The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative: An Example of Statewide Collective Impact

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Promotion
• Childhood Obesity Prevention

Background:

• The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (Initiative) was established in 2007 to combat childhood obesity.
• It focuses on nutrition and physical activity through environmental and policy changes within early care and education systems.
• The Initiative is a collaboration involving state departments, university extensions, and public health organizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative's efforts in applying collective impact principles.
• To understand the value of collective impact in health promotion practice.
• To identify facilitators and challenges in implementing collective impact for obesity prevention.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods case study was employed to evaluate the Initiative's application of collective impact.
• Data collection included surveys of Initiative partners, archival document review, and qualitative interviews with leaders.
• The evaluation focused on understanding the practical implementation of collective impact strategies.

Main Results:

• Initiative partners reported progress in establishing conditions for collective impact, including a common agenda and aligned activities.
• The role of "backbone" staff from healthTIDE was identified as crucial for supporting the Initiative.
• Significant policy, systems, and environmental changes were achieved, such as integrating nutrition and physical activity criteria into childcare quality rating systems.

Conclusions:

• Collective impact is a valuable framework for health promotion, particularly in transitioning collaborative efforts.
• Establishing a clear common agenda and utilizing dedicated backbone staff are key to successful collective impact.
• While challenges exist in shared measurement and stakeholder communication, the Initiative has demonstrated tangible successes in obesity prevention.