1. What is Public or Population Health? Public Health is the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention.

2. Public health professionals… … try to prevent problems from happening or re-occurring through implementing educational programs, developing policies, administering services, regulating health systems and some health professions, and conducting research, in contrast to clinical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, who focus primarily on treating individuals after they become sick or injured.

4. What is the Environmental Context?  What is the current Context?  What is the ideal Context?  What needs to change?

5. Why… are people not eating right? or exercising enough?

6. “It is unreasonable to expect that people will change their behavior easily when so many forces in the social, cultural, and physical environment conspire against such change.” -Smedly and Syme (2000)

7. PSE  Policy – changes that are instituted through formal, written, standards accepted/adopted by a governing body  Foods available in schools must meet certain nutrition standards  Systems – changes that impact all areas of an organization or institution  Implementing the National School Breakfast Lunch Programs  Environment – changes in physical, social, or economic factors that affect how people behave  The presence of healthy foods at school and school events  When sold, unhealthy “junk” food, is much more expensive than healthy food

8. Changing the Context Moving from Programs/Event to PSE SettingProgram/EventsPSE Child Care/Pre- School Provide healthy living tips in parent newsletter Adopt a policy for physical activity throughout the day CommunityHost a community bike ride and parade Implement a “Complete Streets” policy FaithGo Red! SundayHealthy meals and snacks policy SchoolsFamily fitness niteDevelop a joint use agreement WorksiteAnnual onsite health screening for staff Establish a healthy vending policy Make stairs accessible and attractive SchoolsCelebrate National Nutrition Month Add fruits & vegetables to a la carte SchoolsParticipate in Walk to School Day Establish Safe Routes to Schools SchoolsParticipate in “Kick-Butts” day Create a tobacco free campus policy

9. PSE… …interventions are effective because  they they have broad impact,  they are sustainable, and  they are relatively inexpensive.

10. Events/Programs vs. PSE Change Characteristics of Events/Programs  One time  Additive: often results in only short-term behavior  Individual level  Not part of ongoing plan  Short term  Non-sustaining Characteristics of PSE Change  Ongoing  Foundational: often  produces behavior change  over time  Policy level  Part of an ongoing plan  Long term  Sustaining

11. PSE is supported by:  Assessment & evaluation  Community & partner engagement (such as through School Wellness Teams)  Individual and community education about the importance of policy, systems and environment in improving health  Skill building  Programs (as appropriate)  Promotion  Enforcement

12. Paying Dividends Through focus on best practice based policy, systems change, and environmental change we will reduce childhood obesity in Alaska and our students will be healthier and better prepared for the future.