141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

281237
Lessons learned and impact simulations of local obesity prevention strategies in los angeles county


Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

Tony Kuo, MD, MSHS, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Brenda Robles, MPH, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Justin Trogdon, PhD, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Rachel Ferencik, Georgia Health Policy Center, Atlanta, GA
Introduction: Few studies have described the range and impacts of local obesity prevention strategies in communities supported by the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program and the Community Transformation Grant (CTG). The present study reviews the adopted strategies for public education, physical activity promotion, and healthy food environment creation in Los Angeles County (LAC). Lessons learned and simulations of program impacts are presented and discussed. Methods: Using a systematic framework to synthesize program information and population reach, compile system/environmental (SE) strategy milestones, and analyze data from qualitative interviews of key stakeholders, we documented historical and programmatic trends of obesity prevention strategies implemented in LAC from 2010 to the present. To forecast program/strategy impact, we employed PRISM to simulate cardiovascular disease outcomes, obesity burden, and other behavioral changes 20 years into the future.

Results: Obesity prevention strategies implemented in LAC ranged from healthy food procurement (est. reach: 600,000 students, 300,000 meals in various food venues) to completed joint use agreements to a series of strategically-designed counter-advertising campaigns on healthy eating. Based on PRSIM simulations, these highlighted successes have the potential (collectively) to modestly reduce (by 2040) youth (-2.91%) and adult (-2.16%) obesity; the fraction of youth (-7.07%) and adults (-6.46%) without recommended physical activity amount; and the fraction of youth (-1.05%) and adults (-0.79%) who consumed excess junk food.

Discussion: Lessons learned and favorable impact simulations of CPPW and CTG strategies can help inform present and future policy and spending decisions related to obesity prevention efforts.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe the range of local obesity prevention strategies implemented in the county of Los Angeles during the Communities Putting Prevention to Work program and the Community Transformation Grant. Discuss lessons learned during the multi-stage process of implementing system and/or environmental (SE) change strategies in the field. Forecast potential impacts of SE changes to improve public education, increase physical activity opportunities, and create healthier food environments, using PRSIM.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Deputy Director of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, I am responsible for the design and implementation of program evaluation of the obesity prevention core strategies. My track records include a large number of research and evaluation peer-review scientific publications as well as federal grants.
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.

Back to: 5032.0: Innovative Technology for Planning and Evaluation of Local Community Health