HPRC Quarterly Highlights: Q2 2025
Below we highlight our accomplishments from Q2, categorized within our four Center aims.
Collaborate with Partners to Identify Evidence-Based Interventions
CalFresh Healthy Living-CHOICES Project
This quarter, we have been continuing our work with local health departments in California to model strategies to improve healthy eating and active living, using the CHOICES methods and microsimulation model. We have been estimating preliminary model outcomes for selected policies and programs for each of the local health department teams and providing technical assistance and training on cost-effectiveness and communications. In the coming months, we will finalize these model results and delve deeper into communications training and activities, including creating tailored materials for each team to communicate effectively about this research. Looking forward to advancing this work in Q3!
Paper Accepted in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
A recent study that explores the reach, cost, cost-effectiveness, and impact on weight status of a strategy to improve access to quality drinking water in school nutrition environments in Massachusetts’ schools was accepted for publication in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This paper shares findings from our prior PRC core research project, where we collaborated with partners at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of strategies to promote healthy eating and active living and prevent excess weight gain.
Learn more in our related research brief: Water Dispensers in Massachusetts Schools
Promote Healthy Weight, Healthy Eating, & Active Living
June Coffee Chat: Exploring Opportunities to Disseminate Evidence-Based Clinical Practices for Promoting Healthy Child Weight
This event was part of our monthly CHOICES Community of Practice coffee chat series.
This month, we were excited to have Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, who is the Director of Nutrition, Pediatric Gastroenterology, and General Academic Pediatrics at Mass General for Children, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and a Senior Health and Research Advisor at the Greater Boston Food Bank, join us for a coffee chat to provide an overview of the Healthy Weight Clinic program for children and adolescents. Lauren led a discussion of implementation success stories throughout the US and highlighted several tools and resources available through the program. We had lots of audience engagement with great questions, and enjoyed a lively discussion about how to access these resources and how they can best be used. Special thanks to Lauren for a wonderful presentation and to everyone who attended!
- ➡️📅 Mark your calendars: Join us for our monthly coffee chat series, typically scheduled on the fourth Thursday of each month from 1:00 – 1:50pm ET.
- ☕️💡 Got ideas brewing?! Please share your ideas and suggestions for future CHOICES Community of Practice coffee chat topics. Your input helps shape our upcoming discussions!
- 📧👥 Invite a friend! Consider inviting a colleague or partner to join our coffee chats. Share our library of past coffee chats so they can get a taste!
Our monthly coffee chats are tailored for public health professionals dedicated to promoting healthy weight, healthy eating, and active living. These sessions serve as valuable opportunities to learn and connect with others.
Offer Resources & Training Opportunities
New Resources
We are always working to share new resources, tools, and peer-reviewed publications that align with our Center’s priority areas (healthy eating, active living, sugary drinks, drinking water access and intake, and unhealthy food and beverage marketing). This quarter, we published the following:
- A Natural Experiment to Evaluate Changes in Kids’ Meal Beverages in Fast-food Restaurants Following a Healthy Default Policy, 2019-2022 (Cradock AL, Barrett JL, Block JP, Bolton AA, Bresnahan C, Harnack L, McCulloch SM, Roberto CA, Wiant K, Moran A, JAND, March 2025) | Peer-Reviewed Publications
Build Capacity for Conducting Community-Engaged Research
May Coffee Chat: MAPPing Partners to Create Healthier Communities
This event was part of our monthly CHOICES Community of Practice coffee chat series.
Last month, we were thrilled to welcome back Anna Clayton, Senior Program Analyst at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, to present during our May coffee chat to share resources available through the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP 2.0) framework, including tools to help you think broadly about partners to engage as well as ways to leverage existing work to address priorities. Anna previously presented in 2023 and 2024 on the MAPP framework and how it can be used to support community health improvement initiatives. Many thanks to Anna for presenting to our Community of Practice again about this important work, and to all who attended!
- ➡️📅 Mark your calendars: Join us for our monthly coffee chat series, typically scheduled on the fourth Thursday of each month from 1:00 – 1:50pm ET.
- ☕️💡 Got ideas brewing?! Please share your ideas and suggestions for future CHOICES Community of Practice coffee chat topics. Your input helps shape our upcoming discussions!
- 📧👥 Invite a friend! Consider inviting a colleague or partner to join our coffee chats. Share our library of past coffee chats so they can get a taste!
Our monthly coffee chats are tailored for public health professionals dedicated to promoting healthy weight, healthy eating, and active living. These sessions serve as valuable opportunities to learn and connect with others.
