English 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.
