Uses of Research Evidence by State Legislators Who Prioritize Behavioral Health Issues

Objective:Disseminating behavioral health (BH) research to elected policy makers is a priority, but little is known about how they use and seek research evidence. This exploratory study aimed to identify research dissemination preferences and research-seeking practices of legislators who prioritize BH issues and to describe the role of research in determining policy priorities. The study also assessed whether these legislators differ from those who do not prioritize BH issues.Methods:A telephone-based survey was conducted with 862 state legislators (response rate, 46%). A validated survey instrument assessed priorities and the factors that determined them, research dissemination preferences, and research-seeking practices. Bivariate analyses were used to characterize and compare the two groups.Results:Legislators who prioritized BH issues (N=125) were significantly more likely than those who did not to identify research evidence as a factor that determined policy priorities (odds ratio=1.91, 95% confidenc...