Relating community capacity to the adoption of an evidence-based prevention strategy: a community-level analysis

Abstract

Abstract Aim In community-based prevention, adopting an evidence-based strategy is known to predict prevention success. Evidence-based prevention includes a theoretical framework, empirical assessment, effective programs, and monitoring of community efforts and outcomes. This study aims to examine the extent to which community capacity explains variation in evidence-based prevention, a known predictor of community-based prevention success. Subject and methods The present study is a secondary data analysis based on a survey of 182 key informants in 38 communities. To determine the validity of the measurement, structural validity, internal consistency, and inter-rater agreement were assessed. Associations between adoption of evidence-based prevention and ten domains of community capacity (participation, knowledge & skills, resources, leadership, community power, collaboration consisting of prevention collaboration and sectoral-collaboration, sense of community, critical awareness & problem solving, and community structure) were investigated at the community level using logistic regression models. Results Most findings of the validation analysis indicate that the community capacity domains could be reliably measured using key informant reports. Results of logistic regression models indicate that adopting evidence-based prevention is related to increased sense of community (OR 6.62; 95 % CI 2.39-18.39), prevention collaboration (OR 26.05; 95 % CI 5.98-13.39), sectoral-collaboration (OR 10.49; 95 % CI 4.04-27.25), community power (19.29; 1.74-28.12), and community structure (OR 4.79; 95 % CI 1.85-12.43). Availability of leadership was predictive of higher chances of adopting evidence-based prevention (OR 5.21; 95 % CI 1.93-14.02). Conclusion Our findings suggest that communities with higher community capacity have increased chances of adopting an evidence-based prevention strategy. Trial registration This study was registered with German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00022819 on Aug 18, 2021.