Evaluating Complex Interventions Using Qualitative Longitudinal Research: A Case Study of Understanding Pathways to...

Area of Science:

• Social Science Research Methods
• Program Evaluation
• Youth Violence Prevention

Background:

• Evaluating social change programs is challenging due to dynamic contexts, implementation variations, and participant experiences.
• Assessing long-term impacts of interventions is difficult to quantify directly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the utility of a qualitative longitudinal approach in evaluating a school-based partner violence prevention program.
• To understand how repeat interviews can illuminate intervention mechanisms and participant change trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 33 repeat interviews with nine participants during and after a school-based partner violence prevention program.
• Analyzed participant trajectories to understand shifts and contextual factors influencing change.

Main Results:

• Repeat interviews provided rich contextual data, revealing gradual participant shifts.
• Identified specific intervention aspects that appeared to influence observed changes.
• Demonstrated the value of qualitative longitudinal data in capturing nuanced intervention effects.

Conclusions:

• A qualitative longitudinal approach, using repeat interviews, is effective for evaluating social change programs.
• This method can capture subtle, gradual changes that serve as proxies for longer-term impacts.
• Understanding participant trajectories offers insights into intervention effectiveness and adaptation.