CDC’s Health Equity Resource Toolkit

Abstract

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States over the past three decades, and is high. In addition to population-wide trends, it is clear that obesity affects some groups more than others and can be associated with age, income, education, gender, race and ethnicity, and geographic region. To reverse the obesity epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) promotes evidence-based and practice-informed strategies to address nutrition and physical activity environments and behaviors. These public health strategies require translation into actionable approaches that can be implemented by state and local entities to address disparities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used findings from an expert panel meeting to guide the development and dissemination of the Health Equity Resource Toolkit for State Practitioners Addressing Obesity Disparities (available at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/health_equity/toolkit.html). The Toolkit helps public health practitioners take a systematic approach to program planning using a health equity lens. The Toolkit provides a six-step process for planning, implementing, and evaluating strategies to address obesity disparities. Each section contains (a) a basic description of the steps of the process and suggested evidence-informed actions to help address obesity disparities, (b) practical tools for carrying out activities to help reduce obesity disparities, and (c) a “real-world” case study of a successful state-level effort to address obesity with a focus on health equity that is particularly relevant to the content in that section. Hyperlinks to additional resources are included throughout.

Effects of a Community-Based Behavioral Intervention with a Traditional Atlantic Diet on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (“The GALIAT Study”)

“…Paradoxically, however, what is a primary prevention problem is being mainly tackled at secondary and even tertiary prevention levels [ 3 ]. Although primary care level promotion of a healthy diet and physical activity in adults with no cardiovascular risk factors has shown a positive effect [ 4 ], food habits are complex and difficult to modify, and different organizations, such as the WHO [ 5 ], the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) [ 6 ] or the American Heart Association (AHA) [ 7 ] have proposed focusing efforts at different multiple interacting levels (individual, family, community, health policy and management, etc.) involved in health-related behavior [ 8 ].…”

Nutrition and Physical Activity Strategies for Cancer Prevention in Current National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Plans

“…Cancer plans with limited NPA recommendations should consider addressing these factors using goals and strategies based on scientific literature or expert judgement, such as those in recommended by The Guide to Community Preventive Services , the CDC, the Institute of Medicine, and other expert groups. However, the appropriateness of specific interventions to each population need to be considered, and CDC’s Health Equity Resource Toolkit also offers information for state public health practitioners on how to consider health equity when planning obesity prevention activities [48, 49]. Cancer plans with more developed sections can also serve as a model for CCC programs that would like to increase NPA content in their cancer plans.…”

Reported Self-Efficacy of Health Educators During COVID-19

“…1,2 Public health issues which health educators are engaged include the decades-long opioid and obesity epidemics, as well as more rapidly proliferating events such as bioterrorism events and infectious diseases, such as H1N1, Zika, Ebola, and most recently COVID-19. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] While health educators are focused on promoting healthy communities, this is also directly linked to the resilience of a community in the face of public health crises. 10 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP) capabilities provide national preparedness standards to support public health emergency planning at state and local levels.…”