Sustaining Evidence-Based Prevention Programs: Correlates in a Large-Scale Dissemination Initiative
Abstract
Over the past four decades, significant strides have been made in the science of preventing youth problem behaviors. Subsequently, policymakers and funders have begun to insist on the use of evidence-based programs (EBPs) as a requirement for funding. However, unless practitioners are able to sustain these programs beyond initial seed funding, they are unlikely to achieve their ultimate goal of broad public health impact. Despite its obvious importance, sustainability has received relatively little attention in prevention science until recently. Moreover, there have been few opportunities to study the correlates of sustainability in large-scale, multi-year initiatives involving multiple programs. The present study examined rates of sustainment of a wide range of proven-effective prevention and intervention programs; identified factors related to organizational support and readiness, program and implementer characteristics, and sustainability planning that distinguished sustained programs; and examined variability in these associations across classroom-based, community/mentoring, family-focused prevention, and family treatment program types within the context of a state-wide EBP dissemination initiative in Pennsylvania over 4 years. The majority of EBPs sustained functioning 2 years or more beyond their initial funding. In general, sustained programs reported greater community coalition functioning, communication to key stakeholders, knowledge of the program's logical model, communication with the trainer or program developer, and sustainability planning. In addition to these universal correlates, important program-specific correlates emerged as well. Implications for the technical assistance and support necessary to promote the sustainability of EBPs in nonresearch contexts are also discussed.
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More quantitative prior studies rarely utilized validated instruments to measure predictors, and few existing studies model the interaction of factors and multiple pathways to sustainment.
“Those that were more quantitative in nature rarely utilized validated instruments to measure predictors [23], and despite acknowledgement of the likely interaction of these factors and multiple pathways to sustainment, few existing studies model this complexity [24, 25].”
Empirical research shows organizational capacity, such as having adequate resources and staff to deliver the program, is integral to a program's success and continued delivery.
“and that organizational capacity, such as having adequate resources and staff to deliver the program [19, 24, 31, 53] is integral to a program’s success and continued delivery.”
For school-based programs, inadequate staffing and administrative support hindered sustainment.
“For school-based programs, inadequate staffing and administrative support hindered sustainment.”
From The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care (2018) · cites this paper as [27]
For family-focused programs, a lack of connection to a high-functioning community coalition and recruitment challenges were negatively related to sustainment.
“Consistent with Scheirer's (117) assertion to consider differences by intervention type, Cooper and colleagues (27) found that for family-focused programs, a lack of connection to a high-functioning community coalition and recruitment challenges were negatively related to sustainment.”
From The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care (2018) · cites this paper as [27]
In a study of 77 EBIs in a statewide youth substance use and delinquency initiative, sustained programs were more likely than nonsustained programs to report connection and communication with stakeholders, fit between program characteristics and organizational capacity, knowledge of the program, communication with the program trainer/developer, and sustainability planning.
“For example, one study (27) examined 77 EBIs in a statewide initiative aimed at reducing youth substance use and delinquency. Compared with their nonsustained counterparts, sustained programs were more likely to report connection and communication with stakeholders, fit between program characteristics and organizational capacity, knowledge of the program, communication with the program trainer/”
From The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care (2018) · cites this paper as [27]
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References 43 · Cited by 117
- Authors
- Cooper, B. R., Bumbarger, B. K., & Moore, J. E.
- Affiliations
- Washington State University (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- St. Michael's Hospital (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Cooper, Brittany Rhoades
- Venue
- Prevention Science
- Published
- 2013-08-24
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 145-157
- ISSN
- 1389-4986 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6695
- OpenAlex
- W1972353125
- Cited by
- 117
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 13.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Prevention Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Keywords
- evidence-based prevention programs, program sustainability, adolescent behavior problems, organizational readiness, sustainability planning, community coalitions, program implementation, family-focused prevention, mentoring programs, technical assistance, Pennsylvania
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Male, Organizational Objectives, Pennsylvania, Primary Prevention, Public Health, Violence, Program Evaluation, Program Development, Evidence-Based Practice
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