Translating Public Health Knowledge to Action in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities

Objective: The ability to identify confirmed scientific knowledge and translate the findings into public health practice is critical to the CDC’s mission to improve the health of the U.S. population. Translation research is how scientific discovery (evidence based public health intervention) is institutionalized (integrated into established practice and policy). Translation has three phases: implementation, dissemination, and diffusion research. Moving from successful efficacy- to effectiveness research is not always natural, but respecting the role of local indigenous knowledge in discovery and practice can help facilitate translation in communities.

Methods:

This presentation discusses the Division of Diabetes Translation’s steps in the translation continuum: systematic literature review, original research (discovery), and application of key messages in communities.

Results:

Research literature is described about diabetes prevention and the role of gestational diabetes in the etiology of type 2 diabetes. Translation is illustrated by the Eagle Books, a series of four stories in which animal characters engage children in learning about traditional ways of healthy living. Institutionalization is framed in relation to the Breastfeeding Policy Template for AI/AN tribal organizations.

Conclusion:

Using the Translational Model, this presentation demonstrates the importance of AI/AN traditional ecological knowledge, or Native science, based on thousands of years of empirical observation.