Implementation of a school-based internet obesity prevention program for adolescents

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective prevention strategies.
• School-based interventions offer a promising platform for reaching adolescents with health promotion programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reach, adoption, and implementation of the HEALTH[e]TEEN internet-based obesity prevention program in high schools.
• To examine how school setting, student gender, age, and race/ethnicity influence participation and satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A concurrent mixed-method evaluation was conducted in three Connecticut public high schools.
• The study involved 384 adolescents and 8 teachers, comparing HEALTH[e]TEEN with an enhanced version including coping skills training.
• Data collection included demographic information, student satisfaction and participation measures, and interviews with school staff.

Main Results:

• The diverse adolescent sample (n=384, 35% white, mean age 15.3 years) demonstrated high participation (83% of lessons) and satisfaction (3.6/5).
• Classroom implementation yielded higher satisfaction and participation than homework-based delivery (P ≤ .001).
• Girls reported higher satisfaction and participation than boys (P=.02, P=.03), and younger students showed higher participation than older students (P=.03).

Conclusions:

• School-based internet obesity prevention programs like HEALTH[e]TEEN can effectively reach diverse adolescent populations.
• High student satisfaction and participation were achieved, indicating successful adoption and implementation.
• Program implementation was influenced by delivery setting (classroom vs. homework), teacher characteristics, student age, and gender, highlighting the need for tailored approaches.