142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Seven Steps to Success to a Successful Wellness Policy

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Hannah Laughlin, MPH , Action for Healthy Kids, Chicago, IL
  
Introduction: School policies related to nutrition, physical activity and wellness are hot topics given the 2010 Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) requirements for Local School Wellness Policies. However, the policy process is often outside the school wellness or health advisory committees and community advocates work and expertise. Schools need resources that help them navigate new requirements of the HHFKA and the process to ensure they are developing high-impact policies.

Methods:The newly updated Action for Healthy Kids Wellness Policy Tool provides an interactive explanation of the HHFKA and seven steps schools can follow as they develop or revise their wellness policies. This seven step process includes: 1. Build a Strong Team, 2. Assess the Environment, 3. Draft the Policy, 4. Adopt the Policy, 5. Implement the Policy, 6. Measure and Evaluate, and 7. Communicate the Results.

Discussion: By walking through a seven step model that aligns not only with the HHFKA requirements but also with typical district policy development processes, the Action for Healthy Kids’ Wellness Policy Tracker tool allows schools to enhance their school wellness environments in a sustainable, policy-based manner. By encouraging integration of local partners and technical assistance from state level agencies, the Wellness Policy Tracker also helps to enhance school wellness policies through a collaborative approach.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Identify key policy stakeholders for health and wellness policy work Describe the 7 steps in the AFHK wellness policy tool Identify how collaboration can be used to enhance wellness policy work

Keyword(s): School-Based Health, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Hannah is responsible for growing the capacity of Action for Healthy Kids state teams in 19 states including strategically in Illinois and Chicago. Hannah received her Master in Public Health from Indiana University. She started her career working at the local level on issues related to childhood obesity and community health initiatives. Her areas of interest include school wellness, childhood obesity, pediatric health and community-based programming.
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.

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