Bridging the gap: translating research into policy and practice

Abstract

Effective physical activity interventions do not achieve their full potential if they are not applied beyond their original testing in research studies. Potentially effective interventions can be adopted in community settings through the efforts of numerous agencies, organizations, and individuals. This paper highlights the important roles of public health practitioners and policy makers, who differ in their decision-making processes. To enhance the uptake of evidence-based interventions, several steps are needed to: build the science by moving upstream, increase the understanding of practice-based evidence, move beyond the "what" to the "how," re-frame the dissemination challenges, place greater emphasis on workforce development, and make research more accessible for policy audiences. The most effective strategies to bridge the gap between research and practice, will have at their heart, effective academic-practice-policy maker partnerships.