The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49259

Leslie Mikkelsen, MPH, RD¹, Larry Cohen, MSW¹, Sherlina Nageer, MPH¹, Amanda Purcell, MPH², Sarah E. Samuels, DrPH³, Arnell J. Hinkle, MPH, RD⁴, Kenneth Hecht, JD⁵, Harold Goldstein, DrPH⁶, Laurie True, MPH⁷, Maria Boyle, MS, RD⁵, and Lisa Craypo, MPH³. (1) Prevention Institute, 265 29th Street, Oakland, CA 94611, 510-444-7738, leslie@preventioninstitute.org, (2) Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 942732, MS-675, Sacramento, CA 94234, (3) Samuels & Associates, 1204 Preservation Park Way, Oakland, CA 94612, (4) California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program, 2140 Shattuck Ave., Suite 610, Berkeley, CA 94704, (5) California Food Policy Advocates, 116 New Montgomery St., Suite 530, San Francisco, CA 94105, (6) California Center for Public Health Advocacy, P.O. Box 2309, Davis, CA 95617, (7) California WIC Association, 1010 11th Street, Suite 310, Sacramento, CA 95814

Obesity due to unhealthy eating and inadequate levels of physical activity is rapidly increasing in the United States, especially among children. Rising rates of childhood obesity significantly increase children’s risk of chronic disease, strain precious health care resources, and result in premature death and disability. However, almost a third of these chronic diseases and premature deaths are preventable by improving nutrition and increasing physical activity. While education may assist highly motivated individuals in improving eating and activity habits, education alone has proven inadequate as a strategy for promoting changes in behavior patterns across a community. Effective prevention of childhood obesity requires a comprehensive approach that impacts the institutions, policies, and systems that influence individual behavior and norms. The Strategic Alliance to Prevent Childhood Obesity was formed in California to complement existing educational activities by promoting changes in the nutrition and physical activity environment in California. The Strategic Alliance aims to build a powerful constituency that can unite across issues and mobilize to meaningfully change industry, institutional, and government in order to reduce childhood obesity and improve child health. The Strategic Alliance members participated in a strategic planning process to identify the levers of change most likely to have an impact on changing nutrition and physical activity norms in California. This process included a literature review, interviews with successful advocates from other public health fields, and a convening to develop priority strategies. This presentation will summarize key findings from these research and planning activities.

Learning Objectives:

After this presentation, audience members will be able to
• identify key environmental conditions influencing nutrition and physical activity behavior among children
• delineate promising strategies for changing behavioral norms and
• identify lessons-learned for initiating coalitions focused on changing nutrition and physical activity-related policies.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.