PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Obesity in childhood is a global epidemic with serious health and social consequences.1-4 The highest rates of obesity are observed among racial/ethnic minority populations and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.1 Rhode Island (RI) is particularly affected by the obesity epidemic; the prevalence of children who meet criteria for overweight/obese (OW/OB) is 35% in RI as a whole and 40% in Greater Providence57. The purpose of this mixed methodological study will be to use the Transcreation Framework56 to inform the development of a behavioral intervention to improve diet quality and increase physical activity for adolescents in Greater Providence, RI, an urban area with substantial racial/ethnic diversity. In Aim 1 we will conduct an evaluation of epidemiological, social, and contextual factors related to overweight and obesity in adolescents to inform a community needs assessment. In Aim 2, we will partner with stakeholders to identify community assets and unmet needs and to evaluate components of existing evidenced-based lifestyle modification programs (i.e., diet, physical activity, self-monitoring, goal setting and problem solving, social support). Results from Aims 1 and 2 will inform Aim 3, in which we will design components of intervention prototype to improve diet quality and increase physical activity in adolescents. The study will involve the creation of a panel of adolescents (i.e., Young Voices Panel) whose members will be actively engaged as partners in each step of the process (e.g., priority setting, data collection/analyses, intervention development). We will use purposeful sampling to recruit 40 key stakeholders including adolescents from the community and their caregivers. clinicians (doctors, nurses, dietitians from specialty clinics/pediatricians’ offices), administrators from government organizations (e.g., RI Department of Health, Housing Agencies), and representatives from community organizations (e.g., the Greater Providence YMCA, RI Food Bank; Schools, Progresso Latino) to inform our community needs assessment and the development of our intervention. An overview of data gathered in Aim 1 will be presented to the research team (i.e., Sponsor and Cosponsors and Young Voices Panel) to guide the qualitative component of community needs assessment in Aim 2. Group Concept Mapping will be used to identifying and reviewing existing scientific evidence to determine core components of behavioral interventions that reflect mechanisms of action. Community Asset Mapping will be used to obtain input from the community about barriers and facilitators to existing evidenced-based programs as well as locally developed program and community resources. Aim 3 will involve the creation of intervention protocol modules through an iterative process of discussions and content development with members of the YVP, community stakeholders, and the academic research team. The current study will initiate the development of a manualized intervention protocol to improve diet quality and increase physical activity for adolescents in Providence, RI to be evaluated in a future project (i.e., K23 award).

PROJECT NARRATIVE The purpose of this mixed methodological study is to conduct a community needs assessment including an evaluation of epidemiological, social, and contextual factors related to overweight and obesity in adolescents (e.g., using population estimates and geospatial mapping) and qualitative data collection methods to gather stakeholder perspectives in a two-part process of 1) obtaining input from stakeholders in the community about barriers and facilitators to existing evidenced-based programs as well as locally developed programs and community resources and 2) reviewing core components of existing scientific evidence to determine fit with community needs and priorities. This project will make a significant and novel public health impact by creating an academic-community partnership (i.e., Young Voices Panel) that will synthesize and integrate current scientific evidence and community input into a prototype of a lifestyle modification intervention for adolescents in Greater Providence, an urban area with substantial racial/ethnic diversity57.