Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Welcome, agenda review, and introductions: the meeting started with a general welcome to the group as well as reviewing the agenda. Introductions were done with the whole group, which included not only NC1193 members but also students who were in attendance.

• State report highlights: Group members provided pertinent updates regarding changes or new developments at the individual, department, college, and/or university level as well as information regarding new hires and position announcements.
• Committee Reports: Updates from lead personnel regarding the progress made and short-term plans for continuing the development of the Behavior Environmental Perceptions-Community Survey which includes both survey development and environmental audit development and the Healthy Campus Index development.
• Review 5-year renewal plan (2021-2026): An overview of the renewal plan was provided by the policies and procedures committee chair, with other individuals leading specific renewal objectives providing next steps in the areas of environment, behavior, policy, systems and environment approaches, and evaluation of dissemination and documenting best practices.
• Future grants, presentation and publications plans: Group reviewed all grants, abstracts and papers submitted, in progress, and in preparation.
• Review group organizational chart: Group organization was reviewed, as well as committee membership and term length. Individuals indicated which committees they wanted to continue serving on and if they wanted to take a leadership role for the following year. Each member must serve on at least one committee per policies and procedures manual guidelines.
• Elections: Review of Organizational Chart and Elections. Officer elections were held and confirmed for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
• Scheduled 2021 annual meeting: The 2021 annual meeting date and location was tentatively set.

The NC1193 multistate research group continues to develop and refine tools to assess the healthfulness of college campuses and communities where young adults live to effectively disseminate information. This information can be used by campus administrators and stakeholders to make changes that support and sustain healthier environments for young adults. During this past five-year tenure, the research impacts from this group have the potential for extensive health care cost savings. The research outcomes target pre-symptom behaviors and those items supporting pre-symptom behaviors. Consumption of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables is positively correlated with prevention of cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, this work has increased awareness regarding the importance of environmental supports needed for healthier choices with stakeholders such as university administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

Short-term Outcomes: Major outcomes include dissemination of the eB4CAST tool. The eB4CAST framework provides a systematic method to capture justification of program need and impact of community-based research that can be modified to fit diverse public health interventions providing a necessary dissemination and implementation (D&I) tool. This objective led to a change in knowledge of students and administrators by providing opportunities for an increase in knowledge about the health-promoting aspects of the college environment and whether the environment supports healthful lifestyles. Major outcomes of the Behavior and Environmental Perceptions Survey (BEPS) include dissemination of a valid tool that captures young adults' perception of the healthfulness of their environment. Findings from the BEPS can be used to inform stakeholders as they seek to make environmental improvements, such as better access to healthy foods, opportunities for physical activity and mental health support in the community. These findings will help support healthful behaviors of community members and to bring perceptions closer to reality.

Outputs: Over the past several years NC1193 has developed, published, and disseminated a suite of valid, reliable, and efficient tools. To pinpoint changes that will provide and encourage healthier habits, 75 communities have used a new tool developed by the NC1193 research team, the Healthy Campus Environmental Audit (HCEA), to measure seven factors that influence an area's healthfulness, including the food choices at local dining options, vending machines, and grocery and convenience stores, walkability and bikeability, recreation facilities and programs, and policies. Complementing the audit, researchers also developed a survey to assess if people view their environments as healthy. Over 2,000 college students were surveyed from 10 of the partnering universities. Results indicated that college students would like better support for mental health and healthy eating options on campus and are more satisfied with physical activity resources. Using the audit and survey tool, college campuses and others can make sure they are using resources efficiently and making the changes that will have the biggest impact on the health of community members. Researchers also developed and validated a tool to help communities assess necessary health changes needed and impacts of programming on community healthfulness. These new tools can work towards making changes to policies and improvements in health environments. These changes make healthy habits an easier, more sustainable choice for more people. Good health means better quality of life, reduced healthcare costs, and an able workforce in communities across the United States (US).

• eB4CAST: A novel, evidence-based method for collecting public and intervention specific data for each campus with a personalized narrative describing needs and intervention impacts. This easy-to-use tool provides communities a means to disseminate their impact story.
• BEPS: a validated/published tools to assess environmental perceptions of physical activity, healthful eating, mental health, and peer influences.
• HCEA: seven validated/published tools to assess food (food access and availability in vending machines, convenience stores, dining halls, restaurants), physical activity (walkability, bikeability, recreation), and health-related policy environment. HCEAs are used to assess, monitor, and advocate for environmental changes to improve health.

Activities:

• eB4CAST is a novel, evidence-based method for collecting public and intervention specific data. Each campus or community was provided a personalized narrative describing needs and intervention impacts summarized from the data. This easy-to-use tool provides those who deliver public programming a means to disseminate their impact story to the communities, stakeholders, and administrators.
• BEPS captures students’ perception of the healthfulness of the environment (food, physical activity, mental health, and peer influence). The survey was developed, tested, and validated at the partnering universities with over 2,000 college students participating in the validation process. The survey was refined and disseminated through manuscript publication.
• HCEA implementation extensiveness was decided by each participating state. HCEA validation studies took place for the following areas of interest: cafeteria/restaurants, convenience store, vending, recreation programs/facilities, walkability/bike-ability, and initiatives and policies. Online audits were tested with mobile devices for dining, convenience stores, vending, and walkability/bike-ability.
• The HCEA and BEPS was evaluated for appropriateness to be used to capture environmental health and individual health perceptions in low-income communities. A subcommittee consisting of 8 universities was formed to assess the appropriateness of the existing tools. Focus groups/interviews were conducted with paraprofessionals and stakeholders working in low-income communities and it was determined that the tools need to be reconceptualized to be appropriate for low-income communities.

Awards and Recognition. Team members have received awards at the college, university, state, and national level. Examples of recognition include (but are not limited to) the following. At the college level, members have been recognized for their advising (Mathews), teaching (Mathews,) and research (Shelnutt, Mathews). Members have been acknowledged at the University level for outstanding service and innovative programming (Franzen-Castle), professorship (Morrell), diversity (Tolar-Peterson), and research (Colby). On a regional level, the NC1193 Multi-State Research Group was awarded the North Central Excellence award. On the national stage, members received awards from organizations such as: Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) Helen Denning Ullrich Lifetime Excellence in Nutrition Education (Byrd-Bredbenner); American Society for Nutrition for Excellence in Nutrition Education (Byrd-Bredbenner); SNEB for Early Professional Achievement Award (Franzen-Castle), Mid-Career Professional Achievement Award (Shelnutt), and Nutrition Education Research Award (Greene); Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB) for Gold Author (Franzen-Castle, Greene, Horacek, Olfert) and Silver Author (Greene, Horacek, Kidd, Shelnutt) recognition; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Medallion Award (Kattelmann); and North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Educator Award (Mathews).

Tenure, Promotions, and Leadership. The level of performance of the technical committee during this five year period has resulted in tenure and promotion to associate (Tolar-Peterson, Brown, Mathews), full (Kidd), and distinguished professor (Kattelmann, Byrd-Bredbenner). Members have moved into leadership positions, such as, Department Head (Kidd, Kattelmann), Interim Department Chair/Head (Greene, Horacek), Nutrition Program Leader (Shelnutt), and Division Director of Health and Consumer Sciences (Kattelmann).

Grants, Contracts, and/or Other Resources Obtained: Cumulative funds (internal and external) obtained by individuals, small groups, and the larger team that were directly related and/or complimentary to project objectives totals over $20.8 million.

• Brown, AL Campus Coalition for Basic Needs, ECMC Foundation, $526,000 (2019-22)
• Byrd-Bredbenner (PI) et al., HomeStyles, AFRI $4M (2017-22); HomeStyles RCT, AFRI $4.49M (2011-17)
• Colby (PI) et al., Get FRUVED: Peer-led, train-the-trainer social marketing intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intake and prevent childhood obesity, AFRI $4.9M (2014-20)
• Franzen-Castle (PI) et al. Co-Creating Community Initiatives through Collaborative Strategies and Place-Based Change Grant, National 4-H Council and RWJF, $65,000 (2019-21); Assistance Programs for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, CDC, NE Dept. of HHS, $273,751 (2015-18)
• Kidd (PI) et al., Community-Based Participatory Research Model in Preventing Overweight and Obesity Among 6-8th Grade Youth in Low-Income Racial/Ethnic Communities (Ignite), AFRI $2.5M (2012-17)
• McNamara (PI) and Barr (Co-PI) Utilizing Community-Based Participatory Research to Increase Health Related Quality of Life in College Students, AFRI $178,000 (2020-22)
• Melanson, RI Generating Healthcare Transformation (RIGHT), RI DPH, $125,000 (2018-19); Enhancing Health Education at URI, Champlin Foundations, $106,000 (2017-18); Testing a Novel Wearable Device for Healthy Weight Management, The Obesity Society , $50,000 (2016-17)
• Morrell JS (PI). University of New Hampshire Strategic Initiative (internal funds) - Upgrade of Nutritional Assessment & Teaching Laboratory, $105,000; 2016
• Olfert (PI), NIH/Translational, Use of Nutritional Interventions to Identify Modifiable Metabolomic Risk Factors in Metabolic Syndrome Older Adolescents-FRUVEDomics, $150,000 (2015-17)
• Shelnutt KP (PI), House LA (Co-PI), Mathews A (Co-PI). Walmart Foundation. Nutrition in a Box. $670,000, (2020-22)
• Shelnutt KP (Co-PI) and Treadwell D (Co-PI). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Healthy Food Environments. $335,000. (2016-17)
• Shelnutt KP (Co-PI). University of Tennessee. RNECE - PSE Center. $70,000. (2015-18)
• White (PI) et al. iCook 4-H, AFRI $2.5M (2012-18)

Milestones:  

• October, 2016- September, 2017: eB4CAST was disseminated to local communities to capture direct/indirect measures; HCEA revised and validated; BEPS pilot survey was developed and tested at selected universities; manuscript writing and publication.
• October, 2017- September, 2018: eB4CAST was refined and disseminated to local communities to capture direct/indirect measures; HCEA final campus audit was conducted in all multistate partner institutions; final BEPS was administered to college students; manuscript writing and publication.
• October, 2018- September, 2019: eB4CAST was refined and disseminated to local communities to capture direct/indirect measures; HCEA campus audit was conducted on 60 diverse campuses; BEPS was reviewed for appropriateness to use in low-income communities; manuscript writing and publication.
• October, 2019- September, 2020: eB4CAST was refined and disseminated to local communities to capture direct/indirect measures; development of HCEA scoring system and web-based dissemination; revise BEPS for low-income communities.
• October, 2020- September, 2021: eB4CAST was refined and disseminated to local communities to capture direct/indirect measures; development of HCEA scoring system and web-based dissemination; revise BEPS for low-income communities.

Cumulative list of publications and presentations spanning 2016-2021 was uploaded as a separate document to the NIMSS system.