Table 2 The evidence, context, facilitation and impacts of evaluated health promotion tools, and quality of evaluations
Program | Type of tool | Evidence for tool development | Context specified | Facilitation strategies | Impacts or outcomes | Evaluation design and quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture [23] | Practice framework | Research literature; professional practice; pilot program | Community-based - program delivery in Northern Territory | Employment of senior Aboriginal women; other strategies not specified | Increased birth weights in one group, no significant change in the second group | Quantitative Strong |
Healthy weight program/ Living strong program [27] | Health screening tool and training package | Reviewed the literature | QLD | Delivered by Indigenous health workers, community health staff and non-government health staff | Majority of participants achieved reductions in body weight and waist/hip circumferences; and modest positive change in lifestyle behaviours | Qualitative Weak |
Training package | Based on U.S. program | Alcohol rehabilitation settings | Identified as effective but there was no documentation of actual implementation | Lower depression levels, partner drinking and relationship violence | Quantitative Strong | |
Research literature | ||||||
Professional practice | ||||||
Participatory community planning [30] | Guidelines | Reviewed the literature | Remote community of Mapoon | Participatory planning | Influenced town plan, and likely health benefits | Qualitative Strong |
Community water planner field guide project [26] | Guidelines | N/A | National | Distributed | Improved management for small water supplies | Qualitative Weak |
Integrated Yarn model for sexual health training [22] | Practice framework | Knowledge from Indigenous sexual health workers and other health professionals | North QLD | Training | Useful framework for guiding practice | Qualitative Moderate |
Yarrabah men’s group tool for measuring improvements in men’s behaviour [25] | Measurement tool | Research partnership with a community –controlled health organisation | Rural community of Yarrabah | Through research partnership | Men made small improvements towards their stated goals | Qualitative Moderate |
Measurement tool for workforce-rated improvements in organisational change [31] | Measurement tool | Research partnership with a community –controlled health organisation | Cairns and Cape York | Through research partnership | Monitoring of organisational change, improved staff wellbeing and empowerment | Qualitative Moderate |
Clinical management of alcohol-related problems [24] | Guidelines | National recommendations | National | Distribution through standardised workshops for general practitioners, and opportunistic provision and on request | Appropriate introduction increased use and positively influenced willingness to engage | Mixed |
Strong (qual) | ||||||
Moderate (quant) | ||||||
Cardiovascular education program [21] | Training package | Steering Committee chaired by AHWs | NSW | Partnership model for collaboration | Knowledge and confidence scores increased and students placed a very high value on clinical visits | Mixed |
Strong (qual) | ||||||
Weak (quant) | ||||||
Smoking cessation training program [32] | Training package | Research literature, piloted in north Queensland | NSW | Implemented by government. | Built self-reported knowledge and skills and confidence in brief intervention | Quantitative Moderate |