Community coalition action theory and its role in drug and alcohol abuse interventions.(EDITORIAL)

Coalitions have been developing rapidly over the past quarter century in various sectors including health with the intention of creating opportunities that will benefit all members of the coalition. More specifically, community coalitions have developed with the intention of achieving a common goal among the members of the community and have become common practice within the realm of health promotion. While coalitions have become a popular means for soliciting health initiatives, it is difficult to measure their effectiveness due to the inherent complexity of coalitions. The community coalition action theory (CCAT) identifies internal factors within the coalition that lead to the implementation of community change, and thereby provides an approach for assessing the efforts of coalitions (Kegler, Rigler & Honeycutt, 2010).

CCAT is comprised of fifteen constructs and twenty-one practice-proven propositions that have developed based on the constructs. The fifteen constructs identified by Butterfoss & Kegler (2009) include stages of development, community context, lead agency or convening group, coalition membership, processes, leadership and staffing, structures, pooled membership and external resources, member engagement, collaborative synergy, assessment and planning, implementation of strategies, community change outcomes, health/social outcomes, and community capacity. The related propositions fall within the constructs and propose such things as the notion that "coalitions …