Strategies

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

194 Strategies
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Soda taxes

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

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Sports-related concussion education

Educate youth and college athletes, coaches, and parents about the severity of concussions in sports, proper prevention, detection, reporting, and treatment
Evidence Rating:
Insufficient Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Statewide comprehensive tobacco programs

Coordinate state and community-level cessation and prevention interventions and provide information on the dangers of tobacco using a combination of educational, regulatory, clinical, social, and economic strategies
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

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 Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Summer learning programs

Provide academic instruction to students during the summer, often along with enrichment activities such as art or outdoor activities
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

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

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Technology enhanced classroom instruction

Incorporate technology into classroom instruction via computer-assisted instruction programs, computer-managed learning programs, use of interactive white boards, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

Text message-based health interventions

Provide reminders, education, or self-management assistance for health conditions, especially chronic diseases, via text message
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Tobacco cessation contests

Encourage participants to quit using tobacco by a set date or during a specific time period and give successful participants a chance to win financial rewards or other prizes; often called Quit & Win contests
Evidence Rating:
Insufficient Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

Tobacco cessation therapy affordability

Reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs for tobacco cessation therapies such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and cessation counseling participation
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use