• Eddy A Jara, Ritterman Weintraub Miranda M, Nancy Clifton-Hawkins, and Nestor Martinez.
• 1Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
• Health Promot Pract. 2014 Jan 1; 15 (1): 63-71.

AbstractThere is gap between the enactment and implementation of local school wellness policies. Building the capacity of promotores to engage parents in strengthening local school wellness policy implementation is an innovative strategy. This evaluation study examines the effects of 6 hours of promotor advocacy training to improve local school wellness policy implementation. Consistent with psychological empowerment theory, the training and the related toolkit were designed to increase promotores' knowledge and self-efficacy to engage parents in advocating for improved local school wellness policy implementation. Pre-post training questionnaires (n = 74), five posttraining participant focus groups, and four staff member focus groups explored changes in promotor and participating organization capacity. Findings show increased participant self-efficacy, knowledge, and attitudes to advocate for improved local school wellness policy implementation. Participating organizations reported intention to continue supporting promotor local school wellness policy advocacy. Findings illuminate strategies to strengthen promotor capacity to engage parents in local school wellness policy advocacy.

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