Several specific population interventions that achieved a Class I or IIa recommendation with grade A or B evidence were identified , providing a set of specific evidence -based strategies that deserve close attention and prioritization for wider implementation .
Effective interventions included specific approaches in all 6 domains evaluated for improving diet , increasing activity , and reducing tobacco use .
The writing group also identified several specific interventions in each of these domains for which current evidence was less robust , as well as other inconsistencies and evidence gaps , informing the need for further rigorous and interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate population programs and policies .
This systematic review identified and grade d the evidence for a range of population -based strategies to promote lifestyle change .
BACKGROUND Poor lifestyle behaviors , including suboptimal diet , physical inactivity , and tobacco use , are leading causes of preventable diseases globally .
Although even modest population shifts in risk substantially alter health outcomes , the optimal population -level approaches to improve lifestyle are not well established .
A Study of the Importance of Education and Cost Incentives on Individual Food Choices at the Harvard School of Public Health Cafeteria
Objectives : To investigate the importance of cost and awareness of health- or disease-promoting properties of foods and meals for choices by customers of a cafeteria . Design : A non-r and omized intervention study . Setting : A medium size cafeteria in the Harvard School of Public Health . Participants : Customers of the cafeteria mainly consisting of public health students , faculty , and school staff and workers from the medical campus . Intervention : The purchase of healthy foods and dishes was subsidized and their prices reduced by 20 % . This promotion was accompanied by the distribution of educational material . Main Outcome Measures : Change in consumption of healthy and less healthy foods . Analysis : The geometric mean was used to calculate the change in consumption . Results : During the intervention , we observed a 6 % increase in the consumption of healthy foods ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] ; 5 % to 8 % ) , and a 2 % decline in the consumption of less-healthy foods ( 95 % CI ; −1 % to −4 % ) . After the prices returned to their original levels , the consumption of healthy foods increased further to 17 % ( 95 % CI ; 13 % to 20 % ) and a 2 % decline in the consumption of less-healthy foods ( 95 % CI ; % 1 to −5 % ) persisted . Conclusions : Subsidizing healthful meals and educating consumers about the importance of a healthy diet can result in a modest increase in the selection of healthy foods and meals that can be maintained beyond the periods of subsidy and promotion
Several specific population interventions that achieved a Class I or IIa recommendation with grade A or B evidence were identified , providing a set of specific evidence -based strategies that deserve close attention and prioritization for wider implementation .
Effective interventions included specific approaches in all 6 domains evaluated for improving diet , increasing activity , and reducing tobacco use .
The writing group also identified several specific interventions in each of these domains for which current evidence was less robust , as well as other inconsistencies and evidence gaps , informing the need for further rigorous and interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate population programs and policies .
This systematic review identified and grade d the evidence for a range of population -based strategies to promote lifestyle change .
BACKGROUND Poor lifestyle behaviors , including suboptimal diet , physical inactivity , and tobacco use , are leading causes of preventable diseases globally .
Although even modest population shifts in risk substantially alter health outcomes , the optimal population -level approaches to improve lifestyle are not well established .