Table 3.
Summary of selected empirical studies on capacity building for evidence-based (or evidence-informed) public health
| First author/year | Location | Setting | Capacity-building approach | Type of evaluation | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramos/2002 (155) | US-Mexico border | CBOs serving Hispanics | Cooperative training approach to build skills in HIV/AIDS prevention; 3 part train-the-trainer approach | Quantitative process & outcome evaluation with data collected at 3 time points (program staff in 42 agencies) | The training program increased the infrastructure capacity & program development in CBOs; collaboration among agencies was increased |
| MacLean/2003 (131) | Nova Scotia, Canada | Provincial, municipal & CBOs engaged in health, education & recreation | Partnership (multilevel partnerships) & organizational development (technical support, action research, community activation) for heart health promotion | Mixed-method with pre/post 5-year follow-up (20 organizations) & 5 qualitative instruments | New partnerships were developed; 18 community initiatives were implemented; organizational changes documented including policy changes, funding reallocations & enhanced knowledge & practices |
| Barron/2007 (9) | Allegheny County, PA, USA | Local public health agency | Action planning after use of the Local Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument | Case study (2 years pre/post) | The assessment process & action planning led to organizational change in the ability to carry out 10 essential services; the assessment tool fostered cross-program communication |
| Dreisinger/2008 (55) | United States | State & local public health agencies | 2.5 or 3.5 day in-person training course (9 modules) in evidence-based public health (EBPH) | Quantitative follow-up survey (n=107) | 90% of participants used course information to inform decision making; improved abilities to communicate with coworkers & read reports |
| Horton/2008 (100) | Yukon, Canada | Health education workers | Capacity-building instruction to support first aid, food safety & health promotion | Qualitative follow-up individual & focus group interviews (n=21) | Themes showed ways in which health educators build on strengths; focusing on issues of immediate importance to the community; key individual & community level capacity-building outcomes |
| Baker/2009 (6) | United States | State & local public health agencies | 2.5 or 3.5 day in-person training course (9 modules) in EBPH | Qualitative follow-up (open-ended) interviews | Course beneficial for those without a public health background; provides a common knowledge base for staff; support from leaders is crucial for furthering EBPH |
| Lloyd/2009 (127) | Australia (New South Wales) | Senior health promotion staff | 2 day train-the-trainer course focused on evidence-based practice (EBP) content & skill | Quantitative follow-up survey (n=50) | Significant improvements in EBP knowledge & skills; incorporated knowledge into practice; key barriers identified (resources, staff movement, organizational change, insufficient |
| Peirson/2012 (148) | Ontario, Canada | Local public health unit | Implementation of strategic plan that included a significant focus on EIDM | Qualitative case study including interviews & focus groups (n=70 respondents) & review of 137 documents | A series of critical organizational-level success factors covered 7 domains: leadership, organizational structure, human resources, organizational culture, knowledge management, communication & change management |
| Gibbert/2013 (68) | United States & Europe | National, state & local public health agencies; NGOs | 3.5 – 4.5 day in-person training course (9 modules) in EBPH | Mixed-method with 2 parts: course pre/post (n=393) & follow-up (n=358) | Significant pre/post improvement in knowledge, skill, ability; high levels of use of EBPH course materials; use of materials differed by location & agency type; qualitative responses provided multiple options for course improvement |
| Pettman/2013 (150) | Australia | State & local public health agencies; NGOs | Short course on evidence-informed public health (EIPH) (5 domains) | Mixed-method course pre (n=45), post (n=59), 6 month follow-up (n=38) | Course objectives continually met & exceeded; improvements across several domains of EIPH such as asking answerable questions, literature searching, critical appraisal |
| Yost/2014 (186) | Ontario, Canada | Health professionals involved in decision making | 5 day workshop on evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) knowledge, skills & behaviors | Mixed-method with 2 parts: longitudinal survey (n=40 at baseline) & qualitative interviews (n=8) | Significant pre/post increase in knowledge & skills; no significant improvement in EIDM behaviors; interviews identified perceived barriers & facilitators in participating in continuing education |
| Jacobs/2014 (105) | Four U.S. states (Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington) | Local public health agencies | 2.5 day train-the-trainer course (9 modules) in EBPH | Quantitative, quasi-experimental (pre/post) survey (n=82 participants; n=214 controls) | Course participants reported greater increases in the availability & decreases in the skill gaps than controls; course benefits included becoming better leader & making scientifically informed decisions |
| Mainor/2014 (132) | United States (43 states & the District of Columbia) | Mainly state public health program managers | 5 day training conducted over a 7 year period in obesity prevention | Quantitative course pre/post (n=303) & 6 mo. follow-up (n=229) | High course ratings for quality & relevance; at least 70% reported self-confidence in performing competencies; majority of participants at follow-up reported completing at least 1 activity from action planning |
| Schuchter/2015 (162) | United States | National & local public health agencies; NGOs; universities | 4 different trainings, ranging from 1.5 to 11.5 days in Health Impact Assessment | Qualitative follow-up (open-ended) interviews (n=48) | Training objectives were met; case studies were beneficial; new collaborations developed; trainees disseminated what they had learned |
| Hardy/2015 (94) | Pueblo City-County, CO | Local public health agency | 3 day EBPH training, formalized language in personnel policies and strategic plan | Mixed-method with 2 parts: longitudinal survey (n=74 at baseline) & qualitative interviews (n=11) | At post test, attitudes toward EBPH were improved, more resources were allocated, greater access to EBPH information was achieved. Skills were improved in developing EBIs and communicating with policy makers |
| Jaskiewicz/2015 (107) | Chicago, IL | CBOs serving minority communities | 1 day workshop, technical assistance, 3 webinars to build capacity in healthy food access | Qualitative interviews with project staff | Training & materials provided by the project increased staff confidence in working with food stores; individualized project support was particularly useful; leadership support & staff time, were limitations to project success |
| Yarber/2015 (185) | Four US states (Indiana, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas) | State & local public health agencies | 3.5 day train-the-trainer course (9 modules) in EBPH | Quantitative follow-up survey (n=144) | 78% of respondents indicated that the course allowed them to make more scientifically informed decisions; utilization of materials was high whether the course was taught by original trainers or state-based trainers |
| Sauaia/2016 (160) | Colorado | 6 area health agencies (CBOs) | 2-day training featuring local data, sources of EBIs, hands-on activities | Quantitative short-term (n=94) & follow-up surveys (n=26) | Significant improvement in knowledge in core content areas & accomplishment of self-proposed organizational goals, grant applications/awards & several community-academic partnerships |
| Yost/2016 (188) | Canada & other parts of the world | Multiple sectors at multiple levels of government | Webinar series to promote use of a registry of EIDM methods & tools | Quantitative follow-up survey (n=434) & Google Analytics | 22 webinars have reached 2,048 people; webinars were valuable strategy for enhancing EIDM by increasing awareness of the registry & intentions to use the tools |
| Morshed/2017(140) | Nebraska | State & local public health agencies | 6 online modules featuring scenario-based learning | Quantitative, quasi-experimental (pre/post) survey (n=123 participants; n=201 controls) | Significant improvement in skills among participants without advanced degrees; no improvement for participants with advanced degrees |