Emergency Department Visits for Pedestrians Injured in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes - United States, January 2021-December 2023.

Traffic-related pedestrian deaths in the United States reached a 40-year high in 2021. Each year, pedestrians also suffer nonfatal traffic-related injuries requiring medical treatment. Near real-time emergency department visit data from CDC's National Syndromic Surveillance Program during January 2021-December 2023 indicated that among approximately 301 million visits identified, 137,325 involved a pedestrian injury (overall visit proportion = 45.62 per 100,000 visits). The proportions of visits for pedestrian injury were 1.53-2.47 times as high among six racial and ethnic minority groups as that among non-Hispanic White persons. Compared with persons aged ≥65 years, proportions among those aged 15-24 and 25-34 years were 2.83 and 2.61 times as high, respectively. The visit proportion was 1.93 times as high among males as among females, and 1.21 times as high during September-November as during June-August. Timely pedestrian injury data can help collaborating federal, state, and local partners rapidly monitor trends, identify disparities, and implement strategies supporting the Safe System approach, a framework for preventing traffic injuries among all road users.

Prevalence of vision zero action plans or strategies: USA, 2021.

BACKGROUND: Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and to promote equitable mobility options for all road users. Using a nationally representative survey, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of Vision Zero action plans or strategies in the USA. METHODS: Municipal officials were surveyed in 2021. In this cross-sectional study, we calculated the prevalence of Vision Zero plans or strategies and compared municipalities with adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) to account for region and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Among 1955 municipalities participating in the survey (question-specific response rate: 44.3%), the prevalence of a Vision Zero action plan or strategy was 7.7%; 70.5% responded no and 21.8% don't know. Prevalence was 4.8% in small municipalities (1000-2499 residents), 20.3% in medium-large municipalities (50 000-124 999 residents; PR=4.1), and 37.8% in large municipalities (≥125 000 residents; PR=7.6). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of Vision Zero plans and strategies across the USA is low. Additional adoption of Vision Zero plans and strategies could help address traffic fatalities.

Nutrition Standards for Food Service Guidelines for Foods Served or Sold in Municipal Government Buildings or Worksites, United States, 2014.

INTRODUCTION: The Institute of Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that government agencies use nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold and provided at their facilities. In this study, we examine written nutrition standards for foods sold or served in local government buildings or worksites among US municipalities. METHODS: We used data from a 2014 national survey of 1,945 municipal governments serving populations of 1,000 or more to assess the presence of written nutrition standards, the food groups or nutrients addressed by standards, and the populations served by facilities where standards are applied. The prevalence of standards was estimated by municipality population size, rural-urban status, census region, poverty prevalence, education level, and racial/ethnic composition. RESULTS: Overall, 3.2% of US municipalities reported nutrition standards with greater prevalence observed among large municipalities (12.8% of municipalities with ≥50,000 people vs 2.2% of municipalities with <2,500 people, P < .001). Prevalence differed by region, and standards were most common in the West (6.6%) and least common in the Midwest (2.0%, P = .003).The most common nutrition topics addressed in standards were offering low-calorie beverages, fruits and vegetables, and free drinking water. Most standards applied to facilities serving government employees (67%) or the general public (66%), with fewer serving institutionalized populations (23%). CONCLUSION: Few municipal governments reported having written nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in their facilities in 2014. Implementing nutrition standards for foods sold or served by local governments is a strategy for increasing access to healthier foods and beverages among municipal employees and local residents.

Working with community partners to implement and evaluate the Chicago Park District's 100% Healthier Snack Vending Initiative.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this case study was to evaluate the acceptability, sales impact, and implementation barriers for the Chicago Park District's 100% Healthier Snack Vending Initiative to strengthen and support future healthful vending efforts. COMMUNITY CONTEXT: The Chicago Park District is the largest municipal park system in the United States, serving almost 200,000 children annually through after-school and summer programs. Chicago is one of the first US cities to improve park food environments through more healthful snack vending. METHODS: A community-based participatory evaluation engaged community and academic partners, who shared in all aspects of the research. From spring 2011 to fall 2012, we collected data through observation, surveys, and interviews on staff and patron acceptance of snack vending items, purchasing behaviors, and machine operations at a sample of 10 Chicago parks. A new snack vending contract included nutrition standards for serving sizes, calories, sugar, fat, and sodium for all items. Fifteen months of snack vending sales data were collected from all 98 snack vending machines in park field houses. OUTCOMES: Staff (100%) and patrons (88%) reacted positively to the initiative. Average monthly per-machine sales increased during 15 months ($84 to $371). Vendor compliance issues included stocking noncompliant items and delayed restocking. INTERPRETATION: The initiative resulted in improved park food environments. Diverse partner engagement, participatory evaluation, and early attention to compliance can be important supports for healthful vending initiatives. Consumer acceptance and increasing revenues can help to counter fears of revenue loss that can pose barriers to adoption.

Traffic as a barrier to walking safely in the United States: Perceived reasons and potential mitigation strategies.

Motor vehicle traffic is commonly cited as a barrier to walking, but national level perceptions of traffic characteristics that negatively influence walking and potential traffic mitigation strategies remain unclear. The objectives of this study were to describe perceptions of (1) traffic characteristics that make walking unsafe in the United States and (2) potential mitigation strategies to address these concerns among those who report traffic as a barrier to walking. Data were from FallStyles, a nationwide internet panel survey conducted in October 2019 (n = 3,284 adults). Respondents reported if traffic makes walking unsafe where they live; those who answered yes were then asked about traffic characteristics that make walking unsafe (number of vehicles, speed of vehicles, distracted or impaired driving, types of vehicles, and other reasons) and potential mitigation strategies (new or improved sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, street lighting, things that slow vehicles down, separating the sidewalk from the road, fewer vehicle lanes, and other). Prevalence of responses was assessed overall and by select sociodemographic and geographic characteristics, and by walking status. Nearly 25% of US adults reported that traffic is a barrier to walking where they live. Of these, 79% selected vehicle speed as a contributing traffic characteristic, and 57% indicated new or improved sidewalks as a potential mitigation strategy. These top responses were shared across all sociodemographic, geographic, and walking behavior subgroups. Speed reduction efforts and built environment enhancements such as sidewalks may alleviate pedestrian safety concerns. Promotion campaigns may be needed to bring awareness to such changes.

Priorities and Indicators for Economic Evaluation of Built Environment Interventions to Promote Physical Activity.

BACKGROUND: Built environment approaches to promoting physical activity can provide economic value to communities. How best to assess this value is uncertain. This study engaged experts to identify a set of key economic indicators useful for evaluation, research, and public health practice. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi process, a multidisciplinary group of experts participated in (1) one of 5 discussion groups (n = 21 experts), (2) a 2-day facilitated workshop (n = 19 experts), and/or (3) online surveys (n = 16 experts). RESULTS: Experts identified 73 economic indicators, then used a 5-point scale to rate them on 3 properties: measurement quality, feasibility of use by a community, and influence on community decision making. Twenty-four indicators were highly rated (≥3.9 on all properties). The 10 highest-rated "key" indicators were walkability score, residential vacancy rate, housing affordability, property tax revenue, retail sales per square foot, number of small businesses, vehicle miles traveled per capita, employment, air quality, and life expectancy. CONCLUSION: This study identified key economic indicators that could characterize the economic value of built environment approaches to promoting physical activity. Additional work could demonstrate the validity, feasibility, and usefulness of these key indicators, in particular to inform decisions about community design.

Food Service Guideline Policies on Local Government-Controlled Properties.

PURPOSE: Local governments can implement food service guideline (FSG) policies, which, in large cities, may reach millions of people. This study identified FSG policies among the 20 largest US cities and analyzed them for key FSG policy attributes. DESIGN: Quantitative research. SETTING: Local government facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty largest US cities. MEASURES: Frequency of FSG policies and percent alignment to tool. ANALYSIS: Using municipal legal code libraries and other data sources, FSG policies enacted as of December 31, 2016, were identified. Full-text reviews were conducted of identified policies to determine whether they met inclusion criteria. Included policies were analyzed for key policy attributes specific to nutrition, behavioral design, implementation, and facility efficiency. RESULTS: Searches identified 469 potential FSG policies, of which 6 policies across 5 cities met inclusion criteria. Five policies met a majority of criteria assessed by the classification tool. Overall alignment to the tool ranged from 17% to 88%. Of the 6 policies, 5 met a majority of the nutrition attributes and 5 met at least 50% of attributes associated with implementation. No policies met the attributes associated with facility efficiency. CONCLUSION: The FSG policies were identified in 5 of the 20 US cities. Policy alignment was high for nutrition and implementation attributes. This analysis suggests that when cities adopt FSG policies, many develop policies that align with key policy attributes. These policies can serve as models for other jurisdictions to create healthier food access through FSGs.

Foods Consumed by US Adults From Cafeterias and Vending Machines: NHANES 2005 to 2014.

PURPOSE: As part of wellness efforts, employers may seek to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered and consumed in cafeterias and vending machines. However, little is known about who consumes food from these venues and the types and dietary quality of the foods consumed. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Nonschool cafeterias and vending machines. PARTICIPANTS: US adults ≥20 years old. MEASURES: Prevalence of consuming foods, most common foods eaten, leading calorie sources, 2010 Healthy Eating Index. ANALYSIS: Using 24-hour dietary recall data from NHANES 2005-2014 (N = 25,549 adults), we estimated the prevalence of consuming foods, assessed the most commonly consumed foods, and calculated dietary quality of foods. RESULTS: On a given day, 3.1% of adults consumed foods from cafeterias and 3.9% from vending machines. Consumers averaged 692 kcal from cafeterias and 264 kcal from vending machines. Cafeteria consumers had higher income and education, while vending consumers were more likely to be male and younger adults. Common cafeteria foods included vegetables and fruits, but cafeteria foods were generally high in sodium and low in whole grains. Sugar-sweetened beverages and candies accounted for approximately half of all vending calories. CONCLUSION: Foods chosen from cafeterias and vending machines do not align well with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Improving the dietary quality of foods consumed from these venues could impact millions of adults.

Foods and Beverages Obtained at Worksites in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition interventions are a common component of worksite wellness programs and have been recognized as an effective strategy to change employee dietary behaviors. However, little is known about worksite food behaviors or the foods that are obtained at workplaces at the national level. OBJECTIVE: The aims were to examine the frequency of and the amount of money spent obtaining foods at work among employed US adults, to determine the foods most commonly obtained at work, and to assess the dietary quality of these foods. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the US Department of Agriculture Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey, a nationally representative household survey conducted from April 2012 through January 2013 on food purchases and acquisitions during a 7-day study period. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 5,222 employed adult Americans. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study assessed the prevalence of obtaining any foods at work overall and according to sociodemographic subgroups, number of acquisitions and calories obtained, most commonly obtained foods and leading food sources of calories, and 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores that represent dietary quality. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Prevalence estimates of obtaining ≥1 foods at work were compared according to sociodemographic characteristic using χ2 tests. RESULTS: Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of working adults obtained foods at work during the week, and the foods they obtained averaged 1,292 kcal per person per week. The leading food types obtained included foods typically high in solid fat, added sugars, or sodium, such as pizza, regular soft drinks, cookies or brownies, cakes and pies, and candy. HEI scores suggest that work foods are high in empty calories, sodium, and refined grains and low in whole grains and fruit. CONCLUSIONS: Working adults commonly obtain foods at work, and the foods they obtain have limited dietary quality. Future research should examine the role worksites can play to help ensure access to and promote healthier options.