CBS-HEAL Publications

Healthy eating

Nutrition Standards for Food Service Guidelines for Foods Served or Sold in Municipal Government Buildings or Worksites, 2014

• 3% of U.S. municipalities reported having nutrition standards.
• Prevalence was higher in municipalities with larger populations:
  • 13% for those with 50,000 residents or more.
  • 2% for those with fewer than 2,500 residents.

Community-Based Policies and Support for Free Drinking Water Access in Outdoor Areas and Building Standards in U.S. Municipalities

• More than half (56%) of local governments had a community plan to include free drinking water in outdoor areas.
• Municipalities in the Northeast and South were less likely to have a plan.
• Municipalities with fewer non-Hispanic White residents (50% or less) were less likely to have a plan.
• Municipalities with larger populations were more likely to have a plan.

Local Government Retail Incentives for Healthier Food Retailers in the United States, 2014

• About two-thirds (67%) of municipalities reported incentives to support farmers' markets.
• Common incentives included:
  • Tax credits for supermarkets.
  • Permission for farmers' markets to sell products on city property.
  • Links to revitalization projects for smaller stores.
• Municipalities with larger populations were more likely to use incentives.

Associations Between Food Policy Councils and Policies That Support Healthy Food Access: A National Survey of Community Policy Supports

• 8% of municipalities reported having a local or regional food policy council.
• Food policy councils were more common in:
  • Municipalities with 50,000 or more residents.
  • Municipalities in the West.

Prevalence of Municipal-Level Policies Dedicated to Transportation That Consider Food Access

• About one-third (34%) of municipalities reported no public transit.
• Public transit and demand-responsive transit were less common in:
  • Municipalities with fewer than 2,500 residents.
  • Municipalities in the South.

Active living

Shared Use Agreements Between Municipalities and Public Schools in the United States, 2014

• About 4 in 10 municipal officials reported a shared use agreement.
• Municipalities with fewer than 2,500 residents were less likely to have a shared use agreement.

Prevalence of Complete Streets Policies in U.S. Municipalities

• 25% of municipalities had a Complete Streets policy.
• Prevalence was lower in:
  • Municipalities with fewer than 2,500 residents.
  • Municipalities with a lower median education level.
  • Municipalities located in the South.

Prevalence of Master Plans Supportive of Active Living in U.S. Municipalities

• 89% of municipalities reported having a master plan supportive of active living.
• Nearly half of municipalities had a transportation plan (46%) or a bicycle or pedestrian plan (48%).
• Prevalence of a master plan was lower in rural municipalities.

Supporting Active Living Through Community Plans: The Association of Planning Documents With Design Standards and Features

• Prevalence of activity-friendly design standards in community plans ranged from 19% for dedicated right-of-way for bicycles to 50% for traffic-calming in places with high pedestrian and bicycle volume.
• Features required in development policies ranged from 14% for short or medium block sizes to 44% for minimum sidewalk widths of 5 feet.

Public Health Representation on Active Transportation Bodies Across U.S. Municipalities

• About 9 in 10 U.S. municipalities have a planning or zoning commission.
• Only 1 in 6 municipalities has an active transportation advisory committee.
• Public health representation on active transportation bodies across U.S. municipalities is low.
• Active transportation bodies are less common in:
  • Municipalities with fewer than 2,500 residents.
  • Municipalities with a lower median education level.
  • Rural municipalities.
  • Municipalities in the South.

Differences in Park Plans and Policies Across U.S. Municipalities

• About 7 in 10 municipalities with at least 1,000 residents reported having a parks and recreation plan.
• Prevalence of a parks and recreation plan and of park or outdoor recreation policies was lower in smaller communities.

Methods: 2012 pilot

Development and Implementation of a Local Government Survey to Measure Community Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living

CDC developed a 38-item, web-based, self-administered survey and sampling frame. The frame helped assess the prevalence of 22 types of healthy eating and active living policies in a representative sample of local governments.

A majority of respondents reported that the survey required minimal effort to complete. Half said they took the survey in less than 20 minutes.