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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sonya Jones, PhD¹, Marsha Spence, MS-MPH, RD², and Jayna Dave, MPH¹. (1) Center for Research in Nutrition and Health DIsparities, University of South Carolina, 2718 Middleburg Drive, Columbia, SC 29204, 803-251-6350, sjones@gwm.sc.edu, (2) Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, 1215 Cumberland Ave, Room 229, Knoxville, TN 37996-1920

With the high and rising rates of childhood obesity in the US, and the lack of effective prevention strategies emerging from intervention research, policy strategies aimed at changing the nutrition and activity environments have become an important aspect of childhood obesity prevention. Both enacted federal legislation and new bills have been targeted for changes to provide more healthful environments for schools. The legislation has been passed in a political environment in which the major concerns include the role of federal, state and local governments in mandating changes in local institutions without funding, an increasing role of private industries in the development of legislation, and an emphasis on the need for broad-based local coalitions to bring about lasting changes in community life. Thus, one of the most important debates surrounding federal and state legislation for obesity prevention in schools has been whether the state, the local education agency, or the school should be responsible for establishing standards, monitoring compliance, and providing funding for changes in schools. At issue is whether local districts and schools have to be engaged in the policymaking process or if state and federal governments should simply develop policies to be implemented in local schools. In this presentation we will describe the 410 pieces of obesity prevention legislation introduced in state legislatures between 2001 and 2006 in terms of their approach, scope and focus and highlight the estimated fiscal impact of these bills. Preliminary analysis reveals that states have primarily followed either a state-mandate approach or a local committee development approach in the efforts to develop nutrition, physical activity and screening standards in schools. Conceptual frameworks from other fields will be highlighted and their application to obesity prevention legislation will be described. New policy approaches to public health require new analytical approaches and partners, and this presentation will provide attendees with a foundation for examining policy impacts.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate policy approaches to obesity prevention through US public schools

Keywords: Nutrition, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered