Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention

The childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, or Health in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhea...

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Main Authors: Anna-Marie Hendriks, Stef P. J. Kremers, Jessica S. Gubbels, Hein Raat, Nanne K. de Vries, Maria W. J. Jansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Journal of Obesity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/632540
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author Anna-Marie Hendriks
Stef P. J. Kremers
Jessica S. Gubbels
Hein Raat
Nanne K. de Vries
Maria W. J. Jansen
author_facet Anna-Marie Hendriks
Stef P. J. Kremers
Jessica S. Gubbels
Hein Raat
Nanne K. de Vries
Maria W. J. Jansen
author_sort Anna-Marie Hendriks
collection DOAJ
description The childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, or Health in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhealth sectors. Such intersectoral collaboration has been proved to be difficult. In this study, we investigated which resources influence intersectoral collaboration. The behavior change wheel framework was used to categorize motivation-, capability-, and opportunity-related resources for intersectoral collaboration. In-depth interviews were held with eight officials representing 10 non-health policy sectors within a local government. Results showed that health and non-health policy sectors did not share policy goals, which decreased motivation for intersectoral collaboration. Awareness of the linkage between health and nonhealth policy sectors was limited, and management was not involved in creating such awareness, which reduced the capability for intersectoral collaboration. Insufficient organizational resources and structures reduced opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. To stimulate intersectoral collaboration to prevent childhood obesity, we recommend that public health professionals should reframe health goals in the terminology of nonhealth policy sectors, that municipal department managers should increase awareness of public health in non-health policy sectors, and that flatter organizational structures should be established.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2090-0708
2090-0716
language English
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Journal of Obesity
spelling doaj-art-38c6f75f9f7b442c8f1f344d1d45d65d2025-08-20T03:55:11ZengWileyJournal of Obesity2090-07082090-07162013-01-01201310.1155/2013/632540632540Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity PreventionAnna-Marie Hendriks0Stef P. J. Kremers1Jessica S. Gubbels2Hein Raat3Nanne K. de Vries4Maria W. J. Jansen5Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health Limburg, Regional Public Health Service, P.O. Box 2022, 6160 HA, Geleen, The NetherlandsFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The NetherlandsFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The NetherlandsCaphri, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The NetherlandsAcademic Collaborative Centre for Public Health Limburg, Regional Public Health Service, P.O. Box 2022, 6160 HA, Geleen, The NetherlandsThe childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, or Health in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhealth sectors. Such intersectoral collaboration has been proved to be difficult. In this study, we investigated which resources influence intersectoral collaboration. The behavior change wheel framework was used to categorize motivation-, capability-, and opportunity-related resources for intersectoral collaboration. In-depth interviews were held with eight officials representing 10 non-health policy sectors within a local government. Results showed that health and non-health policy sectors did not share policy goals, which decreased motivation for intersectoral collaboration. Awareness of the linkage between health and nonhealth policy sectors was limited, and management was not involved in creating such awareness, which reduced the capability for intersectoral collaboration. Insufficient organizational resources and structures reduced opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. To stimulate intersectoral collaboration to prevent childhood obesity, we recommend that public health professionals should reframe health goals in the terminology of nonhealth policy sectors, that municipal department managers should increase awareness of public health in non-health policy sectors, and that flatter organizational structures should be established.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/632540
spellingShingle Anna-Marie Hendriks
Stef P. J. Kremers
Jessica S. Gubbels
Hein Raat
Nanne K. de Vries
Maria W. J. Jansen
Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
Journal of Obesity
title Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
title_full Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
title_fullStr Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
title_full_unstemmed Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
title_short Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention
title_sort towards health in all policies for childhood obesity prevention
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/632540
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