• DOI:10.1097/PHH.0b013e318284b3c6
• Corpus ID: 32982787

Lessons in promoting active living: the collaborative perspective.

@article{Gustat2013LessonsIP,
  title={Lessons in promoting active living: the collaborative perspective.},
  author={Jeanette Gustat and Isobel Healy and Jill S. Litt and Hannah L Reed and Rachel G. Tabak and Karen Valentine Goins and Daniel Benjamin Bornstein and Cheryl Carnoske and Rodney Lyn and Amy A. Eyler},
  journal={Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP},
  year={2013},
  volume={19 3 Suppl 1},
  pages={
          S58-64
        }
}

• J. Gustat, Isobel Healy, +7 authors A. Eyler
• Published 1 May 2013
• Political Science
• Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP

CONTEXT
Collaborative groups are integral in health promotion and disease prevention and use an ecological approach to address complex health conditions in community settings. Little is known about collaborative efforts to promote active living.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this analysis is to explore successes and challenges of collaborative groups in promoting active living in their communities.

DESIGN/SETTING
One-time, structured telephone interviews were conducted to assess the composition tactics and activities and approaches used by collaboratives to promote active living.

PARTICIPANTS
Collaborative groups were referred by Physical Activity Policy Research Network members or found through online searches. Interviews were conducted with coordinators of 59 collaborative groups.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Analysis focused on successes and challenges of collaborative groups' policies, programs, and/or projects as described by collaborative group coordinators. We used the Grounded Theory method approach to code and abstract themes from 2 open-ended response sets.

RESULTS
Collaboratives' most successful projects centered on strategies using environmental (41%) or policy (31%) approaches to promote active living. While 80% of groups reported that their most successful project was funded, funding was also identified as a primary challenge for 71% of the collaboratives. Personnel issues were a common challenge for 54%. Opposition to successful projects ranged from community issues to collaborative member issues, although more than half the groups experienced no opposition.

CONCLUSIONS
Groups that aligned goals, strategies, and funding to advance changes to the built environment were likely to identify their projects as successful. Perceptions of opposition and attitudes toward success may be important precursors to project outcomes of active living collaboratives and warrant further investigation. Lessons from these active living collaborative groups can provide guidance for other groups planning for environmental and policy change.