COMMENTARY: How WIC Can Help Enhance Water Security for At-Risk Populations

A new commentary highlights the importance of partnering with organizations with established relationships with families who are vulnerable to unsafe drinking water, like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program regularly serves pregnant people and infants, individuals who are most … Continue reading “COMMENTARY: How WIC Can Help Enhance Water Security for At-Risk Populations”

STUDY: Lead Concentrations in US School Drinking Water: Testing Programs, Prevalence, and Policy Opportunities, 2016–2018

A study from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health conducted in conjunction with researchers from the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California details lead concentrations in baseline drinking water samples as well as features of US state-level programs and policies to test school drinking water for lead in seven US … Continue reading “STUDY: Lead Concentrations in US School Drinking Water: Testing Programs, Prevalence, and Policy Opportunities, 2016–2018”

STUDY: A Nationwide Evaluation of State Implementation Strategies in Childcare

A new mixed-methods study evaluates implementation strategies for state-level childcare licensing regulations focused on healthy eating, physical activity, or screen time to assess their potential for improving young children’s health. Abstract Policies requiring childcare settings to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and limited screentime have the potential to improve young children’s health. However, policies may … Continue reading “STUDY: A Nationwide Evaluation of State Implementation Strategies in Childcare”

Safe Home Drinking Water: A Series of Six Case Study Briefs

This series highlights state and local strategies in the US for equitable home drinking water access and quality for families with children 0-5 years old with low income. Water security means having stable access to available, acceptable, and safe drinking water, and it is key to supporting good nutrition and health. Families with low income, … Continue reading “Safe Home Drinking Water: A Series of Six Case Study Briefs”

STUDY: Evaluation of efforts to reduce sodium & ensure access to healthier beverages in four healthcare settings in Massachusetts

A new study describes the evaluation process and outcomes of intervention strategies to reduce sodium in foods and sugar in beverages as part of a collaborative partnership between state public health, academic, community, and healthcare partners in Massachusetts, US. Lower sodium diets and lower levels of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption are linked to better health outcomes. However, … Continue reading “STUDY: Evaluation of efforts to reduce sodium & ensure access to healthier beverages in four healthcare settings in Massachusetts”

COMMENTARY: Drinking Water & SNAP: Current Policy & Opportunities for Improvement

A new commentary focuses on water insecurity in communities where residents live with persistent problems such as lead in the water system or unreliable water treatment. Water security refers to having stable access to available, acceptable, and safe drinking water, which is key for supporting good nutrition. One way to address water insecurity for families … Continue reading “COMMENTARY: Drinking Water & SNAP: Current Policy & Opportunities for Improvement”

STUDY: Review & Content Analysis of State and Local Healthy Kids’ Meal Laws in the U.S.

A new study aimed to develop a research instrument to evaluate healthy kids’ meal laws and assess their alignment with expert and industry nutritional standards. Among kids, fast food consumption is associated with excess weight gain and poorer diet quality due to unhealthy items on kids’ menus. To improve the nutritional quality of fast food … Continue reading “STUDY: Review & Content Analysis of State and Local Healthy Kids’ Meal Laws in the U.S.”

STUDY: The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Worsened Risk Factors for Development & Progression of Childhood Obesity

A new study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the risk factors for the development and progression of childhood obesity. An international team of researchers has found that the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the risk factors for the development and progression of childhood obesity. As societies build back from … Continue reading “STUDY: The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Worsened Risk Factors for Development & Progression of Childhood Obesity”

STUDY: Drinking Water in the United States: Implications of Water Safety, Access, & Consumption

A new study from researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Stanford Medicine Division of General Pediatrics, University of California Nutrition Policy Institute, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was published today in the Annual Review of Nutrition. Plain water is recommended to replace sugar-sweetened beverages to support health yet concerns about … Continue reading “STUDY: Drinking Water in the United States: Implications of Water Safety, Access, & Consumption”

Scientific Advisory & Policy Statement on Built Environment & Active Transportation from AHA

A new Scientific Advisory and Policy Statement on the built environment and active transportation from the American Heart Association was published today in Circulation. Dr. Angie Cradock of the Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health contributed specifically to “Creating Built Environments That Expand Active Transportation … Continue reading “Scientific Advisory & Policy Statement on Built Environment & Active Transportation from AHA”