Abstract
Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem resulting from energy imbalance (when the intake of energy is greater than the amount of energy expended through physical activity). Numerous health authorities have identified policy interventions as promising strategies for creating population-wide improvements in physical activity. This case study focuses on energy expenditure through physical activity (with a particular emphasis on school-based physical education [PE]). Policy-relevant evidence for promoting physical activity in youth may take numerous forms, including epidemiologic data and other supporting evidence (e.g., qualitative data). The implementation and evaluation of school PE interventions leads to a set of lessons related to epidemiology and evidence-based policy. These include the need to: (i) enhance the focus on external validity, (ii) develop more policy-relevant evidence on the basis of "natural experiments," (iii) understand that policy making is political, (iv) better articulate the factors that influence policy dissemination, (v) understand the real-world constraints when implementing policy in school environments, and (vi) build transdisciplinary teams for policy progress. The issues described in this case study provide leverage points for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers as they seek to translate epidemiology to policy.
Highlights
This case study addresses the pressing public health issue of obesity prevention, illustrated through a policy approach for promoting physical activity among youth
The case provides the rationale for addressing this issue, an overview of important policy approaches and their linkage with epidemiologic data, approaches for promoting physical activity in youth based in part on the work of the Guide to Community Preventive Services, and practical lessons for implementing and evaluating school PE policy
We focus on energy expenditure through physical activity
Summary
This case study addresses the pressing public health issue of obesity prevention, illustrated through a policy approach for promoting physical activity among youth (i.e., school-based physical education [PE]). The case provides the rationale for addressing this issue, an overview of important policy approaches and their linkage with epidemiologic data, approaches for promoting physical activity in youth based in part on the work of the Guide to Community Preventive Services (the Community Guide), and practical lessons for implementing and evaluating school PE policy
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