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Engaging adolescents in changing behaviour (EACH-B): a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to improve dietary quality and physical activity.

Engaging adolescents in changing behaviour (EACH-B): a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to improve dietary quality and physical activity.
Engaging adolescents in changing behaviour (EACH-B): a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to improve dietary quality and physical activity.
Background
Poor diet and lack of physical activity are strongly linked to non-communicable disease risk, but modifying them is challenging. There is increasing recognition that adolescence is an important time to intervene; habits formed during this period tend to last, and physical and psychological changes during adolescence make it an important time to help individuals form healthier habits. Improving adolescents’ health behaviours is important not only for their own health now and in adulthood, but also for the health of any future children. Building on LifeLab - an existing, purpose-built educational facility at the University of Southampton - we have developed a multi-component intervention for secondary school students called Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour (EACH-B) that aims to motivate and support adolescents to eat better and be more physically active.

Methods
A cluster randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention. The primary outcomes of the intervention are self-reported dietary quality and objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels, both assessed at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. The EACH-B intervention consists of three linked elements: professional development for teachers including training in communication skills to support health behaviour change; the LifeLab educational module comprising in-school teaching of nine science lessons linked to the English National Curriculum and a practical day visit to the LifeLab facility; and a personalised digital intervention that involves social support and game features that promote eating better and being more active.

Both the taught module and the LifeLab day are designed with a focus on the science behind the messages about positive health behaviours, such as diet and PA, for the adolescents now, in adulthood and their future offspring, with the aim of promoting personal plans for change. The EACH-B research trial aims to recruit approximately 2,300 secondary school students aged 12-13 years from 50 schools (the clusters) from Hampshire and neighbouring counties. Participating schools will be randomised to either the control or intervention arm. The intervention will be run during two academic years, with continual recruitment of schools throughout the school year until the sample size is reached. The schools allocated to the control arm will receive normal schooling but will be offered the intervention after data collection for the trial is complete. An economic model will be developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention compared with usual schooling.

Discussion
Adolescents’ health needs are often ignored and they can be difficult to engage in behaviour change. Building a cheap, sustainable way of engaging them in making healthier choices will benefit their long-term health and that of their future children.

Trial registration
EACH-B is a cluster randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN 74109264, registered 30th August 2019), funded by the National Institute for Health Research (RP-PG-0216-20004). http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN74109264
1745-6215
Strommer, Sofia
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Barrett, Camilla
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Woods-Townsend, Kathryn
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Baird, Janis
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Farrell, David
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Lord, Joanne
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Morrison, Leanne
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Shaw, Sarah
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Vogel, Christina
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Lawrence, Wendy
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Lovelock, Donna
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Bagust, Lisa
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Varkonyi-Sepp, Judit
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Coakley, Patsy J.
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Campbell, Lyall
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Anderson, Ross
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Horsfall, Mary
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Kalita, Neelam
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Onyimadu, Oluchukwu
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Clarke, John
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Cooper, Cyrus
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Chase, Debbie
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Lambrick, Danielle
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Little, Paul
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Hanson, Mark
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Godfrey, Keith
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Inskip, Hazel
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Barker, Mary
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Strommer, Sofia
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Barrett, Camilla
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Woods-Townsend, Kathryn
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Baird, Janis
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Farrell, David
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Lord, Joanne
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Morrison, Leanne
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Shaw, Sarah
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Vogel, Christina
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Lawrence, Wendy
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Lovelock, Donna
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Bagust, Lisa
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Varkonyi-Sepp, Judit
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Coakley, Patsy J.
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Campbell, Lyall
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Anderson, Ross
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Horsfall, Mary
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Kalita, Neelam
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Onyimadu, Oluchukwu
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Clarke, John
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Cooper, Cyrus
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Chase, Debbie
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Lambrick, Danielle
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Little, Paul
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Hanson, Mark
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Godfrey, Keith
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Inskip, Hazel
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Barker, Mary
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Strommer, Sofia, Barrett, Camilla, Woods-Townsend, Kathryn, Baird, Janis, Farrell, David, Lord, Joanne, Morrison, Leanne, Shaw, Sarah, Vogel, Christina, Lawrence, Wendy, Lovelock, Donna, Bagust, Lisa, Varkonyi-Sepp, Judit, Coakley, Patsy J., Campbell, Lyall, Anderson, Ross, Horsfall, Mary, Kalita, Neelam, Onyimadu, Oluchukwu, Clarke, John, Cooper, Cyrus, Chase, Debbie, Lambrick, Danielle, Little, Paul, Hanson, Mark, Godfrey, Keith, Inskip, Hazel and Barker, Mary (2020) Engaging adolescents in changing behaviour (EACH-B): a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to improve dietary quality and physical activity. Trials, 21 (859). (doi:10.1186/s13063-020-04761-w).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background
Poor diet and lack of physical activity are strongly linked to non-communicable disease risk, but modifying them is challenging. There is increasing recognition that adolescence is an important time to intervene; habits formed during this period tend to last, and physical and psychological changes during adolescence make it an important time to help individuals form healthier habits. Improving adolescents’ health behaviours is important not only for their own health now and in adulthood, but also for the health of any future children. Building on LifeLab - an existing, purpose-built educational facility at the University of Southampton - we have developed a multi-component intervention for secondary school students called Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour (EACH-B) that aims to motivate and support adolescents to eat better and be more physically active.

Methods
A cluster randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention. The primary outcomes of the intervention are self-reported dietary quality and objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels, both assessed at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. The EACH-B intervention consists of three linked elements: professional development for teachers including training in communication skills to support health behaviour change; the LifeLab educational module comprising in-school teaching of nine science lessons linked to the English National Curriculum and a practical day visit to the LifeLab facility; and a personalised digital intervention that involves social support and game features that promote eating better and being more active.

Both the taught module and the LifeLab day are designed with a focus on the science behind the messages about positive health behaviours, such as diet and PA, for the adolescents now, in adulthood and their future offspring, with the aim of promoting personal plans for change. The EACH-B research trial aims to recruit approximately 2,300 secondary school students aged 12-13 years from 50 schools (the clusters) from Hampshire and neighbouring counties. Participating schools will be randomised to either the control or intervention arm. The intervention will be run during two academic years, with continual recruitment of schools throughout the school year until the sample size is reached. The schools allocated to the control arm will receive normal schooling but will be offered the intervention after data collection for the trial is complete. An economic model will be developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention compared with usual schooling.

Discussion
Adolescents’ health needs are often ignored and they can be difficult to engage in behaviour change. Building a cheap, sustainable way of engaging them in making healthier choices will benefit their long-term health and that of their future children.

Trial registration
EACH-B is a cluster randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN 74109264, registered 30th August 2019), funded by the National Institute for Health Research (RP-PG-0216-20004). http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN74109264

Text
EACH-B Protocol Paper FINAL TEXT ONLY VERSION 170920 - Accepted Manuscript
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 22 September 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 15 October 2020

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 444084
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/444084
ISSN: 1745-6215
PURE UUID: 0551ba08-0618-4381-ae65-637ff59f5a93
ORCID for Kathryn Woods-Townsend: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3376-6988
ORCID for Janis Baird: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4039-4361
ORCID for Joanne Lord: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1086-1624
ORCID for Leanne Morrison: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9961-551X
ORCID for Sarah Shaw: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2206-6858
ORCID for Christina Vogel: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3897-3786
ORCID for Wendy Lawrence: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1264-0438
ORCID for Neelam Kalita: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0973-0160
ORCID for Oluchukwu Onyimadu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1724-3485
ORCID for Cyrus Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709
ORCID for Danielle Lambrick: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0325-6015
ORCID for Paul Little: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-1873
ORCID for Mark Hanson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6907-613X
ORCID for Keith Godfrey: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4643-0618
ORCID for Hazel Inskip: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8897-1749
ORCID for Mary Barker: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2976-0217

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 24 Sep 2020 16:43
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 04:07

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Contributors

Author: Sofia Strommer
Author: Camilla Barrett
Author: Janis Baird ORCID iD
Author: David Farrell
Author: Joanne Lord ORCID iD
Author: Leanne Morrison ORCID iD
Author: Sarah Shaw ORCID iD
Author: Christina Vogel ORCID iD
Author: Wendy Lawrence ORCID iD
Author: Donna Lovelock
Author: Lisa Bagust
Author: Judit Varkonyi-Sepp
Author: Patsy J. Coakley
Author: Lyall Campbell
Author: Ross Anderson
Author: Mary Horsfall
Author: Neelam Kalita ORCID iD
Author: John Clarke
Author: Cyrus Cooper ORCID iD
Author: Debbie Chase
Author: Paul Little ORCID iD
Author: Mark Hanson ORCID iD
Author: Keith Godfrey ORCID iD
Author: Hazel Inskip ORCID iD
Author: Mary Barker ORCID iD

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