An article co-authored by Pamela Bruno, M.P.H., senior research associate in the Center for Excellence in Health Innovation (CEHI), was recently published in Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, Research (TBM), an international peer-reviewed journal that aims to translate behavioral science findings to improve patient and population outcomes.
The article, titled "The SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework: demonstrating the impact of a national framework for obesity prevention in low-income populations," is part of a special issue focusing on the intersection of food security, dietary quality and obesity.
The issue highlights research that provides actionable takeaways related to policy, systems and environmental approaches for practitioners and policymakers.
In the article Bruno introduces and describes the benefits of the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework (Framework) and its online companion Interpretive Guide.
The Framework and Interpretive Guide provide a common set of outcomes to prevent obesity by improving healthy eating, increasing physical activity and decreasing food insecurity. They include both planning and evaluation for the United States Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-ED), the largest and most diverse community nutrition and obesity prevention program in the country.
The article describes the process behind the Framework's development and its initial uptake across the nation. It also includes an example of how Maine SNAP-Ed, implemented by CEHI through a contract with the Maine Department of Health and Human Service's Office for Family Independence, is using the Framework to plan, implement and evaluate health care clinical-community interventions.
