Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention - Community Engagement Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY Factors affecting the risk of obesity prior to adulthood occur at every level of influence represented in the socio- ecological model, with differing impact by age. Childhood obesity prevention therefore requires attention to effects on individuals embedded in a broader context of interpersonal relationships/families, organizations and institutions, communities, and public policy environments. Trustworthy engagement of parents and families, early childhood and school professionals, providers, organizations, and the broader community is critical to successful childhood obesity prevention research. An extensive body of literature exists to support such engagement and its positive impacts on health, and specifically on childhood obesity. To advance this approach the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP) proposes a new research Community Engagement (CE) Core. The overarching goal of the CE Core is to formally institute and provide services and activities that support Center investigators in effectively engaging communities in research to improve child health and prevent disease. This goal will be accomplished through the following three specific aims: 1) Develop the CCOP CE Core by establishing a seamless coordinated infrastructure to support investigators and community partners in child health research; 2) Provide child health focused CE services to investigators including CE Core and community consultations; community connections; and CE Core / community advising and assistance with partnership assessment, study design, recruitment, implementation, and dissemination; and 3) Build CE research capacity of investigators and community partners by customizing existing educational and training programs in child health research and providing mentoring on CE for Center investigators. Kate Stewart, MD MPH, Director, and Emily English, DrPH MPH MPS, Associate Director, will collaboratively lead the CE Core. The CE Core will engage institutional, advocacy, and agency partners who are leading childhood obesity prevention efforts in the state. These partners will identify research questions, increase access to program beneficiaries, and help to translate findings and sustain interventions. The CE Core will also establish a 15 member community advisory board (CAB) to advise the CCOP and Center funded investigators. The CAB will include community partners from populations and geographic areas of Arkansas with the greatest disparities from obesity and its determinants. CE Core services will include consultations; partnership development; community review boards; recruitment support; and assistance with developing project-specific CABs, with communication and dissemination of findings, and with evaluation of CE partnerships. The CE Core will also provide a CE Research 101 seminar, a Dos and Don’ts of CE workshop, and training for community members through the community scientist academy. CE Core services and training will lead to more relevant, effective, feasible, and impactful research to support improvement in child health.