Latent Profile Analysis of Community Readiness in Colombia and Chile

Introduction

The growing use in evidence-based preventive interventions in Latin American countries has prompted local authorities and researchers to ask if communities are ready to implement these interventions, especially in light of the costs and long-term commitment needed for successful implementation. Using latent profile analysis of survey data from key leaders in Colombia and Chile, this study identified different latent profiles of community readiness for prevention system transformation. Identification of these profiles informs the classification of communities with regard to their need for preparation to enact system change. This is particularly important in Latin America, which is currently undergoing a dramatic expansion in the development and implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions.

Method

Data were collected from community key leaders in Chile and Colombia, using measures of readiness adapted from the Communities That Care Coalition Board Interview and Community Key Informant Survey, both translated into Spanish. The sample consisted of 175 leaders from 14 communities representing a variety of community sectors. All participants held positions of leadership or had specialized knowledge about prevention efforts in their respective communities. Participant scores were computed for six readiness scales: Norms Against Drug Use, Support for Prevention, Openness to Change, Cohesion, Conflict Resolution and Ownership. Latent profile analyses were conducted using Mplus v.8.

Results

Results indicated 3- and 4-class solutions as viable models to the data (BIC ≤ 1347, SSABIC ≤ 1227, entropy ≥ 0.90). The 3-class model extracted “Low,” “Medium,” and “High” readiness profiles. In the 4-class model, the previous “Low” class was split into two sub-classes: “Very-Low” and “Medium-Low” readiness, with difference in levels of Openness to Change, Cohesion and Ownership distinguishing these two classes. Few between-class differences were observed with respect to Norms against Drug Use and Conflict Resolution.

Conclusion

Findings suggest the existence of multiple latent profiles of community readiness for prevention system change in Colombian and Chilean communities. Derived latent profiles represented a continuum (i.e., low to high) of readiness rather than qualitative differences (i.e., different combinations of readiness scales) suggesting that communities can be categorized into levels of readiness that can be used as a diagnostic to facilitate preparation for program implementation. This is particularly salient in Latin America, where community readiness represents a significant challenge to program implementation.