Thorough evaluation of the 'Healthy Me & You' programme for families in Southland is conducted by the Southland HEHA Programme team.
of the programme involves the following measurement tools at baseline and six months after programme completion for each participant:
Physical Activity
- Adult physical activity assessed via one week wearing NL1000 accelerometer, set at intensity level 4-9 to capture time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The data from the pedometer can be combined with a short questionnaire about time spent cycling, swimming, and doing strength building physical activity.
- Child physical activity assessed via one week wearing NL1000 accelerometer, set at intensity level 1-9 to capture time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (as found via our validation study, unpublished). The data from the pedometer can be combined with a short questionnaire about time spent cycling and swimming.
- The interview, at baseline and six month timepoint, also asks questions regarding average daily screen time for adult and child.
Healthy Eating
- The interview asks questions measuring adult fruit and vegetable consumption, taken from the National Nutrition Survey 1997.
- Other behavioural food questions are asked in the interview, such as involvement of the child in food preparation and food shopping.
- Frequency of TV watching during meal/snack times is also measured via the interview.
- Frequency of fruit and vegetables offered to child is measured via a fruit and vegetable ticklist. This is completed daily by the caregiver, for a five day period.
- Needs Assessment conducted in 2006
- Thorough literature search and consult experts
- Focus groups with parents of young children conducted in Otautau, Invercargill, and Bluff
- Focus group with Southland health professionals and health promoters
- Pretesting of resources with the target audience
- Pretesting of measurement tools with the target audience
- Pilot of the programme run Nov-Dec 2007
Process Evaluation of 'Healthy Me & You' includes the following activities:
- Questionnaires completed at Week 1 and Week 6 assess
- Caregiver self efficacy for various food behaviours and child feeding behaviours
- Caregiver attitudes and perceived barriers to fruit & vegetable consumption
- Caregiver self efficacy for physical activity behaviours (Week 1 only)
- Frequency of family members physically active together
- Activities during the programme also measure
- Caregiver attitude to physical activity
- Current strategies used by participants to limit TV viewing of family
- Caregivers' ratings of each session on scale 0 - 10 and written comments/feedback for each session (completed at Week 6).
- A phonecall interview conducted at ten week timepoint reassesses
- Caregiver self efficacy for various food behaviours and child feeding behaviours
- Caregiver self efficacy for physical activity behaviours
- Frequency of family members physically active together
- Caregiver attitude to physical activity
- Parent reported changes in lifestyle re healthy eating, healthy action
- Participant feedback regarding the sessions: resources, organisation, presenters, etc.
- Programme team debrief for each session
