Kansas Legislators Prioritize Obesity but Overlook Nutrition and Physical Activity Issues

Heinrich, Katie M.; Stephen, Mellina; Vaughan, Katherine; Kellogg, M.

doi:10.1097/phh.0b013e318254cc57

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Tobacco control, considered the model for successful policy approaches to public health issues including obesity (28), overwhelmingly focuses on the impact of policies on behavior with little focus on how education and advocacy activities lead to those policy changes (29). A focus on how activities lead to support for policy is particularly important for the long-term investment needed to build support for obesity policies (3) and to ensure that intervention messages are relevant to the audiences targeted (30). …”

Section: Implications For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships Between Theoretically Derived Short-Term Outcomes and Support for Policy Among the Public and Decision-Makers

et al. 2018

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Purpose and ObjectivesPolicy change is a lengthy and complex process. Thus, it is important to articulate hypothesized causal pathways between advocacy activities and policy change outcomes and to identify and monitor early indicators of progress toward policy change.Intervention ApproachThe Kansas Health Foundation supports grantee efforts to address the public health effects of obesity through evidence-based policy, systems, and environmental change interventions. To build support for policy, systems, and environmental changes in schools, workplaces, and health care and retail settings, grantees mobilize communities, educate government policy makers, and advocate with organizational decision makers.Evaluation MethodsTo understand whether early outcomes from obesity-prevention advocacy efforts predict interim outcomes related to eventual policy change, we conducted surveys of the general public and of opinion leaders in Kansas, which were designed to measure components of Kansas Health Foundation’s theory of change. We then used structural equation modeling to test the theory of change’s underlying relationships by using support for obesity prevention policies as the outcome.ResultsOur findings supported the hypothesized model: perceptions of obesity as a serious community problem influence beliefs about causes of the problem. Beliefs about causes predict beliefs about who is responsible for the solution to the problem, which in turn predicts support for obesity prevention policies.Implications for Public HealthEvaluators of advocacy for policy change interventions can use this approach to monitor proximal changes in public and opinion leader beliefs related to eventual policy change and to determine whether efforts are likely to be successful or need to be adapted or abandoned.

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Section: Implications For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships Between Theoretically Derived Short-Term Outcomes and Support for Policy Among the Public and Decision-Makers

et al. 2018

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“…For example, North Carolina designated funds to develop a light rail system in Charlotte; use of this system was associated with a reduction in the odds of residents becoming obese (24). Previous studies identified limited awareness among elected officials about the connection between obesity and active living and healthy eating policies (7,9). Health advocates might share information on resources such as the State Legislative and Regulatory Action to Prevent Obesity and Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity (25) with elected officials and health directors, so that people who are developing policy have clear examples from which to work.…”

Section: Opportunities For Application Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study in 2013 (9) found that elected officials in Kansas did not view healthy eating issues as relatively important. Because health directors in our study more often than elected officials perceived poor nutrition and access to healthy groceries as important, health directors should work with elected officials to communicate information on the links between healthy eating policies and obesity prevention.…”

Section: Opportunities For Application Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Too few sidewalks, on the other hand, is a specific barrier to promoting active living. Our study is strengthened by the inclusion of a questionnaire used in 3 previous studies (7–9), which allowed for comparisons across studies and states. In addition, our analyses of how the political ideologies of elected officials in our study align with all Connecticut elected officials allow readers to better determine generalizability.…”

Section: Additional Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another study examined the perceived importance of active living, healthy eating, and obesity among legislators in Kansas (9). Obesity was rated second highest, after jobs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identifying Windows of Opportunity for Active Living and Healthy Eating Policies in Connecticut, 2016

Greer

Knausenberger

2018

Prev. Chronic Dis.

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We examined the relative importance of 23 community issues among elected officials and health directors in Connecticut in 2016. For this cross-sectional study, 74 elected officials (40.7% response rate) and 47 health directors (62.7% response rate), who were purposively sampled, completed a questionnaire to rate their perceived importance of 23 community issues. Eight of these issues were related to active living, healthy eating, or obesity. We used χ2 tests to evaluate differences in responses. Compared with elected officials, health directors significantly more often perceived obesity, access to healthy groceries, poor nutrition, lack of pedestrian walkways, and pedestrian safety as important. Elected officials significantly more often than health directors perceived lack of good jobs, quality of public education, and cost of living as important. Health advocates should work with both groups to develop and frame policies to address both upstream (eg, jobs, education) and downstream (eg, healthy eating policies) determinants of obesity.

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Agricultural Experiences Are Positively Associated With High School Students' Fruit and Vegetable Perceptions and Consumption

Greer

Davis²,

Sandolo³

et al. 2018

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

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Kansas Legislators Prioritize Obesity but Overlook Nutrition and Physical Activity Issues

Cited by 12 publications

References 22 publications

Relationships Between Theoretically Derived Short-Term Outcomes and Support for Policy Among the Public and Decision-Makers

Relationships Between Theoretically Derived Short-Term Outcomes and Support for Policy Among the Public and Decision-Makers

Identifying Windows of Opportunity for Active Living and Healthy Eating Policies in Connecticut, 2016

Agricultural Experiences Are Positively Associated With High School Students' Fruit and Vegetable Perceptions and Consumption

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