Project 170978
Advancing Knowledge Translation: Using Networks to Stimulate Interactions for Public Health Advocacy
Advancing Knowledge Translation: Using Networks to Stimulate Interactions for Public Health Advocacy
Project Information
| Study Type: | Other Implementation_Science |
| Therapeutic Area: | Public_Health |
| Research Theme: | Social / Cultural / Environmental / Population Health |
| Disease Area: | health inequities |
| Data Type: | Canadian |
Institution & Funding
| Principal Investigator(s): | Kothari, Anita R |
| Institution: | University of Western Ontario |
| CIHR Institute: | Population and Public Health |
| Program: | |
| Peer Review Committee: | Health Research Salary A |
| Competition Year: | 2008 |
| Term: | 5 yrs 0 mth |
Abstract Summary
Health issues are becoming more and more complex, and require community agencies to work together for lasting solutions. For example, ensuring food safety requires local food producer groups, retailers, public health inspectors and others to work collaboratively to identify the best policies to safeguard the public. In fact, public health units are taking on new roles as coordinators of various community agency collaborations; these collaborations or networks ought to be structured effectively so that research and other information can be easily shared among network members. The shared information will help networks successfully advocate for legislation that protects their communities' health. The goal of this study is to determine the extent to which networks are effective structures for knowledge sharing, and to determine if networks lead to collaborative health advocacy activities. To accomplish this we will recruit, through public health units, 10 community networks focused on the topic of health inequities. Half of these networks will receive assistance (an intervention) consisting of a series of facilitated discussions such that participants can self-identify weaknesses in their current networks (e.g., does the network include all the key players?). The intervention ought to lead to improved network structures, interactions and information sharing among network members. Data will be collected through surveys at baseline and post intervention to determine if the intervention was successful. Additional data will be collected by focus groups after the intervention to determine if the networks that received the intervention engaged in more advocacy activities than those networks that did not receive the intervention. This study will demonstrate if networks can be strategically proactive with respect to a complex issue- health inequity - and thus demonstrate public value.
Research Characteristics
This project includes the following research characteristics:
Study Justification
"The goal of this study is to determine the extent to which networks are effective structures for knowledge sharing, and to determine if networks lead to collaborative health advocacy activities."
Novelty Statement
"This study will demonstrate if networks can be strategically proactive with respect to a complex issue- health inequity - and thus demonstrate public value."
Methodology Innovation
using social network analysis and a mixed-methods design to evaluate knowledge translation and advocacy in community health networks