Community Engagement to Prevent Obesity
Residents Engaged to Prevent Obesity
Engage at least 160 county residents to use nutrition and Policy, Systems and Environmental strategies to encourage community behavior change in preventing obesity by September 30, 2019.
Neighborhoods Engaged to Prevent Obesity
At least eight neighborhoods/communities will have implemented at least one Policy, Systems and Environmental strategy by September 30, 2019.
Why is this important?
A lifestyle without much physical activity and being overweight are among the main risk factors for many health problems and early death. In San Bernardino County, two out of three adults are considered overweight or obese, according to a statewide survey¹.
Communities of Excellence (CX³) is a community-driven project in which residents address nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention to make a positive change in their neighborhood. We currently use local data to assess neighborhood strengths and gaps in regards to food choices (retail, fast food and options in walking distance). Resident involvement from each targeted neighborhood is the key to success.
Current target neighborhoods include Adelanto, Pinon Hills, Apple Valley, Victorville, Hesperia, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Ontario and Muscoy.
We engage and empower members in monthly forums on various health topics. We welcome residents, community leaders, partners and anyone who plays a role in support of positive change to attend our forums. Forums began in early November 2017.
What are we working on?
Our goal is to engage at least 160 residents throughout San Bernardino County using nutrition and physical activity policy, systems and environmental (PSE) strategies to influence community change towards obesity prevention by September 30, 2019.
A PSE change is a way of modifying the surrounding communities to make healthy choices practical and available to all community members. PSE change approaches seek to go beyond programming and into the systems that create the structure in which people eat, live, learn, work, play, shop and worship. Currently, seven of nine CX³ Neighborhoods are adopting PSEs in the following areas:
- Incorporating safety beacons in busy intersections to improve visibility to motorists approaching pedestrian crosswalks.
- Working with local grocery stores to lower prices of fruits or vegetables to increase access to healthy foods.
- Creating community gardens in food desert neighborhoods to improve access to fresh produce.
- Planting community fruit trees (Fallen Tree) to increase access to fresh and free fruits to all community residents.
- Establishing ongoing community-based physical activity and walking clubs to increase physical activity among community residents that lack access and space to exercise.
How are we doing?
We track how engaged participants are in each community. Community members must participate in meetings or community events to be considered engaged in CX³. Engagement is defined as attending, on average, four meetings a year or one meeting per quarter. Engagement count may fluctuate quarter to quarter due to losing participants. Engaged neighborhoods are those that have adopted at least one PSE.
Want more information?
For more information, please visit the DPH Nutrition Site.
Communities of Excellence Neighborhoods Monthly Meeting details:
Victorville
When: second Thursday of the month
When: second Thursday of the month
Time: 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church
(16138 Molino Dr., Victorville, CA 92395)
Contact: CJ Page (760) 241-9900
Adelanto
When: last Friday of the month
When: last Friday of the month
Time: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Adelanto Senior Community Center
(11565 Cortez Ave., Adelanto CA 92301)
Contact: Wendy Dubon (760)-946-8802
Hesperia
When: third Friday of the month
Time: 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Location: Lime Street Park (North Building)
(16292 Lime St., Hesperia CA 92345)
Contact: Michelle Torres (760) 946-8802
When: third Friday of the month
Time: 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Location: Lime Street Park (North Building)
(16292 Lime St., Hesperia CA 92345)
Contact: Michelle Torres (760) 946-8802
Pinon Hills
When: third Tuesday of the month
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Pinon Hills Chamber of Commerce
(10405 Mountain Rd., Pinon Hills, CA 92372)
When: third Tuesday of the month
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Pinon Hills Chamber of Commerce
(10405 Mountain Rd., Pinon Hills, CA 92372)
Apple Valley (To Be Determined)
Contact: Diana Amaya (760) 946-8802
Contact: Diana Amaya (760) 946-8802
Ontario
When: first Wednesday of the month
Time: 11 a.m. - noon
Location: Anthony Muñoz Community Center
(1240 W. 4th St., Ontario, CA 91762)
Contact: Jacqueline Guadiana (909) 388-5681
When: first Wednesday of the month
Time: 11 a.m. - noon
Location: Anthony Muñoz Community Center
(1240 W. 4th St., Ontario, CA 91762)
Contact: Jacqueline Guadiana (909) 388-5681
Muscoy
When: second Wednesday of the month
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Zion Elect New Generation Ministry
(2972 California St., San Bernardino, CA 92407)
Contact: Sonia Vega (909) 388-5653
When: second Wednesday of the month
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Zion Elect New Generation Ministry
(2972 California St., San Bernardino, CA 92407)
Contact: Sonia Vega (909) 388-5653
Joshua Tree
When: fourth Wednesday of the month
Time: 3 - 4 p.m.
Location: Joshua Tree Parks and Recreatio
(6171 Sunburst St., Joshua Tree, CA 92252)
Contact: Kendra Griffin (760) 365-7130
When: fourth Wednesday of the month
Time: 3 - 4 p.m.
Location: Joshua Tree Parks and Recreatio
(6171 Sunburst St., Joshua Tree, CA 92252)
Contact: Kendra Griffin (760) 365-7130
Twentynine Palms
When: fourth Tuesday of the month
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Location: Chamber of Commerce
(73484 Twentynine Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277)
Contact: Isabel De La Cruz (760) 365-7130
When: fourth Tuesday of the month
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Location: Chamber of Commerce
(73484 Twentynine Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277)
Contact: Isabel De La Cruz (760) 365-7130
References
¹ UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey.
Last Update: 08/30/2019