Use of a project management website to enhance community-based obesity prevention projects

Poor eating habits and physical inactivity contribute to increasing rates of obesity in the United States. Researchers at Klein Buendel, Inc. built and are testing an on-line, interactive web program (Balancing InTake and Expenditure [BITE]) that integrates physical activity and nutrition program planning, management and evaluation functions for use by state and/or community-based health promotion practitioners. BITE is being evaluated with a randomized community trial in 40 communities from 8 states with greatest rates of obesity. States were awarded $3,000 mini-grants which were distributed to 40 communities selected through a competitive application process. Twenty communities were randomly selected as intervention communities and trained on and have access to the Communities In Balance (CIB) website for planning and implementing a community-based obesity prevention project. Twenty comparison communities are planning and implementing their prevention project using project management tools they typically use. Preliminary mid-course data on this 13-month trial suggest that there are no significant differences in demographics and perceived coalition functioning between the intervention and control communities. Well-managed projects are found among the control and intervention groups and these have much to do with the organizational skills and commitment of the coordinator. Use of the CIB website varies greatly among intervention communities: some are able to manage their project completely online, some have adapted to the website partially, while others are unable to switch over to using the website at all, depending on the characteristics of the coalition and its leadership.