Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
International Journal of Public Health
Published in: International Journal of Public Health 4/2010

01-08-2010 | Original Article

The use of chronic disease risk factor surveillance systems for evidence-based decision-making: physical activity and nutrition as examples

Authors: Anne W. Taylor, Stefano Campostrini, Tiffany K. Gill, Patricia Carter, Eleonora Dal Grande, Michele Herriot

Published in: International Journal of Public Health | Issue 4/2010

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

To highlight the value of continuous risk factor surveillance systems in providing evidence of the impact of, and to inform health promotion interventions.

Method

An ongoing risk factor surveillance system involving telephone interviews with approximately n = 600 randomly selected South Australians each month. Trend analysis on physical activity (PA) levels and daily consumption of fruit and vegetables was undertaken.

Results

An apparent seasonal trend for fruit consumption and PA was found, with less activity and fruit consumption undertaken in winter months. Overweight/obese adults exercised less than those with normal BMI, and females less than males, although PA rates for both females and overweight/obese adults are rising. There was an increase in vegetable consumption following a major media campaign. Although reported prevalence of the consumption of five or more serves of vegetables daily and the mean number of serves consumed daily has decreased, it is still above pre-campaign rates.

Conclusion

Additional information obtained from a risk factor surveillance system, when compared to an annual or point-in-time survey, provides valuable evidence for health professionals interested in measuring and assessing the effectiveness of health promotion interventions.
Literature
Adams T, Lin V (1998) Partnership in public health. World Health Forum 19:246–252PubMed
Armstrong T, Bauman A, Davies J (2000) Physical activity patterns of Australian adults. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004) Population by age and sex, South Australia. 2004. Cat 3235.4.55.001. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
Campostrini S (2007) Measurement and effectiveness: methodological considerations, issues and possible solutions. In: McQueen D, Jones C (eds) Global perspectives on health promotion effectiveness. Springer, New York, pp 305–325CrossRef
Campostrini S, Holtzman D, McQueen DV, Boaretto E (2006) Evaluating the effectiveness of health promotion policy: changes in the law on drinking and driving in California. Health Promot Int 21:130–135CrossRefPubMed
Chambers LW, Ehrlich A, Picard D, Edwards P (2002) The art and science of evidence-based decision-making: epidemiology can help!. Can J Public Health 93:I1–I8PubMed
de Bruin A, Picavet HS, Nossikov A (1996) Health interview surveys. Towards international harmonization of methods and instruments. WHO Reg Publ Eur Ser 58. WHO, Copenhagen
Dean K (1993) Integrating theory and methods in population health research. In: Dean K (ed) Linking theory and methods. SAGE, London, pp 9–36
Doyle J, Waters E, Yach D, McQueen D et al (2005) Global priority setting for Cochrane systematic reviews of health promotion and public health research. J Epidemiol Community Health 59:193–197CrossRefPubMed
Durch JS, Bailey LA, Stoto MA (1997) Improving health in the community. A role for performance monitoring. National Academy Press, Washington
Harris E, Sainsbury P (2002) Tackling health inequalities: balancing universal and targeted approaches. NSW Public Health Bull 13(3):33–35CrossRef
National Health and Medical Research Council (2003) Dietary guidelines for Australian Adults. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Holtzman D (2003) Analysis and interpretation of data from the US behavioural risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS). In: McQueen D, Puska P (eds) Global behavioural risk factor surveillance. Kluwer/Plenum Publishers, New York
Keleher H, MacDougal C, Murphy B (2007) Approaching health promotion. In: Keleher H, MacDougall C, Murphy B (eds) Understanding health promotion. Oxford University Press, Melbourne
Lopez AD (2003) Evidence and information for health policy: a decade of change. Med J Aust 179:396–397PubMed
McQueen DV (2000) Strengthening the evidence base for health promotion. In: Fifth global conference on health promotion, Mexico City, Mexico
McQueen DV, Puska P (2003) Global behavioral risk factor surveillance. Kluwer, New York
Mostashari F, Kerker BD, Hajat A, Miller N, Frieden TR (2005) Smoking practices in New York City: the use of a population-based survey to guide policy-making and programming. J Urban Health 82:58–70PubMed
Nutbeam D, Bauman A (2006) Evaluation in a nutshell: a practical guide to the evaluation of health promotion programs. Mc-Graw Hill, Australia
Remington PL, Smith MY, Williamson DF, Anda RF, Gentry EM, Hogelin GC (1988) Design, characteristics, and usefulness of state-based behavioral risk factor surveillance: 1981–87. Public Health Rep 103(4):366–375PubMed
Ruffin M Jr (2000) Building a framework to transform health care. Physician Exec 26:46–50
Rychetnik L, Hawe P, Waters E, Barrett A, Frommer M (2004) A glossary for evidence based public health. J Epidemiol Community Health 58:538–545CrossRefPubMed
Tang KC, Ehsani JP, McQueen DV (2003) Evidence based health promotion: recollections, reflections, and reconsiderations. J Epidemiol Community Health 57:841–843CrossRefPubMed
Wang S, Moss JR, Hiller JE (2005) Applicability and transferability of interventions in evidence-based public health. Health Promot In 21(1):76–83CrossRef
World Health Organization (2000) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. World Health Organization, Geneva
World Health Organization (2005) Part three—what works: the evidence for action. In: Preventing chronic diseases: a vital investment. WHO Global Report
Metadata
Title
The use of chronic disease risk factor surveillance systems for evidence-based decision-making: physical activity and nutrition as examples
Authors
Anne W. Taylor
Stefano Campostrini
Tiffany K. Gill
Patricia Carter
Eleonora Dal Grande
Michele Herriot
Publication date
01-08-2010
Publisher
SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
Published in
International Journal of Public Health / Issue 4/2010
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Electronic ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0098-7

Other articles of this Issue 4/2010

International Journal of Public Health 4/2010 Go to the issue

Original Article

Self-rated health and mortality: gender- and age-specific contributions of explanatory factors in South Korea

Original Article

Sampling procedures and sample representativeness in a national telephone survey: a Portuguese example

Original Article

Socio-economic differences in the use of dairy fat in Russian and Finnish Karelia, 1994–2004

Original Article

Is the co-occurrence of smoking and poor consumption of fruits and vegetables confounded by socioeconomic conditions?

Original Article

Effectiveness of preventive oral health care in Hispanic children living near US–Mexico border

Editorial

The Swiss National Cohort: a unique database for national and international researchers