Cancer Control Dissemination among State Level Policymakers: 2007-2013

Project Dates: 2007-2013

This project sought to reduce the burden of cancer by increasing adoption of state-of-the-art, evidence-based interventions to control cancer among policymakers.

A cancer control policy maker is defined broadly to include an individual elected to office, his/her staff, or an administrative (executive branch) leader who has authority over program priorities and budgets. This project focused on evidence-based, environmental and policy interventions due to their high potential to affect large populations. Such interventions are designed to provide opportunities, support, and cues to help people develop healthier behaviors. Many cancer control practitioners and policymakers are unaware of these effective interventions, or lack the necessary skills to use them, resulting in low implementation.

Project Goals

  • Increase the dissemination of evidence-based interventions to control cancer, focusing on the uptake of effective environmental and policy approaches among state-level policymakers

Implications for Research and Practice

This project is significant to public health because it addresses behaviors that lead to significant premature cancer morbidity and mortality. Sparse knowledge exists regarding effective approaches for dissemination of research-tested interventions among “real world” policy audiences. Upon completion, this study will provide policy-relevant dissemination strategies that can be adapted to other settings and risk factors.

Project Contact

Elizabeth Dodson: edodson@wustl.edu

Project Staff

Principal Investigator: Ross Brownson, PhD

Co-Investigators: Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, RN; Matthew Kreuter, PhD, MPH; Tim McBride, PhD; Douglas Luke, PhD; Elizabeth Dodson, PhD, MPH

Research Scholar: Nora Geary, MPH

Project Partners

National Conference of State Legislators, Indiana State Department of Health, Tennessee Cancer Coalition, Tennessee Obesity Task Force

Funding Source

National Cancer Institute: 1R01CA124404-01


Related Resources

Publications

Brownson, R. C., Chriqui, J. F., & Stamatakis, K. A. (2009). Understanding Evidence-Based Public Health Policy. American Journal of Public Health, 99(9), 1576–1583. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.156224

Brownson, R. C., Dodson, E. A., Stamatakis, K. A., Casey, C. M., Elliott, M. B., Luke, D. A., … Kreuter, M. W. (2011). Communicating Evidence-Based Information on Cancer Prevention to State-Level Policy Makers. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 103(4), 306–316. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djq529

Dodson, E. A., Stamatakis, K. A., Chalifour, S., Haire-Joshu, D., McBride, T., & Brownson, R. C. (2013). State Legislators’ Work on Public Health-Related Issues: What Influences Priorities? Journal of Public Health Management and Practice : JPHMP, 19(1), 25–29.DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e318246475c

Presentations

Translation at the Crossroads of Research and Policy: Where do policymakers seek evidence and what are they looking for? 5th Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation. Bethesda, MD. March 2012.

Using Evidence Based Public Health Policy to Prevent and Control Cancer. Indiana Cancer Consortium Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN. May 2011.

Effective communication of health information to policymakers: what works? International Union Against Cancer, World Cancer Congress. Shenzhen, China. August 2010.

Effective communication of health information to policymakers: what works? Joint Conference of the Society for Public Health Education and Prevention Research Centers Program. Atlanta, GA. April 2010.

What Moves Policy Forward? Evidence and Policy: Preventing Cancer and Chronic Disease Symposium. Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Cancer Care Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia; March 2009.

Logic Model
Project logic Model

Cancer policy dissemination logic model.