Lessons from a mixed-methods approach to evaluating Active Living by Design.

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Public Health Evaluation

Background:

• Active Living by Design (ALbD) initiated innovative strategies in 25 communities to promote physical activity.
• Interventions focused on community design, public policies, programming, and communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation and impact of complex community-based physical activity initiatives.
• To understand perceived and actual outcomes of the Active Living by Design projects.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods evaluation approach, including cross-site comparisons and case studies.
• Utilized partnership capacity surveys, Concept Mapping, online progress reporting, interviews, focus groups, and visual documentation.
• Explored environmental audits and direct observation for assessing environmental changes.

Main Results:

• Identified strengths and challenges in planning and implementing multicomponent interventions.
• Highlighted challenges such as lack of baseline data and evaluating natural experiments.
• Documented various intervention strategies and their intended/unintended consequences.

Conclusions:

• The mixed-methods evaluation advanced implementation and evaluation science for community-based active living initiatives.
• Provided insights into methods for capturing complex interventions and translating approaches for community change.
• Demonstrated the adaptability of strategies across diverse populations and settings.