Strategies

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

415 Strategies
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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

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Secondhand smoke education interventions

Use counseling, informational materials, etc. to inform smokers and non-smokers of the harms of secondhand smoke and encourage them to implement home smoking bans
Evidence Rating:
Mixed Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

Sector-based workforce initiatives

Provide industry-focused education and job training based on the needs of regional employers within specific sectors
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

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

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Service-enriched housing

Provide permanent, basic rental housing with social services available on-site or by referral, usually for families with low incomes, older adults, veterans, or people with disabilities
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Shared use agreements

Create contracts that support community access to existing public, private, or nonprofit facilities before or after business hours; also called joint use, open use, or community use agreements
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Small elementary classes

Reduce the number of students in elementary school classrooms
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Education

Smart Start North Carolina

Provide comprehensive early childhood services, including high quality educational child care, health, and family support to address local needs
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Education

Smoke-free policies for indoor areas

Implement private sector rules or public sector regulations that prohibit smoking indoors or restrict it to designated, often outdoor, areas
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Smoke-free policies for multi-unit housing

Implement private sector rules or public sector regulations that prohibit smoking in and around multi-unit housing
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies