Last data update: Apr 22, 2024. (Total: 46599 publications since 2009)
Records 1-18 (of 18 Records) |
Query Trace: O'Toole T [original query] |
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The genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in Kenya (preprint)
Githinji G , Lambisia AW , Omah I , O'Toole A , Mohamed KS , de Laurent ZR , Makori TO , Mwanga M , Mburu MW , Morobe JM , Ong'era EM , Ndwiga L , Gathii K , Thiongo K , Omuoyo DWO , Chepkorir E , Musyoki J , Kingwara L , Matoke D , Oyola SO , Onyango C , Waitumbi J , Bulimo W , Khamadi S , Kiiru JNO , Kinyanjui S , Cotten M , Tsofa B , Ochola-Oyier I , Rambaut A , Nokes DJ , Bejon P , Agoti C . medRxiv 2022 27 The emergence and establishment of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern presented a major global public health crisis across the world. There were six waves of SARSCoV-2 cases in Kenya that corresponded with the introduction and eventual dominance of the major SARS-COV-2 variants of concern, excepting the first 2 waves that were both wild-type virus. We estimate that more than 1000 SARS-CoV-2 introductions occurred in the two-year epidemic period (March 2020 - September 2022) and a total of 930 introductions were associated with variants of concern namely Beta (n=78), Alpha(n=108), Delta(n=239) and Omicron (n=505). A total of 29 introductions were associated with A.23.1 variant that circulated in high frequencies in Uganda and Rwanda. The actual number of introductions is likely to be higher than these conservative estimates due to limited genomic sequencing. Our data suggested that cryptic transmission was usually underway prior to the first real-time identification of a new variant, and that multiple introductions were responsible. Following emergence of each VOC and subsequent introduction, transmission patterns were associated with hotspots of transmission in Coast, Nairobi and Western Kenya and follows established land and air transport corridors. Understanding the introduction and dispersal of major circulating variants and identifying the sources of new introductions is important to inform public health control strategies within Kenya and the larger East-African region. Border control and case finding reactive to new variants is unlikely to be a successful control strategy. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. |
The key to pivoting and adapting: Networked partnerships, long-standing relationships, and functioning program infrastructure
Lavinghouze SR , O'Toole TP , Petersen R . Health Promot Pract 2023 24 15248399221150781 Welcome to this supplemental issue of Health Promotion Practice (HPP), “Reducing Chronic Disease Through Physical Activity and Nutrition: More Public Health Practice in the Field” which is devoted to practice-based information from the field of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity programs. This is the second supplemental issue in this series showcasing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO; https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphpd/dnpao/index.html) cooperative agreement recipients: State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) Program (https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/span-1807/index.html), Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH; https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/reach/index.htm), and the High Obesity Program (HOP; https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/hop-1809/high-obesity-program-1809.html).1 The first issue was published in November 2022 The articles presented in the November supplemental issue demonstrated how SPAN, REACH, and HOP recipients implemented “what we know works” to build healthier communities. DNPAO has identified and prioritizes five specific population-focused public health actions (see Figure 1) to reduce chronic disease and support health equity: | Action Item 1: Make Physical Activity Safe and Accessible for All | Action Item 2: Make Healthy Food Choices Easier | Action Item 3: Make Breastfeeding Easier to Start and Sustain | Action Item 4: Strengthen Obesity Prevention Standards in Early Care and Education (ECE) Settings | Action Item 5: Spread and Scale Family Healthy Weight Programs. (O’Toole et al., 2022) |
From practice to publication: The promise of writing workshops
Lavinghouze SR , Kettel Khan L , Auld ME , Sammons Hackett D , Brittain DR , Brown DR , Greaney E , Harris DM , Maynard LM , Onufrak S , Robillard AG , Schwartz R , Siddique S , Youngner CG , Wright LS , O'Toole TP . Health Promot Pract 2022 23 21s-33s Practitioners in health departments, university extension programs, and nonprofit organizations working in public health face varied challenges to publishing in the peer-reviewed literature. These practitioners may lack time, support, skills, and efficacy needed for manuscript submission, which keeps them from sharing their wisdom and experience-based evidence. This exclusion can contribute to literature gaps, a failure of evidence-based practice to inform future research, reduced ability to educate partners, and delays in advancing public health practice. Our article describes the writing workshops offered to Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded programs in 2021. This project consisted of three 60-minute introductory writing webinars open to all recipients, followed by a Writing for Publications workshop, an 8- to 9-week virtual learning/writing intensive for selected writing team applicants. The Society for Public Health Education staff, consultants, and CDC/DNPAO staff developed, refined, and presented the curriculum. The workshop for public health practitioner writing teams was offered to two cohorts and included extensive coaching and focused on potential submission to a Health Promotion Practice supplement, "Reducing Chronic Disease through Physical Activity and Nutrition: Public Health Practice in the Field" (see Supplemental Material), which was supported by CDC/DNPAO. We describe the webinars, the workshop design, modifications, evaluation methods and results. |
Five priority public health actions to reduce chronic disease through improved nutrition and physical activity
O'Toole TP , Blanck HM , Flores-Ayala R , Rose K , Galuska DA , Gunn J , O'Connor A , Petersen R , Hacker K . Health Promot Pract 2022 23 5s-11s Welcome to this supplemental issue of Health Promotion Practice (HPP), “Reducing Chronic Disease through Physical Activity and Nutrition: Public Health Practice in the Field” (https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/hppa/23/1_suppl), which is entirely devoted to practice-based wisdom from the field of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity programs. The specific aims of this supplement are to advance public health research and practice by showcasing innovative community-centered interventions, implementation, adaptations, and evaluations employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) (www.cdc.gov/nccdphpd/dnpao/index.html) cooperative agreement recipients: State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (SPAN, DP18-1807) (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/span-1807/index.html), Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH, DP18-1813) (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/reach/index.htm), and the High Obesity Programs (HOP, DP18-1809) (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/hop-1809/high-obesity-program-1809.html). |
State and Local Chronic Disease Programs Adapt and Pivot to Address Community Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examples From CDC Funded SPAN, REACH, and HOP Programs.
O'Toole TP , René Lavinghouze S , Pejavara A , Petersen R . Health Promot Pract 2022 23 12s-20s This supplement issue of Health Promotion Practice (HPP), “Reducing Chronic Disease through Physical Activity and Nutrition: Public Health Practice in the Field” (https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/hppa/23/1_suppl) has a focus on publishing practice wisdom from the field of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity programs. Publishing the practitioner’s perspective facilitates reducing gaps in literature, enhancing education of partners and decision makers, increasing knowledge translations, and improving the evidence base for addressing public health challenges. Practice wisdom draws upon public health practitioners’ experiences and expertise in developing, improving, or adapting practices to implement public health intervention programs (Chen et al., 2011; Dunet et al., 2013). HPP publication allows for a broader, more enduring dissemination of practice wisdom while building upon prior progress. |
The High Obesity Program: A collaboration between public health and Cooperative Extension Services to address obesity
Kahin SA , Murriel AL , Pejavara A , O'Toole T , Petersen R . Prev Chronic Dis 2020 17 E26 In the United States, obesity is a major risk factor for chronic disease, and related medical costs are estimated to increase by at least $48 billion annually through 2030 (1). Interventions that use policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches at the population level, such as increasing the availability of healthy foods in local corner stores or incorporating activity-friendly routes into community planning and design, can expand the reach of public health efforts by establishing frameworks in which the simple, default choices are the healthier choices in the places Americans work, live, and play (2). |
The High Obesity Program: Overview of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Cooperative Extension Services efforts to address obesity
Murriel AL , Kahin S , Pejavara A , O'Toole T . Prev Chronic Dis 2020 17 E25 The burden of obesity and other chronic diseases negatively affects the nation's health, businesses, economy, and military readiness. The prevalence is higher in certain geographic locations. Beginning in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity awarded funding to 11 land-grant universities through the High Obesity Program. This program implemented evidence- and practice-based strategies with a goal to increase access to nutritious foods and places to be physically active in counties in which the prevalence of obesity among adults was more than 40%. In these counties, funded land-grant universities developed partnerships and collaborations to work with community organizations, public health agencies, and other stakeholders to promote policy and environmental changes that address obesity. Data were collected by the Cooperative Extension Service in each selected county with technical assistance from land-grand universities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 2 million people were reached by the nutrition and physical activity policy, systems, and environmental interventions implemented. |
Sugar-sweetened beverage intake among adults, by residence in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties in 12 states and the District of Columbia, 2017
Imoisili O , Park S , Lundeen EA , Pan L , O'Toole T , Siegel KR , Blanck HM . Prev Chronic Dis 2020 17 E07 The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among US adults (n = 68,896) residing in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties, by state, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We used multinomial logistic regression to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios for daily (>/=1 time per day) SSB intake. Overall, 26.0% of respondents reported daily SSB intake, with significantly higher prevalence in nonmetropolitan counties (30.9%) than in metropolitan counties (24.8%) (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.32, 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.39). This same pattern was significant in 5 of 11 states with metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. These findings could inform efforts to reduce frequent SSB intake in nonmetropolitan areas. |
Technology to advance infectious disease forecasting for outbreak management.
George DB , Taylor W , Shaman J , Rivers C , Paul B , O'Toole T , Johansson MA , Hirschman L , Biggerstaff M , Asher J , Reich NG . Nat Commun 2019 10 (1) 3932 Forecasting is beginning to be integrated into decision-making processes for infectious disease outbreak response. We discuss how technologies could accelerate the adoption of forecasting among public health practitioners, improve epidemic management, save lives, and reduce the economic impact of outbreaks. |
Neutralizing antibodies inhibit chikungunya virus budding at the plasma membrane
Jin J , Galaz-Montoya JG , Sherman MB , Sun SY , Goldsmith CS , O'Toole ET , Ackerman L , Carlson LA , Weaver SC , Chiu W , Simmons G . Cell Host Microbe 2018 24 (3) 417-428 e5 Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are traditionally thought to inhibit virus infection by preventing virion entry into target cells. In addition, antibodies can engage Fc receptors (FcRs) on immune cells to activate antiviral responses. We describe a mechanism by which NAbs inhibit chikungunya virus (CHIKV), the most common alphavirus infecting humans, by preventing virus budding from infected human cells and activating IgG-specific Fcgamma receptors. NAbs bind to CHIKV glycoproteins on the infected cell surface and induce glycoprotein coalescence, preventing budding of nascent virions and leaving structurally heterogeneous nucleocapsids arrested in the cytosol. Furthermore, NAbs induce clustering of CHIKV replication spherules at sites of budding blockage. Functionally, these densely packed glycoprotein-NAb complexes on infected cells activate Fcgamma receptors, inducing a strong, antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity response from immune effector cells. Our findings describe a triply functional antiviral pathway for NAbs that might be broadly applicable across virus-host systems, suggesting avenues for therapeutic innovation through antibody design. |
Obesity prevalence among adults living in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties - United States, 2016
Lundeen EA , Park S , Pan L , O'Toole T , Matthews K , Blanck HM . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018 67 (23) 653-658 Approximately 46 million persons (14%) in the United States live in nonmetropolitan counties.* Compared with metropolitan residents, nonmetropolitan residents have a higher prevalence of obesity-associated chronic diseases such as diabetes (1), coronary heart disease (1), and arthritis (2). The 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found a significantly higher obesity prevalence among adults in nonmetropolitan (39.6%) than in metropolitan (33.4%) counties (3). However, this difference has not been examined by state. Therefore, CDC examined state-level 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data and found that the prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] >/=30 kg/m(2)) was 34.2% among U.S. adults living in nonmetropolitan counties and 28.7% among those living in metropolitan counties (p<0.001). Obesity prevalence was significantly higher among nonmetropolitan county residents than among metropolitan county residents in all U.S. Census regions, with the largest absolute difference in the South (5.6 percentage points) and Northeast (5.4 percentage points). In 24 of 47 states, obesity prevalence was significantly higher among persons in nonmetropolitan counties than among those in metropolitan counties; only in Wyoming was obesity prevalence higher among metropolitan county residents than among nonmetropolitan county residents. Both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties can address obesity through a variety of policy and environmental strategies to increase access to healthier foods and opportunities for physical activity (4). |
Behaviors related to physical activity and nutrition among U.S. high school students
Brener ND , Eaton DK , Kann LK , McManus TS , Lee SM , Scanlon KS , Fulton JE , O'Toole TP . J Adolesc Health 2013 53 (4) 539-46 PURPOSE: National data related to physical activity (PA) and nutrition among adolescents are needed to help develop effective obesity prevention programs. The 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS) was conducted to provide nationally representative data on behaviors and behavioral correlates related to healthy eating and PA. METHODS: NYPANS used a three-stage cluster sample design to obtain data representative of public- and private-school students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States (n=11,429). Students completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire in their classrooms during a regular class period. Trained data collectors directly measured the students' height and weight at school using a standard protocol. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that 19.0% of students were obese and 17.8% were overweight. Students participated in a range of physical activities during the 12 months before the survey; prevalence ranged from 5.0% for ice hockey to 83.9% for walking. In addition, 52.5% of students enjoyed the physical education classes they took at school. During the 7 days before the survey, 74.8% of students ate at least one meal or snack from a fast food restaurant, with black students more likely than white and Hispanic students to have done so. Forty-one percent of students always or most of the time have a TV on while eating dinner at home. CONCLUSIONS: These and other NYPANS results can be used to develop obesity prevention programs that address specific behaviors and behavioral correlates, and target subgroups in which behaviors and behavioral correlates related to obesity are most prevalent. |
Factors associated with low water intake among US high school students-National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study, 2010
Park S , Blanck HM , Sherry B , Brener N , O'Toole T . J Acad Nutr Diet 2012 112 (9) 1421-7 Drinking plain water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is one approach for reducing energy intake. Only a few studies have examined characteristics associated with plain water intake among US youth. The purpose of our cross-sectional study was to examine associations of demographic characteristics, weight status, dietary habits, and other behavior-related factors with plain water intake among a nationally representative sample of US high school students. The 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study data for 11,049 students in grades 9 through 12 were used. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for variables associated with low water intake (<3 times/day). Nationwide, 54% of high school students reported drinking water <3 times/day. Variables significantly associated with a greater odds for low water intake were age ≤15 years (OR 1.1), consuming <2 glasses/day of milk (OR 1.5), nondiet soda ≥1 time/day (OR 1.6), other sugar-sweetened beverages ≥1 time/day (OR 1.4), fruits and 100% fruit juice <2 times/day (OR 1.7), vegetables <3 times/day (OR 2.3), eating at fast-food restaurants 1 to 2 days/week and ≥3 days/week (OR 1.3 and OR 1.4, respectively), and being physically active ≥60 minutes/day on <5 days/week (OR 1.6). Being obese was significantly associated with reduced odds for low water intake (OR 0.7). The findings of these significant associations of low water intake with poor diet quality, frequent fast-food restaurant use, and physical inactivity may be used to tailor intervention efforts to increase plain water intake as a substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages and to promote healthy lifestyles. |
Missed opportunities for preventing congenital syphilis infection in New York City
Patel SJ , Klinger EJ , O'Toole D , Schillinger JA . Obstet Gynecol 2012 120 (4) 882-8 OBJECTIVE: To describe health care providers' missed opportunities for preventing and treating congenital syphilis in New York City. METHODS: Review of congenital syphilis cases reported to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009. Receipt and timing of prenatal care, serologic testing, and treatment of mothers and newborns were reviewed. Missed opportunities were defined as receipt of prenatal care plus one of the following: 1) lack of documented treatment for syphilis infection diagnosed before pregnancy; 2) absence of serologic testing during pregnancy; 3) late maternal treatment; 4) maternal treatment with a nonpenicillin regimen; or 5) lack of maternal treatment. RESULTS: In total, 195 newborns with congenital syphilis were born to 190 mothers with 191 pregnancies. Overall, 80% (95% confidence interval [CI] 74-86%, 152 of 190) of all mothers received prenatal care; 63% (95% CI 56-71%, 96 of 152) of these had one or more missed opportunities for prevention. Twelve mothers received inadequate treatment or no treatment during the case pregnancy for documented syphilis infection before pregnancy, and 42 mothers without previous syphilis diagnosis did not have serologic testing during the case pregnancy. Of 103 mothers with syphilis diagnosed before 30 weeks of gestation, 12 received late penicillin therapy, 27 received no therapy, and 3 received inappropriate (nonpenicillin) therapy. Seventeen percent (95% CI 12-22%, 33 of 193) of liveborn newborns received no treatment during their hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Providers missed well-defined opportunities to prevent congenital syphilis for the majority of cases. Combined efforts to prevent future cases include provider education and better integration of care between obstetricians and pediatricians. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. |
Factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake among United States high school students
Park S , Blanck HM , Sherry B , Brener N , O'Toole T . J Nutr 2012 142 (2) 306-12 This cross-sectional study examined associations of demographic characteristics, weight status, availability of school vending machines, and behavioral factors with sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, both overall and by type of SSB, among a nationally representative sample of high school students. The 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study data for 11,209 students (grades 9-12) were used. SSB intake was based on intake of 4 nondiet beverages [soda, other (i.e., fruit-flavored drinks, sweetened coffee/tea drinks, or flavored milk), sports drinks, and energy drinks]. Nationwide, 64.9% of high school students drank SSB ≥1 time/d, 35.6% drank SSB ≥2 times/d, and 22.2% drank SSB ≥3 times/d. The most commonly consumed SSB was regular soda. Factors associated with a greater odds for high SSB intake (≥3 times/d) were male gender [OR = 1.66 (95% CI = 1.41,1.95); P < 0.05], being non-Hispanic black [OR = 1.87 (95% CI = 1.52, 2.29); P < 0.05], eating at fast-food restaurants 1-2 d/wk or eating there ≥3 d/wk [OR = 1.25 (95% CI = 1.05, 1.50); P < 0.05 and OR = 2.94 (95% CI = 2.31, 3.75); P < 0.05, respectively] and watching television >2 h/d [OR = 1.70 (95% CI = 1.44, 2.01); P < 0.05]. Non-Hispanic other/multiracial [OR = 0.67 (95% CI = 0.47, 0.95); P < 0.05] and being physically active ≥60 min/d on <5 d/wk were associated with a lower odds for high SSB intake [OR = 0.85 (95% CI = 0.76, 0.95); P < 0.05]. Weight status was not associated with SSB intake. Differences in predictors by type of SSB were small. Our findings of significant associations of high SSB intake with frequent fast-food restaurant use and sedentary behaviors may be used to tailor intervention efforts to reduce SSB intake among high-risk populations. |
Factors associated with low drinking water intake among adolescents: the Florida Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, 2007
Park S , Sherry B , O'Toole T , Huang Y . J Am Diet Assoc 2011 111 (8) 1211-7 There is limited information on which characteristics are associated with water intake among adolescents. This cross-sectional study examined the association between demographic, dietary, and behavioral factors and low water intake as the outcome measure. Analyses were based on the 2007 Florida Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey using a representative sample of 4,292 students in grades six through eight in 86 Florida public middle schools. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for factors associated with low water intake (<3 glasses water per day). About 64% of students had low water intake. Factors significantly associated with low water intake were Hispanic ethnicity and non-Hispanic other (vs non-Hispanic white; ORs 0.79 and 0.76, respectively), drinking no 100% juice, drinking it <1 time/day, and drinking it 1 to 2 times/day (vs drinking it ≥3 times/day; ORs 1.83, 1.91, and 1.32, respectively), drinking no milk and drinking <2 glasses of milk/day (vs drinking ≥2 glasses/day; ORs 1.42 and 1.41, respectively), drinking <1 soda/day (vs drinking none; OR 1.40), drinking fruit-flavored drinks/sports drinks <1 time/day and drinking it ≥1 time/day (vs drinking none; ORs 1.49 and 1.41, respectively), eating at a fast-food restaurant ≥3 days/week (vs none; OR 1.38, respectively), not participating on team sports or participating on 1 to 2 team sports in previous 12 months (vs participating on ≥3 teams; ORs 1.77 and 1.24, respectively), and consuming snack/soda while watching television/movies "sometimes" and "most/every time" (vs never; ORs 1.65 and 2.20, respectively). The strongest factor associated with low water intake was frequent consumption of snacks/sodas while watching television/movies. Although study findings should be corroborated in other states and in a nationally representative sample, they may be useful in targeting adolescents for increased water consumption. |
Results of evaluability assessments of local wellness policies in 6 US school districts
Pitt Barnes S , Robin L , O'Toole TP , Dawkins N , Kettel Khan L , Leviton LC . J Sch Health 2011 81 (8) 502-511 BACKGROUND: A US federal mandate that school districts devise and implement local wellness policies (LWPs) has potential widespread impact on the nutritional content of foods and beverages available in schools and on the amount of physical activity that students engage in; however, evidence concerning the mandate's effectiveness is limited. This study describes the content of LWPs of 6 US school districts and steps taken toward their implementation and evaluation. METHODS: During visits to 6 school districts, we interviewed 88 school and community representatives about the content of their district's LWPs and how the LWPs were being implemented and evaluated. RESULTS: The 6 LWPs were consistent with the federal mandate, although they varied in content and degree of specificity, and none had been fully implemented. All 6 districts were pursuing strategies to ensure that foods and beverages available at school met nutrition standards but did not offer nutrition education to all K-12 students. All 6 districts offered students only limited opportunities for physical activity, and all 6 collected data to monitor process and outcomes of their LWPs. CONCLUSIONS: Partial implementation of LWPs in the districts we visited resulted in significant improvement in the nutritional quality of foods available at district schools, but only slight improvement in students' opportunities for school-based physical activity. We provide recommendations for school districts on implementation and evaluation. Future research is needed to determine the impact of these LWPs on students' health. |
Establishing a baseline measure of school wellness-related policies implemented in a nationally representative sample of school districts
Brener ND , Chriqui JF , O'Toole TP , Schwartz MB , McManus T . J Am Diet Assoc 2011 111 (6) 894-901 The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 required school districts to establish a local school wellness policy by the first day of the 2006-2007 school year. To provide a baseline measure of the extent to which wellness-related policies were implemented in school districts nationwide in 2006, this study analyzed data from the 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS). SHPPS used a cross-sectional design to measure policies and practices among a nationally representative sample of 538 public school districts. The authors applied a standardized wellness policy coding system to the data by matching each element to relevant questions from SHPPS and calculated the percentage of school districts meeting each element in the coding system. Statistical analyses included calculation of 95% confidence intervals for percentages and mean number of elements met in each area. In 2006, none of the districts met all elements included in the coding system for local wellness policies. In addition, the percentage of districts meeting each element varied widely. On average, districts met the greatest number of elements in the area of nutrition education and the least number of elements in the area of physical activity. By applying a coding system for district policies to an existing dataset, this study used a novel approach to determine areas of strength and weakness in the implementation of local school wellness-related policies in 2006. |
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