141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

276880
Characteristics of successful partnerships to promote physical activity among youth

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 1:10 PM - 1:30 PM

Joni D. Nelson, MS , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior - Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Christine Blake, Ph.D., R.D. , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior; Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Justin B. Moore, PhD, MS, FACSM , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Mary Bea Kolbe, MPH, RD , Chronic Disease and Injury Section, North Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, NC
Sara Morris, MAT, MPH, RD , Chronic Disease and Injury Section, North Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, NC
Background: Many community-based projects to promote physical activity in youth involve partnerships between public health organizations and local community stakeholders and the success of community-based projects often hinges upon the strength of the partnerships between these groups. However, little is known about the characteristics of successful partnerships in the context of physical activity promotion. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to identify characteristics of successful partnerships from the perspective of community partners involved in a mini-grant program to promote physical activity in youth.

Methods: Participants in this study were county-level coordinators (n=19) of the 20 North Carolina Eat Smart, Move More Community Grants projects selected for funding between 2010 and 2012. Twenty semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with the project coordinators from each of 20 counties. Emergent coding was first conducted, then overarching themes present in the coded data were identified and grouped with similar codes under thematic headings. Each of the 20 partnerships was then classified as either strong, moderate, or weak based on the project coordinators responses about the overall quality of their partnerships.

Results: Three overarching and five sub-themes emerged that characterize partnership relationships, including: continuity (history with partner, and willingness to engage in future partnership), connectedness, and capacity (interest, enthusiasm, and engagement and clarity of roles and responsibilities).

Conclusion: The insights of community partners working towards fostering community changes for improved physical activity are vital to identify promising characterizations of stronger vs. weaker partnerships that contribute to program success.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify characteristics of successful partnerships from the perspective of community partners Describe the features of optimal and collaborative partnerships in the context of physical activity promotion

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been included on multiple research projects and grant funding that focus on the use of community partnerships, qualitative designs, and youth populations related health promotion and disease prevention. My interests involve the in-depth usage of qualitative strategies to inform development of sustainable partnerships, health improvement program interventions, and community engagement.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.