Evaluating community-driven cardiovascular health policy changes in the United States using agent-based modeling.

Comprehensive smoke-free policy is a strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) at a population-level; however, evaluating their long-term outcomes is difficult. This study used an agent-based model to estimate long-term impacts of a comprehensive smoke-free policy, as it was implemented in two communities, Arlington and Mesquite, Texas. The model predicted the percentage of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and diabetes in the population 10 and 20 years following policy adoption.

Highlighting Contributions of Behavioral and Social Sciences in Advancing Public Health: Where We've Come, Where We're Headed.

Context: Social and behavioral sciences, a cross-disciplinary field that examines the interaction among behavioral, biological, environmental, and social factors, has contributed immensely to some public health achievements over the last century. Through collaboration with community organizations and partners, social and behavioral scientists have conducted numerous program interventions involving community engagement and advocacy efforts at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

Contributions Of Social And Behavioral Sciences: This article traces select historical underpinnings of the applications of social and behavioral sciences theories and evidence to public health and highlights 4 areas in which health education specialists have distinctly contributed to public health achievements by building on theory and evidence.

Interorganizational network findings from a nationwide cardiovascular disease prevention initiative.

Objectives: To use network analysis in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interorganizational networks in implementing policy, systems, and environmental interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention throughout the United States.

Methods: Evaluators conducted an interorganizational network (ION) survey to examine information sharing and joint planning within organizational relationships in 15 community-based cardiovascular disease prevention partnership networks. Density and betweenness centrality scores at the node- and network-level were calculated for each partnership network using UCINET© network analysis software.

Understanding innovation in health program planning and development.

Introduction: A need for innovative public health programs is evident as the field adapts to address changes in health priorities and target populations. The Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (iTP) was created to support and enable innovation in teenage pregnancy prevention, developing programs to reach the most at risk youth.

Methods: A formative evaluation was conducted to understand what innovation means in the context of program development, and examine the process of innovation.

Ecological Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention: An Examination of Evidence-Based Interventions.

Over the past 20 years, teenage birth rates in the United States have declined substantially but continue to persist among certain populations. During this time period, a series of rigorously tested teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs were developed, and a number of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) emerged. In April 2017, researchers reviewed EBIs in TPP and examined each program's socioecological levels of intervention, measurements approaches, and other ecological aspects.