Patterns of Childhood Obesity Prevention Legislation in the United States
Author Information
Author(s): Boehmer Tegan K, Brownson Ross C, Haire-Joshu Debra, Dreisinger Mariah L
Primary Institution: Saint Louis University School of Public Health
Hypothesis
This study aimed to identify and describe state-level childhood obesity prevention legislation introduced and adopted from 2003 through 2005.
Conclusion
Public health and health policy practitioners can use this information to improve advocacy efforts and strengthen the political climate for establishing childhood obesity prevention legislation within state governments.
Supporting Evidence
- 17% of bills and 53% of resolutions were adopted.
- The amount of legislation introduced and adopted increased from 2003 through 2005.
- Community-related topic areas had the highest proportion of bills adopted.
- Some regional geographic patterns in the introduction of legislation were observed.
- There was no statistical association between state-level adult obesity prevalence and introduction of legislation.
Takeaway
The study looked at laws made to help kids eat healthier and be more active in the U.S. and found that many laws were introduced and some were passed.
Methodology
A scan of legislation from all 50 states identified 717 bills and 134 resolutions that met study inclusion criteria, analyzing patterns in the introduction and adoption of legislation by time, topic area, and geography.
Limitations
The study's limited time period and reliance on available data may underestimate the proportion of bills adopted and the quality of the legislative database.
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