Integrating a Health Impact Assessment into District-Wide School Travel Planning
#35 Bridging Sectors: Fostering Collaboration between Health and Transportation Professionals - Franco
1. LA County’s Approach to
Health in All Policies
LA County Dept. of Public Health
PLACE Program
Policies for Livable Active Communities and Environments
Louisa Franco, MPH
Policy Analyst
lfranco@ph.lacounty.gov
September 2012
2. LA County Strategic Goals
County: Create a physical
environment that is conducive to
good health by encouraging and
enabling residents to make
healthy choices
DPH: Address elements of the
physical environment to improve
population health and reduce
disparities.
PLACE: Foster policy change that
supports the development of
healthy, active environments
3. Cities/Communities with Lowest and Highest
Childhood Obesity Prevalence, 2008
Top 10* Bottom 10*
Rank of Rank of
Obesity Obesity
Economic Economic
City/Community Name Prevalence City/Community Name Prevalence
Hardship Hardship
(%) (%)
(1 - 128) (1 - 128)
Manhattan Beach 3.4 2 West Athens 30.6 94
Calabasas 5.0 8 South Gate 30.7 110
Hermosa Beach 5.1 1 Florence-Graham 31.0 128
Agoura Hills 5.3 10 West Whittier-Los Nietos 31.1 81
Beverly Hills 5.4 19 West Carson 31.4 56
Malibu 5.9 4 Vincent 32.2 69
Palos Verdes Estates 7.3 5 East Los Angeles 32.9 117
San Marino 7.8 15 Hawaiian Gardens 33.4 107
Rolling Hills Estate 8.4 9 South El Monte 34.5 111
La Canada Flintridge 8.5 18 Walnut Park 38.7 113
Average 10 lowest 6.2% Average 10 highest 32.7%
Ave Median Household Income $99,555 Ave Median Household Income $37,747
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*Table excludes cities/communities where number of students with BMI data < 500. 3
Source: California Physical Fitness Testing Program, California Department of Education. Includes
5th, 7th, and 9th graders enrolled in LA County public schools; 2000 Census
4. Foster Change in
Cities & Communities
1. Comment on city,
county and
regional plans
2. Fund cities and
nonprofits
3. Partner with cities
The Whittier Greenway Trail
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5. 1. Comment on City, County
and Regional Plans
• County’s General Plan
• Southern California Association of
Government (SCAG) Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP)
– Dept. of Public Health estimated cost to build
bikeable, walkable communities in SCAG
region: $37 Billion to $59 Billion
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6. 2. Fund Cities and Nonprofits to
Create Healthy Environments
• County funds
• Federal grant funds
– First CDC grant $16 million (2 years)
– Second CDC grant $10 million (5 years)
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7. What Have We Funded?
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
• Health Element of a General Plan
• Complete Streets Policies
• Joint-Use Policies
• Healthy Vending, Corner Store
Conversions
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8. Upcoming HEAL Grants
• Funded by Community Transformation
Grant
―Part of the Affordable Care Act
• Fund up to 8 agencies to develop HEAL
strategies
―Active Transportation Plans
―Open Streets Events
• $125K per year for approx. 4 years
• Grantees announced in late 2012
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9. Additional Active Living
Strategies Funded by CTG
• Promote increased transportation funding
for pedestrian and bike infrastructure
• Adopt and implement a health and
wellness element in LA City General Plan
and enact health-enabling ordinances
• Expand the Parks After Dark Program
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11. Childhood Obesity Prevalence in Los Angeles
County Cities (2008)
10 Lowest* 10 HPI Cities*
Obesity Obesity
City Prevalence City Prevalence
(%) (%)
Manhattan Beach 3.4 Palmdale 23.1
Calabasas 5.0 Inglewood 26.8
Agoura Hills 5.3 Gardena 27.3
Beverly Hills 5.4 San Fernando 27.4
Palos Verdes Estates 7.3 Lynwood 27.7
Rolling Hills Estates 8.4 La Puente 27.8
Arcadia 10.1 Pomona 28.6
South Pasadena 10.2 Compton 29.0
Glendora 10.9 Huntington Park 30.3
El Segundo 11.4 South Gate 30.7
Average 10 lowest 7.7% Average 27.9%
*Table excludes cities/communities where number of students with BMI data < 500. 11
Source: California Physical Fitness Testing Program, California Department of Education. Includes 5th, 7th, and 9th
graders enrolled in LA County public schools.
12. Healthy Policies Initiative
• 10 cities with high childhood obesity
rates – outreach and presentations
• 4 of these cities – free technical
assistance for policy change efforts
• PLACE staff working with City staff (and
electeds) to offer assistance to make
one policy change
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16. Focus Bike and Ped Efforts in
High Need Communities
• Low-income communities with high rates
of childhood obesity need the most help
• Crime and violence (real or perceived)
• Cities have limited resources
– Matching funds
– Grant writers
• Bike and pedestrian issues are not a top
priority for residents
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