National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC), .
Translational Neuro-Prevention Research, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, 105 Smith Level Road, Room 307, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
Prev Sci. 2021 Jan;22(1):94-99. doi: 10.1007/s11121-020-01180-w. Epub 2020 Nov 19.
Never before has the value of prevention science become so apparent to the populace, particularly in simultaneous fashion across all nations. A general understanding of what prevention represents in true form has lagged well behind the science and, in fact, few outside of the field recognize that there is actually a significant body of research that undergirds preventative practices, programs and policies. The current pandemic and the uneven impacts on underserved and marginalized populations has highlighted the need for proactive approaches to prevent underlying conditions that increase risk for infection, worsen the wide ranging harms from the virus, and significantly exacerbate disparities that characterize many nations. To ensure uptake of the science by end-users (e.g., community stakeholders, practitioners, policymakers), who operate the levers that determine whether resources and services are distributed equitably across societies' sectors, prevention scientists have a unique and powerful role to play. This commentary on the special issue, focused on the "culture of prevention," considers the broader issues covered in the set of original articles in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Toward that end, I also outline two interrelated "calls to action" for prevention scientists. The first call is to concertedly apply a race equity lens to all aspects of our research, a need that is particularly critical given that our field is inherently actionable and, as such, evidence amassed has potential to equalize the playing field for disadvantaged and marginalized groups. The second acknowledges the need for prevention scientists to learn how to effectively communicate scientific knowledge to the public and policymakers to compellingly advocate for reforms guided by the science. A powerful, research-backed collective advocacy can effectively sway action of governing bodies in addressing disparities and inequities for constituents who have no voice.
预防科学的价值以前从未如此明显地为民众所认识，特别是在所有国家同时如此。人们对预防科学的真正含义的普遍理解远远落后于科学，事实上，除了该领域的人之外，很少有人认识到，实际上有大量的研究为预防实践、计划和政策提供了依据。当前的大流行以及服务不足和边缘化人群受到的不均衡影响，凸显了需要采取积极主动的方法来预防增加感染风险、加重病毒广泛危害以及显著加剧许多国家特征的差异的潜在条件。为了确保最终用户（例如社区利益攸关方、从业者、政策制定者）采纳该科学，他们操作着决定资源和服务是否在社会各部门公平分配的杠杆，预防科学家可以发挥独特而强大的作用。这篇关于“预防文化”的特刊评论，根据正在进行的 COVID-19 大流行，考虑了原始文章集中涵盖的更广泛问题。为此，我还概述了预防科学家的两个相互关联的“行动呼吁”。第一个呼吁是一致地将种族公平视角应用于我们研究的各个方面，鉴于我们的领域具有内在的可操作性，因此这一需求尤为关键，因为我们收集的证据有可能为劣势和边缘化群体创造公平竞争的环境。第二个呼吁承认预防科学家需要学习如何有效地向公众和政策制定者传达科学知识，以有力地倡导科学指导下的改革。强有力的、有研究支持的集体倡导可以有效地影响管理机构为没有发言权的选民解决差异和不平等问题的行动。
