Strategic Combination of Theory, Plain Language, and Trusted Messengers Contribute to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: Lessons Learned from Development and Dissemination of a Community Toolkit.

Widely accepted practices for the development of health education materials include the use of theoretically driven content, the execution of plain language writing and design strategies, the solicitation of community input, and a plan for dissemination via trusted messengers. Here, we describe the development of a COVID-19 vaccine education toolkit and share preliminary outcomes from dissemination via community health workers. The toolkit was developed to equip community messengers to educate community members about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Institutional improvements in readability of written informed consent forms sustained post-revised Common Rule.

Obtaining informed consent is a fundamental and ethical practice within human subjects' research. Informed consent forms (ICFs) include a large amount of information, much of which may be unfamiliar to research subjects, and the revised Common Rule resulted in several required additions to that language. As limited health literacy impacts many potential subjects, efforts should be made to optimize subjects' ability to read and understand ICFs.

Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors: A Statewide Longitudinal Study of Childhood Obesity.

Background: We examined prevalence, incidence, and trajectory of obesity from kindergarten through grade 8 in one of the first states to implement annual surveillance.

Methods: Participants included 16,414 children enrolled in kindergarten in Arkansas in 2004 with complete body mass index (BMI) measurements in kindergarten and eighth grade. Repeated measures of weight status were entered in multiple linear and logistic regression models with demographics and family poverty status.

Statewide policies for safer teen driving: an evaluation of the impact of graduated driver licensing in Arkansas.

Background: Graduated driver licensing (GDL) requirements aim to reduce the incidence of motor vehicle crashes and crash-related fatalities for novice drivers by limiting their exposure to the most risky driving situations. These programs vary across states in their scope, intensity, and impact. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term impact of the 2009 Arkansas GDL on reducing teen crashes and fatal crashes.