Feed My People - Project W.E.L.L. Overview: The W.E.L.L. (Walk. Eat. Learn. Live.) program is a three-pronged effort to improve health and reduce the rates of obesity. This intervention emphasizes individual-level education, interpersonal relationships, and community-level involvement. Clients of Feed My People, the largest food pantry in the St. Louis metropolitan area, will learn how to choose healthy alternatives when they purchase, prepare, and serve foods through education sessions, cooking classes, and taste tests. Recipients will also participate in walking groups to increase levels of physical activity and build supportive networks. An additional component of the W.E.L.L. project provides Feed My People donors and the greater St. Louis community with information about the importance of making healthy food donations to food pantries. Purpose: The main goals of the W.E.L.L. project are to: Enhance nutrition and physical activity knowledge and skills of people who receive assistance from Feed My People in order to help them prepare and consume food in healthier ways and incorporate activity into their daily routines.   Increase access to healthy foods donated to Feed My People food pantries and access to places to be physically active. Partners: Feed My People Missouri Foundation for Health, Operation Food Search Our Role: Research, planning, and technical assistance with grant writing Development of nutrition and physical activity education materials Participation in client and volunteer recruitment efforts Participation in intervention activities (e.g., educational seminars, cooking classes) Collection, evaluation, analysis, and dissemination of project data Population: Feed My People’s clientele is predominantly Caucasian and live at or below the poverty level. The W.E.L.L. program is offered to all clients, volunteers, and staff at both the Lemay and High Ridge locations. M.I.C.A. Overview: Intervention MICA (Missouri Information for Community Assessment) is an interactive, evidence-based intervention planning website that guides users through a process of creating partnerships, performing a needs assessment, assessing readiness, building capacity, implementing an intervention, designing an evaluation and maintaining momentum. Users are provided with information and tools needed to be able to plan and develop their own intervention or use resources available by others to implement an existing intervention. Eight intervention topics (i.e., physical activity, tobacco, asthma, nutrition, diabetes, oral health, motor vehicle injuries, injuries from falls) are organized by six main intervention strategies (i.e., Campaigns & Promotions, Individual Information Exchange, Group Education Sessions, Supportive Relationships, Provider Education Systems, Environments & Policies).  Purpose: The main goals of Intervention MICA are to: Increase the awareness of and importance of using evidence-based interventions to address health conditions Increase the capacity of local health practitioners to implement evidence-based interventions Improve the ability of public health practitioners to impact health outcomes Partners: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Foundation for Health Our Role: Research of evidence-based interventions Abstraction of research- and practice-based evidence criteria Identification of online tools and resources Translation of evidence-based intervention planning information into web pages Population: Although the MICA tools are primarily geared toward the state of Missouri, Intervention MICA transcends Missouri-based data and provides information to public health practitioners, researchers, government agencies, funders and other audiences at the national level. Men On The Move Overview: This community-based participatory project will assess the current educational and economic opportunities available for African American men in Pemiscot County and support new opportunities for educational and economic growth in order to directly and indirectly improve health and well-being. Through a historical relationship between Saint Louis University Prevention Research Center and the Pemiscot County Heart Health Coalition, the coalition identified lack of jobs and educational opportunities as the most critical issues affecting the health and well-being of their community. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to: Develop a plan to improve access to educational and economic opportunities Develop and evaluate an enhanced general educational development (GED) course Create an economic development plan to stimulate economic growth and job creation in Pemiscot County Partners: Saint Louis University Prevention Research Center, Pemiscot County Heart Health Coalition, Pemiscot County Community Coalition and many other local government and non-profit agencies Our Role: Transtria is responsible for providing technical assistance with regard to Development, training, implementation and management of a database system Cognitive Response Testing (CRT) training Qualitative interview training Interviews with community organizations Research, planning and technical assistance with implementation of GED and Job Readiness programs Research and planning for an economic development plan Population: African American men between the ages of 18 and 45 living in a rural, economically depressed area of southeast Missouri (Pemiscot County) Social Determinants of Health Overview: The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) project is designed to improve practical understanding about how to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions; encourage organizational change; and promote policy initiatives that target social determinants of health contributing to health inequities by race/ethnicity, income, social class, and other related factors. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored a forum to highlight activities and interventions that address social determinants of health to reduce health disparities. A workbook was designed and developed for practitioners, Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health. In addition, an interactive training workshop is under development for CDC staff and program-affiliated community partners working on projects related to social determinants of health (e.g., REACH, PRCs). Purpose: The main goals of the SDOH project are to: Support increased efforts by the CDC and its program-affiliated community partners to incorporate social determinants into public health assessment, intervention and evaluation efforts. Increase understanding about how to choose the factors on which to intervene, how to incorporate new partners into social determinants work, and how the public health community can influence social policies to reduce health disparities. Present ideas from communities participating in the forum and provide resources (e.g., surveillance systems, websites, journal articles, books). Partners: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, Innovative Graphic Services Our Role: Research and review of social determinants work Develop workbook design, content, format, and resources Coordinate development and review of workbook Design training and develop training manual Evaluate workbook and training Population: The workbook and training have the potential to reach a wide variety of public health practitioners and community partners through dissemination efforts in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NLM Overview: Transtria was funded through the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to conduct evaluation and dissemination activities of the Intervention MICA system. Partners from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Transtria L.L.C. and Saint Louis University School of Public Health designed Intervention MICA to increase access to intervention planning information at the local level. Intervention MICA provides users with an increased understanding of evidence-based public health processes as well as specific recommendations for effective interventions in a variety of settings and populations. The first stage of evaluation activities included pilot tests and pre-tests of the Intervention MICA system with representatives of the intended audience (e.g., practitioners, students and researchers in public health).  Using direct observation methods and surveys, feedback was collected regarding format, content, navigation, usability, and applicability. The second stage of evaluation activities consisted of the development of materials and methods to train local community-based organizations to use Intervention MICA within their partnerships. Quantitative and qualitative feedback was collected regarding the content, function, design and navigation of the system as well as the applicability for community-based organizations to their intervention planning process. Feedback from these training sessions will not only be used to create recommendations for improvements to the Intervention MICA system, but will also be used to improve training materials and methods. Training materials will be disseminated to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as well as other public health practioners. Purpose: The main goals of the National Library of Medicine project are to: Evaluate the utility, usability, and ease of navigation of the Intervention MICA system Evaluate the design, format, and content of the Intervention MICA system Create train-the-trainer materials for the Missouri Department of Senior Services and other public health practioners to conduct their own Intervention MICA trainings with community-based organizations Gather recommendations for improvements and changes to the Intervention MICA system Provide recommendations to the Missouri Department  of Health and Senior Services for potential modifications Partners: National Library of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Our Role: Development of evaluation materials and methods Coordination of pilot and pre-tests Development of Intervention MICA training materials and methods Coordination and delivery of Intervention MICA training sessions Collection, evaluation, analysis, and dissemination of findings Development and dissemination of recommendations for modifications to the Intervention MICA system Ten Toe Express Overview: Citizens for Modern Transit, a St. Louis transit advocacy group, was funded to begin a new initiative in St. Louis, the Ten Toe Express program. The Ten Toe Express program focuses on increasing the number of older adults in the St. Louis community who link walking with public transit use resulting in a healthier, more active lifestyle.  In collaboration with Transtria L.L.C., Citizens for Modern Transit implemented the Ten Toe Express program consisting of two main components: 1) distribution of walking kits, and 2) creation of weekly walking groups. The walking kits consist of a digital pedometer, walking and eating logs, walking tour maps of different destinations throughout the St. Louis area, a coupon book to increase access to opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, and educational materials to encourage participants to walk more and eat healthier. The walking groups serve to increase levels of physical activity, increase familiarity with public transit, and to build supportive networks for being physically active. Purpose: The main goals of the Ten Toe Express project are to: Increase the proportion of older adults who meet recommendations for physical activity and balanced eating patterns through educational and promotional intervention activities targeting increased walking for transportation and recreation as well as increased selection and purchasing of nutritious foods. Increase perceived community access to opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating. Strengthen collaborative efforts to implement local public policies that promote physical activity and healthy eating through dissemination of walking campaign findings. Partners: Citizens for Modern Transit, Missouri Foundation for Health, OASIS Our Role: Research, planning, and technical assistance with grant writing Develop nutrition and physical activity education materials Participate in recruitment efforts Develop online evaluation materials (i.e. pre/post surveys, walking and eating logs) Participate in intervention activities (e.g., walk leader trainings, kick-off events) Evaluate the success of the program (e.g., collect, analyze, and disseminate project data) Population: The Ten Toe Express program targets older adults (aged 55 and older) throughout the St. Louis community. EBIPS Overview: EBIPS (Evidence-Based Intervention Planning System) is an interactive web-based system designed to provide a 7-step guide for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based interventions. The N-O-T (Not On Tobacco) program is the first intervention provided on this site. In addition, the EBIPS website contains information, links, and resources that will allow public health practitioners and communities to effectively replicate intervention and evaluation activities within their own settings and populations. Purpose: The main goals of the EBIPS project are to: Summarize evidence and resources for intervention planning and evaluation. Enhance the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of evidence-based interventions to improve population health. Partners: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention Research Centers (CDC PRC), Saint Louis University School of Public Health, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, American Lung Association, Innovative Graphic Services Our Role: Review and summarize evidence-based interventions as well as associated tools, information, and resources Gather experiential evidence from those implementing interventions Design and develop website content, format, layout, and links to other sites Population: EBIPS is designed primarily for public health practitioners and community or organization leaders who are interested in planning an intervention for their community. The EBIPS website is available to all interested users. ALBD Overview:  The Active Living by Design (ALbD) project is an evaluation of a national initiative that establishes innovative approaches to increase physical activity through community design, public policies and communications strategies.  The evaluation of grantees, ALbD and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation staff and other stakeholders includes assessing the environmental impacts of physical projects and related policy changes; determining the influence of these interventions on physical activity behaviors; documenting the range of interventions implemented across the communities and their associated intended and unintended accomplishments; and identifying strengths and challenges in the process of planning, developing and implementing the interventions.  The evaluation will also provide recommendations for building community design initiatives to increase physical activity, including relevant policy and environment changes as well as promotional and programmatic activities.  Purpose: The main goals of the ALbD project are to: Assess the impact of active living interventions on environments related to physical activity. Provide evidence of the impact of “start-up” resources on the capacity of communities to create change in support of active living. Increase understanding of community responses to comprehensive intervention approaches involving policy, environment, programmatic, and promotions strategies. Identify strengths and challenges encountered by communities in the planning, development, and implementation of active living interventions.  Partners: Active Living by Design, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Saint Louis University School of Public Health Our Role: Gather evidence of intervention planning, development, and implementation activities Review and summarize evidence of intervention activities and their accomplishments Develop and disseminate summary reports of findings Population: The ALbD project evaluates 25 diverse communities across the United States, including those with large racial/ethnic minority, child and older adult populations; communities in urban, suburban and rural settings; and low-resource and high-resource communities.  Recommendations for building community design initiatives to increase physical activity will focus primarily on environments for children and relatively disadvantaged populations.  Transtria Projects Transtria has had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects with partners in local, state and national settings. Please click on one of the logos above to learn more about the active projects in our portfolio.