Building one strong ‘ohana: promoting data-informed policy advocacy in a statewide coalition dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect

Abstract

Child abuse and neglect is a pervasive problem that can have long-term consequences on mental and physical health. Preventive interventions can be successful in preventing child abuse and neglect, particularly when they take into account individual, family, and community level factors. Policies aimed at strengthening families can also help to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote well-being. There is an abundance of research on the prevalence of child maltreatment, the benefits of prevention, and the effectiveness of specific interventions. Policy change efforts are hampered, however, because much of this research is not available to practitioners and policymakers in easily readable formats. This study takes an action research approach to examine the effects of knowledge translation activities on policy change efforts, in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Children's Trust Fund (HCTF) Coalition. The study included four steps: (1) conduct a preliminary assessment of policy goals and data needs of HCTF coalition members, (2) meet with Coalition members to determine visions and associated policy goals, and obtain further feedback on information needs, (3) engage in knowledge translation activities including the development of data products and an online data repository, and (4) meet again with Coalition members to refine policy goals and identify assets that can aid in the achievement of these goals. The results of these activities indicated that most Coalition members believe that data and research is important in practice and policy decisions, but do not have access to all of the data they wish to use, and that specific knowledge translation activities may help to close the gap between actual and desired use of data in program planning and policy change efforts. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding the implementation and efficacy of knowledge translation interventions, and provides one model for how such an intervention can be integrated with policy advocacy activities in a coalition setting.