Dissemination of effective physical activity interventions: are we applying the evidence?

Ballew, Paula; Brownson, Ross C.; Haire‐Joshu, Debra; Heath, Gregory W.; Kreuter, Matthew W.

doi:10.1093/her/cyq003

Cited by 25 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Furthermore, there appeared to be extremely positive attitudes towards the adoption of the EWC among organizations where there was extremely good staff compatibility. Successful partnerships and collaborations as well as capable staff have also been identified elsewhere as facilitators for adoption [30]. The favorable attitudes of respondents is similar to the finding of Olstad et al [31] where managerial receptivity for change was a facilitator for adoption of voluntary nutritional guidelines by recreational facilities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Factors influencing the adoption of a healthy eating campaign by federal cross-sector partners: a qualitative study

et al. 2016

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BackgroundThe Eat Well Campaign (EWC) was a social marketing campaign developed by Health Canada and disseminated to the public with the help of cross-sector partners. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that influenced cross-sector partners’ decision to adopt the EWC.MethodsThematic content analysis, based primarily on an a priori codebook of constructs from Roger’s diffusion of innovations decision process model, was conducted on hour-long semi-structured telephone interviews with Health Canada’s cross-sector partners (n = 18).ResultsDominant themes influencing cross-sector partners’ decision to adopt the EWC were: high compatibility with the organization’s values; being associated with Health Canada; and low perceived complexity of activities. Several adopters indicated that social norms (e.g., knowing that other organizations in their network were involved in the collaboration) played a strong role in their decision to participate, particularly for food retailers and small organizations. The opportunity itself to work in partnership with Health Canada and other organizations was seen as a prominent relative advantage by many organizations. Adopters were characterized as having high social participation and positive attitudes towards health, new ideas and Health Canada. The lack of exposure to the mass media channels used to diffuse the campaign and reserved attitudes towards Health Canada were prominent obstacles identified by a minority of health organizations, which challenged the decision to adopt the EWC. Most other barriers were considered as minor challenges and did not appear to impede the adoption process.ConclusionsUnderstanding factors that influence cross-sector adoption of nutrition initiatives can help decision makers target the most appropriate partners to advance public health objectives. Government health agencies are likely to find strong partners in organizations that share the same values as the initiative, have positive attitudes towards health, are extremely implicated in social causes and value the notion of partnership.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Factors influencing the adoption of a healthy eating campaign by federal cross-sector partners: a qualitative study

et al. 2016

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“…(b) How can this evidence best reach, inform, and serve public health staff in their planning, implementation, and evaluation of healthy living initiatives? Studies to address these issues must include practice-based trials (Jansson et al, 2010), natural experiments and case studies (Ballew et al, 2010) of initiatives unfolding in real time, in real places initiated by public health personnel (Rivera & Birnbaum, 2010) who collect feasible and relevant indicators that have meaning for their work. Because communities can often act faster than researchers, conducting process, impact and outcome evaluations of untested healthy living interventions can significantly influence the practice of public health (Hanusaik et al, 2010).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, participants' comments about accessing and using evidence echoed recommendations in the literature to advance knowledge exchange (e.g., Ballew et al, 2010;Nutley et al, 2007;Rummery, 2009). One important criterion for the credibility of research is its fit with professional or practice knowledge-does the research validate existing practice?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The definition and use of evidence also varied depending on the type of community in which health authority staff were working confirming that context and capacity are significant factors influencing the implementation of evidence (Ballew et al, 2010). Recognizing that public programs are often designed ''on the basis of informed guesswork and expert hunches, enriched by some evidence and driven by political and other imperatives'' (Coote, Allen, & Woodhead, 2004, p. xi), such local reinvention or transition or transformation (Dankwa-Mullan et al, 2010) of knowledge has been referred to as ''tinkering'' that integrates locally collected data (Baker et al, 2009) and the ''explicit evidence from research with tacit or craft knowledge [to] create new knowledge as part of this process'' (Nutley et al, 2007, p. 116).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These definitions of ''evidence'' varied somewhat based on role of the interviewee: Frontline workers more often referred to community-level process information as key sources of evidence (versus academic or researchoriented types of information), and those working in tobacco reduction, particularly at the management level, had a very clear sense of the role of evidence for their work. However, managers also acknowledged the challenge with using strictly quantitative, academic-oriented evidence in community-based work that left them to ''fill the gaps in evidence'' (Jansson et al, 2010, p. 148), to create a blend of science and art (Ballew, Brownson, Haire-Joshu, Heath, & Kreuter, 2010) where ''anecdotes sometimes trump empirical data'' (Brownson et al, 2009, p. 177 In rural and remote areas, HA interviewees noted that evidence viewed as ''scientific'' was not always accurate and reflective of the population's needs, their health behaviors, or their health status. Therefore, there was an emphasis on establishing community-friendly means to collect information and indicators, relying on local knowledge and indigenous acumen to shed light on what works in individual communities:…”

Section: Tacit Practices and Knowledge Transitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“It’s a Feel. That’s What a Lot of Our Evidence Would Consist of ”: Public Health Practitioners’ Perspectives on Evidence

et al. 2011

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This article describes how evidence is defined and used in two British Columbia public health departments during the implementation of a Healthy Living initiative in 2009. Through interviews with 21 public health staff and decision makers, the author sought to investigate how "evidence" was defined by both frontline and management staff and how it was used in decision making. The authors found public health staff, particularly frontline practitioners, to be drawn to grassroots and local "lived experience" evidence. This tacit wisdom, in combination with evidence from academia and clinical evidence accessed through disciplinary or professional networks, offered a knowledge transition opportunity to inform decision making, rather than what can be characterized in the literature as unidirectional knowledge translation. It is often difficult for staff to digest and interpret research as part of their work day because of the volume and density of information that typically counts as evidence. Moreover, there exist challenges to identify and gather indicators as evidence of their work.

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Obesity prevention programs and policies: Practitioner and policy‐maker perceptions of feasibility and effectiveness

Cleland

McNeilly

Crawford

et al. 2013

Obesity

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Objectives: The aims of this study were (1) to map obesity prevention activity being implemented by government, non-government, and community-based organizations; (2) to determine practitioner and policy-maker perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of a range of evidence-based obesity prevention strategies; and (3) to determine practitioner and policy-maker perceptions of preferred settings for obesity prevention strategies. Design and Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional survey of 304 public health practitioners and policy-makers from government, non-government, and community organizations across Victoria, Australia. Participants reported their organizations' current obesity prevention programs and policies, their own perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of strategies to prevent obesity and their preferred settings for obesity prevention. Results: Thirty-nine percent had an obesity prevention policy, and 92% were implementing obesity prevention programs. The most common programs focused on education, skill-building, and increasing access to healthy eating/physical activity opportunities. School curriculum-based initiatives, social support for physical activity, and family-based programs were considered the most effective strategies, whereas curriculum-based initiatives, active after-school programs, and providing access to and information about physical activity facilities were deemed the most feasible strategies. Schools were generally perceived as the most preferred setting for obesity prevention. Conclusion: Many organizations had obesity prevention programs, but far fewer had obesity prevention policies. Current strategies and those considered feasible and effective are often mismatched with the empirical literature. Systems to ensure better alignment between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, and identifying effective methods of translating empirical evidence into practice and policy are required.Obesity (2013) 21, E448-E455.

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Dissemination of effective physical activity interventions: are we applying the evidence?

Abstract: To be effective, we must gain an understanding of contextual factors when designing for dissemination.

Cited by 25 publications

References 27 publications

Factors influencing the adoption of a healthy eating campaign by federal cross-sector partners: a qualitative study

Factors influencing the adoption of a healthy eating campaign by federal cross-sector partners: a qualitative study

“It’s a Feel. That’s What a Lot of Our Evidence Would Consist of ”: Public Health Practitioners’ Perspectives on Evidence

Obesity prevention programs and policies: Practitioner and policy‐maker perceptions of feasibility and effectiveness

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