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Adopting an evidence-based lifestyle physical activity program: dissemination study design and methods

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Translational Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

There is a scarcity of research studies that have examined academic–commercial partnerships to disseminate evidence-based physical activity programs. Understanding this approach to dissemination is essential because academic–commercial partnerships are increasingly common. Private companies have used dissemination channels and strategies to a degree that academicians have not, and declining resources require academicians to explore these partnerships. This paper describes a retrospective case–control study design including the methods, demographics, organizational decision making, implementation rates, and marketing strategy for Active Living Every Day (ALED), an evidence-based lifestyle physical activity program that has been commercially available since 2001. Evidence-based public health promotion programs rely on organizations and targeted sectors to disseminate these programs although relatively little is known about organizational-level and sector-level influences that lead to their adoption and implementation. Cases (n = 154) were eligible if they had signed an ALED license agreement with Human Kinetics (HK), publisher of the program's textbooks and facilitator manuals, between 2001 and 2008. Two types of controls were matched (2:2:1) and stratified by sector and region. Active controls (control 1; n = 319) were organizations that contacted HK to consider adopting ALED. Passive controls (control 2; n = 328) were organizations that received unsolicited marketing materials and did not initiate contact with HK. We used Diffusion of Innovations Theory constructs as the basis for developing the survey of cases and controls. Using the multi-method strategy recommended by Dillman, a total of n = 801 cases and controls were surveyed. Most organizations were from the fitness sector followed by medical, non-governmental, governmental, educational, worksite, and other sectors with significantly higher response rates from government, educational, and medical sectors compared with fitness and other sectors, (p = 0.02). More cases reported being involved in the decision to adopt ALED (p < 0.0001). Data indicate that a low percentage of controls had ever heard of ALED despite repeated marketing and offering other types of physical activity programs and services. Finally, slightly over half of the adopters reported they had actually implemented the ALED program. Dissemination research requires new perspectives and designs to produce valid insights about the results of dissemination efforts. This study design, survey methods and theoretically based questions can serve as a useful model for other evidence-based public health interventions that are marketed by commercial publishers to better understand key issues related to adoption and implementation of evidence-based programs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the survey respondents, Human Kinetics, Inc., and Klein Buendel staff, Lucia Liu, Rachel Burnett, Jennifer Cummins, and Pam Everitt for their assistance with the project and preparation of the manuscript.

Financial disclosures

Andrea L. Dunn receives a royalty for the book, “Active Living Every Day” from Human Kinetics, Inc.; David B. Buller receives a salary from Klein Buendel, Inc. and his spouse is a partner and owner in Klein Buendel, Inc; Gary Cutter has served on data and safety monitoring committees for Sanofi-Aventis, Cleveland Clinic, Daichi-Sankyo, Glaxo Smith Klein Pharmaceuticals, Genmab Biopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Medivation, Modigenetech, Ono Pharmaceuticals, PTC Therapeutics, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Vivus; he has consulted, advised, and been a speaker for Alexion, Bayhill, Bayer, Novartis, Genzyme, Klein Buendel, Inc., Nuron Biotech, Peptimmune, Somnus Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Visioneering Technologies, Inc.; James W. Dearing has no declared financial disclosures; Michele Guerra has no declared financial disclosures; Sara Wilcox has no disclosed financial disclosures; and Erwin P. Bettinghaus has no disclosed financial disclosures.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klein Buendel, Inc, 1667 Cole Blvd, Suite 225, Golden, CO, 80403, USA

    Andrea L Dunn PhD, David B Buller PhD & Erwin P Bettinghaus PhD

  2. Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA

    James W Dearing PhD

  3. Pythagoras Inc., Birmingham, AL, USA

    Gary Cutter PhD

  4. Healthy Ever Afters, Urbana, IL, USA

    Michele Guerra MS, CHES

  5. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Sara Wilcox PhD

Authors
  1. Andrea L Dunn PhD
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  2. David B Buller PhD
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  3. James W Dearing PhD
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  4. Gary Cutter PhD
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  5. Michele Guerra MS, CHES
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  6. Sara Wilcox PhD
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  7. Erwin P Bettinghaus PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea L Dunn PhD.

Additional information

This work has been supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, NHLBI, HL086448.

Implications

Practice: Implications for practitioners are to increase knowledge of evidence-based programs that may be useful to their organization mission and constituents, and to provide input to commercial entities that are marketing evidence-based programs on key factors that impact adoption and implementation.

Policy: Implications for policy makers are to provide funding for further studies of dissemination to better understand commercial–academic partnerships that are increasingly promulgated to expand the reach of prevention programs to improve health.

Research: Implications for researchers includes developing for dissemination by clearly identifying the target audience for marketing purposes to improve reach and adoption, and providing tools for implementers on strategies to improve the frequency of use of the evidence-based program.

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Dunn, A.L., Buller, D.B., Dearing, J.W. et al. Adopting an evidence-based lifestyle physical activity program: dissemination study design and methods. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 2, 199–208 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-011-0063-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-011-0063-x

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