HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.090399v1 97/10/1900    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brownson, R. C. Articles by Kreuter, M. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brownson, R. C. Articles by Kreuter, M. W. Related Collections Exercise/Physical Activity Health Policy Health Professionals

Ross C. Brownson, PhD, Paula Ballew, MEd, Kathrin L. Brown, BS, Michael B. Elliott, PhD, Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, Gregory W. Heath, DHSc, MPH and Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH

Ross C. Brownson, Paula Ballew, Kathrin L. Brown, and Michael B. Elliott are with the Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. Debra Haire-Joshu is with the Prevention Research Center and the Obesity Prevention Center, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St. Louis. Gregory W. Heath is with the Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Matthew W. Kreuter is with the Prevention Research Center and Health Communication Research Laboratory, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St. Louis.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Ross C. Brownson, PhD, Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave, Salus Center 474, St. Louis, MO 63104 (e-mail: brownson{at}slu.edu).

Objectives. We explored the effect of disseminating evidence-based guidelines that promote physical activity on US health department organizational practices in the United States.

Methods. We implemented a quasi-experimental design to examine changes in the dissemination of suggested guidelines to promote physical activity (The Guide to Community Preventive Services) in 8 study states; the remaining states and the Virgin Islands served as the comparison group. Guidelines were disseminated through workshops, ongoing technical assistance, and the distribution of an instructional CD-ROM. The main evaluation tool was a pre- and postdissemination survey administered to state and local health department staffs (baseline n=154; follow-up n=124).

Results. After guidelines were disseminated through workshops, knowledge of and skill in 11 intervention-related characteristics increased from baseline to follow-up. Awareness-related characteristics tended to increase more among local respondents than among state participants. Intervention adoption and implementation showed a pattern of increase among state practitioners but findings were mixed among local respondents.

Conclusions. Our exploratory study provides several dissemination approaches that should be considered by practitioners as they seek to promote physical activity in the populations they serve.