Features of effective inter-sectoral collaboration structure in health

The formation of any effective intersectoral collaboration requires a coherent and stable structure in order to build a sustainable collaboration. There is little evidence of the characteristics of an effective intersectoral collaboration structure, especially in the field of health, which highlights the need for research. This was a qualitative study with grounded theory approach to explore the dimensions of an effective intersectoral collaboration structure for controlling childhood obesity in 2 to 6-year-old children in Kerman. Data were collected using face-to-face deep interviews. Coding the data was done by MAXQDA V. 10 software. Data analysis led to the identification of four key features of an effective intersectoral collaboration structure including the characteristics of collaboration members, the characteristics of collaboration core, the roles and responsibilities of collaboration members, and collaboration working processes. Given the growing importance of intersectoral collaboration for health community promotion, it is necessary to have a proper and systematic structure for these collaborations. This study tried to provide a suitable platform for designing such partnerships to promote community health and prevent problems such as obesity in children by considering the two characteristics of the members and the core of the collaboration, along with the explanation of the role of the members and the processes of the structure.