Strategies

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

11 Strategies
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Carpool & rideshare programs

Help participants share transportation via informal arrangements between individuals, formally arranged ridesharing programs, or other ride-matching services
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Air, water and land
  • Housing and transportation
  • Climate

Healthy home environment assessments

Train volunteers, professionals, or paraprofessionals to help residents assess and reduce environmental home health risks and recommend low cost changes (e.g., improved ventilation, integrated pest management, etc.)
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Household lead control education interventions

Inform parents and caregivers about lead exposure pathways from contaminated dust, soil, water, and air as well as the irreversible health consequences of lead exposure
Evidence Rating:
Evidence of Ineffectiveness

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Air, water and land

Housing rehabilitation loan & grant programs

Provide funding, primarily to families with low or middle incomes, to repair, improve, or modernize dwellings and remove health or safety hazards
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Individual incentives for public transportation

Offer incentives such as free or discounted bus, rail, or transit passes, reimbursements, partial payments, or pre-tax payroll deductions to encourage individuals’ use of existing public transit
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Climate

Integrated pest management for indoor use

Support a four-tiered approach to indoor pest control that minimizes potential hazards to people, property, and the environment
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Lead paint abatement programs

Eliminate lead-based paint and contaminated dust by removing or encapsulating lead paint, or removing lead painted fixtures and surfaces
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Air, water and land

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Public transportation systems

Introduce or expand transportation options that are available to the public and run on a scheduled timetable (e.g., buses, trains, ferries, rapid transit, etc.)
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Civic and community resources
  • Climate

Societal Rules

  • Budgets
  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Radon mitigation programs

Prevent radon from entering occupied buildings and reduce existing indoor air radon levels via soil depressurization, home or room pressurization, heat recovery ventilation, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Rural transportation services

Establish transportation services for areas with low population densities using publicly funded buses and vans on a set schedule, dial-a-ride transit, volunteer ridesharing, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth
  • Clinical care
  • Housing and transportation
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Budgets
  • Worldviews, culture and norms