MAPS-Global is a feasible and reliable instrument that can be used both on-street and online to analyze microscale environmental characteristics in diverse international urban settings.
Category: 2020
Different Responses to COVID-19 in Four US States: Washington, New York, Missouri, and Alabama (Links to an external site)
Patterns and correlates of mis-implementation in state chronic disease public health practice in the United States (Links to an external site)
State-level public health practitioners are in ideal positions to affect programs and policies related to chronic disease, but the extent to which mis-implementation occurring with these programs is largely unknown. Mis-implementation refers to ending effective programs and policies prematurely or continuing ineffective ones. This study found that greater attention to mis-implementation should lead to greater use of effective interventions and more efficient expenditure of resources, ultimately to improve health outcomes.
McDonnell Academy Supports COVID-19-Related Research (Links to an external site)
To help address the international social, economic and public health ramifications of the outbreak, the McDonnell International Scholars Academy recently awarded $250,000 in seed grants to kick-start research projects led by Washington University faculty members and their international collaborators.
Three Brown School faculty members were among the awardees: Professor Rodrigo Reis, Assistant Professor Deborah Salvo, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Shanti K. Khinduka Distinguished Professor.
Two Public Health Alums Awarded Prestigious Fellowships in Africa (Links to an external site)
Two recent Brown School graduates, including our own PRC alum, Mackenzie Robinson, were recently selected for a highly competitive Global Health Fellowship. The good news of their awards was amplified when they learned later they’d both be working in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mental Distress and Human Rights Violations During COVID-19: A Rapid Review of the Evidence Informing Rights, Mental Health Needs, and Public Policy Around Vulnerable Populations (Links to an external site)
This review emphasizes the need to uphold human rights and address long term mental health needs of populations that have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic.
Expanding Implementation Research to Prevent Chronic Diseases in Community Settings (Links to an external site)
This review presents lessons learned from past studies to guide future implementation research and practice across diverse settings and geographies.
Roles dissemination and implementation scientists can play in supporting research teams (Links to an external site)
This paper exemplifies how the D&I scientist/researcher collaborative process might work and important elements to consider in doing so, as well as provides an outline on how collaborations might progress for different project needs.
Changing landscape of nutrition and dietetics research? A bibliographic analysis of top-tier published research in 1998 and 2018 (Links to an external site)
This study sought to describe and compare study type, research design and translation phase of published research in nutrition and dietetic journals in 1998 and 2018.
Building the Next Generation of Researchers: Mentored Training in Dissemination and Implementation Science (Links to an external site)
Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science provides the tools needed to close the gap between known intervention strategies and their effective application. The authors report on the Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (MT-DIRC) program-a D&I training program for postdoctoral or early-career cancer prevention and control scholars.
Rugged landscapes: complexity and implementation science (Links to an external site)
Mis-implementation – defined as failure to successfully implement and continue evidence-based programs-is widespread in public health practice. Yet the causes of this phenomenon are poorly understood.
Barriers to Aging in Place for Rural, Institutionalized Older Adults: A Qualitative Exploration (Links to an external site)
The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the experiences of rural older adults who live in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and thus have not aged in place. By retrospectively analyzing their pre-institution care situation, we aim to generate foundational knowledge on the barriers to aging in place in rural settings.
Raising Well at Home: a pre-post feasibility study of a lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their child with obesity (Links to an external site)
The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a tailored lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their children with obesity, conducted in partnership with Envolve, Inc., a family of comprehensive health solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation.
Walking School Bus Programs: Implementation Factors, Implementation Outcomes, and Student Outcomes, 2017-2018 (Links to an external site)
Walking school bus programs increase children’s physical activity through active travel to school; however, research to inform large-scale implementation of such programs is limited. An investigation of contextual factors, implementation outcomes, and student outcomes in existing walking school bus programs in the United States and internationally was conducted.
Strategies for effective dissemination of research to United States policymakers: a systematic review (Links to an external site)
Research has the potential to influence US social policy; however, existing research in this area lacks a coherent message. The Model for Dissemination of Research provides a framework through which to synthesize lessons learned from research to date on the process of translating research to US policymakers.
Feeding Students During COVID-19-Related School Closures: A Nationwide Assessment of Initial Responses (Links to an external site)
Conducted a nationwide assessment of child nutrition administrative agencies’ responses to meal service provision during coronavirus disease 2019-related school closures.
Evaluating the implementation of the SWITCH® school wellness intervention and capacity-building process through multiple methods (Links to an external site)
School wellness programming is important for promoting healthy lifestyles and academic achievement in youth; however, research is needed on methods that can help schools implement and sustain such programs on their own. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors within and outside the school environment that influenced school capacity for implementation and potential sustainability of wellness programming.
Dissemination and implementation research in sports and exercise medicine and sports physical therapy: translating evidence to practice and policy (Links to an external site)
Global, regional, and national trends and patterns in physical activity research since 1950: a systematic review (Links to an external site)
Hillman Hall’s Flexibility Key To Brown School Reopening During Pandemic (Links to an external site)
MT-DIRC featured in The Source (Links to an external site)
A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has been an international leader in developing the science of D&I research. A recent mentored training program is helping to expand that knowledge base well beyond the university.
Staff Spotlight: Cheryl Valko
Cheryl Valko wears a lot of hats at the PRC. As the center’s associate director, she helps guide the administration of a variety of activities, from communications to strategic planning and the reviewing of grants. And like most everyone, she’s facing the challenges of balancing home-based work with household responsibilities, including caring for her 2-year-old […]
Congratulations Elizabeth Singh (Budd) for receiving the Steven P. Hooker Research Award (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to Elizabeth Budd for receiving the Steven P. Hooker Research Award for outstanding physical activity research in the field of public health. This award recognizes Professor Budd’s presentation at the AATSP conference in October.
Examining schools’ lack of response to food insecurity (Links to an external site)
As schools across the United States have moved to online learning or hybrid models due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis investigates the responses of child nutrition administrative agencies.
Use and awareness of the community guide in state and local health department chronic disease programs (Links to an external site)
Since most deaths in the United States are due to chronic disease, evidence-based interventions are available to prevent or lessen disease burden.
New Text by Eyler Focuses on Public Health Research Skills
“After teaching our Research Methods course for ten years without an adequate public health-focused textbook, I decided to write one,” said Amy Eyler, associate professor at the Brown School and co-director of the Prevention Research Center.
The textbook, Research Methods for Public Health (Springer, 2020), fills a gap in methods texts to focus on skills that are particularly needed for graduate students in public health in areas such as epidemiology and biostatistics.
Learn more about all our Brown School authors: https://bit.ly/3lUe63T
Looking beyond the lamppost: population-level primary prevention of breast cancer (Links to an external site)
Insufficient attention has been paid to the primary prevention of breast cancer in state and national cancer plans, limiting the impact of evidence-based interventions on population health. This commentary highlights the state of primary prevention of breast cancer and gaps in the current literature.
Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC)-Phase 2 (Links to an external site)
Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC) is part of California Breast Cancer Research Program’s (CBCRP) Initiative strategic priority to disseminate and implement high-impact, population-based primary prevention interventions. In its second phase, CLASP-BC will fund multi-sector, multi-jurisdictional initiatives that integrate the lessons learned from science with the lessons learned from practice and policy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Making the case for ‘physical activity security’: the 2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from a Global South perspective (Links to an external site)
Using a health-equity lens demands us to elevate the discussion for physical activity above health, and frame it as a basic human right that is central to sustainable development.
Ross Brownson’s Interview with Knowable Magazine: Pandemic puts all eyes on public health (Links to an external site)
Covid-19 has exposed the weak spots of the US public health system — and that presents an opportunity, says an epidemiologist, for the nation to recognize the problems and act to fix them.
Geographic Distribution of the Ciclovia and Recreovia Programs by Neighborhood SES in Bogotá: How Unequal is the Geographic Access Assessed Via Distance-based Measures?
Study finds female authors underrepresented as sole authors, first authors, part of authorship teams. The PRC’s Amy Eyler was a co-author on this study. (Links to an external site)
Female authors are underrepresented as sole and first authors and as members of authorship teams in readings for undergraduate college courses, finds a new analysis from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
The PRC has a big presence at this year’s IPH Conference!
The PRC’s faculty, staff, students and alumni are featured authors on 10 of the 18 posters at this year’s Institute for Public Health 13th Annual Conference Poster Session! Check out all of the posters and a short video about each poster on the IPH conference page. Be sure to tune in on Wednesday, October 28 […]
PRC Director Ross Brownson describes path forward for public health on AJPH podcast
For their November 2020 podcast, the American Journal of Public Health asks the questions, “Why is there a need to reinvent public health,” and “What should be the essential traits of the reinvented public health system?” Authors of the November issue of AJPH, including PRC Director Ross Brownson, discuss what an improved public health system […]
Food insecurity and schools during the pandemic (Links to an external site)
The coronavirus pandemic has brought a number of challenges to schools, which were forced to close in the spring to help slow the spread of infection. One major challenge for schools was ensuring that students’ nutritional supplementation needs were met when they were not attending school in person. As schools across the country begin to […]
Brown School launches pandemic initiative (Links to an external site)
The Brown School is pleased to present our Foundations of Pandemic Preparedness & Response program. This five-part, 20-hour program provides a self-paced, online tool kit to help public health and social service professionals respond, mitigate, and prevent infectious disease outbreaks, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The course is a foundational experience designed to build basic understanding and skills in: Epidemiology Surveillance […]
Significant proportion of mothers are unaware of their children’s height and weight
A significant proportion of mothers are unaware of their children’s height and weight—which has implications for early detection of childhood obesity. Researchers utilized data from 230 mothers in the St. Louis area of containing baseline self-reported and measured heights and weights of mothers and children who were enrolled in ‘Healthy Eating and Active Living Taught […]
Congratulations to Our Graduates!
Five of our students at the PRC graduated this May!
Researchers find unique complexities between geographic food access and food insecurity across urbanicity levels
Food insecurity is a public health issue that affects 12% of Americans. Individuals living in food insecure households are more likely to suffer from conditions such as undernutrition, obesity and chronic diseases. Food insecurity has been linked to limited geographic access to food; however, past studies have used limited measures of access which do not […]
Pilot test of a workplace obesity intervention shows potential for dissemination and sustainability
Healthy eating and activity are important to prevent obesity and chronic diseases, yet those who are most likely to bear a disproportionate burden have limited access to resources that promote healthy eating and activity, especially in the workplace. Thus, there is a need for workplace programs that promote healthy eating and activity that reach low-wage […]
Mentored training is an essential approach to build capacity in D&I research
Dissemination and implementation science aims to address the research-to-practice gap by 1) identifying and understanding barriers and facilitators that influence evidence based interventions and 2) developing strategies to enhance adoption of evidence-based interventions. D&I is an important consideration in enhancing the uptake of evidence-based practices and, as such, so is strengthening researcher’s understanding and proficiency […]
Substantive issues must be addressed in order to advance implementation mechanism research
Implementation science seeks to close the gap between what we do and what we know by identifying and addressing the barriers that prevent uptake of evidence-based practices. An intervention that is guided by evidence-based implementation strategies is more likely to produce desired results because proper implementation is a key component of an intervention’s success. These […]
The Disparate Impact of COVID-19 in St. Louis
“The smoldering disparities that we’ve allowed to persist for decades are bursting into flames. If the human toll of those disparities isn’t enough to motivate us, remember that this is an infectious disease, so that fire will spread.” In episode 1 of a 5 part series on Medium, PRC’s Karishma Furtado and Alex Morshed discuss […]
Practitioner perspective: Building capacity for evidence-based public health involves the use of administrative evidence-based practices
A majority of deaths in the US are attributable to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes and public health systems across the world have been tasked with intervening at the population level to reduce this burden. State health departments are increasingly utilizing evidence-based public health (EBPH) as an important tool to meet population health […]
Parents in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods more likely to restrict children’s play
Today’s parents are restricting their children’s outdoor play, but children in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods face more restrictions, our new research finds. “Being physically active and playing outdoors is essential for adolescent development,” writes the study’s lead author, Dr. Maura Kepper, research assistant professor at the PRC. “Policy and environment change that improves neighborhood conditions may […]
Ross Brownson and Debra Haire-Joshu awarded NIH grant to train the next-generation of researchers in implementation science
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $838,500 to Washington University in St. Louis to train researchers to find ways improve the adoption of evidence-based practices to reduce chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The annual, five-day training and ongoing mentoring for post-doctoral researchers aims to shorten the gap between research results […]
PRC faculty launch website for policy implementation evaluation
The Prevention Research Center in St. Louis with guidance from experts at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, and Brigham Young University School of Social Work have developed a website that will aid in policy implementation evaluation. This publicly available website is intended to help policy researchers, evaluators, […]
Public and private places contribute to PA among Mexican adults
Understanding the contribution of public- and restricted-access places to overall and domain-specific physical activity among Mexican adults: A cross-sectional study. Understanding the contribution of public- and restricted-access places to overall and domain-specific physical activity among Mexican adults: A cross-sectional study.Jáuregui A, Salvo D, Medina C, Barquera S, Hammond D.PLoS One. 2020 Feb 7;15(2):e0228491. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228491. […]
PRC faculty wins 3rd place in “Shark tank” style competition
The Healthcare Innovation Lab and the Institute for Informatics hosted a “Shark Tank-style” pitch session on February 28, 2020. Ten project teams requesting up to $50,000 in funds at BJC HealthCare (BJC) and Washington University School of Medicine’s (WUSM) competed in the second Big Ideas Competition. Our own PRC faculty, Maura Kepper, presented with her […]