Supporting health promotion practitioners to undertake evaluation for program development
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: The vital role of evaluation as integral to program planning and program development is well supported in the literature, yet we find little evidence of this in health promotion practice. Evaluation is often a requirement for organisations supported by public funds, and is duly undertaken, however the quality, comprehensiveness and use of evaluation findings are lacking. Practitioner peer-reviewed publications presenting evaluation work are also limited. There are few published examples where evaluation is conducted as part of a comprehensive program planning process or where evaluation findings are used for program development in order to improve health promotion practice. DISCUSSION: For even the smallest of programs, there is a diverse array of evaluation that is possible before, during and after program implementation. Some types of evaluation are less prevalent than others. Data that are easy to collect or that are required for compliance purposes are common. Data related to how and why programs work which could be used to refine and improve programs are less commonly collected. This finding is evident despite numerous resources and frameworks for practitioners on how to conduct effective evaluation and increasing pressure from funders to provide evidence of program effectiveness. We identify several organisational, evaluation capacity and knowledge translation factors which contribute to the limited collection of some types of data. In addition, we offer strategies for improving health promotion program evaluation and we identify collaboration of a range of stakeholders as a critical enabler for improved program evaluation. SUMMARY: Evaluation of health promotion programs does occur and resources for how to conduct evaluation are readily available to practitioners. For the purposes of program development, multi-level strategies involving multiple stakeholders are required to address the organisational, capacity and translational factors that affect practitioners' ability to undertake adequate evaluation.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
To generate evidence to improve health promotion practice, evaluation needs to be conducted throughout the implementation of an intervention, not only at the conclusion.
“To generate evidence to improve health promotion practice, evaluation needs to be conducted throughout the implementation of an intervention not only at the conclusion.20”
From Designing evaluation plans for health promotion mHealth interventions: a case study of the <i>Milk Man</i> mobile app (2016) · cites this paper as [20]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Handbook of Qualitative Research
Crozier, G., Denzin, N., & Lincoln, Y. (1994) · British Journal of Educational Studies · doi:10.2307/3121684 · Cited by 26,636 · see citing works
Evaluating the public health impact of health promotion interventions: the RE-AIM framework.
Glasgow, R. E., Vogt, T. M., & Boles, S. M. (1999) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.89.9.1322 · Cited by 7,217 · see citing works
Handbook of qualitative research
(2000) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.38-0057 · Cited by 7,081 · see citing works
A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide)
Pmbok (2004) · Cited by 4,335 · see citing works
(2008) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781412953948.n339 · Cited by 3,237 · see citing works
(1999) · Cited by 1,648 · see citing works
Stufflebeam, D. L. (2005) · Kluwer Academic Publishers eBooks · doi:10.1007/0-306-47559-6_16 · Cited by 418 · see citing works
A Multidisciplinary Model of Evaluation Capacity Building
Preskill, H. S., & Boyle, S. (2008) · American Journal of Evaluation · doi:10.1177/1098214008324182 · Cited by 384 · see citing works
Evaluating health promotion : a health worker's guide
Hawe, P., Degeling, D., & Hall, J. P. (1990) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 301 · see citing works
International Handbook of Educational Evaluation
Kellaghan, T., & Stufflebeam, D. L. (2003) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-010-0309-4 · Cited by 280 · see citing works
The Production and Dissemination of Knowledge: A Scoping Review of Arts-Based Health Research
Boydell, K., Gladstone, B., Volpe, T., Allemang, B. A., & Stasiulis, E. (2011) · Forum qualitative Sozialforschung · doi:10.17169/fqs-13.1.1711 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
A Dialogical, Story-Based Evaluation Tool: The Most Significant Change Technique
Dart, J. (2003) · American Journal of Evaluation · doi:10.1016/s1098-2140(03)00024-9 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
Evaluation in a nutshell: a practical guide to the evaluation of health promotion programs
Bauman, A., & Nutbeam, D. (2013) · ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Reframing Evaluation Through Appreciative Inquiry
Preskill, H. S., & Catsambas, T. T. (2006) · Cited by 234 · see citing works
A Dialogical, Story-Based Evaluation Tool: The Most Significant Change Technique
Dart, J., & Davies, R. (2003) · American Journal of Evaluation · doi:10.1177/109821400302400202 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Evaluating Health Promotion Programs
Valente, T. W. (2002) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195141764.001.0001 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Barry, M. M., Allegrante, J. P., Lamarre, M.-C., Auld, M. E., & Taub, A. (2009) · Global Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/1757975909104097 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Education and Support for Fathers Improves Breastfeeding Rates: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Maycock, B., Binns, C. W., Dhaliwal, S., Tohotoa, J., Hauck, Y., Burns, S., & Howat, P. (2013) · Journal of Human Lactation · doi:10.1177/0890334413484387 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Self-citationZechmeister‐Koss, I., Kilian, R., McDaid, D., & the MHEEN group (2008) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-20 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
The limitations of ‘evidence‐based’ public health
Kemm, J. R. (2006) · Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2006.00600.x · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Brinkerhoff, R. O. (2004) · Advances in Developing Human Resources · doi:10.1177/1523422304272172 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
The nature of evidence resources and knowledge translation for health promotion practitioners
Armstrong, R., Waters, E., Crockett, B., & Keleher, H. (2007) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/dam017 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
The challenge to provide evidence in health promotion
Nutbeam, D. (1999) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/14.2.99 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Fagen, M. C., Redman, S. D., Stacks, J., et al. (2011) · Health Promotion Practice · doi:10.1177/1524839911412596 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Why Aren’t Evaluations Working and What to Do About It
Liket, K. C., Rey‐García, M., & Maas, K. (2014) · American Journal of Evaluation · doi:10.1177/1098214013517736 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
The CompHP Core Competencies Framework for Health Promotion in Europe
Barry, M. M., Battel-Kirk, B., & Dempsey, C. (2012) · Health Education & Behavior · doi:10.1177/1090198112465620 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Evaluating complex community-based health promotion: Addressing the challenges
Jolley, G. M. (2014) · Evaluation and Program Planning · doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2014.03.006 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Health Promotion Strategies and Methods
Egger, G. J., Spark, R. L., & Donovan, R. (1992) · eSpace (Curtin University) · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Health Promotion Strategies and Methods
King, M. (2000) · Contemporary Nurse · doi:10.5172/conu.2000.9.2.192 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
CROSS, D. S., Waters, S. K., Pearce, N., Shaw, T., Hall, M., Erceg, E., Burns, S. K., Roberts, C. M., & Hamilton, G. (2012) · International Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2012.05.004 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Self-citationEvaluability Assessment: A Tool for Incorporating Evaluation in Social Change Programmes
Thurston, W. E., & Potvin, L. (2003) · Evaluation · doi:10.1177/1356389003094006 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Davies, C., Knuiman, M. W., Wright, P., & Rosenberg, M. (2014) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-004790 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
A framework for evaluating health promotion programs
Louise O'Connor-Fleming, M., Parker, E., Higgins, H., & Gould, T. (2006) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he06061 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Health promotion development in Australia and New Zealand
Wise, M. (2000) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/15.3.237 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
The CompHP Core Competencies Framework for Health Promotion Handbook
Battel-Kirk, B., & Barry, M. M. (2011) · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Harris, N., & Sandor, M. (2013) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he12908 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Strengthening evaluation to capture the breadth of public health practice: ideal vs. real
Pettman, T. L., Armstrong, R., Doyle, J., Burford, B., Anderson, L. M., Hillgrove, T., Honey, N., & Waters, E. (2012) · Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/pubmed/fds014 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Jolley, G. M., Lawless, A. P., & Hurley, C. J. (2008) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he08152 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Hanusaik, N., O’Loughlin, J. L., Kishchuk, N. A., et al. (2009) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp140 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Population health, communities and health promotion
Jolley, G. M. (2009) · Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00438.x · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Evaluating Peer-based Youth Programs: Barriers and Enablers
Lobo, R. C., McManus, A., Brown, G., et al. (2010) · Evaluation Journal of Australasia · doi:10.1177/1035719x1001000106 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citationFunding illness prevention and health promotion in Australia: a way forward
Harris, A., & Mortimer, D. (2009) · Australia and New Zealand Health Policy · doi:10.1186/1743-8462-6-25 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Population Health, Communities and Health Promotion
Pickering, K. (2010) · Drug and Alcohol Review · doi:10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00137_5.x · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Hildebrand, J., Lobo, R. C., Hallett, J., et al. (2012) · eSpace (Curtin University) · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationSpecific and Nonspecific Serum Treatment of Scarlet Fever
Top, F. H., & Young, D. C. (1939) · American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.29.5.443 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Integrating relationship- and research-based approaches in Australian health promotion practice
Klinner, C., Carter, S. M., Rychetnik, L., Li, V., Daley, M., Zask, A., & Lloyd, B. (2014) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/dau026 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Editorial - Evaluation of health promotion programs: are we making progress?
Smith, B. J. (2013) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he11165 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Project Planning Using the Precede-Proceed Model
Howat, P. A., Brown, G., Burns, S. K., & McManus, A. (2008) · eSpace (Curtin University) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationAn evaluation framework for peer-based youth programs
Lobo, R. C. (2012) · eSpace (Curtin University) · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- [35]Green J South J Evaluation with hard-to-reach groups Evaluation: Key concepts for public health practice 2006 1 Berkshire, England Open University Press 113 128
- [44]Roberts M Lobo R Sorenson A Evaluating the Sharing Stories youth drama program. In Australasian Sexual Health Conference, 23-25 October 2013 2013 Darwin Australia Australasian Sexual Health Alliance (ASHA)
- [46]Lobo R Doherty M Crawford G Hallett J Comfort J Tilley P SiREN – building health promotion capacity in Western Australian sexual health services International Union for Health Promotion and Education, 21st World Conference on Health Promotion, 25–29 August 2013 2013 Pattaya, Thailand International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE)
- [48]Walker R Lobo R Asking, listening and changing direction: guiding youth sector capacity building for youth sexual health promotion Australasian Sexual Health Conference, 15–17 October 2012 2012 Melbourne International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI)
- [52]The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: First International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa, 21 November 1986. Published by the World Health Organisation 2015, accessed 3 January 2015 [ http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/]
- The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/1315/prepub
Cited by
Sorted by citations
White, B. K., Burns, S. K., Giglia, R. C., & Scott, J. A. (2016) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he16041 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Lobo, R., Petrich, M., & Burns, S. K.
- Affiliations
- Curtin University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Lobo, Roanna
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1315-1315
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4320438
- OpenAlex
- W1866788510
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 3.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Healthway (17529)
- Western Health Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Keywords
- health promotion program evaluation, program development, program planning, evaluation capacity, knowledge translation, stakeholder collaboration, evaluation data collection, evaluation use, organizational factors, practitioner support
- MeSH terms
- Cooperative Behavior, Health Promotion, Humans, Program Evaluation, Program Development, Peer Review, Research
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
