Preliminary evidence suggests that sequentially changing smoking alongside other risk behaviors was more effective than simultaneous change .
Follow-up period and intervention characteristics impacted effectiveness for some outcomes .
Interventions comprising education ( e.g. , providing information about behaviors associated with health risks ) and skills training ( e.g. , teaching skills that equip participants to engage in less risky behavior ) and targeting multiple risk behaviors concurrently are associated with small changes in diet and physical activity .
Although on average smoking was reduced , it appeared changes in smoking were negatively associated with changes in other behaviors , suggesting it may not be optimal to target smoking simultaneously with other risk behaviors
CONTEXT Multiple risk behaviors are common and associated with developing chronic conditions such as heart disease , cancer , or Type 2 diabetes .
Well London Phase-1: results among adults of a cluster-randomised trial of a community engagement approach to improving health behaviours and mental well-being in deprived inner-city neighbourhoods
Background We report the main results , among adults , of a cluster-r and omised-trial of Well London , a community-engagement programme  promoting healthy eating , physical activity and mental well-being in deprived neighbourhoods . The hypothesis was that benefits would be neighbourhood-wide , and not restricted to intervention participants . The trial was part of a multicomponent process/ outcome evaluation which included non-experimental components ( self-reported behaviour change amongst participants , case studies and evaluations of individual projects ) which suggested health , well-being and social benefits to participants . Methods Twenty matched pairs of neighbourhoods in London were r and omised to intervention/control condition . Primary outcomes ( five portions fruit/vegetables/day ; 5 × 30 m of moderate intensity physical activity/week , abnormal General Health Question naire (GHQ)-12 score and Warwick – Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale ( WEMWBS ) score ) were measured by postintervention question naire survey , among 3986 adults in a r and om sample of households across neighbourhoods . Results There was no evidence of impact on primary outcomes : healthy eating ( relative risk [ RR ] 1.04 , 95 % CI 0.93 to 1.17 ) ; physical activity ( RR:1.01 , 95 % CI 0.88 to 1.16 ) ; abnormal GHQ12 ( RR:1.15 , 95 % CI 0.84 to 1.61 ) ; WEMWBS ( mean difference [ MD ] : −1.52 , 95 % CI −3.93 to 0.88 ) . There was evidence of impact on some secondary outcomes : reducing unhealthy eating-score ( MD : −0.14 , 95 % CI −0.02 to 0.27 ) and increased perception that people in the neighbourhood pulled together ( RR : 1.92 , 95 % CI 1.12 to 3.29 ) . Conclusions The trial findings do not provide evidence supporting the conclusion of non-experimental components of the evaluation that intervention improved health behaviours , well-being and social outcomes . Low participation rates and population churn likely compromised any impact of the intervention . Imprecise estimation of outcomes and sampling bias may also have influenced findings . There is a need for greater investment in refining such programmes before implementation ; new methods to underst and , longitudinally different pathways residents take through such interventions and their outcomes , and new theories of change that apply to each pathway
Preliminary evidence suggests that sequentially changing smoking alongside other risk behaviors was more effective than simultaneous change .
Follow-up period and intervention characteristics impacted effectiveness for some outcomes .
Interventions comprising education ( e.g. , providing information about behaviors associated with health risks ) and skills training ( e.g. , teaching skills that equip participants to engage in less risky behavior ) and targeting multiple risk behaviors concurrently are associated with small changes in diet and physical activity .
Although on average smoking was reduced , it appeared changes in smoking were negatively associated with changes in other behaviors , suggesting it may not be optimal to target smoking simultaneously with other risk behaviors
CONTEXT Multiple risk behaviors are common and associated with developing chronic conditions such as heart disease , cancer , or Type 2 diabetes .