Clinical trial NCT06181162: YoPA - A Youth-centred Participatory Action
Official title: YoPA - A Youth-centred Participatory Action Approach Towards Co-created Implementation of Socially and Physically Activating Environmental Interventions in Africa and Europe.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Activity
Health Promotion
Sleep
Keywords: Participatory Action Research
Health Promotion
Mixed-Methods
Systems Approach
Adolescents
24-hour movement behaviour
Physical activity
Urban health
Lead sponsor: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Stichting Alexander (the Netherlands)
name: Syddansk Universitet, Denmark
name: Aalborg Municipality
name: University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg (South Africa)
name: WITS Health Consortium (South Africa)
name: Redeemer's University (Nigeria)
name: Value Re-Orientation for Community Enhancement (Nigeria)
name: Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde, Belgium
name: COFAC Cooperativa de Formacao e Animacao Cultural CRL (Portugal)
First posted: 2023-12-26
Enrollment: 1000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 19
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: YoPA introduces teen-centred, evidence-informed co-creation to tackle the complex real-world challenge of unhealthy lifestyles and health inequalities. In urban environments in 'Minority World' countries (i.e., Denmark, the Netherlands) and 'Majority World' countries (i.e., Nigeria, South Africa), academic researchers will engage adolescents and other key stakeholders in local co-creation communities. Together with academic researchers and local stakeholders, adolescents will be central in 1) mapping the local system, including needs and opportunities; 2) tailoring interventions to the local context; 3) implementing, and 4) evaluating interventions guided by our novel SUPER-AIM framework assessing local Systems, User perspective, Participatory co-creation process, Reach, Effects, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance of interventions in an integrated manner.
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Background

A vast majority of adolescents do not meet guidelines for healthy physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep, posing major risks for developing multiple non-communicable diseases. Unhealthy lifestyles seem more prevalent in urban than rural areas, with the neighbourhood environment as a mediating pathway linking urban living and poor health. How to develop and implement sustainable and effective interventions focused on adolescent health and wellbeing in urban vulnerable life situations is a key challenge and research gap. This paper describes the protocol of a Youth-centred Participatory Action (YoPA) project aiming to tailor, implement, and evaluate social and physical environmental interventions using an evidence-informed youth-centred co-creation approach, for structural improvement of the lifestyles of adolescents in urban vulnerable life situations.

Methods

In diverse urban environments in Denmark, the Netherlands, Nigeria, and South Africa, academic researchers will engage adolescents (12-19 years) growing up in vulnerable life situations and other key stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, urban planners, community leaders) in local co-creation communities. Together with academic researchers and local stakeholders, adolescents will take a leading role in mapping the local system for needs and opportunities; tailoring interventions to their local context; implementing and evaluating interventions during participatory meetings over the course of three years. YoPA applies a participatory mixed methods design guided by the newly developed SUPER-AIM framework assessing: (i) the local Systems, (ii) User perspectives, (iii) the Participatory co-creation process, (ii) Effects, iv) Reach, (vi) Adoption, (vii) Implementation, and (viii) Maintenance of interventions, in an integrated manner.

Discussion

YoPA aims to fill various research gaps, including the development of a practical protocol guiding the application of co-creation to tailor evidence-informed interventions to divers, multi-country contexts. Additionally, it focuses on advancing the research gap in physical activity and health within Sub-Saharan Africa and the involvement of adolescents in shaping their physical and social environments. Academic researchers envision that the YoPA co-creation approach will serve as a guide for participation of adolescents in vulnerable life situations in implementation of health promotion and urban planning in Europe, Africa and globally.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* aged 12 to 19 years
* living in a disadvantaged area in Aalborg (Denmark), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Osogbo (Nigeria), or Soweto (South Africa)
* active informed consent by the adolescents and at least one parent/caregiver where applicable for the participation of the adolescent

Exclusion Criteria:

* none

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in 24-h movement behaviours (i.e., percentages of moderate to vigorous physical activity, sendetary behaviour and sleep) as assessed by accelerometers.
timeFrame: Up to 12 months after implementation of the intervention.
measure: Changes in number of adolescents visiting the observed space as assessed by the System for Observing Play and Leisure Active in Youth (SOPLAY) observation instrument.
timeFrame: Up to 12 months after implementation of the intervention.
measure: Changes in number of adolescents engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity as assessed by the System for Observing Play and Leisure Active in Youth (SOPLAY) observation instrument.
timeFrame: Up to 12 months after implementation of the intervention.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes in agency as assessed by the Global Early Adolescent Study (GEAS) questionnaire.
timeFrame: Up to 12 months after implementation of the intervention.
measure: Changes in wellbeing as assessed by the Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, Happiness (EPOCH) questionnaire.
timeFrame: Up to 12 months after implementation of the intervention.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Odense
country: Denmark
facility: Syddansk Universitet, Research Unit for Active Living, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
city: Amsterdam
country: Netherlands
facility: Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Public and Occupational Health
city: Ede
country: Nigeria
facility: Redeemer's University, Department of Physiotherapy
city: Johannesburg
country: South Africa
facility: University of the Witwatersrand, SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences
Study officials:
affiliation: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
name: Mai JM Chin A Paw, Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
name: Teatske M Altenburg, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Syddansk Universitet
name: Jasper Schipperijn, Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Syddansk Universitet
name: Charlotte S Pawlowski, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Redeemer's University
name: Adewale L Oyeyemi, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg
name: Catherine E Draper, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
name: Sara van Belle, Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: COFAC Cooperativa de Formacao e Animacao Cultural CRL
name: António L Palmeira, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: COFAC Cooperativa de Formacao e Animacao Cultural CRL
name: Marlene Nunes Silva, A/Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: