CO-OPS Collaboration
Key aims of this research were to implement and evaluate processes and impacts of a national multi-strategy knowledge translation and exchange platform, and to understand the reach, quality and effectiveness of CO-OPS Collaboration in ensuring best practice in obesity prevention to help prevent chronic disease.
Summary
The Collaboration of Community-based Obesity Prevention Sites (CO‐OPS) is an initiative funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. CO-OPS is a national knowledge translation and exchange platform which aims to support community-based obesity prevention initiatives in Australia by providing advice, promoting best practice, disseminating and translating knowledge and by offering networking opportunities.
This knowledge translation platform creates the links between academic, policy and practice professionals to ensure best practice and ongoing cooperation in the promotion of healthy eating, regular physical activity and healthy weight as key factors to help prevent chronic disease.
As part of CO-OPS, our role is to support the platform’s KT implementation and delivery methods. We are also evaluating the process and impact of CO-OPS as a knowledge translation platform for supporting best practice.
Research Team
Dr Rebecca Armstrong, Academic, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health | armr@unimelb.edu.au |
Dr Tahna Pettman, Academic, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health | tpettman@unimelb.edu.au |
CO-OPs Executive
Professor Boyd Swinburn | Deakin University |
Associate Professor Tim Gill | University of Sydney |
Professor Steven Allender | Deakin University |
Professor Elizabeth Waters | University of Melbourne |
Professor John Coveney | Flinders University |
Dr Penny Love | Deakin University |
CO-OPs Working Group
Dr Penny Love, Acting Director, Research Fellow | Deakin University |
Dr Tahna Pettman, Evidence & Evaluation Fellow | University of Melbourne |
Dr Rebecca Armstrong, Evidence & Evaluation Fellow | University of Melbourne |
Dr Sue Booth, Needs Assessment Fellow | Flinders University |
Dr Sinead Boylan, Needs Assessment Fellow | University of Sydney |
Jill Whelan, Acting Knowledge Broker | Research Fellow |
Anne Romanus, Communications & Marketing Manager | Deakin University |
Emma Smitten, Administration | Deakin University |
Carolyn Stones, Administration | Deakin University |
Publications
- Allender, S., Nichols, M., Foulkes, C., Reynolds, R., Waters, E., King, L., Gill, T., Armstrong, R. and Swinburn, B. (2011). "The development of a network for community-based obesity prevention: the CO-OPS Collaboration." BMC Public Health 11(1): 132.
- Clark, R., Waters, E., Armstrong, R., Conning, R., Allender, S. and Swinburn, B. (2013). "Evidence and obesity prevention: developing evidence summaries to support decision making." Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice 9(4): 547-556.
- Nichols, M. S., Reynolds, R. C., Waters, E., Gill, T., King, L., Swinburn, B. A. and Allender, S. (2013). "Community-based efforts to prevent obesity: Australia-wide survey of projects." Health Promotion Journal of Australia 24(2): 111-117.
- King, L., Gill, T., Allender, S. and Swinburn, B. (2011). "Best practice principles for community-based obesity prevention: development, content and application." Obesity Reviews 12(5): 329-338.
- Whelan, J., Love, P., Pettman, T., Doyle, J., Booth, S., Smith, E. and Waters, E. (2014). "Cochrane Update: Predicting sustainability of intervention effects in public health evidence: identifying key elements to provide guidance." Journal of Public Health 36(2): 347-351.