Analysis of Stakeholder Networks to Strengthen the Prevention of Childhood Obesity and the Caring for Children With Obesity in Brazil

Abstract

ObjectivesIn Brazil, there have been different strategies for preventing childhood obesity and caring for children with obesity. However, scaling up the impact of these strategies to effectively reduce this condition is challenging. We aimed to map and describe the influence level (i.e., power) of key actors at the federal and local levels to implement strategies to address this issue. MethodsThis is a participatory study using the Net-Map method. Two virtual workshops composed of 8 to 13 stakeholders were held to map key actors involved with the agenda at the federal and local (state/municipal) level and to connect their network according to four domains of influence (command, funding, support for the development of technical capacity, and dissemination). Stakeholders have completed a power mapping worksheet asynchronously and identified leaders in each domain of influence. Preliminary descriptive analysis was carried out. ResultsPreliminary data show a total of 188 key actors at the federal (FED) level and 68 key actors at the local (LOC) level shaping the agenda through four domains of influence: command (FED = 89; LOC = 44), funding (FED = 37; LOC = 24), support for the development of technical capacity (DTC) (FED = 47; LOC = 28) and dissemination (FED = 13; LOC = 15). The executive authority group emerged as the most involved in commanding childhood obesity policy and programming decisions at federal and local levels. The executive authority group was the most cited in all domains at the local level. In the funding domain at the federal level, academia, civil society, private sector, and international organizations had a balanced presence with executive authority groups, while civil society key actors were the most cited in the DTC domain. The dissemination network at the federal level focused on the private sector due to the time limit of the workshop. ConclusionsFederal and local levels have different key actors and networks shaping strategies to prevent childhood obesity and care for children with obesity. While there is a more diverse group at the federal level across domains of influence, the local level relies on the executive authority group to implement the agenda. Funding SourcesPanamerican Health Association/Ministry of Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas.