Prevention Research Center at Tulane University

Mary Kathryn Poole, MPH, Adrienne Mundorf, MPH, Naomi Englar & Diego Rose, PhD, MPH

Improving Louisiana’s America’s Health Ranking® through Public Health Strategies during the 2014 Legislative SessionPresented at the Community Indicators Consortium Impact Summit Washington, D.C.Monday, September 29, 2014

Challenges in LA

50t

h

49th

48th

47th

46th

43rd

40th

(UHF 2013)

Obesity and Smoking

(PBRC 2012; LA Tobacco Control Program 2011)

53% of LA youth (grades 6-12) reported being in the room with a smoker at least one day a week.

27.1% of LA youth (ages 2-19) are overweight or obese.

(UHF 2013)

(UHF 2013)

Project Activities

State-Level Strategies

Worksite Lactation Support (Act 681/ Senate Bill 28) Increases the number of state-owned buildings with

lactation rooms from 10 to 20

Fresh Food Assistance at Farmers Markets (Senate Concurrent Resolution 20) Directs the Department of Health and Hospitals to allow

the use of the Women, Infants and Children Cash Value Voucher at farmers markets

Early Childhood

Schools

Smoke-Free School Zones (Act 581/ Senate Bill 514) Establishes a smoke-free school zone within 200 feet

of school property

Farm to School (Senate Concurrent Resolution 94) Encourages the Department of Education and Department

of Agriculture and Forestry to establish a farm to school program and overcome barriers to farm to school

Schools

Joint-Use Agreements (Senate Concurrent Resolution 95) Requests the Department of

Education to conduct a survey on barriers to joint-use agreements

Water Availability in Schools (Senate Concurrent Resolution 96) Requests the Department of Health and

Hospitals and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue a report on drinking water in schools

Community

Complete Streets (Act 470/ Senate Bill 527) Requires the Department of Transportation and

Development to maintain a Complete Streets policy and issue an annual progress report

State Obesity Coordination (Act 580/ Senate Bill 513 & Senate Concurrent Resolution 21) Forms the Louisiana Obesity Prevention and Management Commission Creates a joint-legislative committee on obesity

Summary of Public Health Strategies

Next Steps

Analyze data and feedback generated from 2014 study resolutions

Collect data and success stories from effective programs and policies in Louisiana

Increase communication between grassroots and grasstops leaders and organizations

Continue to identify priorities and track progress using the America’s Health Rankings®

Photo courtesy of Greauxing Healthy Baton Rouge

References

Louisiana Tobacco Control Program. (2011). 2011 Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Retrieved from http://www.quitwithusla.org/uploads/YouthTobaccoSurveyFinalWeb-1375893058.pdf

Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC). (2012). We Are What We Build: 2012 Louisiana Report Card on Physical Activity & Health for Children & Youth. Retrieved from https://www.pbrc.edu/report_card/pdf/2012_LAReportCard_web.pdf

United Health Foundation (UHF). (2013). America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities. Retrieved from http://cdnfiles.americashealthrankings.org/SiteFiles/Reports/AHR-AnnualReport2013.pdf

Acknowledgments

People Principal Investigator: Diego Rose, PhD, MPH Other Contributing Investigators: Adrienne

Mundorf, MPH and Naomi Englar Funding

CDC, Prevention Research Centers Cooperative agreement #U48-DP-001948