Public Health – STRATEGY 3

Engage in advocacy¹ and policy development to elevate the priority of physical activity in public health practice, policy, and research.

TACTICS

• Use the most current version of federal guidelines as a foundation for advocacy and policy development (e.g., 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report 2008, and Healthy People 2020).
• Ensure that the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines are updated every five years.
• Encourage local, state, and national public health organizations to collaboratively engage in policy development and advocacy.
• Tailor policy messages for diverse audiences and settings. Identify and engage underserved populations. Target policy messages for each population, segment, and setting.
• Create a time-sensitive long- and short-term communication schedule for advocacy.
  • Identify and promote advocacy training opportunities for public health professionals.
• Work with diverse institutions’ advocacy teams to address overarching policies. Identify and promote advocacy training opportunities.
• Engage decision makers in funding research on policy development and evaluation of the effects of existing policies related to physical activity.
• Create an interdisciplinary policy and advocacy center to support advocacy efforts and policy development for physical activity in public health agencies and support advocacy efforts.
• Encourage health agencies to disseminate information on evidence-based policies related to physical activity by participating in advocacy networks, with emphasis on educating partners at local, state, and national levels.
• Develop a national physical activity report card that is informed by evidence and tracks actions taken and progress in reducing burden of disease due to inactivity in the United States.
• Engage community-based organizations that represent neighborhoods in policy development, accountability, and advocacy activities.
• Engage grassroots organizations that have demonstrated success in other public health arenas (e.g., tobacco control), and provide incentives for training and participation in population-based physical activity promotion.
• Develop an advocacy strategy for coordinated and appropriately funded physical activity research in multiple funding agencies.

¹ Advocacy refers to educating decision makers at all levels while honoring the legal limitations associated with the use of public funds.

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