Topic: Health Equity

Coffee Chat: Creating Healthier Spaces for Kids: Promoting Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, & Health Equity in Out-of-School Time

In this coffee chat hosted by the CHOICES Community of Practice, Kate Goddard, Project Director for the Collaborative for Advancing Health Equity in Out-of-School Time at the Education Development Center, discussed how out-of-school time standards can be used to support health and well-being and highlighted examples of evidence-based strategies, including the Out-of-School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) Initiative.

View the resource round-up from this coffee chat

Download the October 2024 coffee chat presentation slides


Disclaimer: Our guest speakers share their own perspectives and do not speak for Harvard.

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Report: Sugary Drink Excise Tax in Boston, MA

Mom giving glass of water to young daughter

The information in this report is intended to provide educational information on the cost-effectiveness of sugary drink excise taxes.

Executive Summary

Sugary drink consumption has been linked to excess weight gain, obesity, incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Federal, state, and local governments have considered implementing excise taxes on sugary drinks to reduce consumption, prevent obesity, and provide a new source of government revenue.1-3 In Massachusetts, legislative measures to introduce a tiered sugary drink excise tax have been proposed.4,5 The most recent proposed bills specify that tax revenue be dedicated to benefits, services, and programs, including universal free school meals and provision of healthy meals in Head Start and other high need early education settings, for communities most impacted by health inequity and burdened by chronic health outcomes related to sugary drink consumption.4,5

We modeled the impact of a statewide excise tax on sugary drinks on health outcomes among Boston residents. Consistent with current policy proposals, we assumed tiered tax rates depending on the sugar content of the beverage: $0.01/ounce for beverages with more than 7.5 but less than 30 grams of sugar per 12 fluid ounces and $0.02 for beverages with more than 30 grams of sugar per 12 fluid ounces. CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis compared the costs and outcomes of implementing a tax with the costs and outcomes expected if the tax were not implemented over 10 years (2023-2032).

The sugary drink excise tax on distributors is projected to be cost-saving. This means that the tax would save more in future healthcare costs than it would cost to implement. This is without consideration of the potential revenue that would be generated, where a tiered $0.01-$0.02/ounce statewide excise tax on sugary drinks in Massachusetts could raise as much as $226 million to $322 million in annual revenue.6 Among Boston residents, the tax is projected to decrease sugary drink consumption, prevent more than 6,000 cases of obesity, and save $91.2 million in health care costs. People who consume sugary drinks are projected to spend less on these drinks with the excise tax in place. We also project that Black and Hispanic/Latinx Boston residents will experience a greater reduction in obesity rates compared with White, non-Hispanic/Latinx residents after the tax is implemented. These results are summarized below and in the complete report. Projected results for a $0.02/ounce state excise tax based on the volume of sugary drinks were similar.

Continue reading in the full report.

Contact choicesproject@hsph.harvard.edu for an accessible version of this report.

Citation

McCulloch SM, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston: Sugary Drink Excise Tax. CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; February 2024. For more information, please visit www.choicesproject.org.

The design for this brief and its graphics were developed by Molly Garrone, MA.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376), and the National Institutes for Health (R01HL146625). The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

For further information, contact choicesproject@hsph.harvard.edu

References

  1. American Public Health Association Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. 2012.

  2. Falbe J, Rojas N, Grummon AH, Madsen KA. Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California. American Journal of Public Health. 2015;105(11):2194-2201.

  3. World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO. Updated appendix 3, “Best buys” and other recommended interventions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases; [updated 2017; cited 2019 Sep 17]. Available from: https://iris. who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/94384/9789241506236_eng.pdf?sequence=1

  4. Massachusetts Senate Docket No. 959. An Act to promote healthy alternatives to sugary drinks. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/SD959. Filed January 18, 2023. Accessed March 9, 2023.

  5. Massachusetts House Docket No. 1813. An Act to promote healthy alternatives to sugary drinks. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/HD1813. Filed January 18, 2023. Accessed March 9, 2023.

  6. UCONN Rudd Center. Revenue Calculator for Sugary Drink Taxes. Release: April 13, 2021. http://www.uconnruddcenter.org/revenue-calculator-for-sugary-drink-taxes. Accessed December, 2023.

See the report for the full list of references.

See the sugary drink excise tax report for the impact on the Massachusetts population.

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Report: Sugary Drink Excise Tax in Massachusetts

Young girl drinking a glass of water

The information in this report is intended to provide educational information on the cost-effectiveness of sugary drink excise taxes.

Executive Summary

Sugary drink consumption has been linked to excess weight gain, obesity, incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Federal, state, and local governments have considered implementing excise taxes on sugary drinks to reduce consumption, prevent obesity, and provide a new source of government revenue.1-3 In Massachusetts, legislative measures to introduce a tiered sugary drink excise tax have been proposed.4,5 The most recent proposed bills specify that tax revenue be dedicated to benefits, services, and programs, including universal free school meals and provision of healthy meals in Head Start and other high need early education settings, for communities most impacted by health inequity and burdened by chronic health outcomes related to sugary drink consumption.4,5

We modeled implementation of a state excise tax on sugary drinks in Massachusetts. Consistent with current policy proposals, we assumed tiered tax rates depending on the sugar content of the beverage: $0.01/ounce for beverages with more than 7.5 but less than 30 grams of sugar per 12 fluid ounces and $0.02 for beverages with more than 30 grams of sugar per 12 fluid ounces. CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis compared the costs and outcomes of implementing a tax with the costs and outcomes expected if the tax were not implemented over 10 years (2023-2032).

The sugary drink excise tax on distributors is projected to be cost-saving. This means that the tax would save more in future health care costs than it costs to implement. This is without consideration of the potential revenue that would be generated, where a tiered $0.01-$0.02/ounce statewide excise tax on sugary drinks in Massachusetts could raise as much as $226 million to $322 million in annual revenue.6 Among Massachusetts residents, the tax is projected to decrease sugary drink consumption, prevent over 62,000 of cases of obesity, and save $937 million in health care costs. People who consume sugary drinks are projected to spend less on these drinks with the excise tax in place. We also project that Black and Hispanic/Latinx Massachusetts residents will experience a greater than average reduction in obesity levels after the tax is implemented, leading to improved health equity. These results are summarized below and in the complete report. Projected results for a $0.02/ounce state excise tax based on the volume of sugary drinks were similar.

Continue reading in the full report.

Contact choicesproject@hsph.harvard.edu for an accessible version of this report.

Citation

McCulloch SM, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Massachusetts: Sugary Drink Excise Tax. The CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; February 2024. For more information, please visit www.choicesproject.org.

The design for this brief and its graphics were developed by Molly Garrone, MA.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376), and the National Institutes for Health (R01HL146625). The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

For further information, contact choicesproject@hsph.harvard.edu

References

  1. American Public Health Association Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. 2012.

  2. Falbe J, Rojas N, Grummon AH, Madsen KA. Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California. American Journal of Public Health. 2015;105(11):2194-2201.

  3. World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO. Updated appendix 3, “Best buys” and other recommended interventions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases; [updated 2017; cited 2019 Sep 17]. Available from: https://iris. who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/94384/9789241506236_eng.pdf?sequence=1

  4. Massachusetts Senate Docket No. 959. An Act to promote healthy alternatives to sugary drinks. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/SD959. Filed January 18, 2023. Accessed March 9, 2023.

  5. Massachusetts House Docket No. 1813. An Act to promote healthy alternatives to sugary drinks. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/HD1813. Filed January 18, 2023. Accessed March 9, 2023.

  6. UCONN Rudd Center. Revenue Calculator for Sugary Drink Taxes. Release: April 13, 2021. http://www.uconnruddcenter.org/revenue-calculator-for-sugary-drink-taxes. Accessed December, 2023.

See the report for the full list of references.

See the sugary drink excise tax report for the impact on the Boston, MA population.

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Coffee Chat: Advancing Equitable Access to Improved Nutrition: Evidence and Policy

Advancing Equitable Access to Improved Nutrition: Evidence and Policy

In this coffee chat hosted by the CHOICES Community of Practice, Sara Bleich, Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and inaugural Vice Provost for Special Projects at Harvard University and Steve Gortmaker, Professor of the Practice of Health Sociology, Director of the Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Director and Co-Principal Investigator of the CHOICES Project at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shared evidence about cost-effective, population-level nutrition policies that have been shown to prevent obesity and improve health equity as well as updates about implementation.

View the resource round-up from this coffee chat

Download the April 2024 coffee chat presentation slides

Disclaimer: Our guest speakers share their own perspectives and do not speak for Harvard.

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Exploring the Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies to Improve Child Health in Massachusetts

The information in this brief is intended only to provide educational information.

The CHOICES Project at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) worked together as part of the Massachusetts-CHOICES Project, a training, technical assistance, and modeling initiative, to develop a playbook of strategies to promote healthy weight and advance health equity in addition to studying how cost-effectiveness metrics are used by partners throughout the state.

Methods & Strategies Modeled

CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis examines: How many and what types of people would be affected by the policy or program? What the effect of the policy or program would be on health? What will be the implementation costs and the potential health care cost savings? How could the policy or program reduce health disparities and improve health equity?

CHOICES uses cost-effectiveness analysis to compare the costs and outcomes of different policies and programs promoting improved nutrition or increased physical activity in schools, early care and education and out-of-school settings, communities, and clinics.

Using CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis and local data, the MDPH and DESE team worked with CHOICES to create a virtual population that mirrors the current population of Massachusetts. Then, the teams examined the expected costs, health outcomes, impacts on health equity, and health care costs saved if the following strategies were implemented in Massachusetts over a 10-year timeframe (2020-2029):

Movement Breaks in the Classroom
Water Dispensers in Schools

Movement Breaks in the Classroom

Movement breaks in the classroom is a strategy to promote physical activity during the school day by incorporating five-to-10-minute movement breaks in K-5 public elementary school classrooms. To implement this evidence-based strategy,1 the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Elementary and Secondary Education would collaborate to connect school districts to the School Wellness Coaching Program. This program helps school districts integrate movement breaks into their local wellness policies and meet state and federal physical activity recommendations.

Teachers in K-5 classrooms would receive training, technical assistance, and materials to support implementation. School wellness champions could also elect to be trained. This strategy aligns with the School Wellness Coaching Program2 and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child initiative to create school environments that prioritize students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn.

Implementing movement breaks in the classroom is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 31,600 children would be reached over 10 years; 25 additional minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per student per school week; $5.72 per child per year.

Additional Key Findings

If movement breaks were incorporated into classrooms in Massachusetts, it is likely to be cost-effective at commonly accepted thresholds3 based on net cost per population health improvement related to excess weight ($66,200 per quality-adjusted life year gained).

By training and equipping over 200 teachers and other school staff to incorporate movement breaks in the classroom, this strategy could help Massachusetts public schools cultivate a positive school climate and improve social emotional learning.4 Additionally, movement breaks allow students an opportunity for a “brain break” to refocus, reconnect and bring their attention back to their academic work.

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Good N, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Massachusetts: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. The CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; June 2023.
References

1.The Community Preventive Services Task Force. Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions. The Community Guide; 2021. Accessed Jun 20, 2023. https://www.thecommunityguide.org/pages/tffrs-physical-activity-classroom-based-physical-activity-break-interventions.html
2.School Wellness Initiative for Thriving Community Health (SWITCH). Initiatives: Massachusetts School Wellness Coaching Program. Published 2022. Accessed Oct 5, 2022. https://massschoolwellness.org/initiatives
3.Neumann PJ, Cohen JT, Weinstein MC. Updating cost-effectiveness–the curious resilience of the $50,000-per-QALY threshold. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014 Aug 28;371(9):796-7. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1405158. PMID: 25162885.
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-Based Physical Activity Improves the Social and Emotional Climate for Learning. CDC Healthy Schools. Published 2021. Accessed March 9, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/school_based_pa_se_sel.htm

Water Dispensers in Schools

This strategy applies an equity lens to increasing water access by installing touchless water dispensers on or near school cafeteria lunch lines in K-8 Massachusetts public schools with identified needs. Priority schools would be those with elevated concentrations of lead in drinking water documented via state lead testing programs1 and located in cities and towns with Environmental Justice designation based on the community’s share of households with lower incomes, limited English proficiency, or individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.2

Better drinking water access in schools has been shown to increase water intake and may help promote a healthy weight.3 The Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Elementary and Secondary Education would provide outreach to school districts to encourage the installation of water dispensers through existing relationships.

The installation of touchless water dispensers in schools in Massachusetts is an investment in a more equitable future. By the end of 2029: 265,000 students would be reached with improved access to safe drinking water in schools over 10 years; 129,000 Black and Hispanic/Latinx students would be reached with improved access to safe drinking water in schools over 10 years; $9 per student per year.

Additional Key Findings

If water dispensers were installed in K-8 public schools in Massachusetts, it is likely to be cost-effective at commonly accepted thresholds4 based on net cost per population health improvement related to excess weight, at a cost of $72,700 per quality-adjusted life year gained.

Additionally, this strategy would prioritize installing water dispensers in schools that identify elevated concentrations of lead in their drinking water and in school districts located in communities meeting criteria for Environmental Justice designation.2 Fifty percent of the students that would gain access to improved drinking water would be Black and Hispanic/Latinx, a higher proportion than the state’s student population overall.5

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • McCulloch SM, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Massachusetts: Water Dispensers in Schools {Issue Brief}. The CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; June 2023.
References

1. MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Lead and Copper in School Drinking Water Sampling Results. Accessed December 5, 2022. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/lead-and-copper-in-school-drinking-water-sampling-results
2. MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Environmental Justice Populations in Massachusetts. Accessed April 7, 2023. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/environmental-justice-populations-in-massachusetts
3. Schwartz AE, Leardo M, Aneja S, Elbel B. Effect of a School-Based Water Intervention on Child Body Mass Index and Obesity. JAMA Pediatr. 2016; 170(3):220-226. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3778.
4. Neumann PJ, Cohen JT, Weinstein MC. Updating cost-effectiveness–the curious resilience of the $50,000-per-QALY threshold. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014 Aug 28;371(9):796-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1405158. PMID: 25162885.
5. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2022-23 Enrollment By Race/Gender Report (District). Updated December 1, 2022. Accessed April 7, 2023. https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/enrollmentbyracegender.aspx


The design for this brief and its graphics were developed by Molly Garrone, MA and partners at Burness.

This document was developed at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health through the Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) Learning Collaborative Partnership. This document is intended for educational use only. This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

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Explore and compare these strategies and more using the CHOICES National Action Kit 2.0!

Coffee Chat: Engaging Community Partners in Health Improvement Planning

In this coffee chat hosted by the CHOICES Community of Practice, Anna Clayton, Senior Program Analyst from the National Association of County and City Health Officials explored resources available through the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP 2.0) framework that can support community engagement and partnerships in planning efforts.

View the resource round-up from this coffee chat

Download the February 2024 coffee chat presentation slides

Disclaimer: Our guest speakers share their own perspectives and do not speak for Harvard.

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Cost-effectiveness of Improved WIC Food Package for Preventing Childhood Obesity

This study determines the cost-effectiveness of changes to WIC’s nutrition standards in 2009 for preventing obesity and to estimate impacts on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities.

Kenney EL, Lee MM, Barrett JL, Ward ZJ, Long MW, Cradock AL, Williams DR, Gortmaker SL. Cost-effectiveness of Improved WIC Food Package for Preventing Childhood Obesity. Pediatrics. 2024 Jan;153. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-063182.

Abstract

Background & Objectives

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) prevents food insecurity and supports nutrition for more than 3 million low-income young children. Our objectives were to determine the cost-effectiveness of changes to WIC’s nutrition standards in 2009 for preventing obesity and to estimate impacts on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities.

Methods

We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis to estimate impacts from 2010 through 2019 of the 2009 WIC food package change on obesity risk for children aged 2 to 4 years participating in WIC. Microsimulation models estimated the cases of obesity prevented in 2019 and costs per quality-adjusted-life year gained.

Results

An estimated 14.0 million 2- to 4-year old US children (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.7–14.2 million) were reached by the updated WIC nutrition standards from 2010 through 2019. In 2019, an estimated 62 700 (95% UI, 53 900–71 100) cases of childhood obesity were prevented, entirely among children from households with low incomes, leading to improved health equity. The update was estimated to cost $10 600 per quality-adjusted-life year gained (95% UI, $9760–$11 700). If WIC had reached all eligible children, more than twice as many cases of childhood obesity would have been prevented.

Conclusions

Updates to WIC’s nutrition standards for young children in 2009 were estimated to be highly cost-effective for preventing childhood obesity and contributed to reducing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities in obesity prevalence. Improving nutrition policies for young children can be a sound public health investment; future research should explore how to improve access to them.


Funding

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL146625 and K01DK125278), The JPB Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or other funders.

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Coffee Chat: An Action Kit for Prevention: Prioritizing Cost-Effective and Equitable Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Strategies

In this coffee chat hosted by the CHOICES Community of Practice, Dr. Steven Gortmaker, Principal Investigator of the CHOICES Project at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlights the new features available in the Action Kit 2.0, including more detailed information on costs and health equity impacts. Dr. Gortmaker also discusses how this information can be helpful for planning and prioritization purposes to ensure responsible investments to improve child health, nutrition, physical activity, and health equity.

View the resource round-up from this coffee chat

Download the November 2023 coffee chat presentation slides

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Exploring the Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies to Improve Child Health in Boston, MA

The information in this brief is intended only to provide educational information.

The CHOICES Project at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) worked together as part of the Massachusetts-CHOICES Project (2019 – 2024), a training, technical assistance, and modeling initiative, to develop a playbook of strategies to promote healthy weight and advance health equity in addition to studying how cost-effectiveness metrics are used by partners throughout the state.

Methods & Strategies Modeled

CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis examines: How many and what types of people would be affected by the policy or program? What the effect of the policy or program would be on health? What will be the implementation costs and the potential health care cost savings? How could the policy or program reduce health disparities and improve health equity?CHOICES uses cost-effectiveness analysis to compare the costs and outcomes of different policies and programs promoting improved nutrition or increased physical activity in schools, early care and education and out-of-school settings, communities, and clinics.

Using CHOICES cost-effectiveness analysis and local data, the BPHC team worked with CHOICES to create a virtual population that mirrors the current population of Boston, MA. Then, the teams examined the expected costs, health outcomes, and health care costs saved if the following strategies were implemented in Boston, Massachusetts over a 10-year timeframe (2020-2029):

Reducing Screen Time in Early Child Care Settings
More Movement Program in Early Child Care Settings
Home Visits to Reduce Screen Time
Movement Breaks in the Classroom
Creating Healthier Afterschool Environments (OSNAP)

Reducing Screen Time in Early Child Care Settings

The strategy to reduce screen time in early child care settings involves providing voluntary training to early child care educators and resources to families to limit noneducational television time at child care and home. This strategy could support Boston’s efforts to improve early child care quality through the Boston Healthy Child Care Initiative. It would include training opportunities for early child care educators, offering ongoing support and technical assistance, and providing parents with educational materials that may lead to reducing screen time in young children.1,2

Helping educators to implement practices shown to be effective in reducing television time can help the children in Boston’s early education and care settings engage in fewer minutes of screen time.

Implementing a strategy to reduce screen time in early child care settings is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 18,200 children reached over 10 years; 33 fewer minutes of screen time per child per day; $16 per child per year

Additional Key Findings

If a strategy to reduce screen time in early child care settings was implemented in Boston, 125 cases of obesity would be prevented in 2029, saving $138,000 in health care costs over 10 years.

In addition, this strategy would train and provide technical assistance to early childhood educators on reducing screen time. In the initial training series, this strategy would provide additional skills training and professional development for 1,380 educators and more opportunities to reduce screen time in 570 (100%) child care programs serving 3-5 year olds.

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Bovenzi M, Carter S, Sabir M, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: Reducing Screen Time in Early Child Care Settings {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Health Commission and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; October 2023.
References

1. Mendoza JA, Baranowski T, Jaramillo S, et al. Fit 5 Kids TV Reduction Program for Latino Preschoolers: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2016;50(5):584-592.<
2. Dennison BA, Russo TJ, Burdick PA, Jenkins PL. An intervention to reduce television viewing by preschool children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2004;158(2):170-176.

More Movement Program in Early Child Care Settings

The more movement program provides training opportunities and resources for early child care educators to implement actions in their programs to encourage physical activity. This strategy could support Boston’s efforts to improve early child care quality through the Boston Healthy Child Care Initiative. It would include training opportunities for early child care educators in physical activity curricula, provide resources and instructional materials, and support technical assistance opportunities that may lead to higher physical activity levels among young children.1,2

Helping educators implement practices shown to be effective in increasing physical activity can help the children in Boston’s early education and care settings to move more.

Implementing the more movement program in early child care settings is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 18,200 children reached over 10 years; 7.4 additional minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per child per day; $16 per child per year

Additional Key Findings

If the more movement program in early child care settings was implemented in Boston, 94 cases of obesity would be prevented in 2029, saving $104,000 in health care costs over 10 years. Besides promoting a healthy weight, increasing physical activity is linked to improved bone and muscular health and better gross motor skills in young children.3-5

In addition, this strategy would train and provide technical assistance to early childhood educators. In the initial training series, the more movement program would provide additional skills training and professional development for 1,380 educators and more physical activity promotion opportunities in 570 (100%) child care programs serving 3-5 year olds.

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Bovenzi M, Carter S, Sabir M, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: More Movement Program in Early Child Care Settings {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Health Commission and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; October 2023.
References

1. Fitzgibbon ML, Stolley MR, Schiffer LA, et al. Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Obesity Prevention Effectiveness Trial: Postintervention Results. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011;19(5):994-1003.
2. Kong A, Buscemi J, Stolley MR, Schiffer LA, Kim Y, Braunschweig CL, Gomez-Perez SL, Blumstein LB, Van Horn L, Dyer AR, Fitzgibbon ML. Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Randomized Effectiveness Trial: 1-Year Follow-up Results. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2016 Feb;50(2):136-44.
3. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2018. Accessed Jul 23, 2021. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
4. Pate RR, Hillman CH, Janz KF, et al. Physical Activity and Health in Children Younger than 6 Years: A Systematic Review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 06 2019;51(6):1282-1291.
5. Timmons BW, Leblanc AG, Carson V, et al. Systematic review of physical activity and health in the early years (aged 0-4 years). Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. Aug 2012;37(4):773-92.

Home Visits to Reduce Screen Time

The home visits to reduce screen time strategy aims to reduce the amount of screen time viewed at home by young children. Community health workers would provide counseling and resources on strategies to limit children’s screen time to children and families who participate in home visiting programs.

Through professional development training opportunities, community health workers would learn ways to support families and children in limiting their screen time. During a home visit, community health workers would share the importance of appropriate screen time limits and provide strategies and tools for families to use, including a screen time management device. Integrating this strategy through existing home visiting programs could help more children manage their screen time and grow up at a healthy weight.1Implementing the home visits to reduce screen time strategy is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 3,320 children reached over 10 years; 1.8 fewer hours of screen time per child per day; $44,600 saved in health care costs over 10 years

Additional Key Findings

If the home visits to reduce screen time strategy was implemented in Boston, 60 cases of childhood obesity would be prevented in 2029. Besides promoting a healthy weight, this strategy may also benefit children in other ways. Providing children and their families with strategies to move away from their screens allows for more time for activities like reading and active play.

By training and equipping 119 community health workers annually by ensuring that everyone has access to what they need to grow up healthy and strong, this strategy could help reach those families and children that may be at higher risk of having or developing obesity. Children in households with low income could see greater health benefits from this strategy.1

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Carter S, Bovenzi M, Sabir M, Bolton AA, Reiner JR, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: Home Visits to Reduce Screen Time {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; February 2023.
References

1. Epstein LH, Roemmich JN, Robinson JL, et al. A randomized trial of the effects of reducing television viewing and computer use on body mass index in young children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Mar 2008;162(3):239-45. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2007.45

Movement Breaks in the Classroom

Movement breaks in the classroom is a strategy to promote physical activity during the school day by incorporating five-to-10-minute movement breaks in K-5 public elementary school classrooms. To implement the movement breaks strategy in Boston, teachers, Wellness Champions, and staff would receive training, equipment, and materials to incorporate short activity breaks in the classroom to help children move more.1,2

This aligns with Boston Public School’s (BPS) Physical Education and Physical Activity Policy that requires schools to offer physical activity opportunities during the school day,3 as well as BPS’ Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach, which supports students’ holistic health by promoting positive classroom environments that foster physical activity and learning.

Implementing movement breaks in the classroom is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 29,400 students reached over 10 years; 25 additional minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per student per school week; $1.74 per child per year

Additional Key Findings

If movement breaks were incorporated into classrooms in Boston, 37 cases of childhood obesity would be prevented in 2029 and save $35,300 in health care costs related to excess weight over 10 years.

By training and equipping over 600 teachers and other school staff yearly to incorporate movement breaks in the classroom, this strategy could help all Boston Public Schools cultivate a positive school climate and improve social emotional learning.4 Participation in movement breaks are associated with students spending more time on task,5 and teachers report that students are more engaged, supportive of each other, and responsive to teacher instructions after participating in a movement break.6

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Carter J, Greene J, Neeraja S, Bovenzi, M, Sabir M, Carter S, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JR, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; August 2022.
References

1. Erwin HE, Beighle A, Morgan CF, Noland M. Effect of a low-cost, teacher-directed classroom intervention on elementary students’ physical activity. J Sch Health. 2011;81(8):455-461.
2. Murtagh E, Mulvihill M, Markey O. Bizzy Break! The effect of a classroom-based activity break on in-school physical activity levels of primary school children. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2013;25(2):300-307.
3. Boston Public Schools. Physical Education & Physical Activity Policy. 2020:8. Superintendent’s Circular. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rSGwpFaa4LsPKxjhdsHxz2IaXg3ZFVtE/view?usp=embed_facebook
4. School-Based Physical Activity Improves the Social and Emotional Climate for Learning. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,. Accessed March 9, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/school_based_pa_se_sel.htm
5. The Community Preventive Services Task Force. Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions. The Community Guide. 2021:8.
Campbell AL, Lassiter JW. Teacher perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing classroom physical activity breaks. J Educ Res. 2020;113(2):108-119

 

Creating Healthier Afterschool Environments (OSNAP)

The Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) initiative helps afterschool programs improve practices and policies that increase physical activity and consumption of healthy snacks.

To implement this initiative, the Boston Public Health Commission would provide professional development opportunities for afterschool program leaders serving students in grades K-5. Afterschool staff leaders would participate in three learning collaborative sessions and receive technical assistance to assess1 and modify their programs’ practices and policies2  to meet the OSNAP nutrition and physical activity goals.

Creating healthier afterschool environments is an investment in the future. By the end of 2029: 10,800 children reached over 10 years; $34,100 saved in health care costs in 2029; $18.30 per child per year

Additional Key Findings

If the OSNAP initiative was implemented in Boston, 37 cases of obesity would be prevented in 2029. It is also projected to be cost-effective at commonly accepted thresholds3 based on net population health improvement related to excess weight ($72,100 per quality-adjusted life year gained).

This strategy may also support children’s health in a variety of other ways. Regular physical activity, healthy eating, and adequate hydration can improve children’s mental and emotional well-being and their heart, lung, and bone health.4 These healthy behaviors can also strengthen students’ attention, memory,5,6 and cognitive functioning,5 all important components for learning and academic performance.

To learn more about this strategy, read the research brief.

  • Carter S, Bovenzi M, Clarke J, Bolton AA, Reiner JF, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: Creating Healthier Afterschool Environments (OSNAP) {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; July 2023.
References

1. Lee RM, Emmons KM, Okechukwu CA, Barrett JL, Kenney EL, Cradock AL, Giles CM, deBlois ME, Gortmaker SL. Validity of a practitioner-administered observational tool to measure physical activity, nutrition, and screen time in school-age programs. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014 Nov 28;11:145. doi: 10.1186/s12966-014-0145-5.
2. Kenney EL, Giles CM, deBlois ME, Gortmaker SL, Chinfatt S, Cradock AL. Improving nutrition and physical activity policies in afterschool programs: results from a group-randomized controlled trial. Prev Med. 2014;66:159-166. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.06.011
3. Neumann PJ, Cohen JT, Weinstein MC. Updating cost-effectiveness–the curious resilience of the $50,000-per-QALY threshold. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014 Aug 28;371(9):796-7. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1405158. PMID: 25162885.
4. Health Benefits of Physical Activity for Children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/health-benefits-of-physical-activity-for-children.html. Published Jan 12, 2022. Updated 2022-01-12T05:06:09Z. Accessed Dec 7, 2022.
5. Childhood Nutrition Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm. Published 2022. Updated 2022-08-05T03:49:26Z. Accessed Dec 12, 2022.
6. Blanding N. Afterschool Programs in Boston, MA, Expand Opportunities for Obesity Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2016. http://nccd.cdc.gov/nccdsuccessstories


The design for this brief and its graphics were developed by Molly Garrone, MA and partners at Burness.

This document was developed at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health through the Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) Learning Collaborative Partnership. This document is intended for educational use only. This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

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Explore and compare these strategies and more using the CHOICES National Action Kit 2.0!

Coffee Chat: Using Local Data to Improve Health and Advance Health Equity

In this coffee chat hosted by the CHOICES Community of Practice, guest speakers Dr. Susan Carlson and Magdalena Pankowska highlighted the resources and data available through PLACES — a collaboration between the CDC, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the CDC Foundation that provides local data estimates for all U.S. counties, places, census tracts, and ZIP Code tabulation areas — showcased the 2023 data release, and shared how these resources can be used to inform work around healthy eating, active living, and advancing health equity.

View the resource round-up from this coffee chat

Download the October 2023 coffee chat presentation slides

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