ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Behavioural sciences have been shown to support the development of more effective interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles. However, the operationalization of this knowledge seems to be sub-optimal in public health. Effective knowledge transfer strategies are thus needed to optimize the use of knowledge from behavioural sciences in this field. To this end, the present study examined public health practitioners' perceptions and use of theories and frameworks from behavioural sciences to design health promotion interventions. METHODS: This study adopted an exploratory qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 27 public health practitioners from across Canada to explore current intervention development processes, the extent to which they integrate theory and framework from behavioural sciences, and their perceptions regarding the use of this knowledge to inform intervention design. Practitioners from the public sector or non-profit/private organizations who were involved in the development of interventions aimed at promoting physical activity, healthy eating, or other healthy lifestyle habits (e.g., not smoking) were eligible to participate. RESULTS: Public health practitioners generally agreed that behaviour change is an important goal of public health interventions. On the other hand, behavioural science theories and frameworks did not appear to be fully integrated in the design of public health interventions. The main reasons were (1) a perceived lack of fit with current professional roles and tasks; (2) a greater reliance on experiential-produced knowledge rather than academic knowledge (mainly for tailoring interventions to local setting characteristics); (3) the presence of a fragmented knowledge base; (4) the belief that theories and frameworks require too much time and resources to be operationalized; and 4) the belief that using behavioural sciences might undermine partnership building. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided valuable insights that may inform knowledge transfer strategies that could be optimally designed to support the integration of behavioural sciences theories and frameworks into public health practices.
Subject(s)
Health Promotion , Public Health , Humans , Public Health Practice , Exercise , MotivationABSTRACT
Communication campaigns can contribute to promoting physical activity (PA) among children. However, health inequalities can ensue from this type of public health intervention. Using a pre-test posttest design, we examined the effects of social disadvantage on the large-scale WIXX communication campaign and whether or not social disadvantage moderated WIXX's impact on PA. Parents of youths were identified using random digit dialing procedures and asked permission for their child to participate in a telephone survey. Surveys were conducted each year between 2012 and 2016. Moderating effects of individual-level and area-based indicators of social disadvantage on campaign effectiveness were examined. Self-reported levels of PA and trying new PAs were the outcomes. Exposure was defined as a function of ads recall and brand awareness. Logistic regression analyses controlling for survey periods, screen time, language, school grade, and attitudes toward PA were performed in 2020. Among girls, no significant interaction effects were observed for household income, parental education, and material deprivation. A significant interaction effect was observed for minority group status on PA (OR = 2.4; 95%CIs: 1.2, 4.9) and trying of new activities (OR = 2.5; 95%CIs: 1.2, 5.1). A significant interaction effect between social deprivation and exposure was observed for trying new activities among girls (OR = 1.8; 95%CIs: 1.0, 3.2). Among boys, no significant interaction effects were observed for any indicators. Results suggest no clear evidence of communication inequalities as a result of the WIXX campaign but reveal positive impacts of the campaign among more socially disadvantaged girls.
ABSTRACT
Background: Evidence regarding the impact of physical activity (PA) communication campaigns among children is scarce. This study was aimed at examining the reach of the WIXX campaign and its impact on children's PA beliefs and behaviors. Methods: This study adopted a pre-posttest design. Children (9-13 y old) were recruited using a random digit dialing procedure. Self-reported outcomes included PA beliefs, trying new PAs, and meeting PA guidelines. WIXX awareness and survey periods were the treatment variables. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the main effect of treatment variables and the time-specific impact of WIXX. Results: The campaign reached 80.3% of the children. Fully adjusted results showed that girls with high (odd ratio = 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.0) and moderate (odd ratio = 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.8) awareness were more likely to have tried new PAs. Results from the sensitivity analyses suggested that this positive result was due to strategies implemented during the second year of the campaign. No other significant association between exposure and outcomes was observed. Conclusions: The WIXX campaign was successful in reaching a significant proportion of children. Although some encouraging results were observed among girls, WIXX awareness was not associated with changes on the examined outcomes among boys.