Adolescence as a key point in the life course to target health literacy interventions Seminar
- Time:
- 12:00 - 13:00
- Date:
- 17 March 2020
- Venue:
- 2097, Building 32, Highfield Campus
Event details
What is your talk about? Adolescence offers a window of opportunity, termed the ‘Adolescent Triple Dividend’ in which interventions can impact an adolescent’s health now, their health in the future and the health of their future children. LifeLab is an educational intervention designed to empower secondary school students to understand the consequences of lifestyle choices on their own health. The LifeLab module includes teacher CPD, a fully-resourced 10 lesson scheme of work, delivered in school and a visit to LifeLab. Using a randomised controlled trial approach, we have evaluated whether this intervention can improve adolescents’ health literacy and behaviours.
What are the key messages of your talk? We collected data from 2930 adolescents (aged 13-14 years) at baseline and 2487 at 12-month follow-up. Participation in LifeLab, was associated with an increased standardised health literacy score at 12-month follow-up; intervention students also showed a move to judge their own lifestyles more critically.
What are the implications for practice or research from your talk? This interactive science education programme can lead to improved health literacy and more critical judgement of health behaviour. To translate this knowledge and motivation for change into healthier lifestyle choices, more support for students is needed. We are embarking on a new RCT, incorporating digital technologies to support sustained behaviour change in adolescents.
Speaker information
Kath Woods-Townsend. LifeLab Programme Manager, University of Southampton