Healthy Communities:What Local Public Health Can Do To

Reduce and Prevent Cardiovascular

Disease and Stroke

Truemenda C. Green, DirectorHealthy Communities/Chronic Disease

Presentation Overview

1. What if we took what we learned from local obesity prevention initiatives and applied it to CVD?

2. Why Should Local Governments Care?

3. Policy & Environmental Change to Address Obesity and CVD

4. CDC Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity, Should be Used to Address CVD

Who is NACCHO?• The National Association of County and City

Health Officials (NACCHO) is the national organization representing local health departments.

• NACCHO supports efforts that protect and improve the health of all people and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and programs, seeking health equity, and supporting effective local public health practice and systems.

• Represents 3000 local health departments (LHDs)

Funding Drives The Local Prevention Initiatives

All nationally funded obesity prevention initiatives:

• REACH (CEEDs, Action Communities, CORE)• Steps to a Healthier US• Healthy Communities (Strategic Alliance for

Health or ACHIEVE)• Pioneering Healthier Communities• CPPW community funding

……now CTG’s fund local communities to address CVD

Why Should Local Governments Care?

Local government officials are community leaders and can enact policies that support healthy community design and prevention initiatives

– For example, local zoning ordinances & economic incentives affect the presence and absence of:

• Parks and open spaces for recreation

• Increase access to screenings• Mixed use developments• Healthy food retailers &

farmers markets

Advantages of Policy & Environmental Change to Address Obesity and CVD:

• Potential for systemic change in a community’s food and physical activity environment.

• Broad Reach: Opportunity to “level the playing field” for all members of a community, including disproportionately impacted populations.

• Flexibility: Consider the unique characteristics and needs of your community and implement prevention initiatives to address them.

Example: New York City

• Goal: Decrease consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages among children age six and under.

• Policy Change: The NY City Board of Health amended its health code to prohibit serving beverages with added sweeteners and places limits on beverages served in licensed day care facilities.

– Limits the serving size of 100% fruit juice to 6 oz per day for children 8 months and older

– When milk is served, children 2 years of age and older must receive low-fat 1% or non fat milk

– Water must be readily available throughout the day

Call To Action• What can local governments do right now to

address obesity and CVD? - Leverage lessons learned from CPPW-Obesity and apply

to CVD prevention initiatives

– Enact policy and environmental initiatives that support increased opportunities for screenings, healthy eating and active living

– Partner with a variety of local agencies to leverage resources and achieve greater impact (i.e. ACOs, FQHCs, Hospitals, Clinics, Providers, Workplace Wellness, Planning Dept, Economic Redevelopment Agency, Parks & Recreation Dept, Public Health Dept)

– Set feasible short and long term goals to address the unique needs of your community/measure your community’s performance and adjust goals as necessary

CDC Framework for Preventing Obesity(adapted from IOM 2005)

Energy Intake Energy Expenditure

Energy Balance

Prevention of Overweight and Obesity Among Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Individual Factors

Behavioral Settings

Social Norms and Values Home and Family

School

Community

Work Site

Healthcare

Genetics

Psychosocial

Other Personal Factors

Food and Beverage Industry

Agriculture

Education

Media

Government

Public Health Systems

Healthcare Industry

Business and Workers

Land Use and Transportation

Leisure and Recreation

Food and Beverage Intake

Physical Activity

Sectors of Influence

Draft – last revised, March 24, 2005