TY - JOUR AU - Silberfarb, Laura Oliven AU - Savre, Sonja AU - Geber, Gayle PY - 2014 TI - An Approach to Assessing Multicity Implementation of Healthful Food Access Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes T2 - Preventing Chronic Disease JO - Prev Chronic Dis SP - E64 VL - 11 CY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. N2 - Local governments play an increasingly important role in improving residents' access to healthful food and beverages to reduce obesity and chronic disease. Cities can use multiple strategies to improve community health through, for example, land use and zoning policies, city contracting and procurement practices, sponsorship of farmers markets and community gardens, and vending and concession practices in park and recreation facilities. With 41 cities in the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department jurisdiction, the county undertook to measure the extent to which cities were engaged in making policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to increase residents' access to healthful food. The results revealed that some cities, particularly those with higher resident demand for healthful food, are making nationally recommended PSE changes, such as sponsoring farmers markets and community gardens. Cities have moved more slowly to make changes in areas with perceived negative cost consequences or lesser public demand, such as parks and recreation vending and concessions. This article describes the assessment process, survey tools, findings, and implications for other health departments seeking to undertake a similar assessment. SN - 1545-1151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130233 DO - 10.5888/pcd11.130233 ER -