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 / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of ATLAS is to reduce anabolic steroid, alcohol, and other illicit drug use by adolescent male athletes.
Impact: Student participants of ATLAS had significantly lower intent to use anabolic steroids at both the end of the athletic season and at the 1-year follow-up. Students in the intervention also significantly reduced illicit drug use and were significantly less likely to report drinking and driving.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Prevention & Safety, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of Baby, Be Safe is to increase the use of child injury prevention measures.
Impact: Participants who received tailored educational materials reported greater adoption of home and car safety behaviors than those receiving generic information. This study offers promising findings to help prevent injuries to young children.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: BabyFirst Solano aims to increase the number of women entering early, adequate prenatal care and improve birth outcomes for high-risk populations.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Community & Business Resources, Adults
Goal: The goal of the Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown program is to raise awareness and sales of locally grown farm products.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children
Goal: The Be a Star program was developed to help preadolescents gain the knowledge and skills necessary to resist drugs.
Impact: During the third year of the evaluation, very strong differences emerged between intervention and control groups. The treatment groups scored significantly higher on the scales rating family bonding, pro-social behavior, self-concept, self-control, decision-making, emotional awareness, assertiveness, cooperation, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, self-efficacy, attitudes toward African-American culture, and school bonding.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Family Planning, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goals of this intervention include: increasing information and skills to make sound choices, increasing abstinence, and eliminating or reducing sex risk behaviors.
Impact: Among teens who participated, there was a decrease in sexual activity compared to those who did not participate in the program. Also among participants, there was an increase in sexual intercourse occasions that were condom-protected.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Bob Janes Triage Center and Low Demand Shelter is to reduce the number of individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders who are arrested and sent to the County jail for minor offenses.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: BodyLove is a program of Media for Health, which develops, produces and evaluates entertaining programs that promote healthier living.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Children
Goal: The goal of the Breathmobile® program is to help children control their asthma by providing accessible care at local school sites.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of the Cancer SOS provider education program is to increase cancer screening in primary care settings serving disadvantaged populations.