Applying Theory of Change to a Structural Change Initiative: Evaluation of Model Communities in a Diverse County.

Structural change approaches, also called policy, systems, and environmental change approaches, have been increasingly promoted and adopted by public ealth agencies in the past decade. These interventions require attention to multilevel, complex and contextual influences on individual and community health outcomes, requiring a sound theoretical framework that links the many processes and outcomes over time. The Model Communities program of Cook County, Illinois Communities Putting Prevention to Work program employed a theory of change (ToC) framework to inform the evaluations' design and execution. The main objective of this study was to apply findings from the longitudinal multiple case study evaluation to develop an adapted ToC. We conducted 97 key informant interviews across three waves, with a focus on Model Communities program participants', Communities Putting Prevention to Work staff, and technical assistance providers' experiences over time. Four analysts organized and coded the data using qualitative software; exploratory functions and data matrices were employed throughout three waves of analysis. Adaptations to the ToC included the addition of a construct, "change readiness," as well as refinements to constructs: organizational capacity (human capital, technical assistance, informal and formal leadership), local partnerships, and the importance of sustainability. The findings offer a data-informed theoretical framework that may be considered for use in evaluations of structural change interventions in complex and diverse counties.

Adolescent and Adult Clients in Prenatal Case Management: Differences in Problems and Interventions Used.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize differences between pregnant adolescents and adults in the types of problems addressed by case managers, and to assess subsequent differences in the types of interventions used with both groups. METHODS: Data stem from 3947 client encounters, provided by 223 case managers in 92 Medicaid-reimbursed prenatal case management programs; the clients were confirmed to be either adolescents (<20 years of age) or adults. Case managers provided information on each client encounter that occurred during 10 workdays over a 20 workday period using the Case Management Intervention Record , a data collection tool. The Chi square test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the types and number of problems, the types of intervention received, and the mean number of intervention minutes between adolescents and adults. RESULTS: Adolescents experienced an average of 3.9 problems whereas adults experienced an average of 3.2 problems (p < 0.001). Compared to adults, adolescents were significantly more likely to experience problems in the areas of pregnancy health, family, education/job, transportation, and housing. With respect to breadth of interventions, adolescent clients were significantly more likely to receive support, clinical acts, and to be given tangible items compared to adult clients. On average, case managers spent significantly more time per encounter with adolescents than with adults overall (mean 56.6 vs. 50.3 min), and on educating, assessing, coaching, and monitoring. CONCLUSION: Age related differences have both programmatic and provider implications. The intervention typology can be used to evaluate PCM programs serving high risk population.

Policy, systems, and environmentally oriented school-based obesity prevention: opportunities and challenges.

Public health is increasingly emphasizing policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change as a key strategy for population-level health promotion and disease prevention. When applied to childhood obesity, this strategy typically involves school systems, since children spend large portions of their days in school and are heavily influenced by this environment. While most school systems have implemented nutrition education and physical activity programs for some time, their understanding and use of PSE approaches to obesity prevention is accelerating based on several large federally funded initiatives. As part of one initiative's evaluation, key informant interviews reveal the specific obesity prevention PSE strategies schools are attempting and the corresponding barriers and facilitators to their implementation. These evaluation findings raise several fundamental issues regarding school-based obesity prevention, including the potential role of school personnel, the influence of grant funding on school health initiatives, and the fit between public health and educational priorities.

Using the community readiness model as an approach to formative evaluation.

This article presents an adapted version of an established model for assessing community readiness along with an illustrative case example from the evaluation of Positive Action, a school-based social and character development intervention, implemented as part of a randomized controlled trial in Chicago Public Schools from 2004 through 2010. Community readiness is an emerging assessment approach that can be used to gauge the level of understanding, desire, and ownership that community members have regarding a community problem and/or intervention. This approach is useful in engaging the community and leveraging particular aspects of readiness that the community may exhibit in order to maximize an intervention's successful implementation. The article concludes with a discussion of ways in which a community readiness model may be useful in health promotion practice, both in schools and in other community settings.