Objective specification information

Objective specification files are available for every objective and sub-objective in Healthy People 2010.  Once you have selected an objective above, click the "Read objective specification information now" button to view the objective specification file for that objective.

Objective specifications 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 national, State, and local government agencies as well as those from private organizations. 

Each objective specification includes the following elements, which relate to the baseline data for each Healthy People 2010 objective and subobjective measure:

     Full text of the objective

     National data source

     State data source

     Healthy People 2000 objective (see below)

     Leading Health Indicator (if applicable,
         see below)

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

     Baseline data

     Numerator

     Denominator

     Population targeted

     Survey questions used to obtain the data
        (if applicable)

     Expected periodicity (of the statistical
         measure)

     Additional comments

The objective specifications are as complete as possible and are updated on a quarterly basis.  For all objectives with measurable Healthy People 2010 baseline data, the objective specification is either complete, partially complete, or not known.  If the objective specification is complete all elements are filled out appropriately.  If the objective specification is either partially complete or not known, all available information is shown in the "Comments" area.

In each objective specification 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) 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 (c) 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 objective specification.  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 objective specifications for the objectives in selected Healthy People 2000 priority areas.  Complete crosswalks between the Healthy People 2000 objectives and the Healthy People 2010 objectives are shown in Appendices F and G of Tracking Healthy People 2010.

Objective measures that have been designated as Leading Health Indicator measures 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).

Unless otherwise noted, 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 objective specification.  Items shown with the symbol ">" are actual questions from the original survey instrument.   Interviewer instructions and other notes from the survey instrument are shown in parentheses "()".  Notes to guide the user that were not part of the original survey instrument are shown in brackets "[]".