Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The program's goal is to help overweight children aged 5-12 years and their families adopt healthier eating habits and increase physical activity.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) aims to fight the growing childhood obesity epidemic in California and to develop state policy changes that will reduce the risk factors for diabetes and obesity.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of the HEAL initiative is empower communities to make changes in their physical and social environment to improve nutrition and physical activity.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Children, Families
Goal: The goals of HFNY are to promote positive parent-child interaction; to ensure optimal pre-natal care; to promote healthy childhood growth and development; and to enhance family functioning.
Impact: Mothers participating in the HFNY study were significantly less likely to deliver low-birth-weight babies than mothers in the control group (3.3% vs 8.3%). HFNY parents also reported having engaged in significantly fewer acts of serious abuse and neglect.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Adults
Goal: The goal of Healthy Food Environments is to increase availability, visibility, and affordability of healthy foods and beverages for employees, volunteers, and visitors on hospital campuses.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health, Children, Teens, Families
Goal: The program aims to provide comprehensive, family-centered health care for adolescent parents and their children.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Women, Families
Goal: Healthy Habits was designed to enhance the capacity of local WIC programs and partner agencies to promote healthy lifestyles in families with young children.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The program aims to reduce childhood obesity by using a three-stage approach to identifying root causes of the issue, developing and implementing behavioral strategies for weight management, and involving both the children and their families in adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: Healthy Howard opens doors for individuals, groups and communities to improve their health and wellness.
Impact: Healthy Howard provides resources to schools, restaurants, workplaces, and childcare centers to help them improve the health and choices of their students, employees, or clients.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: The mission of Healthy Kids Express Dental is to improve oral healthcare in children through education on the importance of regular brushing, flossing, and using fluoride as well as through restorative treatments when necessary.
Impact: During the 2014-2015 school year, children pre-Kindergarten through 7th grade saw their average score on a dental knowledge test rise from 64.7% on the pretest to 72.1% on the posttest.