Implementation evaluation: Study protocol
Implementation evaluation: Study protocol
The evidence-based Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) programme is a school-based obesity prevention programme for 12- to 14-year-olds attending the first two years of prevocational education. This paper describes the study protocol applied to evaluate (a) the nationwide dissemination process of DOiT throughout the Netherlands, and (b) the relationship between degree of implementation and effectiveness during nationwide dissemination of the programme in the Netherlands.
In order to explore the facilitating factors and barriers for dissemination of DOiT, we monitored the process of adoption, implementation and continuation of the DOiT programme among 20 prevocational schools in the Netherlands. The study was an observational study using qualitative (i.e. semi-structured interviews) and quantitative methods (i.e. questionnaires and logbooks). Eight process indicators were assessed: recruitment, context, reach, dosage, fidelity, satisfaction, effectiveness and continuation. All teachers, adolescents and parents involved in the implementation of the programme were invited to participate in the study. As part of the process evaluation, a cluster-controlled trial with ten control schools was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme on adolescents’ adiposity and energy balance-related behaviours and its association with quality of implementation.
The identified impeding and facilitating factors will contribute to an adjusted strategy promoting adoption, implementation and continuation of the DOiT programme to ensure optimal use and, thereby, prevention of obesity in Dutch adolescents.
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About The Author
Femke van Nassau is a senior researcher at the Amsterdam UMC, VUmc, specializing in human movement science. Her work at the Department of Public and Occupational Health and the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute focuses on developing, implementing, and scaling up lifestyle interventions to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. With a PhD in scaling up school-based obesity prevention programs, she continues to lead innovative health promotion projects across various settings.
