TY - JOUR
T1 - State Fall Prevention Coalitions as Systems Change Agents
T2 - An Emphasis on Policy
AU - Schneider, Ellen C.
AU - Smith, Matthew Lee
AU - Ory, Marcia G.
AU - Altpeter, Mary
AU - Beattie, (Bonita) Lynn
AU - Scheirer, Mary Ann
AU - Shubert, Tiffany E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This publication article was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U48-DP001944 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this journal article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We acknowledge the following funding sources for this work: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Prevention Research Center, supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U48-DP001944, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health Center for Community Health Development with funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement Number 1U48 DP001924. The funding for creating this curriculum was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Special Interest Project 12-058. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the State Fall Prevention Coalition Leads and Stephanie Bomberger, Project Manager, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - Background. Falls among older adults are an escalating public health issue, which requires a multidisciplinary and multilevel approach to affect systems change to effectively address this problem. The National Council on Aging established the Falls Free® Initiative, enfolding and facilitating statewide Fall Prevention Coalitions. Fall Free® activities included developing the State Policy Toolkit for Advancing Falls Prevention to promote sustainable change by supporting the dissemination and adoption of evidence-based strategies. Purpose. To (1) determine if the policies being implemented were recommended and supported by the Toolkit, (2) identify the perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing policies, and (3) identify Coalitions’ current and future fall prevention policy activities. Methods. A 63-item online survey was distributed to State Coalition Leads. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and counts) were used to describe Coalition characteristics and activities. Results. Coalitions had several similarities, and varied greatly in their number of member organizations and members as well as meeting frequencies. Key activities included building partnerships, disseminating programs, and pursuing at least one of the eight National Council on Aging-recommended policy goals. The most commonly reported facilitator was active support from the Coalition Leads, whereas the lack of funding was the most cited barrier. Conclusion. This study serves as the first national census of empirical evidence regarding Falls Coalitions’ composition, goals, and activities. Results indicate that Coalitions are actively pursuing evidence-based policies but could benefit from additional technical assistance and resources. Findings support the value of Toolkit recommendations by documenting what is feasible and being implemented. Knowledge about facilitators and barriers will inform future efforts to foster sustainable systems change in states with active Coalitions and encourage Coalitions in other states.
AB - Background. Falls among older adults are an escalating public health issue, which requires a multidisciplinary and multilevel approach to affect systems change to effectively address this problem. The National Council on Aging established the Falls Free® Initiative, enfolding and facilitating statewide Fall Prevention Coalitions. Fall Free® activities included developing the State Policy Toolkit for Advancing Falls Prevention to promote sustainable change by supporting the dissemination and adoption of evidence-based strategies. Purpose. To (1) determine if the policies being implemented were recommended and supported by the Toolkit, (2) identify the perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing policies, and (3) identify Coalitions’ current and future fall prevention policy activities. Methods. A 63-item online survey was distributed to State Coalition Leads. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and counts) were used to describe Coalition characteristics and activities. Results. Coalitions had several similarities, and varied greatly in their number of member organizations and members as well as meeting frequencies. Key activities included building partnerships, disseminating programs, and pursuing at least one of the eight National Council on Aging-recommended policy goals. The most commonly reported facilitator was active support from the Coalition Leads, whereas the lack of funding was the most cited barrier. Conclusion. This study serves as the first national census of empirical evidence regarding Falls Coalitions’ composition, goals, and activities. Results indicate that Coalitions are actively pursuing evidence-based policies but could benefit from additional technical assistance and resources. Findings support the value of Toolkit recommendations by documenting what is feasible and being implemented. Knowledge about facilitators and barriers will inform future efforts to foster sustainable systems change in states with active Coalitions and encourage Coalitions in other states.
KW - aging and health
KW - coalitions
KW - fall prevention policy
KW - older adult fall prevention
KW - systems change
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U2 - 10.1177/1524839915610317
DO - 10.1177/1524839915610317
M3 - Article
C2 - 26500227
AN - SCOPUS:84958535915
VL - 17
SP - 244
EP - 253
JO - Health Promotion Practice
JF - Health Promotion Practice
SN - 1524-8399
IS - 2
ER -