Implementation Strategies to Support Built Environment Approaches in Community Settings

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Built environment interventions are recommended to boost population physical activity.
• Effective strategies for translating research into practice for community settings are lacking.
• Implementation strategies are crucial for the uptake of built environment approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform implementation strategies by examining delivery agents' perceptions.
• To understand perceptions of built environment approaches and a supporting toolkit.
• To identify other necessary implementation strategies for community settings.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups (N=3, n=46) were conducted with Extension Agents in 2020.
• A toolkit detailing built environment changes and examples was utilized.
• Data analysis involved rapid content analysis and a deductive, grounded theory approach.

Main Results:

• Agents identified barriers and facilitators to implementing built environment approaches.
• Key needs included coalition guidance and funding.
• Perceptions of the toolkit highlighted areas for improvement and useful components.

Conclusions:

• Developed targeted implementation strategies: Places for Physical Activity toolkit, Coalition Coaching, and Mini-Grants.
• Delivery agents have specific support needs for implementing built environment interventions.
• Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.