Establishing Public Health Benchmarks for Physical Activity Programs

State health departments have begun to address the burden of physical inactivity. At this early stage, it is imperative that sound training and technical assistance be provided. In 2003, the Physical Activity and Health Branch (PAHB) in the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established five benchmarks outlining the areas of training and technical assistance that state health departments need to address to improve their capacity to promote physical activity to the public.