THE NSW CENTRE FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY - Strategic Directions 2004 - 2008 dated June 2005

NSW Centre for Physical Activity and Health (CPAH)
COO’s funding agreement with NSW Health specifies 9 performance areas:
1. Governance and administration
2. A research and development agenda
3. Population monitoring
4. Determinants research
5. Intervention research
6. Capacity building
7. Whole of government approach
8. Community engagement
9. Well-informed policy
Overview
This document on COO’s Strategic Directions has 5 sections:
> The vision for the next 3 to 5 years
> Strategic directions
> Direction 1 – Pursuing a research agenda that is focussed and applied.
> Direction 2 – Getting research into practice
> Direction 3 – Developing a sustainable organisation
The links between the research agenda and initiatives for getting research into policy and practice are key features of this Strategic Directions document. The vision identifies WHAT health related and organisational outcomes COO will achieve over the next few years.
The Vision
The NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity…..Contributing to reductions in overweight and obesity among the people of NSW – especially children and adolescents – through public health research.
COO will have made a difference over the next three to five years by:
· increasing awareness and understanding of overweight and obesity
· increasing understanding of effective prevention and treatment interventions for overweight and obesity
· contributing to policy and system changes, within and beyond the health sector, to reduce overweight and obesity.
In making this contribution, COO will be a viable organisation with a high profile and will have:
· secured additional external funding
· established a presence in or links across a number of locations
· created an environment supportive of research and research training
· developed a reputation as a resource centre with specialised expertise in research and policy related to overweight and obesity.
COO’s strategic directions for the next three to five years:
1. Pursuing a research agenda that is focussed and applied: Focus the research agenda on action-oriented intervention research that has relevance to policy and practice, and build direct links between intervention research, determinants research and monitoring studies.
2. Getting research into practice: Actively translate research into policy and practice changes.
3. Developing a sustainable organisation: Select and undertake work that contributes to COO’s overall sustainability.
Pursuing a research agenda that is focussed and applied
Direction: Focus the research agenda on action-oriented intervention research that has relevance to policy and practice, and build direct links between intervention research, determinants research and monitoring studies.
Intervention research
Aim:
COO contributes to the development of knowledge about effective interventions and intervention components that are appropriate and feasible within the NSW and Australian context, and that build on determinants and monitoring research.
Current initiatives:
> Work with selected Area Health Services and NSW Health on the evaluation of the NSW Health child obesity prevention
community interventions
> Review of evidence on effective physical activity interventions for adolescents.
> Participation in PEACH study (Sydney site) – Parenting, activity and eating for child health weight management program
Proposed initiatives
> Do intervention research that addresses selected determinants, in partnership with practice groups.
Activities:
> Identify, review and disseminate research information on interventions
> Conduct, collate and disseminate formative research to inform intervention design
> Collaborate in the development and evaluation of interventions for the prevention and management of overweight and obesity
> Lead evaluation studies on interventions for the prevention and management of overweight and obesity
> Support the application of best-practice to the design of interventions
Determinants of overweight and obesity
Aim:
COO contributes to knowledge about determinants of overweight and obesity, particularly the role of social and
environmental factors and patterns of variation between socio-economic groups.
Current projects/commitments:
> Qualitative study on community perceptions of the problem of children’s overweight and obesity.
> NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2004 (SPANS) survey and studies on food habits, physical activity,
fundamental motor skills, sedentary behaviours, school environment.
> Sub-studies on the Nepean Longitudinal Study
> Projects on environmental influences on overweight and obesity
Proposed initiatives
> Use spatial mapping to present data on weight status, food consumption and physical activity patterns.
Activities:
> Identify, review and disseminate research information on determinants of overweight and obesity
> Describe patterns of variation in overweight and obesity and determinants
> Investigate determinants through available data sets
> Investigate the role of environmental factors in influencing physical activity and nutrition
> Investigate community perceptions and barriers to individual and organisational action.
Population monitoring
Aim:
COO produces information on weight status and related determinants for population groups within NSW that is used
to inform interventions, and contribute to the establishment of monitoring systems.
Current initiatives:
> NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2004 (SPANS) reports
Proposed initiatives
> Develop an integrated approach to monitoring that spans environmental and behavioural determinants and examines relationships with health service utilisation and outcomes.
Activities:
> Investigate and conduct research on the capacity required and available to address overweight and obesity.
> Assimilate and apply best practice methods in the dissemination of research and its application into policy and practice
> Provide a range of information ‘products’ for professional groups, media and other stakeholders.
Developing a sustainable organisation
(Incorporating governance and administration and organisational development)
Direction: Position and develop the organisation and its work program in a way that contributes to COO’s overall sustainability.
Governance, administration and organisational development
Aim:
COO develops as a viable organisation, with a high professional profile and a secure funding base.
Current initiatives:
> Co-location with CPAH, CPHN, CRASH, and development of the Sydney University Prevention Research Centres (PRC) group
> Membership and links with Australian Child & Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACORN), Australian Society for the Study of Obesity (ASSO) and membership of the Sax Institute
> Advisory structures
> Seeking funding for additional projects and consultancies e.g. Tender for Australian Department of Health & Ageing (ADHA) on framework for interventions to address overweight and obesity in adults Activities:
> Adopt transparent governance arrangements
> Actively seek stakeholder engagement through advisory mechanisms and specific activities and projects
> Implement systems that ensure the organisation is effective, efficient and accountable
> Select and undertake research and capacity building projects that enhance the professional profile of COO with key stakeholders
> Build the infrastructure, profile and funding base of COO
> Links with other research groups