Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39706678›Full record

Trial reportGlobal health, science and practice2024

Process Evaluation of Teaching Critical Thinking About Health Using the Informed Health Choices Intervention in Rwanda: A Mixed Methods Study.

Michael Mugisha, Andrew D Oxman, Laetitia Nyirazinyoye, Anne Marie Uwitonze, Clarisse Marie Claudine Simbi, Faith Chesire, Ronald Ssenyonga, Matt Oxman, Allen Nsangi, Daniel Semakula and 4 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Global health, science and practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Michael MugishaInstitute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. mmugisha@nursph.org.
Andrew D OxmanCentre for Epidemic Interventions Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Laetitia NyirazinyoyeSchool of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Anne Marie UwitonzeSchool of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Clarisse Marie Claudine SimbiSchool of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Faith ChesireInstitute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
Ronald SsenyongaInstitute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
Matt OxmanCentre for Epidemic Interventions Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Allen NsangiDepartment of Medicine, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
Daniel SemakulaDepartment of Medicine, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
Margaret KasejeTropical Institute of Community Health and Development, Kisumu, Kenya.
Nelson K SewankamboDepartment of Medicine, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
Sarah RosenbaumCentre for Epidemic Interventions Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Simon LewinCentre for Epidemic Interventions Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWe 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.

methodsWe used a mixed methods approach that included quantitative and qualitative methods. We collected quantitative data from teachers to evaluate the teacher training and each lesson. We conducted focus group discussions with students (n=10) and their parents/guardians (n=5). We conducted lesson observations (n=16) and key informant interviews with teachers (n=10) and school administrators (n=10) from intervention schools and policymakers (n=2). We analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics. We used framework analysis and thematic content analysis to analyze the qualitative data.

resultsTeachers noted that the teacher training supported their delivery of the intervention and that they made only small adaptations to fit student, teacher, or contextual needs. Students reported obtaining important skills, including recognizing health claims, understanding the need for research, and "thinking twice" before deciding. Participants saw the design of the intervention, students' and teachers' motivation, and school and home support as key facilitators for the implementation and impact of the intervention. Implementation barriers identified included the content of the lessons not being included in national examinations, competing priorities, and time constraints. Participants identified several factors that could facilitate intervention scale-up, including the need for the skills taught in the lessons and compatibility of the intervention with the national curriculum.

conclusionWe found that it was feasible to implement the intervention in Rwandan secondary schools and that students benefited from the intervention. Scaling up the intervention will likely require addressing the barriers identified in this study.

Indexed as

Choice BehaviorFocus GroupsHealth EducationTeacher TrainingThinkingAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleProgram EvaluationQualitative ResearchRwandaSchool TeachersStudentsTeaching

Identifiers

PMID39706678
PMCPMC11666086

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.