Knowledge exchange supports implementation in health-promoting schools

Brown, Kristin M.; Elliott, Susan J.; Robertson-Wilson, Jennifer; Vine, Michelle M.; Leatherdale, Scott T.

BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, 18 10.1186/s12889–018–5229–8 MAR 13 2018

COMPASS is a longitudinal study of Canadian secondary students and schools. Schools received annual summaries of their students’ health behaviours and suggestions for action and were linked with knowledge brokers to support them in taking action to improve their health. This program was evaluated.

Interviews were conducted with COMPASS researchers, school staff and public health stakeholders to explore their experiences with COMPASS knowledge exchange.

Outcomes:

1. knowledge users attributed more outcomes to using school-specific findings than knowledge brokering.
2. School and public health participants indicated school-specific findings informed their programming and planning.
3. Knowledge exchange provided a platform for partnerships between researchers, schools, and public health units.
4. Knowledge brokering allowed researchers to gain feedback from knowledge users to enhance the study and a better understanding of the school environment.
5. COMPASS knowledge exchange outcomes aligned with Samdal and Rowling’s eight theory-driven implementation components for health-promoting schools.

Knowledge exchange is a mechanism to help schools implement a health-promoting schools approach.

Key issues: how knowledge users used school-specific findings, perceived outcomes of knowledge exchange, and suggestions for change.

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