Neighborhood Connect

NCT07780825 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY00002008U48DP006808
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 240
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study is evaluating the effectiveness of an implementation strategy called Neighborhood Connect, which is designed to support residents' engagement in activities that improve the attractiveness, safety and livability of Worcester, MA neighborhoods. The program focuses on the built environment (i.e., the human-made, physical surroundings of Worcester neighborhoods including indoor public places and outdoor spaces like parks, streets and sidewalks) and aims to build capacity of community members to strengthen their neighborhoods. Participants will include residents and others who care about local built environment conditions. Neighborhood Connect is delivered by a built environment specialist from the local health department in collaboration with a statewide coalition.

Conditions

Built Environment

Keywords

built environment; implementation science

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Built environment actions

  12 item investigator developed measure based on the Expert Consensus for Local Implementation of Physical Activity Policy, Systems and Environment (ECLIPPSE) strategies, specifically focusing on action domains.

  Baseline, 3 months, 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Collective Efficacy

  Baseline, 3 months, 12 months

• Collective Behavioral Capability

  Baseline, 3 months, 12 months

• Perceived Impact of Built Environment Change

  Baseline, 3 months, 12 months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Implementation of Built Environment Changes

  Baseline, 3 months, 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Neighborhood Connect implementation strategy

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants receive the Neighborhood Connect implementation strategy. It is deployed to all participants in a given wave (neighborhood/area) at once. Order of implementaiton of the intervention is determined by neighborhood/area-level randomization.

Other: Neighborhood Connect

Pre-implementation

OTHER

Within this stepped wedge design, each individual serves as their own comparator. Data from the pre-implementation phase will be collected for this purpose.

Other: Neighborhood Connect

Interventions

Neighborhood Connect OTHER

Neighborhood Connect is an implementation strategy designed to prepare participants to make built environment changes that promote healthy communities, including social connectedness, physical activity, traffic safety, etc. The program is generic and allows participants to identify their own priorities for built environment change. The curriculum includes six Zoom-based educational sessions delivered by a built environment specialist with a member of a walking coalition, participation in a neighborhood audit, creation of a plan for change and ability to receive technical assistance after the formal program is completed. The built environment specialist receives training and technical assistance for leading the resident-focused implementation strategy.

Neighborhood Connect implementation strategy; Pre-implementation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Live, work or have other connection to specific areas of Worcester, MA;
• Speak English or Spanish

You may not qualify if:

• Don't speak English or Spanish;
• Have a cognitive deficit that precludes participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Massachusetts, Worcester: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Worcester, Massachusetts, 01655, United States

RECRUITING

Related Links

• The intervention components are available on the study website. This is a participant facing website that also includes materials for facilitators.

Study Officials

• Stephenie C Lemon, PhD, MS

  University of Massachusetts, Worcester

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Stephenie C Lemon, PhD, MS

CONTACT

15088564098; Stephenie.Lemon@Umassmed.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor and Chief of the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences

Model Details: The study uses a stepped wedge design, with 8 different clusters (neighborhoods/areas) rolled out sequentially in 4 waves.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 14, 2026
• First Posted: August 24, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2029
• Last Updated: August 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will be made available beginning 12 months after completion of the study and available for 5 years.
• Access Criteria: Deidentified individual participant data will be made available to qualified researchers whose proposed use has been approved by the study investigators. Requests must include a methodologically sound research proposal. Investigators will be required to sign a Data Use Agreement. Requests must be made to the PI.

Locations

US (1)