Abstract

In this report American and English documents describing the state of the public health are being compared in search for useful elements for the description of the health status of the Dutch population ("Volksgezondheidsverkenningen"). A checklist has been made to compare contents as well as procedural aspects of the documents. Because the documents differ from the "Volksgezondheidsverkenningen" in their purpose and in their function for policy, none of the documents can serve as a full example. Some elements however, could be useful: the choice of health indicators, the use of the major life stages for selecting health problems and the choice of countries for international comparisons.