STRIDE: 2012-2018

Project Dates: 2012-2018

The purpose of Project STRIDE (STRategies In Disseminating Evidence for Chronic Disease Prevention) is to learn how best to support state health departments in building capacity for and use of evidence-based decision making in population-based prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Phase 1 was a 2013 national survey of staff working in cancer, chronic disease prevention, and health promotion in all 50 states.

Phase 2 was a randomized cluster trial with 12 state health department chronic disease prevention units. In six state health department units, staff received in-state multi-day training in evidence-based decision making for chronic disease prevention. The six states then selected supplemental capacity building activities. These included brief webinars or in-person trainings and management practices to more fully incorporate evidence-based decision making in prioritization of programs and in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Technical assistance was provided. Six states served as comparison sites. Evaluation of Phase 2 is through pre-post surveys in the 12 states, interviews, and case studies.

Evidence-based decision making is use of the best science in combination with community preferences to plan, adapt, implement, and evaluate programs, services, and policies that work.

Project Goals

  • Connect research and public health practice
  • Identify and address gaps in evidence-based chronic disease prevention
  • Get a nationwide picture of state health department chronic disease prevention staff views on evidence-based decision making and organizational supports
  • Provide evidence-based public health courses tailored to states and chronic disease prevention
  • Provide tailored technical assistance with state health departments
  • Provide or help state health departments provide supplemental trainings
  • Share findings and lessons learned to further the emerging field of dissemination research, which studies how best to spread information about what work

Implications for Research and Practice

Useful dissemination strategies can be replicated and/or adapted in local health departments and additional states to continue to grow evidence-based public health capacity. This applied research study will further the emerging body of knowledge in dissemination science, especially around organizational climates supportive of evidence-based public health.

NEW! Read about our findings and recommendations.

Project Contact

Peg Allen: pegallen@wustl.edu

Project Staff

Principal Investigator: Ross C. Brownson, PhD.

Co-Investigators: Elizabeth Baker, PhD, MPH, SLU; Jenine Harris, PhD; Tim McBride, PhD; Rodrigo Reis, PhD; Katie Stamatakis, PhD, MPH, SLU; Yan Yan, MD, WUSM.

Project Manager: Peg Allen, PhD, MPH, RN.

Project Partners: Carsten Baumann, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Leslie Best, Consultant, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and Former Chronic Disease Director, Pennsylvania Department of Health; Anjali Deshpande, University of Iowa College of Public Health; Maureen Dobbins, PhD, RN, National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools and Health Evidence, McMaster University; Ellen Jones, PhD, University of Mississippi Medical Center; Jon F. Kerner, PhD, formerly with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; Rebekah R. Jacob, MSW, MPH.

Funding Source

National Cancer Institute: 5R01CA160327

Related Resources

Publications

2018

Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., Lakshman, M., Best, L. A., Bass, K. and Brownson, R. C. Lessons Learned In Promoting Evidence-Based Public Health: Perspectives From Managers In State Public Health Departments. Journal of Community Health (2018).

Hu, H., Allen, P., Yan, Y., Reis, R. S., Jacob, R. R. and Brownson, R. C. Organizational Supports For Research Evidence Use In State Public Health Agencies. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (2018): 1.

2017

Brownson, R. C., Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., deRuyter, A., Lakshman, M., Reis, R. S. and Yan, Y. Controlling Chronic Diseases Through Evidence-Based Decision Making: A Group-Randomized Trial. Preventing Chronic Disease 14 (2017).

Jacob RR, Allen P, Ahrendt LJ, Brownson RC. Learning about and using research evidence among public health practitioners. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 52(3S3):S304-S308 (2017).

Stamatakis KA, Hino AAF, Allen P, McQueen A, Jacob RR, Baker EA, Brownson RC. Results from a psychometric assessment of a new tool for measuring evidence-based decision-making in public health organizations. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2017 Feb;60:17-23.

2015

Brownson, R. C., Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., Harris, J. K., Duggan, K., Hipp, P. R. and Erwin, P. C. Understanding Mis-Implementation In Public Health Practice. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 48.5 (2015): 543-551.

2014

Duggan K, Allen P, Brownson RC, Erwin PC, Fields R, Reis RS, Smith C, Stamatakis KA. What influences the use of administrative evidence-based practices in local health departments? Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research. 2014;3(4):1.

Harris, J. K., Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., Elliott, L. and Brownson, R. C. Information–Seeking Among Chronic Disease Prevention Staff In State Health Departments: Use Of Academic Journals. Preventing Chronic Disease 11 (2014).

Elliott, L., McBride, T. D., Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., Jones, E., Kerner, J. and Brownson, R. C.Health Care System Collaboration To Address Chronic Diseases: A Nationwide Snapshot From State Public Health Practitioners. Preventing Chronic Disease 11 (2014).

Jacob, R. R., Baker, E. A., Allen, P., Dodson, E. A., Duggan, K., Fields, R., Sequeira, S. and Brownson, R. C.Training Needs And Supports For Evidence-Based Decision Making Among The Public Health Workforce In The United States. BMC Health Services Research 14.1 (2014).

2013

Allen, P., Sequeira, S., Jacob, R. R., Hino, A. A. F., Stamatakis, K. A., Harris, J. K., Elliott, L., Kerner, J. F., Jones, E., Dobbins, M., Baker, E. A. and Brownson, R. C. Promoting State Health Department Evidence-Based Cancer And Chronic Disease Prevention: A Multi-Phase Dissemination Study With A Cluster Randomized Trial Component. Implementation Science 8.1 (2013).

2012

Allen P, Brownson RC, Duggan K, Stamatakis KA, Erwin PC. The makings of an evidence-based local health department: identifying administrative and management practices. Frontiers in Public Health Services & Systems Research. 2012;1(2):Article 2.

Research Briefs
Use of Academic Journals

This brief describes information seeking among state health department (SHD) chronic disease prevention staff to find public health (PH) evidence.

When Public Health Programs End

Mis-implementation in public health practice refers to ending effective programs and interventions that should continue, or continuing ineffective programs that should end. Public health resources are limited; therefore better understanding the reasons for mis-implementation can help practitioners use resources wisely.

Healthcare System Collaboration

Collaboration between public health (PH) and health care systems can improve health through greater integration of services. The objective of this study was to explore current public health and health care activities among U.S. state public health department (SHD) staff.

Training Needs & Supports

This brief describes training needs in evidence-based decision making (EBDM) at the national level based on competency gaps reported by state health department (SHD) and local health department (LHD) staff in four national surveys between 2008 – 2013.