Mobilizing Extension as a Partner in Translational Prevention Research

The Extension system in land-grant universities can be mobilized as a medium for translational research on substance abuse prevention. With its outreach capacity, Extension can also serve as a public health delivery system for prevention programs. The emphasis in translational research is on studying processes by which scientific knowledge can best serve the public through collaboration of service providers, researchers, and community partners. Extension faculty, present in most counties in the United States, provide an important bridge between university researchers and community constituents by being able to identify community needs and then to select, translate, and transmit relevant, research-based information to help address those needs. Extension systems also facilitate translational research by brokering relationships so that 1) state and local agencies can collaborate rather than operating as “silos”; 2) campus-based researchers and gain access to broad and diverse populations; and 3) community-based educators can inform the practice-to-research feedback loop.

We present a case study of a large-scale universal substance abuse prevention program dissemination and an accompanying translational research program. In longitudinal efficacy trials, the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 has been shown to produce significant delays in substance use and lower frequency of use among adolescents whose families attend the program. In Washington state, the Extension system collaborates with multiple state agencies in the program's dissemination. A common cross-agency evaluation protocol allows us to conduct translational research on program effectiveness across multiple contexts with diverse populations, and to provide consistent quality improvement feedback to community partners.