Interventions to promote an integrated approach to public health problems: an application to childhood obesity.
Experts stress the need to bring the childhood obesity epidemic under control by means of an integrated approach. The implementation of such an approach requires the development of integrated enabling policies on public health by local governments. A prerequisite for developing such integrated public health policies is intersectoral collaboration. Since the development of integrated policies is still in its early stages, this study aimed to answer the following research question: "What interventions can promote intersectoral collaboration and the development of integrated health policies for the prevention of childhood obesity?" Data were collected through a literature search and observations of and interviews with stakeholders. Based on a theoretical framework, we categorized potential interventions that could optimize an integrated approach regarding children's physical activity and diet. The intervention categories included education, persuasion, incentivization, coercion, training, restriction, environmental restructuring, modeling, and enablement.
Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health Limburg, Regional Public Health Service, Geleen, The Netherlands. anna-marie.hendriks@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Anna-Marie
AM
Hendriks
Jessica S
JS
Gubbels
Nanne K
NK
De Vries
Jaap C
JC
Seidell
Stef P J
SP
Kremers
Maria W J
MW
Jansen
D002648:Child; D019049:Developed Countries; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D006076:Government; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research