IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0195141.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding a successful obesity prevention initiative in children under 5 from a systems perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Brynle Owen
  • Andrew D Brown
  • Jill Kuhlberg
  • Lynne Millar
  • Melanie Nichols
  • Christina Economos
  • Steven Allender

Abstract

Introduction/Background: Systems thinking represents an innovative and logical approach to understanding complexity in community-based obesity prevention interventions. We report on an approach to apply systems thinking to understand the complexity of a successful obesity prevention intervention in early childhood (children aged up to 5 years) conducted in a regional city in Victoria, Australia. Methods: A causal loop diagram (CLD) was developed to represent system elements related to a successful childhood obesity prevention intervention in early childhood. Key stakeholder interviews (n = 16) were examined retrospectively to generate purposive text data, create microstructures, and form a CLD. Results: A CLD representing key stakeholder perceptions of a successful intervention comprised six key feedback loops explaining changes in project implementation over time. The loops described the dynamics of collaboration, network formation, community awareness, human resources, project clarity, and innovation. Conclusion: The CLD developed provides a replicable means to capture, evaluate and disseminate a description of the dynamic elements of a successful obesity prevention intervention in early childhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Brynle Owen & Andrew D Brown & Jill Kuhlberg & Lynne Millar & Melanie Nichols & Christina Economos & Steven Allender, 2018. "Understanding a successful obesity prevention initiative in children under 5 from a systems perspective," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0195141
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195141
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0195141
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0195141&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0195141?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sterman, J.D., 2006. "Learning from evidence in a complex world," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(3), pages 505-514.
    2. Homer, J.B. & Hirsch, G.B., 2006. "System dynamics modeling for public health: Background and opportunities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(3), pages 452-458.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Brydie Clarke & Janelle Kwon & Boyd Swinburn & Gary Sacks, 2021. "Understanding the dynamics of obesity prevention policy decision-making using a systems perspective: A case study of Healthy Together Victoria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Boelsen-Robinson, Tara & Blake, Miranda R. & Brown, Andrew D. & Huse, Oliver & Palermo, Claire & George, Neetu A. & Peeters, Anna, 2021. "Mapping factors associated with a successful shift towards healthier food retail in community-based organisations: A systems approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hassmiller Lich, Kristen & Urban, Jennifer Brown & Frerichs, Leah & Dave, Gaurav, 2017. "Extending systems thinking in planning and evaluation using group concept mapping and system dynamics to tackle complex problems," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 254-264.
    2. Negar Darabi & Niyousha Hosseinichimeh, 2020. "System dynamics modeling in health and medicine: a systematic literature review," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 36(1), pages 29-73, January.
    3. Mahamoud, Aziza & Roche, Brenda & Homer, Jack, 2013. "Modelling the social determinants of health and simulating short-term and long-term intervention impacts for the city of Toronto, Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 247-255.
    4. Hazel Squires & James Chilcott & Ronald Akehurst & Jennifer Burr & Michael P. Kelly, 2016. "A systematic literature review of the key challenges for developing the structure of public health economic models," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(3), pages 289-298, April.
    5. van Ackere, Ann & Schulz, Peter J., 2020. "Explaining vaccination decisions: A system dynamics model of the interaction between epidemiological and behavioural factors," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. Maltz, Elliot & Pierson, Kawika, 2022. "Maximizing corporate social innovation to enhance social and shareholder value: A systems thinking model of industry transformation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 12-25.
    7. Jennifer Yourkavitch & Kristen Hassmiller Lich & Valerie L Flax & Elialilia S Okello & John Kadzandira & Anne Ruhweza Katahoire & Alister C Munthali & James C Thomas, 2018. "Interactions among poverty, gender, and health systems affect women’s participation in services to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child: A causal loop analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, May.
    8. D C Lane & E Husemann, 2008. "System dynamics mapping of acute patient flows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(2), pages 213-224, February.
    9. Meimei Wang & Steffen Flessa, 2020. "Modelling Covid-19 under uncertainty: what can we expect?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 21(5), pages 665-668, July.
    10. Sridharan, Sanjeev & Jones, Bobby & Caudill, Barry & Nakaima, April, 2016. "Steps towards incorporating heterogeneities into program theory: A case study of a data-driven approach," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 88-97.
    11. Wenjing Luo & Zhi Qiu & Yurika Yokoyama & Shengyuan Zheng, 2022. "Decision-Making Mechanism of Joint Activities for the Elderly and Children in Integrated Welfare Facilities: A Discussion Based on “Motivation–Constraint” Interaction Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-23, August.
    12. Hazhir Rahmandad, 2012. "Impact of Growth Opportunities and Competition on Firm-Level Capability Development Trade-offs," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 138-154, February.
    13. Erika Palmer, 2018. "The Heavy Cost of Care: Systemic Challenges in Norwegian Work Absenteeism," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-17, June.
    14. repec:mpr:mprres:6558 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Louise Freebairn & Jo-An Atkinson & Nathaniel D Osgood & Paul M Kelly & Geoff McDonnell & Lucie Rychetnik, 2019. "Turning conceptual systems maps into dynamic simulation models: An Australian case study for diabetes in pregnancy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-27, June.
    16. Simon K Chiu & Louise Freebairn & Louise A Baur & L. Kurt Kreuger & Adam Skinner & Jo‐An Occhipinti, 2023. "Modeling distribution parameters in system dynamics: an application in childhood obesity," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 39(2), pages 103-124, April.
    17. Hardcopf, Rick & Gonçalves, Paulo & Linderman, Kevin & Bendoly, Elliot, 2017. "Short-term bias and strategic misalignment in operational solutions: Perceptions, tendencies, and traps," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(3), pages 1004-1021.
    18. Therese Riley & Liza Hopkins & Maria Gomez & Seanna Davidson & Daniel Chamberlain & Jessica Jacob & Sonia Wutzke, 2021. "A Systems Thinking Methodology for Studying Prevention Efforts in Communities," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 34(5), pages 555-573, October.
    19. Zhe Zhao & Xin Xuan & Fan Zhang & Ying Cai & Xiaoyu Wang, 2022. "Scenario Analysis of Renewable Energy Development and Carbon Emission in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-13, September.
    20. Yuxuan Xu & Jiangbo Chang & Fang Su, 2024. "Multi-Scale Evaluation and Simulation of Livelihood Efficiency in Post-Poverty Mountainous Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-35, October.
    21. Boelsen-Robinson, Tara & Blake, Miranda R. & Brown, Andrew D. & Huse, Oliver & Palermo, Claire & George, Neetu A. & Peeters, Anna, 2021. "Mapping factors associated with a successful shift towards healthier food retail in community-based organisations: A systems approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0195141. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.