Ripple Effects Mapping in Community-Engaged Research: Capturing the “Ripples” of the Steps for Change Physical Activity Intervention Trial
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- An emergent evaluation tool known as ripple effects mapping (REM) is a participatory qualitative method that engages program participants and other stakeholders in exploring intended and unintended intervention impacts. REM was used to explore the intervention impacts of the Steps for Change intervention programs. Steps for Change is a group-randomized controlled physical activity intervention trial targeting lower-income midlife and older adults who live in or near 10 senior affordable public housing sites in two San Francisco Bay area counties. The two intervention arms consisted of an evidence-based behavioral intervention targeting individual-level factors influencing regular physical activity vs. the same behavioral intervention in combination with a citizen science intervention, called Our Voice, which targeted local physical and social environmental factors affecting physical activity. Thematic analysis of the intervention impacts obtained during the REM sessions was used to identify major themes, such as COVID-19, physical activity, and social connectedness. The purpose of the present study was to begin to explore the 12-month intervention-derived impacts under the COVID-19 major theme in a housing site (Site A) randomized to the multi-level intervention and its comparison site (Site B) randomized to the individual-level intervention only. The reported impacts under the COVID-19 theme were examined and quantified based on the different organizational levels of the social ecological model. A quantitative comparison of the two sites revealed a statistically significant difference in the relative frequency distribution of impacts based on the levels of the social ecological model (p < 0.01). Using thematic analysis, four subthemes under COVID-19 were identified: (1) meeting physical activity goals, (2) maintaining social connections, (3) balancing health and wellbeing, and (4) learning the Zoom online meeting platform. The content in these subthemes related to challenges and individual adaptations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on participant engagement in the intervention programs. Striving to identify the full complement of intervention impacts through novel qualitative approaches such as REM can provide insights related to both expected and unexpected impacts of a community-based health promotion program. REM in community-engaged research can be a valuable evaluation tool to capture broader intervention effects and potentially enhance program implementation and sustainability in a more comprehensive manner.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | August 27, 2021 |
| Date modified | December 5, 2022 |
| Publication date | October 25, 2021 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Condor, Jose |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor | King, Abby |
| Thesis advisor | Rodriguez Espinosa, Patricia |
| Thesis advisor | Campero, Maria |
Subjects
| Subject | ripple effects mapping |
|---|---|
| Subject | community-engaged research |
| Subject | participatory action research |
| Subject | citizen science |
| Subject | community-engaged evaluation |
| Subject | social ecological model |
| Subject | Science > Citizen participation |
| Subject | COVID-19 (Disease) > Social aspects |
| Subject | COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-) |
| Subject | physical activity |
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
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- User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- Condor, J. (2021). Ripple Effects Mapping in Community-Engaged Research: Capturing the “Ripples” of the Steps for Change Physical Activity Intervention Trial. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/kt854vf6757
Collection
Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR) Master of Science Theses
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