Evaluation of the scale-up and implementation of mind, exercise, nutrition do it! (MEND) in British Columbia: a hybrid trial type 3 evaluation.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Mind, Exercise, Nutrition … Do it! (MEND) childhood obesity intervention was implemented in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada from April 2013 to June 2017. The study objective was a) to describe and explore program reach, attendance, satisfaction, acceptability, fidelity, and facilitators and challenges during scale-up and implementation of MEND in B.C. while b) monitoring program effectiveness in improving children's body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference, dietary and physical activity behaviours, and psychological well-being. METHODS: This prospective, pragmatic implementation evaluation (Hybrid Type 3 design) recruited families with children and adolescents aged 7-13 with a BMI ≥ 85th percentile for age and sex. The 10-week MEND B.C. program was delivered in 27 sites, throughout all five B.C. health regions (Northern, Interior, Island, Fraser, and Vancouver Coastal) over 4 years. Families attended two weekly in-person group sessions aimed to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating. BMI z-score and waist circumference were measured at baseline and follow-up. Dietary and physical activity behaviours and psychological well-being were measured using validated questionnaires. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyze the data. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-six MEND B.C. programs were delivered over 4 years. The program reached 987 eligible participants. 755 (76.5%) children and adolescents completed the program. The average program attendance was 81.5%. Parents reported the program content was easy to understand, culturally suitable, respectful of family's financial situation, and provided adequate information to build a healthy lifestyle. Children achieved significant positive changes across all four evaluation years in BMI z-score (d = - 0.13), nutrition behaviours (d = 0.64), physical activity levels (d = 0.30), hours of screen time per week (d = - 0.38) and emotional distress (d = - 0.21). Challenges to continued program implementation included recruitment, resource requirement for implementation, and the need to tailor the program locally to be more flexible and culturally relevant. CONCLUSIONS: The program reached a broad demographic of children and adolescents in B.C. Families were highly satisfied with the program delivery. MEND. B.C. at scale was effective across all four evaluation years in improving BMI z-score, lifestyle behaviours and psychological well-being among children. Future interventions need to explore strategies to enhance program delivery flexibility.