Process evaluation outcomes from a global child obesity prevention intervention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Childhood Obesity Prevention
• Health Intervention Evaluation

Background:

• Child obesity interventions require multi-level strategies for effectiveness.
• Limited evaluation data exists for guiding such multi-level interventions.
• This study addresses this gap by evaluating the EPODE approach globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate barriers and facilitators in implementing the EPODE approach worldwide.
• Gather process evaluation data to inform strategy development.
• Enhance the effectiveness of child obesity prevention programs.

Main Methods:

• Online survey with open-ended questions distributed to 25 EPODE programs.
• Eighteen programs from 14 countries participated (72% response rate).
• Qualitative analysis using the constant comparative method with NVivo software.

Main Results:

• Primary concerns include securing sustainable funding and accessing evidence-based intervention methods.
• Challenges also involve obtaining policy advice and managing third-party relationships.
• Factors influencing these concerns include information access, stakeholder engagement, and policy transparency.

Conclusions:

• Findings inform the refinement of the EPODE approach with standardized information packages.
• Guidance is provided on evaluation methods, tools, and acquiring private partner support.
• Results are valuable for designing future multi-level health initiatives for complex problems.