Papers by Nicholas Freudenberg
Health Promotion Practice, 2004
Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
We compared health and social needs by gender, age, and race/ ethnicity of people leaving New Yor... more We compared health and social needs by gender, age, and race/ ethnicity of people leaving New York City jails and assessed the implication of these differences for the development of jail reentry programs. Surveys were completed with 1,946 individuals (536 men, 704 women, and 706 adolescent males) between 1997 and 2004. Structured questionnaires captured data on demographic, criminal justice, substance use, and health characteristics. Bivariate comparisons were performed to determine variations between men and women, men and male adolescents, and non-Latino black and Hispanic/Latino respondents. The majority of participants were black and Hispanic/Latino, reported high levels of substance use, had high rates of recidivism, and experienced difficult living circumstances. Compared with men, women were more likely to be homeless, use illicit drugs, report drug charges at index arrest, have health problems, and be parents. Adolescent males were more likely than men to rely on illegal ac...
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2010
Purpose-This study assesses the impact of REAL MEN, an intervention designed to reduce drug use, ... more Purpose-This study assesses the impact of REAL MEN, an intervention designed to reduce drug use, risky sexual behavior and criminal activity among 16 to 18 year old males leaving New York City jails.
Health Promotion Practice, 2011
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 2009
We examined the relationship between substance use and sexual HIV-risk behaviors among young men ... more We examined the relationship between substance use and sexual HIV-risk behaviors among young men who have been incarcerated, in order to understand how HIV risks develop for this vulnerable population. Methods: A sample of 552 young men in a New York City jail was interviewed at the time of incarceration. Bivariate analyses were performed to examine demographic and sexual HIV-risk behavior differences between men with and without recent alcohol and marijuana use. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between alcohol and marijuana use and sexual HIV-risk behaviors in the 90 days prior to incarceration. Results: Respondents were predominantly Black (57%) or Latino (37%), with a mean age of 17.4 years. The most common substances used were marijuana (82%) and alcohol (65%). Alcohol use prior to incarceration was significantly associated with having three or more sexual partners in the same time period (OR = 2.40, p < .001), as well as with having unprotected sex with a long-term partner (OR = 1.72, p < .01). Marijuana use was significantly associated with having multiple sex partners (OR = 1.55, p < .01). Heavy alcohol and marijuana use did not result in an increased likelihood of sexual HIV-risk behaviors. Conclusions: High rates of substance use and unprotected sex may have unintended health consequences for incarcerated young men. Severity of substance use is not a significant predictor of risk behaviors, suggesting the importance of contextual and social factors. Results highlight the need for HIV prevention efforts for this population that take into account these contextual and social factors.
Journal of Urban Health, 2006
Each year about 100,000 people return to New York City communities from municipal jails. Although... more Each year about 100,000 people return to New York City communities from municipal jails. Although about four-fifths report drug or alcohol problems, few have received any formal drug treatment while in jail. Researchers and practitioners have identified a number of policies related to corrections, income, housing, and drug treatment that may be harmful to the successful reintegration of people leaving jail. In order to explore the challenges to successful community reentry, six focus groups and one in-depth interview were conducted with 37 men and women who had been released from jail or prison in the last 12 months. Participants were asked to describe their experiences prior to and immediately following release from jail. Findings suggest that many people leaving jail are not prepared for release and, upon release, face a myriad of obstacles to becoming healthy, productive members of their communities. We discuss the implications of these findings for programs and policies that promote community reintegration of individuals returning from correctional facilities.
ABSTRACT The accidental release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a Union Carbide pesticide pla... more ABSTRACT The accidental release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, in December 1984 now ranks as the worst industrial catastrophe in history. There is still no reliable estimate of the total number dead and injured. An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people were exposed to a toxic plume of MIC that extended as far as 8 kilometers from the factory and covered and area of 40 square kilometers. The Program Development Board of the American Public Health Association (APHA) is charged with identifying those areas in which deficiencies in scientific knowledge exist in matters important to public health. In the present instance, merely defining the problem has been a formidable task, much less identifying the knowledge required to solve it. The first question is whether there is a need for APHA to concern itself with a subject that is already drawing considerable attention. APHA has recently issued position papers on some important issues that touch on the Bhopal tragedy and it would be wise to review these positions to see if they need any amendment in light of the Bhopal accident. The disaster in Bhopal has focused international public attention on occupational and environmental health, while at the same time the spectre of enormous financial liability has drawn serious attention on the part of industry to issues of health and safety. With the prevention of injury and disease as our central concern, the Bhopal Working Group undertook to identify the variety of public health problems raised by the Bhopal disaster.
Public Health Behind Bars, 2007
Health Promotion Evaluation Practices in the Americas, 2008
... the Americas, DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-79733-5 11, C Springer Science+ Business Media, LLC 2008... more ... the Americas, DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-79733-5 11, C Springer Science+ Business Media, LLC 2008 191 ... alliances distribution of international organizations, Development resources action; national Goals; World reallocating NGOs∗, Social Forum; global national WHO Healthy ...
Journal of Legal Medicine, 2014
Public health, Jan 25, 2015
American journal of public health, 2015
In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health t... more In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health training programs. We analyzed the distinct opportunities and challenges that publicly funded schools of public health face in preparing the nation's public health workforce. Using our experience in creating a new, collaborative public school of public health in the nation's largest urban public university system, we described efforts to use our public status and mission to develop new approaches to educating a workforce that meets the health needs of our region and contributes to the goal of reducing health inequalities. Finally, we considered policies that could protect and strengthen the distinct contributions that public schools of public health make to improving population health and reducing health inequalities.
Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education, 2014
Preventive medicine, 2012
This invited commentary imagines two futures for preventive medicine and public health in the Yea... more This invited commentary imagines two futures for preventive medicine and public health in the Year 2030. Using satire, the commentary describes one future in which large corporations control public health and another where a robust public sector plays the leading role.
Preventing chronic disease, 2011
International quarterly of community health education, 1984
Health education practice reflects the ideology of the social forces that support it. Currently, ... more Health education practice reflects the ideology of the social forces that support it. Currently, health educators approach their task from two divergent viewpoints: one group emphasizes changing individual behavior while the other focuses on organizing people to change health-damaging institutions, policies and environments. This report provides a rationale and examples of the latter approach. It then describes the kind of training program that would be necessary to prepare health educators to work effectively for social change. Specifically, it is suggested that graduate students in health education need more preparation in social epidemiology, environmental sciences and policy analysis, particularly the analysis of the impact of non-health policies on health status. Health education training programs also need new approaches to the process of learning. The social movement of the last decades, health education programs in developing and socialist countries and some projects in this...
International quarterly of community health education, 1981
The current health self-help movement has its roots in the social movements of the 1960's. Fr... more The current health self-help movement has its roots in the social movements of the 1960's. Frustrated with the practices and priorities of established medicine, many groups organized to meet their health needs outside the medical care system. Now self-help is becoming more attractive to health care providers. Hospitals, physicians and funding agencies are putting new emphasis on teaching self-help skills to a variety of patients.This report describes one such program established for asthmatic children and their parents in a medical center in New York City. By analyzing the different perspectives of parents, children, educators, physicians, hospital administrators and the funding agency, it shows how self-help programs within a hospital setting are shaped by an interaction of forces. The potential and limits of self-help as an instrument for social and institutional change are described. The article concludes with recommendations on how health workers can contribute to the self-h...
Preventing chronic disease, 2007
Good education predicts good health, and disparities in health and in educational achievement are... more Good education predicts good health, and disparities in health and in educational achievement are closely linked. Despite these connections, public health professionals rarely make reducing the number of students who drop out of school a priority, although nearly one-third of all students in the United States and half of black, Latino, and American Indian students do not graduate from high school on time. In this article, we summarize knowledge on the health benefits of high school graduation and discuss the pathways by which graduating from high school contributes to good health. We examine strategies for reducing school dropout rates with a focus on interventions that improve school completion rates by improving students' health. Finally, we recommend actions health professionals can take to reframe the school dropout rate as a public health issue and to improve school completion rates in the United States.
Preventing chronic disease, 2007
Journal of the American Medical Women's Association (1972), 2001
Obesity presents a major threat to the health and well-being of low-income, urban, African-Americ... more Obesity presents a major threat to the health and well-being of low-income, urban, African-American women. African-American women have among the highest rates of obesity in the United States and suffer from a corresponding excess burden of obesity-related diseases. Distinct physiological, societal, cultural, and environmental factors form a mosaic of forces that promote weight gain and prevent weight loss in these women. To develop specific strategies to improve their health, researchers need to better understand the unique nutritional problems facing low-income African-American women residing in inner cities. Individual and community interventions to promote weight reduction have been insufficient to reverse the epidemic. A problem of this magnitude requires concerted and comprehensive policy interventions. This paper uses an ecological approach to suggest multilevel public health strategies to reduce obesity among urban African-American women.
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Papers by Nicholas Freudenberg