Insights from the Mondelēz International Foundation Healthy Lifestyles Workshop Published in Leading Nutrition Journal

• Seven NGO Partners Reached Consensus on Success Measures for Nutrition Programs
• Program Impact Pathways Model Used to Improve Program Delivery and Outcomes

DEERFIELD, Ill. – Oct. 7, 2014 – The Mondelēz International Foundation and Yale School of Public Health shared insights for establishing uniform program success measures and the value of collaboration in the latest issue of the Food and Nutrition Bulletin. These outcomes answer Mondelēz International’s Call For Well-being by providing community-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with best practices and resources to improve healthy lifestyle programs around the globe.

“Over the years, we’ve learned that bringing people together to break down barriers and collaborate can help improve health outcomes,” said Nicole Robinson, President of the Mondelēz International Foundation. “By bringing together our community partners in this unprecedented way, we were able to take inventory of what’s working, hear successes in different parts of the world and take steps to ramp up healthy lifestyle efforts in communities to achieve even greater impact.” 

The Mondelēz International Foundation, working with Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Office of Public Health Practice at the Yale School of Public Health, convened the “Healthy Lifestyles Program Evaluation Workshop” in Granada, Spain in September 2013. The workshop brought together public health leaders from seven NGOs running Mondelēz International Foundation-funded, community-based obesity prevention programs to develop a common roadmap to better measure and implement well-being interventions. 

“The publication of these outcomes offers a unique opportunity to reshape how NGO partners create, refine and measure the impact of obesity prevention programs,” said Perez-Escamilla. “By using the Program Impact Pathways model, we're teaching a cutting-edge, comprehensive and rigorous evaluation approach so programmers can further improve evidence-based programs.” 

Dr. Perez-Escamilla authored an opinion editorial for The Huffington Post, “Tracking Success: Friend or Foe of Progress on Obesity?”. It explores how those working to address childhood obesity can learn from collaboration and tracking success.

Through the workshop’s consensus-building process, three critical indicators of success emerged for all healthy lifestyle programs:

• Nutrition Knowledge: percentage of program participants who improve their nutrition knowledge
• Physical Activity: percentage of participants who increase their daily amount of activity or play
• Healthier Eating: percentage of participants who report increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods 

Additionally, participants collectively identified three essential factors to ensure effective programs: strong training and developmental programs for facilitators whether they are teachers, community health promoters or NGO staff; commitment from local government, school administrators and community-based organizations; and, engagement of parents to reinforce program messages at home. 
The workshop included INMED Partnerships for Children in Brazil; China Youth Development Foundation; Klasse2000 in Germany; Save the Children in Italy; Charities Aid Federation in Russia; Alicia Foundation in Spain; and, Life Education West Midlands in partnership with Services for Education in the United Kingdom. 

The Nevin Scrimshaw International Nutrition Foundation publishes the Food and Nutrition Bulletin, a leading resource for researchers, academics, nutrition policy makers and planners in more than 125 countries. For more information on Mondelēz International's community partnerships, please visit www.mondelezinternational.com/well-being/community-partnerships. 

About the Mondelēz International Foundation
Over the past 25 years, Mondelēz International and its Foundation have contributed approximately $1.6 billion to charitable organizations around the world. The Foundation recently pledged $50 million to community programs to increase physical activity for children and their families, to secure fresh foods through local agriculture and to encourage better nutrition education.