Development and implementation of a local government survey to measure community supports for healthy eating and active living

Abstract

The ability to make healthy choices is influenced by where one lives, works, shops, and plays. Locally enacted policies and standards can influence these surroundings but little is known about the prevalence of such policies and standards that support healthier behaviors. In this paper, we describe the development of a survey questionnaire designed to capture local level policy supports for healthy eating and active living and findings and lessons learned from a 2012 pilot in two states, Minnesota and California, including respondent burden, survey sampling and administration methods, and survey item feasibility issues. A 38-item, web-based, self-administered survey and sampling frame were developed to assess the prevalence of 22 types of healthy eating and active living policies in a representative sample of local governments in the two states. The majority of respondents indicated the survey required minimal effort to complete with half taking < 20 min to complete the survey. A non-response follow-up plan including emails and phone calls was required to achieve a 68% response rate (versus a 37% response rate for email only reminders). Local governments with larger residential populations reported having healthy eating and active living policies and standards more often than smaller governments. Policies that support active living were more common than those that support healthy eating and varied within the two states. The methods we developed are a feasible data collection tool for estimating the prevalence of municipal healthy eating and active living policies and standards at the state and national level.

Policies influencing the provision of healthy food and drinks in local government‐owned sport and recreation facilities in Victoria, Australia

“…A similar 2012 pilot study in two US states (n=210 municipalities) captured local-level policy support for healthy eating and active living. 11 Similar to our own study, that study found most local governments had community Public Health and Wellbeing Plans related to healthy eating (78%) and active living (86%), and these were more likely to be present in LGs with larger populations. A 2012 study conducted with 11 key informants from LG identified regulatory options for LG in Victoria and found high support for policies to create supportive environments for physical activity.…”

Community-Based Policies and Support for Free Drinking Water Access in Outdoor Areas and Building Standards in U.S. Municipalities

“…This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living conducted by the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ 12 ]. The Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living was an online survey with the option of completing a paper-based version.…”

“…The survey had 3 modules of questions: 1) Communitywide Planning Efforts for Healthy Eating and Active Living, 2) Built Environment and Policies that Support Physical Activity, and 3) Policies and Practices that Support Access to Healthy Food and Healthy Eating. All questions underwent cognitive testing with a panel of potential respondents and most questions were included on a pilot test in 2 states [ 12 ].…”

“…When there was geographic overlap between municipal and township levels of government, the qualified sample pool was changed to avoid duplications. Very small municipalities (population size < 1,000) were excluded from the pool, based on a previous pilot test that showed municipalities of this size had few policies in place [ 12 ]. Survey respondents were the city or town manager, planner, or individual with comparable duties, and respondents were encouraged to get support from other municipal officials such as tax office or procurement department representatives, parks and recreation department representatives, or human resources representatives to complete the survey if needed.…”

Stepping Up Active Transportation in Community Health Improvement Plans: Findings From a National Probability Survey of Local Health Departments

“…14 A small body of literature reports that few communities have adopted evidence-based active transportation approaches, which indicates room for improvement. [15][16][17] In 2015, 25.2% of US municipalities had a Complete Streets policy, which supports a comprehensive approach to make streets safer for all users, but specific land use or transportation strategies were not identified. 15 In addition, most such policies have no implementation plan.…”