Renee Parks and Fanice Thomas
This blog post is based on the Evidence & Policy article, ‘Municipal officials’ perspectives on policymaking for addressing obesity and health equity’.
More than 30% of adults in the US have obesity, with higher rates among those who have lower incomes or are racially or ethnically minoritised. Local-level policymakers within municipal governments can play a unique role in addressing obesity and related health disparities through policy strategies, including zoning and other land use laws, city or park master plans, and local, healthy food procurement policies that create healthy environments and promote community members’ engagement in health promoting behaviours.
In our Evidence and Policy article, we discuss municipal officials’ decision-making regarding policies impacting community health, their views on the prevalence of obesity and health disparities in their communities, and their role in addressing them. By understanding policymakers’ views on obesity and health disparities, we can identify best practices for sharing evidence with policymakers and promoting its integration into policies that address health disparities in communities.
Our team interviewed 20 local elected and top-appointed officials from municipalities across the US with high rates of obesity or related health disparities for their region. We found that policymakers had a diverse range of views about causes of health disparities in their community. These include attributions to individual choices and actions, environmental influences like lack of transportation and access to healthy food, and structural factors like racism and poverty.
Policymakers indicated that staying informed about other local, state and federal policy, conducting their own research using trustworthy sources, looking to other communities to see what they have done and the impact of those actions, and seeing or hearing from those impacted by an issue can all influence their decision-making about policy actions. Additionally, they emphasised the importance of relationships with community organisations serving or representing affected groups, as these organisations can elevate an issue, provide data and information, and help identify and secure additional resources to address the issue.
Key barriers mentioned about policymakers’ role in addressing health disparities include limitations based on what the policymaker can do given their municipality’s mission/defined goals and revenue, and challenges in collaborating with different departments or across government levels to enact a multi-dimensional policy response. Some policymakers described a limited role of government in people’s health. Additionally, several policymakers noted a lack of understanding among other officials on the connection between health and other policy areas and the need to educate them about health disparities. They emphasised the importance of framing messages to the social-political context (e.g., local priorities, social needs of residents).
Municipal policymakers face challenges in enacting policies to address health disparities; however, local evidence and organisations can play a key role in facilitating policymaking. Our findings emphasise the important role community organisations have as intermediaries influencing municipal policymaking for health – by building relationships, especially among community members impacted. Additionally, scientists have an opportunity to support these key organisations and policymakers by making their findings more accessible, timely and locally relevant.
To learn more, read our open access article in Evidence & Policy.
Image credit: iStock.com
Renee Parks, MSc, is a research project manager with the Prevention Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis. She conducts applied prevention research and works with community coalitions to enhance use of effective policies for health equity. Contact at renee.parks@wustl.edu.
Fanice Thomas, PhD, is the associate director of policy and strategy in the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. Her work focuses on using research findings to inform, create, and implement evidence-informed policies and practices that address social inequalities and eliminate health disparities. Contact at fanice@wustl.edu.
Read the original research in Evidence & Policy:
Parks, R.G. Thomas, F. Morshed, A.B. Dodson, E.A. Tian, R. Politi, M.C. Eyler, A.A. Thomas, I. and Brownson R.C. (2023). Municipal officials’ perspectives on policymaking for addressing obesity and health equity. Evidence & Policy, DOI: 10.1332/174426421X16793276974116. OPEN ACCESS
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