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Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Research around practice partnerships: an example of building partnerships to address overweight and obesity in children

Anne A. Poulsen A G , Robert Bush A , Joleen Tirendi A , Jenny Ziviani B , Rebecca Abbott C , Doune Macdonald C , Matthew A. Brown D and Gary M. Leong E F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A The University of Queensland, Healthy Communities Research Centre, 11 Salisbury Road, Ipswich, Qld 4305, Australia.

B Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

C School of Human Movement Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

D UQ Diamantina Institute of Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

E Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

F Department of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Mater Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia.

G Corresponding author. Email: a.poulsen@uq.edu.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 15(4) 285-293 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY09005
Published: 26 November 2009

Abstract

Prevention and management of childhood overweight and obesity is a health priority for governments and communities throughout the developed world. A conceptual model, Research around Practice in Childhood Obesity (RAPICO), has been developed to guide capacity building in a coordinated ‘bench to fieldwork’ initiative to address this public health problem. Translation of research findings into sustainable responses with optimal fit requires consideration of context-specific relevance, cost-effectiveness, feasibility and levels of available support. The RAPICO model uses program theory to describe a framework for progressing practitioner–community–research partnerships to address low, medium and high levels of risk for childhood overweight and obesity within community settings. A case study describing the development of a logic model to inform risk-linked responses to childhood overweight and obesity is presented for the Ipswich community in south-east Queensland.


Acknowledgements

This project was funded by The University of Queensland’s ‘Partnerships in Health Research’ grant with additional funding provided by the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, and was conducted from September 2008 till March 2009.


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