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The charitable food system is rapidly evolving. Interventions that target the food pantry environment and use behavioral economics are in high demand, but can be difficult to implement in a low-resource setting. This is an analysis of secondary, environment-level outcomes in a food pantry intervention (SuperShelf); the study evaluates whether the intervention resulted in measurable changes to the food pantry environment and improved diet quality of the food available to clients, compared with a control group of food pantries. Eleven food pantries were randomized to an intervention (n= 5) or control (n= 6) condition and completed baseline and one-year follow-up measures between 2018 and 2020. The intervention addressed healthy food supply and the appeal of healthy foods using behavioral economics. Assessments included manager surveys, intervention fidelity, food inventory, and food supply tracked over 5 days. Measures included change in intervention fidelity (range 0–100) with four subcomponents; Healthy Eating Index scores (HEI-2015, range 0–100) with 13 subcomponents; and Food Assortment Scoring Tool scores (FAST, range 0–100). Descriptive analyses and t-tests examined pre–post changes within and between intervention arms. Average fidelity scores increased from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group compared with the control group (p< .001), as did FAST scores (p= .02). Average HEI-2015 Total scores increased in the intervention group by 6.3 points and by 1.6 points in the control group, but the difference in change between groups was not statistically significant (p= .56). The intervention was implemented with high fidelity at five sites, with some evidence of change in the nutritional quality of the food available on the shelf to clients.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.Many medical schools are instituting gender equity initiatives to address long-standing inequities (e.g., salary, leadership positions, resource distribution) between women and men in academic medicine. However, few theory-driven models exist with built-in metrics to assess the impact of gender equity initiatives. The authors describe the theory- and metric-driven process used to create the Center for Women in Medicine and Science (CWIMS) at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Medical School. An innovative theory-driven approach using community-based participatory research (CBPR) was used to create and organize CWIMS. CBPR acknowledges community members (e.g., faculty members, staff), academic organizational representatives (e.g., department heads, center directors), and administrative leaders (e.g., deans) as equal contributors in carrying out all aspects of gender equity work. CBPR values collaborative approaches that empower faculty, promote co-learning and co-creation of initiatives among all university partners, and build upon already existing community strengths and resources. Four CWIMS action groups were created using CBPR principles. The action groups are retention and recruitment; mentoring; salary, resource, and leadership equity; and strategic communications and collaborations. Faculty members across all medical school departments joined these 4 action groups to co-create and carry out all CWIMS gender equity initiatives. The process of developing the CWIMS center and action groups, the CBPR theoretical model guiding the approach, the initiatives developed by the action groups and metrics created, and the outcomes achieved to date are described. In addition, 4 lessons learned from the development of the CWIMS—use of theoretically driven and evidence-based models is key to building a sustainable organization; bottom-up and top-down engagement of partners is crucial for sustainability; passion and innovation are critical for long-term momentum; and not all faculty members and leaders will be enthusiastic about gender equity issues—are shared for the benefit of other medical schools wanting to develop similar centers.

Cross-sector collaboration has been a crucial element of planning and implementing large-scale obesity prevention-related policies and programs in the United States, including Safe Routes to School (SRTS), which promotes walking and bicycling through physical infrastructure changes and programmatic efforts. Minnesota provides a unique opportunity to evaluate a collaborative partnership that successfully implemented and institutionalized one of the first state-funded SRTS initiatives in the country and included close collaboration between transportation and health officials and advocates at both the state and local levels. This theoretically informed mixed methods case study identified and described the roles of both central and peripheral members of a collaborative SRTS partnership in Minnesota. Qualitative analyses of 18 stakeholder interviews identified key aspects of success, including passionate and skilled individuals with a common objective, structures that facilitated work across partnership functions and geographies, strong interpersonal and inter-organizational relationships, capacity for implementation and advocacy, and information and knowledge sharing. Findings indicate that contributors to partnership success may differ across multiple geographic levels and partnership functions. Contextual factors external to the partnership are also likely to affect whether partnerships achieve their goals.

Objectives: Interest is increasing in collaborations between public health and primary care to address the health of a community. Although the understanding of how these collaborations work is growing, little is known about the barriers facing these partners at the local level. The objective of this study was to identify barriers to collaboration between primary care and public health at the local level in 4 states.Methods: The study team, which comprised 12 representatives of Practice-Based Research Networks (networks of practitioners interested in conducting research in practice-based settings), identified 40 key informants from the public health and primary care fields in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington State, and Wisconsin. The key informants participated in standardized, semistructured telephone interviews with 8 study team members in 2014 and 2015. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed key themes and subthemes by drawing on grounded theory.Results: Primary care and public health participants identified similar barriers to collaboration. Barriers at the institutional level included the challenges of the primary care environment, in which providers feel overwhelmed and resources are tight; the need for systems change; a lack of partnership; and geographic challenges. Barriers to collaboration included mutual awareness, communication, data sharing, capacity, lack of resources, and prioritization of resources.Conclusions: Some barriers to collaboration (eg, changes to health care billing, demands on provider time) require systems change to overcome, whereas others (eg, a lack of shared priorities and mutual awareness) could be addressed through educational approaches, without adding resources or making a systemic change. Overcoming these common barriers may lead to more effective collaboration.

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Objectives: This research provides the first test of feasibility of recruiting postpartum doulas and depressed mothers for a peer support intervention study and begins to evaluate the benefit of postpartum doula support and peer telephone support for at-risk mothers. Methods: The authors recruited postpartum doulas from national doula organizations, peer telephone supporters from nursing referrals, and mothers with depressive symptoms from 3 local hospitals, local medical practices, Web sites, and community organizations. Participating mothers were randomized to 3 groups—postpartum doula, peer telephone support, and control group. Surveys were completed at 0, 3, and 6 months postenrollment. Results: Thirty-nine mothers with depressive symptoms, 6 postpartum doulas, and 6 peer telephone supporters participated. The postpartum doula group, compared with the other 2 groups, had a higher proportion of women with a previous history of depression, and similarly, a higher proportion of women who were depressed and receiving depression treatment at the 6-month follow-up. Satisfaction with study-sponsored support was greater in the postpartum doula group than in the telephone support group. Conclusions: It is feasible to recruit postpartum doulas, peer telephone supporters, and mothers with depressive symptoms for a peer support intervention trial. Mothers were more satisfied with postpartum doulas than peer telephone support. The authors recommend further research to assess the benefit of postpartum doula support for postpartum depression as adjunctive or alternative therapy.

Purpose This study aims to develop and test feasibility of a colorectal cancer (CRC) education video appropriate for Somali immigrants.Design One-group pretest–posttest design.Setting Minneapolis, MN.Sample Thirty-one Somali men (mean age = 60.6; SD = 13.0).Intervention A CRC education video was developed in the Somali language with Somali community partners. Participants were invited to a workshop and watched the video.Measures Levels of understanding about CRC and screening were assessed before vs after the video.Analysis Binomial tests were conducted to examine changes in level of understanding.Results Analysis on pre–post, within-person changes in understanding about cancer, and CRC screening showed that proportions with a positive change in understanding risks of cancer (80%) and benefits of CRC screening (90%) were significantly higher than expected if the video had no effect (50%; P= .012, P< .001, respectively). Ninety-three percent of participants agreed that the video contained useful information.Conclusion These results provide evidence of usefulness of culturally tailored videos to facilitate CRC screening in the Somali community. Results of this study were limited by a small sample size and lack of a control group.