Designing for dissemination through community advisory board engagement in an implementation mapping process: A case...

Area of Science:

• Public Health Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Equitable dissemination of research findings is crucial for maximizing public health impact.
• Implementation mapping studies require robust community engagement to ensure relevance and sustainability.
• The Designing for Dissemination and Sustainability (D4DS) framework offers a structured approach to research dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the development of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) within an implementation mapping study.
• To enhance the equitable dissemination and impact of Universal School Meals (USM) research findings.
• To utilize the Designing for Dissemination and Sustainability (D4DS) process for community-engaged research.

Main Methods:

• Snowball recruitment and existing connections were used to identify community partners for the CAB.
• The D4DS process guided collaborative activities, including problem definition, context understanding, and co-design of dissemination products.
• Baseline and follow-up surveys assessed CAB members' perceived utility, effectiveness, and sustainability.

Main Results:

• A 8-member CAB was established, co-creating dissemination materials like infographics, social media toolkits, and webinar slides.
• Dissemination activities were conducted locally through presentations, websites, and email in spring 2024.
• CAB members reported benefits including skill development, compensation, writing credit, and autonomy in dissemination design.

Conclusions:

• Shared decision-making and power dynamics within the CAB fostered enhanced local-level research dissemination.
• The study highlights the importance of community partnerships in advancing the science of equitable research impact.
• The D4DS process, with CAB involvement, proved effective in developing and implementing dissemination strategies.