Monitoring and evaluating services and interventions

These recommendations are for commissioners and providers of overweight and obesity services

1.21 Data to collect

1.21.1

Measure a broad range of outcomes and use validated tools to capture the full benefits of a sustainable, integrated health and wellbeing strategy. These include:

  • anthropometric measures such as BMI or waist-to-height ratio

  • indicators of dietary intake (for example intake of fruit and vegetables or sugar-sweetened drinks), physical activity (for example time spent in moderately vigorous activities such as brisk walking) or sedentary behaviour (for example leisure-based screen time or car use)

  • prevalence of obesity-related diseases

  • wider health outcomes such as indicators of mental health and wellbeing, improvements in self-esteem and quality of life

  • process outcomes such as service use, engagement of groups subject to health inequalities groups, establishment or expansion of community groups

  • indicators of structural changes (such as changes to procurement contracts).

    (See the UK government's standard evaluation framework for weight management interventions for other possible outcome measures.) [2014]

1.21.2

Consider collecting and assessing other outcomes at the end of the intervention, such as changes in:

  • dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviour

  • self-esteem, depression or anxiety

  • health outcomes, such as blood pressure. [2014]

1.22 Sharing and using the results

1.22.1

Log data in the National Obesity Audit and ensure all monitoring and evaluation results are accessible and easy to use by all who can use them in their work, both in the local community and nationally, including those involved with obesity prevention, local groups and networks, the media and the public. [2012]

1.23 Additional principles on monitoring provision for children and young people

These recommendations are for commissioners and providers.

1.23.1

Ensure monitoring focuses on sustaining changes in the longer term, including reports on the following data:

  • the number of children and young people taking part in the intervention

  • the percentage who complete it

  • the percentage followed up at 6 months and 1 year after completion

  • BMI and BMI adjusted for age and sex:

    • at the start and end of the intervention

    • 6 months after completing the intervention and

    • 1 year after completing the intervention. [2013]

1.23.2

Ensure data collection tools are validated for the age range or population group covered by the intervention and are feasible and affordable in practice settings. Do not rely on self-reported measures of height or weight, or interpretations of BMI based on them. [2013]

1.23.3

Monitor any variation in the numbers of children and young people who join and who complete the intervention, and the proportion of people retained by the intervention. Analyse this by population subgroup. [2013]