The University of New Mexico PRC served as both the coordinating center and a member of the Obesity Prevention Network (OPN). The OPN is comprised of 7 funded and 3 volunteer PRCs, 12 state health departments, and the Centers for Disease Control. The goal of the OPN was to strengthen public health prevention and control efforts for obesity and other chronic diseases, through identifying innovative program approaches. The UNM PRC served for three years as the coordinating center and supported the activities of two workgroups that 1) conducted a literature review of the determinants of energy imbalance and 2) identified innovations in obesity surveillance.

In its role as the coordinating center, the UNM PRC provided guidance and promoted the collaborative development of the Network’s vision, agenda, objectives, and procedures. Other activities included coordinating all Network member contributions; facilitate information sharing and Network communications, acting on behalf of the OPN in collaborating and communicating with key CDC staff; and be accountable for Network accomplishments. As a Network member, faculty and staff of the UNM PRC serve as scientific contributors to both Network workgroups and support the Network in other ways, including sharing relevant obesity prevention items via the listserv. The UNM PRC has been responsible for managing the OPN listserve, and has encouraged expanded use of this communication channel among Network partners.

The OPN partners included the PRCs at Harvard University, University of California-Berkeley, the University of North Carolina, the University of Oklahoma, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Washington; as volunteers, the PRCs at St. Louis University, the University of Colorado and Yale University; and the state departments of health of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

Among the OPN accomplishments were to arrange monthly PRC Network conference calls; facilitate two face-to-face meetings (November 2000, February 2002); assist with preparing two supplemental funding requests which were awarded, support workgroup activities; present OPN activities at the 16th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control in February 2002; and collaboratively develop a guidance document about the dietary determinants of energy imbalance for the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity of the CDC.

For more information about this project, please contact Dr. Leslie Cunningham-Sabo, at (505) 272-4462 or ldcunningham-sabo@salud.unm.edu.