Evaluation

The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) promotes better health care service in rural America. Established in August 1987 by the Administration, the Office was subsequently authorized by Congress in December 1987 and located in the Health Resources and Services Administration. The Office works both within government at federal, state and local levels, and with the private sector -- with associations, foundations, providers and community leaders -- to seek solutions to rural health care problems.

This tells the stories of 32 schools and school districts from across the United States that are making changes that make healthy choices the easy choice for students. The stories include K-12 schools, reflecting broad diversity in geographical location and demographics, and document innovative approaches to improve the nutritional quality of foods and beverages sold outside of federal meal programs. Making It Happen is a joint project of Team Nutrition of the Food and Nutrition Service, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Division of Adolescent and School Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and is supported by the United States Department of Education (ED).

The School Health Index is designed for use at both the elementary and middle/high school levels. It was developed to provide schools with a tool to assess their policies and programs in relation to the recommendations of CDC school health guidelines. The School Health Index can help schools: (1) identify strengths and weaknesses; (2) prioritize actions for improvement; and (3) develop a team approach to implementing school guidelines recommendations.

This paper identifies and describes school-based interventions to promote consumption of fruit and vegetables among students in school settings that primarily consisted of multi-component interventions that sometimes included an environmental intervention component. Results of these interventions have been positive, especially in their effects on fruit intake. The results of shorter term environmental interventions that used lower prices or increased availability as strategies to increase fruit and vegetable intake have been positive. Several new approaches currently being piloted in schools include school gardening programs, salad bars using fresh produce from local farmers' markets, and in-school, free fruit and vegetable distribution programs. The authors discuss the economics of competitive foods and the role that financial profitability plays in decisions about food availability and sales in the school setting.

The authors argue that interventions targeted at youth are relatively easy to justify on economic grounds due to the additional protections this group requires, but that justification for government interventions aimed at curbing obesity among adults requires additional evidence that private markets are not functioning properly. The authors then present seven proposed intervention strategies to promote healthy eating and use an economic framework to discuss the relative merits of the interventions. This evaluation allows policymakers to make more informed decisions concerning the relative merits of these strategies in combating the obesity epidemic.

Based on research of 225 smart growth zoning codes from across the nation, this guidebook is a great resource for moving from vision and theory to action. It can help partnerships to design workable codes and regulations that encourage the construction of walkable, bikable, mixed use neighborhoods. Each chapter analyzes a critical issue

This document is in response to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The Act established a new requirement that all school districts with a federally-funded school meals program develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity by the start of the 2006-2007 school years. NANA's document includes model nutrition and physical activity policies which meet the new federal requirement.

This report by a partnership of transportation groups is designed to inventory and clarify the different approaches used in Safe Routes to School programs.

This report examines safety, design, and liability issues associated with the development of shared use paths and other trails within or adjacent to active railroad and transit rights-of-way. This document explores lessons learned from the experience of rails-with-trails (RWTs) and suggests practices to enhance safety and security for railroads, transit, and trail users.

This tool is designed to help communities measure existing conditions in their community and identify