Using Policy Briefs to Communicate Dental Research Findings to Policymakers

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Dental Research

Background:

• Scientific findings are often inaccessible to decision-makers.
• Policy briefs serve as a crucial tool for dental researchers to convey research outcomes to policymakers.
• This study evaluates the comparative utility of two distinct policy brief formats concerning sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and its impact on tooth decay.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of data-focused versus narrative-focused policy briefs in communicating dental research findings.
• To assess policymakers' perceptions of understandability, credibility, likelihood of use, and likelihood to share policy briefs.
• To examine differences in policy brief effectiveness across city, county, and state government levels.

Main Methods:

• Two policy brief formats (data-focused and narrative-focused) were developed and disseminated via email to 825 policymakers and staff in Washington State.
• A 22-item online questionnaire assessed four outcomes: understandability, credibility, likelihood of use, and likelihood to share.
• Statistical analysis, including t-tests, was employed to compare outcomes by policy brief type and government level (α = 0.05).

Main Results:

• A total of 108 respondents (14.6% adjusted response rate) participated.
• Both brief types were perceived as understandable (mean ratings ~4.1) and credible (mean ratings ~4.1).
• However, participants reported low likelihood of use (mean ratings ~2.6) and sharing (mean ratings ~2.6).
• Likelihood to share differed significantly by government level, with state-level participants more likely to share (mean rating 3.1) than city (2.6) or county (2.2) participants.

Conclusions:

• Both data- and narrative-focused policy briefs are potentially valuable for communicating dental research to policymakers.
• Additional strategies are necessary to enhance the utilization and dissemination of policy briefs.
• Further research is recommended to identify optimal dissemination methods for maximizing the impact of dental research findings.