Disseminating health promotion practices in after-school programs through YMCA learning collaboratives.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Translational Science
• Childhood Obesity Prevention

Background:

• YMCA after-school programs serve a large population of children.
• Translating scientific evidence into practical, real-world settings remains a challenge.
• Effective interventions are needed to address childhood obesity in community-based programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the perceived usefulness of a learning collaborative model.
• To assess the impact of this model on implementing obesity prevention strategies.
• To identify key components contributing to successful translation of science into practice.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods research design incorporating qualitative and quantitative data.
• Utilized focus groups and a web-based survey for data collection.
• Intervention involved a 9-12 month structured organizational change process for YMCA after-school program staff.

Main Results:

• Overwhelmingly positive feedback on the learning collaborative's usefulness.
• Key beneficial aspects included collaborative duration, peer learning, and multilevel staff engagement.
• Respondents reported successful program and policy changes, emphasizing the critical role of executive-level commitment.

Conclusions:

• Learning collaboratives are a promising strategy for integrating health promotion into after-school settings.
• The structured organizational change process effectively empowers staff to implement evidence-based practices.
• This model facilitates the translation of obesity prevention science into tangible practice changes.