# DP19-001, University of Iowa Prevention Research Center for Rural Health

> **NIH ALLCDC U48** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2021 · $1,390,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Of the 31 million adults living in rural regions in the US, 21.6 million are overweight and obese,
increasing their risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity can reduce and
prevent obesity and the health consequences of obesity. Dissemination and implementation
research can address the urgent needs of health promotion and disease prevention by
accelerating the translation and adoption of effective evidence-based interventions into
practice. Micropolitan communities in rural states are a particular concern as they suffer from
greater economic and social disadvantages, including higher poverty and unemployment
rates, than either metropolitan or nonmicropolitan rural areas. The Prevention Research
Center for Rural Health (PRC-RH), with a focus on obesity, addresses the health challenges
of residents of micropolitan and other rural communities in Iowa through a variety of Center
activities and resources as well as the implementation of the research project, Active Iowa.
PRC-RH Center activities include maintenance of an infrastructure with a focus on translation
and communication of PRC-RH research and best practices; training of public health
professionals, students and community members; and evaluation of PRC-RH activities. The
PRC-RH has vibrant partnerships with the Iowa Department of Public Health, and an active
Community Advisory Board. The PRC-RH implementation research project, Active Iowa
focuses on translation of Active Ottumwa across Iowa and the neighboring states. Specific
Aims include: 1)Translating Active Ottumwa into Active Iowa, guided by the Consolidated
Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), into three clusters of micropolitan
communities in Iowa. 2) Rigorously evaluating the implementation and behavioral outcomes of
Active Iowa using a randomized cluster stepped-wedge design to a) examine facilitators,
barriers, and contextual factors associated with the adoption, implementation, and
sustainability of Active Iowa, and b) Evaluate Active Iowa using the Reach Effectiveness
Adoption Implementation and Maintenance framework (RE-AIM), applying mixed research
methods to evaluate implementation at multiple levels of influence and with multiple
stakeholders across clusters;3) Disseminate Active Iowa in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and
Kansas (CDC Region G). PRC-RH research and activities will address a major evidence gap
by knowledge of how best to translate and evidence-based interventions in the rural Midwest.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244863
- **Project number:** 5U48DP006389-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Rima Afifi
- **Activity code:** U48 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244863

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244863, DP19-001, University of Iowa Prevention Research Center for Rural Health (5U48DP006389-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244863. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*