Table 3 Most used methods in YouRAction, their parameters for use and examples of strategies

Perceived environment

Facilitation

Providing sports clubs on an interactive map, tailored around the adolescents' home;

Facilitation

Providing walking and cycling routes

Providing visual representation of walking and cycling possibilities in neighbourhood

Active learning

Adding places to be active on maps

Knowledge

Provide information about behaviour-health link (PAPM)

Adding helpful information

Adolescents first fill in a practice quiz, which gives feedback. Subsequently they fill in a quiz which will be marked.

Advance organizers

Schematic representations of the content or guided to what is to be learned

Schematic on levels of PA, with colours

Attitude

Modeling

Reinforcement of the model

Web movie with models who decided to be active. Models smile and name the pro's they experienced of activity.

Provide information on consequences (TPB, SCT)

Investigation of the current beliefs of the individual before choosing the belief on which to intervene

Feedback based on pros and cons of specific behaviour

Awareness

Provide information about behaviour-health link (PAPM)

Messages should be presented as individual, undeniable, on the same dimension, congruent with actual risk, and cumulative rather than for one occasion messages presented with qualitative and quantitative examples

Feedback based on PA questionnaire on overall PA and sub-behaviours. Feedback consists of individual and normative feedback in text and graphs.

Subjective norm

Building skills for resistance to social pressure (SCT)

Skill building for refusal skills; commitment to earlier intention; relating intended behaviour to values; psychological inoculation against pressure

Simulation of role-plays by making use of interactive web movies.

Self-efficacy/PBC

Prompt barrier identification (SCT)

Choosing barriers which are important to adolescents

List of barriers in which adolescents can select barriers

Model or demonstrate the behaviour (SCT)/Set graded tasks (SCT)

Subskill demonstration, instruction and enactment with feedback

Web movies and comics in which in steps a solution to a problem is presented.

Relapse prevention (relapse prevention therapy)

Identification of high-risk situations and practice of coping response

Selection of barriers to be active in a predefined list. Followed by guided practice to cope with barrier and a homework assignment to practice this

Planning

Prompt specific goal setting (CT)

Commitment to the goal; goals that are difficult but achievable

Setting goals using a step-by-step application.

Relapse prevention (relapse prevention therapy)

Identification of high-risk situations and practice of coping response

Selection of barriers. Followed by form to fill in strategy to overcome barrier.

Prompt practice (OC)

Encourage adolescents to carry out their plan

Practice in achieving goals for one week. Daily feedback on achievement and barriers that occurred during that day

Relapse prevention

Prompt self-monitoring of behaviour (CT)/Provide feedback on performance (CT)

Can use feedback and confrontation; however raising awareness must be quickly followed by increase in problem-solving ability and self-efficacy

After goal setting, daily monitoring of behaviour with feedback on achievement.

Daily feedback on progress to achieve goal. If adolescents fail, feedback makes them aware that behavioural change goes hand in hand with occasional failure.

Agree on behavioural contract

Creating of behavioural contract which will be signed by adolescent and teacher

Step-by-step creation of behavioural contract, containing goal, plan to achieve this goal and reward when achieving this goal. This control can be printed to be signed by adolescent and teacher

Prompt review of behavioural goals (CT)

First guided monitoring, then self-monitoring. Feedback based on this self-monitoring in terms of behavioural goal.

Guided monitoring after second lesson; adolescents monitor their achievements. After third lesson they will be stimulated to this by their own in their diary. Based on these results resetting behavioural goals or progress with current goal.