Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 53 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0BMJ Open

Developing a youth sustainability healthy active living intervention for chronic disease prevention and environmental sustainability through community engagement and codesign: protocol for a multimethod community-based participatory research study in Canada and Jamaica

  • Rosain Stennett1
  • Sujane Kandasamy1,2
  • Diana Sherifali3
  • Russell J de Souza1,4
  • Dipika Desai4,5
  • Matthew YW Kwan6,7
  • Joanne A Smith8
  • Thera Edwards9,10
  • Georgiana Gordon-Strachan10
  • Shrikant I Bangdiwala4,5
  • Gita Wahi1,11
  • Jeffrey Brook12
5 more authors
  • Myles Sergeant13,14
  • Alisha Krishanthan15
  • Sneha Desai16
  • Simon G Anderson17,18
  • Sonia S Anand1,5
18 affiliations
  1. 1Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  2. 2The Starfish Environmental Society, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  3. 3School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  4. 4Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  5. 5Population Health Research Institute/Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  6. 6Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
  7. 7Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  8. 8Epidemiology Research Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
  9. 9Department of Geography and Geology, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
  10. 10Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
  11. 11Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  12. 12Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  13. 13Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  14. 14Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  15. 15Health Sciences Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
  16. 16Arts & Science Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  17. 17George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
  18. 18Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Background: Most non-communicable diseases (NCDs) develop through multiple complex pathways that involve non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. Prevention efforts optimally involve a life course approach that promotes healthy eating and physical activity because behaviours adopted early in adolescence and young adulthood are likely to be sustained and can prevent NCDs in later life. This research protocol describes a community-based co-designed study taking place in Canada and Jamaica that positions youth aged 15–25 as agents-of-change in their communities to increase knowledge and develop tools to adopt and promote sustainable practices and healthy active living.

Methods: The SCORE! Youth Sustainability Healthy Active Living (SCORE! Youth-SHAL)—Community Engagement and Co-design is a multimethod community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to be conducted in two sequential stages. Stage 1 involves community contextual mapping, a maximum of two community engagement workshops along with key informant interviews with both youth and stakeholders. Stage 2 includes a co-design workshop with local youth to develop customised healthy active living activities. Participants will be recruited using convenience and purposive sampling. Workshops and interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Data will be collected to understand the SHAL intervention’s feasibility, fidelity and contextual fit across diverse settings. Content and thematic analysis will occur concurrently and iteratively with data collection.

Ethics and dissemination: This study has approval from Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board in Health Sciences, Brock University Research Ethics Board, The University of the West Indies—Mona Campus Research Ethics Committee, and Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica—Advisory Panel on Ethics and Medico-Legal Affairs. Findings assist in finalising a SHAL intervention for youth in equity-deserving populations. We will also publish the study results in an academic journal and present at conferences, webinars and workshops.

Related

  1. Developing the supportive care bundle for mothers of infants hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit: protocol for a multimethod study
    Fatemeh Mehrabirad, Mandana Saki, Mohammad Gholami +2
    BMJ OpenPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsCrossref
  2. Study protocol for the development of reporting guidelines for intervention adaptation studies: Transparent Reporting of Adaptations, Context and Effects (TRACE) – a multimethod approach using literature review, Delphi, crowdsourcing, webinar and usability testing
    Ana A Baumann, Ana Chatham, Danila Cristina Paquier Sala +9
    BMJ OpenPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textGeneral medicineCrossrefDOAJPMC
  3. Fish Consumption and Sustainability: A Modeling Study Evaluating the Effects of Fish and Canned Fish Consumption on Nutritional Adequacy and Selected Metrics of Environmental Impact
    Ellis Bianchi, Massimiliano Tucci, Alberto Dolci +3
    NutrientsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textNutritionEurope PMC
  4. Developing a shared decision-making intervention to support choices about prophylactic cranial irradiation treatment for small-cell lung cancer: a study protocol.
    Katie Dixon, Marianne Aznar, Hilary Bekker +5
    BMJ openPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMCCrossref
  5. From Evidence to Intervention: A Systematic, Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Developing and Prioritizing Diagnostic Excellence Interventions Across a 14-Site Hospital Medicine Collaborative
    J. L. Schnipper, K. E. Raffel, J. D. Harrison +11
    medRxivPreprintAll rights reservedFull textEpidemiology & public healthmedRxiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{stennett2026developing,
  title = {{Developing a youth sustainability healthy active living intervention for chronic disease prevention and environmental sustainability through community engagement and codesign: protocol for a multimethod community-based participatory research study in Canada and Jamaica}},
  author = {Rosain Stennett and Sujane Kandasamy and Diana Sherifali and Russell J de Souza and Dipika Desai and Matthew YW Kwan and Joanne A Smith and Thera Edwards and Georgiana Gordon-Strachan and Shrikant I Bangdiwala and Gita Wahi and Jeffrey Brook and Myles Sergeant and Alisha Krishanthan and Sneha Desai and Simon G Anderson and Sonia S Anand},
  journal = {BMJ Open},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2026-119261},
  url = {https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-119261},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Developing a youth sustainability healthy active living intervention for chronic disease prevention and environmental sustainability through community engagement and codesign: protocol for a multimethod community-based participatory research study in Canada and Jamaica
AU  - Rosain Stennett
AU  - Sujane Kandasamy
AU  - Diana Sherifali
AU  - Russell J de Souza
AU  - Dipika Desai
AU  - Matthew YW Kwan
AU  - Joanne A Smith
AU  - Thera Edwards
AU  - Georgiana Gordon-Strachan
AU  - Shrikant I Bangdiwala
AU  - Gita Wahi
AU  - Jeffrey Brook
AU  - Myles Sergeant
AU  - Alisha Krishanthan
AU  - Sneha Desai
AU  - Simon G Anderson
AU  - Sonia S Anand
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - BMJ Open
DO  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-119261
UR  - https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-119261
AB  - Background: Most non-communicable diseases (NCDs) develop through multiple complex pathways that involve non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. Prevention efforts optimally involve a life course approach that promotes healthy eating and physical activity because behaviours adopted early in adolescence and young adulthood are likely to be sustained and can prevent NCDs in later life. This research protocol describes a community-based co-designed study taking place in Canada and Jamaica that positions youth aged 15–25 as agents-of-change in their communities to increase knowledge and develop tools to adopt and promote sustainable practices and healthy active living.  Methods: The SCORE! Youth Sustainability Healthy Active Living (SCORE! Youth-SHAL)—Community Engagement and Co-design is a multimethod community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to be conducted in two sequential stages. Stage 1 involves community contextual mapping, a maximum of two community engagement workshops along with key informant interviews with both youth and stakeholders. Stage 2 includes a co-design workshop with local youth to develop customised healthy active living activities. Participants will be recruited using convenience and purposive sampling. Workshops and interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Data will be collected to understand the SHAL intervention’s feasibility, fidelity and contextual fit across diverse settings. Content and thematic analysis will occur concurrently and iteratively with data collection.  Ethics and dissemination: This study has approval from Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board in Health Sciences, Brock University Research Ethics Board, The University of the West Indies—Mona Campus Research Ethics Committee, and Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica—Advisory Panel on Ethics and Medico-Legal Affairs. Findings assist in finalising a SHAL intervention for youth in equity-deserving populations. We will also publish the study results in an academic journal and present at conferences, webinars and workshops.
SN  - 2044-6055
SN  - 2044-6055
ER  -