241571 Evaluation Challenges of Built Environment PSE Changes

Monday, October 31, 2011: 10:30 AM

Laurie Ringaert, BSc, BMR-OT, MSc , Apde, Seattle King County Public Health, Seattle, WA
Kadie Bell, AICP , CPPW, Seattle King County Public Health, Seattle, WA
James Krieger, MD, MPH , Prevention, Public Health - Seattle and King County, Seattle, WA
Nadine Chan, PhD, MPH , Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation, Public Health - Seattle and King County, Seattle, WA
Ryan Kellogg, MA , Prevention Services Group, Public Health-Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA
In spring 2010, Public Health - Seattle & King County was awarded two highly-competitive federal stimulus grants to address the leading causes of death in our region as part of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW). After a thorough and competitive review process, the CDC granted 44 communities awards aimed at broad reaching, highly impactful, and sustainable change to reduce chronic disease morbidity and mortality associated with obesity and tobacco use. In King County, 54% of adults are overweight or obese, 20% are obese, and 5.4% have been diagnosed with diabetes. This presentation focuses on the evaluation of the seven local government grantees that involved a participatory, developmental approach selected to focus their efforts on creating policy, systems and environment (PSE) changes that would produce healthier built environments and food environments. PSE evaluation methodology is still a relatively new field. As well, the introduction of health concepts into planning is relatively new for many. As a result, creative evaluation plans and processes were developed and specific tools (Healthy Food Environments and Healthy-Inclusive Comprehensive Plans) were developed to capture baseline and changes over time. A key component to success was the introduction of “consultant-experts” as inputs in the process. The evaluation takes into account what real world changes are possible in an atmosphere of economic downturns and layoffs as well as multiple stakeholder interests in policy development at the local government level. The presenter will discuss the outcomes, challenges and lessons learned.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe local government built environment-healthy foods evaluation plan Describe assessment tools developed to capture baseline Discuss developmental evaluation methods used Discuss challenges of this PSE evaluation

Keywords: Evaluation, Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the PI of the Project
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.