Two steps forward, two steps back: Changing the physical activity environment in Santa Ana, California

Policy changes to improve the physical activity environment are essential to addressing growing health disparities. In the predominantly low-income, Latino area of Santa Ana in California, foundation funding has created community collaboratives that have made some progress in the past two years in changing the physical activity environment for Santa Ana residents; these are the Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) collaborative and the Active Living in Santa Ana (ALISA) collaborative. Changing the built environment requires a complex mix of local and state-level initiatives combined with short-term innovative policy strategies developed by stakeholders with varying experiences and spheres of influence, including the community, health institutions, city and county staff, and elected officials. Analyzing the contextual and political dimensions of the environment in which changes are pursued provides insight into overcoming barriers to policy change. This presentation will share successes and challenges of these collaboratives in securing short-term policy outcomes related to increasing opportunities for physical activity using two key strategies: joint-use policies and securing a community park. Incorporating data from city websites, political campaigns, elite interviews and qualitative contextual analysis, this presentation addresses the lessons learned by the Santa Ana collaborative efforts to improve their physical activity environment. These lessons can be applied to other communities working to adopt and implement policies to improve access to physical activity opportunities.