The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities national program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health Interventions
• Obesity Prevention

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue, particularly in low-income and high-disparity communities.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation committed $500 million to combat childhood obesity by 2015.
• Existing systems and environments often hinder physical activity and healthy eating for children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) national program, a $33.4 million investment by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• To outline the HKHC strategy of addressing policies, systems, and environments impacting childhood obesity.
• To highlight the focus on low-income communities and 15 southern states with significant health disparities.

Main Methods:

• Funded 50 multidisciplinary partnerships across the United States.
• Provided technical assistance, consultation, and a peer learning network.
• Employed a participatory evaluation approach led by Active Living By Design and Transtria, LLC.

Main Results:

• The HKHC program supported systemic changes to promote physical activity and healthy food access.
• Successes were documented through various publications and online resources.
• The initiative leveraged experienced organizations to address complex community health issues.

Conclusions:

• The HKHC program demonstrated a commitment to reversing childhood obesity through community-centered, systemic interventions.
• Evidence of the program's successes is available through multiple documented case studies and reports.
• The program's approach focused on creating sustainable environmental and policy changes for long-term impact.