Historically, the primary role of public health is to monitor, protect, and promote the public’s health. These functions complement the health care delivery system and community sectors. Chronic disease prevention and management has become an important public health focus in recent years.
Given the integral role of physical activity in maintaining good health and preventing disease, public health agencies, state health departments, public health professionals, public health professional societies, and institutions of higher learning can play major roles in carrying out the following strategies. In the context of the National Physical Activity Plan, the term “public health organization” is defined broadly to include public health agencies and non-government organizations.
STRATEGY 1
Develop and maintain an ethnically and culturally diverse public
health workforce of both genders with competence and expertise
in physical activity and health. VIEW
TACTICS
STRATEGY 2
Create, maintain, and leverage cross-sector partnerships and
coalitions that implement effective strategies to promote
physical activity. Partnerships should include representatives
from public health; health care; education; parks, recreation,
fitness, and sports; transportation, urban design, and community
planning; business and industry; volunteer and non-profit
organizations; faith communities; mass media; and organizations
serving historically underserved and understudied populations. VIEW
TACTICS
STRATEGY 3
Engage in advocacy and policy development to elevate the
priority of physical activity in public health practice, policy,
and research. VIEW TACTICS
STRATEGY 4
Disseminate tools and resources important to promoting physical
activity, including resources that address the burden of disease
due to inactivity, the implementation of evidence-based
interventions, and funding opportunities for physical activity
initiatives. VIEW TACTICS
STRATEGY 5
Expand monitoring of policy and environmental determinants of
physical activity and the levels of physical activity in
communities (surveillance), and monitor the implementation of
public health approaches to promoting active lifestyles
(evaluation). VIEW TACTICS