Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Children living in poorer neighbourhoods are twice as likely to suffer from poor physical and mental health compared with children from more wealthy areas. Behaviours linked to health learned as children often last into adulthood, and so supporting children from all backgrounds to eat healthy diets and to be physically active is a key way to improve the health of the whole population in the future. Although there has been a lot of research about encouraging children to be more active, there is very little evidence to show the best ways to interest young people in physical activity or how to encourage them to stay physically active.
Camborne is a town in West Cornwall with high levels of poverty. In the past, it has also had high levels of antisocial behaviour. The Police found that arresting more and more young people did not reduce antisocial behaviour or tackle the causes of that behaviour, so they changed their response. When asked what it was like to live in the Camborne, young people spoke of having nothing to do and said they felt embarrassment about their town. When the Police asked what they would like to do, young people identified dance as an interesting activity. The first dance workshop was attended by 100 young people and over the last 13 years, over 1,000 young people have taken part in dance sessions. The group, the TR14ers, is now led by the young people and is a registered charity (charity commission number 1128834). It has recently received funding from BBC Children in Need to reach out to other groups and young people, and to develop its activities further. This will include providing training about nutrition and developing leadership qualifications.
This research will look at how and why young people engage with the group. It will also ask what effect the group has on their levels of physical activity, nutrition knowledge, self-belief and mental well-being. At the end of this first part of the research we hope to have enough information to develop a full scientific evaluation of the TR14ers, including the impact of engaging other young people in their work. We think this research will help us and other researchers wanting to engage young people to support positive health behaviours as well as supporting public health practitioners to understand how best to engage and sustain participation in health promotion programmes.
Who can participate?
Young people (aged 5 to 24 years) who are current or new members of the TR14ers. Former TR14ers and parents of TR14ers are also being sought to participate in additional research activities.
What does the study involve?
Current and new members of the TR14ers will have the opportunity to undertake the following activities as part of the study:
1. Measuring their physical activity over a week by wearing a watch-like device called an accelerometer
2. Completing questionnaires on their diet, health-related quality of life and nutrition knowledge and potentially other health-related behaviours
3. Completing a timeline which shows how their life has changed since becoming a TR14er potentially identifying other outcomes that should be measured in the full evaluation
4. Participate in two workshops to help the researchers understand their experiences of the TR14ers and co-design the full evaluation.
Former TR14ers will be invited to provide a timeline of how their life has changed since joining and then leaving the TR14ers. Parents of TR14ers will be invited to participate in an interview in which the researcher will ask about if and how the young person’s participation in the TR14ers has impacted on the family.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants in this study will be helping research to understand how a community-created intervention is impacting on health and could be established in other communities. There are very few risks to the study, but the research may trigger sensitivities and support systems are in place to help those affected.
Where is the study run from?
European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2018 to November 2019
Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Professor Katrina Wyatt (k.m.wyatt@exeter.ac.uk).
Enquiries about the study can also be sent to Dr Andrew James Williams, Lecturer in Public Health, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School (a.williams2@exeter.ac.uk).
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Public
Primary contact
Prof Katrina Wyatt
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7099-159X
Contact details
Institute of Health Research
University of Exeter Medical School
South Cloisters Room 2.02
St Lukes Campus
Exeter
Devon
EX1 2LU
United Kingdom
01392 722971
K.M.Wyatt@exeter.ac.uk
Type
Scientific
Additional contact
Prof Katrina Wyatt
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7099-159X
Contact details
Institute of Health Research
University of Exeter Medical School
South Cloisters Room 2.02
St Lukes Campus
Exeter
Devon
EX1 2LU
United Kingdom
01392 722971
K.M.Wyatt@exeter.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
NA
ClinicalTrials.gov number
NA
Protocol/serial number
NIHR PHR NIHR127482
Study information
Scientific title
Understanding the sustainable processes and impact of engaging young people in a peer-led dance group, the TR14ers
Acronym
TR14ers baseline
Study hypothesis
This study aims to address the following points, with the objective of co-creating a full research proposal including capturing data on other communities the Group engages with and how this affects their physical and emotional health:
1. How and why do young people participate in the TR14ers?
2. Can a TR14rers logic model be co-developed which accurately captures the processes of engagement and participation in the Group and hypothesised short- and long-term outcomes?
3. What are the valid, feasible and acceptable methods for collecting baseline process and outcome data on a sufficient number of TR14ers to power a valid and rigorous evaluation?
Ethics approval
University of Exeter Medical School Research Ethics Committee (in progress)
Study design
Interventional non-randomised evaluability assessment and baseline data collection
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Non randomised study
Trial setting
Community
Trial type
Prevention
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.
Condition
Child health and wellbeing (physical activity)
Intervention
The TR14ers are a weekly free two-hour dance workshop open to any young people (aged approximately 5-24 years) from the surrounding area (West Cornwall). The workshops involve a variety of modern dance styles including street dance, hip-hop and breakdancing. The workshops are structured by adults, but young people can volunteer to become leaders which means they teach others dances which they have developed themselves. The group performs at shows and events throughout the year. The group have developed are regularly review their own codes of behaviour. As part of the new Children in Need funding the group will be introducing short bite size bursts of diet/nutrition knowledge during the rest breaks in dancing, the opportunity for the young people who become leaders to take qualifications in dance, and exploring other communities who might adopt the TR14ers approach. The young people can attend for as short or long duration as they want, from weeks to years. During the 6 months, we will explore with the young people how long they feel someone needs to attend to become a TR14er and ‘experience the benefits’. There will be no follow-up, as this project is a 6 month project to develop methods for a full evaluation of this program.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
The following will be assessed at the baseline:
1. Physical activity, assessed using a wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometer, which participants will be asked to wear for one week
2. Health-related quality of life, assessed using the age-appropriate KiddyKINDL children questionnaire
3. Diet, assessed using the weekday and weekend Food Intake Questionnaire (FIQ)
Secondary outcome measures
During the life of the project, measures of nutrition knowledge and attitudes will be identified by the participants from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Guidelines on assessing nutrition-related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices. Questions regarding health-related behaviours will similarly be identified from the Health Survey for England. Additional outcomes may be identified during the project for which validated tools will be sought and this record updated.
Overall trial start date
23/03/2018
Overall trial end date
30/11/2019
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
The primary participants of this study are (current and new) members of the TR14ers. The parents/carers of members and former members will also be invited to participate in specific activities.
Participant type
Other
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
>100
Total final enrolment
59
Participant exclusion criteria
Not a new, current or former member of the TR14ers or their parents or carers.
Recruitment start date
12/10/2018
Recruitment end date
01/03/2019
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
University of Exeter Medical School (ECEHH)
Knowledge Spa,
Royal Cornwall Hospital,
Truro
TR1 3HD
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
University of Exeter
Sponsor details
Research Ethics and Governance Office
University of Exeter
Lafrowda House
St German’s Road
Exeter
Devon
EX4 6TL
United Kingdom
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Funders
Funder type
Not defined
Funder name
National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
The main outcome of this project is the co-creation of a full evaluation of the processes and impact of participation in the TR14ers. The findings will be shared with the TR14ers and their parents/ carers and interpretations of the findings negotiated with the young people. We will seek to publish the refined logic model including the process of its co-creation. We will continue to engage public health practitioners in the research process, including the protocol for the full evaluation and provide support for capturing evidence from complex system interventions such as the TR14ers.
IPD sharing statement:
The data sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date
Intention to publish date
31/01/2021
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list