Modifications to Objectives and Subobjectives

The following discussion highlights modifications, including changes, additions, and deletions, to this focus area's objectives and subobjectives as a result of the midcourse review.

As stated in Healthy People 2010: "Most developmental objectives have a potential data source with a reasonable expectation of data points by the year 2004 to facilitate setting 2010 targets in the mid-decade review. Developmental objectives with no baseline at the midcourse will be dropped." Accordingly, at the midcourse review some developmental objectives and subobjectives were deleted due to lack of a data source. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies that serve as the leads for the Healthy People 2010 initiative will consider ways to ensure these public health issues retain prominence despite their current lack of data.

At the beginning of the decade, 16 measurable objectives and 2 developmental objectives comprised this focus area. Following the midcourse review, one developmental objective was deleted; the other was retained.

Monitoring and improving the dietary quality of meals and snacks consumed at school is important. However, the developmental objective regarding the proportion of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years whose intake of meals and snacks at school contributes to good overall dietary quality (19-15) was dropped due to lack of an appropriate data source capable of providing within the decade two sets of nationally representative estimates of what children eat during the school day.

Iron deficiency anemia among pregnant females (19-14) was retained as a developmental objective. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was identified as the data source with the potential to provide at least two sets of nationally representative estimates by 2010.⁵

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