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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2015 Sep 1;106(6):e426–e433. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.106.5114

Creating a collective impact on childhood obesity: Lessons from the SCOPE initiative

Shazhan Amed 114,214,314,✉, Patti-Jean Naylor 414, Susan Pinkney 314, Stephanie Shea 314, Louise C Mâsse 514, Stephen Berg 614, Jean-Paul Collet 114,214, Joan Wharf Higgins 414
PMCID: PMC6972077  PMID: 26680435

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We describe the processes used in SCOPE, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative, to achieve multisectoral engagement and collective action to prevent childhood obesity.

PARTICIPANTS: SCOPE engages representatives from various sectors (local government, health, schools, recreation, local media, early childhood, community services) who influence the environments in which children live, learn and play.

SETTING: SCOPE has been implemented in three communities in British Columbia (BC).

INTERVENTION: SCOPE (www.live5210.ca) is a multi-setting, multi-component initiative designed to enhance a community’s capacity to create and deliver localized solutions to promote healthy weights among children. SCOPE, in partnership with a local organization, engages multiple stakeholders who plan and implement actions framed by a common evidence-based health message (‘Live 5-2-1-0’). SCOPE’s central team in Vancouver, BC facilitates alignment with provincial initiatives, knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) within and across communities, and the collection, analysis and reporting of shared data.

OUTCOMES: Best practice processes that have emerged from SCOPE’s experience align with the principles of CBPR and the five conditions of Collective Impact - a common agenda, mutually reinforcing action, continuous communication, a backbone organization and shared measurement. SCOPE has achieved sustainable practice change framed by a common agenda (‘Live 5-2-1-0’) leading to mutually reinforcing cross-sectoral action.

CONCLUSION: A multi-pronged community-led childhood obesity prevention initiative can be achieved using CBPR principles and attending to the conditions for achieving collective impact.

Key Words: Pediatric obesity, prevention & control, health promotion, community-based participatory research

Mots Clés: obésité, pédiatrique, prévention et contrôle, promotion de la santé, recherche participative communautaire

Footnotes

Acknowledgements: We thank SCOPE community coordinators and organizational partners for their unrelenting commitment to this initiative; this work would not have been possible without their invaluable input, effort and leadership. We also thank Child Health BC, Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Public Health Agency of Canada for providing funding. L. Mâsse and J-P. Collet received salary support from the Child & Family Research Institute.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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