Your project or our project? Evaluating the participatory development of an adolescent healthy sleep intervention

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is a promising approach to develop health promotion interventions, but more evaluation is necessary to optimize collaboration with youth. This study evaluates the participatory process of developing a school-based healthy sleep intervention from the perspective of participating adolescents. In three schools, action teams (n = 3–12, 13-15-year-olds) held weekly sessions (n = 29–34 per school) guided by the theory-based Intervention Mapping protocol to develop school-specific interventions. Based on scientific principles of YPAR and empowerment theory, the way of operating, capacity building, feeling heard, ownership, level of participation, empowerment and group dynamic was evaluated through focus groups with each action team at four time points during the process. Thematic content analysis was performed using NVivo 11, resulting in eight themes: (1) overall experience of the participatory project, (2) motivation to join the action team, (3) action team composition and collaboration, (4) role of the researcher, (5) participatory sessions, (6) participatory principles, (7) school support and (8) the participatory developed intervention. The action teams reported learning about sleep hygiene, project management and social interactions. Adolescents felt empowered and ownership through shared decision making. They appreciated the structure brought by the researcher and indicated the good relationship with the researcher to be important. Future researchers should consider using more active methods during the third step of Intervention Mapping and involving important other stakeholders earlier in the participatory process, to create support for and familiarity with the intervention amongst all stakeholders before implementation.