Evaluating an evidence-based physical activity intervention website

Evidence-based practice has emerged as a central tenet of medical care and public health. Despite accumulating evidence for intervention effectiveness, public health professionals have insufficient information to present definitive intervention planning recommendations. Therefore, evidence-based decision-making processes, not just interventions, need to be translated and disseminated to public health practitioners, policy-makers, and other community stakeholders. A series of inter-related web-based systems (Missouri Information for Community Assessment, and Intervention MICA) have been developed for local-level community planning, intervention, and evaluation. This study evaluated the physical activity module of the Intervention MICA. Findings from direct observations and surveys of public health practitioners and other intended audiences were very favorable for the utility of the system and its applicability in community settings. Respondents recommended enhancements to the system, including the need to improve navigation, diversify the format and presentation of information, define or clarify terms, and modify specific contents of the system.