Leveraging Public Health Research to Inform State Legislative Policy that Promotes Health for Children and Families

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Family Studies

Background:

• State legislatures are key arenas for policy impacting children and families.
• A communication gap often exists between public health researchers and policymakers.
• Bridging this gap is crucial for evidence-based policymaking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a tool for leveraging public health research to inform state legislative policymaking.
• To present the Oregon Family Impact Seminar (OFIS) model for engaging policymakers.

Main Methods:

• The OFIS model uses a six-step systematic process.
• Steps include topic identification, recruiting legislative champions, speaker selection, presentations, and research brief dissemination.
• This process synthesizes research findings for state legislators.

Main Results:

• The OFIS model has demonstrated policy impact, exemplified by a statute increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• It fosters stronger relationships between researchers and legislators.
• The model effectively translates research into actionable policy.

Conclusions:

• The OFIS model is an effective method for informing state-level policy with public health research.
• It facilitates researcher engagement with policymakers on critical public health issues.
• This approach addresses social, economic, and environmental determinants of health for children and families.