(P24-054-23) Applying Positive Deviance To Improve Nutrition and Health-Focused Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Implementation

Objectives: The Louisiana Healthy Communities Initiative improves the nutrition environment in under-resourced communities through community-led policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes. Implementation of PSE changes is heavily reliant on outside resources recruited through community coalitions led by the LSU AgCenter, and some coalitions have been much more successful than others in recruiting those resources. Positive deviance is an approach to qualitative research which identifies ways in which more successful individuals or programs differ from counterparts with similar resources and challenges in order to help their counterparts succeed. This qualitative investigation implemented positive deviance to identify best practices in coalition functioning and engagement of coalition members to apply to other PSE-focused coalitions.

Methods: Six focus groups were conducted with 26 participants representing six coalitions. The discussion guide was based on concepts from community coalition action theory and positive deviance. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed in Dedoose by two independent coders. Coding proceeded in an inductive manner using initial, structural, and in-vivo coding. Codes were then grouped into overarching themes.

Results: Members of successful coalitions reported that this was due to several overarching themes, including continual progress towards change, the flexibility and adaptability of roles for coalition members, and the communication style of coalitions. Participants reported it was vital that each meeting demonstrated progress towards coalition goals, and that coalition facilitators had continual communication with members between meetings. Participants also emphasized the need to make room for coalition participants of all abilities to participate and felt that coalition leadership adapted coalition goals and focus to include the strengths of new members.

Conclusions: Coalitions aiming to improve the nutrition environment through PSE changes should ensure that they include and encourage contributions from all participants regardless of background or skillset, demonstrate continual progress towards stated goals, and that leadership communicates frequently with members outside of coalition meetings.

Funding Sources: SNAP-Ed