School wellness policy implementation: insights and recommendations from two rural school districts.

Although school wellness policies have the potential to transform school environments, relatively little has been written about postadoption policy implementation and evaluation (policy to practice). The authors report results of a research study that examined the implementation of school wellness policies in two school districts in northern New Mexico. Through nine key informant interviews with administrators and two focus groups with students, they found that physical activity and nutrition policies were implemented inconsistently in both districts.

Community health assessment: driving the need for current, easily accessible population health data.

Community health assessment (CHA) is a core public health function. Community health assessment is a term that describes both a process and its tangible products, such as a community health profile or other types of reports on the status of the community's health and existing influences on its health, including the extent and nature of health-related resources. Assessment has enabled a better understanding of the community's health, and this has impacted public health decisions.