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How Communities Prevent Childhood Obesity: Three Case Studies
Author(s) -
Porter Christine Michelle
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.94.1
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , public relations , psychological intervention , political science , business , medicine , geography , archaeology , psychiatry
Dozens of US communities have launched childhood obesity prevention projects yet we know little about how they are working. This study of 3 such projects aims to help fill this gap through interviews (n=22), participation in dozens of meetings/events, and document analysis interpreted in the context of the national obesity prevention movement. These projects build sustainable social infrastructures for generating not only obesity interventions but other public health and community development actions. Diversifying beyond the common project model of civic and public sector professional committees maximizes this. Short‐term funding streams make changing local environments, which projects increasingly focused on over time, challenging. Project isolation inhibits learning, knowledge generation, and policy influence at state and national levels. Therefore project funders should host regional workshops and provide low‐level but long‐term support for one full‐time staff plus mini‐grants for community‐led actions. Project expansion to complimentary arenas would capitalize on the social infrastructure they have generated to tackle root causes. Research support: Cornell Human Ecology Alumni Association Award