Practitioner perspectives on equitable implementation of evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention and control.

Longstanding inequities in cancer prevention and control require novel approaches to improve evidence-based intervention implementation. Exploring and elevating the perspectives of cancer prevention and control practitioners working to advance health equity and equitably implement evidence-based interventions is an important yet underutilized step among researchers working in this space. The purpose of this study was to explore practitioners' perspectives of how health equity is defined and integrated into their work, challenges of advancing health equity for implementation in local settings, and associated strategies. We conducted virtual key informant interviews and focus groups with 16 US practitioners (e.g. clinicians, health administrators, public health professionals) in 2021-2022. Interviews and focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Data were coded using inductive content analysis and summarized into themes. Four major themes emerged: (i) how health equity is conceptualized as a process and outcome; (ii) need to shift equity mindsets; (iii) importance of community partnerships; (iv) organizational policies and strategies for fostering equity in implementation. Respondents noted the need for research and medical communities to learn about the importance and benefits of allowing communities to shape implementation to advance equity in the delivery of evidence-based interventions and outcomes. Additionally, respondents emphasized that institutional leaders should initiate changes regarding equitable implementation at the organizational- and system-levels. Respondents endorsed the need to address equity issues related to the implementation of cancer prevention and control programs, practices, and policies. Many findings can be applied beyond cancer prevention and control to support equitable implementation and outcomes more generally.

We need practitioners' input to improve how interventions can help those who need them most. In cancer prevention and control, we asked practitioners what they think about health equity in their work and problems they face. Our findings show how practitioners build strong community partnerships and make changes in health care and public health to improve health equity. These findings can be used in other health areas.

Contextual barriers and enablers to establishing an addiction-focused consultation team for hospitalized adults with opioid use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization presents an opportunity to begin people with opioid use disorder (OUD) on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and link them to care after discharge; regrettably, people admitted to the hospital with an underlying OUD typically do not receive MOUD and are not connected with subsequent treatment for their condition. To address this gap, we launched a multi-site randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a hospital-based addiction consultation team (the Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Team (START)) consisting of an addiction medicine specialist and care manager team that provide collaborative care and a specified intervention to people with OUD during the inpatient stay. Successful implementation of new practices can be impacted by organizational context, though no previous studies have examined context prior to implementation of addiction consultation services (ACS). This study assessed pre-implementation context for implementing a specialized ACS and tailoring it accordingly. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital administrators, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and social workers at the three study sites between April and August 2021 before the launch of the pragmatic trial. Using an analytical framework based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we completed a thematic analysis of interview data to understand potential barriers or enablers and perceptions about acceptability and feasibility. RESULTS: We interviewed 28 participants across three sites. The following themes emerged across sites: (1) START is an urgently needed model for people with OUD; (2) Intervention adaptations are recommended to meet local and cultural needs; (3) Linking people with OUD to community clinicians is a highly needed component of START; (4) It is important to engage stakeholders across departments and roles throughout implementation. Across sites, participants generally saw a need for change from usual care to support people with OUD, and thought the START was acceptable and feasible to implement. Differences among sites included tailoring the START to support the needs of varying patient populations and different perceptions of the prevalence of OUD. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals planning to implement an ACS in the inpatient setting may wish to engage in a systematic pre-implementation contextual assessment using a similar framework to understand and address potential barriers and contextual factors that may impact implementation. Pre-implementation work can help ensure the ACS and other new practices fit within each unique hospital context.

Design of a hybrid implementation effectiveness cluster randomized controlled trial of delivering written exposure therapy for PTSD in underserved primary care settings.

INTRODUCTION: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) results in substantial costs to society. Prevalence of PTSD among adults is high, especially among those presenting to primary care settings. Evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD are available but dissemination and implementation within primary care settings is challenging. Building Experience for Treating Trauma and Enhancing Resilience (BETTER) examines the effectiveness of integrating Written Exposure Therapy (WET) within primary care collaborative care management (CoCM). WET is a brief exposure-based treatment that has the potential to address many challenges of delivering PTSD EBPs within primary care settings. METHODS: The study is a hybrid implementation effectiveness cluster-randomized controlled trial in which 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) will be randomized to either CoCM plus WET (CoCM+WET) or CoCM only with 60 patients within each FQHC. The primary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of CoCM+WET to improve PTSD and depression symptom severity. Secondary treatment outcomes are mental and physical health functioning. The second study aim is to examine implementation of WET within FQHCs using FQHC process data and staff interviews pre- and post-intervention. Exploratory aims are to examine potential moderators and mediators of the intervention. Assessments occur at baseline, and 3- and 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: The study has the potential to impact practice and improve clinical and public health outcomes. By establishing the effectiveness and feasibility of delivering a brief trauma-focused EBP embedded within CoCM in primary care, the study aims to improve PTSD outcomes for underserved patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (Clinicaltrials.govNCT05330442).

NIH-supported implementation science and nutrition research: a portfolio review of the past decade.

Objective: This portfolio analysis aims to describe the scope of NIH-funded extramural research grants at the intersection of nutrition research and implementation science (IS) from 2011 to 2022 and to offer insights into future research opportunities relevant to the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research 2020-2030. Methods: A portfolio analysis of funded grants using NIH reporting systems was conducted to identify nutrition research and IS awarded between fiscal years 2011 and 2022. The authors screened the titles and abstracts for inclusion criteria: research and career development awards involved a nutrition and/or dietary intervention and measured a stated implementation outcome or used an IS theory, model, or framework. Results: In total, 33 NIH-funded awards met the inclusion criteria. Almost half of the awards (48.5%) were investigator-initiated research projects compared to research career awards and cooperative agreements. While studies were predominantly conducted in the United States, 15.2% were conducted in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Adults aged 19-64 years and children aged 2-11 years represented most of the study populations (45.5 and 15.2%, respectively). Studies provided nutrition/dietary guidelines and created culturally tailored interventions, which were then adapted in collaboration with community partners in schools, hospitals, and religious settings. The most cited IS outcomes were feasibility, costs, adoption, and acceptability. Sixteen awards (48.5%) used an IS theory, model, or framework to guide their work. Discussion: The findings show the breadth of NIH-funded nutrition and implementation research and highlight potential research opportunities.

Social determinants of health and US cancer screening interventions: A systematic review.

There remains a need to synthesize linkages between social determinants of health (SDOH) and cancer screening to reduce persistent inequities contributing to the US cancer burden. The authors conducted a systematic review of US-based breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer screening intervention studies to summarize how SDOH have been considered in interventions and relationships between SDOH and screening. Five databases were searched for peer-reviewed research articles published in English between 2010 and 2021. The Covidence software platform was used to screen articles and extract data using a standardized template. Data items included study and intervention characteristics, SDOH intervention components and measures, and screening outcomes. The findings were summarized using descriptive statistics and narratives. The review included 144 studies among diverse population groups. SDOH interventions increased screening rates overall by a median of 8.4 percentage points (interquartile interval, 1.8-18.8 percentage points). The objective of most interventions was to increase community demand (90.3%) and access (84.0%) to screening. SDOH interventions related to health care access and quality were most prevalent (227 unique intervention components). Other SDOH, including educational, social/community, environmental, and economic factors, were less common (90, 52, 21, and zero intervention components, respectively). Studies that included analyses of health policy, access to care, and lower costs yielded the largest proportions of favorable associations with screening outcomes. SDOH were predominantly measured at the individual level. This review describes how SDOH have been considered in the design and evaluation of cancer screening interventions and effect sizes for SDOH interventions. Findings may guide future intervention and implementation research aiming to reduce US screening inequities.

Community coalition efforts to prevent childhood obesity: two-year results of the Shape Up Under 5 study.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sector collaborations and coalitions are promising approaches for childhood obesity prevention, yet there is little empirical evidence about how they affect change. We hypothesized that changes in knowledge of, and engagement with, childhood obesity prevention among coalition members can diffuse through social networks to influence policies, systems, and environments. METHODS: We studied a community coalition (N = 16, Shape Up Under 5 "SUU5 Committee") focused on early childhood obesity prevention in Somerville, MA from 2015-17. Knowledge, engagement, and social network data were collected from Committee members and their network contacts (n = 193) at five timepoints over two years. Policy, systems, and environment data were collected from the SUU5 Committee. Data were collected via the validated COMPACT Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion survey and analyzed using regression models and social network analysis. RESULTS: Over 2 years, knowledge of (p = 0.0002), and engagement with (p = 0.03), childhood obesity prevention increased significantly among the SUU5 Committee. Knowledge increased among the Committee's social network (p = 0.001). Significant changes in policies, systems, and environments that support childhood obesity prevention were seen from baseline to 24 months (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: SUU5 had positive effects on "upstream" drivers of early childhood obesity by increasing knowledge and engagement. These changes partially diffused through networks and may have changed "midstream" community policies, systems, and environments.

Opportunities to advance implementation science and nutrition research: a commentary on the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research.

Despite population-wide recommendations by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and others to encourage health-promoting dietary patterns, the proportion of Americans following dietary recommendations remains low. The gaps in the adoption and integration of evidence-based dietary interventions, practices, programs, and policies (EBIs) into community and clinical settings signal the need to strengthen efforts in implementation science (IS) in nutrition research to understand and alleviate barriers to adopting and sustaining healthy dietary behaviors and practices. Equally important is the translation of this research into practice in a variety of settings and across the diversity of populations. Recognizing this need, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2020-2030 Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research calls for the expansion of IS as a key opportunity to advancing nutrition research. This commentary highlights three scientific opportunities to stimulate IS in nutrition research and provides examples for each opportunity. These include: (a) Advance consideration of implementation and dissemination early in the design of interventions to facilitate opportunities for equitable scale-up and sustainability of EBIs, (b) Develop and test strategies for equitable implementation of nutrition and diet EBIs in health care and community settings, and (c) Build and strengthen the infrastructure, capacity, and expertise needed to increase use of IS in clinical and community nutrition research to swiftly move the research into practice. By advancing the three opportunities identified in this commentary, the scientific community has the potential to advance the field of nutrition research and IS with the ultimate goal of improving public health.

While dietary guidelines have proven effective in clinical studies, most Americans do not follow these tested guidelines. More work is needed to bring research into practice so that all populations can benefit from the research. The U.S. National Institutes of Health recognizes this need and highlights it as a key opportunity in its 2020­2030 Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. This commentary describes three scientific opportunities that can help to stimulate the research needed to move research into practice, toward the ultimate goal of improving public health.

Using Agent-Based Modeling to Extrapolate Community-Wide Impact from a Stakeholder-Driven Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention: Shape Up Under 5.

Objective: Whole-of-community interventions are a promising systems-based approach to childhood obesity prevention. A theorized driver of success is "Stakeholder-Driven Community Diffusion" (SDCD): the spread of knowledge about and engagement with obesity prevention efforts from a committee of stakeholder representatives. We focus on the potential of SDCD to affect the broader community. Methods: We use an agent-based model of SDCD to dynamically represent the interpersonal interactions that drive community diffusion of knowledge and engagement. We test its explanatory power using longitudinal data from a sample of community members and then use simulations to extrapolate from this limited sample to the unobserved community at large. We also consider counterfactual scenarios that show how changes in implementation strategy might have led to different patterns of community change. Results: Our model can reproduce real-world patterns of diffusion. Simulations show a substantial increase in knowledge (an approximate doubling) and a slight increase in engagement throughout the broader community. A relatively small amount of this change in knowledge (∼10%), and all the change in engagement is attributable to direct intervention effects on committee members. Conclusions: SDCD is premised on creating preconditions for sustainable change. Previous work has estimated impact on small samples closely linked to the stakeholder committee, but the degree to which this translates into the much broader diffusion envisioned by SDCD theory is unknown. This analysis demonstrates the potential of interventions to do just that. Additionally, the counterfactual scenarios suggest that simulation can help tailor implementation of SDCD interventions to increase impact.

The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Score and Cancer Risk: A Longitudinal Analysis in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.

BACKGROUND: We examined associations between adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations using the standardized 2018 WCRF/AICR Score and cancer risk among older U.S. adults. METHODS: Participants included 215,102 adults in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study followed between 2004 and 2011 (mean 7.0 person-years). Scores (range: 0-7 points) were calculated from self-reported weight, physical activity, and diet and alcohol intake measures. Outcomes included 17 cancers reviewed by WCRF/AICR (cases: male n = 11,066; female n = 8,865) and top three U.S. cancers in males (total n = 4,658; lung n = 2,211; prostate n = 920; colorectal n = 1,527) and females (total n = 5,957; lung n = 1,475; post-menopausal breast n = 3,546; colorectal n = 936). Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for score and cancer risk associations, stratifying by sex and smoking status. RESULTS: Each one-point score increase was associated with 6% to 13% reduced cancer risk across combined outcomes, except for male never smokers' risk for top three cancers and male current smokers' risk for both combined cancer outcomes. Higher scores were associated with decreased lung cancer risk only among male former smokers (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79-0.89) and female current smokers (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.96). Higher scores were associated with 7% to 19% decreased breast cancer risk across smoking strata and 10% to 14% decreased colorectal cancer risk among male and female never and former smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Greater recommendations adherence was associated with reduced cancer risk. IMPACT: Findings emphasize the importance of considering combined contributions of multiple lifestyle factors for cancer prevention among older adults and the potential modifying role of smoking history.

Grounding implementation science in health equity for cancer prevention and control.

BACKGROUND: The past decade of research has seen theoretical and methodological advances in both implementation science and health equity research, opening a window of opportunity for facilitating and accelerating cross-disciplinary exchanges across these fields that have largely operated in siloes. In 2019 and 2020, the National Cancer Institute's Consortium for Cancer Implementation Science convened an action group focused on 'health equity and context' to identify opportunities to advance implementation science. In this paper, we present a narrative review and synthesis of the relevant literature at the intersection of health equity and implementation science, highlight identified opportunities (i.e., public goods) by the action group for advancing implementation science in cancer prevention and control, and integrate the two by providing key recommendations for future directions. DISCUSSION: In the review and synthesis of the literature, we highlight recent advances in implementation science, relevant to promoting health equity (e.g., theories/models/frameworks, adaptations, implementation strategies, study designs, implementation determinants, and outcomes). We acknowledge the contributions from the broader field of health equity research and discuss opportunities for integration and synergy with implementation science, which include (1) articulating an explicit focus on health equity for conducting and reviewing implementation science; (2) promoting an explicit focus on health equity in the theories, models, and frameworks guiding implementation science; and (3) identifying methods for understanding and documenting influences on the context of implementation that incorporate a focus on equity. To advance the science of implementation with a focus on health equity, we reflect on the essential groundwork needed to promote bi-directional learning between the fields of implementation science and health equity research and recommend (1) building capacity among researchers and research institutions for health equity-focused and community-engaged implementation science; (2) incorporating health equity considerations across all key implementation focus areas (e.g., adaptations, implementation strategies, study design, determinants, and outcomes); and (3) continuing a focus on transdisciplinary opportunities in health equity research and implementation science. We believe that these recommendations can help advance implementation science by incorporating an explicit focus on health equity in the context of cancer prevention and control and beyond.

Social determinants of health and cancer screening implementation and outcomes in the USA: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Improving the delivery, uptake, and implementation of cancer screening to meet evidence-based recommendations is needed to reduce persistent cancer health disparities in the USA. Current national public health targets emphasize the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) on cancer screening. However, there remains a need to explicate these linkages, toward the goal of identifying and implementing effective interventions that target and address SDOH to reduce inequities in cancer screening. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic review of English language peer-reviewed original research articles published between 2010 and 2021 that describe observational (qualitative and quantitative) and intervention studies conducted in the USA. In alignment with Healthy People 2030, we will include studies of breast, cervical, colorectal, and/or lung cancer screening. Guided by multiple SDOH frameworks, we will broadly define SDOH by five domain areas: economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Following systematic literature searches in five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) and piloting of screening procedures, reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts for potential relevance. Reviewer pairs will then screen full text articles for eligibility criteria. We will extract data items from included articles, including study characteristics, cancer screening intervention information, and coding of SDOH constructs. We will assess study quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and synthesize our findings using narrative, descriptive statistics, tables, and figures. Our approach will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) recommendations. DISCUSSION: By completing this systematic review, we will summarize recent literature on SDOH and cancer screening, identify research gaps for inclusion of SDOH, and propose future opportunities for advancing equity in cancer screening by integrating SDOH as part of the implementation context to promote uptake, sustainability, and scale-up in the implementation of screening guidelines. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021276582 .

Collaboration networks of the implementation science centers for cancer control: a social network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multi-center research initiatives offer opportunities to develop and strengthen connections among researchers. These initiatives often have goals of increased scientific collaboration which can be examined using social network analysis. METHODS: The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC3) initiative conducted an online social network survey in its first year of funding (2020) to (1) establish baseline network measures including the extent of cross-center collaboration and (2) assess factors associated with a network member's access to the network such as one's implementation science (IS) expertise. Members of the seven funded centers and NCI program staff identified collaborations in planning/conducting research, capacity building, product development, scientific dissemination, and practice/policy dissemination. RESULTS: Of the 192 invitees, 182 network members completed the survey (95%). The most prevalent roles were faculty (60%) and research staff (24%). Almost one-quarter (23%) of members reported advanced expertise in IS, 42% intermediate, and 35% beginner. Most members were female (69%) and white (79%). One-third (33%) of collaboration ties were among members from different centers. Across all collaboration activities, the network had a density of 14%, suggesting moderate cohesion. Degree centralization (0.33) and betweenness centralization (0.07) measures suggest a fairly dispersed network (no single or few central member(s) holding all connections). The most prevalent and densely connected collaboration was in planning/conducting research (1470 ties; 8% density). Practice/policy dissemination had the fewest collaboration, lowest density (284 ties' 3% density), and the largest number of non-connected members (n=43). Access to the ISC3 network varied significantly depending on members' level of IS expertise, role within the network, and racial/ethnic background. Across all collaboration activities, most connected members included those with advanced IS expertise, faculty and NCI staff, and Hispanic or Latino and white members. CONCLUSIONS: Results establish a baseline for assessing the growth of cross-center collaborations, highlighting specific areas in need of particular growth in network collaborations such as increasing engagement of racial and ethnic minorities and trainees or those with less expertise in IS.

Development of a Community Coalition to Influence Nutrition and Physical Activity in Early Childhood Education.

BACKGROUND: Recognizing insufficient support for healthy eating and physical activity in early childhood education centers in Greenville, South Carolina, a group of stakeholders formed a workgroup as an organizing structure. Members developed and implemented a 2-year community-based participatory research initiative aimed at nutrition and physical activity policy, systems and environment change in 10 early childhood education centers. OBJECTIVES: This article 1) describes engagement efforts and partnerships leading to formation of the workgroup and initiative, 2) presents data on Workgroup members' knowledge and engagement, and 3) shares lessons learned. METHODS: Workgroup member knowledge and engagement related to obesity prevention was measured at two time points during the ECE initiative using the "Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion Survey." LESSONS LEARNED: Knowledge and engagement scores increased over the measurement period. Scores for engagement were higher than scores for knowledge at both time points. There was a substantial increase in perceived leadership and stewardship, knowledge of intervention factors and how to intervene sustainably, and understanding of local resources and roles. An important strength was stakeholder buy-in and ownership of planning and implementation processes.

Implementing and Evaluating a Stakeholder-Driven Community Diffusion-Informed Early Childhood Intervention to Prevent Obesity, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 2018-2020.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to demonstrate and evaluate aspects of a Stakeholder-Driven Community Diffusion (SDCD)-informed intervention with a group of stakeholders drawn from a large coalition seeking a novel approach for promoting policy, systems, and environmental-level change. The objectives were to implement an SDCD intervention, assess changes in participants' perspectives, and evaluate where the group's actions fit within the context of a systems map that the group created during the intervention. INTERVENTION APPROACH: An SDCD-informed intervention convened 12 multisector stakeholders from the Early Ages Healthy Stages coalition in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. They participated in group model building activities to promote systems thinking related to childhood obesity prevention, reviewed evidence about topics of interest to the group, and were provided with technical assistance and seed funding to guide the selection and implementation of actions prioritized by the group. EVALUATION METHODS: Data were collected via meeting notes and group model building outputs to demonstrate implementation and action prioritization; online surveys and qualitative interviews to measure perspective change among stakeholders; and a follow-up survey to the broader coalition assessing actions coalition members were taking. RESULTS: An SDCD-informed intervention guided the development of a systems map and the selection of 4 actions: 1) develop a better understanding of the local early childcare environment; 2) assess the effectiveness and impact of Ohio Healthy Programs (OHP); 3) advocate for OHP and improved early childhood education quality; and 4) hold OHP designees accountable to high-quality programming. Data collected from surveys and interviews showed increased awareness of programs, resources, and collaboration opportunities among stakeholders. Follow-up survey results showed ongoing coalition action throughout the systems map. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Using an SDCD-informed intervention among a coalition of community stakeholders provided a unique approach for implementing, assessing, and analyzing collaborative efforts to prevent childhood obesity in Cuyahoga County. Our approach can be applied to help researchers and stakeholders improve efforts to address childhood obesity in their communities.

Implementing Group Model Building With the Shape Up Under 5 Community Committee Working to Prevent Early Childhood Obesity in Somerville, Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our process of using group model building (GMB) with the Shape Up Under 5 Committee; measure the effects on Committee members; and describe the community-wide health messaging campaign that resulted from the process. DESIGN: Pilot study. SETTING: Somerville, Massachusetts. PARTICIPANTS: Members of the Shape Up Under 5 Committee, a multisector group of professionals. INTERVENTION: Research team convened the Committee and facilitated GMB from October 2015 to June 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Boundary objects produced during GMB activities; committee members' perspectives on early childhood obesity in their community; and Committee members' knowledge, engagement, and trust at the conclusion of each meeting. RESULTS: Working together using GMB activities and with support from the research team, the Committee created a community-wide campaign that provided evidence-based messages to reach an entire city that emphasized diversity and reaching immigrants and community members who spoke languages other than English. More than 80% of Committee members reported changes in their perspectives related to early childhood obesity at the conclusion of the pilot test. Six perspective shift themes emerged from interviews and open-ended survey items: exposure to new perspectives about challenges community members face; increased awareness of others working on similar issues; increased knowledge about early childhood obesity; seeing value in creating a space to work across sectors; appreciating complexity and linkages between early childhood obesity prevention and other community issues; and how participation in committee influences members' priorities in their own work. Knowledge of and engagement with early childhood obesity prevention varied at the conclusion of each meeting, as did increases in trust among Committee members. CONCLUSION: Group model building is a promising approach to support multisector groups working to address early childhood obesity in their community. Meeting activities may have had differential impacts on members' knowledge of and engagement with early childhood obesity.

Validation and refinement of the Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion Survey for childhood obesity prevention.

BACKGROUND: Whole-of-community interventions hold promise in addressing childhood obesity. The COMPACT Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion theory posits that stakeholders' knowledge of childhood obesity prevention efforts and engagement with the issue contribute to successful intervention implementation. Building on completed formative research and pilot testing, we describe the validation and refinement of knowledge and engagement measures. METHODS: We assessed content validity using a modified Delphi process with science (n=18) and practice-based (n=16) experts. Next, we refined the survey based on input from science- and practice-based experts, cognitive response testing, and item analysis of extant survey data. Field testing of the refined survey involved community stakeholders in Greenville County, South Carolina (n=50), East Boston, Massachusetts (n=30), and Tucson, Arizona (n=84) between 2019 and 2020. Construct validity was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Two-week test-retest reliability was assessed among a subsample of 14 paired respondents in South Carolina. RESULTS: Experts rated existing knowledge domains (intervention factors, roles, sustainability, problem, resources) and engagement domains (dialogue/mutual learning, flexibility, influence/power, leadership/stewardship, trust) highly for their importance in addressing childhood obesity. Expert input resulted in 11 new knowledge items and 7 new engagement items that mapped onto existing domains. Correspondingly, two domain names were modified: implementation/sustainability and trust/trustworthiness. We also eliminated 8 extant items (4 knowledge and 4 engagement) and adapted item language for comprehension and consistency. Further modifications based on CFA results and item analyses resulted in 23 knowledge items across four domains (roles and resources merged) and 23 engagement items across five domains. Modified knowledge and engagement scales had adequate fit and strong item factor loadings (most >0.7 and all >0.5). Knowledge (α=0.86-0.87) and engagement (α=0.75-0.90) subscales had high internal scale consistency. Knowledge intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for test-retest agreement of subscale scores ranged from 0.50 for intervention factors to 0.86 for roles/resources. For engagement subscale scores, ICCs ranged from 0.70 for trust/trustworthiness to 0.96 for leadership/stewardship. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this multi-method survey development process increase our confidence of the knowledge and engagement measures' content validity, construct validity, and reliability.

Prevalence and correlates of US adult public opinion on restricting junk food advertising to children on social media: 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To describe US adults' levels of support, neutrality and opposition to restricting junk food advertising to children on social media and explore associations with socio-demographic and health-related characteristics. DESIGN: In 2020-2021, we used cross-sectional data from the National Cancer Institute's 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey to estimate the prevalence of opinions towards advertising restrictions and correlates of neutrality and opposition using weighted multivariable logistic regression. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 18+ years. RESULTS: Among the analytic sample (n 2852), 54 % of adults were neutral or opposed to junk food advertising restrictions on social media. The odds of being neutral or opposed were higher among Non-Hispanic Black adults (v. non-Hispanic White; OR: 2·03 (95 % CI 1·26, 3·26)); those completing some college (OR: 1·68 (95 % CI 1·20, 2·34)) or high school or less (OR: 2·62 (95 % CI 1·74, 3·96)) (v. those with a college degree); those who were overweight (v. normal weight; OR: 1·42 (95 % CI: 1·05, 1·93)) and those reporting a moderate (OR: 1·45 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·88)) or conservative (OR: 1·71 (95 % CI 1·24, 2·35)) political viewpoint (v. liberal). Having strong (v. weaker) weight and diet-related cancer beliefs was associated with 53 % lower odds of being neutral or opposed to advertising restrictions (OR: 0·47 (95 % CI 0·36, 0·61)). CONCLUSIONS: The current study identified subgroups of US adults for whom targeted communication strategies may increase support for policies to improve children's food environment.

Evolution of a Coalition Network during a Whole-of-Community Intervention to Prevent Early Childhood Obesity.

Background: Community coalitions often lead and coordinate "whole-of-community" childhood obesity prevention interventions. A growing body of work suggests that coalition network ties, which facilitate transmission of information and advocacy, may be a key part of how such leadership operates. This study provides an understanding of the structure of coalition networks and how this structure changes over time. Methods: We administered semiannual network surveys during a pilot whole-of-community intervention in Somerville, MA (2015-2017). Participants included 16 multisector coalition members and their nominated discussion partners ("first-degree alters") related to childhood obesity prevention. Coalition and first-degree alter respondents named up to 20 discussion partners and reported ties' interaction frequency and perceived influence. Networks were assessed with visualization, descriptive analysis, and exponential random graph models. Results: Total network included 558 stakeholders representing community-based organizations, parents, health care, childcare, universities, among others. Size and membership varied over time. We observed the largest network (n = 256) during intervention planning, and the largest proportion of stakeholders communicating frequently (daily/weekly) about childhood obesity prevention during the peak intervention period. Networks were sparsely interconnected (1%-3% of possible ties observed) and most and least centralized at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Over time, ties were increasingly perceived as influential and siloed within community groups. Conclusions: The network's extensive evolving membership may indicate access to a wide range of resources, ideas, and an ability to broadly disseminate intervention messages. The attenuating network hierarchy over time may have supported more equal participation and control over intervention efforts. Future research should assess generalizability of network patterns, network influences on implementation processes, and possible network interventions.

Associations of mothers' source of feeding information with longitudinal trajectories of sugar-sweetened beverage intake, 100% juice intake and adiposity in early childhood.

BACKGROUND: There remains a need to understand how information sources can promote young children's healthy beverage consumption and prevent obesity. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations of mothers' primary feeding information source with children's sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, 100% juice intake and adiposity between ages 3 and 7 years. METHODS: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort study (n = 371 children; 13 visits). Mothers reported their primary feeding information source at baseline and completed child 3-day dietary records each visit. Child adiposity indicators were calculated from repeated height/weight measurements and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Longitudinal models examined beverage intakes and adiposity over time by source. RESULTS: Primary feeding information sources included doctors (48.2%), mothers (17.5%), grandmothers (13.5%), other healthcare professionals (11.3%) and other family/friends (9.4%). Children's juice intake with age differed by source (P interaction = 0.03), with steepest and slightest intake decreases in the doctor (-19.7% each year; 95% CI: -23.7%, -15.5%) and grandmother (-5.0%; -14.5%, 5.5%) subgroups, respectively. Children's SSB intake did not differ by source, but increased annually by 7.1% (4.5%, 9.8%) overall. The grandmother subgroup had the greatest child adiposity over time. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' primary feeding information source may have important, yet heterogeneous, influences on young children's beverage intakes and adiposity over time. Consistent evidence-based messages are likely needed.

Role of social ecological model level on young Pacific children's sugar-sweetened beverage and water intakes: Children's Healthy Living intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To examine children's sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and water intakes in relation to implemented intervention activities across the social ecological model (SEM) during a multilevel community trial. DESIGN: Children's Healthy Living was a multilevel, multicomponent community trial that reduced young child obesity (2013-2015). Baseline and 24-month cross-sectional data were analysed from nine intervention arm communities. Implemented intervention activities targeting reduced SSB and increased water consumption were coded by SEM level (child, caregiver, organisation, community and policy). Child SSB and water intakes were assessed by caregiver-completed 2-day dietary records. Multilevel linear regression models examined associations of changes in beverage intakes with activity frequencies at each SEM level. SETTING: US-Affiliated Pacific region. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 2-8 years (baseline: n 1343; 24 months: n 1158). RESULTS: On average (± sd), communities implemented 74 ± 39 SSB and 72 ± 40 water activities. More than 90 % of activities targeted both beverages together. Community-level activities (e.g. social marketing campaign) were most common (61 % of total activities), and child-level activities (e.g. sugar counting game) were least common (4 %). SSB activities across SEM levels were not associated with SSB intake changes. Additional community-level water activities were associated with increased water intake (0·62 ml/d/activity; 95 % CI: 0·09, 1·15) and water-for-SSB substitution (operationalised as SSB minus water: -0·88 ml/d/activity; 95 % CI: -1·72, -0·03). Activities implemented at the organization level (e.g. strengthening preschool wellness guidelines) and policy level (e.g. SSB tax advocacy) also suggested greater water-for-SSB substitution (P < 0·10). CONCLUSIONS: Community-level intervention activities were associated with increased water intake, alone and relative to SSB intake, among young children in the Pacific region.