Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

113 Strategies
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School nutrition standards

Regulate the quality of food that can be sold to students through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), à la carte options, vending machines, etc.

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Diet and Exercise

School-based physical education enhancements

Expand or enhance school-based physical education (PE) by lengthening existing classes, increasing physical activity during class, adding new PE classes, etc.

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Diet and Exercise

Screen time interventions for children

Encourage children to spend time away from TV and other stationary screen media, often as part of a multi-faceted effort to increase physical activity and improve nutrition

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Diet and Exercise

Seller & server minimum age

Require a minimum age for sellers in off-premise locations that sell alcohol and servers and bartenders in on-premise locations

Evidence Rating:
Insufficient Evidence
  • Alcohol and Drug Use

Social host laws

Adopt laws that hold private property owners who provide alcohol to minors or obviously intoxicated individuals on their property liable if someone is killed or injured as a result

Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion
  • Alcohol and Drug Use

Soda taxes

Increase the price of sugar sweetened beverages (e.g., soda) by adding an excise or sales tax

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Diet and Exercise

Strong graduated driver licensing laws

Strengthen laws that allow young drivers to gain driving experience in stages; often includes passenger and nighttime driving limitations and higher minimum ages for learner’s permits, intermediate, and full licenses

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Community Safety

Syringe services programs

Provide sterile injection equipment and often other treatment and referral services to people who inject drugs; also called needle or syringe exchange programs and needle syringe programs

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Alcohol and Drug Use

Traffic calming

Modify the built environment to affect traffic speed and patterns via speed humps, pedestrian center crossing islands, roundabouts, etc.

Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported
  • Housing and Transit
  • Community Safety