A college community health improvement plan (CHIP) focusing on the indicators of nutrition and weight status, and physical activity and fitness is designed with the goal of reducing obesity risk, improving health, and preventing chronic disease. The precede proceed model, logic model, innovative care for chronic conditions model, self-care theory, and Bandura's social cognitive learning theory were used as a research design framework for assessing, planning, and managing sustainability through a two-year college health clinic. The research questions were: what are the current health promotion inputs and activities in terms of environment, ecology, education, and policy and what could be supplemented to improve outputs and health outcomes? An integrated review of the literature, observation of the site, regulatory investigation, and focus group sessions were the methods of data collection. The precede-proceed model provided the analytical strategies to assess initiatives and resources, and to determine supplementary initiatives and resources. Results showed that environmental, educational, administrative, and policy resources were available but limited and not well promoted. Conclusions were that health promotion, wellness staffing, and education exist, but are underutilized, under promoted, and funding is necessary. Recommendations include a wellness program, increased activity initiatives, case management, grant funding, and increased community partnerships. The contribution to nursing is to fill a gap-in-practice for health planning in 2-year colleges. The implications for positive social change are improved knowledge, sustained health behaviors, decreased amount of obesity, improved health outcomes and quality of life, decreased chronic diseases, and lower healthcare costs.

The present study implemented Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP), a comprehensive, multi-component, strategic planning model and tool, in the New River Valley (NRV), Virginia to mobilize the NRV community to improve its own health status and the quality of life of its residents. The current mixed methods study represents one of the first to utilize MAPP in southwest Virginia and Virginia and is the most comprehensive community health needs assessment and strategic planning effort to date in the NRV. Through MAPP, the NRV community strived to determine the most effective ways to achieve optimal community health by considering its unique circumstances and needs, prioritizing public health system issues, identifying resources, and then developing integrated plans and forming effective partnerships for strategic action. The NRV MAPP process provided a solid framework for creating a community-driven needs assessment and strategic planning approach and initiative that brought together diverse public, private, non-profit, and voluntary organizations/agencies, businesses, faith communities, academia, local government, community members, and others who shared the commitment to and had a role in the NRV community's health and overall well-being. The current study also reviews the specific findings, summarizes the benefits and successes, and highlights lessons learned (including challenges and limitations) from the NRV MAPP experience, as well as makes recommendations for current practice and future research. Additionally, it provides a step-by-step overview of the entire MAPP process for potential users as applied to a real-world community, specifically the NRV. / Ph. D.

The study of health disparities and the social determinants of health has resulted in the call for public health researchers to investigate the mid- and upstream factors that influence the incidence of chronic diseases (Adler & Rehkopf, 2008; Berkman, 2009; Braveman P. , 2006; Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014; Krieger, 2011; Rose, 1985). Social ecological models (SEMs) provide important conceptual tools to inform this research and practice (Krieger, 2011; Golden & Earp, 2012; Story, Kaphingst, Robinson O'Brien, & Glanz, 2008; Glanz, Rimer, & Lewis, 2002). These models can help us look at the social and physical environments in rural Arizona communities and consider how health policies and environmental interventions address mediating factors, such as disparities in access to fresh food, that contribute to ill health in marginalized, rural, populations. Rural residents are at greater risk for obesity than their urban counterparts (Jackson, Doescher, Jerant, & Hart, 2006; Story, Kaphingst, Robinson O'Brien, & Glanz, 2008). And while human life expectancy has steadily increased over the past thousand years, current projections indicate that the rise in obesity-related illnesses will soon result in its decline (Olshansky, et al., 2005). One reason for this decline, may be the reduced availability of healthy food – an important predictor of positive health outcomes including reduced obesity and chronic disease - in many parts of the United States (Brownson, Haire-Joshu, & Luke, 2006; Ahen, Brown, & Dukas, 2011; Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014; Braveman, Egerter, & Williams, 2011). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food deserts as geographic areas in which there is limited access to grocery stores and whose populations have a high rate of poverty. In Arizona, 24% of the rural census tracts are considered food deserts; compared to an average of eight percent of rural census tracts across the nation (United States Department of Agriculture, 2013). Food deserts are one example of the upstream factors influencing the health of rural populations. Local health departments have been encouraged through the National Association for City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) and through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) to conduct community health assessments (CHAs) in order to identify unique contexts and community resources, health disparities, and the social determinants of health as well as potential areas for advocacy, policy change, environmental interventions, and health promotion interventions. Public health challenges like chronic diseases, which have multiple causes, can be explored in-depth through CHAs. CHAs often contain recommendations for action and/or are followed by community health improvement plans (CHIPs) which help local health departments prioritize resources and set measurable goals. In Florence, AZ recommendations made in a CHA are being acted upon by a non-profit agency, the Future Forward Foundation (3F). This investigation explores two interrelated issues regarding the use of CHAs and CHIPs as practical tools to set public health priorities. First, what makes a CHA useful to rural public health practitioners? What methods of conducting a CHA and subsequently analyzing the data results in actionable policy recommendations and/or environmental level interventions? Second, to what extent can public health agencies engage nontraditional partners to work in partnership to address the social determinants of health? As an example, I will look at the impact of a volunteer-based non-profit agency, located in a rural food desert on improving the social and physical nutrition environment as recommended by a local CHA. This inquiry will provide insights to public health practitioners seeking to identify and implement policy and environmental change addressing complex, multi-causal, public health issues, and provide insights regarding engaging nontraditional partners who may not self-identify as public health agencies.

Background: Policy, systems and environmental (PSE) approaches can sustainably improve opportunities for healthy eating (HE) and active transportation (AT). PSEs require cross-sector collaboration. Adopting and implementing PSEs is complex and not well understood. Methods: First, using a national probability survey dataset of US local health departments (LHD), inclusion of HE and AT PSE strategies in local community health improvement plans (CHIPs) was examined. Next, a content analysis of current CHIP documents provided data for multilevel latent class analyses to identify classes of CHIPs based on patterns of PSE-strategy alignment with six key activities that facilitate change. Lastly, semi-structured interviews informed a qualitative exploration of early stage Complete Streets policy implementation in Worcester, Massachusetts. Results: Less than half of US LHDs reported developing a CHIP containing any HE policy (32%) or AT (46%) strategies. Two classes of CHIPs were identified: CHIPs in Class A (HE: 71%; Physical Activity (PA): 79%) simply identified a PSE solution; Class B CHIPs (HE: 29%; PA 21%) mostly included PSE strategies that comprehensively addressed multiple key activities. Six themes emerged as factors for early Complete Streets implementation. Conclusions: This mixed methods study provides a novel understanding of the status, development and implementation of PSE strategies in relation to collaborative strategic health improvement planning efforts. CHIPs are underutilized to promote PSE strategies and few CHIPs in our study developed strategies that comprehensively address the process of PSE-change. Among other factors, CHIPs may provide a guiding structure for policy adoption and implementation.