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 Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults
Goal: The goal of this program is to improve colorectal cancer screening rates among older adults.
Impact: Participants in the intervention group had significantly higher colorectal cancer screening attendance, as well as having more positive attitudes about screening and placing a higher priority on screening.
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Economic Climate
Goal: The purpose of California Main Street is to educate and provide assistance to California communities about how they can revitalize their downtowns or core commercial districts using the self-help Main Street Four-Point Approach. Through this education on how traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts can become and remain vital economic, social, and cultural centers, the community's development leads to livable and sustainable practices that ultimately improve its quality of life.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The Community Market Farms program transforms vacant land into market farms and public spaces in order to grow and distribute organic affordable food with and for the community.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader (MOB/VLL) program is designed to reduce the fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and improve the activity levels among community-dwelling older adults. The goal of the program is to use volunteer lay leaders as facilitators, in order to make the program affordable to offer in the community setting.
Impact: When following up one year after the program, participants reported significant gains in fall management and there was a trend to increased exercise level as well. In addition, participants sustained a reduction in monthly falls.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: To decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Boston public schools.
Impact: Data from Boston youth indicated that policy changes restricting the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools can cause significant reductions in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and are promising strategies to reduce adolescents’ intake of unnecessary calories.
CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Maintaining Limits on Days of Sale (USA)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Adults
Impact: In order to prevent excessive alcoholism and related harms, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends supporting existing limits on days in which alcoholic beverages may be sold.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: SFUSD aimed to provide students with healthy and appealing food choices and to diminish the dependence of schools and school-related organizations on selling unhealthy foods.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens
Goal: To reduce the number of older adolescents who progress to established smoking.
Impact: The television component of the Massachusetts antismoking media campaign may have reduced the rate of progression to established smoking among young adolescents.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: The goal of this project was to provide a safe fresh-water supply in an efficient manner.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: OCWD's goals in 2001 were to reduce energy load, save money and preserve/extend equipment life. Its projects targeted power use in buildings' electrical/lighting systems; chemical and energy management issues concerning the plant treatment process and HVAC systems; and energy use by employees and ultimately customers.