Healthy Communities Study

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The Healthy Communities Study (HCS) was a six-year study that included 130 communities and over 5,000 children and their families in the United States. The study’s goal was to understand how characteristics of community programs and policies relate to children's eating, physical activity behaviors, and their health. Findings from the HCS have helped inform community leaders about what types of programs and policies may help children's health.

This study was led by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and co-funded by NCI and other NIH Institutes. Collaborators included the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) also helped inform the study in the development and application review phases.

Read about the findings from the Healthy Communities Study in this 2018 special supplement in Pediatric Obesity.

Featured Grants

PI Name

Organization Name

Project Title

Project Number

Colabianchi, Natalie

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

The effect of built and social environments on childhood obesity and racial/ethnic disparities in the national Healthy Communities Study

5R01HL137731-04
  1. Sweeney AM, Wilson DK, Pate R, Van Horn ML, McIver K, Dowda M. The role of parental support for youth physical activity transportation and community-level poverty in the healthy communities study. J Behav Med. 2021 Aug;44(4):563-570. doi: 10.1007/s10865-021-00213-1. Epub 2021 Mar 25. PMID: 33768390
  2. Navarro SM, Tsai MM, Ritchie LD, Frongillo EA, Laraia BA, Pate RR, Au LE. Household food insecurity and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the United States: the Healthy Communities Study. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Jun 10:1-8. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021002536. Online ahead of print. PMID: 34108064
  3. Tsai MM, Frongillo EA, Ritchie LD, Woodward-Lopez G, Au LE. Factor Analysis Reduces Complex Measures of Nutrition Environments in US Elementary and Middle Schools into Cohesive Dimensions in the Healthy Communities Study. J Nutr. 2021 May 11;151(5):1286-1293. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa450. PMID: 33693783
  4. Therrien AS, Buffa G, Roome AB, Standard E, Pomer A, Obed J, Taleo G, Tarivonda L, Chan CW, Kaneko A, Olszowy KM, Dancause KN. Relationships between mental health and diet during pregnancy and birth outcomes in a lower-middle income country: "Healthy mothers, healthy communities" study in Vanuatu. Am J Hum Biol. 2021 May;33(3):e23500. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23500. Epub 2020 Sep 11. PMID: 32918311
  5. Kim Y, Ritchie L, Landgraf A, Hasson RE, Colabianchi N. The Role of the Neighborhood Social Environment in Physical Activity among Hispanic Children: Moderation by Cultural Factors and Mediation by Neighborhood Norms. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 19;17(24):9527. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17249527. PMID: 33352648
  6. Tan ML, Laraia B, Madsen KA, Johnson RC, Ritchie L. Community Eligibility Provision and School Meal Participation among Student Subgroups. J Sch Health. 2020 Oct;90(10):802-811. doi: 10.1111/josh.12942. Epub 2020 Aug 4. PMID: 32754916
  7. Collie-Akers VL, Fawcett SB, Schultz JA, Fleming KK, Swinburne Romine RE, Ritchie LD, Frongillo EA, Arteaga SS. Association of Multisetting Community Programs and Policies With Child Body Mass Index: The Healthy Communities Study. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020 May 7;17:E34. doi: 10.5888/pcd17.190196. PMID: 32379597
  8. Kim Y, Landgraf A, Colabianchi N. Living in High-SES Neighborhoods Is Protective against Obesity among Higher-Income Children but Not Low-Income Children: Results from the Healthy Communities Study. J Urban Health. 2020 Apr;97(2):175-190. doi: 10.1007/s11524-020-00427-9. PMID: 32107723
  9. Kim Y, Landgraf A, Colabianchi N. Living in High-SES Neighborhoods Is Protective against Obesity among Higher-Income Children but Not Low-Income Children: Results from the Healthy Communities Study. J Urban Health. 2020 Apr;97(2):175-190. doi: 10.1007/s11524-020-00427-9
  10. Plimier CC, Hewawitharana SC, Webb KL, Au LE, Neumark-Sztainer D, Ritchie LD. Community-level obesity prevention is not associated with dieting behaviours and weight dissatisfaction in children: The Healthy Communities Study. Pediatr Obes. 2020 Apr;15(4):e12594. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12594. Epub 2019 Dec 22. PMID: 31867897
  11. Au LE, Ritchie LD, Gurzo K, Nhan LA, Woodward-Lopez G, Kao J, Guenther PM, Tsai M, Gosliner W. Post-Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Adherence to Select School Nutrition Standards by Region and Poverty Level: The Healthy Communities Study. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2020 Mar;52(3):249-258. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.10.016. Epub 2019 Nov 26. PMID: 31784405
  12. Au LE, Zhu SM, Nhan LA, Plank KR, Frongillo EA, Laraia BA, Gurzo K, Ritchie LD. Household Food Insecurity is Associated with Higher Adiposity among US Schoolchildren Ages 10-15 Years: The Healthy Communities Study. J Nutr. 2019 Sep 1;149(9):1642-1650. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz108. PMID: 31174211
  13. Tsai M, Ritchie LD, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Au LE. Student Perception of Healthfulness, School Lunch Healthfulness, and Participation in School Lunch: The Healthy Communities Study. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2019 May;51(5):623-628. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.01.014. Epub 2019 Mar 6. PMID: 30850302
  14. Hewawitharana SC, Thompson FE, Loria CM, Strauss W, Nagaraja J, Ritchie L, Webb KL. Comparison of the NHANES dietary screener questionnaire to the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Recall for Children in the Healthy Communities Study. Nutr J. 2018 Nov 27;17(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s12937-018-0415-1. PMID: 30482218
  15. Kumanyika SK. Supplement overview: what the Healthy Communities Study is telling us about childhood obesity prevention in U.S. communities. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1:3-6. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12478. PMID: 30345706
  16. Collie-Akers VL, Schultz JA, Fawcett SB, Obermeier SM, Pate RR, John LV, Weber SA, Logan A, Arteaga SS, Loria CM, Webb K; Healthy Communities Study Team. The prevalence of community programmes and policies to prevent childhood obesity in a diverse sample of US communities: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1:64-71. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12475. Epub 2018 Oct 1. PMID: 30270519
  17. Kaczynski AT, Besenyi GM, Child S, Morgan Hughey S, Colabianchi N, McIver KL, Dowda M, Pate RR; Healthy Communities Study Team. Relationship of objective street quality attributes with youth physical activity: findings from the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):7-13. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12429. Epub 2018 Jun 14. PMID: 29900696
  18. Sagatov RDF, John LV, Gregoriou M, Arteaga SS, Weber S, Payn B, Strauss W, Weinstein N, Collie-Akers V; Healthy Communities Study Team. Recruitment outcomes, challenges and lessons learned: the Healthy Communities Study. Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):27-35. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12455. Epub 2018 Sep 12. PMID: 30209890
  19. Ritchie LD, Woodward-Lopez G, Au LE, Loria CM, Collie-Akers V, Wilson DK, Frongillo EA, Strauss WJ, Landgraf AJ, Nagaraja J, Sagatov RDF, Nicastro HL, Nebeling LC, Webb KL; Healthy Communities Study Team. Associations of community programs and policies with children's dietary intakes: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):14-26. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12440. Epub 2018 Jul 10. PMID: 29992795
  20. Woodward-Lopez G, Gosliner W, Au LE, Kao J, Webb KL, Sagatov RD, Strauss WJ, Landgraf AJ, Nagaraja J, Wilson DK, Nicastro HL, Nebeling LC, Schultz JA, Ritchie LD; Healthy Communities Study Team. Community characteristics modify the relationship between obesity prevention efforts and dietary intake in children: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):46-55. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12434. Epub 2018 Jul 10. PMID: 29992765
  21. Webb KL, Hewawitharana SC, Au LE, Collie-Akers V, Strauss WJ, Landgraf AJ, Nagaraja J, Wilson DK, Sagatov R, Kao J, Loria CM, Fawcett SB, Ritchie LD; Healthy Communities Study Team. Objectives of community policies and programs associated with more healthful dietary intakes among children: findings from the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):103-112. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12424. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PMID: 29923334
  22. Schultz JA, Collie-Akers VL, Fawcett SB, Strauss WJ, Nagaraja J, Landgraf AJ, McIver KL, Weber SA, Arteaga SS, Nebeling LC, Rauzon SM; Healthy Communities Study Team. Association between community characteristics and implementation of community programmes and policies addressing childhood obesity: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):93-102. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12432. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PMID: 29921032
  23. Saunders RP, Dowda M, McIver K, Pate RR; Healthy Communities Study Team. Regional comparisons of walking or bicycling for fun or exercise and for active transport in a nationally distributed sample of community-based youth. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):36-45. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12425. Epub 2018 Jun 14. PMID: 29900698
  24. Pate RR, Frongillo EA, McIver KL, Colabianchi N, Wilson DK, Collie-Akers VL, Schultz JA, Reis J, Madsen K, Woodward-Lopez G, Berrigan D, Landgraf A, Nagaraja J, Strauss WJ; Healthy Communities Study Team. Associations between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):72-81. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12426. Epub 2018 Jun 13. PMID: 29900697
  25. Collie-Akers VL, Schultz JA, Fawcett SB, Landry S, Obermeier S, Frongillo EA, Forthofer M, Weinstein N, Weber SA, Logan A, Arteaga SS, Nebeling L, Au LE; Healthy Communities Study Team. Measuring the intensity of community programs and policies for preventing childhood obesity in a diverse sample of US communities: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):56-63. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12423. Epub 2018 Jun 14. PMID: 29900691 
  26. Strauss WJ, Nagaraja J, Landgraf AJ, Arteaga SS, Fawcett SB, Ritchie LD, John LV, Gregoriou M, Frongillo EA, Loria CM, Weber SA, Collie-Akers VL, McIver KL, Schultz J, Sagatov RDF, Leifer ES, Webb K, Pate RR; Healthy Communities Study Team. The longitudinal relationship between community programmes and policies to prevent childhood obesity and BMI in children: the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Pediatr Obes. 2018 Oct;13 Suppl 1:82-92. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12266. Epub 2018 Feb 28. PMID: 29493122
  27. Au LE, Crawford PB, Woodward-Lopez G, Gurzo K, Kao J, Webb KL, Ritchie LD. School Wellness Committees Are Associated With Lower Body Mass Index Z-Scores and Improved Dietary Intakes in US Children: The Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​J Sch Health. 2018 Sep;88(9):627-635. doi: 10.1111/josh.12664. PMID: 30133773 
  28. Au LE, Gurzo K, Gosliner W, Webb KL, Crawford PB, Ritchie LD. Eating School Meals Daily Is Associated with Healthier Dietary Intakes: The Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018 Aug;118(8):1474-1481.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2018.01.010. Epub 2018 Mar 17. PMID: 29555435 
  29. Frongillo EA, Fawcett SB, Ritchie LD, Sonia Arteaga S, Loria CM, Pate RR, John LV, Strauss WJ, Gregoriou M, Collie-Akers VL, Schultz JA, Landgraf AJ, Nagaraja J. Community Policies and Programs to Prevent Obesity and Child Adiposity. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2017 Nov;53(5):576-583. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.05.006. Epub 2017 Jul 5. PMID: 28688728 
  30. Pate RR, McIver KL, Colabianchi N, Troiano RP, Reis JP, Carroll DD, Fulton JE. Physical Activity Measures in the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):653-9. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.020. PMID: 26384937 
  31. Ritchie LD, Wakimoto P, Woodward-Lopez G, Thompson FE, Loria CM, Wilson DK, Kao J, Crawford PB, Webb KL. The Healthy Communities Study Nutrition Assessments: Child Diet and the School Nutrition Environment. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):647-52. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.016. PMID: 26384936
  32. Sroka CJ, McIver KL, Sagatov RD, Arteaga SS, Frongillo EA. Weight Status Measures Collected in the Healthy Communities Study: Protocols and Analyses. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):642-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.001. PMID: 26384935
  33. Fawcett SB, Collie-Akers VL, Schultz JA, Kelley M. Measuring Community Programs and Policies in the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):636-41. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.027. PMID: 26384934
  34. John LV, Gregoriou M, Pate RR, Fawcett SB, Crawford PB, Strauss WJ, Frongillo EA, Ritchie LD, Loria CM, Kelley M, Fishbein HA, Arteaga SS. Operational Implementation of the Healthy Communities Study: How Communities Shape Children's Health. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):631-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.019. PMID: 26384933 
  35. Strauss WJ, Sroka CJ, Frongillo EA, Arteaga SS, Loria CM, Leifer ES, Wu CO, Patrick H, Fishbein HA, John LV. Statistical Design Features of the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):624-30. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.021. PMID: 26384932 
  36. Arteaga SS, Loria CM, Crawford PB, Fawcett SB, Fishbein HA, Gregoriou M, John LV, Kelley M, Pate RR, Ritchie LD, Strauss WJ. The Healthy Communities Study: Its Rationale, Aims, and Approach. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):615-23. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.029. PMID: 26384931 
  37. Pate RR. Overview of the Protocol Manuscripts for the Healthy Communities Study. ​​​​​​​Am J Prev Med. 2015 Oct;49(4):614. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.017. PMID: 26384930 
  38. Pratt CA, Arteaga S, Loria C. J Am Coll Cardiol. ​​​​​​​Forging a future of better cardiovascular health: addressing childhood obesity. ​​​​​​​2014 Feb 4;63(4):369-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.07.088. Epub 2013 Sep 25. PMID: 24076288
Last Updated
September 24, 2020