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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Physical Activity.

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Strategy. Community-Wide Campaigns

Approach. Implement community-wide campaigns to increase physical activity and improve fitness among children and adults

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Overview. Many community sectors work together to implement community-wide campaigns to increase physical activity using highly visible, broad-based, multicomponent strategies (e.g., social support, risk factor screening, health education).[1,2] Campaigns may focus on physical activity alone or include other cardiovascular disease risk factors such as nutrition.

Evidence. Moderate Evidence. Strategies based on moderate evidence show a clear trend toward positive results. While these approaches are likely to be effective, further research is needed to confirm their impact. Implement with evaluation to better understand specific local effects.

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Potential Data Sources. Data to support this strategy can be accessed through:

  • Campaign planning and implementation documents
  • Website and social media analytics
  • Community partner engagement and activity reports

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Health and Health Behaviors/Behavior Change. This strategy improves individuals' physical and mental health and their adoption of healthy behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity).
  • Environmental Health. This strategy improves the impact of physical, chemical, and biological factors in the environment on health.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Community Organizing (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Community-Focused

Examples from the Field. Access descriptions of ESMs that use this strategy or aligned components.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of campaign strategies aligned with national physical activity guidelines. (Measures adherence to quality standards)
  • Number of campaign messages pre-tested with community members with practical experience. (Evaluates message development)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of campaign strategies aligned with national physical activity guidelines. (Measures adherence to quality standards)
  • Percent of campaign messages pre-tested with community members with practical experience. (Evaluates message development)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Percent increase in community awareness of physical activity benefits and opportunities following community outreach events. (Measures changes in knowledge)
  • Percent of residents reporting increased motivation to be physically active due to campaign exposure. (Assesses attitudinal change)
  • Number of additional minutes of physical activity reported by community members post-campaign. (Quantifies behavior change)
  • Number of new walking groups, sports leagues, for fitness classes established during the campaign. (Measures community-level impact)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of campaign evaluation metrics that assess impact across different demographic groups. (Measures impact)
  • Percent of campaign strategies that involve participatory approaches with community members. (Evaluates community empowerment)
  • Percent increase in physical activity levels among residents, disaggregated by demographic factors. (Directly evaluates behavior change across subgroups)
  • Percent reduction in gaps in physical activity participation between different socioeconomic groups. (Measures improvements in health outcomes)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

1 Nordbø, E. C. A., Nordh, H., Raanaas, R. K., & Aamodt, G. (2019). Promoting activity participation and well-being among children and adolescents: a systematic review of neighborhood built-environment determinants. JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports.

2 Novotny, R., Yamanaka, A. B., Butel, J., Boushey, C. J., Cruz, R. D., Aflague, T., ... & Wilkens, L. R. (2022). Maintenance Outcomes of the Children’s Healthy Living Program on Overweight, Obesity, and Acanthosis Nigricans Among Young Children in the US-Affiliated Pacific Region: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(6), e2214802-e2214802.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.