Background: As constant figures in children's lives, parents are key in protecting children from sexual abuse. One barrier to reaching parents is that the topic can be difficult to broach and is sensitive in nature. Such barriers can interfere with implementation and fidelity of evidence-based prevention strategies that are focused on reducing…

The predominant method for treating obesity has been suggesting and providing information on a controlled diet and, to a lesser extent, increased exercise. That approach has largely failed beyond the short term for many decades as obesity rates continue to rise. Therefore, leveraging improvements in psychosocial correlates of weight-loss behaviors…

Although consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of disease, many Americans do not eat the recommended quantity or variety. This is especially true for low-income populations, who may face significant barriers to accessing fresh produce, including cost. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) Partnerships for Health is a…

Lead exposure has been linked to neurological, reproductive, and developmental effects, and approximately 3.5% of Chicago children under the age of 3 years have elevated blood lead levels. The aim of this research was to provide outreach opportunities to address the issue of lead exposure in water and soil. A series of seven community-based health…

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, with African Americans experiencing higher age-adjusted mortality compared to Whites. African American women in particular carry a high CVD burden due to more exposure to adverse personal and socioenvironmental challenges. Church-based interventions can…

Objectives: Health education may improve health in geriatric patients. To evaluate differences between remote and in-person education, the DREAMS ("'D'eveloping a 'R'esearch Participation 'E'nhancement and 'A'dvocacy Training Progra'm' for Diverse 'S'eniors") health seminar series compared in-person and remote learning groups to assess…

As persistent inequities in health gained increased attention nationally due to COVID-19 and racial justice protests in 2020, it has become increasingly important to evaluate both the process and outcomes associated with coalition-based efforts to address health inequities. "The Two Georgias Initiative" supports coalitions in 11 rural…

Spreading Community Accelerators Through Learning and Evaluation (SCALE) was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded initiative from 2015 to 2017 to build capability of 24 community coalitions to advance health, well-being, and equity. The SCALE theory of change had three components: develop leadership capability, build relationships within and…

Structural change approaches, also called policy, systems, and environmental change approaches, have been increasingly promoted and adopted by public health agencies in the past decade. These interventions require attention to multilevel, complex and contextual influences on individual and community health outcomes, requiring a sound theoretical…

Background: Chronic care management (CCM) and community health worker (CHW) interventions hold promise for managing complex chronic conditions such as diabetes and related comorbidities. This qualitative study examines facilitators and barriers to the implementation of an expanded CCM intervention that explicitly incorporated program staff, clinic…

Background: Latinos living in emerging communities (i.e., nontraditional destinations with a small but growing population) face obstacles to their mental and physical health. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 6-month, "promotor"-led intervention on access to care, physical activity, dietary practices, and perceived social…

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted ethnic minority and other underserved communities, prompting the federal government to fund community-led health literacy initiatives. This evaluation shares challenges and lessons learned, and identifies best practices from community-based organizations (CBOs) partnering with…

Context: Rural populations experience both a higher prevalence of and risk for premature death from chronic conditions than do their urban counterparts. Yet barriers to implement community-based chronic disease self-management programs persist. Program: The Living Well program, a multi-sector collaboration between a rural health care system and a…

Background: Whole-of-community interventions have been recommended and show promise for preventing obesity; however, research to understand the mechanisms underlying their success or failure is lacking. Complex systems approaches may be useful to address this gap. Purpose: To describe the evolution and utilization of qualitative and quantitative…

The concept of ecology has, over time, become increasingly important as a frame for conducting community interventions. While multiple ecological frameworks have been proposed both within and outside public health, most have drawn on Bronfenbrenner's work and the concern with multiple levels of the ecological context. The present article presents…