Youth driven advocacy and health promotion efforts to promote parks and playgrounds and encourage physical activity

Youth from Lawrence, MA were recruited as research assistants for a study of the quality and utilization of parks/playgrounds in the city. They learned about parks, physical activity (PA), health and obesity in Lawrence. Through print materials and presentations, the youth engaged in health promotion and advocacy activities to promote positive attitudes and healthier behaviors among residents, while advocating for local policy change. We found this was a powerful youth-driven effort to spread-the-word about the benefits of PA, encourage residents to use PA resources, and a compelling advocacy tool to better the quality of parks/playgrounds so people use them. Lawrence has the highest obesity rate in Massachusetts, and is particularly high among children/youth. The city has identified increasing PA as important for mitigating obesity, especially among children/youth. The city has prioritized the improvement of parks/playgrounds to meet the needs of children/youth, and is exploring how local policy can increase utilization of outdoor spaces to increase PA among residents and improve the city's health. Additionally, it is seeking ways to engage youth in community health efforts, and exploring how community engagement approaches can improve the public health, particularly among young people. Although there are opportunities for collaboration between government and non-profits, relationships between them are often wrought with tension. However, as we present, it is possible to develop collaborations with mutually beneficial goals that are in-line with departmental responsibilities and organizational missions. Our approach illustrates the efficacy of this synergistic strategy to create a healthier environment and improve the public health.