Educating Health Care Professionals in Advocacy for Childhood Obesity Prevention in Their Communities: Integrating Public Health and Primary Care in the Be Our Voice Project

Abstract

Objectives. We assessed the perceived need for and the effectiveness of the Be Our Voice advocacy training. In this training, health care professionals learned public health strategies to advocate for environmental systems changes to prevent childhood obesity in their communities.

Methods. We assessed 13 trainings across 8 pilot sites. We conducted 2 rounds of surveys with participants—pre-training (n = 287, 84% response rate) and immediately post-training (n = 254, 75% response rate)—and semi-structured interviews with participants after training (n = 25).

Results. We uncovered essential and promising elements of the training. Primary care providers found the Be Our Voice training effective at building their comfort with and motivation for engaging in public health advocacy; they reported achieving learning objectives, and they had positive responses to the training overall and to specific sessions. They articulated the need for the training and plans for advocacy in their communities.

Conclusions. The Be Our Voice training provides an opportunity to integrate primary care providers into public health, community-based advocacy. It may be a model for future educational offerings for health care professionals in graduate and postgraduate training and in practice.