Measuring Shifts in Mental Models in the Prevention of Childhood Obesity in Rural Australia

Abstract

Group model building is a participatory workshop technique used in system dynamics for developing community consensus to address complex problems by consensus building on individual assumptions. This study examines changes in individual mental models of the complex problem of childhood obesity following participation in group model building (GMB), as part of a larger community-based system dynamics project. Data are drawn from GMB participants across six community sites in the Whole of Systems Trial of Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity (WHO STOPS) in rural and regional Victoria, Australia. Each community participated in two GMB sessions resulting in a causal loop diagram (CLD) of drivers of childhood obesity for each community. Presurvey and postsurvey captured participants’ perspectives before and after ( n = 25) participation in both GMB sessions and a blend of inductive and deductive qualitative content analysis was used to code individual responses. Three calculations were used to determine the number of responses, whether responses were a result of persuasion from others, and comparison of responses to those found in the CLD. Our study found participant mental models shifted during the course of the GMB sessions, with some responses persuaded by others and 75% of new insights identified in CLDs created by communities. The GMB process created a platform for participants to share ideas and learn from each other. In addition, participants listed new insights about childhood obesity in their community through developing CLDs.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Participatory Modeling to Support Paradigm Shifts in Public Health: An Application to Obesity and Evidence-Based Policymaking

“…Although there is a wide variety of tools and methods for PM [40], many of them represent a conceptual system in schematic form. The schema may be loosely structured (e.g., rich pictures) or follow a prescribed structure (for a comparison on the level and nature of the constraints, we refer the reader to Table 5 in [41]) such as a map (e.g., cognitive map, causal loop diagram) [42][43][44][45][46], in which case, the approach is specifically known as 'participatory systems mapping' [47] and serves to assist with public policy decisions in contrast with group-based methods that may seek to empower communities (e.g., community-based systems modeling) [48]. Note that participatory systems mapping is distinct from 'participatory mapping' [49], which is a term used for collecting volunteered geographic information; they share the notion of contributions from participants and an application to participatory planning and decision-making, but participatory mapping focuses on spatially referenced data and involves geographic information systems.…”

A protocol of a pilot randomised trial (Action-RESPOND) to support rural and regional communities with implementing community-based systems thinking obesity prevention initiatives

“…In childhood obesity prevention, the Whole of Systems Trial of Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity intervention (the WHO STOPS trial) applied a group model building (GMB) process to generate an agreed systems map of childhood obesity causes for a community, and in doing so, identified intervention opportunities through leveraging the dynamic aspects of the system [ 25 ]. GMB is a participatory approach grounded in systems thinking and involves a structured process where a diverse group of stakeholders collaboratively create a visual map, to build a shared understanding of the problem and develop community-led, locally tailored solutions [ 26 , 27 ]. The WHO STOPS trial resulted in reductions in prevalence of overweight/obesity in the first two years of the intervention, however, was not sustained at four-year follow up; due in part to varying intensity of implementation [ 28 ].…”