Lessons learned from two decades of research in nutrition education and obesity prevention: Considerations for alcohol education.

OBJECTIVE

Effective health interventions involve an understanding of the specific needs and wants of the population to be served. Lessons from more than two decades of obesity prevention can be applied to understanding how to design and implement other behaviorally-focused health interventions, including those for alcohol education.

METHODS

Three obesity prevention campaigns were reviewed and evaluated for elements critical to their success in achieving desired outcomes.

RESULTS

Evaluation of the three cases studies revealed six key elements common to successful interventions. These include: specifying the desired outcome at the outset, understanding the target population, identifying a framework for the intervention, creating a campaign "identity", enlisting champions, and evaluating both outcomes and process.

CONCLUSION

Successful health interventions should be behaviorally-focused and include multiple components to address the various factors that influence behavior. A clear understanding of how and why desired outcomes were achieved can inform dissemination to a wider audience and improve sustainability.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Lessons learned from obesity prevention provide guidance for development of alcohol education. It must be acknowledged that there is still much to be learned to maximize success in prevention efforts. It is likely that analysis of future efforts in alcohol education can contribute to that understanding.

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