The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care

There is strong interest in implementation science to address the gap between research and practice in public health. Research on the sustainability of evidence-based interventions has been growing rapidly. Sustainability has been defined as the continued use of program components at sufficient intensity for the sustained achievement of desirable program goals and population outcomes. This understudied area has been identified as one of the most significant translational research problems. Adding to this challenge is uncertainty regarding the extent to which intervention adaptation and evolution are necessary to address the needs of populations that differ from those in which interventions were originally tested or implemented. This review critically examines and discusses conceptual and methodological issues in studying sustainability, summarizes the multilevel factors that have been found to influence the sustainability of interventions in a range of public health and health care settings, and highlights key areas for future research

Evaluating statewide efforts to prevent adolescent substance use in Washington using the RE-AIM framework

Background: A priority for the field of prevention science is to identify a model for scaling up evidence-based programs (EBPs) that takes into account the dynamic and diverse prevention needs of communities. The WA State Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) is a community coalition-based model where local coalitions use a data-informed process to select and implement adolescent substance use prevention EBPs while re- ceiving state funding and technical assistance. CPWI started in 2011 with a cohort of 19 communities and currently there are six cohorts with over 80 communities. We used the RE-AIM frame- work, which posits the public health impact of an initiative is a function of multiple dimensions, to examine the impact of CPWI on four RE-AIM dimensions: Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementa- tion, and Maintenance. We examined impact of CPWI Cohorts 1- 4, and aggregated data at the cohort level to determine the higher (macro) level impact of CPWI

Predictors of cannabis and tobacco co-use in youth Exploring the mediating role of age at first use in the population assessment of tobacco health (PATH) study

Background: Adolescents often use substances such as tobacco and cannabis. Co-use of these substances can lead to physical, mental, and psychosocial difficulties beyond that which would be anticipated by simple additivity of their individual effects.Conclusions: Based on the findings, programs or interventions targeting youth factors of internalizing, externalizing, and sensation seeking as well as interventions aiming to stave off AU should promote decreased tobacco and cannabis co-use. Sensation seeking and AU appear to be the most influential factors and should be considered when developing and promoting prevention policies/programs for higher risk youth populations

The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care

There is strong interest in implementation science to address the gap between research and practice in public health. Research on the sustainability of evidence-based interventions has been growing rapidly. Sustainability has been defined as the continued use of program components at sufficient intensity for the sustained achievement of desirable program goals and population outcomes. This understudied area has been identified as one of the most significant translational research problems. Adding to this challenge is uncertainty regarding the extent to which intervention adaptation and evolution are necessary to address the needs of populations that differ from those in which interventions were originally tested or implemented. This review critically examines and discusses conceptual and methodological issues in studying sustainability, summarizes the multilevel factors that have been found to influence the sustainability of interventions in a range of public health and health care settings, and highlights key areas for future research

Investigating the efficacy of a self-directed parenting intervention to reduce risky behaviors among college students Study protocol for a multi-arm hybrid type 2 randomized control trial

Early adulthood is a critical developmental period when many youth transition from living at home to the relative autonomy of college. This transition results in increased opportunity for positive growth and identity development – and for risky substance use and sexual behaviors. Parents continue to influence young adult behavior even from a distance; however, few studies have rigorously tested parent-college student interventions.This multi-arm hybrid type 2 trial tests the short- and long-term efficacy of a self-directed handbook for parents of first-year college students. In the summer before college, parent-student dyads are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: control, Parent Handbook, or Parent Handbook Plus. Handbook parents receive encouragement via phone calls to read the handbook and complete activities with their student before leaving for college. Handbook Plus parents also receive booster messages targeted at risky or stressful times. Participants complete surveys of intervention-targeted knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at baseline and four months after baseline. Students complete three additional surveys at nine, 16, and 21 months after baseline. Dyads in the intervention conditions also reported on handbook utilization, perceived usefulness, and engagement with intervention materials.Self-directed family interventions may be a feasible strategy for involving parents of college students. This trial aimed to determine: 1) the efficacy of a self-directed handbook intervention for parents of first-year college students, including whether the addition of periodic booster messages enhanced efficacy; and 2) how variations in handbook utilization, perceived usefulness, and engagement were linked to student outcomes