Understanding key influencers' attitudes and beliefs about healthy public policy change for obesity prevention

Abstract

Objective: As overweight and obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases, the development of environmental and healthy public policy interventions across multiple sectors has been identified as a key strategy to address this issue. Methods: In 2009, a survey was developed to assess the attitudes and beliefs regarding health promotion principles, and the priority and acceptability of policy actions to prevent obesity and chronic diseases, among key policy influencers in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada. Surveys were mailed to 1,765 key influencers from five settings: provincial government, municipal government, school boards, print media companies, and workplaces with greater than 500 employees. A total of 236 surveys were completed with a response rate of 15.0%. Results: Findings indicate nearly unanimous influencer support for individual-focused policy approaches and high support for some environmental policies. Restrictive environmental and economic policies received weakest support. Obesity was comparable to smoking with respect to perceptions as a societal responsibility versus a personal responsibility, boding well for the potential of environmental policy interventions for obesity prevention. Conclusions: This level of influencer support provides a platform for more evidence to be brokered to policy influencers about the effectiveness of environmental policy approaches to obesity prevention.

Effective policy tools for tobacco control: Canadian public health practitioners’ perspectives

“…While a few studies of perspectives of professionals working in tobacco have been conducted, these have been specific to locations outside of Canada and more specific topics or populations within tobacco control (Ball et al 2017;Edwards et al 2011;Montini and Bero 2001;Panda et al 2015;Poston et al 2010;Schmitt et al 2014). One exception is the work of Raine et al, which studied the attitudes and beliefs on "health promotion principles, and the priority and acceptability of policy actions to prevent obesity and chronic diseases, among key policy influencers in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada", which included tobacco (Raine et al 2014). In their study of policy approaches for obesity-related risk behaviors, the researchers determined that policies aimed at individual responsibility for behaviors had a very strong overall endorsement (Raine et al 2014).…”

Healthy Public Policy Options to Promote Physical Activity for Chronic Disease Prevention: Understanding Canadian Policy Influencer and General Public Preferences

“…The Chronic Disease Prevention Survey was first implemented in 2009 9,19 and subsequently in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016. 20 The aim of this survey is to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs around healthy public policy among policy influencers and the public, focusing on population-level chronic disease prevention of 4 modifiable risk factors: physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption.…”

“…Another strength of this survey is the range of policy options included in the survey, both within the physical activity domain and across other chronic disease prevention risk factors (eg, unhealthy eating, tobacco misuse, and alcohol consumption). Although not assessed within this current study, the Chronic Disease Prevention Survey provides the ability to examine support for physical activity items relative to other chronic disease prevention policy options (reported elsewhere 9,19 ).…”

“…Previous research exploring policy influencers and general public support for population-level physical activity policy has focused on specific physical activity policy options, [15][16][17] barriers to the consideration of physical activity, 18 and understanding different viewpoints on the responsibility for certain risk behaviors associated with obesity including physical activity. 19 Support for specific physical activity policy options has included exploring public support for active transportation policies including public bike share programs, 15 correlates of perceived workplace support for physical activity among employees, 16 and public support for urban design practices and policies to increase physical activity. 17 Other research has studied perceived barriers to consideration of physical activity in community planning and design among policy makers at the municipal level.…”

What Motivates Stakeholder Groups to Focus on Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies?

“…A separate group of studies has focused on stakeholder opinions about why specific obesity prevention programs or policies are effective [19][20][21]. For example, Cleland et al surveyed 304 public health practitioners and policy-makers to better understand their perceptions about obesity prevention programs implemented by their organizations [21].…”