. "Summary." Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Decision Making. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010.
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Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Decision Making
this registry should be periodic synthesis reviews based on mixed qualitative and quantitative methods.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with other public- and private-sector partners, should develop and fund a resource for compiling and linking existing databases that may contain useful evidence for obesity prevention and related public health initiatives. This resource should include links to data and research from disciplines and sectors outside of obesity prevention and public health and to data from nonacademic sources that are of interest to decision makers.
Establish Standards for Evidence Quality
Recommendation 4: Government, foundations, professional organizations, and research institutionsshould catalyze and support the establishment of guidance on standards for evaluating the quality ofevidence for which such standards are lacking.
To implement this recommendation:
Government and private funders should give priority to funding for the development of guidance on standards for evaluating the quality of the full range of evidence types discussed in this report that are useful in making obesity prevention decisions, especially those for which the scientific literature is limited.
Professional organizations and research institutions should encourage and bring attention to efforts by faculty, researchers, and students to establish guidance in this area.
Support the Generation of Evidence
Recommendation 5: Obesity prevention research funders, researchers, and publishers should consider,wherever appropriate, the inclusion in research studies of a focus on the generalizability of the findings and related implementation issues at every stage, from conception through publication.
To implement this recommendation:
Those funding research in obesity prevention should give priority to support for studies that include an assessment of the limitations, potential utility, and applicability of the research beyond the particular population, setting, and circumstances in which the studies are conducted, including by initiating requests for applications and similar calls for proposals aimed at such studies. Additional ways in which this recommendation could be implemented include adding criteria related to generalizability to proposal review procedures and training reviewers to evaluate generalizability.
