. Healthy People 2000 objectives and comparable Healthy People 2010 objectives that are different in any way (either condition (b) or (c) in the paragraph above), are noted as “adapted” in the Comments section of Appendices F and G.

Objective measures that have been designated as measures for the Leading Health Indicators will include an entry called “Leading Health Indicator” that will show the name of the Leading Health Indicator category (for example, Access to Care, Injury and Violence, Mental Health). A list of Leading Health Indicators, their measures, and the corresponding Healthy People 2010 objective number is shown in Appendix H.

Unless specifically noted otherwise, data for the numerator and denominator of the objective measures exclude unknown and refused responses. Where applicable, the questions used to obtain the national baseline data are shown in the operational definition. Items shown in italics with the symbol “â” are actual questions from the original survey instrument. Interviewer instructions and other notes from the survey instrument are shown in italics without the symbol. Notes to guide the user that were not part of the original survey instrument are shown in brackets without italics.

References

1. Ryan, C.; Schober, S.; and Turczyn, K. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 20, Immunization and Infectious Diseases. Healthy People 2000 Statistical Notes No. 11. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 1997.

2. Vargas, C.; Schober, S.; and Gift, H. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 13, Oral Health. Healthy People 2000 Statistical Notes No. 12. Hyattsville, MD: NCHS, 1997.

3. Heck, K.E., and Klein, R.J. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 14, Maternal and Infant Health. Healthy People Statistical Notes No. 14 (revised). Hyattsville, MD: NCHS, 1998.

4. Seitz, J.F., and Jonas, B. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 6, Mental Health. Healthy People Statistical Notes No. 16. Hyattsville, MD: NCHS, 1998.

5. Ryan, C.; Klein, R.; and Wagener, D. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 21, Clinical Preventive Services. Healthy People Statistical Notes No. 17. Hyattsville, MD: NCHS, 1998.

6. Chong, Y.; Klein, R.; Plepys, C.; and Troiano, R. Operational definitions for year 2000 objectives: Priority Area 1, Physical Activity and Fitness. Healthy People Statistical Notes No. 18. Hyattsville, MD: NCHS, 1998.



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