What Works? 6 proven strategies

If you're having trouble reading this message, click here

 

February 2022

Greetings,   “What works?” is the essence of a question I hear often. Whether the topic is our nation’s obesity epidemic, suboptimal nutrition, or inadequate physical activity, public health professionals want to know how to reliably make a difference.   DNPAO staff are constantly asking this question as we review evolving research studies, recommendations from expert bodies, and federal guidelines. To see what solutions are feasible and impactful, we also turn to experiences from DNPAO-funded state and local programs.   We used this information to identify five priority health actions and six related state and local strategies that we know work. Each strategy involves creating programs and policies that lead to the desired result. Each strategy also encourages collaborating with multiple sectors and engaging people who would be most affected by the proposed action.

 

The proven strategies are to: Increase physical activity through community design. Promote food service and nutrition guidelines and associated healthy food procurement. Coordinate the uptake of and expansion of existing voucher incentive and produce prescription programs. Implement policies and activities that achieve continuity of care for those who breastfeed. Improve nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding in early care and education settings. Establish activities that implement, spread, and sustain family healthy weight programs.

If you haven’t considered these strategies in your work, follow the links above for ideas on how to get started. If you’re already carrying out these strategies, look at the potential activities on each page for ideas and resources for your next steps.   These strategies also provide guidance for state and local organizations applying to recently announced DNPAO funding opportunities. If you missed it, see the Notice of Funding Opportunities.   To read about more great work by program recipients, see Reducing Chronic Disease through Physical Activity and Nutrition: Public Health Practice in the Field. The supplement includes 19 articles that discuss how to carry out, adapt, and evaluate programs to advance nutrition and physical activity. Examples are from several racial and ethnic groups and a variety of demographics.

 

Thank you for all you are doing to carry out the priority actions to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve overall health and well-being.   Dr. Ruth Petersen, Director, DNPAO
Feature Of The Month

 

NEW: Behavioral Design Tools to Influence Food and Beverage Choices

New tools illustrate how behavioral design can influence people to select, buy, and eat healthy foods. Behavioral design strategies applied to food service include how food is prepared, served, placed, presented, promoted, and priced. Strategies also include the food environment’s lighting, sounds, smells, design, and layout.   Behavioral design strategies can be used in cafeterias, micro markets, vending machines and other venues. The strategies can be applied in worksite and community settings.

 

The new tools include checklists with strategies and links to visual examples for: Cafeterias, micro markets, and similar food venues Vending machine operations	The new behavior design tools include illustrations of behavior design strategies applied to specific venues, such as a deli.
The new behavioral design tools include evidence and rationale for the strategies. The tools are based on behavioral design standards in the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities and are part of the Food Service Guidelines Implementation Toolkit.

 

Apply Behavior Design Strategies

News You Can Use

 

Save the Date

The next DNPAO Seminar Series will be 2 - 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 30. The topic will be Sugary Drinks and Added Sugars Intake in Kids: New Data on Intake, Health Risks and Strategies for Reducing Harms. Watch your email for information on speakers and registration details.

 

New Physical Activity Resources   New resources to expand the Moving Matters campaign are available for your use. The material includes social media posts, online banner ads, photos, audio scripts, and outreach materials. The content is intended to help Black and Hispanic women, including mothers, ages 18 – 44 become more physically active.

Seeking Feedback on Data, Trends, and Maps   The interactive database, Data, Trends, and Maps includes information on physical activity, diet, and breastfeeding behaviors and their environmental or policy supports as well as weight status.   To improve the database’s usefulness and effectiveness, we are interested in your experiences with the application. To offer feedback and suggestions, please email DNPAOInfo@cdc.gov with Data, Trends, and Maps in the subject line.

 

Win From the Field: Ideas From CDC-Funded Grantees

US Virgin Islands on Path to Improved Walkability

 

Two hurricanes in September 2017 caused widespread destruction in the US Virgin Islands. While rebuilding, territory leaders took the opportunity to improve walkability, and in March of 2022, the territory passed a Complete Streets policy.   Work by public-private partnerships highlighted the need for safer, active transportation options in the territory. A 2016 study led by CDC found that 88.6% of streets had no sidewalk and only 6.2% of intersections had a marked crosswalk.

In 2017, CDC supported a Walkability Institute interdisciplinary team to create an action plan for improvements. This included painting a crosswalk near a shopping center as a demonstration project.   Initially, only about 14% of pedestrians used the crosswalk. One year later, however, close to 60% of pedestrians used the crosswalk. Average vehicle speeds over that year dropped by 25%, from roughly 24 mph to 18 mph near the crosswalk.

Above, a person walks in a new crosswalk between a hospital and a medical office building. Photo by Mark Fenton.

 

After the 2017 Walkability Institute, Hurricanes Irma and María caused severe damage in the US Virgin Islands. Territory leaders identified opportunities for recovery dollars to repair and upgrade streets to include active transportation features.   AARP supported the 2022 Complete Streets legislation which states that all modes of transportation—including walking, bicycling, and public transportation, as well as freight traffic and emergency response vehicles— must be equitably considered in every stage of roadway work.   Representatives from the governor's office, public health, emergency management, housing, highway safety, public works, academia, and non-profit organizations attended a CDC-funded summit in 2022 to define next steps to improve walkability. The University of the Virgin Islands Caribbean Exploratory Research Center will help lead sustainability efforts, and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors will provide financial support.   This work is consistent with CDC’s Active People, Healthy NationSM strategy on increasing physical activity through community design. This strategy leads to easy, safe ways for people to walk, bike, or take public transit to everyday destinations.

Tools for Action in Your Community

 

Upcoming Observances

March National Nutrition Month: Fuel for the Future National Kidney Month Women’s History Month March 4, World Obesity Day: Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity March 6–10, National School Breakfast Week March 4–11, World Salt Awareness Week March 8, International Women’s Day March 9, World Kidney Day March 31, Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action April Minority Health Month April 3–9, National Public Health Week: Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health April 5, National Walking Day April 6, World Physical Activity Day April 7, World Health Day April 11, National Pet Day April 15–23, National Parks Week April 22, Celebrate Trails Day April 22, Earth Day April 24–28, Every Kid Healthy Week

 

Suggested Social Media Posts

Early eating experiences can affect how your kids eat later in life. Introduce your kids to fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Learn more. https://bit.ly/3hq7P0R If you’re breastfeeding, tell your doctor and your baby’s pediatrician about any medicines or supplements you’e taking. Learn more about prescription medication use and #breastfeeding. https://bit.ly/3Fo1dMH Regular physical activity can improve your physical health, #mentalhealth, and mood. Learn more about the benefits of #physicalactivity. https://bit.ly/3e6C1Ps #ActivePeople

 

Find photos to accompany these posts in the State and Community Health Media Center.

Behind The Scenes

 

Adrienne Jones, Management and Program Analyst

I work in the Office of the Director as a part of the Office of Management and Operations. I conduct a full spectrum of personnel and administrative duties. This includes creating, completing, and reviewing hiring packages and completing the onboarding process.   For 2 years I served with the Atlanta Federal Executive Board (FEB) on a temporary rotational assignment. FEB is an interagency organization to increase the effectiveness of federal agencies by encouraging collaboration among government agencies outside of Washington, DC.   What is your greatest professional satisfaction?

 

I’m all about teamwork and collaboration, so being part of the FEB network is particularly satisfying. I participated in FEB’s 9-month leadership course, which helped me uncover dormant leadership abilities. I used these new skills to promote the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the only authorized workplace giving campaign for federal employees, Commissioned Corps, contractors, and retirees. For several years I served as chair of the CFC Local Federal Coordinating Committee for 97 Georgia and 8 South Carolina counties. This was very satisfying because it provided opportunities for teamwork and collaboration. It was a perfect fit for my love of community and passion for outreach and teamwork.   How do partners help you do your work?   When we work together, it saves money and resources and advances our work. For example, with the FEB, I am part of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities workgroup to share federal recruitment opportunities with students. Recently I tapped into those connections to help advance CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative for 27 million people to be more physically active by 2027.    What would you like partners to know?   I began my federal career with 4 years of active duty in the US Navy, then came into civil service 29 years ago and worked for various federal agencies. From those experiences, I would remind partners to always be on the lookout for grant funding opportunities, training programs, and expertise on best practices that federal agencies offer. Also, because of my experiences and relationships built with the FEB, I can call on another federal agency if we need a subject matter expert for training or another collaborative effort. My advice is to maintain the connections and relationships you establish along your career. You never know when you will need them again.   Favorite quote:   “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Mahatma Gandhi

 

Receive this as a forwarded email? Get it directly by entering your email here and subscribing to Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity.

Note: Website addresses of nonfederal organizations are provided solely as a service to readers. Provision of an address does not constitute an endorsement of this organization by CDC or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of other organizations’ web pages.   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd   Atlanta, GA 30329   1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)   TTY: 888-232-6348