Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
adolescent health, students, schools, risk factors, protective factors, school health services
Brief summary
This study is a cluster randomized trial carried out in schools of secondary cities of four low- and middle income countries. Baseline surveys in 30 randomly selected schools will assess the health behaviours of 13-17 year old students as well as school policies and practices. The intervention arm (15 schools) will use the baseline information to develop a package of actions in collaboration with students, teachers, and local authorities that will subsequently be implemented an monitored over two years. Follow-up surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented actions will be conducted after two years in all 30 previously selected schools.
Detailed description
The objective of this study is to generate health information through school surveys and use this information directly and locally, involving adolescents, to change policies and plan programmes to improve health. The study is carried out in secondary cities of four low- and middle income countries, including Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana; Jaipur, India; Spanish Town, Jamaica; and Fez, Morocco. In each of the four cities, 30 schools are randomly selected. Baseline surveys will be conducted to assess (1) 13-17 year old student's health behaviours using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS); and (2) health policies and practices in the selected schools using the Global School Health Policies and Practices Study (G-SHPPS). Additionally, the physical activity module of the GSHS questionnaire will be validated against objective measurement devices in one randomly selected class of 15 randomly selected schools. Schools will be randomly allocated to the intervention (15 schools) or control arm (15 schools) of the study. The intervention group will participate in interactive workshops using the Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (Global AA-HA!) approach and the framework of Making every school a health-promoting school to: 1. Identify adolescent health needs through exploring the collected data; 2. Assess policies and practices already in place; 3. Identify gaps and needs for action to improve health. Students, teachers and local authorities will propose and prioritize policy and programme solutions from menus of effective interventions for school-, community- or city-level implementation, supported by the Ministries of Health and Education and WHO. Repeat GSHS and G-SHPPS surveys will be conducted two years later in all schools to assess effectiveness of the interventions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBehavioral interventions targeting multiple risk behaviors as well as protective factors
Depending on the baseline data and prioritization of actions, behavioral interventions related to the following topics will be implemented: alcohol use, dietary behaviors, drug use, hygiene, mental health, physical activity, protective factors, sexual behaviors, tobacco use, violence and unintentional injury.
OTHERSchool-level interventions targeting the school environment and system
Depending on the baseline data and prioritization of actions, and based on the Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools, school-level interventions related to the following will be implemented: school policies and resources, school governance and leadership, school and community partnerships, school curriculum, school social-emotional environment, school physical environment, school health services
Sponsors
Fondation Botnar
University of Bern
University of Wollongong
World Health Organization
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* School going * Aged 13-17 years
Exclusion criteria
* Not going to school * Outside the age range 13-17 years
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Violence and unintentional injury | Two years | Self-reported violence and unintentional injury measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Alcohol use | Two years | Self-reported alcohol use measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Dietary behaviors | Two years | Self-reported dietary behaviors measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Drug use | Two years | Self-reported drug use measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Hygiene | Two years | Self-reported hygiene measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Mental health | Two years | Self-reported mental health measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Physical activity | Two years | Self-reported physical activity measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Protective factors | Two years | Self-reported protective factors measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Sexual behaviors | Two years | Self-reported sexual behaviors measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
| Tobacco use | Two years | Self-reported tobacco use measured with the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| School-level policies and practices | Two years | School-level outcomes related to the following: school policies and resources, school governance and leadership, school and community partnerships, school curriculum, school social-emotional environment, school physical environment, school health services measured with the Global School Health Policies and Practices Study (G-SHPPS) |
Countries
Ghana, India, Jamaica, Morocco, Switzerland
Contacts
Primary ContactRegina Guthold, PhD
Backup ContactLeanne M Riley, MSc
Outcome results
None listed