Synthesizing Evidence-Based Strategies

Addressing social determinants of health (SDH) requires multileveled intervention designs. Increasingly, organizations and coalitions face pressure to use evidence-based strategies when seeking to address SDH. Evidence-based strategies , however, must be locally relevant and integrated into existing systems to function efficiently. We propose the incorporation of an effective rapid assessment technique, Rapid Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (RARE), with evidence-based strategies, findings, and recommendations embedded in community-engaged research to increase the likelihood of success in addressing SDH. Our RARE project—a partnership among a community health center, a nonprofit funding agency, and academic faculty researchers—resulted in community and policy-level interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity in a Southwestern U.S. city.