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Community Consultants and Cooperative Extension Collaborate to Identify Youth Obesity Prevention Needs
Author(s) -
Frith Amy,
ParrillaKaltman Lara,
David Amanda
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.lb410
Subject(s) - community organization , grassroots , participatory action research , community based participatory research , work (physics) , community health , public relations , medical education , citizen journalism , community engagement , medicine , public health , political science , nursing , sociology , engineering , politics , mechanical engineering , anthropology , law
Prevention of youth obesity is a top priority for many communities. Cornell Cooperative Extension staff recruited, trained and paid 8 community members to be consultants for research and advising regarding community‐derived youth obesity prevention efforts in one low‐income rural and one small urban setting. The feasibility of utilizing a community‐based participatory research approach to advise the organization of youth obesity prevention needs was examined. Community consultants (CCs) provided input into the entire research process, and advised the organization in 4 2‐hour meetings. CCs interviewed 3 community members each using a semi‐structured questionnaire to understand community members' grassroots level work, and their needs for improving youth access to healthy food or physical activity. Interviewees ranged from foster parents to community organizers. CCs identified activities such as traditional teaching/training about healthy foods and physical activity, skill‐building, and improving healthy food access; but community members also reported activities such as increasing health awareness for youth, and building community connections and trust. Community members identified these needs: updated health knowledge, advertising for community projects, and training so that community members could obtain funds for community work. Utilizing community consultants was feasible and provided essential information to Cooperative Extension to support community‐derived youth obesity prevention efforts. Funding: Ithaca College Sponsored Research