The Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP) — An Overview of and Recommendations Arising from the Conceptualisation and Development of an Innovative Approach to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles for Children and Their Families

Abstract

Despite the rise in childhood obesity, there remains a paucity of evidence for effective interventions that engage children and parents sufficiently to make and sustain lifestyle behaviour change. The Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP) is a school-located obesity prevention programme, which has been developed with teachers, families and healthcare professionals. The underpinning assumption in the development of HeLP was to take a relational approach to changing behaviour, building relationships with the schools, children and their families to create supportive environments for healthy lifestyle choices. Thus, HeLP was conceptualised as a complex intervention within a complex system and developed as a dynamic, evolving set of processes to support and motivate children towards healthy behaviours. The delivery methods used are highly interactive and encourage identification with and ownership of the healthy lifestyle messages so that the children are motivated to take them home to their parents and effect change within the family. We have good evidence that HeLP engages schools and children such that they want to participate in the Programme. Results from an exploratory trial showed that the Programme is feasible and acceptable and has the potential to change behaviours and affect weight status. This paper presents an overview of and recommendations arising from the conceptualization; development and evaluation of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme as part of a special issue focusing on novel approaches to the global problem of childhood obesity.

Detailed statistical analysis plan for a cluster randomised controlled trial of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP), a novel school-based intervention to prevent obesity in school children

“…HeLP runs over three school terms and includes creating a receptive environment, drama activities, goal setting and reinforcement activities. Full details of the intervention and logic model are published elsewhere [2, 5]. Having successfully completed an exploratory trial with cluster randomisation [3, 4], funding was secured from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme in March 2012 to run a definitive trial of HeLP.…”

“…Data from the UK National Child Measurement Programme show that a quarter of children enter primary school overweight or obese and that one third of 10–11-year olds are overweight or obese [1]. The Health Lifestyles Programme (HeLP) was developed with schools, children and their families and aims to motivate and support children and their families in making healthy diet and activity choices [2–5]. The study protocol for the cluster randomised controlled trial of HeLP was published in Trials in 2013 and included a brief overview of the statistical analyses [6].…”

The impact of active stakeholder involvement on recruitment, retention and engagement of schools, children and their families in the cluster randomised controlled trial of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP): a school-based intervention to prevent obesity

“…These include the parent assembly and observation of the two activity workshops in phase 1, observation of work in progress in the final two drama sessions of the Healthy Lifestyle Week in phase 2 and the forum theatre assembly in phase 3. Full details of intervention phases, components, behaviour change techniques and delivery personnel have previously been published [ 18 ].…”

Trial baseline characteristics of a cluster randomised controlled trial of a school-located obesity prevention programme; the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP) trial

“…The programme takes a whole school approach and activities are delivered over four phases which have been ordered to enable and support behaviour change [20]. Early development and piloting began in 2006 and details of the conceptualisation of HeLP can be found elsewhere [20].…”

“…Early development and piloting began in 2006 and details of the conceptualisation of HeLP can be found elsewhere [20]. The results from the definitive cluster randomised controlled trial will be available in Spring 2017.…”