Creating Cultures of Health in the Academy: Bringing Together Top-Down and Ground-Up Approaches.

This article reports on a 3-year longitudinal study focused on the impact of cross-sector, collective impact approaches to creating cultures of campus health. The study sought to understand the integration of health and well-being concepts into university operations, including business practices and policies, as well as the contribution of public health initiatives focused on health-promoting universities to creating cultures of campus health for students, staff, and faculty. Research was carried out from spring 2018 to spring 2020 via focus group data collection and rapid qualitative analysis involving template and matrix analysis. A total of 18 focus groups were conducted across the 3-year study, six with students, eight with staff, and four with faculty. The initial cohort included 70 participants: 26 students, 31 staff, and 13 faculty. Qualitative analysis findings indicate a general pattern of change over time from a primary focus on well-being characterized by programs and services (e.g., fitness classes) to policy and structural-level interventions (e.g., stairwell beautification and hydration stations) promoting well-being for all. Grass-top and grassroots leadership and action were instrumental to changes in working and learning environments, policies, and campus environment/infrastructure. This work contributes to the growing literature on health-promoting universities and colleges and demonstrates the critical role of both top-down and ground-up approaches and leadership efforts to create more equitable and sustainable cultures of campus health and well-being.

Personal Freedom and Social Responsibility in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19: A Rapid Qualitative Study.

This rapid qualitative exploratory study focused on perceptions of adopting risk-reduction measures, such as face masks, on campuses within institutions of higher education in the United States. It was intended to identify safety measures to reduce virus spread and develop community-informed public health messaging to promote COVID-19 risk-reduction strategies within campus communities. This study was approved by the institutional review board where the study took place. A total of 113 stakeholders, including students, staff, and faculty attended one of nine focus groups. We use the socioecological model to illustrate the use of COVID-19 public health measures in private and public spaces and how macro-level processes, specifically sociocultural values of personal freedom and social responsibility shape the meaning and interpretation of COVID-19 public health measures. A rapid qualitative data analysis was conducted. This analysis was characterized by three steps: (1) transcription of the interviews, (2) completion of a summary template per focus group analysis (data reduction strategy), and (3) matrix analyses involving a cross-case analysis of the nine focus groups conducted. Based on study findings, we offer community-centered recommendations for safe and healthy reopening of large public research institutions. This article contributes to the foundation of scientific literature that qualitatively describes evidence-based strategies for safe reopening of places of education and employment in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Engaging Stakeholders in the Healthy Campus Movement.

BACKGROUND: Institutions of higher education are increasingly attending to the health of their campus community. This article reports on a Healthy Campus Initiative (HCI) to build a culture of health. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the applicability of the four action areas of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Framework to campus health and discuss challenges and lessons learned. METHODS: Observational, qualitative, and quantitative data were collected to describe partnership development, key stakeholder engagement, and stakeholder perceptions of healthy campus activity between 2016 and fall 2018. RESULTS: This initiative aligned with 3 of the four action areas of the Culture of Health Framework by making campus health as a shared value, fostering campus and local community collaborations, and creating a healthier and more equitable campus community. CONCLUSIONS: For institutions of higher education, the Culture of Health Framework is ideal to engage stakeholders to take action to create and build cultures of health.