System approaches to childhood obesity prevention

Ground up experience of adaptation and real-world context

Bibliographic Data

ID15091030
AuthorsPenny Fraser (0000-0001-7266-5034, Deakin University, corresponding author), Jillian M Whelan (0000-0001-9434-109X, Deakin University), Andrew Brown (0000-0003-0105-8522, Deakin University), Andrew D Brown (0000-0003-0838-2894), Steven Allender (0000-0002-4842-3294, Deakin University), Steven E Allender, Colin Bell (0000-0003-2731-9858, Deakin University), Kristy A Bolton (0000-0001-6721-4503, Deakin University)
Year2023
Volume26
Issue4
Pages886-889
Publication date2023-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980022002531
PMID36468439
OpenAlexW4310702760
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited13

Objective: Childhood obesity prevention is critical to reducing the health and economic burden currently experienced by the Australian economy. System science has emerged as an approach to manage the complexity of childhood obesity and the ever-changing risk factors, resources and priorities of government and funders. Anecdotally, our experience suggests that inflexibility of traditional research methods and dense academic terminology created issues with those working in prevention practice. Therefore, this paper provides a refined description of research-specific terminology of scale-up, fidelity, adaptation and context, drawing from community-based system dynamics and our experience in designing, implementing and evaluating non-linear, community-led system approaches to childhood obesity prevention. Design: We acknowledge the importance of using a practice lens, rather than purely a research design lens, and provide a narrative on our experience and perspectives on scale-up, fidelity, context and adaptation through a practice lens. Setting: Communities. Participants: Practice-based researcher experience and perspectives. Results: Practice-based researchers highlighted the key finding that community should be placed at the centre of the intervention logic. This allowed communities to self-organise with regard to stakeholder involvement, capacity, boundary identification, and co-creation of actions implemented to address childhood obesity will ensure scale-up, fidelity, context and adaptation are embedded. Conclusions: We need to measure beyond primary anthropometric outcomes and focus on evaluating more about implementation, process and sustainability. We need to learn more from practitioners on the ground and use an implementation science lens to further understand how actions work. This is where solutions to sustained childhood obesity prevention will be found

Adaptation (eye · Childhood obesity · Context (archaeology · Fidelity · Geography · Government (linguistics · Knowledge management · Obesity · Political science · Public relations · Scale (ratio · Stakeholder · Terminology · Community Health and Development · Computer Science · Health Policy Implementation Science · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Psychology