Co-Design with Rural Adolescents to Inform a School-Based Physical Activity and Social Media Literacy Intervention: A...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Rural Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US.
• Rural youth exhibit worse health outcomes compared to urban peers.
• Social media influences adolescent health behaviors, especially for those with physical and mental well-being challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine rural adolescents' perspectives on body image, social media use, and physical activity.
• To inform the development of the Hoosier Sport Re-Social intervention.
• To understand adolescent health behaviors in rural settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative co-design initiative with 14 rural middle school students (grades 7-8).
• Structured co-design process over five sessions (nine weeks).
• Deductive thematic analysis guided by Basic Psychological Needs Theory and Social Comparison Theory.

Main Results:

• Findings will be used to develop the Hoosier Sport Re-Social intervention.
• Identified adolescent views on body image, social media, and physical activity.
• Explored factors influencing rural youth health behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Co-design approach effectively engaged rural youth in health intervention development.
• Understanding adolescent perspectives is crucial for effective health promotion in rural communities.
• The Hoosier Sport Re-Social intervention aims to address unique challenges faced by rural adolescents.