P157 - Assessment of Students' Transdisciplinary Attitudes and Behaviors From the Beginning to Midway Through Doctoral Training

Abstract

Objective: To assess development of transdisciplinary (TD) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors during students' doctoral training in a childhood obesity prevention program. Target Audience: Higher education department heads and administrators as well as faculty and students interested in TD. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: The Six-Cs model for contributors to childhood obesity is a theoretical framework that emphasizes six levels of social ecology (cell to culture) that need to be considered when researching and intervening in the childhood obesity epidemic from a TD perspective. Description: Eleven doctoral students were enrolled in a federally-funded joint MPH/PhD program 2011–2013. Data were collected at enrollment and midway through the program to assess TD knowledge of obesity determinants at six levels using the Six-Cs model and TD attitudes and behaviors. The following assessments were used: kinetic drawings with verbal explanations, survey short answers, and two validated indices (Behavior Change Collaborative Activities Index [BCCAI] and Interdisciplinary Perspectives Index [IPI]). Evaluation: Using a mixed methods design, data were analyzed using thematic coding or t-test. When analyzing the individual students' change in TD understanding, two students increased on all three measures of six dimensions of TD, five students increased on two measures, three students increased on one measure; one student decreased on two of the measures. In addition, as a group, the mean score on the measure of collaboration (the BCCAI) was significantly higher midway through the program compared to the beginning (5.0 vs. 3.6, P = .021), while there was no change on the attitude toward interdisciplinarity scores (the IPI) (4.2 vs. 4.2, P = .941). Conclusions and Implications: These preliminary findings suggest that a TD doctoral program can increase students' collaborative TD behavior and knowledge of TD contributors to obesity midway through the program. Funding: USDA.