Summary
This chapter reviews the application of ecological models to behaviour change interventions in health promotion, examining 157 intervention studies. A meta-analysis of 96 studies targeting child and adolescent smoking, physical activity and diet found modest overall effects (g=0.2), declining to g=0.07 at 12-month follow-up. The review identifies underutilisation of multi-level approaches and organisational/policy targets, and recommends that future interventions engage all levels of the ecological model framework to improve population reach and sustainability.
Regional applicability
The findings are geographically non-specific but widely applicable; the review draws on international intervention literature. The recommendations on multi-level behaviour change design are relevant to United Kingdom public health and school-based interventions targeting obesity and physical activity in children and adolescents.
Key measures
Proportion of interventions using ecological models; number of ecological model levels targeted; effect sizes (g) for health outcomes at immediate and 12-month follow-up; prevalence of multi-level interventions
Outcomes reported
The review assessed the application of ecological models across 157 intervention studies targeting nutrition, physical activity and other health behaviours, and synthesised effect sizes from 96 health promotion interventions using ecological approaches. It evaluated the extent to which interventions utilised multiple levels of the ecological model framework.
Topic tags
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