Network-Based Support to Help Community Coalition Members Choose and Use Strategies to Improve Child Health

Coalition progress will be assessed using eight prespecified milestones: naming and actively considering a candidate strategy, formally selecting a strategy, assigning implementation roles, drafting an implementation plan, securing resources or commitments, completing launch preparation, initiating the first implementation activity, and beginning early monitoring or refinement. Each completed milestone receives one point. The number completed will be divided by eight and multiplied by 100. Scores range from 0% to 100%. Higher percentages indicate greater progress from strategy consideration through adoption and early action.

Readiness and action initiation will be assessed using a nine-indicator study-specific rubric. Indicators address confirmation of the selected strategy, implementation leadership, assigned responsibilities, a written implementation plan, timelines and milestones, resources and supports, partner commitments, launch preparation, and initiation of the first implementation action. Each applicable indicator is scored from 0, no evidence, to 3, completed or fully documented. Scores will be summed, divided by the maximum possible score for applicable indicators, and multiplied by 100. Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater implementation readiness and action initiation.

At each assessment, participants may identify up to 20 people with whom they currently discuss child health promotion. Coalition network density will be calculated as the number of observed directed child-health discussion ties among rostered coalition members divided by the total number of possible directed ties, excluding self-ties. Scores range from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate a more densely connected coalition discussion network.

The number of reported child-health discussion ties connecting people from different organizational or community sectors will be divided by the number of reported ties with sector information and multiplied by 100. Scores range from 0% to 100%. Higher percentages indicate greater cross-sector connectivity.

Before intervention delivery, the study team and coalition will identify the sectors, roles, perspectives, and community constituencies needed for the coalition or core committee. At each assessment, the number of prespecified categories represented by at least one active member will be divided by the total number of prespecified categories and multiplied by 100. Scores range from 0% to 100%. Higher percentages indicate greater strategic representation.

Participants will rate each named coalition connection using one item, "How much do you trust this person?" Responses range from 1, I do not trust this person, to 5, I trust this person. A mean trust score will first be calculated across each respondent's rated ties. Respondent-level means will then be averaged within each coalition and assessment wave. Scores range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater trust among coalition members.

At each assessment, participants may identify up to 20 people with whom they currently discuss child health promotion. The number of reported discussion ties will be calculated for each participant and averaged within each coalition. Scores range from 0 to 20 ties per participant. Higher values indicate that participants report more child-health discussion connections.

relative advantage will be assessed using five adapted items from the Moore and Benbasat Perceived Characteristics of Innovating instrument. Each item is scored from 1, extremely disagree, to 7, extremely agree. Item scores will be averaged. Scores range from 1 to 7. Higher scores indicate greater perceived advantage of the selected strategy compared with current approaches.

Perceived compatibility will be assessed using four adapted items from the Moore and Benbasat Perceived Characteristics of Innovating instrument. Each item is scored from 1, extremely disagree, to 7, extremely agree. Item scores will be averaged. Scores range from 1 to 7. Higher scores indicate greater perceived compatibility with coalition needs, activities, and ways of working.

Perceived ease of use will be assessed using three adapted items from the Moore and Benbasat Perceived Characteristics of Innovating instrument. Each item is scored from 1, extremely disagree, to 7, extremely agree. Item scores will be averaged. Scores range from 1 to 7. Higher scores indicate that the selected strategy is perceived as easier to understand and use.

Perceived result demonstrability will be assessed using four adapted items from the Moore and Benbasat Perceived Characteristics of Innovating instrument. Each item is scored from 1, extremely disagree, to 7, extremely agree. One negatively worded item will be reverse-coded, and the four item scores will be averaged. Scores range from 1 to 7. Higher scores indicate that the expected results of the selected strategy are perceived as more observable and easier to communicate.

Perceived trialability will be assessed using two adapted items from the Moore and Benbasat Perceived Characteristics of Innovating instrument. Each item is scored from 1, extremely disagree, to 7, extremely agree. Item scores will be averaged. Scores range from 1 to 7. Higher scores indicate greater perceived ability to test the selected strategy before full implementation.

Evidence acquisition will be assessed using the six-item Input domain of the Structured Interview for Evidence Use brief form. Items assess how often participants obtain evidence from professional networks, experts, academic journals, and training materials. Each item is scored from 1, not at all, to 5, all the time. Item scores will be averaged to produce a score ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more frequent acquisition of evidence. Mean scores will be reported separately for each assessment time point.

Evidence appraisal will be assessed using the seven-item Process domain of the Structured Interview for Evidence Use brief form. Items assess the importance participants place on factors such as study methods, use of multiple sources, strengths and limitations of the evidence, source trustworthiness, relevance, and cost. Each item is scored from 1, not important, to 5, very important. Item scores will be averaged to produce a score ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater importance placed on systematically evaluating evidence. Mean scores will be reported separately for each assessment time point.

Evidence application will be assessed using four Output-domain items from the Structured Interview for Evidence Use brief form. Items assess the importance of using evidence to support adoption decisions, determine fit with community needs, assess potential harms, and compare available strategies. Each item is scored from 1, not important, to 5, very important. Item scores will be averaged to produce a score ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater importance placed on applying evidence in coalition decisions. Mean scores will be reported separately for each assessment time point.

Coalition progress will be assessed using four prespecified milestones: evidence was reviewed, candidate strategies were compared, a selection decision was made, and the selected evidence-informed strategy was documented. Each completed milestone receives one point. The number of completed milestones will be divided by four and multiplied by 100. Scores range from 0% to 100%. Higher percentages indicate greater progress through the structured evidence-review and selection process.