Translation and Dissemination of Community Based Policy Initiatives for State Legislators, Lobbyists, and Advocates: A LiveWell Colorado Example

BACKGROUND: LiveWell Colorado (LWCO) funds underserved communities to develop and implement program, environmental and policy driven strategies to improve healthy eating and active living. Community coalitions lead the development and implementation of strategies in collaboration with LWCO's technical assistance coordinators and evaluators using a multi-sectoral approach (community, worksite, school, and healthcare) to improve nutrition and physical activity behaviors. PURPOSE: In this presentation, we describe how we have translated successful local health policy initiatives in LWCO communities and aggregated their successes into informational sheets and policy briefs for legislators and lobbyists to use to influence state policy. METHODS: We developed a logic model to outline the inputs, intervention strategies and outcomes to improve population-level health and thriving, empowered communities. We used a mixed methods approach to assess community action plans and measure progress towards behavior change and sustainability of the coalition and its partnerships. We then aggregated LWCO communities' work into informational sheets and policy briefs in areas of pressing state policy issues (active transportation and coordinated school health). The informational sheets and briefs were then presented to local health policy committees and state policy advocacy networks. RESULTS: We successfully translated local active transportation and coordinated school health policy initiatives into a simplified and ready-to-use format to be used by state decision makers, lobbyists and other health related coalitions when advocating for state policy. CONCLUSION: Local level policy initiatives can inform state legislators and health policy advocates and potentially have effect on Colorado state law.