Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120827

Leslie Mikkelsen, MPH, RD, Prevention Institute, 265 29th Street, Oakland, CA 94611, 510-444-7738, leslie@preventioninstitute.org

Changing community environments to support healthy behavior has finally achieved recognition as a fundamental element of the solution to preventing chronic disease. A movement has been building across the country that embraces a broad spectrum of policies – from safe parks to complete streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, from school nutrition standards to a Farm Bill consistent with public health goals. Yet for many people the word 'policy' brings up intimidating ideas about engaging in national legislation, and too often people shy away from participation. To produce wide-scale change, building a broader base of policy leadership is essential. Much key policy is developed locally. Local policy bubbles up and advocates for local policy are generally the base upon which national change is built. This session will describe the why's and how to's of policy development including the ten reasons that local policy is important. It will share tools for building the skill set and developing the content of a policy agenda for chronic disease prevention.

Learning Objectives: