1. National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research
Todd Phillips, MS Project Director
NCCOR Coordinating Center
FHI 360
Robin A. McKinnon, PhD, MPA Health Policy Specialist
National Cancer Institute
David Berrigan, PhD
Biologist, Program Director
Applied Research Program
National Cancer Institute
July 31, 2014

2. Agenda Overview Tools Questions More Information
NCCOR mission and goals
What does NCCOR do?
How can NCCOR support your work?
Tools
NCCOR Catalogue of Surveillance Systems
NCCOR Measures Registry
Questions
More Information

4. NCCOR Mission
To improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and application of childhood obesity research to accelerate progress in reducing childhood obesity. 

5. To accomplish its mission, NCCOR’s projects and activities align with one or more of its five goal areas.

7. What Does NCCOR Do?
Determines research priorities and furthers research in emerging areas
Facilitates time-sensitive research by promoting new research funding mechanisms
Translates and disseminates findings and resources
Supports researchers with tools and resources
Connects research and practice communities through interactive webinars

8. How Can NCCOR Support Your Work?

9. Communicates with Key Audiences
Connect to NCCOR to get the latest childhood obesity events, news, and research.
NCCOR website:
Sign up for the NCCOR e-Newsletter
Join the conversation:
LinkedIn
Blog

10. Hosts Webinars to Connect Research, Practice
NCCOR connects research and practice communities through webinars, such as our Connect & Explore Webinar Series.
Connect to leaders in the field.
Learn more about recent childhood obesity research.
Explore the priorities of national funders.

11. Determines Research Priorities
NCCOR projects and activities support emerging fields and further their impact on childhood obesity.
Green Health
Healthy Food Incentives
Envision

12. Facilitates Time-Sensitive Research
NCCOR promotes new funding opportunities, including rapid response mechanisms that help investigators study policy and environmental changes in real time.
Johns Hopkins Global Obesity Prevention Center
NIH Fast Track R01 Mechanism

13. Translates and Disseminates Findings
Access NCCOR reports, infographics, videos, and other resources to see how we translate complex research into creative and engaging visual and written materials.
Healthy Diet and Healthy Eating Index Infographics Series
Public Health and Green Building Infographic
Food Patterns Equivalents Database Fact Sheet

14. Supports Researchers with Tools, Resources
Search the Catalogue of Surveillance Systems and the Measures Registry to review, sort, and compare surveillance systems and measures relevant to childhood obesity research.
These free, online resources aim to provide standardization and comparability of measures and systems for the field.
The tools received nearly 500,000 visits in 2013 and really embody what NCCOR is all about – supporting scientists and other users with tools that help them work more efficiently and effectively.
You’re going to hear a lot more about the tools and how they can support clinical work right now.

15. Catalogue of surveillance systems
Robin A. McKinnon, PhD, MPA | Health Policy Specialist | National Cancer Institute
Catalogue of surveillance systems

16. NCCOR Priority
The Catalogue was one of NCCOR’s early projects, related to two of its goal areas.
Goal 2: Increase and improve national, state, and local surveillance of childhood obesity.
Goal 3: Improve the ability of childhood obesity researchers and program evaluators to conduct research and program evaluation.
[OTHER THINKING BEHIND CREATION OF CATALOGUE (COULD BE ITS OWN SLIDE)]
--Interest in childhood obesity determinants grew from the individual level to social, environmental, and policy
--Childhood obesity research has traditionally focused on individual-level factors
--Less is known about organizational, community, and macro-level determinants of childhood obesity
--Awareness of surveillance system resources was limited and, therefore, few had taken advantage of available systems
--Relatively little research had incorporated data linkages across the ecological spectrum

17. Catalogue Background
Heightened interest in social, environmental, and policy determinants of childhood obesity
Issues facing researchers & practitioners
What data resources exist?
What are the costs?
How do I access the data?
What variables can I link across systems?
Where can I find more details?
Catalogue
Obesity-Related Data Resources
Researchers & Practitioners

18. Catalogue Background Launched in February 2011
Free resource to help researchers, practitioners investigate childhood obesity in America
Purpose: Increase efficiency, effectiveness, innovation in obesity research through an online, searchable directory of surveillance systems
One-stop access to review, sort, compare over 100 surveillance systems relevant to childhood obesity research and the evaluation of policy and environmental interventions

19. Other Details Systems in the Catalogue: Using the Catalogue, one can:
Provide access to publicly available “raw” data gathered in the United States
Were collected within the last 10 years
Using the Catalogue, one can:
Identify data resources related to childhood obesity
Compare attributes across systems
Link to other resources of interest

20. Filter Options for Searching Catalogue
You can also search by keyword
NA&AN = Native Americans and Alaskan Natives

21. System Profiles
Each system in the Catalogue has a profile providing information organized by:
At a Glance
Sampling
Key Variables
Data Access & Cost
Geocode/Linkage
Selected Publications
Resources

22. Ex: National Hospital Discharge Survey

23. Ex: National Hospital Discharge Survey

24. Highlights of Systems w/ Clinical Interest
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Health Behaviors in School Aged Children
Health Resources and Services Administration Geospatial Data Warehouse
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component 
National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
National Health Interview Survey
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery
North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program
Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System
Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care Survey
[I HIGHLIGHTED TWO OF THESE GREEN BECAUSE THOSE AND THE NAT. HOSPITAL DISCHARGE SURVEY ARE COMPARED ON THE NEXT SLIDE]

25. Compare Attributes Across Systems

26. More Information tools.nccor.org/css www.nccor.org/css
Fact sheet, case study available
Demonstration video:

27. David Berrigan, PhD | Biologist, Program Director | National Cancer Institute
Measures registry

28. What Are Measures?
Measures are tools and methodologies used to assess individuals' diet, physical activity, and the environments in which these behaviors occur.
Examples of measures include questionnaires, instruments, diaries, logs, electronic devices, direct observations of people or environments, protocols, and analytic techniques.

29. NCCOR Priority
The Measures Registry was also one of NCCOR’s early projects, related to two of its goal areas.
Goal 1: Identify, design, and evaluate practical and sustainable interventions, especially in high-risk populations and communities.
Goal 3: Improve the ability of childhood obesity researchers and program evaluators to conduct research and program evaluation.
[OTHER THINKING BEHIND CREATION OF MEASURES REGISTRY (THESE COULD BECOME A SLIDE)]
--A key priority for NCCOR is promoting the use of common measures and methods across childhood obesity prevention and research.
--Standard measures are needed to describe and evaluate interventions to prevent childhood obesity, particularly those projects that address policies and environments.
--We thought a Measures Registry would facilitate identification of existing measures, identify gaps, and fuel new measurement development.

30. Measures Registry Goals
A key priority for NCCOR is promoting the use of common measures and methods across childhood obesity prevention and research.
Standard measures are needed to describe and evaluate interventions to prevent childhood obesity, particularly those projects that address policies and environments.
We thought a Measures Registry would facilitate identification of existing measures, identify gaps, and fuel new measurement development.

31. Gap Identification
IOM 2013 Report: “Evaluating Obesity Prevention Efforts: A Plan for Measuring Progress”
Highlighted the fact that the Measures Registry is the only existing resource developed with a focus on measuring diet and physical activity and related environments programs and systems in youth
Used Measures Registry to identify specific gaps and next steps

32. Issues Facing Researchers, Practitioners
Where can I find a specific measure?
What measures have been validated?
How has a specific measure been validated?
What are the costs?
Where can I find more details?

33. Measures Registry Background
Launched in 2011
Free searchable database of diet and physical activity measures relevant to childhood obesity research
Purpose: Standardize the use of common measures, research methods across childhood obesity research at the individual, community, and population levels.
Allows users to search or browse over 1,050 measures, access details for each measures, link to other measures registries and related resources, find measures in development, and submit new measures for inclusion
[OTHER DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND]
--Conducted literature searches, including articles published from
--Examined an extensive best-practice review completed by Transtria
--Contact subject matter experts to supplement lists of measures
--Collected data for each measure entry using a tailored abstraction tool, including details like protocols on use and settings, geographic areas and populations for which the measure has been used

34. Other Details Categorized literature and measures into four domains
Individual dietary behavior
Individual physical activity behavior
Food environment
Physical activity environment
Both the Measures Registry and Catalogue underwent extensive formative research and usability testing.

35. Filter Options for Searching Measures Registry
You can also search by keyword

36. Measures Registry Dashboard

37. Measure Profiles
Each measure in the Measures Registry has information organized by:
Abstract
At a Glance
Study Design
How to Use
Validity
Reliability

38. Measures Registry: At a Glance

39. Clinical Relevance Few measures re: chronic diseases, children
Actiheart for Children with Chronic Disease
ActivPAL Physical Activity Monitor for Wheelchair Movement
Some other relevant measures
Nutritional Environment Measures Survey for Cafeterias for Children's Hospitals
Hospital Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment
Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Peanut Consumption
School Wellness Policies for Post-Partum Adolescents
RT3 Accelerometer for Adolescents
Tool serves as place to look for measures and gaps in measures (identifying research and clinical needs)
[ANOTHER ITEM TO POINT OUT]
--The Measures Registry might help clinicians think about how easy/hard it is for patients to respond to advice to change behaviors – you may advise a child or family to be more active and to eat better, but this may or may not be simple given the neighborhood they live, as well as time and/or economic poverty.

40. Positive Feedback

41. 2014 Tool Updates
Both tools undergo regular updates, adding more surveillance systems and measures
Other updates in 2014:
Redesigned NCCOR website homepage and navigation tabs, making it easier to locate these NCCOR tools
Project pages updated to make accessing the tools and relevant resources more straightforward
Tools were revised to make finding data easier

42. Other 2014 Plans Being Considered
Measures Registry
Develop domain-specific user guides
Catalog measures by construct
Catalogue of Surveillance Systems
New system profiles
Additional key variables under consideration: sleep; urbanicity/rurality
Currently we are

43. More Information tools.nccor.org/measures www.nccor.org/measures
Fact sheet, case study available
Demonstration video:

44. Questions?

45. For More Information about NCCOR
Learn more about the Collaborative,
Contact Todd Phillips, Project Director,