The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56827

Daniel J. McCarty, PhD¹, Marjorie Debevec-Marksteiner, MS², Ronda Kopelke², Gladys Bartelt², Jill McCauley², Catherine A. McCarty, PhD¹, William Washington, MD¹, J. Douglas Lee, MD¹, and Charles S McCauley, MD¹. (1) Marshfield Epidemiology Research Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, 1000 North Oak Ave., Marshfield, WI 54449, (715) 389-5088, mccartyd@mmrf.mfldclin.edu, (2) Center for Community Outreach, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, 1000 N. Oak Ave, Marshfield, WI 54449

Community-wide healthy lifestyle promotion programs are needed to reduce the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. We developed a community-wide healthy lifestyle coalition to deliver self-sustaining initiatives to increase physical activity levels and promote healthy dietary choices in the community of Marshfield, Wisconsin (population 20,000). Methods employed to form the coalition included identifying leaders within community organizations, speaking with these individuals regarding the obesity epidemic and potential approaches for obesity prevention, and inviting these individuals to form a community coalition. After forming the coalition, the following steps are being used to design initiatives: 1) develop a list of potential initiatives; 2) conduct needs assessments; 3) create action plans; 4) implement the initiatives; 5) evaluate the impact of the initiatives; and 6) disseminate the results. Approximately 129 community organizations were identified in Marshfield as potential members of the Coalition. Of these, 124 individuals from 54 (42%) organizations participated in a one-day seminar on obesity in May 2002. A Healthy Lifestyles Coalition was formed in June 2002 that currently includes approximately 77 individuals from 39 organizations (30% of all organizations approached). Five coalition committees were created covering various sectors of the community. Healthy lifestyle initiatives are currently underway in the Marshfield Public Schools, several local health care organizations and area businesses. Environmental and policy changes within existing organizations to promote healthy lifestyles are emphasized. Other communities that are interested in establishing self-sustaining healthy lifestyle promotion programs could adopt our Coalition model.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• 1. List potential methods used in creating a healthy lifestyles community coalition.
• 2. Articulate the major approaches for designing health lifestyle initiatives.
• 3. List potential approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of individual healthy lifestyle initiatives as well as the overall impact of the coalition on improving the health of the community.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Health Promotion

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.