Partners for a healthy city: implementing policies and environmental changes within organizations to promote health.
Current research has suggested that obesity prevention efforts should promote policy and environmental changes. The Partners for a Healthy City project, implemented in Douglas County, Nebraska, focused on collaborating with local organizations to help them select and implement 1 or more policies that promoted healthy eating and physical activity. Of the 346 organizations participating in the project and completing the follow-up assessment, 92% implemented at least 1 new policy or expanded an existing policy related to healthy food and drink options and physical activity, totaling 952 individual policy changes. Common policies included providing water as the primary beverage and installing bike racks to support active commuting to and from work. These findings suggest widespread support for policy changes that promote community health.
Laura Feyerherm is with the Wellness Council of the Midlands, Omaha, NE. Melissa Tibbits and Hongmei Wang are with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Omaha. Sarah Schram and Mary Balluff are with the Douglas County Health Department, Omaha.
Laura
L
Feyerherm
Melissa
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Tibbits
Hongmei
H
Wang
Sarah
S
Schram
Mary
M
Balluff
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004032:Diet; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009329:Nebraska; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D057766:Policy; D057185:Sedentary Behavior