Effectiveness of the Promising Neighbourhoods community program in 0-to 12-year-olds : A difference-in-difference analysis

Mirte Boelens; Hein Raat; Harrie Jonkman; Clemens M H Hosman; Denis Wiering; Wilma Jansen

doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101166

Effectiveness of the Promising Neighbourhoods community program in 0-to 12-year-olds : A difference-in-difference analysis

SSM Popul Health. 2022 Jul 8:19:101166. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101166. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Authors

Mirte Boelens¹, Hein Raat¹, Harrie Jonkman², Clemens M H Hosman^{3

4

5}, Denis Wiering⁶, Wilma Jansen^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
² Verwey-Jonker Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
⁵ Hosman Prevention and Innovation Consultancy, Berg en Dal, the Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Social Development, Municipality of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a collaborative community-based program that aims to a) increase the health, safety and talent development of youth, and b) contribute to the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities.

Methods: A difference-in difference design with two separate cross-sectional samples in 2018 (n = 984) and 2021 (n = 413) among 0- to 12-year-olds with an intervention and comparator condition was used. The program, called Promising Neighbourhoods, consists of collaboration with community stakeholders, data-based priority setting, knowledge-and theory-based policies, and evidence-based interventions. The program was implemented in three neighbourhoods which were compared with three similar comparator neighbourhoods in which the program was not implemented. Logistic difference-in-difference regression was used to test effectiveness of the intervention on informal parenting support, outdoor-play, sport club membership, general health and risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties and to examine differences in intervention effects between children with a lower or higher socioeconomic status.

Results: A significant intervention effect of the Promising Neighbourhoods program after two-years was found for outdoor-play (OR 0.61; 95%CI 0.37, 0.99). No other significant intervention effects were found for other outcomes. No different interventions effects were found for children with a lower or higher socioeconomic status on outcomes.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a positive intervention effect for one of the outcomes in 0- to 12-year-olds. Further mixed-methods evaluation research and using longer follow-up periods are needed to examine the value of these type of programs. Further development of Promising Neighbourhoods seems warranted.

Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered in the Netherlands National Trial Register (Number: NL7279) on 26 September 2018.

Keywords: CTC, Communities that Care; EPHE, EPODE for health equity; NDC, England's New Deal for Communities; NYI, Netherlands Youth Institute; SDQ, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SES, socioeconomic status.