2018-2019 Annual Report to Congress

Supporting Community Health and National Security

The 2018 2019 Annual Report to Congress highlights ways CPSTF recommendations have been used to support the readiness and resilience of the United States Armed Forces by reducing tobacco use among service members. The report also identifies important evidence gaps that researchers, evaluators, and funders may choose to address, as well as priority areas for future CPSTF work.

Cover of the 2018-2019 CPSTF Annual Report to Congress

The Community Preventive Services Task Force is a panel of public health and prevention experts appointed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its members represent a broad range of local, state, and national research, practice, and policy expertise in community preventive services, public health, health promotion, and disease prevention.

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the CPSTF and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Community Guide: Providing Science to Support Military Readiness

John Clymer, a Community Preventive Services Task Force member, shares highlights from the CPSTF 2018-2019 Annual Report to Congress. The report features the military’s success in reducing cigarette smoking using evidence-based strategies, including CPSTF recommendations. Mr. Clymer urges decision makers to use The Community Guide when deciding how to best use limited resources when tackling public health issues such as obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

The work of the Community Preventive Services Task Force complements that of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) which makes recommendations about the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and health promotion. Taken together, the recommendations of the two task forces provide our nation with knowledge of how health is improved by prevention in both clinical and community settings.

Cover of the 2018 USPSTF Annual Report to CongressEighth Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services
This report highlights seven topics related to cancer prevention and cardiovascular health, the leading causes of death among adults in the United States. The report calls for more research in populations who are disproportionally affected by these conditions and often underrepresented in studies. Future research could fill these gaps and lead to important new recommendations for preventive health.

Cover of the 2019 USPSTF Annual Report to CongressNinth Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services
In this annual report, the USPSTF highlights research gaps from its recommendations related to mental illness, substance use, and violence prevention. These important topics affect the health and well-being of many Americans. The report calls for more high-quality research to understand these complex health issues and how clinicians can meaningfully assist their patients in preventing them.