Strategies

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

178 Strategies
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Rollover protective structures (ROPS)

Attach metal bars, frames, or crush proof cabs to a tractor that provide a safety zone for an operator in the event of a rollover or overturn
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Rural training in medical education

Expand medical school training and learning experiences focused on the skills necessary to practice successfully in rural areas
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Safe Routes to Schools

Promote walking and biking to school through education, incentives, and environmental changes; often called SRTS
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Scared Straight

Organize tours of prison facilities for juvenile delinquents or youth at risk of delinquency and allow them to observe prison life and attend inmates’ presentations; also called juvenile awareness programs
Evidence Rating:
Evidence of Ineffectiveness

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

School and district level zero tolerance policies

Require school officials to apply predetermined consequences for certain infractions, regardless of situational context or circumstances; consequences are usually severe (e.g., suspension or expulsion)
Evidence Rating:
Evidence of Ineffectiveness

Community Conditions

  • Education

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

School breakfast programs

Support programs to provide students with a nutritious breakfast in the cafeteria, from grab and go carts in hallways, or in classrooms
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education
  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

School dental programs

Provide sealants, fluoride treatment, screening, and other preventive dental care on school grounds via partnerships with dental professionals
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

School fruit & vegetable gardens

Establish designated areas where students can garden with guidance, often with nutrition and food preparation lessons and opportunities for taste tasting and hands-on learning
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

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

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

School-based health centers

Provide health care services on school premises to attending elementary, middle, and high school students; physical and mental health services provided by teams of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education
  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices