Factors That Contribute to Effective Community Health Promotion Coalitions: A Study of 10 Project ASSIST Coalitions in North Carolina

TLDR

The study aimed to identify factors that contribute to the effectiveness of community health promotion coalitions. Member survey data from 10 North Carolina Project ASSIST coalitions were analyzed at the coalition level to examine how member participation, satisfaction, action‑plan quality, resource mobilization, and implementation relate to coalition characteristics. Coalitions with skilled members and strong communication achieved higher participation; those with skilled staff, skilled leadership, good communication, and a task‑focused approach reported greater satisfaction; increased staff time, complex structures, and cohesion were linked to better resource mobilization and implementation, while participation and satisfaction were not correlated with other effectiveness measures.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that contribute to the effectiveness of community health promotion coalitions. Member survey data from 10 coalitions formed as part of North Carolina Project ASSIST were analyzed at the coalition level to identify factors related to member participation, member satisfaction, quality of the action plan, resource mobilization, and implementation. The results suggest that coalitions with good communication and skilled members had higher levels of member participation. Coalitions with skilled staff, skilled leadership, good communication, and more of a task focus had higher levels of member satisfaction. Coalitions with more staff time devoted to them and more complex structures had greater resource mobilization, and coalitions with more staff time, good communication, greater cohesion, and more complex structures had higher levels of implementation. Neither member participation nor member satisfaction correlated with the other measures of coalition effectiveness.