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.
CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Environmental and Policy Approaches to Increase Physical Activity: Community-Scale Urban Design Land Use Policies (USA)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Design and land use policies that encourage physical activity in urban areas can help increase overall physical activity in bikers and walkers.
CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Promoting Health Equity, Education Programs and Policies: Full-Day Kindergarten (USA)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
Children in low-income families often experience delays in language and other development by the age of three. Compensating for these delays before children begin regular schooling can be critical to providing them with equal opportunities for lifelong employment, income, and health.
Outcomes included self-confidence, ability to work or play with others, independence, and school attendance by the end of kindergarten or the beginning of first grade.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
The goal of this study was to reduce pediatric asthma-related symptoms by installing central heating in homes.
Central heating successfully improves home heating, dampness, and energy efficiency. Through home modifications, asthma-related symptoms (nocturnal cough and days lost from school) can be reduced among children.
Medicaid Savings Resulted When Community Health Workers Matched Those With Needs To Home And Community Care (Arkansas)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Economy / Government Assistance, Older Adults
The goal of this program is to reduce costs by using specially trained community health workers to help connect people with unmet long-term needs and/or those at risk of entering nursing homes to Medicaid home and community-based services.
Similar interventions may help other localities achieve cost-saving and equitable access to publicly funded long-term care options other than institutional care.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Weight Status
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends meal interventions and fruit and vegetable snack interventions to increase the availability of healthier foods and beverages provided by schools. This finding is based on evidence that they increase fruit and vegetable consumption and reduce or maintain the rate of obesity or overweight. Economic evidence shows that meal interventions and fruit and vegetable snack interventions are cost-effective.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Weight Status
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends multicomponent interventions to increase availability of healthier foods and beverages in schools. This finding is based on evidence that they reduce or maintain the rate of obesity or overweight.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Nutrition & Healthy Eating
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends multicomponent interventions to increase availability of healthier foods and beverages in schools. This finding is based on evidence that they reduce or maintain the rate of obesity or overweight.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Teens, Urban
The goal of Students for Nutrition and Exercise is to encourage healthy eating and daily physical activity in middle school students.
The SNaX program shows that programs which train peer advocates to encourage healthy eating and daily physical activity in students can serve to benefit those trained as peer advocates after the intervention.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends client reminder and recall interventions to increase vaccination rates in children, adolescents, and adults.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends provider assessment and feedback programs when used alone or when combined with additional interventions to increase vaccination rates among people of all ages from different populations or settings.