An Adapted Version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) Is a Tool for Conducting Community-Based Participatory Research

Abstract

The field of public health is increasingly using community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address complex health problems such as childhood obesity. Despite the growing momentum and funding base for doing CBPR, little is known about how to undertake intervention planning and implementation in a community-academic partnership. An adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) was created as a tool for university and elementary school partners to create school-level environment and policy changes aimed at increasing student physical activity and healthy eating. After AIM was completed, interviews were conducted with school partners. Findings indicate AIM is closely aligned to 7 of 9 CBPR principles. Examples include equitable involvement of all partners, co-learning, and balancing knowledge generation and community improvement. Shortcomings, lessons learned, and suggestions for strengthening the AIM process are described.

Jump In! An Investigation of School Physical Activity Climate, and a Pilot Study Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Novel Tool to Increase Activity during Learning

“…Each focus group was scheduled with a very small group of participants (each of them provided written consent) in order to gather as much data as possible from each individual respondent without requesting that participants devote more than an hour to these discussions. Within each group, a semi-standardized set of questions was designed to be consistent with the needs assessment portion of an Adapted Intervention Mapping approach to public health issues (29). First, participants reported on their beliefs about the benefits of PA for themselves personally and also for students; second, participants reported on their beliefs about how much PA students should get at school, as well as how much PA students actually do get.…”

Adapted Intervention Mapping: A Strategic Planning Process for Increasing Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Opportunities in Schools via Environment and Policy Change

“…48,49 A 3-module questionnaire was designed to assess and track changes in physical activity and nutrition features of a school (eg, number of minutes of recess per week, minutes of PE, playground features, total number of fruit and vegetable offerings at breakfast and lunch, recess before lunch, foods available outside the lunchroom, presence and enforcement of policies on physical activity and nutrition content of items sold in schools). 48,49 A 3-module questionnaire was designed to assess and track changes in physical activity and nutrition features of a school (eg, number of minutes of recess per week, minutes of PE, playground features, total number of fruit and vegetable offerings at breakfast and lunch, recess before lunch, foods available outside the lunchroom, presence and enforcement of policies on physical activity and nutrition content of items sold in schools).…”

“…University researchers are well positioned to partner with schools to implement environment and policy changes as they possess knowledge and skills related to best practices. 49 In this paper, we examine the extent to which AIM led to implementation of environment and policy changes related to increased opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating and the extent to which each school's planning process incorporated implementation steps we believe are necessary for evidence-based health promotion change to occur and be sustained in school settings. The goal of the project was to implement environment and policy changes related to nutrition and physical activity using an adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM).…”

A Bridge between Society and Universities: A Documentary Analysis of Science Shops

“…Their existence is also in keeping with the 'third mission' entrusted to universities. The questions that give rise to scientific developments may vary, as may the expertise available in each shop; whereas in the United States, they focus more on health issues [13], and in Central and Eastern Europe, they tend to address environmental matters as well as Scandinavia social problems [11]. Another factor that affects the type of issues dealt with by science shops is the degree of citizen development and participation in scientific activities.…”