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Maine-Harvard
Prevention Research Center
About M-HPRC
Update: The Maine
Harvard Prevention Research Center has moved to the Center for
Community and Public Health (CCPH) at UNE. With
this change, the Maine-Harvard Prevention Center website has been
moved to the UNE website at
http://www.une.edu/mhprc. Some resources will continue to be
available on this website.
 Description
The Maine-Harvard
Prevention Research Center (M-HPRC)
was inaugurated in October 2000 at the request of the Maine Center
for Disease Control & Prevention (MCDC) formerly the Maine Bureau of
Health (MBOH) and the Maine Center for Public Health (MCPH).
Explicitly statewide in
scale and scope, the M-HPRC is recognized as one of the most
developed collaborations between a state health department and a PRC.
It has also sustained the involvement of the Maine Department of
Education and the higher education system. Its Steering
Committee meets quarterly and consists of representation from state
government, community, clinical and institutional entities.
An important function of
the M-HPRC is to provide evidence-based strategies, training &
technical assistance, and evaluation support to the Healthy Maine
Partnerships (HMPs) (the school-community coalitions supported
by state tobacco settlement funds and OSA), as well as to other
communities and organizations.
Among many other
accomplishments the M-HPRC has:
-
Held statewide
conferences focused on dissemination of research to launch
initiatives on: sugar-sweetened beverages and television as
modifiable risk factors, portion size; clinical interventions for
children and families, improving quality and quantity of school
physical activity, marketing to children, the role of BMI
screening in schools, spokesperson training, and social networks
research
-
Established the Maine
Youth Overweight Collaborative which now includes 30 primary care
practices statewide to improve care and outcomes for youth who are
overweight and obese
-
With the Maine
Nutrition Network and school partners, developed, disseminated and
evaluated a school physical activity program that is now in dozens
of schools across the state
-
Provided scientific
background, educational assistance, and a forum for debate and
discussion concerning a legislative package of bills to address
obesity. Maine was among the first states to remove soda in
all school vending machines and we were the first state to ban
advertising of junk food on school grounds.
-
Worked with HMPs to
assess current data and practices in Head Start settings and
identify intervention opportunities for Head Start centers and
families;
-
Assisted the Maine
Department of Education in development of BMI surveillance system
for youth and trained school nurses in accurate and confidential
measurement techniques and instruments;
-
Helped the Maine Dept.
of Education’s coordinated school health program, community
coalitions, and the statewide Move and Improve worksite program
develop logic models and design, implement, and analyze
interventions; and
-
Disseminated via
monthly list-serve news and research articles with implications
for Maine policy and practice.
Future Directions:
In 2007 the M-HPRC
Steering Committee adopted a new 3-year strategic plan outlining
objectives through 2009. While continuing its original
initiatives, this new plan expands research and technical assistance
goals to build on previous achievements and reflect an emphasis on
health disparities in low-income populations. A few of the current
initiatives include:
-
Develop and test brief
clinical interventions that would be practical and adaptable for
family practitioners and pediatricians;
-
Evaluate the impact and
effectiveness of school wellness policies and offer
recommendations for improvement;
-
Improve and enhance the
evaluation and sustainability of “Take Time” physical activity
initiative in schools
-
Develop worksite
wellness initiatives that enhance and support existing efforts
-
Advocate and provide
support for enhanced obesity surveillance efforts, improved school
nutrition policies, physical activity and physical education in
school requirements, and menu labeling in chain restaurants.
Additional
Resources
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