Strategic science for eating disorders research and policy impact

Abstract

Scientific research often fails to have relevance and impact because scientists do not engage policy makers and influencers in the process of identifying information needs and generating high priority questions. To address this scholarship-policy gap, we have developed a model of Strategic Science. This research approach involves working with policy makers and influencers to craft research questions that will answer important and timely policy-related questions. The goal is to create tighter links between research and policy and ensure findings are communicated efficiently to change agents best positioned to apply the research to policy debates. In this paper, we lay out a model for Strategic Science and describe how this approach may help advance policy research and action for eating disorders.

Research for leveraging food policy in universal eating disorder prevention

“…The eating disorder field has a crucial part to play in informing policies targeting the food industry and to ensure that such policies do no harm. Given the lack of scientific evidence serving to inform policymaking, the strategic science model was developed in an attempt to more systematically link scholarship to policy (Roberto & Brownell, ). Within this model, strategic research questions are posed with the goal of providing change agents at the policy level with the data to inform their decisions.…”

“…First, eating disorder researchers should examine how specific food industry practices, including the production and marketing of food, may influence eating disorder risk. Secondly, research on the impact of legislative efforts on eating disorder cognitions and behaviors is needed (Roberto & Brownell, ). Such evaluations of the effects of policies targeting food industry on eating disorder risk are important to identify useful policy solutions.…”

A systems thinking perspective on the barriers to treatment access for people with eating disorders

“…A recent systematic review of barriers to treatment access concluded that further research on system-level barriers is needed (Regan et al, 2017). There have also been calls for the eating disorder literature to address system-related issues, such as the treatment gap (Kazdin, Fitzsimmons-Craft, & Wilfley, 2017) and scholarship-policy gap (Roberto & Brownell, 2017;Whiteford & Weissman, 2017). For example, as part of a strategic science approach, it has been proposed that researchers partner with government influencers to develop research questions that address the impacts of policy decisions (Roberto & Brownell, 2017) and consider questions important in health financing decisions, such as whether there is a need for greater regulation (Whiteford & Weissman, 2017).…”

Innovation in eating disorders research and practice: Expanding our community and perspectives at the 2018 International Conference on Eating Disorders: Editorial to accompany IJED Virtual Issue in honor of the 2018 International Conference on Eating Disorders.

“…The importance of policy‐based approaches to addressing the burden of eating disorders has long been acknowledged and championed by Austin (), who became President‐Elect of the Academy for Eating Disorders at ICED 2018. In this issue, Roberto and Brownell () propose a model for conducting strategic science to inform eating disorders‐related policy. They suggest that engaging policy makers in crafting research questions and design is key to moving evidence‐based policy forward.…”