Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
The goal of this promising practice is to increase physical activity in a diverse older adult population.
Participants in the Active Choices program showed significant increases in physical activity and a greater satisfaction with their body appearance and function. Participants of the program also showed decreases in their BMI.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
The goal of the Al's Pals program is to teach children how to practice positive ways to express feelings, relate to others, communicate, brainstorm ideas, solve problems, and differentiate between safe and unsafe substances and situations.
Studies have shown that the program resulted in higher degrees of positive change in the intervention groups, increases in prosocial behaviors and positive coping behaviors, and decreases in antisocial and negative coping behaviors.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Respiratory Diseases
When implemented in schools in low-income or minority communities, interventions are likely to promote health equity.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Women
The goal of this program is to reduce the rate of pregnant women who smoke in Chautauqua County.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Family Planning, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The goals of this intervention include: increasing information and skills to make sound choices, increasing abstinence, and eliminating or reducing sex risk behaviors.
Among teens who participated, there was a decrease in sexual activity compared to those who did not participate in the program. Also among participants, there was an increase in sexual intercourse occasions that were condom-protected.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens, Men
The goal of Behavior Management through Adventure is to address the needs of at-risk youth in therapeutic settings.
Behavior Management Through Adventure was successful in lowering rearrest rates, decreasing the time period from release until rearrest, improving depression symptoms, increasing family self-concept, and lowering social introversion.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Teens
To significantly reduce depressive symptoms and to reduce the rates of future major depressive disorder onset among adolescents.
The Blues Program has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms, decrease rates of major depression onset, decrease rates of substance use, and increase factors that are protective against depression.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Urban
The goal of the Bob Janes Triage Center and Low Demand Shelter is to reduce the number of individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders who are arrested and sent to the County jail for minor offenses.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Rural
The goal of the Bootheel Heart Health Project was to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and decrease morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Governance, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The mission of the Metro Public Health Department is to protect and improve the health and well-being of all people in Metropolitan Nashville.
Metro Public Health Department of Nashville/Davidson County has implemented department-wide strategies to address existing health inequities.