The National Children’s Bureau is a leading research and development charity, working across England and Northern Ireland, to improve the lives of children and young people, reducing the impact of inequalities. Contact: Amy Davies; eyto@ncb.org.uk

The CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health in Spain provides expertise in health promotion and education, and works also on the validation of the nutritional and health claims made on foods. Contact: Ignasi Papell; ignasi.papell@ctns.cat

Komunikujeme are based in the Czech Republic and specialise in training and personal development programmes for children and young people across a range of health and educational themes. Contact: Dagmar Skupova; skupova@komunikujeme.eu

Companhia De Ideias – a media and communications agency based in Portugal with experience of developing and delivering campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles and tackle obesity. Contact: Fabiana Gomes; fgomes@companhiadeideias.com

The project runs from September 2013 to September 2015 and has received funding from the EU Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

UK NCB is currently working with local youth service LIFT to recruit young people living in deprived areas of the London Borough of Islington. During the summer holidays, young people will attend workshops led by Audience, a social marketing and communications agency that works with target audiences to create campaigns that change lives for good. Audience will support young people to co-create and launch their social marketing campaign within Islington.

SPAIN Five students from two secondary schools in Reus (Catalonia, Spain) have started the implementation of their social marketing campaign “Som la pera”- a phrase that plays with the word pear, but which actually means ‘we are astounding.’ Please visit their Facebook page. The young people have taken part in training sessions to learn about food, social marketing and communication; and they have developed a campaign with 4 different challenges (take a selfie playing your favourite sport, prepare a creative healthy recipe, perform a gymkhana in the participating high schools, and participate in a masterchef contest); they are enthusiastic about sharing their work and results with peers across Europe. The campaign does not only involve the adolescents, but also their families, public institutions and citizen associations and organisations. Other activities that the “Som la pera” group are working on include developing an exhibition, working with the local authorities, and promoting the project via local media channels.

CZECH REPUBLIC Komunikujeme are currently working with child experts, who will recruit young people from summer camps to lead the Czech social marketing campaign. The child experts are preparing recruitment in an interactive way, recruitment itself will take place during September this year. They are also introducing EYTO project and the main goals to the local authorities to involve them in working together.

PORTUGAL The team in Portugal have recruited young people and are promoting the project with local authorities.

Welcome to the second e-newsletter from the

EYTO project.

EYTO is an exciting project led by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) in the UK, in

partnership with organisations in Spain, the Czech Republic and Portugal. The EYTO partners

are developing an innovative peer led social marketing campaign to promote healthy eating

and physical activity and stem the rise in obesity amongst adolescents. We hope our

campaign will transcend cultural barriers to connect with young people across Europe and

increase their motivation to lead healthier lifestyles. A lot has happened since our first

newsletter and campaigns are now underway in all countries. This edition includes:

1. Key findings from the EYTO interim evaluation report

2. An update from our first exchange meeting in London

3. Progress reports on the campaigns from each country

4. Next steps and how to get involved

5. A reminder of the partners involved in EYTO.

You are receiving this email because you have been identified as a potential

interested stakeholder. We will send you one further update on the project, this

autumn. Should you prefer not to receive this email, let us know by emailing

eyto@ncb.org.uk. Please forward this newsletter to colleagues and invite them to

subscribe themselves by visiting the project website and following the EYTO e-

newsletter link. For more background on EYTO, download our Project Briefing and

Project Information Sheet.

EYTO interim evaluation report

The NCB Research Centre is leading the evaluation of the EYTO project. This

month, it published a report outlining interim findings from the evaluation, covering

project partners’ views on progress; outcomes for campaign creators; and early

impact of the campaigns.

Early outcomes for the young people involved in the project – known as ‘campaign

creators’ – include:

increased confidence and skills to engage with communication and social

marketing activities

motivation and ideas for leading a healthy lifestyle and encouraging others

to do so

an appreciation of learning about social media as a route to achieving more

serious objectives, as opposed to an end in itself.

“I have always thought about healthy lifestyles only in one way – how to lose

weight. Now I see that it’s more complex. It’s also about motivation, about your

emotions and your whole life.” - Young person, Czech Republic

The evaluation included an online survey of 139 young people who had engaged

with the EYTO campaigns. This found EYTO to be effective in improving

motivation: 96 per cent overall have discussed the campaign; thought about

making a change to their lifestyle; or tried to find out more about living healthily.

However, just 17 per cent have made a change to their behaviour in terms of

eating or exercise habits. This finding may be accounted for by the fact that the

survey data was gathered during early stages of the campaigns.

The survey data highlights that young people perceive obesity to be a complex

issue – determined by a range of internal and external factors. The main barriers to

making healthy lifestyle choices were identified as lack of exercise, motivation and

will power. Young people thought that more support from parents and greater

access to activities would help them to live healthier lives.

From the experience of managing EYTO, partners identified a number of aspects

that support successful youth-led social marketing work. These include developing

a bespoke approach to involving young people; taking timing and context into

account when recruiting young people; ensuring that content creation is actively

managed; bringing people together; and balancing youth-led approaches with the

need to achieve project outcomes. For further detail, download the full Interim

evaluation report.

Exchange weekend

In October 2014, the British, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech project teams,

including the campaign creators, met for the weekend at LIFT Youth Centre in

London.

Young people from each country presented their campaigns to the wider group,

explaining their local contexts, talking through their decision-making processes,

and showcasing their activities to date. Over the course of the weekend, they

worked together to exchange ideas, explore challenges, and plan the next stages

of their campaigns. The value of the exchange weekend is highlighted in the

interim evaluation report. Young people left with strengthened skills, recognition of

their achievements, renewed enthusiasm, and a sense that “it’s become even

bigger than what I had imagined” (Young person, UK).

The second and final EYTO exchange weekend will take place this April in Reus in

Catalonia, Spain.

Young people from all four nations take part in the exchange weekend.

Campaign news

UK The UK campaign creators led activities at ‘Look good feel good in 2015’, a January event led by Islington Council at a local sports centre. The day was aimed at women and girls aged 14+ held, who were able to sample a range of different sports and healthy foods. Upcoming young sports stars shared their experiences of getting into sport and how healthy

living made this possible. The campaign creators are now holding sessions promoting their healthy living messages to peers at LIFT Youth Centre, using the gym, kitchen and studios. Amy Davies, the UK project lead, spoke about EYTO at a national Patient Information Forum conference on creating health information for children and young people. On 24 March the UK team held ‘A Conversation on Youth Obesity’ in London, to discuss the impacts of youth obesity and share learning from across the EYTO project. More information can be found at the Look Up campaign’s Facebook page.

SPAIN The Spanish team presented EYTO and the campaign Som la pera during the Science Week festival in November, and during an event on Young People and Healthy Lifestyles organised at the University Rovira i Virgili in January. Local public authorities, government officials, institutional representatives, general public and young people attended both events held in the city of Reus. They have also organised an “Masterchef”-like food contest on proposals for Christmas dishes, the so-called Peraxef Christmas Edition. You can see the videos of the activity. The campaign creators recently designed a didactic interaction class in which they explained to their schoolmates what sugar is and how the body assimilates it. Young people then had to guess the sugar content of popular beverages. More information can be found at the Som la Pera campaign’s Facebook page.

CZECH REPUBLIC In November, the campaign creators held a seminar about healthy lifestyles with pupils from Býchory Children’s Home in the Central Bohemian Region. On Saint Nicholas Day (5 December), a traditional ’Christmas Tinkles’ event was held in cooperation with the Primary School Dobříš. This took place in the main town square and featured cultural performances and a Christmas fair. EYTO campaign creators prepared healthy Christmas candy and cookies and distributed campaign flyers. The event was attended by 400 people. In February, the young people led an Open Sporty Lesson, in which young people could try out yoga, spinning and modern

dance. Activity for March focuses on cooking healthy dishes to inspire pupils at the Primary School Dobříš, and organising a range of sport programmes. More information can be found at the Nebuď pecka campaign’s Facebook page.

PORTUGAL The campaign creators held a ‘Miss Soup’ contest in January, in which young people and their parents worked together to make the healthiest soups. The Scouts monthly magazine featured a full page editorial about the project. A forthcoming article in a medical magazine will also publicise the project. The campaign creators are now organising a fitness event in March, which will bring families together to have fun and be active. A local gym will provide equipment. A promotional film for stakeholders is currently in production. More information can be found at the Hoje o Cozinheiro Sou Eu! campaign’s Facebook page.

What next

The EYTO campaigns will continue over the summer, with a view to becoming self-

sustaining after the project ends. Project teams will apply recommendations from

the interim evaluation report. In April, project staff and campaign creators will meet

in Reus in Catalonia, Spain, to share developments and experience from their

campaigns, as well as plan for the project’s ending and legacy.

A range of activities are underway to disseminate learning and campaign

messages amongst school communities, youth groups, parents and carers, civil

society organisations, health services, and national and European policy makers. A

website encompassing all four EYTO campaigns will be developed. The NCB

Research Centre will draw together further evidence from focus groups,

stakeholder interviews and surveys of campaign participants to prepare a final

evaluation report.

Get involved / Contact us

You can find out more about the EYTO partnership and its activities on the project

website www.ncb.org.uk/eyto. Project partners would welcome assistance with

promoting young people’s social marketing campaigns to local organisations and

services, young people, and the media. Please find contact details for each partner

below. NCB is coordinating the EYTO partnership and may be contacted with

general queries (English only).

Information on obesity and child health in Europe

Sources of information on obesity across Europe are listed on the EYTO website.

The World Obesity Federation provides monthly summaries of global news in the

field of obesity.

About the EYTO partnership

The project represents a new partnership borne form a shared concern over rising

levels of childhood obesity and a lack of innovative and targeted work to tackle

obesity amongst adolescents as compared to younger children. In the EU, 22

million children are overweight or obese. It is a major public health challenge that

affects around a third of children and young people in the UK and Czech Republic

and about half in Spain and Portugal.

The partnership includes:

The National Children’s Bureau is a leading research

and development charity, working across England and

Northern Ireland, to improve the lives of children and

young people, reducing the impact of inequalities.

Contact: Amy Davies; eyto@ncb.org.uk

The CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and

Health in Spain provides expertise in health promotion

and education, and works also on the validation of the

nutritional and health claims made on foods.

Contact: Ignasi Papell; ignasi.papell@ctns.cat

Komunikujeme are based in the Czech Republic and

specialise in training and personal development

programmes for children and young people across a

range of health and educational themes.

Contact: Dagmar Skupová;

skupova@komunikujeme.eu

Companhia De Ideias – a media and communications

agency based in Portugal with experience of developing

and delivering campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles

and tackle obesity.

Contact: Fabiana Gomes;

fgomes@companhiadeideias.com

The project runs from September 2013 to September 2015 and has received

funding from the EU Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework

of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

Welcome to the third and final e-newsletter from theEYTO projectEYTO (European Youth Tackling Obesity) is an exciting, recently completed project led by the National

Children’s Bureau (NCB) in the UK, in partnership with organisations in Spain (CTNS), the Czech

Republic (Komunikujeme) and Portugal (Companhia De Ideias).

The EYTO partners developed an innovative peer led social marketing campaign to promote healthy

eating and physical activity and stem the rise in obesity amongst adolescents. We hoped our campaign

would transcend cultural barriers to connect with young people across Europe and increase their

motivation to lead healthier lifestyles.

We are now able to report on EYTO’s impact and share learning and tools from the project. This e-

newsletter includes:Key findings from the EYTO final evaluation report

Details of resources and practical tools emerging from EYTO

Report from the final exchange weekend in Reus, Spain

Concluding reports from project teams across the EYTO partnership

A reminder of the partners involved in EYTO.

You are receiving this email because you have been identified as a potential interested stakeholder.

Please forward this newsletter to colleagues who may like to receive it. For background on EYTO, please

visit our new EYTO website.

EYTO evaluation findingsEYTO aimed to strengthen the evidence base of what works to prevent and reduce obesity amongst

young people. NCB’s Research Centre led the evaluation of the project, incorporating data from partners

in all countries. In October, it published its final evaluation report, which explores the impact of young

people’s campaign activities and messages; the effect of participation in EYTO on the Young Campaign

Creators; and the views of project stakeholders on obesity, social marketing and the EYTO campaigns.

EYTO campaigns worked towards initial objectives of increased understanding and motivation for healthy

eating and undertaking physical activities. Some key aspects of the campaigns made them effective in

engaging with and supporting children and young people on the topic of obesity:

The youth-led and peer to peer approach gave young people greater control to provide reliable,

relevant, positive, inspirational and accessible information.

Young volunteers developed skills, knowledge and confidence so that they were better

prepared to make decisions and take the lead.

EYTO raised awareness of obesity and increased motivation for healthy eating and undertaking

physical activities. 89.9% of survey respondents rated campaigns as somewhat or veryeffective in encouraging them to live a healthier life.

Campaigns provided experiences or encouraged audiences to experience changes that are

different from their daily habits. 16,823 young people across 4 countries engaged in a range of

paper based, face to face and web-based activities.

“It’s definitely more effective if something is told by your peer, rather than from somebody older becausethe peer understands you the most." - Young Campaign Creator, Czech Republic

However, the use of campaigns alone may not bring about long-term sustainable changes in behaviours.

These changes require increased collaborative working with parents and professionals in the community

and from different sectors to ensure children and young people have accessible and available options to

make healthy choices.

Findings from the evaluation of EYTO have helped to identify recommendations for practitioners and

policymakers. They suggest that holistic and collaborative approaches for tackling obesity among children

and young people should involve:

Positive and inspirational key messages

Provision of relevant and reliable information

Provision of accessible options for healthy choices

Effective targeting of vulnerable groups

Youth-led and peer-to-to peer approach

Holistic and collaborative approach

Family model approach: Capacity building of parents

Robust and standardised recording tools.

Additional scientific evaluation of the “Som la pera” campaign in Spain shows that the campaign has

made a significant measurable impact. Final analysis is ongoing, but data shows that after two school

years, fruit consumption has increased and sedentary activities have decreased in both boys and girls. In

boys, vegetable consumption and physical activity has increased.

Full reports from the interim and final evaluation stages are available online, along with a conference

poster summarising learning from EYTO.

Dissemination, resources and practical toolsA new EYTO website has been launched. The website draws together the work of the EYTO partnership

into one pan-European campaign; provides information and evidence on addressing healthy lifestyles

through peer-led social marketing campaigns; and offers tools and resources to support wider

implementation of the EYTO approach across Europe. At eyto.org.uk, you can find:

Background information on the project, including a film featuring the Young Campaign Creators,

briefings and all e-newsletters

Details of local campaigns in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Czech Republic

A systematic review and grey literature review of what works to prevent and reduce obesity

amongst children and young people

EYTO evaluation reports and conference poster

Practical tools for those who wish to develop their own youth-led, local social marketing campaigns

which promote healthy lifestyles.

For professionals we have produced an interactive Healthy Lifestyles Campaign Development Tool.

The young volunteers from the EYTO project have also created a top tips advice document for other

young people interested in taking action to encourage others to live a healthy life.

Staff from the EYTO partnership continue to share learning from the project at local, national and

international conferences and meetings.

We encourage you to use the EYTO website and share it widely. Your feedback is welcome: please send

to eyto@ncb.org.uk.

Young people discuss the impact the campaign has had on their lives (you tube video)

Exchange weekendThe second EYTO exchange weekend took place in April in Reus in Catalonia, Spain. This brought the

British, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech project teams, including the Young Campaign Creators, together

again following their first exchange weekend in London in October 2014.

Young people from each country presented their campaign progress and next steps. Findings from the

interim evaluation were discussed, and plans for disseminating learning and resources from EYTO. In

groups, participants identified the elements of their campaigns that were most successful, interesting or

ready-to-apply. Young Campaign Creators were asked to identify the most important things that they felt

someone from another country would need to know or do if replicating the work of the EYTO project; this

informed the tools mentioned above.

Final activities

UKThe UK team held a pop-up event in two youth centres in Islington,

London during Men’s Health Week. Around 50 boys and young men

were reached.

Amy Davies, the UK project lead, spoke about EYTO at Safefood’s All-

island Obesity Action Forum: Intervening to reduce obesity workshop in

Ireland in June. Details of the event and Amy’s slides can be found

here.

The EYTO conference poster was displayed at an October event

entitled Evidence into practice and policy: Implementing the NICE

guidance on ‘Maintaining a healthy weight and preventing excess

weight gain’. The conference was organised by PHE, NICE, NHS

England and the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO).

More information on the UK campaign can be found at the Look Up

campaign’s Facebook page.

SPAIN In April, the Spanish team hosted the joint exchange weekend in Spain,

welcoming all the participants, who enjoyed activities conducted in Reus

and Barcelona.

The team recorded their second wave of focus groups in May, and has

participated in the evaluation of the project. Now they are preparing for

a final event in Reus: representatives of the Government and different

stakeholders, in addition to all the participants, will meet on 19

November to share evaluation results and celebrate the success of the

EYTO project and Som la pera campaign.

The Spanish team presented the EYTO project at a meeting on

"Education, Health Promotion and Communication" at The School of

Public Health of Menorca in September.

Some scientific papers have been published in BMC Public Health and

in the Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies (in

press).

More information on the Spanish campaign can be found at the Som la

Pera campaign’s Facebook page.

CZECH REPUBLICIn May, the Czech team again held another round of interactive lectures

for primary schools, this time held in part of the Young Campaign

Creators’ school - the 1st Primary School of Dobříš (Central Bohemia).These sessions were most successful, reaching 150 pupils, and

received positive feedback from the campaign creators’ teachers, who

have been very pleasantly surprised by what the children had learned

and how they were able to transmit information to others.

The last focus group was held in June for the project evaluation, as well

as an internal summary of existing project outputs. After the holidays,

the campaign creators decided to close the project campaign activity.

There were a few separate meetings in September with campaign

creators, which addressed raising awareness about EYTO using peer to

peer methods during their summer holiday. The result after the end of

the EYTO project is that Nebuď Pecka team would like to continue withthe campaign between their new classmates.

During the campaign realization, its creators succeeded in reaching a

total of 765 participants through "live" campaign activities.

More information on the Czech campaign can be found at the Nebuďpecka campaign’s Facebook page.

PORTUGALThe Portuguese team organised an outdoor event in the National Day of

Fight Against Obesity, 23 May. In this event the Portuguese team

invited friends, families and the wider community to do exercise. The

event included a fitness class, Kangaroo Jumps, Jiu Jitsu and a lot of

excitement. At the same time, a nutritionist gave advice on how to have

a healthy diet.

During the summer, the second focus group was held with the Young

Campaign Creators for evaluation of the project. A pop-up campaign

was also held in busy streets in Lisbon. Members of the public were

asked if they had heard about EYTO and if they would like to answer

our online survey.

Now the Portuguese team is organising a final event with family and

friends where participation certificates will be

presented.

More information on the Portuguese campaign can be found at the

LUTA POR TI Facebook page.

Contact usYou can find out more about the EYTO partnership and its activities on the project website

http://www.eyto.org.uk/. Please find contact details for each partner below.

Information on obesity and child health in EuropeThe European Association for Study of Obesity was a collaborating partner for EYTO, and promotes the

study of obesity.

The World Obesity Federation provides monthly summaries of global news in the field of obesity.

About the EYTO partnership The project represented a new partnership borne form a shared concern over rising levels of childhood

obesity and a lack of innovative and targeted work to tackle obesity amongst adolescents as compared to

younger children. In the EU, 22 million children are overweight or obese. It is a major public health

challenge that affects around a third of children and young people in the UK and Czech Republic and

about half in Spain and Portugal.

The partnership included

The National Children’s Bureau is a leading research and development

charity, working across England and Northern Ireland, to improve the lives

of children and young people, reducing the impact of inequalities.

Contact: Amy Davies; eyto@ncb.org.uk

The CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health in Spain provides

expertise in health promotion and education, and works also on the

validation of the nutritional and health claims made on foods.

Contact: Ignasi Papell; ignasi.papell@ctns.cat

Komunikujeme are based in the Czech Republic and specialise in training

and personal development programmes for children and young people

across a range of health and educational themes.

Contact: Dagmar Skupová; skupova@komunikujeme.eu

Companhia De Ideias – a media and communications agency based in

Portugal with experience of developing and delivering campaigns to

promote healthy lifestyles and tackle obesity.

Contact: Fabiana Gomes; fgomes@companhiadeideias.com

The project ran from September 2013 to September 2015 and has received funding from the EU Executive Agency for Health and Consumers

in the framework of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

What made EYTO effective in engaging with and supporting children and young people on the topic of obesity? Youth-led and peer to peer approach gave young people greater control top provide reliable, relevant and accessible information. Capabilities development of young volunteers so that they were better prepared to make decisions and take the lead. Raised awareness of obesity and increased motivation for healthy eating and undertaking physical activities. Provided experiences different from audiences habits.

Long term sustainable changes to behaviour, requires multi-disciplinary collaborative working with young people, parents and professionals in the community through: Positive and inspirational messaging and provision of relevant and reliable information; Provision of accessible options for making healthy choices Effective targeting of vulnerable groups A youth-led and peer-to-peer approach, which adopts a holistic method A family model approach, building the capacity of parents Use of robust and standardised recording tools.

Further information: The project was led by the UK based National Children’s Bureau (NCB) in partnership with; the CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health in Spain; Komunikujeme in the Czech Republic; and Companhia de Ideas in Portugal; and was made possible by funding from the

European Union Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

Amy Davies, Katie Rix & Evangeline Amalathas

National Children’s Bureau WWW. EYTO.CO.UK / EYTO@NCB.ORG.UK

A YOUTH LED SOCIAL MARKETING APPROACH TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY

LIFESTYLES

Research has shown that 22 million children in the EU are overweight or obese It is a significant public health challenge and health inequality for all countries represented in the EYTO partnership affecting one in three children in the UK, half of children and young people in Portugal and Spain and a third in the Czech Republic. (World Obesity Federation, 2013). Young people from low income groups are particularly at risk (Reilly, 2009). The teenage years provide a vital window of opportunity however there is a lack of targeted approaches to tackle the complex issues that adolescents face. Whilst youth-led social marketing campaigns have been successfully developed on other health topics, the potential to use this technique to tackle obesity has yet to be realised. Therefore, EYTO was designed to support groups of 13-18 year olds living in disadvantaged communities across Europe to research, design and launch new social marketing campaigns to promote healthy eating and physical activity amongst their peers. The project provided support to young people across the partnership to connect with one another, promoting cross cultural learning, and the development of tools and resources to replicate the EYTO approach.

Background

The EYTO project method

Key evaluation findings and discussion

The EYTO project was led by National Children Bureau’s (NCB) Health and Social Care team in the UK, and delivered in partnership with three other organisations in Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. EYTO consisted of the following aspects: Reviewing learning from effective social marketing interventions to tackle childhood and youth obesity. Recruiting and supporting a network of young volunteers or ‘Campaign Creators’ across the participating

countries to develop social marketing campaigns in a range of settings within their local communities to promote healthy lifestyles amongst their peers vulnerable to obesity.

Providing support to the young people across the partnership to share learning and ideas Promoting cross cultural learning, campaign messages, and associated resources across Europe

I have always thought about healthy lifestyles

only in one way – how to lose weight. Now I see

that it’s more complex. It’s also about your motivation, about your emotions and your

whole life.

EYTO Young Campaign Creator

Evaluation methodology An evaluation of the EYTO project was run by the NCB Research Centre, across the four participating countries, throughout the project which ran from 2013-15. The methodology used in the final evaluation is depicted below in Table 1. This methodology was used to assess how far healthy eating and physical activity was promoted amongst children and young people.

Table 1: Evaluation methodology

EYTO Project Method N

Campaign Creators Focus groups and activities Total 12 focus groups (3 in each country)

Stakeholders Interviews 22

Young people engaging with the project Survey 237

Activity monitoring Analysis of activities

It’s definitely more effective if something is told

by your peer, rather than from

somebody older...because

your peer understands you

the most. EYTO Young Campaign Creator

CAMPAIGN CREATORS FOCUS GROUPS

Positive and inspirational messages promote healthy lifestyles.

Developed skills, knowledge and confidence.

Positive emotions and motivation change behaviour.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Youth-led approach helped to shape the provision of relevant and accessible information.

To make healthy choices children and young people require accessible choices.

Obesity can only be addressed through collaborative and holistic approaches.

SURVEY Causes of obesity associated with eating (48.6%) and not enough physical activities (33%).

89.9% of respondents rated campaigns as somewhat or very effective in encouraging them to eat a healthier diet and be more active.

ACTIVITIES 9,503 individuals engaged with paper-based activities.

4,336 individuals engaged with face to face events.

2,984 individuals engaged with web-based activities.

16,823 young people engaged in total across 4 countries.

What made EYTO effective in engaging with and supporting children and young people on the topic of obesity? Youth-led and peer to peer approach gave young people greater control top provide reliable, relevant and accessible information. Capabilities development of young volunteers so that they were better prepared to make decisions and take the lead. Raised awareness of obesity and increased motivation for healthy eating and undertaking physical activities. Provided experiences different from audiences habits.

Long term sustainable changes to behaviour, requires multi-disciplinary collaborative working with young people, parents and professionals in the community through: Positive and inspirational messaging and provision of relevant and reliable information; Provision of accessible options for making healthy choices Effective targeting of vulnerable groups A youth-led and peer-to-peer approach, which adopts a holistic method A family model approach, building the capacity of parents Use of robust and standardised recording tools.

Further information: The project was led by the UK based National Children’s Bureau (NCB) in partnership with; the CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health in Spain; Komunikujeme in the Czech Republic; and Companhia de Ideas in Portugal; and was made possible by funding from the

European Union Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

Amy Davies, Katie Rix & Evangeline Amalathas

National Children’s Bureau WWW. EYTO.CO.UK / EYTO@NCB.ORG.UK

A YOUTH LED SOCIAL MARKETING APPROACH TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY

LIFESTYLES

Research has shown that 22 million children in the EU are overweight or obese It is a significant public health challenge and health inequality for all countries represented in the EYTO partnership affecting one in three children in the UK, half of children and young people in Portugal and Spain and a third in the Czech Republic. (World Obesity Federation, 2013). Young people from low income groups are particularly at risk (Reilly, 2009). The teenage years provide a vital window of opportunity however there is a lack of targeted approaches to tackle the complex issues that adolescents face. Whilst youth-led social marketing campaigns have been successfully developed on other health topics, the potential to use this technique to tackle obesity has yet to be realised. Therefore, EYTO was designed to support groups of 13-18 year olds living in disadvantaged communities across Europe to research, design and launch new social marketing campaigns to promote healthy eating and physical activity amongst their peers. The project provided support to young people across the partnership to connect with one another, promoting cross cultural learning, and the development of tools and resources to replicate the EYTO approach.

Background

The EYTO project method

Key evaluation findings and discussion

The EYTO project was led by National Children Bureau’s (NCB) Health and Social Care team in the UK, and delivered in partnership with three other organisations in Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. EYTO consisted of the following aspects: Reviewing learning from effective social marketing interventions to tackle childhood and youth obesity. Recruiting and supporting a network of young volunteers or ‘Campaign Creators’ across the participating

countries to develop social marketing campaigns in a range of settings within their local communities to promote healthy lifestyles amongst their peers vulnerable to obesity.

Providing support to the young people across the partnership to share learning and ideas Promoting cross cultural learning, campaign messages, and associated resources across Europe

I have always thought about healthy lifestyles

only in one way – how to lose weight. Now I see

that it’s more complex. It’s also about your motivation, about your emotions and your

whole life.

EYTO Young Campaign Creator

Evaluation methodology An evaluation of the EYTO project was run by the NCB Research Centre, across the four participating countries, throughout the project which ran from 2013-15. The methodology used in the final evaluation is depicted below in Table 1. This methodology was used to assess how far healthy eating and physical activity was promoted amongst children and young people.

Table 1: Evaluation methodology

EYTO Project Method N

Campaign Creators Focus groups and activities Total 12 focus groups (3 in each country)

Stakeholders Interviews 22

Young people engaging with the project Survey 237

Activity monitoring Analysis of activities

It’s definitely more effective if something is told

by your peer, rather than from

somebody older...because

your peer understands you

the most. EYTO Young Campaign Creator

CAMPAIGN CREATORS FOCUS GROUPS

Positive and inspirational messages promote healthy lifestyles.

Developed skills, knowledge and confidence.

Positive emotions and motivation change behaviour.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Youth-led approach helped to shape the provision of relevant and accessible information.

To make healthy choices children and young people require accessible choices.

Obesity can only be addressed through collaborative and holistic approaches.

SURVEY Causes of obesity associated with eating (48.6%) and not enough physical activities (33%).

89.9% of respondents rated campaigns as somewhat or very effective in encouraging them to eat a healthier diet and be more active.

ACTIVITIES 9,503 individuals engaged with paper-based activities.

4,336 individuals engaged with face to face events.

2,984 individuals engaged with web-based activities.

16,823 young people engaged in total across 4 countries.

Pivotal insight:  Young People in the 

EYTO project 

Highlights

● We must include young people as proactive agents in health promotion.

● Youth can contribute to health interventions, such as the improvement of healthy habits, when they have enough information, support and motivation.

● Young people can easily identify the main barriers and strengths of health promotion initiatives.

● Peer-led and social marketing have been effective in health promotion interventions with adolescents.

What is EYTO?

European Youth Tackling Obesity (EYTO) was a youth-led and peer-to-peer project that used social marketing campaigns to tackle obesity among young people (13 to 18 years old) living in disadvantaged communities in four European Countries (United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Czech Republic). Since obesity rates follow a social gradient in which the highest rates are present in racial/ethnic minorities and poor populations1, actions with innovative and effective approaches are needed to prevent this health issue are needed in this populations.

The main project objectives were to increase skills and confidence in applying participatory social marketing techniques with adolescents; as well as engaging young people in campaigns created by peers to increase their motivation to eat more healthily and be more physically active, with the intention for a long-term obesity prevention.

What makes it different?

This project emerged from the social need of a more collaborative strategy that gives young people a leading role in addressing health matters affecting them (such as obesity). The campaigns were created across Europe by adolescents for adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods by Campaign Creators (the young people who were involved in the campaign delivery).

Although in the EYTO project each campaign was tailored for audiences in their own countries, different and innovative approaches had the following in common: youth-led methodology, placing young people at the center of the project, social marketing approach and peer-led strategies as methodological bases to support good practice in obesity prevention. The use of social networks as a communication tool and a health promotion channel with young people was also a singular approach. Including young people, researchers, stakeholders and policy makers was essential for creating a movement that addressed obesity prevention in the public health strategies of local areas.

Prepared by Magaly Aceves-Martins, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Aixa Y Alemán-Díaz, WHO Collaborative Centre for International Child and

Adolescent Health Policy at the University of St Andrews. 

  

Why are young people pivotal?

Adolescents represent a healthcare challenge, due to the transition process of parent-managed care to

personal decision-making. In addition, adolescents experience a physiologic and cognitive transition,

where they try to reshape their identity and establish relationships with their social environment. The

adolescent period is crucial in determining longer-term obesity risks and provides different opportunities

to develop healthier lifestyles2. The EYTO project made young people a central partner in this obesity

prevention challenge.

In adolescence, peers can be a deciding factor in the youth's decision making process, including an

important influence on health related behaviors through their attitudes, and also the different

information sources accessible to them. The EYTO project showed how viable and effective this type of

intervention can be especially to prevent health issues in young disadvantaged populations, and

underscored the need to integrate them in the general efforts for improving wellbeing in their

communities. The created campaigns worked towards initial objectives of increased understanding and

motivation for healthy eating and undertaking physical activities. These changes require increased

collaborative working with parents and professionals in the community and from different sectors to

ensure children and young people have accessible and available options to make healthy choices.

EYTO Contact information:

Website: www.eyto.org.uk

Amy Davies

Senior Development Officer –

Health & Social Care

National Children's Bureau

8 Wakley Street | London | EC1V 7QE

Tel: 07850 926988

Email: adavies@ncb.org.uk

Rosa Solà M.D.; PhD

Health Education and Promotion Research Group

Functional Nutrition, Oxidation and

Cardiovascular Disease Research Group

Medicine and Surgery Department

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

C/ Sant Llorenç, 21, 43201

Reus, Spain.

Tel: (+34) 977 759345.

Email: rosa.sola@urv.cat

References: 1.-McLaren L: Socioeconomic status and obesity. Epidemiol Rev 2007, 29:29-48

2.- Srof BJ, Velsor-Friedrich B. Health promotion in adolescents: a review of Pender's health promotion model. Nurs Sci Q. 2006

Oct;19(4):366-73. 

A youth led social marketing approach to encourage healthy

lifestyles

EYTO is an exciting new project led by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB - UK) in partnership with organisations in Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

With funding from the European Union, we will be developing an innovative peer-led social marketing campaign to promote healthy eating and physical activity and stem the rise in obesity amongst young people. With the potential to reach over a million disadvantaged young people, the campaign will transcend cultural barriers to connect with young people and increase their motivation to lead healthier lifestyles.

The Problem

22 million children in the EU are overweight or obese. It is a significant public health issue for all the countries par-ticipating in this project, affecting one in three children in the UK, almost half of 10-18 year olds in Portugal, over half of 5-17 year olds in Spain, and over a third of 6-17 year olds in the Czech Republic1.

Obesity can cause a range of chronic health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is also linked to low-self esteem, poor educational outcomes, and reduced overall life chances2. It is a major health inequality; young people from low-income groups are at particular risk – this is connected to low levels of health education, parental obesity, lack of green space and opportunities to be physically active, and the financial cost of eating healthily. Ag-gressive marketing of unhealthy food to children and young people and the number of cheap takeaways in deprived areas are also important factors.

The teenage years are pivotal in determining the longer term risk of obesity, and as our behaviours are harder to change as we get older, provide a vital window of opportunity to help young people develop healthier lifestyles. As children become teenagers and gain greater independence, they experience new freedoms that can influence their weight – from being able to spend pocket money, eating out with friends to using social networking sites, on which they encounter adverts for junk food. Not enough attention has been given to supporting young people at this point of transition to counter negative pressures and make healthy lifestyle choices. Whilst youth-led social marketing cam-paigns have been successfully developed on other health topics, the potential to use this technique to tackle obesity has yet to be realised.

There is great promise in emerging technologies to tackle obesity in young people. finding new and creative ways to engage those most at risk.

1 World Obesity Federation 2 Reilly, J.J. (2009) Obesity in children and young people (highlight no 250), London: National Children’s Bureau.

Project Briefing

In each country the young people will be supported by a project team including youth workers and social marketing ex-perts. In England, NCB will be working in partnership with young people, aged between 13 and 16 years, in the London Borough of Islington. NCB’s Research Centre will be working with academic researchers in each country to evaluate the impact of the campaign on outcomes for young people.

The benefits

We anticipate that the campaign will help to reduce obesity amongst young people by:

Increasing understanding at a local, national and European level of successful social marketing approaches to tackle obe-•sity amongst disadvantaged young people

Increasing the confidence and skills of young people and practitioners to apply participatory social marketing techniques•

Increasing reported levels of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption amongst young people across Europe •

Increasing the sharing and replication of good practice amongst EU member states•

Our partners

To deliver this project NCB will be working in partnership with:

Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health – an academic institution in Spain•

Companhia de Ideias - a multi-media company in Portugal •

Komunikujeme – a youth participation organisation in the Czech Republic•

The European Association for the Study of Obesity, EuroHealthNet, and Eurochild are also supporting the campaign and •it’s dissemination across Europe.

What we will be doing

Between September 2013 and September 2015 we will be:

Conducting and publishing a review of effective social marketing and healthy lifestyle interventions across the four •participating countries

Recruiting groups of disadvantaged young people in each country to lead the development of a new social market-•ing campaign to tackle obesity

Supporting the young people to research, create and pilot the campaign, associated activities and digital applica-•tions in their local communities

Providing opportunities for young people from the participating countries to meet up to share learning, and sup-•porting replication of activities

Developing and launching a website to promote the campaign across Europe, including all the resources and mate-•

The project runs from September 2013 - September 2015 and has received funding from the EU Executive Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework of

the Health Programme 2008-2013.

To find out more please contact Amy Davies on adavies@ncb.org.uk or calling 0207 843 6305

1

EYTO – European Youth Tackling Obesity

Dissemination Plan

Delivery date 04 March 2014

Author(s) Companhia de Ideias (CI)

Document Information

Project

Project Title: European Youth Tackling Obesity

Project Start date: 20 September 2013

Program European Commission – Executive Agency for Health and Consumers

Grant Agreement number 2012-12-19

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Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 3

2 DISSEMINATION STRATEGY ................................................................................................. 3

2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW & GOALS 2.2 DISSEMINATION PLAN: GOALS & PHASES 2.3 ACTION PLAN

3 TARGETED GROUPS .............................................................................................................. 5

3.1 IDENTIFIED CATEGORIES OF TARGETGROUPS

4 DISSEMINATION PLAN ........................................................................................................... 6

4.1 STAKEHOLDER 4.2 YOUNG PEOPLE

5 DISSEMINATION INSTRUMENTS ........................................................................................... 8

6 DISSEMINATION MATERIAL .................................................................................................. 8 8 SUMMARY OF KEY DISSEMINATION OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES 10

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1. Introduction

The document details the Dissemination Plan of the EYTO project which consists of a set of opportunities, instruments and actions to be considered for the rest of the project in order to maximize the project’s impact on target groups and stakeholders. The goals of this document are:

• to clearly identify the target groups • to identify the main stakeholders • to define the dissemination channels, media and activities for the target group and

stakeholder • to allocate the tasks and activities among project partners, • to define an approach that ensures quality and consistency of the dissemination material and

activities • to outline an initial time schedule for the implementation of the plan.

The document is organized as follows:

• Chapter 2 “Dissemination Strategy”, describes the strategy behind the dissemination plan, including the goals and the phases of the dissemination activities, the steps for achieving these goals and the process for managing and monitoring the activities.

• Chapter 3 “Targeted Groups” describes the identified categories of targeted users and their needs and provides a list of channels to reach the targeted audience as well as some specific targeted users to be contacted directly. The list will be further enhanced or adapted during the project.

• Chapter 4 “Dissemination Instruments” describes the instruments for dissemination activities • Chapter 5 “Dissemination material” describes the material to be produced • Chapter 6 “Time Schedule”

2. Dissemination Strategy

Project Overview & Goals

The EYTO- European Youth Tackling Obesity project is an European Commission - Executive Agency for Health and Consumers financed project with the main goal to promote healthy lifestyles amongst disadvantaged young people aged 12-16. The aims of the project are to: - learn more about ‘what works’ in campaigns that get young people to eat better, move more, - to apply this learning to develop new campaigns to get young people to eat better, move more - to develop the evidence base and support the wider replication of good practice. This will be done by - reviewing social marketing interventions, identifying and recruiting groups of young people to lead the development of new social marketing campaigns, - supporting them to research, create and launch local-level campaigns - Bringing the groups of young people from each country together to share learning - Testing out and replicate campaign activities across the partnership - Developing and launching a website to disseminate the campaign and all associated materials With the objective to : - Reduce the modifiable causes of obesity amongst disadvantaged young people - Reduce the wider causes of obesity amongst disadvantaged young people - Improve health, education and social outcomes for young people at risk of obesity - Contribute to a reduction in health inequalities amongst young people

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- Increase the participation of young people in the development of interventions to tackle obesity - Strengthen the evidence base on ‘what works’ - Increase understanding of the role social marketing can play in encouraging healthier lifestyles - Increase sharing of good practice across Europe

Dissemination Plan: Goals & Phases

The dissemination activities of the EYTO project aim:

1. to create awareness of the project amongst:

a. Youngsters with ages between 12 and 16 years old b. Parents and tutors c. Representatives from local youth communities d. Health services in the areas where the campaign is targeted e. Policy makers in the Education field

2. to identify main stakeholder as:

a. school communities b. youth groups c. organizations aiming to reduce obesity d. health ministry e. public health institutes f. education ministry

The Dissemination plan will be implemented in two parallel ways:

1. Targeting the groups of young people

2. Targeting the stakeholders

Action plan

In order to achieve the potential results, the EYTO partners have to perform a number of actions to ensure that all activities are performed efficiently and effectively. The action plan consists of a number of steps: 1) Identification of target group and stakeholders

2) Definition of dissemination channels for reaching the target audience

3) Definition of dissemination instruments 4) Development of dissemination material

An initial outcome of each step is given in this document. This information will be continuously updated throughout the project.

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3. Targeted Groups

Identified categories of Target group

Taking into account the needs and interests of the target group of stakeholder (1) and youngsters (2), the identified categories of target groups are listed in the following table.

Target Group Needs

(1)

School Communities

Representatives of organized groups of young people

Parents and Tutors

Civil Society Organisations

Health services

National policy makers

European policy makers

Get more information regarding the issue of childhood obesity, how to prevent and tackle it

Change mentalities and way of living

Implement a ‘whole system’ approach to encourage healthier lifestyles e.g. healthier food in schools/encouraging physical activity

Help spread the project within the young people other than the teenager involved in the project

Spread the results and outcomes of the project between the influential policy makers on the partners’ country and Europe

(2)

Young teenagers with ages between 12 and 16 years old

Learn about social marketing

Learn about healthy lifestyle

Develop activities that increase a healthier and more active lifestyle between the people their age

Spread the activities developed through the community

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4. Dissemination Plan

1: Stakeholders

Dissemination activities to this target group aim to create awareness regarding the childhood obesity problem. This dissemination should be done differently to each of the stakeholders

Stakeholder Who Message How Timming Purpose School Communities - Teachers

- Staff members - Parents association

Raise Awareness to the childhood obesity problem, how to tackle it, what good practices may be implemented, how to change habits and prevent the problem

Development of activities in schools

Throughout the project

Engage

Representatives of organized groups of young people

- Youth groups - Disadvantaged children

associations - Disadvantaged

youngsters association

Meetings with the representatives

Inclusion of the youngsters in our activities

Throughout the project

Raise awareness

Engage

Parents and Tutors - Parents - Family members - Legal guardians

Meetings with parents

Distribution of brochures about healthy lifestyle

Throughout the project

Raise awareness

Engage

Civil Society Organisations

Tbc by each partner Promote the project and the results achieved, invite the organisations to follow us and participate at our activities Send e-newsletters, invite to

follow on social networks and visit our website. Distribution of posters and Leaflets

Throughout the project

Promote

Health services - Hospital - Health centres - Clinics - Private Practices -

Promote the project and the results achieved

After each workshop and event

Promote

National policy makers - Ministry of Health - Ministry of Education Raise awareness to the childhood

obesity problem and inform about our project and results achieved

Send of e-newsletters, invite to follow on social networks and visit our website.

Inform

European policy makers

- European Parliament - Public Health

Inform

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2: Youngsters

Dissemination activities to this target group aim to create interest in development of social marketing campaigns in order to implement healthier lifestyles between younger people.

Target group Message How Timming Purpose

6 young teenagers with ages between 12 and 16 years old

Create a social marketing campaign that raise awareness on the importance of having a healthy lifestyle

Create leaflets with information regarding social marketing

Development of activities with young people

Creation and maintenance of social network profiles

Creation of website

Create posters and brochures

Distribute materials to schools, community centres, youngsters associations and stakeholders

When recruiting young people

Engage

Raise awareness

Throughout the project

After workshops and events

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Dissemination Instruments

The following means will be used for the communication of project results and achievements:

Project Website (www.ncb.org.uk/eyto)

Mailing lists and e-newsletter

Each partner should create a national mailing list to send e-newsletters (that will be produced by NCB at six monthly intervals)

Press Releases

Each partner should gather a list of communication platforms where they want to have the project mentioned. For example: National News Agency, TV shows Agendas, Healthcare and Lifestyle magazines, News networks/channels,…

Events and workshops

Meetings with parents and representatives of organizations for young people Workshops with the young campaigners Events developed by the young campaigners with social marketing tools

Partners should keep a record of dissemination activities and their reach to inform the interim and final technical reports

Dissemination Material

Project Logo

Developed by NCB

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Project Leaflet

To be developed

Dissemination Instruments and Material to be developed by Young people as part of their campaigns

Website for young people (informal)

This website should appeal to young people and raise awareness to the need of having a healthier life style (never talking about obesity)

Social Network pages

Creation of facebook, twitter, Instagram, (…) pages where the young campaigners may spread the message to the target of the project Posters, brochures, …

Young people will decide the scope and content of any promotional material that they develop as part of their campaigns.

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Summary of key EYTO outputs: What? When? Who leads? EYTO project webpage

Produced in December 2013 (www.ncb.org.uk/eyto) NCB

Leaflet Not yet produced – to produce if partners agree it’s necessary NCB Literature review April 2014 CTNS Project briefing April 2014 NCB Layman’s version of the final evaluation report

September 2015 NCB

Pan-campaign website August 2015 NCB Resources produced as part of local campaign work

April 2014- September 2015 All partners

Summary of dissemination activities (for outputs aimed at external audiences) What? When? Who leads? Stakeholder analysis – each partner to conduct a stakeholder analysis for their country and compile a list of local and national contacts: this should include a list of local agencies to engage in the creation and launch of the campaign itself, and wider stakeholders with whom to share learning.

April 2014 Each partner

Production and promotion of an e-newsletter (to signpost stakeholders to key outputs including literature review, project briefing etc)

Editions to be produced in June 2014, January 2015 and June 2015

NCB to lead collation and dissemination at EU level – partners to lead on dissemination to stakeholders in their individual countries

Proactive media promotion – raising awareness of the project and its activities/objectives in local and national

April 2014 ongoing Each partner to identify promotional opportunities in line with key phases of the local campaigns

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media and in relevant publications

Liaison with our Associated Partners (EuroHealthNet/EuroChild/European Association for the Study of Obesity) to support wider dissemination of e-newsletters at an EU level

April 2014 ongoing NCB

22 million children in the EU are overweight or obese.

It is a major public health challenge across Europe that now affects around a third of children and young people in the UK and Czech Republic, and about half in Spain and Portugal. Obesity is a major health in-equality linked to reduced overall life chances, par-ticularly amongst young people living in our poorest communities.

Research highlights a lack of healthy lifestyle cam-paigns targeted at teenagers, the need to actively involve young people in their design and delivery, and the effectiveness of social marketing in creating cam-paigns that led to positive behaviour change.

To address this, the EYTO partnership will be:

Conducting a systematic review of learning from •past or current social marketing interventions to promote healthy lifestyles

Recruiting and supporting a network of 20 young •volunteers to research, design and launch social marketing campaigns across their local communities to promote healthy lifestyles amongst their peers

Supporting young people across the partnership to •share ideas and replicate campaign activities

Developing a website to launch one pan-European •campaign, associated tools and resources

Evaluating the impact of the campaign on outcomes •for young people and those working to support them, and disseminating the learning.

To find out more please contact Senior Project Development Officer Amy Davies adavies@ncb.org.uk 0207 843 6000.

The EYTO partnership includes:

The CTNS Technology Centre of Nutrition and Health in Spain which provides expertise in health education and nutrition and the healthy biological efficacyoffunctionalfoods.

Komunikujeme are based in the Czech Republic and specialise in training and personal develop-ment programmes for children and young people across a range of health and educational themes.

Companhia de Ideias - a media and communications agency based in Portugal with experience of developing and delivering campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles and tackle obesity.

© National Children’s Bureau - Registered charity No. 258825. Registered in England and Wales No. 952717 registered office: 8 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7QE. A Company Limited by Guarantee.

The National Children’s Bureau is a leading research and development charity working to improve the lives of children and young people, reducing the impact of inequalities.

The project runs from September 2013 to September 2015 and has received funding from the EU Executive

Agency for Health and Consumers in the framework of the Health Programme 2008-2013.

A youth led social marketing approach to encourage healthy lifestyles