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INVESTIGATOR: Jones, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
901 SUMTER ST STE 511
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29208-0001

COPASCITIES: CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION IN SC COMMUNITIES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: States and communities are responding to the high and rising rates of childhood obesity with strategies designed to address food systems change. The Guide to Community Preventive Services currently does not have sufficient evidence to recommend any nutrition strategies for obesity prevention. Nonetheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other groups recommend food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention. Food systems strategies are often contested in community settings because of competing values and interests among stakeholders. Furthermore, the evaluation of these food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention is limited and shows inconsistent results. To advance childhood obesity prevention in the US, researchers and public health practitioners need to adopt the model of practice-based evidence, developing research and evaluation within real world community contexts. In the State of South Carolina (SC), several community-based groups are actively using food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention. These groups represent different interests in each community and choose strategies for prevention based on those interests and their capacity to adopt prevention strategies. Working in partnership with these groups, we have the opportunity to learn about the community process of obesity prevention and build practice-based evidence for these contexts. The long-term goals of this project are to : 1. Increase the capacity of SC community leaders and the University of South Carolina (USC) faculty and students to develop practice-based evidence for community-based childhood obesity prevention. 2. Catalyze and describe the process through which community-based teams develop practice-based evidence for childhood obesity prevention. We expect that (1) within complex community systems, childhood obesity prevention teams can develop practice-based evidence that can be used to in real time; (2) participatory action research will be a useful a model for generating practice-based evidence; (3) building the institutional capacity of USC to educate future obesity prevention leaders will sustain obesity prevention in the future; and (4) faculty participation in the development of institutes and educational opportunities will strengthen faculty collaboration within the USC. In sum, we expect that this project will strengthen the capacity of the State of SC to prevent childhood obesity through research and education. Uses of this work include: (1) Providing practice-based evidence of childhood obesity prevention strategies; (2) Providing a foundation for future research into the community processes that facilitate effective obesity prevention strategies; (3) Providing a model for advancing the field of public health nutrition by integrating food systems and environments expertise into our educational programs; (4) Translating best practices from other fields, such as HIV prevention, for community-based capacity building ; And (5) Using case studies to leverage future funding for research and obesity prevention.

OBJECTIVES: 1. Increase the capacity of SC community leaders and USC *Develop and implement a capacity-building program for SC community leaders of childhood obesity prevention. Y1: Develop, administer, and analyze surveys; Y2: Develop and disseminate research, policy and practice briefs; Y3: Implementation of institutes; Make cases widely available for use; Y2 to Y3 offer up to five institutes per semester with faculty mentors and an average of 10 community leaders per institute. Y4 offer three institutes per semester; Re-administer and analyze survey; Y5: Develop and disseminate research, policy and practice briefs. *Expand USC educational opportunities for training in food systems and childhood obesity prevention by creating an undergraduate minor, a graduate certificate, and service learning opportunities, field placements, and graduate assistantships for students. Y1 Develop program proposal, seek departmental, school, and faculty senate approval; Work with Office of Student Engagement to identify service learning faculty partners; Y2-Y5 Promote and monitor minor enrollment; provide advisement support for minor's and certificate's departmental home; Y2-Y5: Stimulate the development of at least 2 service learning course by offering summer stipend to faculty for course development; Y1-Y5: Identify community placement opportunities; Y1-Y5 one brief per year per student and faculty 2. Catalyze and describe the process through which community-based teams develop practice-based evidence * Use participatory action research to catalyze and evaluate the adoption of community-based childhood obesity prevention strategies. Y1 Conduct a content analysis of strategies recommended; Y2 Conduct semi-structured interviews with up to 10 members of 30 community working groups to identify strategies for which leaders have common ground and strategies which are contested; Y3 Conduct a comparative case study of photo voice studies; Y4 Analyze participant-developed themes to understand views of childhood obesity prevention strategies across SC communities. * Conduct prospective case studies of 4 communities Y1 Select communities, hire community organizers; community leaders participate in capacity building institutes, organizer participates in additional training; Y2 Mentor community organizers, begin compiling and analyzing cases; work with participants in capacity building institutes to use new skills, resources, and commitment in planning; Y3-Y4: Organizers work to catalyze community actions; Y5: Analyze themes across cases; continue to document community process; develop manuscripts. We expect that (1) childhood obesity prevention teams will develop practice-based evidence that can be used to in real time; (2) participatory action research will generate practice-based evidence; (3) building the institutional capacity of USC will sustain obesity prevention in the future; and (4) development of institutes and educational opportunities will strengthen faculty collaboration. In sum, we expect that this project will strengthen the capacity of the State of SC to prevent childhood obesity through research and education.