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LifeLab Southampton: a programme to engage adolescents with DOHaD concepts as a tool for increasing health literacy in teenagers –a pilot cluster-randomized control trial

Part of: DOHaD on International Women's Day 2020

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2018

K. Woods-Townsend Open the ORCID record for K. Woods-Townsend [Opens in a new window] ,
H. Leat ,
J. Bay ,
L. Bagust ,
H. Davey ,
D. Lovelock ,
A. Christodoulou ,
J. Griffiths ,
M. Grace  and
K. Godfrey
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K. Woods-Townsend*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
H. Leat
Affiliation:
St Anne’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Southampton, UK
J. Bay
Affiliation:
Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
L. Bagust
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
H. Davey
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
D. Lovelock
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
A. Christodoulou
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
J. Griffiths
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics and Science Learning Centre, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
M. Grace
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
K. Godfrey
Affiliation:
NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
M. Hanson
Affiliation:
NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
H. Inskip
Affiliation:
NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: K. Woods-Townsend, LifeLab, Mailpoint 847, Room LD150, South Lab and Path Block, University Hospital Southampton, SO16 6YD, Southampton, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Adolescence is a critical time point in the lifecourse. LifeLab is an educational intervention engaging adolescents in understanding Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concepts and the impact of the early life environment on future health, benefitting both their long-term health and that of the next generation. We aimed to assess whether engaging adolescents with DOHaD concepts improves scientific literacy and whether engagement alone improves health behaviours.

Six schools were randomized, three to intervention and three to control. Outcome measures were changed in knowledge, and intended and actual behaviour in relation to diet and lifestyle. A total of 333 students completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires. At 12 months, intervention students showed greater understanding of DOHaD concepts. No sustained changes in behaviours were identified.

Adolescents’ engagement with DOHaD concepts can be improved and maintained over 12 months. Such engagement does not itself translate into behaviour change. The intervention has consequently been revised to include additional components beyond engagement alone.

Keywords

behaviour changehealth educationhealth literacyrandomized control trialscientific literacy
Type
Brief Report
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 9 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 475 - 480
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2018 

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