The Process of Adapting High School-based Public Health Interventions for Use in Vocational High School Settings - The Case of the Young and Active Intervention

Objective: The Healthy High school study aimed to promote wellbeing at high schools in Denmark. While the study was still running, the funding body encouraged the project group to test the applicability of one of the high school-based intervention components, i.e. the Young and Active (Y&A) intervention component, to a Vocational Education and Training (VET) school setting. Y&A comprised a peer-led innovation workshop aimed at inspiring first-year students to develop and implement activities at school which promote sense of community and movement during the school day. Students could apply for a start-up grant to establish new activities and facilities. This research note reports on the systematic process of adapting this intervention component to a VET school setting: 1) needs assessment, 2) preliminary adaptation design, 3) preliminary adaptation testing, and 4) adaptation refinement.

Results: Based on the needs assessment, the following adaptions were made to the original intervention component; 1) A narrowed objective and focus i.e. promoting active breaks during the school day, 2) The addition of activity props to support the implementation of active breaks, and 3) Changes to the target group. As part of the further adaptation process, this preliminarily adapted version will be pilot-tested among students at VET schools using mixed methods.