Bridging the Gap: Research Informing Practice for Healthy Youth Behavior (No. 2)

Bridging the Gap: Research Informing Practice for Healthy Youth Behavior Program was designed to improve the understanding of the role of policy and environmental factors in both youth alcohol, illicit drug, and tobacco use, as well as diet and physical activity to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing substance use and obesity among youth. This grant will expand the successful efforts of this program in documenting, analyzing, and communicating the impact of public policies and environmental influences on youth alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. This ambitious and complex research enterprise is now at its full productive capacity, having accomplished all of these developmental tasks. The next phase of the project will: (1) continue key data collection activities; (2) expand ongoing analytic efforts, including issues of high priority to relevant Foundation programming; (3) increase communication and dissemination activities; and (4) develop creative approaches for convening key leaders in the substance abuse field, including those from other funding organizations.