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Researchers identify evidence-based public health interventions for policy makers
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Government policies that make healthy foods more affordable, improved sidewalk, street and land-use design to encourage physical activity, and bans on public, workplace or residence smoking are among 43 effective public health strategies identified in an American Heart Association statement.
Researchers reviewed and graded more than 1,000 international studies of diet, physical activity and anti-tobacco public health interventions for the statement.
According to an AHA press release, examples of successful interventions include:
- School and workplace interventions, such as school garden programs; increased availability and types of playground spaces and equipment; structured physical activity breaks during class or work hours; and comprehensive wellness programs.
- Economic incentives to make healthy foods more affordable; strategies to discourage consumption of less healthy foods; higher tobacco taxes to reduce use; and funding for prevention programs.
- Direct mandates and restrictions that limit certain nutrients in foods; restrictions on advertising and marketing of foods/drinks to children; and restrictions on public, workplace or residential smoking.
- Local environmental changes, such as better access to supermarkets near homes; walking-friendly neighborhoods; better integration of residential, school, business and public areas; and greater access to recreational sites.
- Media and education campaigns with sustained and focused messages to increase eating specific healthy foods or to reduce smoking.
In addition to identifying the 43 evidence-based interventions in these six categories, several areas that were either ineffective or needed more study were identified. For example, evidence was lacking on whether nutritional labeling or icons on food packages and menus encourages healthier eating, the researchers said.
“Policy makers should now gather together and say, ‘These are the things that work — let’s implement many right away, and the rest as soon as possible,” Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, chair of the statement writing group, said in the press release.
For more information:
Mozaffarian D. Circulation. 2012;doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e318260a20b.
Disclosure: See full statement for the authors’ relevant financial disclosures.