Looking for new ways to assess lifestyle interventions

Many lifestyle interventions that are available in the Netherlands are collected in the Intervention Database Healthy and Active Living. This database is a joint initiative of the Dutch Institute for Sport and Movement (NISB) and RIVM Centre for Healthy Living (CGL), in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute. There are more than 1,800 interventions spread over many lifestyle themes. Owners of interventions put their offerings in the database so that professionals in the field can choose to work with.

When looking for an intervention, professionals can search the database on the target audience and theme. In addition, they can select within the range of recognized quality interventions. The approved interventions have been assessed for quality by an independent commission. The quality mark is appreciated by professionals; interviews show that confidence in the quality is a reason to choose an authorized intervention. Professionals consider it important that an intervention is effective, they rely in that respect on recognized interventions. But there are also concerns about accredited interventions, for example whether a standard intervention can be tailor made. Another concern is that authorized interventions did not always match the local context. For that reason, professionals fit interventions to the local practice. In addition, they want to know what parts can be removed what should remain in it to achieve the goals. What are the active elements is the question.

If multiple interventions are recognized on a theme, the question arises whether there are common elements. Collecting these elements and making these available in overviews enable professionals to get transcendental knowledge. Under such an overview one can find available intervention, showing which element is incorporated in the intervention.

The Centre for Healthy Living (CGL) is exploring how the active elements can be presented. No easy task, as there appears to be differences in terms and views on what is an active element. Reasons enough to Djoeke van Dale, Lanting Loes and Jaap van Delden of the CGL to have their say on active elements: what is the state of affairs, what do they do and do they have a clear picture of the direction to take? After that, various experts from policy, research and practice give their response to the statement of the CGL. What in all responses reveals is that knowledge of the practical circumstances, the context in which the intervention implemented is of great importance for the successful implementation of the intervention. In the discussion of ’active elements’, according to the different authors, that aspect needs to be extensively addressed, or even be leading.