ABSTRACT
Recent history shows that policy can have a remarkable impact on population health (Brownson, Chriqui, and Stamatakis 2009). Many of the 10 major public health achievements of the twentieth century were attributable, at least in part, to policy changes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1999). These include school
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 321 De—ning a Physical Activity Policy ....................................................................... 324 Promoting Physical Activity through Policies ....................................................... 325 Understanding the Policy Process .......................................................................... 327
Multiple Streams Framework ............................................................................ 327 Problem Stream ............................................................................................ 327 Policy Stream ............................................................................................... 327 Political Stream ............................................................................................ 328
Stages of the Policy Process .............................................................................. 328 Step 1: Policy Agenda Setting ...................................................................... 328 Step 2: Policy Formulation ........................................................................... 329 Step 3: Policy Adoption ................................................................................ 329 Step 4: Policy Implementation ..................................................................... 330 Step 5: Policy Evaluation ............................................................................. 331 Step 6: Decisions about the Future ............................................................... 333
Tools for Taking Action ......................................................................................... 333 Community Action Model................................................................................. 333 RE-AIM Framework ......................................................................................... 334 Health Impact Assessment ................................................................................ 336
Policy Dissemination ............................................................................................. 336 Policy Communication ........................................................................................... 337 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 337 Study Questions ..................................................................................................... 338 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 339 References .............................................................................................................. 339 Appendix ................................................................................................................ 342
policies requiring vaccinations, seatbelt laws to improve motor vehicle safety, and policies and regulations to create safer workplaces. This chapter considers the power of policy as a tool to promote physical activity.
