P2.J186: Implementation Science in Action: How CDC is Supporting the Effective Dissemination of Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment for Real-World Settings

Background: Since 2010, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment interventions (IHBLT) for children with obesity. In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Child Obesity (CPG) included IHBLT as a key component of evidence-based care. However, most U.S. children have no access to IHBLT in their community, in part because it is often delivered in research or academic settings. Improving equitable access to evidence-based treatment is a priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recent CDC public health funding opportunities leveraged over a decade of research on how to translate, implement, and disseminate Family Healthy Weight Programs (FHWPs), which are packaged to deliver IHBLT in clinical and community settings.

Methods: In 2022, CDC developed methodology to recognize FHWPs based on standardized screening criteria in 3 domains: 1) childhood obesity appropriateness, 2) adequacy of evidence and impacts, and 3) packaged for immediate use. Two systematic approaches identified existing programs for review: 1) applying a list of search terms to prior funding opportunities via grants.gov; and 2) programs identified in the 2017 USPSTF and 2023 AAP CPG evidence reviews. In 2023, with permission of FHWPs who met criteria (n=6), CDC created a new website to list CDC-recognized FHWPs. Also in 2023, CDC released 3 programmatic 5-year funding opportunities for public health, academic institutions, and community-based organizations that, for the first time, included FHWP as an optional strategy. This FHWP strategy was designed to expand access for priority populations by supporting recipients with implementing FHWPs. CDC developed a web resource to support state and local-level activities, such as community collaboration and partner engagement. CDC also engaged AAP and the National Association of Community Health Centers to create a technical assistance (TA) model that leveraged implementation science to support overcoming real-world implementation challenges. This model includes: 1) a partner-led learning collaborative for recipients to guide collaboration, implementation activities, and support FHWP selection; 2) TA for recipients and CDC project officers.

Results: The CDC-recognized FHWP webpage and Strategy webpage became highly utilized web resources with 17,534 and 12,745 views in 2023 – April 2024, respectively. Recipients (n=55) from 31 states selected to implement CDC-recognized FHWPs. Between August 2023-March 2024, TA included: monthly learning collaborative (>100 individuals attended); workplan feedback (n=90); guidance document development (n=5); trainings (n=10); office hours (n=20); tool development (e.g., landscape assessment); 1:1 recipient TA responses (n>50).

Conclusion: The commitment of >50 recipients to implement FHWPs underscores the demand for expanding access to FHWPs. Through a deliberate process CDC is supporting recipients and their communities across the US and advancing further adoption and implementation of FHWPs to reduce health disparities and gaps in access to care.