Oral

Fifty communities across the country are supported in CDCˇ¦s Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program to use policy, systems, and environmental change approaches to combat the two leading causes of premature death in the nation -- obesity and tobacco use. Jurisdiction-wide policy, systems, and environmental change approaches hold promise for reducing health disparities since all people in the jurisdiction should benefit. However, populations experiencing health disparities may face barriers to the potential benefits of policy, systems, and environmental changes due to differences in factors such as implementation strategies, community acceptance, enforcement, participation and sustainability. For instance, policies to improve the built environment and increase physical activity will not be effective if people do not feel safe accessing the improved environment. Additionally, policy and systems changes to increase availability of healthy foods will not be effective if barriers such as cost, lack of awareness, and lack of transportation to get to those new food options are not addressed. To avoid any unintended negative consequences of policy, systems, and environmental changes, communities must proactively and strategically assess, plan, and implement mitigating actions. Integrating health equity in community health planning and policy development, implementation, and evaluation is critical for ensuring such changes are planned for and being implemented in ways to maximize public health impact and improve the health of all people in the community, particularly the most vulnerable. Session Description This special session will include presentations and discussion by CPPW communities with the CDC CPPW Health Equity Lead, Carolyn Brooks, serving as the moderator. „« The Moderator will provide a brief overview of major health equity considerations for community health planning and policy systems and environmental change strategy development at the community level. „« Five CPPW communities will then highlight their processes, challenges, and lessons learned in ensuring health equity was integrated in their planning, implementation, and evaluation of their obesity policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to improve the health of all members of their community.

Session Objectives: 1) Describe strategies to maximize health equity in community health planning, policy development and implementation, and systems and environmental changes 2) Discuss strategic actions that can be used to alleviate barriers that populations experiencing health disparities may face in terms of implementation, enforcement, and sustainability as well as any unintended consequences of certain policy, systems, and environmental changes 3) Formulate plans to address health equity in future community health planning and policy, systems, and environmental change initiatives

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)