Group Project - March a mile a day

Question 1

What is the aim of the intervention?

Answer 1

To reduce the prevalence of inactivity in adults in the county.

Question 2

What will the campaign promote?

Answer 2

Walking 1 mile a day at a brisk/fast pace every day

Question 3

When will the Campaign start

Answer 3

August 2023

Question 4

How long will the Campaign run for?

Answer 4

12 months

Question 5

Who will be sent campaign packs?

Answer 5

All residential households in Devon

Question 6

What will the campaign involve?

Answer 6

A launch event and a smart phone app.

Various sites around Devon of a timed 1-mile walk to provide participants with their 1st ‘best’ 1-mile walk time.

Question 7

What will the app used do?

Answer 7

Use GPS to provide feedback on the time taken to complete 1 mile.

Allow users to select +/or plan 1 mile circular walks.

Log all the 1-mile walks they complete, recording location, duration and time to completion.

People will be able to track their progress + compare their times vs others using the app (overall and within sex + age groups).

Question 8

What can the app also do?

Answer 8

Provide an estimate of their fitness and what it means for their health.

Send regular motivational messages + prompts to encourage people to walk each day.

Question 9

Prevalence of inactivity in adults in Devon in 2020-2021

Answer 9

24.8%

(Estimation)

Question 10

Prevalence of inactivity in adults in more deprived neighborhoods

Answer 10

33.0%

(Estimation)

Question 11

What is the target of this evaluation project for inactivity in Devon?

Answer 11

To reduce inactivity from 24.8% to 22.8%.

To reduce inactivity in the lower social groups from 33% to 29%.

– by the end of July 2024

Question 12

What data will be available?

Answer 12

No. of people that have downloaded the app

Aggregate level data on sex, age and geographical area of Devon.

Question 13

Which design is most appropriate?

Answer 13

A controlled pre-test post-test quasi experimental design

Not randomised

Question 14

What would the control group be?

Answer 14

Small sample of similar counties i.e York

Question 15

Why not a random control trial?

Answer 15

Not possible as all people in Devon will receive the packs

Question 16

Why not randomised cluster trial?

Answer 16

Not possible as we have been given the Devon County and not a random choice county

Question 17

Why not interrupted time series?

Answer 17

Not possible as we don’t have a wealth of data from other years.

Question 18

What is a quasi experimental trial last risk of?

Answer 18

Selection bias - even with matched criteria, theres still going to be some chance that the counties are different.

Confounding variables

Performance bias - Our evaluation isn’t at risk of this due to the app giving the same instructions and inspirational messages to everyone

Question 19

How can selection bias be reduced for this evaluation?

Answer 19

Use a matched analysis and different control samples from similar counties to give a more representative sample

Question 20

Advantages to Quasi Experimental

Answer 20

Provides some assurance that outcome is due to results

Most practical option for conducting outcome evaluations in community interventions

Avoids the extra step of random assignment as it involves pre-existing groups

Overcomes ethical issues with withholding treatment/improvement in health from a control

Question 21

Disadvantages to Quasi Experimental

Answer 21

Can demand more time and resources

Req access to at least 2 similar groups

Without randomisation the study groups may differ in some ways which relate to the outcome/intervention

Subject to selection bias