Policy-Contribution Assessment and Field-Building Analysis of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research Program

Ottoson, Judith M.; Green, Lawrence W.; Beery, William L.; Senter, Sandra; Cahill, Carol; Pearson, David; Greenwald, Howard P.; Hamre, Robin; Leviton, Laura C.

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.10.010

Cited by 44 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…These efforts have been successful in establishing D&I research as a legitimate field of scientific inquiry and have stimulated growth in the number of D&I grant applications submitted and funded (interested readers can search trends in NIH-funded D&I research at http://www.report.nih.gov). However, for emerging fields of science to flourish, a complementary investment in education and training is necessary to facilitate the establishment of a cadre of investigators to move the field forward, to serve as peer reviewers for the growing number of grant applications and journal submissions of manuscripts, and to fill the growing number of faculty positions dedicated to D&I [8,9]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The U.S. training institute for dissemination and implementation research in health

et al. 2013

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BackgroundThe science of dissemination and implementation (D&I) is advancing the knowledge base for how best to integrate evidence-based interventions within clinical and community settings and how to recast the nature or conduct of the research itself to make it more relevant and actionable in those settings. While the field is growing, there are only a few training programs for D&I research; this is an important avenue to help build the field’s capacity. To improve the United States’ capacity for D&I research, the National Institutes of Health and Veterans Health Administration collaborated to develop a five-day training institute for postdoctoral level applicants aspiring to advance this science.MethodsWe describe the background, goals, structure, curriculum, application process, trainee evaluation, and future plans for the Training in Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (TIDIRH).ResultsThe TIDIRH used a five-day residential immersion to maximize opportunities for trainees and faculty to interact. The train-the-trainer-like approach was intended to equip participants with materials that they could readily take back to their home institutions to increase interest and further investment in D&I. The TIDIRH curriculum included a balance of structured large group discussions and interactive small group sessions.Thirty-five of 266 applicants for the first annual training institute were accepted from a variety of disciplines, including psychology (12 trainees); medicine (6 trainees); epidemiology (5 trainees); health behavior/health education (4 trainees); and 1 trainee each from education & human development, health policy and management, health services research, public health studies, public policy and social work, with a maximum of two individuals from any one institution. The institute was rated as very helpful by attendees, and by six months after the institute, a follow-up survey (97% return rate) revealed that 72% had initiated a new grant proposal in D&I research; 28% had received funding, and 77% had used skills from TIDIRH to influence their peers from different disciplines about D&I research through building local research networks, organizing formal presentations and symposia, teaching and by leading interdisciplinary teams to conduct D&I research.ConclusionsThe initial TIDIRH training was judged successful by trainee evaluation at the conclusion of the week’s training and six-month follow-up, and plans are to continue and possibly expand the TIDIRH in coming years. Strengths are seen as the residential format, quality of the faculty and their flexibility in adjusting content to meet trainee needs, and the highlighting of concrete D&I examples by the local host institution, which rotates annually. Lessons learned and plans for future TIDIRH trainings are summarized.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The U.S. training institute for dissemination and implementation research in health

et al. 2013

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“…Research on environmental determinants of physical activity and obesity [1–4] has generated interest among urban planners and public health practitioners, and contributes to ongoing policy discussions [5, 6]. Yet one of the barriers to consistency and interpretability of results is the use of suboptimal data analysis strategies including logistic regression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

At Odds: Concerns Raised by Using Odds Ratios for Continuous or Common Dichotomous Outcomes in Research on Physical Activity and Obesity

Lovasi¹,

Underhill²,

Jack³

et al. 2012

TOEPIJ

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Purpose Research on obesity and the built environment has often featured logistic regression and the corresponding parameter, the odds ratio. Use of odds ratios for common outcomes such obesity may unnecessarily hinder the validity, interpretation, and communication of research findings. Methods We identified three key issues raised by the use of odds ratios, illustrating them with data on walkability and body mass index from a study of 13,102 New York City residents. Results First, dichotomization of continuous measures such as body mass index discards theoretically relevant information, reduces statistical power, and amplifies measurement error. Second, odds ratios are systematically higher (further from the null) than prevalence ratios; this inflation is trivial for rare outcomes, but substantial for common outcomes like obesity. Third, odds ratios can lead to incorrect conclusions during tests of interactions. The odds ratio in a particular subgroup might higher simply because the outcome is more common (and the odds ratio inflated) compared with other subgroups. Conclusion Our recommendations are to take full advantage of continuous outcome data when feasible and to use prevalence ratios in place of odds ratios for common dichotomous outcomes. When odds ratios must be used, authors should document outcome prevalence across exposure groups.

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“…17,18 This initial research has generated considerable interest and momentum and has contributed to policy discussions highlighting the relevance of regulatory, transportation, urban planning, and real estate development decisions for health. 19,20 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Steps Forward: Review and Recommendations for Research on Walkability, Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health

2011

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Built environments that support walking and other physical activities have the potential to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD). Walkable neighborhoods-characterized by density, land use diversity, and well-connected transportation networks-have been linked to more walking, less obesity, and lower coronary heart disease risk. Yet ongoing research on pedestrian-friendly built environments has the potential to address important gaps. While much of the literature has focused on urban form and planning characteristics, additional aspects of street-scapes, such as natural and architectural amenities, should also be considered. Promising future directions include (1) integration of multiple built environment measures that facilitate an understanding of how individuals perceive and act within their environment; (2) examination of both the daily physical activities that are most feasibly influenced by the local environment and those more deliberate or vigorous patterns of physical activity that are most predictive of CVD; (3) consideration of multiple pathways that could mediate a link between walkability and CVD, including not only physical activity, but also air quality improvements from reduced vehicle mileage and enhanced neighborhood social cohesion from unplanned interactions; (4) testing competing hypotheses that may explain interactions of built environment characteristics with each other and with personal barriers to walking; (5) stronger conceptualization of the multiple neighborhoods or activity spaces that structure opportunities for physical activity throughout the day; (6) collecting and strategically analyzing longitudinal data to support causal inference; and (7) studying neighborhood preferences and selection to move beyond biased assessments of neighborhood health effects. While walkability has been linked to health-related behaviors and CVD risk factors, the implications of the observed correlations are not yet clear. New theoretical insights, measurement technologies, and built environment changes represent opportunities to enhance the evidence base for bringing health promotion and cardiovascular disease prevention into the conversation about how communities are planned and built.

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Policy-Contribution Assessment and Field-Building Analysis of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research Program

Cited by 44 publications

References 17 publications

The U.S. training institute for dissemination and implementation research in health

The U.S. training institute for dissemination and implementation research in health

At Odds: Concerns Raised by Using Odds Ratios for Continuous or Common Dichotomous Outcomes in Research on Physical Activity and Obesity

Steps Forward: Review and Recommendations for Research on Walkability, Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health

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