A qualitative study on the views of experts regarding the incorporation of non-health outcomes into the economic evaluations of public health interventions.

Background: Public health interventions can impact a broad number of outcomes, including both health and non-health outcomes (NHOs). However, although it is often acknowledged that it's important to take NHOs into account in economic evaluation studies, in practice these are often neglected. To address this issue, our study investigated expert views regarding the incorporation of NHOs into the economic evaluations of public health interventions, by means of a qualitative study.

Exploring Outcomes to Consider in Economic Evaluations of Health Promotion Programs: What Broader Non-Health Outcomes Matter Most?

Background: Attention is increasing on the consideration of broader non-health outcomes in economic evaluations. It is unknown which non-health outcomes are valued as most relevant in the context of health promotion. The present study fills this gap by investigating the relative importance of non-health outcomes in a health promotion context.

Associations between environmental characteristics and active commuting to school among children: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Active commuting to school can contribute to active living among children, and environmental characteristics might be related to transportation mode to school.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the association between physical and social environmental characteristics in the home, neighborhood, and school environment and walking and bicycling to school.

Method: Data were collected among parents (n = 5,963) of children of primary schools in four Dutch cities.

Outdoor play among children in relation to neighborhood characteristics: a cross-sectional neighborhood observation study.

Background: Although environmental characteristics as perceived by parents are known to be related to children's outdoor play behavior, less is known about the relation between independently measured neighborhood characteristics and outdoor play among children. The purpose of this study was to identify quantitative as well as qualitative neighborhood characteristics related to outdoor play by means of neighborhood observations.

Methods: Questionnaires including questions on outdoor play behavior of the child were distributed among 3,651 parents of primary school children (aged 4-12 years).

Feasibility of multi-sector policy measures that create activity-friendly environments for children: results of a Delphi study.

Background: Although multi-sector policy is a promising strategy to create environments that stimulate physical activity among children, little is known about the feasibility of such a multi-sector policy approach. The aims of this study were: to identify a set of tangible (multi-sector) policy measures at the local level that address environmental characteristics related to physical activity among children; and to assess the feasibility of these measures, as perceived by local policy makers.

Methods: In four Dutch municipalities, a Delphi study was conducted among local policy makers of different policy sectors (public health, sports, youth and education, spatial planning/public space, traffic and transportation, and safety).

Opportunities to reduce health inequalities by 'Health in All Policies' in the Netherlands: an explorative study on the national level.

Objectives: In the last few years the Dutch ministry of Health has been searching for a renewed Health in All Policies (HiAP) strategy. This study analyses the Dutch practices and explores opportunities to reduce health inequalities by HiAP.

Methods: A qualitative screening on the Dutch national budget was performed to explore ongoing policy resolutions of ministries inside and outside the public health domain.

Multi-sector policy action to create activity-friendly environments for children: a multiple-case study.

Objectives: The aim of this study is (1) to gain insight into current multi-sector policy initiatives that contribute to activity-friendly environments for children in four Dutch municipalities, (2) to investigate the role of multi-sector collaboration in multi-sector policy action and (3) to gain insight into critical facilitators and possible challenges for multi-sector policy action aimed at creating activity-friendly environments for children.

Methods: A policy analysis was conducted in four Dutch municipalities by means of semi-structured interviews with 25 policy officers from different policy sectors. Interviews were transcribed ad verbatim and analyzed using qualitative data coding software.

Environmental determinants of outdoor play in children: a large-scale cross-sectional study.

Background: Outdoor play is a cheap and natural way for children to be physically active.

Purpose: This study aims to identify physical as well as social correlates of outdoor play in the home and neighborhood environment among children of different age groups.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were derived from 6470 parents of children from 42 primary schools in four Dutch cities by means of questionnaires (2007-2008).

Towards translation of environmental determinants of physical activity in children into multi-sector policy measures: study design of a Dutch project.

Background: Physical inactivity in children is a major health problem in The Netherlands as well as in many other Western countries. In addition to health promotion among parents and children, creating "active" neighbourhoods can contribute to the solution of this health problem. However, changing environmental characteristics is often the responsibility of policy sectors outside the Public Health domain.