Evaluating Youth Advocacy for Policy and Environmental Change to Improve Communities

Background. New research is examining the potential of youth advocacy in the field of active living and healthy eating. e-YEAH! is an evaluation of Youth Engagement and Action for Health (YEAH!), a project of the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative. YEAH! engages youth and adult mentors in advocating for neighborhood improvements in physical activity opportunities and access to healthy foods, by 1) assessing community environments, 2) collecting data via environmental assessment tools, and 3) implementing advocacy action plans. YEAH! is based on successful pilot projects that led to a Safe Routes to School grant to build sidewalks near a high school and renovations to a local park to enhance pedestrian access and safety. Methods. Using elements of a successful model rooted in tobacco control, e-YEAH! employs a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of YEAH! participation on 10-15 YEAH! groups. Data are collected through written baseline and post-surveys of youth, on-line surveys of adult mentors, and interviews with decision-makers who are the focus of advocacy efforts. Outcome variables include measures of policy and environmental change, youth empowerment, self-efficacy, and readiness to act as advocates. Results . To date, more than 90 adult mentors have been trained as group leaders. e-YEAH! will present youth, adult mentor and decision-maker data from groups implementing projects in 2011. Conclusions. Evaluation findings will describe changes in youth participants, characteristics of successful advocacy groups, guide improvements to the YEAH! program, and provide insight into the potential for youth advocacy to influence community environmental/policy change.