Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
3-2018
Abstract
We examined the relative importance of 23 community issues among elected officials and health directors in Connecticut in 2016. For this cross-sectional study, 74 elected officials (40.7% response rate) and 47 health directors (62.7% response rate), who were purposively sampled, completed a questionnaire to rate their perceived importance of 23 community issues. Eight of these issues were related to active living, healthy eating, or obesity. We used χ2 tests to evaluate differences in responses. Compared with elected officials, health directors significantly more often perceived obesity, access to healthy groceries, poor nutrition, lack of pedestrian walkways, and pedestrian safety as important. Elected officials significantly more often than health directors perceived lack of good jobs, quality of public education, and cost of living as important. Health advocates should work with both groups to develop and frame policies to address both upstream (eg, jobs, education) and downstream (eg, healthy eating policies) determinants of obesity.
DOI
10.5888/pcd15.170331
PMID
29494331
Recommended Citation
Greer, A.E. & Knausenberger, A. (2018). Identifying windows of opportunity for active living and healthy eating policies in Connecticut, 2016. Preventing Chronic Disease, 15(E28):170331. doi: 10.5888/pcd15.170331
Publication
Preventing Chronic Disease
Volume
15
Issue
E28
Publisher
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Pages
1-10
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Policy Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons
Comments
HHS/Open publication.
This study was supported by a University Creativity and Research Grant from Sacred Heart University.