THURS-091 - Guin Fit Policy Change for Healthy Eating and Active Living in Mahoning Valley
Thursday, April 17, 2025
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Subcompetencies: 1.1.5 Recruit and/or engage priority population(s), partners, and stakeholders to participate throughout all steps in the assessment, planning, implem, 6.1.4 Identify environmental and other factors that affect communication (e.g., resources and the availability of Internet access). Research or Practice: Practice
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe the university community engagement collaboration with local coalition to invest resources in assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of program initiative.
Discuss collaborative partnerships efforts to guide and support policy behavior change programing.
Summarize how to engage the community to develop adaptable solutions, advocate for policy changes, and implement transparent communication strategies to optimize resource allocation and maximize impact.
Brief Abstract Summary: The Valley region has the highest obesity rates among Black residents, reaching 45%. The Guin Fit initiative employed a multi-faceted approach incorporating policy, systems, and environmental changes to create sustainable improvements in community health. As a result, a revised university food service policy allowed mobile markets and food pantry distribution on campus, that increased access to nutritious foods for students and staff. Created a referral network that connected residents to weight-loss programs and nutrition resources. The collaborative partnership facilitated sharing of resources and information to improve access to safe walking, exercise areas, and organized physical activity programs in public spaces. By combining these policies, systems, and environmental change approaches, the Guin Fit initiative aims to create a sustainable framework for improving health outcomes and reducing obesity rates in the Valley community.
Detailed abstract description: The Valley region has the highest obesity rates among Black residents, reaching 45%. The closure of local grocery stores has exacerbated food scarcity issues, leading to the emergence of food deserts—areas characterized by low access to nutritious food combined with high poverty levels. The Guin Fit initiative employed a multi-faceted approach incorporating policy, systems, and environmental changes to create sustainable improvements in community health. This resulted in the university administration to revise food service policies, allowing the integration of mobile markets and food pantry distribution on campus, thereby increasing access to nutritious foods for students and staff. Established partnerships with 53 government and community agencies to create a referral network that connects residents to weight-loss programs and nutrition resources. This system facilitates the sharing of resources and information among agencies. Partnered with wellness organizations to improve access to safe walking, exercise areas, and organized physical activity programs in public spaces. By combining these policy, systems, and environmental change approaches, the Guin Fit initiative aims to create a sustainable framework for improving health outcomes and reducing obesity rates in the Valley community.
