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. 2021;16(2):213-234.
doi: 10.1080/19320248.2019.1649777. Epub 2019 Aug 5.

Perceptions and Impact of a Youth-led Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention among Youth-leaders

Elizabeth Anderson Steeves  1 , Angela Cristina Bizzotto Trude  2 , Cara Frances Ruggiero  3 , Maria Jose Mejia Ruiz  4 , Jessica C Jones-Smith  5 , Keshia Pollack Porter  6 , Lawrence Cheskin  7 , Kristen Hurley  2 , Laura Hopkins  8 , Joel Gittelsohn  2
Affiliations

Perceptions and Impact of a Youth-led Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention among Youth-leaders

Elizabeth Anderson Steeves et al. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2021.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a youth-led nutrition intervention on youth-leaders themselves.

Design: Mixed methods, including: in-depth interviews and a quasi-experimental quantitative study comparing youth-leaders and nonparticipant comparison youth.

Analysis: Qualitative analysis using direct content analysis. Difference-in-differences analyses assessing quantitative program impact.

Results: Youth-leaders perceived that the intervention impacted themselves, the youth-participants, and their respective social networks. Youth-leaders experienced greater increases in intentions to eat healthfully (p=0.04), and greater decreases in support for healthy eating from their friends (p=0.01), than the comparison group.

Conclusions/implications: Youth-leaders reported multiple levels of intervention impact, and increased intentions for healthy eating; however, additional research is needed to enhance impact on behavioral outcomes.

Keywords: Adolescent; African-American; Mentoring; Mixed-Methods; Nutrition; Obesity; Peer-led; Youth-led.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest..

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conceptual Framework for the Integration of Social Learning Theory, the Social Ecological Model, and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory into the Youth-leader Intervention Design.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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