Consented indicators for the evaluation of integrated strategies of community health promotion targeting children and adolescents: results of an eDelphi.

Background: To date, there is no consensus on indicators for the evaluation of integrated community-based interventions for health promotion and prevention targeting children and adolescents. This study aims at consenting on a scoped set of indicators to evaluate integrated community-based interventions.

Methods: Out of 738 indicators derived from a literature search, we preselected 94 indicators allotted to 20 domains based on an internal quality appraisal and consensus process and conducted an eDelphi procedure to assess their relevance in view of experts. Experts were recruited in the field of public health, health sciences and communal health promotion in practice and were invited as participants in this eDelphi. During the eDelphi, 47 experts rated the relevance of 94 indicators in two rounds. Consensus was defined as agreement of 75% (or above).

Results: After round 1, 27 indicators among 11 consented subdomains reached a consensus on relevance. After round 2, a total of 36 indicators reached consensus on relevance in 9 subdomains (such as socioeconomic factors, health education, nutrition and physical activity, oral health, overall health status, specific health conditions, drug related behavior, exposure to drugs and violence, family factors).

Conclusions: These identified indicators may provide a basis for evaluation concepts of integrated community-based interventions for children and adolescents to inform stakeholders about intervention impacts.