The Community Guide

A vital part of the mission of public health in America is to prevent disease, injury, and disability. In fact, many people use the word prevention as a synonym for public health. What do local boards of health need to know about prevention and how can they keep up to date on the most effective policies and programs for preventing diseases, injuries, or disabilities?

Important New Information Available:

From Research to Policy: Lessons from a Community Guide Review on Alcohol-impaired Driving Laws

Laws to reduce the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of drivers save lives. A new case study examines translating this evidence into policy. The case study, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Guide to Community Preventive Services, examines the translation into policy of evidence on the effectiveness of laws to reduce the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of drivers. Published as part of a series of case studies in the June issue of the Annals of Epidemiology, this case study describes the Community Guide’s scientific processes and collaborative efforts that contributed to the passage of legislation that led to all 50 states adopting 0.08% BAC laws. It is estimated that these laws save 500 lives in the United States each year.

Lessons from the case study highlight the value for translating evidence into policy of:

Clearly outlining the relationships between health problems, interventions and outcomes
Systematically assessing and synthesizing the evidence
Using a credible group and rigorous process to assess the evidence
Having an impartial body make specific policy recommendations on the basis of the evidence
Being ready to capitalize on briefly opening policy windows
Undertaking personalized, targeted, and compelling dissemination of the evidence and recommendations
Engaging key partners and stakeholders throughout the production and dissemination of the evidence and recommendations
Involving multiple stakeholders in encouraging uptake and adherence of policy recommendations
Addressing sustainability

The Community Guide is actively applying these lessons to enhance dissemination and translation into action of evidence on the effectiveness of policy interventions in other topic areas. These lessons also may benefit others aiming to bridge gaps between evidence and policy or working to promote health in their communities.

Mercer SL, Sleet DA, Elder RA, Cole KH, Shults RA, Nichols JL. Translating evidence into policy: lessons learned from the case of lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers. Annals of Epidemiology 2010;20(6):412-20.

Visit Reducing Alcohol-impaired Driving: 0.08% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Laws to read more about this recommendation and related findings. You can learn more about other Community Guide systematic reviews, including additional reviews specific to motor vehicle-related injury prevention by visiting Community Guide topics.

Visit www.thecommunityguide.org to learn more about this recommendation, systematic reviews, and the Guide to Community Preventive Services.

You can receive automatic emails when additions are made to the Community Guide by clicking on “Get email Updates” in the right margin of the Community Guide home page.

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Updated Community Guide Website

is a Valuable No-cost Resource

The Guide to Community Preventive Services redesigned its website to better meet the needs of those who want to know what works to promote public health and safety in their communities. As an official Liaison organization to the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, NALBOH is pleased to let you know that the new website makes it easy to find the evidence-based recommendations and findings made by the Task Force on more than 210 interventions, including those to:

Promote health in the workplace
Prevent cancer and increase screening
Increase physical activity
Prevent and control obesity
Prevent and reduce tobacco use
Reduce injuries from motor vehicle crashes
Reduce excessive alcohol use
Prevent and control diabetes
Mental health
Improve oral health

The Task Force is an independent, non-governmental, volunteer body of public health and prevention experts that makes findings and recommendations based on systematic reviews of scientific literature conducted by an interdisciplinary team of partners, including Liaisons, led by Community Guide or other CDC scientists. The Community Guide website provides one-stop shopping for Task Force recommendations and findings for use by: policymakers, practitioners, educators, and public health decision makers in state and local health departments, healthcare systems, schools, work sites, funding organizations, and communities.

Information on the Community Guide website, which is free to everyone, can be used to help:

Develop public policy
Plan programs and services
Allocate resources
Plan research projects
Educate health professionals

NALBOH encourages you to visit www.thecommunityguide.org to learn about this valuable resource.

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NALBOH Community Health Pages

Community Health Status Indicators

Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

Tobacco Use Prevention and Control

Tobacco Resource & Publications

Oral Health

For questions or more information about The Community Guide, please contact NALBOH

Page updated 8/17/2010.