Leveraging Limited Resources Through Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing: Influences on Breastfeeding Rates.

Background: Cross-jurisdictional sharing is gaining traction as an option for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of public health services in local health departments.

Research Aim: Assess whether breastfeeding initiation among participants in the changed with the addition of a trained breastfeeding specialist funded by cross-jurisdictional integration.

Methods: A longitudinal retrospective comparative difference in difference design using state-based program data, pre- and post-integration was undertaken.

Tax levy financing for local public health: fiscal allocation, effort, and capacity.

Background: Local health departments (LHDs) rely on a wide variety of funding sources, and the level of financing is associated with both LHD performance in essential public health services and population health outcomes. Although it has been shown that funding sources vary across LHDs, there is no evidence regarding the relationship between fiscal allocation (local tax levy); fiscal effort (tax capacity); and fiscal capacity (community wealth).

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze local tax levy support for LHD funding.

Measuring the authority of local public health directors in the context of organizational structure: an exploratory, multimodal approach.

Context: Studies have reported a relationship between the organization of public health services and variability in public health practice at the local and state levels. A national research agenda has prioritized practice-based research to understand pathways that lead to this variation and examine the impact of these differences on outcomes.

Objectives: To measure the extent to which Minnesota local health directors report having key authorities and examine the relationship between organizational structure and authority of local health directors.

The association of maternal mental health with prenatal smoking cessation and postpartum relapse in a population-based sample.

To examine the association between mental health factors with smoking cessation during pregnancy and postpartum relapse. We used data from 1,416 women who participated in the Minnesota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey in 2004-2006 and reported smoking immediately prior to pregnancy. Maternal mood during pregnancy, stressful life events and postpartum depression were the mental health variables.

Independent and interactive associations of prenatal mood and substance use with infant birth outcomes.

The main objective of this work is to examine low prenatal mood, alcohol and tobacco use and rates of preterm (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) births among women in Minnesota between 2002 and 2006. We examined the Minnesota version of the national, cross-sectional survey of postpartum women, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (MN PRAMS). Of the 11,891 women sampled in 2002-2006, 7,457 had complete data for analysis; the weighted response rates averaged 76%.