Creating a collective impact on childhood obesity: Lessons from the SCOPE initiative

• Published in: Canadian journal of public health 2015-09, Vol.106 (6), p.e426-e433
• Main Authors: Amed, Shazhan, Naylor, Patti-Jean, Pinkney, Susan, Shea, Stephanie, Mâsse, Louise C., Berg, Stephen, Collet, Jean-Paul, Higgins, Joan Wharf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; British Columbia; Child; Childhood obesity; Collaboration; Collective action; Communication; Communities; Community health; Community life; Community-Based Participatory Research - organization & administration; Community-based research; Cooperative Behavior; Evaluation research (Social action programs); Health promotion; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Humans; Knowledge sharing; Medicine & Public Health; Meetings; Obesity; Pediatric obesity; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Planning; Prevention; Program Evaluation; Public Health; PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION; Recreation; Stakeholders; Sustainability; Sustainable communities
• ISSN: 0008-4263; 1920-7476
• DOI: 10.17269/CJPH.106.5114

OBJECTIVES : We describe the processes used in SCOPE, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative, to achieve multisectoral engagement and collective action to prevent childhood obesity. PARTICIPANTS : SCOPE engages representatives from various sectors (local government, health, schools, recreation, local media, early childhood, community services) who influence the environments in which children live, learn and play. SETTING : SCOPE has been implemented in three communities in British Columbia (BC). INTERVENTION : SCOPE ( www.live5210.ca ) is a multi-setting, multi-component initiative designed to enhance a community’s capacity to create and deliver localized solutions to promote healthy weights among children. SCOPE, in partnership with a local organization, engages multiple stakeholders who plan and implement actions framed by a common evidence-based health message (‘Live 5-2-1-0’). SCOPE’s central team in Vancouver, BC facilitates alignment with provincial initiatives, knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) within and across communities, and the collection, analysis and reporting of shared data. OUTCOMES : Best practice processes that have emerged from SCOPE’s experience align with the principles of CBPR and the five conditions of Collective Impact - a common agenda, mutually reinforcing action, continuous communication, a backbone organization and shared measurement. SCOPE has achieved sustainable practice change framed by a common agenda (‘Live 5-2-1-0’) leading to mutually reinforcing cross-sectoral action. CONCLUSION : A multi-pronged community-led childhood obesity prevention initiative can be achieved using CBPR principles and attending to the conditions for achieving collective impact.