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. 2023 May 8;13(5):e070169.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070169.

Citizen Science to improve healthy and active living among adolescents in four European countries: a protocol of the cluster randomised controlled trial of the Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS (SEEDS) project

Annemieke Wargers #  1 , Judit Queral #  2   3 , Famke Jm Mölenberg  1 , Lucia Tarro  4   3 , Christopher M Elphick  5 , Electra Kalogerakou  6 , Alexandros Karagiannis  6 , Elisabet Llauradó  4   3 , Yannis Manios  6   7 , Christina Mavrogianni  6 , Claire Murray  8 , Dimitris Vlachopoulos  5 , Craig A Williams  5 , Wilma Jansen  1   9 , Rosa Solà  2   3   10
Affiliations

Citizen Science to improve healthy and active living among adolescents in four European countries: a protocol of the cluster randomised controlled trial of the Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS (SEEDS) project

Annemieke Wargers et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: Improving healthy lifestyles of adolescents is challenging. Citizen Science is a way to engage them in the design and delivery of interventions, and may also increase their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS (SEEDS) project aims to use an equity-lens, and engage and empower boys and girls from deprived areas by designing and cocreating interventions to promote healthy lifestyles, and to seed interest in STEM.

Methods and analysis: SEEDS is a cluster randomised controlled trial in four countries (Greece, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK). Each country will recruit six to eight high schools from lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods. Adolescents aged 13-15 years are the target population. High schools will be randomised into intervention or control group. Each country will select 15 adolescents from intervention schools called ambassadors, who will be involved throughout the project.In each country, focus groups with ambassadors and stakeholders will focus on physical activity, snacking behaviour and STEM. The input from focus groups will be used to shape Makeathon events, cocreation events where adolescents and stakeholders will develop the interventions. The resultant intervention will be implemented in the intervention schools during 6 months. In total, we aim to recruit 720 adolescents who will complete questionnaires related to healthy lifestyles and STEM outcomes at baseline (November 2021) and after the 6 months (June 2022).

Ethics and dissemination: The four countries obtained approval from their corresponding Ethics Committees (Greece: Bioethics Committee of Harokopio University; the Netherlands: The Medical Research Ethics Committee of the Erasmus Medical Center; Spain: The Drug Research Ethics Committee of the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute; UK: Sport and Health Sciences Ethics Committee of the University of Exeter). Informed consent will be collected from adolescents and their parents in line with General Data Protection Regulation legislation. The findings will be disseminated by conference presentations, publications in scientific peer-reviewed journals and during (local) stakeholders and public events. Lessons learnt and the main results will also be used to provide policy recommendations.

Trial registration number: NCT05002049.

Keywords: Community child health; Health policy; NUTRITION & DIETETICS; PUBLIC HEALTH.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS project. SES, socioeconomic status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timeline of the Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS project with different phases. *The questionnaires and intervention will be defined during the focus groups and Makeathon with ambassadors and stakeholders. Therefore, an amendment to the ethical approval at different time points is needed in some countries. STEM, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Steps and timeline of the SEEDS Makeathons. SEEDS, Science Engagement to Empower aDolescentS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. World Health Organization . Engaging young people for health and sustainable development: strategic opportunities for the World Health Organization and partners. Geneva, 2018.

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