Wayfinding the Live 5-2-1-0 Initiative—At the Intersection between Systems Thinking and Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention

Date

2016

Authors

Amed, Shazhan
Shea, Stephanie
Pinkney, Susan
Wharf Higgins, Joan
Naylor, Patti-Jean

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Abstract

Childhood obesity is complex and requires a ‘systems approach’ that collectively engages across multiple community settings. Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention through Community Engagement (SCOPE) has implemented Live 5-2-1-0—a multi-sector, multi-component childhood obesity prevention initiative informed by systems thinking and participatory research via an innovative knowledge translation (KT) model (RE-FRAME). This paper describes the protocol for implementing and evaluating RE-FRAME in two ‘existing’ (>2 years of implementation) and two ‘new’ Live 5-2-1-0 communities to understand how to facilitate and sustain systems/community-level change. In this mixed-methods study, RE-FRAME was implemented via online resources, webinars, a backbone organization (SCOPE) coordinating the initiative, and a linking system supporting KT. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using surveys and stakeholder interviews, analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Existing communities described the consistency of Live 5-2-1-0 and extensive local partnerships/champions as catalysts for synergistic community-wide action; new communities felt that the simplicity of the message combined with the transfer of experiential learning would inform their own strategies and policies/programs to broadly disseminate Live 5-2-1-0. RE-FRAME effectively guided the refinement of the initiative and provided a framework upon which evaluation results described how to implement a community-based systems approach to childhood obesity prevention.

Description

Keywords

childhood obesity, participatory research, health promotion, collective impact

Citation

Amed, S., Shea, S., Pinkey, S., Higgins, J. & Naylor, P. (2016). Wayfinding the Live 5-2-1-0 Initiative—At the Intersection between Systems Thinking and Community- Based Childhood Obesity Prevention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(6), 614. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13060614