Health policy that addresses a population’s health risk or disparity

Select one health policy that addresses a population’s health risk or disparity. Policies may be considered at the unit, organizational, community, local, or state level.

Determine the purpose and intended impact of the policy. Assess the congruence of the policy with current national population health goals and objectives (such as the Healthy People initiative or another national initiative). Consider recommendations to further address the health risk or disparity based on your analysis.

Include the following sections:

Application of Course Knowledge: Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail.
Describe one health policy related to an identified health risk or disparity. 
Summarize the intended impact of the policy on the risk or disparity. 
Examine the policy within the context of a national population health initiative and determine the degree to which the policy is congruent with that national population health goal and/or objective.  
Propose one strategy to address the health risk or disparity.  

 

 

making them more expensive. By increasing the price, the policy aims to shift consumer behavior toward healthier, untaxed alternatives like water, milk, or unsweetened beverages, thus reducing caloric intake from sugar and mitigating the risk of weight gain and obesity.

Fund Health Initiatives: By earmarking the revenue, the policy intends to sustainably fund programs that directly address the health risk and disparity. These programs can include nutrition education, increasing access to healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods, physical activity programs, or subsidized healthcare for diet-related diseases. This dual approach aims to both prevent the health risk and treat/mitigate its consequences, specifically in the communities most affected.

 

Examine the policy within the context of a national population health initiative and determine the degree to which the policy is congruent with that national population health goal and/or objective

 

The policy is highly congruent with the national population health initiative Healthy People 2030. Specifically, the Soda Tax aligns directly with the goals under the Nutrition and Healthy Eating (NWS) objective.

Healthy People 2030 Goal/ObjectiveCongruence with Soda Tax Policy
NWS-04: Reduce the proportion of adults with obesity.High Congruence: The tax aims to reduce a key contributor to weight gain (SSB consumption), directly supporting this objective.
NWS-07: Reduce consumption of added sugars by people aged 2 years and over.High Congruence: SSBs are a leading source of added sugars in the American diet. The tax's core function is to decrease this consumption.
NWS-09: Increase the proportion of people who are at a healthy weight.High Congruence: By reducing caloric intake and funding programs that promote healthy behaviors, the policy supports achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Foundation Health Measure: Reduce Health Disparities.Moderate to High Congruence: By funding targeted health programs in disproportionately affected communities, the policy seeks to narrow the gap in obesity rates and diet-related disease incidence.
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The Soda Tax is a strong, concrete mechanism for achieving multiple Healthy People 2030 nutrition-related objectives by focusing on a significant environmental factor (the low cost and high availability of SSBs) that drives the health risk and disparity.

 

Propose one strategy to address the health risk or disparity

 

A recommended strategy to further enhance the impact of the Soda Tax and more comprehensively address the disparity is to implement point-of-sale pricing transparency and incentives.

Strategy: Subsidizing Healthy Alternatives and Mandating Nutritional Labeling

While the tax makes SSBs more expensive, the proposed strategy is to use a portion of the tax revenue to directly subsidize the cost of healthy alternatives (e.g., fresh produce, unsweetened water, or milk) in grocery stores and corner stores within the same local jurisdiction.

Mechanism: Stores in underserved communities could receive rebates or grants to lower the retail price of targeted healthy items.

Mandate: Simultaneously, the policy could mandate prominent, easy-to-understand calorie and added sugar labels on all taxed and untaxed beverages, alongside visible signage near the SSBs that details the total price (including the tax) and shows the price difference compared to the subsidized healthy alternative.

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

A relevant health policy to consider is the Soda Tax (Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax), often implemented at the local (city or county) level. This policy primarily addresses the health risk of obesity and associated disparities in communities with high consumption of sugary drinks.

 

Application of Course Knowledge

 

 

Describe one health policy related to an identified health risk or disparity

 

The selected health policy is a local-level excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), commonly referred to as a Soda Tax. The identified health risk is obesity and the associated chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

This policy targets a significant health disparity: research often shows higher rates of SSB consumption and diet-related chronic illnesses among lower-income communities and certain minority groups. The tax is levied on distributors of SSBs, and the cost is generally passed on to consumers. Funds generated from the tax are often earmarked for health and education initiatives, further aiming to address the underlying causes and consequences of the health disparity.

 

Summarize the intended impact of the policy on the risk or disparity

 

The intended impact of the Soda Tax is twofold:

Reduce Consumption: The primary goal is to discourage the purchase and consumption of SSBs by making them more expensive. By increasing the price, the policy aims to shift consumer behavior toward healthier, untaxed alternatives like water, milk, or unsweetened beverages, thus reducing caloric intake from sugar and mitigating the risk of weight gain and obesity.

Fund Health Initiatives: By earmarking the revenue, the policy intends to sustainably fund programs that directly address the health risk and disparity. These programs can include nutrition education, increasing access to healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods, physical activity programs, or subsidized healthcare for diet-related diseases. This dual approach aims to both prevent the health risk and treat/mitigate its consequences, specifically in the communities most affected.