Grassroots Advocacy Research Articles

The Need for Enhanced Physical Activity Levels among Adults in South East Nigeria: Barriers, Implications, and Recommendations

Abstract Physical activity (PA) is globally recognized as essential for overall health, particularly in preventing noncommunicable diseases among adults. However, the level of PA among adults in South East Nigeria presents a complex scenario marked by disparities and challenges. This study examines PA levels among adults in South East Nigeria, identifies barriers, and proposes strategies for improvement. Despite the World Health Organization recommendations, studies indicate that a significant portion of adults in South East Nigeria do not meet PA guidelines, with notable disparities between urban and rural areas. Recommendations include establishing community-based initiatives, increasing research efforts, leveraging health-care providers’ roles, and promoting grassroots advocacy for PA as well as involving stakeholders at all levels to create a supportive environment conducive to increased PA levels and improved public health outcomes.

Climate justice and Pacific Island countries – a case study on grassroots advocacy

ABSTRACT Many Commonwealth member states face the brunt of the climate crisis. In the Pacific Island states and the wider Pacific region, the frequency of severe weather events has increased. For instance, in 2023 the island of Vanuatu was impacted by cyclones Judy and Kevin in March and afterwards by cyclone Lola. According to Vanuatu officials, more than 10,000 homes were destroyed and the storms caused massive destruction to Vanuatu’s infrastructure and economy. Facing the likelihood that the global temperatures will reach or surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius target between 2021 and 2040, a grassroots student movement was launched at the University of the South Pacific (USP) based on Emalus Campus, Vanuatu, which ended with a United Nations General Assembly resolution on climate justice and Pacific Island states. Even so, the situation remains alarming for many Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and there are important questions as to how these states will adapt to and mitigate climate change and also address the climate justice issues they face. This article provides a case study on climate justice and Commonwealth member states and looks at measures currently being considered or implemented by political leaders and other stakeholders.

Medicaid Expansion Case Study: Differences Between Florida and New York Medicaid Expansion Policy

Health access is an essential aspect of social equity. Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased healthcare access for more than 21 million people in the United States, and 10 states have chosen not to participate in Medicaid expansion. This study investigates the factors influencing states’ decisions on Medicaid expansion under the ACA and its implications for social equity. It uses a comparative case study of New York (expansion) and Florida (non-expansion) to reveal the complex determinants of Medicaid expansion decisions. These determinants are crucial for understanding and promoting social equity in pursuing public purposes. Political affiliations, lobbying, and a state’s economic climate significantly shape Medicaid policies. Unfortunately, grassroots advocacy groups encountered significant challenges in Florida, where health associations tended to align closely with their state political parties. Despite the challenges, organizations must advocate for improved healthcare access and Medicaid expansion to address social equity concerns.

Using Federal, State, and Grassroots Advocacy to Effect Change in Cancer Care Delivery and Patient Outcomes in the United States.

Health policy influences health and well-being for patients with cancer. Advocating for evidence-based health policies that aim to prevent cancer, promote health, and improve efficiencies in the health care system is crucial to improving care delivery and cancer outcomes nationwide. The role of the ASCO's Government Relations Committee (GRC) is to advocate for policies at a federal and state level that promote high-quality and equitable cancer care, and ASCO volunteer engagement is critical for the success of creating, changing, and adopting policies that support patients with cancer and their care team. Cancer care professionals are uniquely positioned to advocate at all levels of government, local, state, and federal and to serve as invaluable resources for lawmakers as they work to implement policy changes. Lawmakers are highly responsive to cancer care providers as most lawmakers have family or friends who have been diagnosed with cancer. Multiple advocacy strategies that are effective and efficient in their approach have been used, making advocating feasible for cancer care professionals' busy schedule. To improve patient care, ASCO's GRC and ASCO volunteers advocate for increased federal funding for research, greater health care access, value in cancer care, and payment reform. ASCO's GRC has many programs in place to support ASCO members interested in engaging in advocacy to improve the quality of care for their patients and the support for cancer care professionals to thrive in the field.

Teaching Grassroots Health Law, Policy and Advocacy: Service and Collaborative Learning.

This column describes the history, mission, and work of Saint Louis University School of Law's service-learning course Health Law, Policy and Advocacy: Grassroots Advocacy. Grassroots Advocacy allows law students to work with advocacy organizations on state and federal health policy initiatives, engaging in legislative and administrative advocacy and public education. The course uses community collaboration, community-led advocacy, and collaborative learning to train the next generation of health policy advocates for Missouri and the nation.

The Effectiveness of Peace Building Strategies Used in the Management of Electoral Conflict in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya

In recent times, Kenya has had a series of crises after elections, highlighting the imperative of ongoing endeavors to cultivate enduring peace. Understanding the factors that contribute to electoral conflicts is of utmost importance in formulating efficacious strategies for promoting peace. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of peace-building measures in the management of election tensions in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. The study used an evaluation research methodology. After combining basic random and selective sampling methods, a total of 203 respondents and 36 key informants were selected for the study. The data was gathered by means of interview guides and questionnaires. Tables, charts, and figures were used to display the results of the descriptive statistical analysis of the quantitative data collected from the questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to arrange and analyze the results of the interviews. The findings highlight the efficacy of various peace-building strategies in lowering tensions and avoiding violence before, during, and after elections. These strategies include training, mediation, dialogue, grassroots advocacy, sensitization programs, and attitude-transformation initiatives. Furthermore, the study noted that targeting youth, developing confidence in the electoral management body, an early warning system, and collaboration between security forces and political parties is essential for a peaceful election. The study recommends that it would be beneficial for the Government of Kenya to develop a comprehensive framework that can effectively and methodically lead peace-building operations in the region.

Advocacy 101 for Interventional Cardiologists: A Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions Policy Statement.

Advocacy is a core mission of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI). SCAI advocates on behalf of interventional cardiologists and our patients. This document provides foundational information and a toolkit for grassroots advocacy by interventional cardiologists. The first half of the document summarizes how health care laws are made, how medical devices are approved, and how procedure reimbursement is determined. The second half of the document is a playbook of advocacy strategies: legislative advocacy, judicial advocacy, advocacy with regulators and payors, advocacy in the media, and participation in SCAI advocacy initiatives, such as the Government Relations Committee and SCAI Political Action Committee. Equipped with this toolbox, interventional cardiologists must increase our advocacy activities with government, payors, and industry.

John G. Sommer. Empowering the Oppressed: Grassroots Advocacy Movements in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2001. 207 pages. Paperback. Price not given.

Advocacy movements all over the world have been quite instrumental in bringing about social change. The efforts of groups involved in such movements are directed towards realising the core human values of justice and equality by securing the human and civil rights of the poor, oppressed, and marginalised sections of society. Lately, many groups have realised that merely obliterating the effects of oppression, discrimination, and injustice is not enough—these efforts must be supplemented by attempts to address their root causes as well. Only by doing so, the constructive changes occurring in society owing to the struggle of these movements can become sustainable.

John G. Sommer. Empowering the Oppressed: Grassroots Advocacy Movements in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2001. 207 pages. Paperback. Price not given.

Advocacy movements all over the world have been quite instrumental in bringing about social change. The efforts of groups involved in such movements are directed towards realising the core human values of justice and equality by securing the human and civil rights of the poor, oppressed, and marginalised sections of society. Lately, many groups have realised that merely obliterating the effects of oppression, discrimination, and injustice is not enough—these efforts must be supplemented by attempts to address their root causes as well. Only by doing so, the constructive changes occurring in society owing to the struggle of these movements can become sustainable.

COVID-19 in South Carolina: Experiences Using Facebook as a Self-Organizing Tool for Grassroots Advocacy, Education, and Social Support

This retrospective case study describes our experiences, processes, and lessons learned using social media for pandemic response. Our team created and maintained a large Facebook group, and we used this platform to support grassroots advocacy, public health messaging, and health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina. The Facebook group was initially formed to urge local and state leaders to implement a stay-at-home order, but we recognized a continued need for our virtual space. Group leaders performed tasks including data tracking/reporting and content review/approval. Initial advocacy successes included the stay-at-home order, efforts to limit transmission, and social/mental health support. As the Delta variant emerged, we posted vaccine education and access information and supported school mitigation, including a successful litigation effort that led to a mask requirement on school buses. With the Omicron variant, our group’s focus shifted to educating about immune evasion, transmissibility, and individual protection. This included updates on mask use, antigen testing, vaccine boosters, treatment, data reports, and vaccines. Throughout the pandemic, we addressed health equity, especially for those identifying as disabled. We learned that virtual communities could support each other and improve public health, even when disinformation was present and elected officials emphasized politics over science.

Commentary] #CapTheCrossBronx: Grassroots Advocacy & Public Health Research to Secure Federal Funding for Reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway (Policy & Practice Commentary)

The Cross Bronx Expressway is perhaps one of the greatest threats to the health of Bronx residents today. It is a major source of air pollution, noise pollution, and economic malaise. These threats can be mitigated with deck parks over the expressway. While deck parks are not a new idea, it was not until there was hard data on the damage that the expressway was doing to the health and economic well-being of local residents that policymakers had a reason to listen. The Cross Bronx Expressway presents a rare example of clear-cut translation of quantitative research into social policy. In this commentary, we discuss how a study on the cost-effectiveness of placing deck parks on a freeway translated into a grass-roots campaign to secure federal funding for a major public health infrastructure project.

Strategies to promote the acceptance of sandbag building technology for sustainable and affordable housing delivery: the South African case

PurposeSandbag building technologies (SBTs) have been offered as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative building technology (ABT) capable of accelerating house construction in South Africa, but its acceptance remains low. However, knowledge about how to effectively improve SBT social acceptance is limited. This study aims to develop and prioritise SBT social acceptability strategies towards providing a comprehensive framework for the successful deployment and widespread adoption of sandbag technology.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative research strategy that included a literature review and a structured questionnaire survey of 228 ABT professionals and stakeholders in the South African housing industry. The study statistically analysed 13 strategies for the social acceptance of SBT.FindingsThe analysis showed that the top three strategies include the availability of sandbag demonstration projects in all provinces, the approval of a sandbag building code and the availability of standard design methods for earthbags. A factor analysis clustered the 13 strategies into Stakeholders integration and policy formation, Effective education and knowledge sharing and Grassroots advocacy and incentives.Practical implicationsThe current study’s findings provide a broad framework for the effective implementation and wide acceptance of sandbag technology in housing projects. It offered certain best practices that policymakers and practitioners might use to promote ABT and SBT societal acceptability.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study represents the first and only attempt to investigate the viewpoints of experts and housing market stakeholders in South Africa regarding sandbag technology social acceptance strategies and contributes to the social acceptance body of knowledge in ABT and SBT.

Commentary] #CapTheCrossBronx: Grassroots Advocacy & Public Health Research to Secure Federal Funding for Reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway

The Cross Bronx Expressway (CBE) forms a scar through The Bronx. It devastated diverse communities when built in the 1950s and continues to negatively impact the health of Bronx residents through air pollution, noise pollution, and community disruption. In this Policy and Practice report, we discuss how a study on the cost-effectiveness of placing deck parks on the CBE published in the _American Journal of Public Health_ (2018) became an important tool for a grass-roots campaign to secure federal funding.

Building a wound army: the importance of grass roots advocacy in driving systemic change

Building a wound army: the importance of grass roots advocacy in driving systemic change

Oral Health Advocacy Education Impacts Future Engagement: Exploration at a Midwestern US Dental School.

Purpose: With the emergence of COVID-19, and the potential inclusion of dental benefits in Medicare, it is critical that dentists are able to engage in legislative advocacy to support public oral health. Dental education has an opportunity to teach advocacy skills to future dentists, although advocacy training in predoctoral dental education has been largely ignored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fourth-year dental student's attitudes toward advocacy, identify the type and extent of advocacy experiences during dental school, and assess their future intentions to engage in advocacy.Methods: An electronic questionnaire was administered to fourth-year dental students enrolled in their final semester at Ohio State University.Results: Forty-seven students completed the survey (43% response rate). Most (84%) respondents agreed that advocacy training should be a required experience in accreditation standards for predoctoral dental education. Over half (58%) reported seldom or no exposure to legislative and regulatory processes in oral health policy development in the curriculum. Students who participated in grassroots advocacy efforts while in dental school were more likely to contact legislators regarding dental issues (p = 0.005) or public insurance (p = 0.037), and participate in future lobbying efforts (p = 0.019). Students who contributed to PAC while in dental school were more likely to express intentions to contribute in future (p = 0.005).Conclusions: There is limited exposure to legislative advocacy in predoctoral dental education. Dental students with advocacy experience are more likely to report intentions to participate in advocacy as dentists. Dental education has a critical role in preparing future dentist-advocates.

Inclusive education is another country; developments, obstacles and resistance to inclusive education

ABSTRACT Inclusive education has been part of the global educational vernacular for more than 25 years, based on the premise that for education to achieve its goal of providing access to an inclusive society and its common goods, education itself should be inclusive. Universalism underpins inclusive education, but it is commonly perceived as relating to specific populations, namely disabled students. Developments in inclusive education have been multi-levelled, influenced by international and national policy, as well as grassroots advocacy. Even in systems with strong segregation and exclusion structures, islands of inclusive practice are to be found but fully inclusive systems are elusive, and the nature of inclusive education remains contested. This paper uses Australia as a case study to explore this complexity by illustrating the arguments surrounding inclusive education, the evidence used to support these arguments, and the implications for future developments. The analysis indicates that in the Australian context there is tremendous noise around inclusive education, but very little evidence of realising it. The separation of inclusion as a broader value from inclusive education has been successful in operating as a smokescreen, detracting attention from a system that becomes more selective, exclusive and with increased segregation.

Problems, policy and politics \u2013 perspectives of public health leaders on food insecurity and human rights in Australia

BackgroundTo achieve zero hunger targets set within the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, high-income countries such as Australia must reconsider current efforts to improve food security. This study aimed to; explore perspectives from public health nutrition experts on the usefulness of drawing on the international human right to food, and associated mechanisms, to address food insecurity; identify potential roles of key stakeholders in Australia to implement a rights-based approach; and examine barriers and enablers to achieving the right to food in Australia.MethodsQualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants (> 10 years professional experience). Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase approach to thematic analysis was employed to analyse data, using Kingdon’s multiple streams framework (1984) to examine interactive variables which affect policy-making processes.ResultsThirty interviews took place, with most participants representing academia (n = 16), majority had 10–14 years of experience (n = 12) and almost one quarter (n = 7) were in senior leadership roles. Participants believed that framing food insecurity as a human rights issue could be effective when communicating with some audiences, however alternative rhetoric is more popular and potentially more effective. Citizens, government, food industry, non-profit sector, research/tertiary and legal institutions were described as playing critical roles. Barriers to progress were identified as lack of awareness and acknowledgement of the problem, prioritisation of the private sector, lack of political will and domestic laws, and an inefficient/ineffective charitable food sector. Participants identified various enablers and opportunities for implementing a rights-based approach such as grass-roots advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the issue, integrating human rights into government frameworks and community projects and the political will to support action aligned with sustainable development.ConclusionsHuman rights language and mechanisms have the potential to trigger genuine commitment to addressing food insecurity however should be used with caution. Australia’s public health workforce requires increased capacity to implement a human-rights approach and framing such efforts to align with sustainable development may achieve greater political action.Trial registrationEthics approval was received from the Deakin University Human Research Ethics committee (project ID HEAG 168_2018).

No body is expendable: Medical rationing and disability justice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health threat posed by the novel coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic has particular implications for people with disabilities, including vulnerability to exposure and complications, and concerns about the role of ableism in access to treatment and medical rationing decisions. Shortages of necessary medical equipment to treat COVID-19 have prompted triage guidelines outlining the ways in which lifesaving equipment, such as mechanical ventilators and intensive care unit beds, may need to be rationed among affected individuals. In this article, we explore the realities of medical rationing, and various approaches to triage and prioritization. We discuss the psychology of ableism, perceptions about quality of life, social determinants of health, and how attitudes toward disability can affect rationing decisions and access to care. In addition to the grassroots advocacy and activism undertaken by the disability community, psychology is rich in its contributions to the role of attitudes, prejudice, and discriminatory behavior on the social fabric of society. We call on psychologists to advocate for social justice in pandemic preparedness, promote disability justice in health care settings, call for transparency and accountability in rationing approaches, and support policy changes for macro- and microallocation strategies to proactively reduce the need for rationing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Faith Communities Are Potent Resource for Creating Connection and ‘Mattering’

Faith Communities Are Potent Resource for Creating Connection and ‘Mattering’

An Update on Recent Geriatric Education Advocacy Efforts

The National Association for Geriatric Education (NAGE) has maintained consistent education and advocacy efforts since 2006. In recent years NAGE has implemented formal and grassroots advocacy strategies. At the federal level NAGE has increased collaboration with other aging advocacy organizations and coalitions. At the request of Congress, NAGE leadership and stakeholders have testified before Congress and regularly submit testimony to the House and Senate. NAGE staff maintain strong working relationships with congressional staff. Strategies for effective grassroots education and advocacy have been taught to members, and membership has mobilized to educate elected officials about the essential work of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs across the country. This presentation will provide a thorough review of NAGE’s advocacy work over the past 4 years.