National profile: overview of capabilities and core functions of local public health jurisdictions in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 U.S. territories, 2000-2002.

Abstract

This is the first nationally conducted survey targeting the full population of all local public health jurisdictions to assess the three core functions of public health: assessment, policy development, and assurance, as well as overall capabilities. Data were analyzed from 2,007 local public health jurisdictions in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 U.S. territories (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico) between July 2000 and April 2002, in a collaborative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Justice. An unweighted overall mean summary score of 65.4% (on a scale of 0% to 100%) was calculated from the responses to the 20-question survey. The mean summary scores across all 2,007 local public health jurisdictions for assessment, policy development, and assurance were 66.8%, 67.4%, and 63.0%, respectively. Also, data was analyzed by the population size of jurisdiction and the type of jurisdiction. The results provide national population baseline data for estimates of local public health jurisdiction capabilities and core functions that may be useful in identifying areas for improvement, in building a stronger U.S. public health system to better serve each community, and in educating the public about the core functions of public health to help ensure that public health agencies are accountable to those they serve.