Series: Research into Action

Currently, a number of studies identify waterpipe tobacco smoking, most commonly known as hookah, as an emerging trend among college students in the United States.  However, the substance abuse field lacks evidence about the factors associated with the spread of waterpipe smoking in this population, such as perception of harm and commercial availability and use. In response to the lack of research, researchers Sutfin, E.L., et al. at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center conducted one of the first studies investigating the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoke use among a large, multi-institution sample of college students.  The study found that waterpipe smoking is nearly as popular with college students as cigarettes, particularly at institutions with nearby waterpipe smoking venues and among freshmen.

Over the last several decades of research, epidemiology studies indicate drinking alcohol as a risk factor for an array of injuries, diseases, and social injustices and a leading cause of morbidity (i.e., diseased condition or state) and mortality (i.e., death).  Additionally, the published literature indicates a strong relationship between alcohol tax and price levels and alcohol sales, drinking, and alcohol-related morbidity and mortality outcomes.  Based on these established relationships and literature, researchers Alexander Wagenaar, Amy Tober, and Kelli Komro hypothesized and found that a negative relationship exists between alcohol tax/price levels and alcohol-related morbidity and mortality.

 
For over twenty years, researchers in the field of Human Resource Development have worked to understand the conditions that promote or inhibit the transfer of training information to the workplace. Transfer of training occurs when participants successfully take the training information learned and actively apply it to improving their day-to-day work. Simply investing in a training opportunity does not guarantee transfer of training. In fact, studies indicate that only half of all organizational training investments result in direct benefits to the organization (Saks, 2002). A recent article published in Human Resource Development Review found that accountability plays a key role in improving the process of incorporating new skills and strategies into the structure of an organization.

For coalitions, meetings provide the venue for strategic planning, collaboration, and overall preparation. Key stakeholders need to attend these meetings and leave feeling their time was well spent. Dissatisfaction could result in losing the participation of partners necessary to carry out a coalition’s strategic plan. The current research on organizational meetings is in some ways applicable to the meeting structure of coalitions. Given this, those in charge of calling and organizing coalition meetings should learn the key design issues that promote meeting effectiveness.