Human capital at the core of prevention: A case study of community buy-in and local action to improve food and physical activity environments for children and to build a healthy community

The purpose of this presentation is to continue to develop and share important lessons learned from a successful five-year initiative to address high rates of childhood obesity and diabetes in a predominantly low-income and Latino community of approximately 80,000 residents in Chula Vista, California. This local initiative is one of six demonstration projects that make up the statewide Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) Program, funded by The California Endowment and Kaiser Permanente. The central strategies embraced by the overall design of HEAC are environmental prevention and partnerships, and a new and productive relationship between public health advocates and city government is one outstanding dynamic of the success achieved in Chula Vista.

This presentation begins with specific identification of what has been accomplished so far in Chula Vista in terms of policy development, shifted and leveraged resources, and creation of an infrastructure for healthy city planning and management. Discussion will illustrate the central role of the South Bay Partnership, a local coalition of service providers and residents that received HEAC funding in 2005, in engaging both community residents and city leaders – including elected officers as well as senior staff. In the interest of helping to propagate similar strategies in other localities, the presenter will share keys to mobilizing community and building human capital, critical factors in the change process.