How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

When I explain my research to friends and family, I usually say that I study how different physical activity–related behaviors affect teenagers’ brains and school performance. In simple terms, I try to understand which types of movement, habits, and physical characteristics are most strongly linked to better cognitive functioning and academic achievement during adolescence.

What inspired you to pursue a career in research? What drives you to continue in this path?

I was inspired by a professor during my Sport Science degree who sparked my interest in science. After collaborating on various projects, I secured a PhD grant, which allowed me to turn that interest into a career. Today, what drives me is the chance to use research to improve the quality of life and well-being of young people.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

The project I’m most excited about is my PhD thesis. My ultimate goal is for this research to go beyond the academic world and actually influence educational policies in my country. I want to provide the evidence needed to show how specific physical activity patterns can be a key tool for improving students’ cognitive and academic success at a national level.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

I recently published a paper “Fitness, weight status, and executive functions in adolescents: A Cluster Analysis”. What excited me most was discovering how these factors interact to support the brain. Specifically, we found that having high fitness levels can actually mitigate the negative effects of a deficiency in another area, like weight status. It shows that there are multiple ways we can intervene to help a teenager’s cognitive health.

What is the most important advice you received as an early career researcher? (And why do you say that?)

The most important advice I received was to be prepared for a long and constantly changing process, but above all, to enjoy the journey. I value this because it has helped me stay resilient and focus on finding fulfillment in the research process itself from the very beginning, rather than just waiting for the final results.

Learn more about Fátima: https://produccioncientifica.uca.es/investigadores/167401/detalle

What is a paper you recently published?

I’m proud to share our recent study conducted across 330 Southern California cities (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.70021). This work highlights how childhood obesity is not just a matter of individual choices, but is deeply influenced by the broader environments children grow up in. From school resources to economic conditions, and even exposure to environmental pollutants, these factors may collectively shape childhood health outcomes in powerful ways.

A. Descarpentrie, J. C. Cleveland III, V. Midya, et al., “ Social and Environmental Correlates of Childhood Obesity Among Southern California Communities,” Obesity 33, no. 11 (2025): 2170–2180, https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.70021.

What excited you about the question you answered?

What I found compelling about this research is its ability to novelly challenge the traditional focus on individual behaviors in childhood obesity. By incorporating environmental and social factors, the research provides a broader perspective on the issue, highlighting how these elements may intersect and influence health outcomes long before adulthood, particularly in underserved populations. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of considering local context, as generalized approaches may fail to address the complexities of the problem.

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices?

I hope this study will reinforce the need to rethink how we approach childhood obesity, shifting from a narrow focus on individual behaviors to a broader, systemic perspective. Our findings underscore that addressing the potential root causes requires policies that target specific structural determinants (including focusing on the school environment, healthcare access, social services, environmental exposures, and urban planning). Interventions may benefit from being designed with the local contexts in which children live in mind, especially for underserved populations.

What recommendations do you have for others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice?

For those seeking to translate research into practice, my advice is to consider the wider potential systemic forces at play. Early collaboration with policymakers and community stakeholders is crucial to turning research into real-world solutions. It’s not enough to identify the problems; we must offer tangible, systemic solutions that drive meaningful, lasting change.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

At the moment, I’m continuing to explore the structural and broader social factors that may influence health outcomes, both in childhood and adulthood. My current focus is still on California, with a particular emphasis on diabetes outcomes, such as prediabetes, hospitalizations, and mortality. You can check out this recent article that examines the importance of context and various social and behavioral factors for diabetes diagnosis in adults, comparing national trends to those in Southern California: Read the full article here.

I tell people that I work with hospitals to help patients feel more motivated and supported to make positive changes in their lives. My research looks at how we can make it easier for people to be active, eat well, and stay connected — and how hospitals can make that kind of support part of everyday care.

How would you describe your program of research and its significance?

My research focuses on behaviour change and preventive health within hospital and health service settings. I’m particularly interested in how motivation and social connection influence physical activity and wellbeing, and how those approaches can be embedded into routine care. Much of my work sits at the intersection of implementation science and service design — translating evidence-based interventions into practical models that hospitals can actually deliver. The goal is to make prevention part of standard care, not something that happens only after people leave the hospital.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

Our team recently published a study in BMC Public Health evaluating the Healthy4U at Scale project — which expanded an evidence-based physical activity behaviour change program from one regional hospital to five rural hospitals across Victoria. We wanted to know if interventions that work in trials can also work in real-world hospital settings. The most exciting part was seeing that participants still improved their activity and wellbeing, even when delivered under real service pressures. It showed that scaling up preventive health in rural hospitals isn’t just possible — it’s practical.

Dunford, A. R., Begg, S., Kingsley, M., O’Halloran, P., Perrin, B. M., & Barrett, S. (2025). Feasibility of scaling-up an evidence-based physical activity behaviour change intervention into routine ambulatory hospital care: a retrospective implementation evaluation using the RE-AIM framework. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 2396.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

We’ve just started a hybrid implementation–effectiveness trial that builds directly on the Healthy4U at Scale project. We’re again working with the same rural health services, but this time engaging a broader group of clinicians — particularly Allied Health Professionals — to refer patients into preventive health programs. This builds on our earlier research showing that AHPs are willing to promote prevention if clear referral pathways exist. We’ve now translated that insight into practice, testing how these pathways can be embedded within routine care and evaluating both implementation success and patient outcomes.

What is a challenge have you faced as an early career researcher? (And how did you overcome it?)

One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the demands of implementation research with the realities of working in busy health services. As an early career researcher embedded within a hospital, it’s easy to get pulled between clinical priorities and research goals. I’ve learned to navigate this by building strong relationships with clinicians and managers early on, framing research as a tool that helps solve their problems rather than adding to their workload. That shift in perspective — from researcher to collaborator — has made the work far more feasible and rewarding.

What skills do you think have been most instrumental in your work? (How did you harness those skillsets?)

Communication and collaboration have been central. Much of my research success has come from listening to clinicians, translating complex theory into practical solutions, and co-designing projects that make sense in their context. Implementation science gives you the frameworks, but it’s the ability to communicate across disciplines — from executives to frontline staff — that makes those frameworks come alive. I’ve developed those skills through practice: running workshops, facilitating teams, and learning to adapt my language depending on who’s in the room.

About Stephen Barrett

Stephen is an Early Career Researcher and the Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at Bendigo Health. His research focuses on health behaviour change and preventive health, with a particular emphasis on increasing physical activity and understanding the health economics of lifestyle interventions. He has a strong interest in implementation science and knowledge translation, using theories, models, and frameworks to accelerate the uptake of evidence into clinical practice. Stephen’s work aims to bridge the gap between research and real-world health service delivery, particularly within regional and rural settings.

Check out more of Dr. Barrett’s research here.

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Are you an early career researcher with exciting research findings or ideas to share? NESI wants to spotlight YOU! Email nesi.isbnpa@gmail.com to propose a Spotlight or Blog to be featured across ISBNPA’s channels.

Walking into ISBNPA 2025, I felt a mix of excitement and curiosity as I attended my first global conference. Held in New Zealand, this opportunity was more than a collection of posters and presentations. It was a community in action. The atmosphere buzzed with innovative research, engaging discussions, and a sense of camaraderie among students and early-career researchers (ECRs) from around the world. Having started in physiology in Nigeria, then earning a Master’s in Kinesiology in the U.S., and now pursuing a Ph.D. in Community Health with a focus on physical activity epidemiology, this conference was both a professional milestone and a personal reminder of why I chose this path. ISBNPA 2025 offered fresh collaborations, new ideas, and practical lessons I am eager to apply.

Key Takeaways from ISBNPA 2025

Innovations in Physical Activity Epidemiology

The conference showcased exciting innovations in the study of physical activity, nutrition, and health. From wearable sensors that capture daily movement with accuracy to machine learning models predicting long-term disease risk, the tools were ambitious yet practical. I was especially intrigued by projects where community members became “citizen scientists,” leading their own wellness initiatives. What impressed me most was how these innovations were not abstract concepts, but rather grounded in real-world applications across various contexts.

Collaboration and Networking

Another highlight was collaboration. In hallway conversations and networking sessions, I connected with peers who asked similar questions in different ways, whether in school-based interventions in Europe or digital health strategies in Asia. These exchanges sparked ideas on how I could expand my own research to have broader relevance.

Lessons for Students and ECRs ISBNPA also emphasized flexibility for ECRs.

Sessions on mentoring, career development, and research translation reminded me that science is not just about publishing papers, it’s about building skills, communities, and pathways for impact.

Actionable Insights for Students and ECRs

Based on my experience at ISBNPA 2025, here are a few practical lessons I think other students and early-career researchers may find helpful:

1). Translate your research into tools. Go beyond analysis to create resources, programs, or visualizations. · Leverage conferences for collaboration.

2). Networking is not about collecting business cards. it’s about having conversations that shape your ideas. Go in ready to listen, learn, and connect.

3). Build skills outside your comfort zone. Being open to learning data analytics has significantly enhanced my research. Find a skill that complements your research and makes you more versatile.

4). Stay resilient. The ECR journey is challenging, but communities like ISBNPA remind us we’re not alone.

Most importantly, ISBNPA reaffirmed the role of ECRs in shaping the future of physical activity and nutrition research. We are not just the “next generation”— we are active contributors today. I am grateful to NESI and ISBNPA for creating spaces where our voices matter, and I am excited to carry forward what I learned into both my research and my community.

Learn More and Connect with Oluwafemi Ayoola:

I’m a second-year doctoral student in Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where I specialize in Physical Activity Epidemiology. With a background in Kinesiology (MSc from James Madison University), I’ve developed expertise in advanced data analysis, exercise physiology, and cardiovascular health. My research focuses on leveraging physical activity as a tool for preventing chronic diseases and informing public health interventions through innovative methods. I’ve had the opportunity to work as a data analyst and research intern in a Cardiology and Pulmonary Rehabilitation setting. Currently, I’m a Research Assistant at the University of Illinois, where I apply my skills in research and data analysis. Beyond academia, I serve as an executive on the African Student Organization, contributing to campus community engagement. In my free time, I enjoy staying active through sports like football and pickleball, as well as spending time with friends and exploring new experiences.

LinkedIn Profile

My Research

At ISBNPA 2025, I presented research on physical activity trends in Nigeria using the GoPA! Dataset, analyzing publications from 1950 to 2020. While Nigeria’s research output has increased, it remains low compared to that of high-income countries, highlighting the need for greater investment and collaboration. Presenting at the ISBNPA was meaningful because colleagues emphasized the importance of amplifying voices from countries like Nigeria, where non-communicable disease (NCD) burdens are rising but research capacity is limited. This work demonstrates how secondary analysis can influence policy and advocacy. It also showed me the value of datasets like GoPA! in generating insights for local and global contexts, inspiring broader collaboration to enhance research in low- and middle-income countries.

What are your current research interests?
My primary research interests focus on the health behaviours and mental wellbeing of school
teachers. I’m especially interested in co-designing school-based interventions in
collaboration with teachers to ensure they are practical, contextually relevant, and
sustainable.

Have you ever been to Auckland or NZ before?
Yes, I have been to Auckland when I was a child. More recently I have travelled to
Queenstown and Wellington.

What are you most excited about visiting the area?
I’m going to do a day trip to see the Waitomo Glowworm Caves which I’m excited about.

What are you most excited about at the ISBNPA conference itself? What do you like
most about ISBNPA compared with other conferences – what makes it special/unique?
What excites me most about the ISBNPA conference is the diversity of research areas and
methodologies represented. I really enjoy learning about different method, research
perspectives and engaging with researchers from various backgrounds to spark new ideas.
As an Australian, the global nature of ISBNPA presents a great opportunity for me to meet
researchers and hear about work from across the world, all in one place.

As an early career researcher, I’ve found ISBNPA to be especially supportive, with
numerous opportunities for networking, skill-building, and active participation. It really feels
like a community that values and invests in the development of future leaders in the field.

What are your goals for the conference or how do you try to make the most of
conference attendance?

1. Attend pre-conference events – I always make time for workshops and social
   events like the NESI pre-conference session. These are good opportunities to meet
   other early-career academics in a relaxed setting before the formal program begins.
   It’s great walking into the first day already knowing a few friendly faces – people to
   chat with, sit with, or grab lunch with. I’m still in touch with people I met at the 2022
   NESI workshop.
2. Follow up on presentations that interest you – If a talk really resonates with you
   or overlaps with your area of work, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to the
   presenter. Ask a question, share your thoughts, or just let them know you
   appreciated their insights. Most presenters are happy to chat about their research. If you miss the chance right after their talk, try to catch them during a break or a social event.
3. Say yes to spontaneous invites If someone invites you to join a dinner, a coffee, or
   a quick walk between sessions – say yes. These informal catch ups are a great way
   to meet others from different research groups.

Where can we follow along with your work?
You can follow me on LinkedIn.

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family? — I am a student and a researcher. I study how features in our immediate environment, such as roads, sidewalks, shade, and weather conditions impact our ability to be physically active. My goal is to create safer, more walkable spaces for various activities like traveling. 

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about? — I am currently exploring how recess during extreme heat in Arizona impacts children’s physical activity and readiness to learn in elementary schools. I’m particularly excited about identifying the thermal exposure of children in different playground areas, and the various strategies schools are using to hold recess during high-heat periods. This research aims to provide information about where children spend most of their time, how active they are, their thermal exposure and their readiness to learn to better support environmental design and student movement at school in extreme heat. 

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices? — I envision my research influencing public/population health policies by providing evidence on how micro-scale built environment features impact walking and biking, specifically among school children. My work can inform policies aimed at creating safer, more walkable opportunities for children and the broader population to be more physically active. 

Want to learn more? – Find more about Umar’s research at the Active School and Communities lab at Arizona State University here, and you can also connect on LinkedIn.

How would you describe your program of research and its significance? — I am incredibly grateful to be part of UBC’s dual Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) and PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program! This unique program allows me to gain clinical physiotherapy skills while refining my research expertise to support Indigenous health through physical activity. Not only do I enjoy living in Vancouver, but UBC’s beautiful campus, world-class researchers, and diverse opportunities make it the perfect place to grow professionally. My long-term goal is to collaborate with First Nations-led organizations in rural northern BC to advance culturally appropriate, community-driven health initiatives, building on the meaningful work this program supports. 

What drives you to continue in this path? — My family is my greatest inspiration for this work. Getting to witness the limited healthcare services available in rural northern BC, where my grandparents and mother had lived, sparked my passion for supporting the health of people in these areas. Their experiences help me connect deeply with this work, which makes it even more meaningful. My family’s encouragement—whether through mock interviews, feedback on my presentations, or even just ensuring my belly is full of food—keeps me motivated. Their belief in my goals and the opportunity to honour their experiences drive me to continue. 

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about? — I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS), a health and wellness organization representing 13 First Nations communities in north-central British Columbia. In a partnership between UBC and CSFS, I’m working to develop sustainable, culturally appropriate physical activity programs. This four-part project involves supporting community leadership in outlining their physical activity goals, critically analyzing funding resources available for Indigenous initiatives across Canada, implementing a pilot program and qualitatively evaluating this program in three communities. It’s an incredible opportunity to combine research, community engagement, and meaningful action for long-term health and wellness! 

Given unlimited funding, what would your dream research project be? — With unlimited funding, I would lead a research and wellness centre in northern BC dedicated to supporting Indigenous health. This center would bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, and community members to collaborate on holistic projects grounded in Indigenous Ways of Knowing. It could include dietitians promoting traditional foods and physiotherapists incorporating land-based activities into rehabilitation. The centre would provide healthcare services, create employment opportunities, and serve as a hub for graduate students to begin their research journeys. It would be a space to honour culture, improve health outcomes, and empower communities. Hopefully, one day this dream will become a reality! 

Want to learn more? – Find more about Sunaina’s lab at the University of British Columbia here. If you’re interested in following Sunaina’s journey, you can connect with her on Bluesky, LinkedIn or Instagram. 

How would you describe your program of research and its significance? — My research lies in promoting physical activity and health through lifestyle intervention using emerging technologies (wearables, Apps, Virtual reality, and Exergames) in a context of 24-hour movement behavior. Likewise using machine learning algorithms and big data analysis to personalize physical activity and exercise programs among older adults and people with chronic diseases. We are moving toward precision in physical activity and exercise to eradicate the notion of “one-size-fit-all” recommendations and interventions. 24-hour movement behavior which enable us understand the interrelatedness of movement within a 24-hour cycle will provide insight  into our movement behavior as a whole and it impact our health outcomes. 

What inspires you to pursue a career in research? — Covid-19 pandemic inspired my interest of using technology as a tool to promote physical activity-finding a way to make participating in physical activity easy, fun, and beneficial through technological devices. The evolving nature of technology keep driving my research interest. The advancement in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence makes me ask the question of how these technological advantage can foster physical activity and exercise precision in population-based approach. 

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about? — I am working on Time Reallocations among Obese Adult’s 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and the impact on Health Outcomes, which is currently under peer review. I am excited about this project because the outcome of this project can provide novel evidence in tackling Obesity which remains high in the US (CDC, 2024). In this project, we looked at movement behavior (sedentary behavior, Light physical activity, MVPA, and sleep) and its impact on health outcomes. This is novel because we don’t engage in just one movement in a day, but as a whole which includes sedentary behavior, Light PA, and Sleep. Therefore, treating movement behavior as a whole and not in isolation provides novel knowledge on how movement behavior within a 24-hour cycle impacts the health outcomes of people with obesity. Lastly, to understand changes in health outcomes when time is reallocated from one movement behavior to another. 

Want to learn more? — Find his recent publication on Precision Health Using Fitness Wearables and Apps here and a summary of other works on his website. You can also connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) is thrilled to announce a series of dynamic pre-conference workshops taking place in Omaha on May 20, 2024. These workshops will provide attendees with valuable insights into the latest advancements in cancer prevention, digital interventions, policy changes, technology integration, and participatory research.

Registrations for the ISBNPA2024 Annual Meeting in Omaha are OPEN.

Apps, Portals, and Platforms: Leveraging Technology to Advance Behavioral and Community Health Research – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Developing and Rolling out Health Technologies

Facilitators: Maja Pedersen, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine

Description:

Discover the spectrum of technology used in furthering behavioral and community health research through an interactive, hands-on learning experience.

Gain insights from case studies ranging from mobile apps to Big Data to Generative AI, advancing your understanding of the ever-evolving technology landscape.

Delve into one digitally integrated research method, Stanford University’s Our Voice, to demonstrate the types of challenges faced by academic researchers attempting to integrate technology into their work, and solutions that can help. Examples from diverse global regions will be provided, along with discussion of the potential of digital tools to ethically engage communities in co-produced research.

Engage in interactive breakout sessions focused on integrating technology to advance health equity in four key areas: Physical & Environmental Health; Social Environments; Service Environments; Economic & Work Environments

Breakout groups will be organized by thematic areas and facilitated by researchers in the Our Voice network across the globe. Sessions include a brief case study, reflections and lessons learned from firsthand experiences with a community-engaged digital citizen science tool and platform, and opportunities for attendees to spark collaborative ideas in their own research areas.

Join us to explore, engage, and evolve your tech-driven initiatives!

Network of Early Career Researchers and Students of ISBNPA (NESI) Workshop

Facilitators: Stephen Barrett, Bendigo Health, Australia

Merling Phaswana, Wits University, South Africa

Description:

This workshop is for early career researchers (ECRs) and students who are interested in advancing their career development and enhancing their research networks. The workshop will be a half-day session.

Using a World Cafe Approach of Community Engagement to Address Socioeconomic Inequalities in Cancer Prevention and Management

Facilitators: Mary Hearst, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

Rebecca Beeken, PhD, University of Leeds, UK

Linda Trinh, PhD, University of Toronto, Canada

Emily Hill, PhD, RDN, University of Colorado, USA

Description:

The purpose of this workshop is to provide an introduction and apply the World Café process as a tool for community engagement and action. The World Cafe crosses socioeconomic boundaries and can illuminate determinants and strategies for supporting healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors to reduce the risk of developing cancer and improve the outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. To reduce inequalities in cancer we need to ensure we are engaging with a range of communities to support their participation in our research studies and ensure that the interventions we develop are relevant and effective across socioeconomic conditions. A World Café is a strengths-based, culturally responsive, and participatory approach for engaging stakeholders in your research that both opens the research for a broader socioeconomic base and, at the same time, works as a more informal way for individuals to share opinions. The process is adaptable and can be used for diverse topic areas ranging from answering primary questions, validating and adding to existing data collections. As part of this workshop attendees will take part in an example World Cafe to explore experiences, challenges and priorities for our research community around addressing socioeconomic inequalities in cancer within behavioral nutrition and physical activity studies. 

Challenges and Opportunities to the Design, Implementation, Evaluation, and Scale-Up of Digital Interventions Targeting Children and Families: A Multiple Case Study Perspective

Facilitators: Dr. Nicole Nathan, The University of Newcastle

Mavra Ahmed, University of Toronto

Penny Love, Deakin University

Erin Hennessy, Tufts University

Rachel Sutherland, The University of Newcastle

Christopher Pfledderer, UT Health Houston

Taren Swindle, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Description:

Brief: Designing, implementing, and evaluating digital interventions targeted at children and families is a multifaceted process, holding the potential to improve the well-being and development of the younger generation. These interventions encompass a wide range of digital tools and platforms, spanning from educational apps and games to parenting support websites and virtual communities. Each phase of this journey presents unique challenges and opportunities, requiring thoughtful consideration of features to ensure effective interventions, robust technical details for content curation, and the continuous monitoring and evaluation needed for long-term implementation and sustainability.

Aim: The primary objective of this workshop is to equip participants with the foundational knowledge necessary for scaling up interventions in early care and education settings using digital methods.

Format: To achieve this goal, the workshop will feature a series of concise case studies that traverse the scale-up continuum, including the phases of design, implementation, and scale-up. Following these case studies, there will be a roundtable discussion and a hands-on workshop where participants will work in small groups to gain practical insights into the methods and approaches required. 

Unravelling the System of Policy and Environmental Changes: Lessons Learned from Natural Experiment Evaluations on Physical Activity

Facilitators: Dr. Nicole R den Braver, Amsterdam University Medical Centres

· Dr. Famke J.M. Mölenberg, department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

· Dr. Jack S. Benton. Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

· MSc Carel-Peter L van Erpecum, Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Description:

This workshop will focus on the evaluation of policy and environmental changes to promote healthy and active living. Specifically, it will cover how we can unravel the system in which policy and decision making takes place, and how best to evaluate real-world policy and environmental changes using natural experimental methods. There will be three core areas of focus: (1) systems dynamics perspectives and how they can be used to unravel policy implementation processes; (2) challenges and solutions for the design, planning and conduct of prospectively designed natural experimental evaluations of policy and environmental changes; (3) the importance of methodological triangulation in natural experiment evaluation. To cover these areas, we will use the case study of the implementation of city-wide 20 mile-per-hour speed limits intervention in two major Dutch cities (i.e., Amsterdam and Rotterdam). By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained increased knowledge of using various novel methodologies at different stages of policy implementation and evaluation. Ultimately, this knowledge can be used to better understand how health policies are developed and formulated, collaborate with policymakers, and generate more policy-relevant and causal evidence, with the eventual aim of creating more effective policies and environmental changes aimed at improving population health. 

Navigating Process Evaluation in Participatory Research

Facilitators: Maïté Verloigne, Ghent University and Other SIG leaders

Description:

Using a participatory approach to develop and implement an intervention to promote healthy behaviour, is receiving increased attention in our field. The participatory approach entails a strong and active collaboration between academic researchers and important stakeholders (including the target group of the intervention) and ensures the intervention is tailored to the needs and characteristics of the stakeholders and the context in which it is being implemented. However, researchers often struggle with evaluating participatory studies, and more specifically with conducting a process evaluation, as it can be conducted differently than in more traditional research studies. Examples are that there are different “processes” that may be evaluated (i.e., not only the participatory developed intervention itself) and that process evaluation may provide iterative opportunities to gather input during the development of the intervention and adjust accordingly. Therefore, this workshop will focus on increasing skills on how to design a process evaluation of a participatory study, focusing on the what, when and how.

Click on this [LINK] to read the online version.

Or read the pdf below.