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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Search Results: MCHLine

Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.


Displaying records 1 through 20 (68 total).

Action for Healthy Kids. n.d.. Classroom energizers and brain breaks. Chicago, IL: Action for Healthy Kids, 2 pp. (Tip sheet)

Annotation: This document provides tips on ways to include fitness breaks in school and resources available to help schools get started. Contents include ideas for classroom activity breaks, using music, suggestions for middle and high school students, tips on involving physical education teachers, and asking students to share their physical activity break ideas.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Advocacy, Learning, Participation, Physical activity, Resources for professionals, School age children, School health, Schools, Students

U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2023. Physical activity guidelines for Americans (updated). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,

Annotation: This website provides science-based guidance to help Americans ages 6 and older improve their health through appropriate physical activity. Includes are tips on how to stay active, community resources, dietary guidelines, campaign materials, news updates. and guidelines on the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to children, adolescents, and adults.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Adults, Child health, Guidelines, Health promotion, National initiatives, Older adults, Physical activity, Resources for professionals

Let's Go. 2022. Let's go!. Portland, ME: Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center,

Annotation: This website describes Maine's childhood obesity prevention program to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children from birth to age 18 through policy and environmental change. The program strives to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and physical activity by reaching families where they live, learn, work, and play. Contents include toolkits for early childhood, K-5, middle and high school, and health care and work place programs. Resources for parents and Spanish translated materials are also provided.

Keywords: Adolescents, Children, Environmental influences, Families, Health policy, Maine, Nutrition, Obesity, Physical activity, Prevention programs, Public private partnerships, Spanish language materials, State initiatives

National Recreation and Park Association . 2022. Active parks! Increasing physical activity through parks, trails, and greenways. Ashburn, VA: National Recreation and Park Association, 48 pp.

Annotation: This implementation guide informs public health officials and parks and recreation professionals how to increase physical activity and the use of parks, trails, and greenways by combining essential infrastructure improvements with activities like community engagement, programming, and public awareness. With color illustrations and links to other resources, the guide enumerates the steps that can be taken to increase access to public spaces and address health inequities and disparaties. Case studies demonstrate how communities throughout the US have increased physical activity and the use of their parks.

Keywords: Community coordination, Health disparities, Physical activity, Physical fitness, Recreational facilities

Cohen M, Burrowes K, Gwam P. 2022. The Health benefits of parks and their economic impacts. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 45 pp.

Annotation: This literature review finds that the access to green spaces has proven to improve physical health in populations, but that other health benefits (emotional, etc.) need further study and are not easiy disentangled from issues of race and socioeconomic status. [Funding provided by the National Recreation and Park Foundation; Urban Institute; JBP Foundation.]

Keywords: Green spaces, Literature reviews, Outdoor physical activity, Parks, Physical activity, Public health

Strengthen the Evidence for MCH Programs. 2020-. MCH best: bank of evidence-linked strategies and tools. Washington, DC: Strengthen the Evidence for MCH Programs, multiple items.

Annotation: The database aggregates sample evidence-based/informed strategies that can be used as-is or adapted to develop Evidence-based or informed Strategy Measures (ESMs) for each of the MCH National Performance Measures (NPMs). The strategies are listed by National Performance Measure, from NPM 1-Well Woman VIsit throught NPM 15-Continuous and Adequate Insurance. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Evidence based medicine, Model programs

American Heart Association, Nemours. 2020. Healthy way to grow. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; Jacksonville, FL: Nemours, multiple items.

Healthiest State Initiative. 2020. 5 2 1 0 Healthy Choices Count: Action guide--Early care, education, after-school. Des Moines, IA: Healthiest State Initiative, 15 pp.

Annotation: This guide is part of the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count Program, an evidenced-based prevention framework to promote healthy habits. The guide discusses how early care and education sites can adopt a whole child approach to wellness and education by providing healthy foods in the classroom and cafeteria and creatively increasing physical activity throughout the day. The guide explains why the 5-2-1-0 method works and presents 10 strategies for success. It also discusses how to implement the program in an early care or education site in five steps: engage, register, implement, share, and check in.

Keywords: Nutrition, Physical activity, Preschool children, Prevention, School health programs, Young children

Healthiest State Initiative. 2020. 5 2 1 0 Healthy Choices Count: Action guide--Health care. Des Moines, IA: Healthiest State Initiative, 15 pp.

Annotation: This guide for health professionals is part of the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count Program, an evidence-based prevention framework to promote healthy habits. The guide discusses how health professionals can use the 5-2-1-0 method to help children stay healthy. It explains how health professionals can implement the program in five steps: engage, register, implement, share, and check in.

Keywords: Health programs, Nutrition, Physical activity, Prevention, School age children, Young children

Clarke M, Vest G. 2020. The toolkit for health, arts, parks & equity. Trust for Public Land / National Association of County & City Health Officials, 124 pp.

Annotation: This toolkit for public health advocates and local health departments demonstrates how the activities contained within it can increase physical activity and improve health equity for young people. It contains guiding principles and policy recommendations that address problems in health equity. Case studies from cities throughout the United States demonstrate how access to recreational space and art projects have tackled issues such as chronic disease, depression and violent crime. [Grant funding was provided by the NEA and the Kresge Foundation.]

Keywords: Community coordination, Community engagement, Green spaces, Health equity, Physical activity, Public health, Recreational services, Recreational spaces, Social determinants of health

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. 2019. Preventing childhood obesity in early care and education programs: Selected standards from Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards, 4rd edition (3rd ed.). Aurora, CO: National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education, 70 pp.

Annotation: This set of national standards describe evidence-based best practices in nutrition, physical activity, and screen time for early care and education programs. Contents include intervention strategies to prevent excessive weight gain in young children. The standards detail opportunities for facilities to work with families. Topics include nutrition requirements for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and school-age children; meal service and supervision; food brought from home; nutrition education; food and nutrition service policies and plans; infant feeding policy; active opportunities for physical activity; playing outdoors; protection from air pollution while children are outside; caregivers/teachers' encouragement of physical activity; policies and practices that promote physical activity; and limiting media and computer time. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Child care, Early childhood education, Infants, National initiatives, Nutrition, Obesity, Physical activity, Policy development, Preschool children, Primary prevention, Program development, School-age children, Standards, Toddlers

Action for Healthy Kids. 2019. Recess for learning. Chicago, IL: Action for Healthy Kids, 2 pp. (Tip sheet)

Annotation: This tip sheet provides information and tips on providing and advocating for recess to improve learning and school health. Topics include advocating for more, better, and active recess; recess before lunch; making recess inclusive; playground design; and recess for secondary students. Resources are included.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Advocacy, Equal opportunities, Learning, Participation, Physical activity, Resources for professionals, School age children, School health, Schools, Students

Action for Healthy Kids. 2019. Before and after-school activities. Chicago, IL: Action for Healthy Kids, 2 pp. (Tip sheet)

Annotation: This document provides tips on helping children get 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day by engaging them in before- and after-school activities. Contents include information and resources on out-of-school time programs and walk and bike to school initiatives, tips on starting a walking or running club, and encouraging student involvement in intramural programs.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Advocacy, After school programs, Learning, Participation, Physical activity, Resources for professionals, School age children, School health, Schools, Students

Hagan JF Jr. 2019. Making Bright Futures work: How evidence, the periodicity schedule, and the Bright Futures guidelines impact practice. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 video (58 min.).

Annotation: This webinar reviews new clinical content in the Bright Futures Guidelines and the associated Periodicity Schedule, and discusses how to use evidence to decide on content for your practice's health supervision visits and how to identify strategies, tools, and resources to maximize efficiency for health promotion and preventive services.

Keywords: Adolescent development, Adolescent health, Anticipatory guidance, Child development, Child health, Communities, Disease prevention, Emotional development, Evidence based medicine, Families, Guidelines, Health promotion, Health screening, Health supervision, Infant development, Infant health, Injury prevention, Mental health, Nutrition, Oral health, Pediatric care, Perinatal health, Physical activity, Preventive health services, Protective factors, Psychosocial development, Safety, Sexual health, Standards, Videos, Weight management

Safe Routes Partnership. 2018. Engaging students with disabilities in safe routes to school. Fairfax, VA: Safe Routes Partnership, 7 pp.

Annotation: Communities around schools are encouraged to implement a "Safe Routes to School" program for students with disabilities. This guide explains the benefits to students with disabilities (which now includes 1 in 7 students), strategies for including those students, and ways to partner and build resources. It discusses inclusion, the components of "Safe Routes" programming, and considerations of the different kinds of disability. References and "Program Highlights" draw attention to programs that have worked.

Keywords: Persons with disabilities, Physical activity, Physical disabilities

Buran M, Parham-Lee M. 2018. Physical activity toolkit for preschool-aged children. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Public Health, 80 pp.

Annotation: This tooklit informs childcare providers, teachers and aides how to increase developmentally appropriate physical activities among children 3 to 5 years of age. Using skill cards and sample activities, it shows how to integrate activities incrementally so that exercise goals are met each day. This guide describes the benefits of healthy exercise for the development of small children, and gives recommendations on how much exercise is needed.

Keywords: Guidelines, Physical activity, Preschool children

Safe Routes Partnership. 2018. Roll bicycle education Into your physical education program. Fairfax, VA: Safe Routes Partnership, 4 pp.

Annotation: This guide from the "Safe Routes to School" Partnership encourages schools to incorporate bicycle education and safety into their physical education programs, thereby combining the goals of increasing physical activity and encouraging students to bike safely to school. The guide provides links to resources on bicycle education and suggestions on how to start such a program in local schools.

Keywords: Bicycles, Educational objectives, Physical activity, Physical education, Physical fitness, Physical fitness programs

Safe Routes Partnership . 2018. Roll up to a bicycle skills clinic. Fairfax, VA: Safe Routes Partnership, 2 pp.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Healthy Schools Campaign. [2017?]. Framework for action: Addressing nutrition and physical activity through ESSA implementation. Chicago, IL: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Healthy Schools Campaign, 12 pp.

Michael SL, Zavacky F. 2017. Strategies for recess in schools. Reston, VA: SHAPE America–Society of Health and Physical Educators, 16 pp.

Annotation: This document describes strategies for planning and providing recess in schools to help increase participation in physical activity and improve academic achievement. Contents include information about the definition and benefits of recess and national guidance and considerations for recess in schools. Topics include making leadership decisions, communicating and enforcing behavior and safety expectations, creating an environment supportive of physical activity during recess, engaging the school community to support recess, gathering information on recess, and taking action. Additional planning resources, case studies, a video, and infographics are also available.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Child health, Child safety, Community action, Decision making, Leadership, Multimedia, Physical activity, Policy development, Program planning, School age children, School health, Schools, Students

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The MCH Library is one of six special collections at Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. The library is supported through foundation, private, university, state, and federal funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Georgetown University or the U.S. Government. Note: web pages whose development was supported by federal government grants are being reviewed to comply with applicable Executive Orders.