The City of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department provides Public Health, Social, and Environmental Health services for the City of Austin and Travis County. The role of ATCHHSD is to promote community-wide wellness; prevent disease; and to protect the community from infectious diseases, environmental hazards, and epidemics. The ATCHHSD Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Unit houses the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Program (CDIPP), which works to promote health and quality of life throughout Austin and Travis County by working with communities to prevent and control disease and injury.
The City of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department has jurisdiction over the entire county of 963,073 residents and is located in central Texas. Austin/Travis County has a total area of 1,022 square miles and includes nine independent school districts, the largest of which is Austin Independent School District, which serves 82,181 students, two large hospital networks including 15 major hospitals, more than 100 faith-based groups, nine large employers, four chambers of commerce, one major university with over 50,000 students, two private universities, and two community colleges. The ATCHHSD project will serve all Austin/Travis County with a focus on increasing environmental access to disparate populations in urban and rural areas and implementing policy changes that impact a majority of residents.
Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2009 data for the Austin-Round Rock MSA indicate that:
- 62% of sampled residents are overweight or obese (BMI is 25 or greater),
- 71% are not meeting the recommended 5 servings of fruits/vegetables per day,
- 43% are not meeting recommended guidelines for moderate or vigorous physical activity.
The greatest disparities are found in the following populations*:
- Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American
- Adults age 30 and older
- Low Education
- Low Income
*Exceptions include higher risk for females of not meeting moderate/vigorous physical activity guidelines and for adults age 18-29 of not meeting recommended intake of fruits/vegetables.
The goal of the Austin/Travis County Obesity Prevention Initiative (ATCOPI) will be to develop a strategic plan and begin implementing high-priority initiatives related to the strategies outlined in the CDC’s Recommended Community Strategies And Measurements To Prevent Obesity In The United States: Implementation And Measurement Guide (July 2009). The plan will be outcome-focused and serve as the blueprint for implementing the following CDC strategies:
- Promote the availability of affordable healthy food and beverages,
- Support healthy food and beverage choices,
- Encourage physical activity/limit sedentary activity among children and youth, and
- Create safe communities that support physical activity.
In order to reach this goal, the ATCHHSD will lead the following activities:
- Develop and lead nutrition and physical activity discussions with an established Chronic Disease Prevention Coalition,
- Conduct a literature review, community needs assessment, and asset mapping process to identify at least 15 nutrition and physical activity programs/services presently available in Austin/Travis County,
- Gain community feedback/input to prioritize initiatives,
- Develop a strategic plan and begin implementation of the identified initiatives.
Additionally, the following measurement data protocols for strategy implementation will be followed:
- Identify a dedicated champion within each organization to lead activities,
- Support the coordinated school health program,
- Support the school health advisory council,
- Address potential system changes,
- Demonstrate an effective, realistic plan to integrate proposed activities into the existing network of the community,
- Demonstrate a clear focus on sustainability beyond the cycle of this contract, and
- Utilize existing community partnerships and networks to synergize community efforts.