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

  • Public Health Intervention
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Abstract

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.

Résumé

OBJECTIFS: Nous décrivons les processus utilisés par SCOPE, une initiative de recherche participative communautaire (RPC), pour obtenir une mobilisation multisectorielle et une action collective afin de prévenir l’obésité juvénile.

PARTICIPANTS: SCOPE recrute des représentants de divers secteurs (administration municipale, santé, écoles, loisirs, médias locaux, petite enfance, services communautaires) qui influencent les milieux de vie, d’apprentissage et de jeu des enfants.

LIEU: SCOPE est mise en œuvre dans trois communautés de la Colombie-Britannique (C.-B.).

INTERVENTION: SCOPE (www.live5210.ca) est une initiative concertée, appliquée dans plusieurs milieux, qui vise à améliorer la capacité d’une communauté à créer et à offrir des solutions locales pour promouvoir les poids-santé chez les enfants. En partenariat avec un organisme local, SCOPE recrute plusieurs acteurs qui planifient et mettent en œuvre des actions encadrées par un message de santé commun (« Live 5-2-1-0 ») fondé sur des données probantes. L’équipe centrale de SCOPE à Vancouver (C.-B.) facilite l’harmonisation des actions avec les initiatives provinciales, l’application et l’échange des connaissances (AEC) dans et entre les communautés, ainsi que la cueillette, l’analyse et la diffusion des données partagées.

RÉSULTATS: Les pratiques exemplaires issues de l’expérience de SCOPE sont conformes aux principes de la RPC et aux « cinq conditions de l’impact collectif », à savoir: un plan d’action commun; des actions se soutenant mutuellement; la communication permanente; une structure de soutien; et un système d’évaluation commun. SCOPE a obtenu des changements durables dans les pratiques, encadrés par un plan d’action commun (« Live 5–2–1–0 ») qui a mené à des actions intersectorielles se soutenant mutuellement.

CONCLUSION: Une initiative communautaire concertée de prévention de l’obésité juvénile est possible si l’on utilise les principes de la RPC et que l’on porte attention aux conditions nécessaires pour obtenir un impact collectif.

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Correspondence to Shazhan Amed MD, FRCPC, MScPH.

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Acknowledgements: We thank SCOPE community coordinators and organizational partners for their unrelenting commitment to this initiative; this work would not have been possible without their invaluable input, effort and leadership. We also thank Child Health BC, Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Public Health Agency of Canada for providing funding. L. Mâsse and J-P. Collet received salary support from the Child & Family Research Institute.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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Amed, S., Naylor, PJ., Pinkney, S. et al. Creating a collective impact on childhood obesity: Lessons from the SCOPE initiative. Can J Public Health 106, e426–e433 (2015). https://doi.org/10.17269/CJPH.106.5114

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