American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) youth have disproportionately higher rates of commercial tobacco product use compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. These rates underscore a need for commercial tobacco product cessation interventions that are culturally informed. This project studied the development, implementation, and some…

We describe "GuysWork," a school-based healthy living program for adolescent boys, and share results from a pilot evaluation in Nova Scotia, Canada, during COVID-19. The "team" hypothesized the program would reduce loneliness, perceived stress, and adherence to key traditional male gender role norms postprogram. A longitudinal…

Interventions for promoting physical activity designed specifically for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lacking, which is problematic given the low rates of physical activity among this population. This study used a stakeholder-engaged approach to adapt the Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children (WE PLAY)…

As persistent inequities in health gained increased attention nationally due to COVID-19 and racial justice protests in 2020, it has become increasingly important to evaluate both the process and outcomes associated with coalition-based efforts to address health inequities. "The Two Georgias Initiative" supports coalitions in 11 rural…

This article describes how evaluators and stakeholders could combine their expertise to collaboratively evaluate a program designed to promote mental health in the school environment. The program, called Youth Mental Health First Aid USA (YMHFA), was designed to help young people cope with the early stages of mental health concerns. Specifically,…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation's largest domestic food and nutrition assistance program for low-income Americans. SNAP-Education, commonly referred to as SNAP-Ed, is the nutrition education arm of SNAP benefits. SNAP-Ed aims to help individuals stretch their food budgets wisely while working to make healthy…

Similar to national trends, in Illinois, fatal opioid overdoses have risen. Black men (35+) outrank all other racial subgroups for the highest rate of fatal opioid overdoses in the state. To address this, Prevention First and the Illinois Department of Human Services developed a public health education campaign to support increasing enrollment in…

Drug use trends change rapidly among youth, leaving educators and researchers struggling to respond promptly. Widely adopted universal evidence-based interventions (EBIs), such as the Michigan Model for Health™ (MMH), and their delivery systems offer an opportunity to reach large youth populations and reduce the onset and escalation of emerging…

During the second decade of the 21st century families and schools world-wide have been affected by several critical events, with economic recession, the refugee crisis, and lately the COVID-19 pandemic being the most prominent. Pertaining to the school community (students, educators, administration, parents, school personnel etc.), evidence-based…

Objective: The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is part of the cultural fabric of Irish society with a club in almost every community nationwide. The aim of this project was to carry out a pilot evaluation of the GAA Healthy Club Project (HCP), which is a unique effort by a national governing body to include health as part of the core business of…

Extension professionals must demonstrate organizational value to garner public awareness and support. Measuring and communicating outcomes that have public value can be challenging. In this study, Ripple Effects Mapping incorporating the Community Capitals Framework was used to evaluate a childhood obesity prevention study, iCook 4-H, of…

LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the…

Background: Obesity may cause physiological, psychological, social, and economic problems. Therefore, it is of considerable importance to implement preventive interventions for the factors that may cause obesity. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the obesity prevention program developed for secondary school students.…

Objective: The objectives of this study were to (1) measure the acceptability of Students As LifeStyle Activists (SALSA) Youth Voices (SYV) programme, (2) determine the skills gained by peer leaders from their participation in SYV and (3) determine whether peer leaders were able to design and implement an action to promote healthy eating and…

Introduction: Rating the quality of a body of evidence is an increasingly common component of research syntheses on intervention effectiveness. This study sought to identify and examine existing systems for rating the quality of a body of evidence on the effectiveness of health and social interventions. Methods: We used a multicomponent search…