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Healthy By Design: Policy, Environment and Systems Change Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in Yellowstone County, Montana
Only 41.4% of Yellowstone County adults meet recommended physical activity levels, below the national average (47.2%). Lack of leisure-time physical activity was also noted for 26.3% of adults vs. 25.5% nationwide. The Healthy By Design Coalition began a multi-sector and multi-pronged approach to address physical inactivity among community members.
methods
Healthy By Design Coalition’s work is guided by strategies of policy, environment, and systems change. Healthy By Design Coalition includes three workgroups: Built Environment, Wellness, and Health Equity.
The Built Environment Workgroup focuses on complete streets policy implementation and community safety concerns. The Wellness Workgroup focuses on physical activity and nutrition policies in the workplace, including a demonstration project assessing eight worksites and providing technical assistance with development of policies. The Health Equity Workgroup focuses on decreasing disparities for health, including gender-based disparities for physical activity.
results
The Community Health Needs Assessment was conducted in 2005-2006, 2010-2011, and 2013-2014. Physical activity rates have remained statistically unchanged during this time; however, in the 2013-2014 CHNA, most (72.0%) county residents reported attempting to increase their physical activity over the past year.
conclusions/implications
This result suggests the focus on incorporating physical activity into daily life through strategies of policy, environment and systems change may in time change the current rates of physical inactivity.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programsPlanning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Learning Objectives:
Describe the use of policy, environment and systems change strategies to increase physical activity.
Keyword(s): Physical Activity, Policy/Policy Development
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: April Ennis Keippel is a Grant Project Coordinator for St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, MT. She coordinates the Office on Womenâs Healthâs Coalition for a Healthier Community grant-funded project. She received her M.A. in organizational communications from the University of Montana and currently serves as co-lead for Yellowstone Countyâs Healthy By Design Health Equity Workgroup.
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.