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Food insecurity is positively linked to risk of hypertension; however, it is not known whether this relationship persists after adjustment for socioeconomic position (SEP). We examined the association between food insecurity and self-reported hypertension among adults aged 35 or older (N = 58,677) in 12 states that asked the food insecurity question in their 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnaire. After adjusting for SEP, hypertension was more common among adults reporting food insecurity (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–1.36). Our study found a positive relationship between food insecurity and hypertension after adjusting for SEP and other characteristics.

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American Indian communities have a high prevalence of chronic diseases including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Innovative community-based approaches are needed to identify, prioritize, and create sustainable interventions to reduce environmental barriers to healthy lifestyles and ultimately improve health.

To address health disparities, local health departments need high-resolution data on subpopulations and geographic regions, but the quality and availability of these data are often suboptimal. The Boston Public Health Commission and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health faced challenges in acquiring and using community-level data essential for the design and implementation of programs that can improve the health of those who have social or economic disadvantages. To overcome these challenges, both agencies used practical and innovative strategies for data management and analysis, including augmentation of existing population surveys, the use of combined data sets, and the generation of small-area estimates. These and other strategies show how community-level health data can be analyzed, expanded, and integrated into existing public health surveillance and program infrastructure to inform jurisdictional planning and tailoring of interventions aimed at achieving optimal health for all members of a community.

Your job can have a big influence on your health. Learn how employers can help their employees lower their cancer risk.

Carla L. Black, PhD1, Xin Yue, MPS, MS1, Sarah W. Ball, ScD2, Sara M.

Final 2013–14 influenza season vaccination coverage estimates are now available online at FluVaxView (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview).

Sara Tomczyk, MSc1,2, Nancy M. Bennett, MD3,4, Charles Stoecker, PhD5, Ryan Gierke, MPH2, Matthew R. Moore, MD2, Cynthia G.

Helen Ding, MD1, Carla L. Black, PhD1, Sarah Ball, ScD2, Sara Donahue, DrPH2, David Izrael MS2, Walter W. Williams, MD1, Erin D.

Please note: An erratum has been published for this article. To view the erratum, please click here.