Browsing by Author "Lewin, Simon"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effects of the Informed Health Choices primary school intervention on the ability of children in Uganda to assess the reliability of claims about treatment effects, 1-year follow-up: a cluster-randomised trial
    (Trials, 2020-01-06) Nsangi, Allen; Semakula, Daniel; Rosenbaum, Sarah; Lewin, Simon; Sewankambo, Nelson K.
    We evaluated an intervention designed to teach 10- to 12-year-old primary school children to assess claims about the effects of treatments (any action intended to maintain or improve health). We report outcomes measured 1 year after the intervention. In this cluster-randomised trial, we included primary schools in the central region of Uganda that taught year 5 children (aged 10 to 12 years). We randomly allocated a representative sample of eligible schools to either an intervention or control group. Intervention schools received the Informed Health Choices primary school resources (textbooks, exercise books and a teachers’ guide). The primary outcomes, measured at the end of the school term and again after 1 year, were the mean score on a test with two multiple-choice questions for each of the 12 concepts and the proportion of children with passing scores. We assessed 2960 schools for eligibility; 2029 were eligible, and a random sample of 170 were invited to recruitment meetings. After recruitment meetings, 120 eligible schools consented and were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 60 schools; 76 teachers and 6383 children) or the control group (n = 60 schools; 67 teachers and 4430 children). After 1 year, the mean score in the multiple-choice test for the intervention schools was 68.7% compared with 53.0% for the control schools (adjusted mean difference 16.7%; 95% CI, 13.9 to 19.5; P < 0.00001). In the intervention schools, 3160 (80.1%) of 3943 children who completed the test after 1 year achieved a predetermined passing score (≥ 13 of 24 correct answers) compared with 1464 (51.5%) of 2844 children in the control schools (adjusted difference, 39.5%; 95% CI, 29.9 to 47.5). Use of the learning resources led to a large improvement in the ability of children to assess claims, which was sustained for at least 1 year.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Process Evaluation of Teaching Critical Thinking About Health Using the Informed Health Choices Intervention in Rwanda: A Mixed Methods Study
    (Global Health: Science and Practice, 2024-02-26) Mugisha, Michael; Nyirazinyoye, Laetitia; Ssenyonga, Ronald; Kaseje, Margaret; Lewin, Simon
    We evaluated the Informed Health Choices secondary school intervention in a cluster randomized trial in Rwanda. The intervention was effective in helping students to think critically about health. In parallel to the trial, we conducted a process evaluation to assess factors affecting the implementation, impacts, and scale-up of the intervention.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Use of the Informed Health Choices digital resources for teaching lower secondary school students in Rwanda to think critically about health: protocol for a process evaluation
    (Zenodo, 2022-07-04) Mugisha, Michael; Nyirazinyoye, Laetitia; Simbi, Clarisse Marie Claudine; Ssenyonga, Ronald; Lewin, Simon
    The Informed Health Choices (IHC) network is a group of researchers aiming to develop the public’s critical thinking skills and help them make informed health choices. We started with young people and developed the primary and secondary school resources for teaching critical thinking about health choices. The “Be Smart about your Health” secondary school resources are designed for lower secondary students and will be evaluated in randomized trials in three countries: Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. This protocol is for a process evaluation that will be conducted alongside the trial in Rwanda. The aim is to assess the implementation process, impacts of the intervention, and factors affecting the impacts and scaling up use of the resources.