Increasing community capacity for participatory evaluation of healthy eating and active living strategies through direct observations and environmental audits.

BACKGROUND: Local partnerships from the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative elected to participate in enhanced evaluation trainings to collect data through environmental audits and direct observations as well as to build their evaluation capacity. METHODS: Environmental audit and direct observation tools and protocols were adapted for the relevant healthy eating and active living policy and environmental change approaches being conducted by the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities partnerships. Customized trainings were conducted by the evaluation team to increase capacity and understanding for evaluation activities. RESULTS: A total of 87 trainings were conducted by the evaluation team in 31 Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities community partnerships. Data were collected for a total of 41 environmental audits and 17 direct observations. Community case examples illustrate how these trainings developed evaluation capacity. For instance, youth from one community presented environmental audit findings to local elected officials. CONCLUSIONS: The 31 partnerships participating in the community-based evaluation efforts resulted in 164 individuals trained in collecting context-specific data to assess the impact of healthy eating and active living policy and environmental strategies designed to create community change.