Using diffusion of innovations theory to examine a discontinued heathy corner store pilot program

ABSTRACT

Limited research has been published on healthy corner store (HCS) interventions that have failed to be correctly implemented or sustained. We drew on Diffusion of Innovations theory to examine public health unit (PHU) staff members’ and corner store (CS) retailers’ experiences with a HCS program in Ottawa, Canada, that was implemented and then discontinued. Qualitative data analysis of interviews revealed intertwined challenges that we describe in two themes: 1) PHU staff members’ and CS retailers’ differing views and experiences with the HCS program and its implementation; and 2) challenges with the HCS program that were intertwined with the setting.

KEYWORDS:

• Diffusion of innovations
• corner store interventions
• corner store retailers
• healthy corner stores

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of Ottawa Public Health in this study

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [Fellowship Award]; Ottawa Public Health [Fellowship Award].