Policy,Systems, and Environmental Change Strategies in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed)

ObjectiveTo categorize and quantify how states planned to use policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed).MethodsQualitative content analysis of SNAP-Ed annual plans from all 50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands between fiscal years 2014 and 2016.ResultsBetween 2014 and 2016, the percentage of states that included PSEs as a statewide goal increased from 25% to 47%, and the percentage that planned to implement at least 1 PSE increased from 56% to 98%. Among states that planned to implement PSEs in 2016, the 3 most common settings were places in which people learn (92%), live (90%), and work (83%).Conclusions and ImplicationsThe increased planned use of PSEs in SNAP-Ed was considerable and encouraging as PSEs are important to use in conjunction with direct education and social marketing to improve nutrition and prevent obesity.     

Policy,Systems, and Environmental Approaches to Obesity Prevention: Translating and Disseminating Evidence from Practice

To reduce obesity prevalence, public health practitioners are intervening to change health behaviors as well as the policies, systems, and environments (PSEs) that support healthy behaviors. Although the number of recommended PSE intervention strategies continues to grow, limited guidance is available on how to implement those strategies in practice. This article describes the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Center for Training and Research Translation''s (Center TRT''s) approach to reviewing, translating, and disseminating practitioner-developed interventions, with the goal of providing more practical guidance on how to implement PSE intervention strategies in real-world practice. As of August 2014, Center TRT had disseminated 30 practice-based PSE interventions. This article provides an overview of Center TRT''s process for reviewing, translating, and disseminating practice-based interventions and offers key lessons learned during the nine years that Center TRT has engaged in this work.More than one in three adults in the United States is obese (body mass index ≥30 kilograms per meter squared), which increases their risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.¹ To reduce the prevalence of obesity, public health practitioners are intervening to change not only health behaviors but also the policies, systems, and environments (PSEs) that influence those behaviors.^2,3 Practitioners work across settings and sectors to increase access to healthier foods, promote breastfeeding, and develop the infrastructure needed to support physical activity.^4,5Although evidence on the effectiveness of PSE interventions is growing, limited guidance is available on how to implement them in practice.^6–8 To address this evidence gap, the Institute of Medicine recommended taking advantage of the interventions that practitioners develop as a source of practice-based evidence.⁹ Practitioners who are developing PSE interventions include those working in departments of public health, transportation, and planning; as well as in child care programs, public schools, and other community-based organizations. Since 2004, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT) has been capturing evidence from practice-based interventions and disseminating it to practitioners working in obesity prevention nationwide. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center TRT reaches a broad audience, attracting more than 22,000 unique visitors to its website in 2013 (Personal communication, Cecilia Gonzalez, Center TRT, April 2014).We describe Center TRT''s approach to reviewing, translating, and disseminating practice-based interventions; a menu of practice-based interventions; and lessons learned since it first began disseminating interventions in 2006.     

Approaches to Addressing Occupational and Environmental Health Needs in Mexico

Abstract

The University of California, Los Angeles, has somewhat shifted the focus of its Fogarty program, taking a four-pronged approach: conducting high-level collaborative scientific research with Mexican faculty and trainees at the most advanced institutions in the country; providing training and collaborative research opportunities to faculty/students at other institutions in Mexico (primarily through training faculty who do not hold doctoral degrees); providing environmental and occupational health training to the professional community throughout Mexico; and developing short courses on special topics that provide means for greater research collaboration and skill building. The program is also working with existing institutions to develop academic programs that will enlarge the environmental and occupational health infrastructures in Mexico and Latin America.     

Barriers to Nutrition Education for Older Adults,and Nutrition and Aging Training Opportunities for Educators,Healthcare Providers,Volunteers and Caregivers

Abstract

Literature citations of barriers to nutrition education found in those who teach and care for older adults, as well as within older adults themselves, are discussed. No attempt was made to compare educational barriers for learners of varying ages. These obstacles need to be addressed in order for nutrition to be taught or learned effectively so that nutrition practices and health improve. Barriers for healthcare professionals to providing nutrition education include misconceptions and stereotypes about older adults and about their nutritional concerns; lack of attention to and lack of funding for older adult educational programs; and difficulties recruiting older learners. Hindrances for older adults in responding to nutrition education can be categorized as attitudinal, motivational, environmental, and related to low literacy and poverty. Published examples of opportunities for education and training about nutrition and aging that are in place for health educators, healthcare providers, volunteers and caregivers regarding nutrition and aging are discussed. Suggestions are presented regarding future efforts to minimize educational barriers and to provide training for healthcare professionals, volunteers and caregivers. New research is needed in this field of study in order to realize the potential quality of life benefits and reduced healthcare costs associated with providing effective nutrition education to older adults. This is one of a series of reviews of recent literature on nutrition education for older adults.     

Meeting the Training Needs of Aging Network Nutrition Program Professionals: Past,Present, and Future

Aging network nutrition professionals must continuously adapt knowledge and skills in order to maintain the provision of high quality, appropriate, and targeted services able to address the evolving demographic, home- and health care–needs of the older Americans of today and tomorrow. This evolution must be supported by ready access to contemporary training and technical assistance. Since the passage of the Older Americans Act in 1972, the Administration on Aging has provided a diverse and contemporary array of supportive program development modalities for aging network nutrition professionals, ranging from the establishment of nutrition training centers and institutes, to the formation of action learning collaboratives. A sustainable and broad funding base is needed to support the training needs of aging network professionals and assure their continued acquisition of the skills, knowledge, and business acumen needed to integrate food and nutrition services into home and community-based social, health, and long-term care systems.     

Community Engaged Parent Education: Strengthening Civic Engagement Among Parents and Parent Educators

We introduce Community Engaged Parent Education as a model for civic engagement in parent education. In Community Engaged Parent Education, the parent educator weaves the public dimensions of parenting into the everyday practice of group parent education. It is not a curriculum but a community‐collaborative way of teaching all parenting topics by connecting parents' personal concerns to public issues. We describe the origins, principles, and core practices of this approach. Then we present evaluation data demonstrating that parent educators can learn to implement this approach to parent education, and that parents respond with a variety of forms of civic engagement.     

同伴教育者的选择和培训

同伴教育是具有相同年龄、性别、生活环境和经历、文化和社会地位或由于某些原因使其具有共同语言的人在一起分享信息、观念或行为技能的教育形式。同伴教育已被广泛应用于艾滋病预防和性健康教育领域 ,世界卫生组织已经确认同伴项目是改变人们行为特别是青少年行为的有效方式 ,是全世界艾滋病预防的主要措施之一。同伴教育者的选择1 从受教育群体中选择骨干　亚文化理论和革新沟通理论都从一定的角度支持从受教育群体中选择同伴教育者。亚文化理论的代表Cohen[1] 认为特定的群体会拥有自己特殊的亚文化。因此 ,某些健康促进项目可以在某些…     

Preventing Alcohol-Related Problems in the US Through Policy: Media Campaigns, Regulatory Approaches and Environmental Interventions

This paper provides an overview of research focusing on several general strategies for reducing drinking-related problems, including controls on alcohol advertising and counter advertising; laws and regulations pertaining to minimum legal drinking age, service to minors and drinking and driving; and environmental measures pertaining to price of alcohol, density of outlets, server intervention, control systems and community-based interventions. The paper concludes with a commentary on the potential effectiveness of different interventions, support for policy interventions, challenges facing enhanced initiatives.     

Process Evaluation of a Policy,Systems, and Environmental Change Intervention in an Urban School District

Objective

To conduct a comprehensive process evaluation of a policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change intervention.