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WP1: Definition of the knowledge base
WP leader : Payam Dadvand
WP co-leader : Carmen Peuters
ISGLOBAL
WP1 aims to comprehensively identify the individual, interpersonal, and socio-environmental factors that influence children’s and adolescents’ health behaviours and outcomes, and to determine the most relevant targets for intervention. This includes synthesising existing evidence, analysing European cohort data, and using both hypothesis-driven and data-driven approaches to uncover key determinants. The work will produce vulnerability maps for the seven study areas and an interactive online platform assembling all identified determinants. These tools will guide the design of the intervention, help tailor recruitment to diverse contexts, and support policymakers and stakeholders in addressing youth health vulnerabilities across Europe.
WP2: Co-creation of YEAH! intervention
WP leader : Sébastien Chastin
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)
WP2 focuses on collaboratively designing the YEAH! intervention using an evidence-based and participatory approach. Building on findings from WP1, it will first develop a detailed logic model of change, including both intended positive outcomes and potential unintended harms. A standardised co-creation protocol will then be established and adapted across seven countries, supported by local co-creation laboratories involving youth, parents, stakeholders, and facilitation teams. The protocol will be piloted in the UK before full implementation in all countries. The process will be evaluated to ensure robustness, adaptability, and stakeholder engagement, resulting in context-specific interventions tailored to diverse European settings.
More information here.
WP3:Technical development of YEAH! intervention
WP leader : Benoit Bideau
Université Rennes 2
WP3 aims to create both the educational resources and the digital platform needed to deliver the YEAH! intervention. This includes designing pedagogical materials for training sessions and team-based activities, as well as developing a comprehensive app that offers personalised support for behaviour change in children and adolescents. The digital solution will integrate features such as video conferencing, discussion forums, event planning, and social networking, alongside data collection tools for health behaviours. Algorithms will provide tailored recommendations and automated prompts, while user feedback will guide iterative improvements. All materials will be adapted to local contexts across participating countries.
WP4: Validation of measurement tools
WP leader : Anca Dobrean
Universitatea Babes-Bolyai (UBB)
WP4 aims to select and validate the assessment tools used to evaluate the YEAH! intervention (WP8) for children and adolescents in six languages (French, Dutch, Danish, Romanian, Greek, and English). This involves identifying appropriate measures for health behaviours, health outcomes, and mechanisms of action, adapting them for two age groups (8–10 and 14–16 years), and ensuring accurate translation and cultural relevance through a rigorous back-translation process. Validation studies will be conducted in all participating countries, followed by statistical analyses to confirm the reliability, validity, and cross-language equivalence of the instruments. The result will be a set of robust, multi-lingual tools ready for use in the RCT.
WP5: Conception of the RCT evaluating YEAH! intervention
WP leader : Jean-Luc Bosson
Université Grenoble Alpes
WP5 focuses on preparing and setting up the multi-country randomised controlled trial (RCT) that will evaluate the YEAH! intervention. This includes securing all regulatory and ethics approvals, obtaining the necessary human and technical resources, and establishing the recruitment and follow-up processes. A harmonised case report form (CRF) and secure electronic data collection system will be developed to ensure consistent data management across sites, in compliance with GDPR and local regulations. The work will culminate in the official registration of the RCT protocol on ClinicalTrials.gov, providing a robust framework for the trial’s implementation.
WP6: Implementation of the RCT evaluating YEAH! intervention
WP leader : Jean-Luc Bosson
Université Grenoble Alpes
WP6 is dedicated to the practical rollout of the multi-country randomised controlled trial (RCT). It involves preparing participant-friendly versions of all measurement tools, developing and delivering a standardised training programme for behaviour change coaches, and coordinating recruitment and communication actions to engage schools. The RCT will be implemented in at least 2,688 pupils across seven sites, following harmonised procedures to ensure consistency in data collection and intervention delivery. Tutorial documents and translated materials will support both participants and implementation teams, ensuring quality and standardisation throughout the study.
WP7: Case studies evaluating YEAH! intervention in specific subgroups
WP leader : Sandrine Isoard-Gautheur
Université Grenoble Alpes
WP7 evaluates the YEAH! intervention in subgroups of children and adolescents at higher risk for unhealthy behaviours and health issues, focusing on those hospitalised for mental disorders and elite young athletes. Using an N-of-1 design, tailored protocols will be developed and implemented in collaboration with local sites, ensuring regulatory and ethics approval. The work includes recruitment, targeted communication, and delivery of the intervention, followed by analyses of effectiveness. Additionally, the socio-environmental context of each participant will be examined using the SaLTo (Semantic Life Trajectories) approach, combining multidimensional determinants of health with biographical interviews to better understand personal life courses and intervention outcomes.
WP8: Outcome and process evaluation of YEAH!
WP leader : Falko Shiehotta
Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg
WP8 assesses the overall impact of the YEAH! intervention, examining its effectiveness, mechanisms of action, equity, generalisability, and cost-effectiveness. It also evaluates the intervention’s reach, adoption, implementation, and sustainability using the RE-AIM framework. This work includes statistical analyses of RCT data to determine short- and long-term outcomes, assess whether results differ across socio-economic or demographic groups, and explore how well findings can be applied to wider populations. Cost-utility analyses will quantify value for money, while process evaluations will provide insights into how the intervention was delivered and maintained across different contexts.
This project has received funding from the European Union´s Horizon Europe under grant agreement No 101155977
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the European Health and Digital Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.
