Healthy People Community Stories

Despite advances in medical research and care, there are significant disparities in maternal health and infant birth and health outcomes.1Access to prenatal care and education can dramatically improve birth and health outcomes for moms and their babies,2 but women who are uninsured (or underinsured) often miss out on these critical services...

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. The report, The Role of Law and Policy in Achieving the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status Goals of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake in the United States, provides evidence-based information and identifies priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease in the United States. It causes more deaths than HIV, drug and alcohol misuse, motor vehicle accidents, suicide, and murder combined. In the state of Minnesota, smoking is responsible for more than $3 billion in annual health care costs and contributes to more than 6,000 deaths each year.

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. The report, The Role of Law and Policy in Achieving the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status Goals of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake in the United States, provides evidence-based information and identifies priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives.